Topics

1

Great Lakes / Marine City to Muskegon

« on: April 22, 2014, 05:42:39 pm »

I'm looking for a pleasant route across southern MI. I have been told NOT to take Rt 57 even though it looks to have ok shoulders. If possible, I would like to use the trails which run from Grand Rapids to Muskegon (Musketawa Trail) so if I can find a nice route to GR from Marine City, that would be great. Thanks for any advice.
Bryan

2

Routes / East To West Montana

« on: December 04, 2013, 12:26:37 pm »

From Glendive, MT, my N.T. map takes me up 200S to 13 to  Rt 2 toward Cut Back and Browning. Not sure why they don't route me on 200/ 87/ 89 up to Browning which i  have read is a very nice route. It seems that 2 would have more traffic heading west from Williston, ND. Any thoughts?
Bryan
Barrington, RI

3

Routes / St Paul to Fargo via Bemidji

« on: November 22, 2013, 11:38:11 am »

During my upcoming (May 2014) northern tier tour, I will be visiting friends in St. Paul.
From St Paul to Fargo, the ACA maps have me following the 94 corridor on nice sounding bike paths. They also have a loop east of Fargo that takes you to Bemidji (source of the Mississippi) via Two Inlets. There is overlap between Fargo and Two Inlets.
Question: Is that loop worth the extra milage and if so, how about taking 29 north from Alexandria to Wadena then 71 to Two Inlets. Looks direct but not sure of "touring value".

Thanks,

Bryan
Barrington, RI

4

Routes / New York Bike Route 5

« on: November 13, 2013, 05:23:35 pm »

NY Bike route 5 goes 365 miles from the Mass line (Lebanon) to Niagara Falls.
Has any one used this route? I was thinking it would be a good way for me to connect with the Northern Tier as I cycle north west from RI via CT and MA. Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated!

Bryan
Barrington, RI

5

General Discussion / Northern Tier For Non Campers

« on: November 08, 2013, 04:49:39 pm »

I posted this to "Routes" but now think it should be "General". New to this so sorry if I'm wrong.

I'm planning on the Northern Tier (May-July, 2014, East to West) starting from my home in RI though I might drive to Bar Harbor. Will likely include the Great Lakes loop to avoid Chicago, etc. I love traveling by bike and use my bike year round for transportation. Love touring but do not like camping and all "extras" that go with it. Is it reasonable to assume that I can motel, B&B, etc.. along this route even in the more remote areas of ND and MT? I plan on 50-75 miles a day but more if wind and mind-set allow.

6

Routes / Northern Tier for the Non-Camper

« on: November 08, 2013, 04:21:00 pm »

I'm planning on the Northern Tier (May-July, 2014, East to West) starting from my home in RI though I might drive to Bar Harbor. Will likely include the Great Lakes loop to avoid Chicago, etc. I love traveling by bike and use my bike year round for transportation. Love touring but do not like camping and all "extras" that go with it. Is it reasonable to assume that I can motel, B&B, etc.. along this route even in the more remote areas of ND and MT?

7

General Discussion / Alert to reply

« on: January 02, 2012, 12:29:15 pm »

Is there a setting to receive an email alert when someone has replied to my post or any posts I'm interested in tracking? If so, how?
 Thanks
Bryan
Barrington, RI

8

Routes / Great Divide-Canada and MT

« on: January 02, 2012, 11:31:25 am »

I'm new here and was wondering if there is a discussion group for those interested in the GDMBR.
I'm signed-up for July's trip from Banff to Whitefish with ACA and have read a lot. I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what to expect and how to prepare but would love to talk with others who appreciate this kind of touring.

Thanks!

Bryan
Barrington, RI

9

Gear Talk / Water Filter vs. Steripen

« on: December 31, 2011, 05:44:56 pm »

I will be joining ACA next July on the GDMBR in Canada / MT. They provide water filters for the group but just in case I'm alone and need to refill I want my own system for purifying water.

Most folks seem to use filters but the Steriped (uses UV light to mess up viral and bacterial DNA so they can't reproduce) seems to be a light weight and dependable device. From what I can tell, the only issue is cloudy water since UV light doesn't travel well through the haze. Otherwise, looks like a great alternative to the traditional filter.

Appreciate any thoughts or personal experiences

Thanks and Happy New Year!