Topics

1

Routes / Anyone ridden on Pennsylvania's Route Y?

« on: June 05, 2014, 10:53:46 am »

I am looking to ride across Pennsylvania and wondering what it is like to ride Route 6 across (west to east), which is, essentially, Route Y.

I've heard it has good shoulders most of the way but carries a lot of truck traffic due to fracking.

Has anyone ridden this route?

Any idea where the traffic is bad?

Any suggestions for alternative routes?

2

Routes / A detailed guide for bicycling from San Francisco to Los Angeles

« on: January 18, 2014, 10:57:19 am »

I live in San Francisco and have family in Los Angeles. I ridden from SF to LA half a dozen times and I wanted to write a detailed guide for others who might be considering this ride.

You can read the guide here.

I'd be interested in any comments or suggestions for improving it.

Be warned that it is long.

3

General Discussion / My experience dehydrating food to take touring

« on: May 17, 2013, 10:49:45 am »

On my recently completed tour around Big Bend National Park in West Texas, I experimented with dehydrating my own food and taking it along for eating on the road. I dehydrated mashed potatoes, broccoli, and carrots. I also took dehydrated re-fried beans (this I'd taken before), textured vegetable protein (TVP) and nutritional yeast.

I had the potatoes, broccoli and carrots for two meals. The resulting stew was filling, tasty (with enough spices added), and lightweight. Unfortunately, the carrots were very chewy and the broccoli a bit tasteless.

The nutritional yeast was a great addition to the re-fried beans and make a great replacement for cheese. I will definitely take this on future trips.

I have written an article that covers all this is much greater detail, should you be interested in reading more.

For future tours, I will definitely be dehydrating some foods and packing them along for the ride!

4

General Discussion / 10 years of experience touring on an S&S coupled bicycle

« on: February 07, 2013, 07:20:12 pm »

This year marks that 10th year that I've owned my S&S coupled Waterford Adventure Cycle. A fabulous bike.

I wrote an article summarizing my experiences touring with a coupled bicycle.

Highlights:

Likes - Savings on flying with bike, being able to put in any vehicle, rides likes a regular bike.

Dislikes - Learning to put it in its box, having to travel with a 45 pound suitcase, dealing with the box once at the destination, having to carry a special wrench.

I realize other people find traveling with a regular bike fine and others swear by folding bicycles. I'm not proselytizing here. Only reporting on my experience.

5

General Discussion / New version of (free) bike touring game released

« on: March 24, 2012, 11:57:55 am »

I have finished updating Armchair Bike Touring, a free on-line bike touring game that I first released about a year ago.

If you aren't familiar with it, the game runs in any browser and is an attempt to simulate bike touring (without all that annoying thigh pain!). A player takes 3 increasing difficult bike tours (100, 200, then 300 miles) earning points (and getting assessed penalties) along the way. The original version has different terrains that go through various scenery in all kinds of weather. You have to deal with flat tires and broken spokes and make sure you eat enough food to stay energized and stop before you are completely exhausted. The new version incorporates stealth camping and taking side trips to see local attractions. I've written an article describing the changes for any one interested in more detail.

It is my guess that these changes should allow for higher top scores. But, there are pitfalls, as well, so who knows. I'll just have to wait and see if anyone is able to post a new top score.

In addition to working on browsers, the game works unchanged on iPads and similar devices, as far as I can tell.

I'd be interested in any and all comments that anyone might have about the game.

6

General Discussion / On-line Bike Touring game

« on: February 03, 2011, 10:21:47 am »

I've created an on-line bike touring game that I call Armchair Biketouring.

My goal in creating the game was to give people an idea of what bike touring is like without all that annoying bicycling!

I've included weather, terrain, scenery, calorie usage and consumption, bonking, places to sleep, flat tires, broken spokes, and road angels.  I wrote an article about the game on my website.

I'd be interested in any feedback on it.

To run the game, use the link in the first line or this direct link: www.biketouringtips.com/ArmchairBikeTouring.

Ray

7

Routes / Looking for route options in Vermont, New Hampshire and/or Maine

« on: July 23, 2010, 10:59:32 am »

I'm trying to plan a route through New England for a month-long tour in September.

I live in San Francisco, have never been to any of these areas, and have no specific knowledge of good routes, places to avoid, and things to see/do.

My tour will start in Lambertville, NJ and end in Boston.  My current plan is to ride the ACA Atlantic Coast trail up to Poughkeepsie, NY Bike Route 5 up the Hudson to Albany, NY Bike Route 9 along the Erie Canal to near Lake Oneida and then north to NY Route 3 (near Watertown) and then through the Adirondacks over to Lake Champlain.

What I have no clue about is how to get from Lake Champlain over to Boston.  The options I see are these:

1) Ride to Vermont Route 100, down to the Green Mountains, turn east, ride to New Hampshire's White Mountains and then, depending on time, either down to Boston or over to Maine and then down to Boston.

2) Ride across the top of Vermont over to the New Hampshire Border and then down the Connecticut River (border) using New Hampshire Biking Maps (here) and then ride around the lakes south of the White Mountains and the White Mountains, as well, and then, depending on time either down to Boston or over to Maine and then down to Boston

 3) Ride a more direct route to the White Mountains, ride around them, head over and explore Maine in a kind of loop and then head down to Boston via the ACA Atlantic Coast route.

4) Ride down to and around the Green Mountains and continue down through Massachusetts to Connecticut and then turn east aiming for Cape Cod and then up to Boston.

I'm sure there are lots of other options that I am unaware of but would like to hear about.

I have to be in Boston October 3.

I'd greatly appreciate any and all comments about the plans.

Thanks,

Ray

P.S. I've posted this in several bike touring forums.

8

General Discussion / Routing suggestions for a month-long tour in New England

« on: July 01, 2010, 03:49:26 pm »

I just finished riding up the Atlantic Coast, starting at Charlestong, SC and stopping at my in-laws' house in Lambertville, NJ. It turns out that my wife and I and much of her family will be meeting there in August allowing me to plan another East Coast tour leaving Lambertville around Sept. 1. My wife is flying out to Burlington, VT October 3, where I plan to meet her for several days of leaf peeping.

From Lambertville to Burlington is a few hundred miles, so I have to ride somewhere else before ending at Burlington. One idea is to continue on the ACA Atlantic Coast up to Maine. Just north of Portland, ME the Northern Tier meets the Atlantic Coast route. I could switch to the Northern Tier, ride west toward Lake Champlain and then detour up to Burlington. This is closer to the 1000 miles I typically do on a month-long tour. If I have more time and desire, I can go around the Lake, head north to Montreal, or find some other place to ride near there.

This is one obvious option but I am open to any and all other suggestions. Since I've never been to this part of the world, I'd be interested in the best way to spend a month on a bike there.

Thanks,

Ray

9

General Discussion / Where to start Atlantic Coast Ride in South Carolina?

« on: January 30, 2010, 10:26:57 am »

I'm planning my next bike tour and I need some local advice. My current idea is to ride north up the Atlantic Coast from somewhere in South Carolina to Lambertville, New Jersey, where I have family.

I'm California born and bred and have never been to South Carolina. I do know that Charleston is an old town and right on the coast but know next to nothing about other interesting places that might work for a starting location.

What I'd like is a place that is easy to fly into and ride a bike out of. My wife will join me for a few days before I start the ride, so I'd like a place that is good for a few days sightseeing (by car or foot), as well.

Someone suggested Savannah as a starting point. I've never been to either.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Ray

10

Routes / Rhode Island to New Jersey

« on: June 03, 2004, 02:59:46 pm »

I have an opportunity to fly into Providence RI and out of New Jersey around July 1.  I would like to ride from one to the other along the Adventure Cycling Atlantic Coast route.  It looks like I would pick up the route around Windsor Locks, CT and then take it all the way to Lambertville, NJ, which is my destination.

Some questions about this route:

What is the route from Providence to Windsor Locks?

Does the route have camping options or is it credit card only?

Is the route rural or urban?

How will the car traffic be in late June?

What is the terrain like?

Thanks,

Ray

11

Routes / Colorado to SF via Yellowstone

« on: February 13, 2004, 06:53:04 pm »

I will be in Denver over July 4th and am thinking about riding back to San Francisco instead of flying back.  I see that the Trans-am trail runs just west of Denver, goes north through Yellowstone (I've never been), then west to Oregon (I'd continue down to SF).

Since I haven't decided to do this, I'd like any information, ideas, experiences, etc, that anyone might have about this trip at this time of the year (Early July).

Thanks,

Ray

12

General Discussion / New Bike touring site

« on: November 13, 2007, 08:19:53 pm »

I wanted to announce a new bike touring tips: www.biketouringtips.com

The idea behind this site is to create an indexed, on-line bike touring archive holding websites, discussion threads, touring jounals, and personal wisdom.  The archive is indexed by location and topic and can be searched by either or both.  The archive currently has over 400 entries dealing with more than 50 countries.

The archive is designed to allow anyone to enter information into it after a free registration.

To see range of archive entries go to this link.

Thanks,

Ray