Messages

16

Routes / Re: Want to ride Salt Lake City to Cedar City but can find no established route

« on: June 11, 2013, 04:04:23 pm »

A nice route you could take most of the way is US-89.  It is somewhat out of a direct line between Salt Lake City and Cedar City, but south of Provo it's a very nice route to tour.  You could finish by taking UT-14 from Long Valley Junction to Cedar City.  Highway 89 has nice scenery, not much traffic, and many small towns along the way.  I rode it about 10 years ago.  The Salt Lake City to Provo portion wasn't real nice, but from Provo south it was great.

17

Routes / Re: A Brit in New Mexico

« on: May 25, 2013, 08:33:59 pm »

Chris,  One thing I neglected to mention in the previous post.  Early July is the beginning of the summer monsoon season (which normally lasts through early September).  Expect short-duration, very scattered thunderstorms.  Mornings are usually clear; clouds form around noon; the storms hit in the afternoon; then the sky clears.  The storms are very locaized; one area may get drenched, while 1/4 mile away no rain falls.  If you do get caught in a storm, it will likely last maybe 15 minutes and drops the temperature nicely. The storms often create a lot of lightning, so don't take cover under an isolated tree (trees are few and far between anyway).

18

Routes / Re: A Brit in New Mexico

« on: May 24, 2013, 01:28:53 am »

I assume you will generally be following the Rio Grande until you get very near Santa Fe.  Your route will approximate the old Spanish El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Royal Road of the Interior), which has a facinating history.  There is a lot of information about that historic route in the internet.  Here's one site http://www.nps.gov/elca/index.htm

I did a bike tour from Las Cruces to Santa Fe about 5 years go.  Interstate Highway 25 follows the Rio Grande to Santa Fe.  It is legal (and safe due to wide shoulders) to ride on the interstate, but noisy and not real pleasant.  Most of the route there are paved highways parallel and not far from the interstate, some east and some west.  These roads are much more pleasant riding.  A detailed New Mexico map will show those roads.  If you're not camping, towns with motels are spaced near enough for reasonable daily rides.  There is very little civilization between Truth or Consequences and Socorro, so load up with water and snacks for that stretch.

New Mexico Highway 28 north from El Paso goes through La Mesilla, an interesting and attractive little town just south of Las Cruces.  Of course, you will find many, many good Mexican food restaurants along the entire route.

Between a bit south of Albuquerque and Santa Fe are several Indian pueblos (towns) that are interesting to visit.  In Albuquerque, a 15-mile bike trail runs along the Rio Grande.

As others have said, it will be hot; along with water, sunscreen is a must.  Long sleeved shirts may be advisable to avoid sunscreen. Just for information: Las Cruces elevation is 3,900 feet, Santa Fe elevation is 7,200 feet.

Have a great ride.

19

Routes / Re: Atlantic Coast question from St. Augustine, FL to Wilmington, NC

« on: May 24, 2013, 12:54:38 am »

I did a tour last month from Charleston, SC, to Norfolk, VA.  The intent was to stay a near the coast as possible.  Generally, US-17 is not very bike friendly, usually no shoulder.  There was quite a bit of traffic in April; I imagine as the summer tourist season approaches, the traffic would be much heavie.  A tourer we talked to said US-17 between Savannah and Charleston was terrible for riding -- lots of traffic and no shoulder.

Unfortunately, because of many rivers and inlets along the coast, we didn't have many options to US-17 until it went inland at Jacksonville, NC, and we stayed along the coast to get to the Outer Banks.

There are some stretches to avoid US-17 for a while -- Myrtle Beach & North Myrtle Beach, SC; NC-211 and US-421 south of Wilmington, NC; and NC-210 and NC-172 south of Jacksonville, NC.

If you aren't tied to the Adventure Cycleing route, the NC's Outer Banks make for great riding. 

20

Routes / Re: El Paso to San Diego via Tucson

« on: March 29, 2013, 11:44:14 pm »

Here's a route generally on low-traffic roads which is not as direct as taking I-10 from El Paso to Casa Grande, but is a lot more interesting and enjoyable than riding the shoulder of the interstate.  West of El Paso, ride NM Highway 9 all the way across southern NM.  That road is scenic and very lightly-traveled, and the towns (Columbus, Hachita, and Animas) range from small to tiny.  At the Arizon border, take Highway 80 through Douglas, Bisbee, and (for the atmosphere and history) Tombstone.  Take Charleston Road from Tombstone to Sierra Vista; Highway 90 and Highway 83 to Sonoita; and Highway 83 to I-10 east of Tucson.  Shortly thereafter, frontage roads lead into Tucson.  Bicycles are prohibited on I-10 from the east side to Tucson north thrugh Casa Grande to north of Phoenix.

You can get a bike route map of Tucson which shows bike paths and routes through most of the city.   Take Oracle Road (Highway 77) north out of Tucson to Highway 79 to Florence, then Highway 287 from Florence to Casa Grande.  Then take Highway 238 to Gila Bend.  There are frontage roads along much of I-8 west of Gila Bend; where they aren't present, ride the interstate shoulder.  At I-8 Exit 54, take the paved road to Tacna, Wellton, etc. to Yuma -- the road avoids a mountain range that I-8 crosses east of Yuma.

This routing from El Paso to Yuma is high desert and desert that get very hot in the summer, with long stretches between water sources and other civilization.  I've ridden virtually all of it and it's wonderful riding, but be prepared.

I haven't ridden from Yuma to San Diego, but you could likely find journals on crazyguyonabike.com of that portion.  Not too far west of Yuma, you can pick up the Southen Tour route.

21

Routes / Re: running route 66

« on: February 24, 2013, 01:55:08 pm »

A thought I didn't mention in the previouse post.  If Steve isn't wedded to Route 66, a more enjoyable alternate route across much of Missouri would be to go north from a bit west of Springfiled to Clinton, Mo, and pick up the Katy Trail.  The trail extends 225 miles from Clinton to St. Charles, about 30 miles from St. Louis.  The Katy Trail (http://www.bikekatytrail.com/) is a level, traffic-free route mostly along the Missouri River that would avoid the hills and I-40 of central Missouri.

22

Routes / Re: running route 66

« on: February 24, 2013, 01:34:07 pm »

There are several Route 66 websites and books that provide information on where Route 66 roads still exist and points of interest along the way.  In many locations different allignments were use at different times, so there are choices of routes.

In a nutshell, here are my experiences bike touring portions of Route 66: 
California - I haven't ridden any of the route. 
Arizona - the old road is present across about half the state, mostly east of Flagstaff, with long stretches between "civilization." 
New Mexico - portions of 66 are present, separated by stretches where I-40 eliminated 66.  Originally 66 went north (through Santa Fe) and south of Albuquerque; later straight east-west through Albuquerque.  Long distances between towns. 
Texas - 66 is present about 3/4 of the way across the panhandle, mostly as frontage roads to I-10.  Flat and pretty boring.
Oklahoma - 66 exists all the way across the state; west of Oklahoma City much is I-40 frontage roads.
Kansas - all 13 miles still exist!
Missouri - 66 from the west border to Springfield is present as minor highways.  East Springfield, I-40 eliminated some portions.  Very hilly in center of state.
Illinois - essentially all of old 66 is present, about half as I-55 frontage roads.  Generally flat as a pancake.

Check bike journals of Route 66 tours on this site and CrazyGuyonaBike for much greater detail.

Take time to enjoy the many interesting places along the route.

23

Routes / Re: Recommendation for a 1 week solo tour in warm weather region in March

« on: February 10, 2013, 10:32:32 pm »

I'll second (or third) the recommendation for southeast Arizona, starting in Tucson.  The weather is generally fine; scenery is great; and traffic usually light.  A couple of days could be added to the Adventure Cycling tour mentioned above by riding riding to south to Nogales (on the Mexican border) from Tucson, then northeast to Patagonia to get on the A.C. route. 

I live in Sierra Vist in about the center of the tour route area.  If you select this area for your tour, contact me at jpwettack3@msn.com.  I can give you details of area roads and potential side trips and could put you up for a night.

24

Gear Talk / Re: Pannier J-Hook too Long. Any fixes?

« on: August 03, 2012, 01:11:54 am »

I had a similar problem with my panniers and rack.   I solved it by removing the hook from the pannier strap and replacing it with a strong split key ring; the ring is higher than the rod on the bottom of the rack.  I attached a bungie cord to the ring, passed it below the bottom of the rack and hooked the other end of the bungie cord to the top of the rack behind the pannier.

25

Routes / Re: Arizona 288 --Globe-Young Hwy?

« on: August 02, 2012, 09:02:14 pm »

I live in Arizona and have ridden many of the following areas.  There are reasonable alternatives to Route 288 to get to the Mogollon Rim from Silver City.  One would be to take US-70 to Globe, AZ-88 to Roosevelt, AZ-188 to AZ-87 to Payson.  From Payson, you could ride AZ-87 to the Rim Road.   From that point, you could go west through Camp Verde to Prescott (which involves a LOT of climbing), then north to Ash Fork and ride I-40 or much of old Route 66 to the California border.   I'd recommend riding from Strawberry to the Lake Mary Road which goes north to Flagstaff.  From Flagstaff, you can ride most of the way to the CA border on old Route 66.  Several websites identify parts of Route 66 that exist but are not shown on most maps.

An alternative route to the Rim Road through scenic backcountry is on US-180 from Silver City to Eagar, AZ, then AZ-260 though Show Low to the Rim Road.  There are few services, other that some at Glenwood, between Silver City and Alpine.

26

Routes / Re: route suggestions for a beginner

« on: August 02, 2012, 07:32:45 pm »

The Natchez Trace, with the north end in Nashville, is a relatively nearby route to you that makes for a nice tour.  It has little traffic (no commercial vehicles) and a 45-mph speed limit.  The north end of the 440-mile route has some significant hills (nothing compared to eastern TN), the southern portion is very flat.

The GAP Trail and C&O Canal trail combine to make a very interesting and scenic tour.

27

Routes / Spokane - Missoula - Spokane Loop

« on: March 29, 2012, 02:02:52 am »

I'm planning a tour this summer of a loop from Spokane to Missoua, taking in the Spokane an North Idaho Centennial Trails, Trail of the Coeur d'Alene and Route of the Hiawatha, and back to Spokane including the Lewis & Clark Route to Lewiston.  I'm seeking information regarding traffic, terrain, services, etc. on the following portions of the route:
   a. Getting from the North Idaho Centennial Trail to the beginning of the Trail of the Couer d'Alene.  Alternatives appear to be US-95 west of the Lake of the Couer d'Alene or Highway 97 east of the lake.
   b. Between the east end of the Trail of the Hiawatha and St. Regis, MT., are frontage roads passable for touring bikes with 35 mm tires present or is riding the I-90 shoulder the way to go?
   c. Lewiston, ID, to Spokane -- US-195 through Colvax vs. US-95 and Highways 58 and 278 through Potlatch and Plummer. 

Thanks for any information and advice.

28

Gear Talk / Re: Cycling Shorts vs. Padded Liners?

« on: December 29, 2011, 12:37:51 am »

After many tours and trying several clothing alternatives, I've settled on wearing biking briefs under regular nylon shorts (or zip-off pants when long pants are needed on cold mornings/evenings).  I find it a confortable and handy combination -- the briefs eliminate seams, and the shorts provide pockets and meet my preference for not wearing cycling shorts on tours. The briefs are more comfortable than wearing cycling shorts under the nylon shorts and are cooler on warm days.  I use Performance and Nashbar briefs made of a very light material with a cloth "chamois" with no padding.  They don't seem to be available now, but I'm sure similar alternatives are available.
 
My pants "wardrobe" consists of 1 pair of nylon shorts, 1 pair of nylon zip-off pants, 2 pairs of biking briefs, and 2 pairs of nylon underwear.  After the day's ride, I switch to regular underwear and wash the briefs and the previous day's underwear.  The shorts can be worn for several days before washing.

29

General Discussion / Re: Whitefish, MT lodging

« on: October 15, 2011, 01:24:18 am »

I can confirm that the state park campground is very noisy due to trains.  I stayed one night in the campground 2 years ago.  The railroad track goes right past the park; trains blowing their whistles passed by frequently all night long.

30

Routes / Re: Biking Mexico from Arizona to South America

« on: September 12, 2011, 10:58:01 pm »

A brother and sister team recently finished a 15-month, 17-country ride from San Diego to Montevideo, Uruguay.  Their blog, www.ericandmerilee@blogspot.com, is a great record, with photos, of their journey.  Using maps of the various countries you could trace their route.  You could contact them for details.  My wife and I hosted them for a night in Arizona and found them to be very enjoyable.