Messages

1

Routes / Re: ACA TransAmerican Summer 2025

« on: January 27, 2025, 08:59:05 am »

My suggestions are more for uturnshari. Elickerj, with your level of experience, you already know this.

Uturnshari, are you riding self-supported? Camping, credit card touring, or a combination? Whichever it is, start training as soon as you can (or as soon as the weather permits).  Even though it's only January, I'm carrying 40 lbs in my panniers in preparation for a Trans Am ride. And start practicing with whatever gear you're planning to take. If camping, take some overnight bike rides to a campground, say 20 to 30 miles away, multiple times if time permits, to try everything out. A fully loaded bicycle handles much differently than one not loaded.

2

Routes / Re: Lake Champlain circuit route questions

« on: November 21, 2024, 08:06:07 am »

Thanks, all. I called the customs offices at the crossing and it sounds like entry/exit on a bicycle will be straightforward. I also found out that the hours for the crossings are being reduced from 24 hours per day to 12 next year.

3

Routes / Re: Lake Champlain circuit route questions

« on: November 18, 2024, 04:45:57 pm »

Thanks. I'll try calling people at the customs office, if I can find a contact number. I just thought somebody on this forum may have first hand knowledge already.  Still have 7 months to sort stuff out.

4

Routes / Lake Champlain circuit route questions

« on: November 18, 2024, 12:53:30 pm »

I've started planning a Lake Champlain circuit ride for next year, likely mid-June.  At the northern end, the route crosses into Canada near Rouses Point on Rte 11 and back again near Alburg on Rte 225 (different highway numbers in Canada).  I have two questions (many more likely to come!). 

1) How are these entries for bicyclists?

2) Google maps showed Rte 225 closed at the crossing.  Was there construction? Or was the crosssing closed?

5

Routes / Re: Lake Champlain bikeway

« on: October 07, 2024, 09:06:22 pm »

Don't know if this will work. It's the route as I inputed it into RideWithGPS.

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48591975?privacy_code=LWeIbyuXz1KibO41oVVo691Knmo1wQCS

6

Routes / Re: Lake Champlain bikeway

« on: October 07, 2024, 06:39:50 pm »

https://champlainvalleynhp.org/recreation/lake-champlain-bikeways/lake-champlain-bikeways-maps-and-guidebooks/

This is the website that has a download of a map available.  Won't be going through St. Albans - the published route is further west, co-aligned with much of the Island Line Trail.

7

Routes / Lake Champlain bikeway

« on: September 27, 2024, 04:43:28 pm »

I'm looking for a 1 to 2 week bike trip for next year and stumbled across information on the Lake Champlain bikeway.  When looking on this forum, I see less than a half dozen people commenting on this route, and nothing recently. At CrazyGuyOnABike, I only found a couple of journals, and none with people who've done the entire circuit.  Has anyone done this recently and care to share their thoughts?

I've inputed the route from the Lake Champlain Bikeway into RideWithGPS. It comes out to around 330 mi from Whitehall New York to St Jean sur Richlieu in Canada and back - very doable for a week of cycling.  I prefer staying in a hotel/motel/b&b, but will be carrying camping gear to use if necessary.  I don't plan on bringing cooking supplies and will pick up meals on the road.

One bicyclist on CGOAB used the Vermonter Amtrak train from Metro Park New Jersey to Essex junction Vermont.  But it looks like a 10-hour trip versus a 4 hour drive to Whitehall. Thoughts?

8

Gear Talk / Re: Need a bike

« on: September 16, 2024, 01:58:08 pm »

I did the Erie canal path in 2017.  For much of it, I ended up doing the roads that paralleled it, mostly highway 31. Too much dust dirt and mud for me. But for the sections I did do on the trail, my Surly Disc Trucker was fine as were my Schwalbe Marathon 26x1.5 tires were fine.

9

General Discussion / Re: Fit for Touring?

« on: July 05, 2024, 07:40:54 am »

Could be the bike, how it's set up for you, or how you're training. But when I first read your narrative, I think intermittent claudication. Knowing nothing about you or your past medical history, you may want to discuss with your PMD and fellow cyclists.

10

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: Katy Connector Route Network

« on: June 11, 2024, 06:14:19 am »

WOW! They don't pay you enough!

11

General Discussion / Re: Newb advice

« on: May 27, 2024, 05:43:48 am »

Will need more details. Are you planning to ride on paved roads? Or gravel and dirt too? Are you interested in van supported group tours? Or self supported with camping?  Overnights to a local park? Or extended cross country adventures?

12

General Discussion / Re: How much water to carry?

« on: April 14, 2024, 08:37:05 pm »

I think davidbonn and Google AI can both be correct. Camel up when you're at a water source and then use your saved water at regular intervals and as needed.

13

Gear Talk / Re: What's your rain riding plan?

« on: April 03, 2024, 08:02:13 am »

My contention is that if you ride in the rain you're going to get wet and that the goal is not so much to stay dry, but to stay warm. If a fabric is truly waterproof, the rain may not penetrate, but you're going to be equally wet from the perspiration you generate. And my experience is that fabrics that are touted as breathable, don't breathe as fast as I generate sweat.

I've been generally pleased with my Showers Pass rain gear. But I wish their "pit zips" were even more substantial.  I've tried neoprene socks for warmth when bicycling in the winter , but they were too bulky. I would have had to purchase a larger pair of shoes. Instead, I wear my usual Darn Tough socks with my cycling shoes and add shoe covers from a company called Deflect.  This works well for me in rain as well as cooler weather.

And like one of the previous posters, I plan my ride so that I'll be staying someplace warm at the end of the day.

14

Gear Talk / Re: How warm should your sleepingbag be?

« on: March 30, 2024, 06:54:02 pm »

The best advice I have is to try out whatever you're going to be using in your backyard as many times as you can. On warm nights . Cold nights. On rainy nights. The more that you practice, the more comfortable you'll be with your equipment and know what works and what doesn't work. And you'll be much more adept at setting up camp and taking it down. At what temperature do you need a balaclava? At temperature do you need down booties? Long underwear? Thin sleep pad versus thicker?

15

Routes / Re: Backside of Glacier??

« on: March 14, 2024, 09:13:32 am »

Tom, which section are you concerned about traffic volume? At the beginning of July 2019, I rode from Browning to East Glacier on Rte 2, then north on 49 and 89 to Saint Mary before starting Going To The Sun.

From Browning to East Glacier, there was moderate traffic volume, but there was a good shoulder and a passing lane on the long uphills.

Route 49 heading north out of East Glacier was narrow, hilly, and winding, with little to no shoulder, but it was lovely.  If my memory serves me correctly, the road was closed to large vehicles, and it seemed that the locals took another route, so the traffic volume was not bad.

Going to the Sun road east of Logan pass had very light traffic at 10:00 in the morning and this was on July 4th.  But Logan pass was mobbed and the west side of the park had a moderate amount of traffic not all of which was courteous to bicyclists. Especially in the tunnels.  And you're probably already aware that the road from lake McDonald to West glacier is closed to bicyclists from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. due to traffic volume and lack of shoulders on the road.