Messages

1

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: North West Arkansas best asphalt route to Southern Tier Route? (no Mississippi)

« on: March 07, 2023, 05:45:00 pm »

Thanks for the advice. I am riding a skinny tire road bike so I am avoiding any gravel wherein it might get rough and pinch flat my road tire. I’m bike packing not pannier weighted my bike with gear was 30-35 pounds when I did transam - washed clothes most every night and air dried them in my tent since I had almost zero extra changes of clothes. Of course if you are pannier riding with fatty tires it is fine to tour Arkansas on gravel with little traffic. I have ridden all over Arkansas so I am not super interested in riding the bicycle to Memphis from the west side of the state. I have not ridden Oklahoma much and Google maps shows one route going South that includes a lot through the Eastern side of Oklahoma which I might go by. I’m rather not veer all the miles west to Tulsa- but Oklahoma seems more favorable than Arkansas since I have seen most all of Arkansas already.

I want to ride to in June and plan to camp or ask random people to let me camp in thier yard. This worked well for my TransAm ride- I even slept in a small wood house in Virginia behind the generous family’s house that they said use to house the slaves. (They bought the house so it was not their grea great great grand dads slaves)


 The simple route is rent a car or put the bike on a bus and go to Memphis Tennessee and take the established Mississippi Trail route south until I get to the Southern tier route. But I want to do it all on the bicycle and not pay for a train or rental car. The reason I want to avoid paying 400 dollars to rent a car is I am cheap. The reason I am avoiding bus rides is possibly getting bike damage in the boot  and my dislike for bus rides and stations. The reason do not going via Amtrack is the high cost and the hassale with finding an amtrack route that will have room and allow for a bike (not all amtrack trains/routes allow bicycles.

I see 3 routes on Google maps bike route to there. But yes a person who knows the less trafficked route is better than a Google map route.

2

Connecting ACA Routes / North West Arkansas best asphalt route to Southern Tier Route? (no Mississippi)

« on: March 07, 2023, 12:31:11 pm »

I am not eager to cycle the hill Country Arkansas route to the Mississippi route to connect with the southern Tier route.

 I rather cycle mostly straight south from North West Arkansas to New Orleans to connect to the Southern Tier East West Route and ride to the Florida Keys.

What route would you recommend that is somewhat straight to New Orleans From Fayetteville, Arkansas?

Thanks!

3

Routes / Two Not Hard-Ball trails - Great American Rail-Trail or the Transamtrail

« on: September 29, 2020, 11:55:41 am »

Rail-toTrail:

https://youtu.be/OYIWyotllZ0

https://www.railstotrails.org/greatamericanrailtrail/


Anyone planning on this railway to trail path? - familiar/traversed some of the route? It looks like it would be a lot of those awful powdery stone gear-eating paths. It follows the transamerica route around Colorado- maybe? It parallels the Transamerica except it is about 100-200 miles north. I would theorize it is less isolated and goes through more built-up populated areas than the Transamerica- so better chance to get hit with a bat and robbed but almost zero chance of getting hit by a RV like on the transamerica.


I think I might even opt to get overtaken by adult hillbillies on 4 wheelers on the:

Transamtrail

https://www.transamtrail.com/

rather than by town kids on the Rail-toTrail route where I would get hit by a group of teenagers on bikes who want to get into my cool bikepacking bags when they see a lone spandex rider to target.

I was thinking of doing a mostly dreadful gravel path journey and avoiding 80 mile an hour reckless cars and RVs in the Western States this time when I cross America again.

What path do you think is better?

4

General Discussion / Re: Amazing Transamerica Pictures And my Enlightened Terrible Verdict on the Route

« on: October 24, 2018, 10:48:12 pm »

Right it is all a blur now the city I meant was Silverthorn all the way to the next small town Kremmling. it was not pleasant at all. I was on a nice big wind shoulder the whole way ( with the exception of the semicircular around Heenley which was near zero yradfic) but on the shoulder every 20 seconds I was passed by a car 20+ miles from nowhere. A lot of the roads in the western states were like that. You are 10+ miles from any town yet every minute a car RV or truck blows by. I guess I may tour again if Iran locks up the straights of the Gulf and oil prices go sky high. I am not faulting the locals as they must have been going to work or the store but it was not very pleasurable. Even that amazing view where you come down into the valley that opens into huge big sky in Wyoming was kind of wrecked by a viechle passi g ar least every minute. And that was literally in the middle of nowhere until I got to Jeffery City Wyoming. It was a gorgeous one of a kind open expanse view but if someone asked if they should tour that route I am not sure I would advise it as I would say they ate going to be bothered by 80 mile an hour cars zooming by constantly coming and going to who knows where in the center of nothing.

5

General Discussion / Re: Amazing Transamerica Pictures And my Enlightened Terrible Verdict on the Route

« on: October 24, 2018, 10:19:35 pm »

 Hmm I am not sure when you went. I left about July 7 and finished September 5th of 2018 so just recently. Maybe there was more traffic on my trip then your timeframe. I will not be doing any pave.ent touring for a while in the USA you are right on about the limestone suggestion. Next time zi your in the USA I am going to go gravel and not get buzzed by trucks and RVs every day like when I rode on highways in the Western States.

6

General Discussion / Re: Amazing Transamerica Pictures And my Enlightened Terrible Verdict on the Route

« on: October 24, 2018, 10:11:03 pm »

 I too assumed roads in the west would have significantly less traffic then the east. However 20 miles from nowhere on the transanerica route from silverthorn/brekenenridge area to Eads Colorado I was getting passed every 20 seconds by traffic I assume lived in Eads or the ranches and commutes on the one highway passage to and fro. Likewise happened in the desolate deserts of Oregon and Wyoming. A Colorado convience store clerk said she was amazed by all the traffic at that time on July. There were sweet empty roads in the eastern states where I got passed less than once in ten minutes. I'd second your theory that out west there is more congestion in the middle of nowhere since there is no other paved route within 40+ miles on either side of the thoroughfare

7

General Discussion / Amazing Transamerica Pictures And my Enlightened Terrible Verdict on the Route

« on: October 24, 2018, 05:20:55 pm »

I completed the Transamerica from Yorktown, Virginia to Florence, Oregon in 57 days. I disliked the route in the Western states so much I was doing sets of century+ days in a row. Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, and much of Missouri had palatable roads with low traffic that were NOT the main highway routes. On the other end Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon were often highly trafficked highways with constant streams of traffic going by at 80+ an hour. I wish I had taken a different route across America because the Western States roads were 60-80 percent horrible to travel on with a bicycle. This is due to: lack of a shoulder, fast moving traffic going by every half-minute, reckless trucks and RV drivers and often boring roads. I could recommend some of the backroads of Virginia-Missouri but overall the transamerica was a tedious constant passing bother in the western states. Yes- there were gaps in the western states where there was little traffic- but once into Colorado you may as well put a flattened road kill target on your back. The great thing about the route was all the fire stations, churches, private homes, and campgrounds along it. But, I only finished Kansas-Oregon because I am stubborn and there were some beautiful scenes.

I cut across Idaho and stopped in Florence because of my disillusionment with the tour.


https://www.instagram.com/p/BnCzTtuA22G/?hl=en&taken-by=bikecoasttocoast

Feel free to contact me for more experienced expert advice about the transamerica route or questions about touring overseas.

8

Routes / Re: New Meadows to West Idaho shortcut - is it viable?

« on: August 15, 2018, 09:35:53 am »

Ok thanks...I may just stick to the route I do not like having to plan hard for food and water resupply. I have road tires so I am fearful of gravel.

Cheers!

9

Routes / New Meadows to West Idaho shortcut - is it viable?

« on: August 15, 2018, 12:23:31 am »

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?page_id=51477

The above link is from a cyclist who went from New Meadows to West Yellowstone. He sort of did a straight line rather then going up and down. I have never been to Idaho or Montana. I would be very pleased to hear some trip advice on some cutoff like that someone tried. I assume the offical route would have less traffic then again Idaho is not densely populated. Any cyclists advice on their trip would be great.

10

Routes / What is another low traffic route between Newton &Hutchinson Kansas @Transam

« on: August 06, 2018, 12:03:58 pm »

I was wondering if anyone had tried or knew a nearly as ideal route as the set Transamerica one that goes from Newton Kansas to Hutchinson Kansas...

 Google maps bicycle route directs me to go along some roads that parallel 50.


 (I am not a must stick to the path type A purest although the times I strayed before I got the bicycle navigator cell app were usually worse than the set route).

11

Routes / Re: Wretched road Missouri 221 transamerica route options

« on: August 01, 2018, 05:48:58 pm »

From Farmington past Doe run the official transamerica route is the 221all the way to the town of Pilot Knob. I rode it and it had a lot of traffic going 70 mph with rumble blocked shoulders. For myself it is of no matter since I will do other tour routes in the future but for anyone riding it in the future they will be unhappy on 221.

12

Routes / Wretched road Missouri 221 transamerica route options

« on: July 31, 2018, 11:11:38 am »

Missouri 221 has2 Much 70mph  traffic. There has got to be a better transparency route.

Shoulder has rumbles and road kills all over it

Drivers still buzz you on shoulders. Ironic as it is just past the best biker hostel I've seen.

13

Routes / Re: Seeking small town America. Which states might be good to visit?

« on: June 02, 2018, 06:53:49 pm »

I would agree on the Door County Wisconsin advice before. I toured there it was so nice and they seemed to cater to all kinds of tourists too. There are many routes you can do with minimal traffic. You should buy a gallon of fresh cherry juice, chug it compulsively, and get the full money out of the use of the camping ground restrooms. There must be options somewhere in there to ferry to another Great Lakes State if you get cornered in a lake elbow somewhere or maybe they have bridges across them.

14

Gear Talk / Re: Stan's NoTubes Grail Disc Road Wheelset

« on: May 31, 2018, 07:57:15 am »

Right you are - it was about 21 or 22 pounds not 20 kilograms! I was thinking in pounds when I was meant to go science 10s metric. I a trim fellow so I should be good to go with 10 Kilograms or 22 pounds. I thought 32 spoke wheels would be the safer option seeing how I already bought a baby leg 11-32 cog set to ride with a smile up the Rocky Mountains. A 39x21 climbing set up is fine IF you are in great shape on a unencumbered road bike. Anyway, I will have to report on their performance on the tour.

15

Gear Talk / Stan's NoTubes Grail Disc Road Wheelset

« on: May 31, 2018, 06:51:06 am »

I just got the Stan's NoTubes Grail Disc Road Wheelset for my transamerica tour I'm going on June 10.

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/146531580/posts/45

I could try and do the Fulcrum 2009 carbon hub striaght pull blade spoke wheels I had rebuilt with knew rims and spokes in 2016:

https://www.google.com.mm/search?biw=1685&bih=785&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=P9EPW5zEG9v5rQHouIT4Bw&q=fulcrum+racing+zero+2009+carbon+hub+wheels&oq=fulcrum+racing+zero+2009+carbon+hub+wheels&gs_l=img.3...45489.48946.0.50523.12.12.0.0.0.0.296.1460.2-6.6.0....0...1c.1.64.img..6.0.0....0.M4gbLSxdBSg#imgrc=zZa2zLwKDo_I3M:
 

but that is a logistics problem and hard to work on even with extra spokes. I figure I will get a gravel/tour bike sometime in the future with disc brakes so it makes sense to have some disc wheels I can use with it later.  I was told by an touring expert I could go with a road bike as long as I keep the weight under 20 kilograms / TEN KILOGRAMS 22 pounds. But, I thought it would be wise to go with 32 spoke wheels that are designed to take more damage points on the road before the die.  Did any of you all ride with Stan wheels for a long time? All the reviews I read say they are quality wheels.