Author Topic: Marin, Ca to NY/NJ  (Read 3786 times)

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Offline BeTheMomentum

Marin, Ca to NY/NJ
« on: March 12, 2012, 10:56:09 pm »
Hi all.

In June/July of 2013 I'm riding from Marin, Ca to NY/NJ on a charity ride for Parkinsons and Brain Cancer awareness and funds.

I am planning on:
Start Marin
Western Express to Colorado; pick up TransAmerica
TransAmerica to Montana and then over and down to  Missouri; pick up Great Rivers
Great Rivers down to the TransAmerica
TransAmerica to Virginia; pick up the Atlantic Coast
Atlantic Coast to NJ/NY

I've got the required Adventure Cycling Maps but wanted to create both a master map of the entire route to show people and also individual days in MapMyRide.

Does anyone know if this is possible and how I would go about doing it? I downloaded the GPX files from the Adventure Cycle web site but I'm not sure how accurate they are. If they are accurate, how can I combine them all into one master route?

Thanks for the help.

Also, any mentors out there want to offer advice, I am open to all suggestions. I have done 500 mile rides (5 days) and multi day 100+ mile rides, but this is significantly bigger.

Thanks again.
Rob

FredHiltz

  • Guest
Re: Marin, Ca to NY/NJ
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2012, 12:13:56 am »
Does anyone know if this is possible and how I would go about doing it? I downloaded the GPX files from the Adventure Cycle web site but I'm not sure how accurate they are. If they are accurate, how can I combine them all into one master route?
Hi Rob,

I'll start this off with a couple of pointers. Check out the map of all ACA routes linked on the Routes and Maps page of the web site as a base for the master map. You or a friend who has an image editing program could easily add the digital equivalent of a highlighter pen on this PDF to show people.

Using the GPX routes in general and combining them in particular have extensive discussion in the GPS group. Browsing there will get you most of what you need and pointers to other good sources.

The big red flag in your note is "individual days in MapMyRide." Do you intend to plan each day before you leave home? If you are going unsupported, as most of us do, this is plain impossible. Too many unforeseen events--some bad, many good--will change the best-laid plan. With motorized support, it's possible but will occasionally require a lift to get to each night's stop, and could well fail to meet the schedule even then.

Or do you intend to stay flexible and make up the MapMyRide routes every day or two along the way? Certainly possible if you find an Internet connection every day or two (dial-up in the hinterland), but needing significant time out of days when your main interests will be ride, eat, sleep ... repeat.

The ACA maps are the best navigation tools. GPS is a good supplement, especially when going off route, but always ancillary.

Your plan sounds great, and this is the place to learn from a lot of experience. Have a wonderful ride and have a lot of fun planning it.

Fred

Offline BeTheMomentum

Re: Marin, Ca to NY/NJ
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2012, 02:01:20 am »
Fred,

Thanks! Love the idea of putting the digital highlighter on the master map - keep it simple.

I see your point about mapping the individual days - it will go to hell within the first week.  Overall I was planning on riding 100 mile a day, sometimes days a bit less, some more.  However there are so many variables I just cant account for. What happens to the body at 1000 miles (arbitrary number)? At some point does fitness begin to break down or do you get steadily stronger and able to log more miles as the days go on?

I will check out the GPS group to learn more about mapping.  I did start putting the ACA maps into MapMyRide. Even if I dont use them, the exercise is great. I found out that I will be riding right by Folsom Prison, a place that only existed in a Johnny Cash song to that point. May sound trivial, but I cant wait to ride by it. Also learned I would ride by someplace called Tragedy springs. I have to find out why, what happened there.  So if nothing else, taking the time to map the ride electronically is opening all sorts of cool places on the route that I might have missed.

I am very much looking forward to spending the next year training and being a student of those in the group that have done similar distance rides. It would also be nice to find people doing sections to ride with - but thats another planning story.

All the best,
Rob