From east to west starting June 2014

[Emilien]

Hello,

We're from Brussels, Belgium and plan to cross your country from east to west. We're going to arrive in New-York the 10th of june. 2 or 3 questions :
- We want to reach Detroit first via Lake Erie. North or south the lake ?
- Any routes ideas to go to Buffalo from NYC ?
- Is it possible to leave NYC by bike ? A lot of people told us to take a train to go outside the city and start our trip.

Here is a look at our routes (in progress) : http://goo.gl/maps/bnG1o - We have 5 months.
Any and all guidance appreciated !

Emilien & Hélène
Ps : sorry if we put this post in the wrong place, we're newbies here

[indyfabz]

Your map has you riding through the Holland Tunnel. Can't do that, legally or with the hope of surviving. Same for many of the other roads your map shows you using, such as I-280 and I-80. Roads marked with red and blue shields and white numbers are called Interstate Highways. Bikes are not permitted in the eastern part of the country. You may ride on many Interstate Highways in the western part of the country, such as in Montana, but by no means all of them.

The only way west out of Manhattan by bike is the George Washington Bridge, which is at the north end of the island. I would avoid Newark and surrounding areas unless someone gives you a trusted route. New Jersey is the most densley populated state in the Unitied States. Newark is the most densley populated part of New Jersey. Not the place you want to wing or ad lib a route.

New York State has a series of signed state bike routes that can take you to, among other places, Buffalo. An interactive map can be found here:

https://www.dot.ny.gov/bicycle

I haven't ridden any of them. It's my understanding that their pleasantness can vary.

Another option to Buffalo is this, also with an interactive map:

http://www.ptny.org/bikecanal/

Yet another option is to take a short train ride from Manhattan to Seacaucs Junction then a second, longer train ride out to Port Jervis, NY (pretty ride.) From there, ride across the Delaware River to Matamoras, Pennsylvania and pick up signed PA Bike Route L starting with Spur Y1:

ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/bikes/state_mapY.pdf

That will take you close to Erie, PA. From Erie, you can follow one of the NY State Routes to Buffalo.

Personally, I would not bother riding out of Manhattan without a good route. There are several train and options, including the aforementioned train connection to Port Jervis and the Metro North line from Grand Central Terminal as far north as Poughkeepsie, New York. You cannot take your bike on during peak hours, but that can be worked around, especially if you start on a Saturday or Sunday.

[Emilien]

Hello,

Waouw, thanks for your informations, that's very helpfull : no tunnel crossing, no deathly risks !
Yes, I knew my maps was not yet fitted for biking. I use it to map the big cities along our way.
I think we'll go for a train ride, we have 5 mouths, peak hours aren't a problem, we can wait...
What we can't wait is to start our journey !
Thanks again,

Emilien & Hélène

[staehpj1]

Yes, I knew my maps was not yet fitted for biking. I use it to map the big cities along our way.

Do you really want to hit those cities?  I typically avoid hitting many big cities and stick with mostly small towns.  If you aren't set on hitting big cities I'd recommend checking out some of the Adventure Cycling routes.  In particular the Trans America in the west.  Adventure Cycling picks nice roads through small towns.

[John Nelson]

I recommend ride the north shore of Lake Erie through Ontario following the Lake Erie Connector route.

[Emilien]

@John : Thanks for the advice, I had that road in mind, i'm gonna buy the map now.

@staehpj1 : Yes, we want to see big cities as well as small towns. It's our first time in usa and we want to mix both. We are going to travel with Adventure Cycling Routes for sure, especially the Trans Am from Pueblo CO to Missoula MT. Then we want to hit Seattle. Thanks for your answer !

[Pat Lamb]

We are going to travel with Adventure Cycling Routes for sure, especially the Trans Am from Pueblo CO to Missoula MT. Then we want to hit Seattle.

From Missoula, it's just a couple days north to Glacier NP (well worth seeing).  You can take the AC Northern Tier west, over some pretty spectacular passes, to a couple days north of Seattle.

[indyfabz]

I was going to make tyhe same comment about big cities. A place like Chicago can be very difficult to navigate if you are unfamiliar with the area. If you are set on that plan, you might want to go to www.bikeforums.net and post in the relevant regional discussion area. Someone might be able to give you a good route through town. Just don't expect any camping and be prepared to pay a lot for a hotel room. I would also make reservations. Chicago is very crowded with tourists in the summer.

As for Seattle, you could head north from Missoula on ACA's Great Parks North route. That takes you to Whitefish, MT, where you can pick up the Northern Tier through ID and WA. Hang a left just east of Anacortes, WA on the Pacific Coast route and you will pass within a short ferry ride of Seattle, where there is a nice hostel for lodging. The Northern Tier through WA is quite nice.

From Whitefish, you could take a short side trip east to Glacier National Park:

http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm

Set up camp there for a few days and ride up and back down the west slope of Going to the Sun Road, arguably one of the most scenic roads in the country, then head back to Whitefish to pick up the Northern Tier.

[mbattisti]

 

We are going to travel with Adventure Cycling Routes for sure, especially the Trans Am from Pueblo CO to Missoula MT. Then we want to hit Seattle.

My wife and I took the same itinerary a few summers ago.  From Missoula we went due north to Kalispell (via Seeley Lake).  You won't want to miss Glacier NP just to the east. We then took Rt 2 (not the ACA route - but more direct and decent pavement) to Libby to pick up the Northern Tier.  We then exited the NT in Washington State at Rockport, taking rt 530 (very nice) to Arlington.  In Arlington we picked up a paved bike trail which headed due south towards Seattle.  From there we pieced together a mix of mostly residential streets and more bike trails to get to Seattle.  Let me know if you're interested in this approach to Seattle - I could give you more details of our route between Arlington and the Emerald City.

[Emilien]

@ mbattisti : Your route seems nice, I would love some more details !

@indyfabz : Thanks for your advices. Maybe we'll take a train to enter  and leave the cities. We think to use warmoshower, couchsurfing and hostels.

We definitely want to go to Glacier NP and spend a few day there. What is the weather there, in september ?
Excited about the ferry ride too, do you have the name of the hostel ?

[staehpj1]

We definitely want to go to Glacier NP and spend a few day there.

Missing Glacier NP was one of the few regrets of our 2007 Trans America.

[indyfabz]

@indyfabz : Thanks for your advices. Maybe we'll take a train to enter  and leave the cities. We think to use warmoshower, couchsurfing and hostels.

We definitely want to go to Glacier NP and spend a few day there. What is the weather there, in september ?
Excited about the ferry ride too, do you have the name of the hostel ?

According to locals I have spoken with, they love September in Glacier. The bugs are gone as are many of the crowds. Apgar, Sprague Creek and Avalanche Campgrounds, all on the west side of the road, have hiker/biker campsites. A visit to Lake McDonald lodge is a must on the west side. Grab a beer at the bar and enjoying it down by the water.

I would check the park's web site. There has been an ongoing road rehab project in the park. In past years, the park service has closed portions of Going to the Sun for periods in September to allow for uninterrupted constrcution work. Later in the year they will likely post closure information on their web site.

This is the site for the HI Hostel in Seattle:

http://www.hiusa.org/washington/seattle/the-american-hotel

I think there are a couple of others. The HI Hostel was packed in late May. Don't know how busy it is at other times, but a reservation is probably advisable.

This shows the ferries:

http://www.wsdot.com/ferries/schedule/

It's been a long time, so I don't remember the exact ferry that took me close to the ACA Pacific Coast Route, but I am pretty sure it was either the Bainbridge Isnand or Bremerton ferry.

[zzzz]

I went thru Glacier last (early) September, the weather was perfect. I came in from the east side, hit Going to the Sun Rd a little after dawn and traffic was so light I don't think I got passed by a dozen cars on the way up. The top 100m of elevation was fogged in but it cleared up again almost as soon as I started the descent.

They had started some road work on the east side, 2 or 3 spots flag people were out and it was 1 lane, but as a cyclist they just waved me through. On the way down volume was building going in the other direction but over the 50± miles I never felt crowded by traffic a single time.

Pete

[jamawani]

Emilien -

We got stuck heading into Brussels once and it was pretty tough - which applies to you, also - because you have so many cities on your proposed route. And cities in the U.S. are probably harder to cycle into than in Europe. The real issue with U.S. cities is often the miles of suburbs where the automobile reigns supreme. Quite often, the city itself has lovely bike routes through parks and along creeks.

Which cities on your route are definite and which ones just possibilities?
With five months you will have plenty of time to take longer, but better, routes.

I agree with the discussion about getting out of New York City - there is a ferry service to Highland, New Jersey where you can ride out to the Atlantic Ocean dunes. From the coast you can ride across Jersey to the Delaware River at Lambertville and then up the Delaware River thru NE Pennsylvania and the Finger Lakes Region.

Just want to make sure that your visa will allow you to leave the U.S. - into Canada - and re-enter in Michigan.

Detroit? Really? Getting across the Detroit River is tough - plus the city ain't no picnic. There are wonderful ferries across the St. Clair River to towns like Algonac. Similarly, Chicago is not easy to ride into from the SE, but has great bike routes from the north and then leaving to the west. You could take the ferry from Muskegon, Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then ride south into Chicago.

It will be getting hot by the time you get into Iowa and Nebraska - and unless you have ridden in North Africa or Australia - you ain't seen hot until you bake in the Great Plains. That said - I've ridden across Nebraska many times - and your route looks like it's the Interstate/AutoRoute or the roads alongside of it. Would you like to see the Great Plains as they looked 200 years ago? Highway 92 from Arnold to Arthur is spectacular.

Here are cycling map websites for Iowa and Nebraska:
http://www.iowadot.gov/maps//msp/Bikemap/bikemap2012_front.pdf
http://www.transportation.nebraska.gov/docs/bicycle-guide-current-2.pdf

And an old photo from long ago in the Nebraska Sandhills.

[jamawani]

And as for the West -
and I must admit as a Westerner there is no place better -
You have incredible options.

Is Denver a definite destination?
From Nebraska, US 138 to Sterling is nice but then it gets tricky.
Hwy 14 to Fort Collins has light traffic and Hwy 14 is a beautiful ride over Cameron Pass.
If you want to ride Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain N.P., be aware that it is busy in summer.

Between you and me, I wouldn't head any further south than Boulder - nice college town -
Still, Fort Collins is a nice college town, too, with lots of bike services.
If you want to head into Denver - catch a shuttle from either location.

I love accessing RMNP via Cameron Pass - the Never Summer Mountains.
There is a service road that heads along a canal in the far NW corner of the park.
(Great cross-country skiing in the winter, too)
Then you can hike into the wilderness.

Walden is on the TransAm bike route.
If you are starving for company, then it make sense to follow the TransAm for a while.
But other routes are way more interesting. They do require a few miles of hard-pack roads, though.

One is via Steamboat, Craig, Maybell, Lodore, and Rock Springs.
Sections of US 40 up to Craig have moderate traffic - but then it gets really empty.
If you can arrange it, you can raft thru the Gates of Lodore in Dinosaur National Monument.
Spectacular canyons - kinda expensive though.
The ride up to Rock Springs is empty and lovely.

The other route is north from Walden to Encampment, Wyoming -
Then taking Hwy 70 over the Sierra Madre Mtns to Baggs.
Two miles south across the Colorado border is a paved road - Little Snake Rd
Mostly paved to Hwy 430 - 15 miles of hard-pack - true paradise of the empty West.

If you take either of the options you head north from Rock Springs on US 191 to Pinedale.
(Rock Springs has great railroad history of the Union Pacific - the first transcontinental RR)
If you leave Rock Spgs early in the morning, you will see the Wind River Mtns all day.

Pinedale has some spectacular scenery nearby - means heading out and back.
The best is Green River Lakes and Squaretop Mountain. Fabulous hiking.
As beautiful as the national parks with a fraction of the tourists.
Also - continuing towards Jackson - you should head to Granite Hot Springs
West of Bondurant - hot pool at the bottom of a waterfall!!

The advantages of riding via Rock Springs and Pinedale are many -
But you also can take full advantage of Jackson Hole and the Tetons.
There is a nice bike trail alongside the park road - it is a magical ride.
Plus there are hiker/biker campsites at Jenny Lake.
Plus-plus you can store your gear and hike into backcountry sites near Leigh Lake.

Yellowstone is not to be missed but requires caution in mid-summer.
I like to ride early and late - there are hiker/biker campsites at most campgrounds.
Morning and evening have far less traffic.
There is a fairly big climb from the south entrance to Lewis Lake.
I find an evening - i.e. after 6:00 - ride pleasant and shaded.
Lewis Lake has much quieter camping than Grant Village.

The TransAm route through Yellowstone cheats you out of the best.
Take a look at the park roads and notice the "Figure 8" pattern.
I would suggest Grant Village to Lake to Canyon to Norris to Mammoth.
That way you get to ride along Yellowstone Lake - take the Gull Point Rd -
And then ride through Hayden Valley with all of its wildlife.
Norris has a nice, small campground - the geyser basin is lovely in the evening.
From Norris, you can do an out & back to Old Faithful via Madison -
Then leave the park via the north entrance after visiting Mammoth Hot Springs.

Better quit now - - what to show you?? - - the Cathedral Group in Grand Teton - -