Has anyone biked the east coast?

[Shawmt]

Hey everybody


I plan on biking ct to georgia starting the first week of july....the more i think about it though, the more worried I am getting about facing the heat. i guess this winter in ct made me forget how hot it really gets. Has anyone on here biked the east coast in the summer? And what was your experience? Also any further advice abou t this route woukd be much appreciated,   Thanks everybody

[John Nelson]

Almost any tour is going to involve both days that are too hot and days that are too cold. So just go and deal with it.

I like to map out when I'll be at various places and then consult sites such as weatherspark to get average highs and lows for the date I'll be there. You can use this to decide if leaving a bit earlier or a bit later has a better chance of giving you the weather you prefer. You can also adjust the weather a bit by leaving early or late in the morning. Personally, I'd rather sweat during the day than freeze my butt off at night. You may prefer just the opposite.

[DaveB]

Historical temperature and precipitation data can be a useful guide as long as you don't take it as gospel.  A friend is fond of saying; "Climate is what you expect.  Weather is what you get."  As John recommended, go and enjoy the ride.  Take what happens in good spirits.

[indyfabz]

Assume you are referring to ACA'S Atlantic Coast route. Today's predicted heat index here in Philly is 99. July can bring horrible riding weather in these parts. Hot and very humid. I imagine it only gets worse the father south you go. Or it could be o.k., but I wouldn't bank on that.

As for the route, the section between Port Jervis, NY and Lambertville, NJ uses some of my favorite roads in that part of the world. I ride the subsection of that between Belvedere and Frenchtown, NJ as part of some day rides. Another nice thing about that stretch is that there are numerous places where you can wade/swim in streams and the Delaware River to cool off. Worthington State Forest has a campground right along the river, and there is a developed swimming beach a few miles north of it. Also, there is a good amount of shade in the summer, and you might have the pleasure of seeing a bear riding through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

[Pat Lamb]

FWIW, I'd suggest taking the Outer Banks in North Carolina.  There's almost always a breeze (well, a wind) that'll help keep you cool.

[DaveB]

......you might have the pleasure of seeing a bear riding through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Interesting.  I've never seen a bear riding a bicycle.  I didn't know they could ride.

[RonK]

Interesting.  I've never seen a bear riding a bicycle.  I didn't know they could ride.

Of course they can...

[staehpj1]

It is likely to be hot, but how hot will be the luck of the draw.  You probably are not looking at much 100 F weather though.  You will likely have a lot of riding in the 80s F.  All in all it probably won't be that bad.  If the weather is really hot, start early in the day and finish early.  Then ride a bit in the evening if you want to put in more miles.

Also as Pat said take the Outer Banks option if the weather is hot.

That is based on my experience living and riding in the East.  I have not ridden the East Coast route, since I much prefer to tour more in the West.

Have a great trip.

[indyfabz]

New Jersey bears are athletic:

http://neptunespearsports.com/black-bear-century.html#Pics

Seriously...We just missed seeing one in the Gap during an organized century.  Alas, all we saw were his muddy  prints in the road. The year before a couple of them walked out of the woods while the official photographer was photographing cyclists.

[DaveB]

New Jersey bears are athletic:

http://neptunespearsports.com/black-bear-century.html#Pics

Seriously...We just missed seeing one in the Gap during an organized century.  Alas, all we saw were his muddy  prints in the road. The year before a couple of them walked out of the woods while the official photographer was photographing cyclists.

I've seen one bear while I was riding my bicycle.    A friend and I were riding the access road through Blackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia when what looked like a large black dog ambled out of the woods and sat down on the shoulder of the road.  As we got closer we realize it wasn't a dog, it was a bear cub!  Next question; where is it's mother?  We stopped a respectful distance away and waited until it wandered off back into the woods before riding on. 

[Westinghouse]

It will be hotter than hell. Drink plenty of electrolytes. The Pedialite for babies and children is good. I did it two summers ago and the heat was too much for me. My body simply could not absorb liquid as fast as it went out. Drinking a lot of coffee did not help matters as I was knocking back large ice coffees. Coffee is a diuretic. It is quite doable if you are young and resilient. I crossed the continent east to west years ago in summer. I drank around 3 gallons a day of various liquids. It was so drainingly hot I would drink a 46 ounce fountain drink before going to sleep at night camping, and would wake in the morning feeling dry and dehydrated. Imagine drinking 3 gallons a day and not urinating for four days at a time, and even then only a very small amount. Water went into me and out by sweating before it had a chance to get out any other way. I was soaked through with sweat all day and night. Be careful of the record setting high temperatures. I went through north Florida where the temp was 104 F, an all time recorded high for that time of year. Yes, the heat is a concern. I would never do it in summer again. However, I am 65. Not as strong and resilient as I was back in the days.

[Shawmt]

Hey everybody...thanks so much for the input, I really appreciate it,  I am still grappling over what to do, I'm thinking I might hold off another month and just shorten the trip starting in dc and going from there to Georgia instead...this is my first tour so I am thinking maybe I should take things a bit slower the first go around. 

[Venchka]

The Blue Ridge Parkway. Elevation will keep temperatures reasonable. Campgrounds along the way. Pretty scenery. 35 mph speed limit. Light traffic. What's not to like?

Wayne

[DaveB]

The Blue Ridge Parkway. Elevation will keep temperatures reasonable. Campgrounds along the way. Pretty scenery. 35 mph speed limit. Light traffic. What's not to like?

Wayne

Yep, it's a great cycling area alright with one minor disadvantage.  The Blue Ridge Parkway runs east and west.  The OP plans to ride north to south.

[Venchka]

The Blue Ridge Parkway. Elevation will keep temperatures reasonable. Campgrounds along the way. Pretty scenery. 35 mph speed limit. Light traffic. What's not to like?

Wayne

Yep, it's a great cycling area alright with one minor disadvantage.  The Blue Ridge Parkway runs east and west.  The OP plans to ride north to south.

OK, the Parkway might trend west from the northern terminus in Virginia. However, the southern terminus in Cherokee, NC, is definitely south of the northern end and not too far from the north Georgia mountains, also much cooler than the coast.
Now, if the OP is dead set on touring closer to the coast, then heat, humidity, heat, more humidity, traffic, etc. will have to be dealt with.
I offered an alternative that includes a national park, virtually no traffic and for sure no truck traffic, what traffic there is is held to 35 mph, numerous small mountain towns and much cooler temperatures than the coast.
You have to ask the right question to get the right answer. In my experience, travelling along the east coast in July & August is about as awful as travelling along the Gulf Coast at the same time. Trust me, that is awful.

Wayne