Atlantic Coast Trail Question?

[tkeda]

I'm planing on doing a long distant bike ride from West Palm Beach up the coast to New York then back to my home town state Michigan. It seems as though most riders go from North to South. My questions is, is it bad going from South to North due to wind direction?

[bobbys beard]

I rode North to South, but only because of logistics. Can't say I remember any significant wind in either direction during the 3 weeks I was riding. I set off at the end of May

[scottgdvm]

Most folks that thru hike the Appalachian Trail go S-N to avoid summer temps in Georgia and Tennessee. Just plan your departure to account for your personal weather tolerances and you should be golden

[indyfabz]

When is this trip planned for? In mid-summer you can easily get flows out of the SE or SW, which would provide a general tailwind. Of course, such flows usually bring hot, nasty weather. In the end, I don't think wind will be much of a major factor on the PA, NJ and NY portions.

Send me a PM if you want some info. on part of that stretch. I have ridden between Port Jervis, NY and Philly a number of times.

[tkeda]

I was thinking of departing mid August or just wait over the winter save a bit more money up and do it in spring. Id rather do it sooner than later though.

[indyfabz]

Well...It's pretty much mid-August now. The one concern I would have about that start date that far south is that the farther you go beyond Labor Day the greater the chance that some campgrounds up north will start closing for the season. I don't know how far up in NY you plan to go before heading west to MI, but if you are planning to ride through the Adirondacks, campground closures might be a real possibility. Also, it's not unheard of to have cold temps and even snow up there in September. When I rode through there during my Northern Tier trip we had a few 40 degree nights in mid-August. Even mid-October in the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey can be cold at night.  A few years ago I did an organized event up there.  When we left the hotel for the 8:00 a.m. start it was a few degrees above the freezing mark.

[geegee]

I personally would do it S-N in the Spring, maybe April. Aug-Sept brings the highest possibility that a hurricane will affect your trip

[indyfabz]

Aug-Sept brings the highest possibility that a hurricane will affect your trip

Heh. How could I forget about that? I completed ACA's Northern Tier route in late August of '99. After a few days of rest, I started riding south along the Atlantic Coast route to my home in Philly. Before I reached the NJ border hurricane Floyd moved through.  I had to ride a few miles in a torrential downpour and then hole up in a motel. The upside is that the next day was gorgeous, and I had the roads though the DWG to myself.

[tkeda]

thanks for the information everyone!