Downtown Louisville to join Trans Am (eastbound)

[Bclayden]

I understand riding in/out of central Louisville can be a challenge. I rode in from the North last year. Now I will continue my coast-to-coast ride and must head out to the SE to join the Eastbound Trans Am.

I've found some helpful sites and KY cycling maps that are useful but wondering what the locals would recommend.

I would prefer to make more eastbound progress as I work my way toward the TA. 1st overnight in Lexington, KY to join the TA downrange at about Richmond, KY the next day would be ideal but options are many and can't be sure of a suitable route. Any ideas? 

If that's not advisable then would head more due South to join TA about Borea, KY. 

Any advice is appreciated. 

[big blue cat]

You can pick up the Trans am in Bardstown which is 35-50 miles from Louisville, depend where you leave from . The Louisville Bicycle Club has a ride, Old Ky. Home Ride, you might be able to contact somebody in the club to get a cuesheet to get you to Bardstown. Last year they started in Eastern Louisville.  I don't have the cuesheet.
Scott

[Figaro]

Yes, I think your best bet is to go south to Bardstown. Trying to get from Louisville to Lexington then south to Berea will be tough. Best to get to Bardstown and pick up TAT from there.

[big blue cat]

Check this site out this will get you from South Lou. to New Haven which is real close to the Trans am. . You need to figure out how to get to the starting point. If you start at the airport you are close. When using this cuesheet it is accurate but dated, i don't think K-Mart is open. http://www.kybikerides.org/ridemaps/1801.htm

50.5   R   Hwy 49 (McDonalds)
60   BR   Fogle Rd.
   R   Hwy 457 (Unsigned)
   R   Hwy 52
   BL   Hwy 52
70      New Haven
If you check out the partial cuesheet above, it's backwards. I ride this way when I go to my lake house. I don't think New Haven is on the Trans am but the rest of the roads are. Once you get out of town use your map to find your way. From Lou. to New Haven is one of the flatest rides around. From New Haven to Bardstown, not so much. Hope this helps.
Scott

[jamawani]

One of the challenges if you go to Lexington is crossing the Kentucky River - not once, but twice.
Eastbound to Lex, crossing the river in Frankfort is no big deal and not too much of a grade.
But southbound from Lex is tricky. Tates Creek Rd used to be rural - now it's 4 lanes & busy.
But Tates Creek leads to the historic Valley View Ferry - 200+ years old.

Be prepared for lots of steep hills.

[John Nettles]

Consider using Strava to look at what the locals do.  Note though that the results can be heavily skewed as it my understanding the results are self reported, i.e. a rider submits the data.  There one very frequent rider riding the same route can show a "popular" route, even though that route may not be optimal for touring cyclists.

https://labs.strava.com/heatmap/#12.67/-84.51105/38.00371/hot/ride

As Jamawani noted Tates Creek Road is 4-lane (with a shoulder) for ~9 miles from Lexington center before becoming a rural road with no shoulder.  Strava shows it to be a popular road, however, Chinoe Road seems to be more popular and when cross-referenced with Google Map's Streetview, Chinoe seems quieter and having wide lanes in places but is longer.

Hopefully a local will assist with specific directions, but in the mean time, you can choose a route that best meets your needs, i.e. quiet roads but longer vs. busy roads but direct, etc.

Hope you have a great ride, John

[Bclayden]

Thanks for the input all.  I completed the ride in September and never joined the Trans Am until I reached Jamestown, VA at which point there were perhaps 15 Trans Am miles remaining til Yorktown. 

The route I took from Louisville-Lexington, KY worked out well.  Generally...Aiken Rd, Benson Pike to Frankfurt then McCracken Pike to Versailles, around the south end of Blue Grass Airport to Lexington. 

The rest of the journey's route was equally Home Brewed with only one disappointment.... Logan, WV is in a Dry County. A cold beer always a nice reward after a long day on the saddle but not in Logan. A sympathetic hotel employee offered me some moonshine but I passed. And I thought Utah might be a challenge to find a cold beer but it's not..did not expect it in WV.

Thanks again and happy trails.

-Ben