Welcome to Bicycle Route 66!

[bgphelps2]

I just recently rode my touring bike on route 66 from ABQ to Gallup, NM.  When the road was paved, it was a good ride for the most part. But it was very disjointed! It ended abruptly and I had to get on I-40. When I got to Grants, I discovered from the State Police that it was illegal for me to ride on I-40!  Excuse me!!!! The bike shop in ABQ, the NM Bike Coord and everyone I talked to about directions knew my routes and said nothing about it. Yeah, I-40 is wild and crazy for a cyclist but at least it has shoulder.  The legality of riding I-40 because Route 66 ends is a whole other issue ACA.

I wonder how the ACA is planning their Route 66 through NM because it is very disjointed. The road out to Crownpoint was endless.  The 20 mile dirt road out to Chaco was in fair condition with a washboard surface.  I rented a minivan for that excursion. If I had tried it with my touring bike with 700x32's, I would be blithering idiot now. It is a spectacular site but a mountain bike would be the preferred and smart bike to choose.

So ACA, I'd like to see a draft of your planned Route 66 through NM.  Downtown Grants main street had a new surface which was very rough and uncomfortable for touring or road bikes.

Route 66 has a lot of potential as a bicycle route but I was skeptical to its relevance as a scenic, historical bicycle route.  In NM, most of the 'iconic' places are demo'd or closed up.  Only geezers, much older than I who have once been there, would attribute any importance to the sites.  But they wouldn't be on bicycles or motorcycles. 

As just a cycling road, yes, Route 66 has relevance.  But not to the majority of cyclists going on it. I think it's historical relevance is for the older geezers in their motorcars, not on bicycles.

But what do I know? I don't know the purpose or plans of the ACA concerning Route 66.  Somehow, I know they will do a good job though anyway.

[jamawani]

BG -

As I have said many times before, a route that attempts to follow Historic Route 66 religiously will be very disappointing for cyclists. The two main reasons are 1) There are many places where I-40 or other interstates have been built over the old route with no parallel route - so you have to ride on the interstate. 2) Where there is a parallel road, it is often a service road to the interstate with all the noise and ugliness of the interstate - plus often a pretty lousy riding surface.

I have argued for a route that attempts to recreate the "feel" of Historic Route 66 in New Mexico and Arizona rather than the actual physical route. (Not to mention that the physical route changed many times.) This would involve, perhaps, riding from Abiquiu to Cuba to Crownpoint to Gallup, then riding via Window Rock and Second Mesa to Tuba City and the Grand Canyon.

[sam21fire]

I'm hopeful..but not expectant...that this sort of project will generate enough publicity and thus funding to improve the road condition for a large part of this route.  I just finished riding from Hesperia to Goffs in SoCal and most of that section is poor with parts being almost unridable.   Here's a crazyguy link to my blog for the trip.  Feel free to email me if you have any other questions at sam21fire at gmail.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/MojaveDesert

Sam