A thought on improving the Online map interface

[SteveP-021]

Hello Adventure cycling ..    I am training for and planning a long SLOW trip the end of 2024 into 25.   My starting and stopping point don't match any standard spots on the AC Map.   Nor does it match routes.   There are a lot of cycle trip planning tools out there,  but  it would be nice if one of them integrated well with the AC routes ..  or If the Online page for finding routes would let you enter a starting location, and an ending location ..  and it would propose connections via AC Routes and other options.         I plan to go from the SW corner of the US (touch the wheel pacific) to the NE Corner of the US (where US and Canada and the Atlantic all meet up ..  Touch the wheel Atlantic).    I am looking at this route since it will allow me to start the ride sooner, since it will go below the bad winter weather in the Rockies ..  getting me to the plains in the spring when it is more pleasant to ride, than during the broiling summers.   I'll be riding a recumbent hand powered trike, so I will be going slower than most and I will likely be going fewer miles per day than most.  I also expect to need to do this unsupported, and without using hotels most nights due to costs.    I expect to camp/cook on the road, visit warm showers hosts, and do the occasional night in a Hotel.
So, back to the planning.  Getting AC's suggestions on the best existing route .. and maybe a few spots where I'll have to connect between routes, would be very welcome.    Since hand cycles are a lot of work I hope to travel the least vertically that I can,  and I hope to ride mostly on pavement, (Sand or soft soil is a killer on my hand cycle).   
Busy training here this year.   I expect to do some shorter over night rides to get the process of camping worked out.   It is with some trepidation as well as excitement that I set out to make this possible. 
Blessings to all who are riding this year. ..   Stay safe and have a great time.

[ray b]

An adventure. I agree -  slow tours lend themselves to flexibility and changes en route.

I'm not a big fan of avoiding the beauty and small towns of the big mountains, but then I recall trying out a hand-cranker a few years ago.... You'll like the desert and coastal US. 

From that limited experience, I'd be inclined to avoid the big hills and simply take the Southern Tier route, until I reached the east coast and then take the Atlantic Coast route. You might save enough time avoiding the epic climbs of the Rockies and Appalachians that the additional miles are accommodated in your schedule.

As regards route planning en route, my phone and computer maintain a fair library of pre-loaded GPX files including quite a few of the ACA routes. These can be pulled up an compared with my chosen route. I use Ride with GPS, REVER (a motorcycle-oriented app with good reviews of smooth, twisty back roads) and Google maps to flesh things out.

On the slow tours, I carry a small Surface Go2 computer, so I can keep track of fires (out west), route changes noted on the ACA forum, and play with larger digital map formats. (I also like to look at large paper maps, and mount a small Garmin eTrex to simply keep me on route while I enjoy the scenery.)

As you know - you'll feel a lot better once out on the road, but I recommend you play with enough apps and technology to feel comfortable at reviewing, selecting and combining routes from ACA, ride with gps, crazy guy on a bike, etc. Even if you stick to the ACA routes for the bulk of your trip, you'll welcome the ability to successfully get off route and keep plans flexible.