POLL: What services are most important to you on a map?

[Westinghouse]

Matt, just to clarify, I  am not associated with ACA other than being a regular member like you.  However, I have created routes for probably 20 years that are usually short routes, i.e. 15-100 miles, that connect to other short routes. Think about the little spider web lines in a cracked car windshield.  I get on average about 2-3 requests a week for route assistance but only help maybe 3 out of 10 because they think I do printed maps like ACA when I mainly just do GPS routes and written cue sheets. Anyway, ACA should get the credit for making great maps.  Tailwinds, John

Reading these comments, your experiences with bicycle touring are extensive and impressive. What compelled you to do all that and the routes?  I have not much knowledge about those subjects. There was this compelling need to adventure into the wide world the planet. It did not enter my mind that I should research it. In my own analysis, I noticed certain similar social interactions country wide. When stopped in some town sometimes people asked questions. Those questions and comments were all the same all the same in FL,  AL, MS, LA, TX, NM, AZ, CA.

[davidbonn]

...And when I think about it, I do not recall any motel anywhere making issues about a bicycle inside the room.

I know directly that nearly every hotel or motel in San Juan County, WA (a popular bicycle travel destination) does not permit bicycles in their rooms.  Some lodgings have decent and secure enough on-site bicycle storage, many do not.  Some vacation rentals there also do not permit bicycle storage indoors.  This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the area is a relatively low-threat environment for bicycle theft.

The other situation I have encountered in multiple locations is lodgings where it is just plain infeasible to get your bike into your room because you have to navigate a steep and narrow stairway, possibly with sharp turns to get your bike to your room.  To get around this I try to request a ground floor room where possible.  Sometimes it isn't possible though.

I've also heard reports that due to safety concerns with charging e-bikes, some hotels and motels have banned any bikes from being stored in guest rooms on their property. 

Online booking services like Expedia make this a pain because you can't get decent information about whether it is possible to keep your bike in your room from their site, and also making requests (like floor a ground floor room) may or may not even work.

[Westinghouse]

I would put on the maps--- Some motels / hotels do allow bicycles in rooms or they provide secure storage. Some do not. It is best to call ahead and find out.

On routes that draw cyclists from all over the world, e.g. the PCBR, it may be that motel proprietors had negative experiences accommodating cyclists keeping bicycles in rooms. I did the PCBR in 1993, August---September. I came across public notices in restaurants that there had been some conflicts between land owners and cyclists. I also noticed some obviously suspicious traffic activities on the route. On that trip I used camp grounds, stealth sites and hostels. The hostels always had secure storage rooms.

This year, January 24---February 5, I did a 550 mile ride around south Florida, and no motels. In 2022 I cycled about 1400 miles in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. In Astoria I had a nice, two-bedroom motel right there on the Columbia river. In Tucson I was days at the Red Lion. In  El Paso I stayed in the Hilton Double Tree. In New Orleans I was days at the Alexandre. In Perry, Florida it was an old, run-down, over priced kind of dirty place. I was so tired I would have taken a room in the black hole of Calcutta. The Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant next door to it gave me a nasty case of food poisoning. In Stuart, Florida I stayed at the Days Inn for days. As motels go, except for the dump in Perry, these places were a bit on the upscale side. There were no issues about keeping the bicycle in the room. The Alexandre was the best. Hey, at $200.00 a day plus a hefty security deposit, are they going to say this to you?  Hell no. No bicycles.  Of course not. The Alexandre was more like a one-bedroom house than a motel room where floor space was the matter. Right there in downtown NOLA at the French quarter.

[John Nettles]

While I get the sentiment to put "no bicycles" and other criteria, I am not willing to do the research.  Again, this is something I do for FREE, so don't expect ACA quality maps.  Additionally, I do not see ACA doing this either, unless they go to crowdsource data input which I have encouraged for years, as lodging changes hands fairly frequently and therefore so does the policy. For instance, I have noticed a marked decrease in the number of campgrounds that allow tents.  I update the info if/when someone tells me but it is always recommended to call ahead to confirm.

Again, the point of this poll is to see what services cyclist want on a map, not make it so you do not have to do ANY research. 

As a side note, I have been to a couple dozen hotels over the years that did not allow bikes in the rooms.  About half refused to have bikes indoors period but some allowed it a storage room or meeting room.  I used to plan really large conventions (25k people) so always had a free hotel at most any upscale chain.  My favorite "causing people to raise an eyebrow" was when I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta and it was interesting to wheel my bike through the lobby while wearing riding clothes after a muggy day.  Not the typical look of their typical clientele.  Alas, those days of free rooms are over.

[Westinghouse]

To me a better example is when a bridge is being replaced and a detour is required.  For a car, a 10 mile detour on an interstate is no big deal but to a touring cyclist it can be a major undertaking.  Again I ask where do you draw the line.  Since all I do is a strictly volunteer situation (for free) and as far as ACA goes, they have an "Addendums" section to look for after printing updates, where do you draw the line.  Tailwinds, John

In my experiences, first there is a sign telling the bridge up ahead is closed. Second, it is closed to motor vehicle traffic. Third, keep going and you will find it is easily doable on a bicycle.  Even a sign that says bridge out is worth passing and seeing for yourself. One or two miles to check out a bridge, compared to a 20 mile detour seems like a fair trade.  Sure, some bridges really are closed and smashed and completely useless.

In 2022 there was a sign saying bridge closed. It was on Hwy 90 between New Orleans and Pearlington. The bridge appeared to have been damaged. There was a large gash in the concrete guard-wall and pieces of a vehicle lay all around. Walking the bike between the two concrete barriers was easy.  It was an easy roll over the pile of asphalt on the east side of the barriers.  I was going west to east.  Another closed bridge was on the Pearl river at Pearlington Here the barriers were closer together.  Bike and panniers had to be lifted over the barriers separately.  It was always. I think, that closed bridges were passable.

[Mordo09]

For me are important grocery Stores that are essential for stocking up on food and supplies. Bike Shops: Crucial for repairs and maintenance. Water Sources places to refill water bottles and restaurants.