Vermont

[leftcider]

I'm planning on doing the Atlantic Coast route (North to South) followed by the Southern tier route.  I'd like to see Vermont though, and am considering flying into Burlington and biking across Maine to the start of the Atlantic Coast route.  Does anyone here have an opinion of the areas I'm going through, their bikability, and if they'd recommend it?  Thank you.

[John Nettles]

Hey,
Take a look at Map 11 of Northern Tier.  It crosses Vermont and connects with Atlantic coast route.  Perhaps someone can suggest a route from Burlington to Middlebury, VT???

Happy trails and may the wind be at your back!

TulsaJohn

[FredHiltz]

I will second TulsaJohn's motion. Vermont and northern New Hampshire are delightful areas to ride. It is no accident that organized cycle touring in the U.S. began in Vermont.

I ride the Burlington - Middlebury area often, living in the middle of it, and would be happy to discuss routes with you in detail off line. My email address is in my profile.

Fred

[Peaks]

If you are flying into Burlington VT, and want to connect with the Atlantic Coast Route, then I would suggest looking at ACA"s Green Mountain Loop and Map #11 of the Northern Tier.  

The Green Mountain Loop starts and finishes in Burlington.  It does intersect the Northern Tier. In fact, the two routes coincide between Middlebury and the Connecticut River, except for the section over Rochester Gap.  Green Mountain Loop goes over the Gap and the Northern Tier follows the White River Valley around the Gap.  

But, the option to go north from Burlington and across the top of the state and down through the Northeast Kingdon is also scenic.  

Having said that, I have found the entire state to be very nice and bike friendly.  You probably will not go wrong if you just pick up a state highway map and use that.  

[JayH]

You can also check out Lake Champlain Bikeways:

They have some cue sheets online and info about riding in and near Champlain which almost runs the entire length of VT.

http://www.champlainbikeways.org/

Jay

[John Hunka]

I highly recommend visiting the islands in the northern half of Lake Champlain.  The scenery is fantastic, the terrain is flat to gently rolling, motorists are generally considerate, traffic is fairly light, and the roads are in good condition.  It's one of my favorite places for cycling.

John Hunka
Philadelphia, PA