Outer Banks of N.C. 240 miles

[scottperkinsusa]

I am considering this for a 4 day bike trip with
a friend and saw this was a std detour for the
Atlantic Route. My main question is will there
be easy places to find for bike camping along the
way and do the roads have specifically designated
large bike lanes on them as I dont want to ride any
narrow roads with traffic on them.  I will be converting my tandem bike into a truck by removing the back seat and crank arms and I using a basket rack system that fits down into the seat post.  The bike seems like a [ickup truck when set up like that.
Im' looking to avg 60 mi a day and hoping to see
a major grocery store at least once a day.
Has anyone ridden this route?  The MAJOR ITEM
in deciding whether to do this trip is how narrow
the roads are along the national seashore and how
that affects the ability of traffic to drive around
me.
Thanks

This message was edited by scottperkinsusa on 7-20-07 @ 6:32 AM

[JimF]

My wife and I just did the portion from Ocracoke to Kitty Hawk (as part of a loop which included Route 264 on the mainland (wonderful cycling)). Camping/lodging/food will be easy to find. Most of this section has adequate shoulders; however, there are sections, especially on the National Seashore, where shoulders are non-existent (but most scenic). Crossing Oregon Inlet can be quite exciting/scary, especially if the wind is howling, which is not unlikely. All in all, it's a wonderful ride, with the usual cautions for cyclists in a vacation area. Good riding.

[scottperkinsusa]

JimF- thanks for the reply.  Could you please guesstimate
how many miles along the national seashore where there
are no shoulders ?   I am not familiar with the highways and locations you mention but if the non shouldered areas are substantial, I wont chance riding that route with
lots of young crazy and possibly drinking youths partying
and driving at the beach.   It does seem like such
a beautiful area to ride.
 

[scottperkinsusa]

JimF- thanks for the reply.  Could you please guesstimate
how many miles along the national seashore where there
are no shoulders ?   I am not familiar with the highways and locations you mention but if the non shouldered areas are substantial, I wont chance riding that route with
lots of young crazy and possibly drinking youths partying
and driving at the beach.   It does seem like such
a beautiful area to ride.
 

[ptaylor]

Hi Scott. You obviously have done some homework, which is important before your first self-contained tour. Here, and in your 'offline' e-mail to me, you raise 3 interesting issues.
[list=1]

• How easy will it be to find food/groceries/lodging/camping along your route? They will be easy to find. Once you get your ACA maps, you will be impressed with the detail, including a listing of all shopping, lodging, libraries, etc.
• How safe will I feel mixing in with cars, RV's and a few trucks. That is so subjective, that I don't think anyone can tell you. Personally,I am quite tolerant of traffic, and only felt unsafe on one short stretch. It was early in the morning and I was crossing the long bridge on US 158 from Point Harbor to Kitty Hawk.Thre was not a cloud in the sky, and the blinding sun was low over the crest of the bridge. I pedaled as hard as I could over that 5 mile stretch.
• Your choice of bike is interesting. Personally, Iwould never consider such a rig, but you would not be the first to use such a setup. In your training, be sure to take a weekend to do two consecutive 60 mile days, fully loaded.

Paul

[ptaylor]

One piece of advice I forgot. Get a current ferry schedule, and be sure you don't miss the ferry you need to get you to your campsite before dark. Schedules are on-line.

I think you will enjoy your Outer Banks ride...I certainly did.

Paul

[JimF]

I'd roughly guess 15-20 miles of shoulder-less/minimal shoulder roadway. Regarding drivers, I did not notice any driver who did not give us plenty of space in passing, even in narrow sections. Paul's advice about the ferrys was a good suggestion. During the summer, they do run frequently and at low or no cost for cyclists. They add to the pleasure of the ride, too.