Northern Tier: Pennsylvania!?

[LaraEbee]

My name is Lara- my sister and I are going on our first long tour this
summer. NYC- Seattle

We have some Adventure cyclist maps, but the first place it makes
sense to meet up with them from NYC is Cleveland, OH. We have a part
of Jersey and then Pennslyvania!

I am looking for advice in PA: Good routes? Camping? Cheap Food?
Good people? Secret places? Adventures? Friends/Family? Good water?
Fun Things? Swimming!?!?

Any tidbits will do.

We just did Upstate NY without a map, granted we mostly followed 9W,
however we got some fantastic advice from a bike shop in Nyack.

=)

Lara

[jimbeard]

You could use New York Bike 9 north to NY bike route 17 west to join Adventure cyclist maps near western edge of NYS. I have found these routes well signed & NYS will send excellent hard copy maps .
https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/divisions/operating/opdm/local-programs-bureau/biking

Jim

[valygrl]

http://www.bikepa.com/routes/index.htm

[MrBent]

I rode that whole section of the N. Tier last summer.  I enjoyed it quite a bit.  In Cleveland, check out the Rock and Roll museum, which is right on the route.  I was there too early and heading out, so I only got to walk around the outside--but it sure is cool!

The ACA maps are easy to follow, and the riding will be quite flat.  The PA section was extremely short.  I think I camped on the western edge of the state, but, really, it only required a few hours to cross.  So not much there relatively speaking.  

Have a great trip.

Scott

[metzenberg]

Lara,

Last summer I rode across the north of Pennsylvania, following U.S. 6 for a good portion of the ride. You can see my route journaled here:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/myUSAtour2007

I used sanoodi.com to record all my routes for GPS, so you can see the routes themselves. Sorry, but I didn't take a lot of pictures.

I took a route further south than the ACA route because  I had people to visit.

I was glad that the highway was marked regularly as a bike route. I had very little trouble in Pennsylvania with angry drivers and dogs. Even though little has been done to modify the highway, just the fact that it was marked at regular intervals as a state bike route made me feel more comfortable there. In general, the shoulder on U.S. 6 is wide. Occasionally, in a town, there would be short stretches without a shoulder.

The climb over the eastern continental divide was good exercise, but the grade was gentle.

Even though it was the middle of the summer, and I was on a state bike route, I didn't see a single touring cyclist besides myself in northern Pennsylvania, and this was in June too. By comparison, when I was briefly on the ACA's Northern Tier route in northern Ohio, I met many cyclists.

The so-called bike routes marked on the Pennsylvania highway map are a mixed bag. The rail trail that was supposed to exist coming into Hancock, New York, turned out to be more of a snowmobile trail. I used the road instead.

http://www.sanoodi.com/route/metzenberg/52429/chicago-to-new-york-trip-june-28-2007/

I don't feel like this route was really a great bike route. It was a way to cross the USA, but lacked the great rides and great scenery of the west. In western Pennsylvania, there is much more logging than in New York State or New England. It just doesn't feel like a high quality forest. I understand that houses are made of wood, that people need jobs, and so forth. That's my opinion. I think the ACA route is a better route, and certainly an easier one. Have a good trip.

Howard

This message was edited by metzenberg on 5-21-08 @ 1:22 AM

[LaraEbee]

Thanks!

[LaraEbee]

I have to thank everyone who has responded to my post so far, I am
checking out these sites and getting more information. All of you have
been helpful. I appreciate the stories and links!