NYC to Cleveland: PENNSLYVANIA

[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

[rootchopper]

Lara

You have a few options.  The State Departments of Transportation for both NY and PA have mapped out bike routes to the west.  NYS Bike Route 17 roughly follows the southern border of upstate NY.  Google NY Bike Route 17 for specifics.  Pennsylvania Bike Route Y goes across northern PA.  Check out BikePA.com for more info.

You could hook up witha PA bike route using the NYC  connector to the ACA Atlantic Coast route.

I hope this helps.

Good luck with your trip.

[Westinghouse]

There are canal tow paths running across the southern tier of counties in Pennsylvania. I have done some reading on them. They are all off road and can be cycled. They run near towns. There is at least one hostel on the route, and places to camp, with water. This route starts in eastern PA and goes to Pittsburgh. In Ohio you can take a series of bike paths south. Cycle down to the Katy trail, and go its full length. Its southern terminus will let you out at the southeast corner of Kansas. Pick up the Transam route in three days or so and take it across Kansas to Colorado. Follow the TA from there on.

That is one way to do it to avoid as much traffic and pollution as possible.

[fleutz]

NYC to Cleveland eh ? First take NY bike route 9 north to Albany, Second take the The Erie Canal-way to either Lackanna or Buffalo(This is NT Section 10), Use either the Seaway Trail or NT Section 9 into Cleveland. I live on The Northern Tier Section 9 and the route into Cleveland divides into two distinct routes: Regular or Heights Alternative. Regular route goes along Lake Erie into Cleveland via SR283 & various streets in Northeast Ohio. Heights Alternative goes along SR 84 to SR 174(River Rd)into Gates Mills. The route is very hilly at Old Mill(Try Berkshire Rd it's a easier climb and meets at Gates Mills Blvd) to Gates Mills Blvd then goes back into Cleveland. These are my suggestions and good luck on your trip.
Friedrich Leutz
Dive Bomber Travel
http://www.divebombertravel.com

And That's All There Is !

[LaraEbee]

Thanks for all the replies everyone!!!! Comments really helped the
research along and we found some fantastic routes through PA, etc. If
you're interested our blog was:

usatobicycle.blogspot.com

it was a fantastic trip!!!
And of course, I'll try to pass on the things i have learned as well.
Thanks again!