Pedaling thru Missoula in velomobiles

[livewombat]

As many as velomobile 50 riders from Europe and North America will be pedaling from Portland to Washington, DC in July and August 2011, stopping over for a day in Missoula on their 4-week tour.  These fully-faired three-wheelers have proven themselves capable of averaging well over a hundred miles a day on multi-day tours, so the ambitious schedule should be well within their reach.  Website:  Roll Over America

What they need now is some help choosing the best route across Montana and North Dakota, including figuring out where there is enough room for them to camp, where they can eat, and how to avoid expected detours and traffic problems.  The route may follow the Northern Tier, but Highway 200, or Highway 12 are also being considered. 



This looks like a pretty big crowd, but the ride is expected to have even more velomobiles than are pictured in the logo.  Obviously, there could be logistic problems in small towns.

From a 2005 velomobile rally in Germany.  Riders pedaled from Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, and hundreds of miles across Germany to get together in the hills north of Frankfurt:



Please post your recommendations here, and I'll pass them on to the German forum.  (My husband & I are velomobile riders in Minneapolis and plan to host the Minneapolis rest day, and we may try to ride along for part of the Minnesota and Wisconsin segments.)

[FredHiltz]

The Northern Tier route has several advantages. #1 definitely is that it was chosen, scouted, and kept updated by experienced long distance cyclists. #2: Campgrounds, grocery stores, and other service stops have been located, marked on the maps, and listed with telephone numbers for you already. #3: The Temporary ACA  Route Road Closures forum keeps you up to date on construction and other impediments. You need not keep calling the DOT in each state. #4: You will meet cyclists coming the other way who can brief you on road conditions and service stops ahead. #5: Drivers and merchants are used to groups of cyclists.

Fred

[indyfabz]

I highly recommend some good planning through ND.  Some of the little towns in that state are blips on the radar screen.  They may have places to eat, but they may not be open late/for dinner.  As noted, the NT maps have camping and eating info. listed on them.  And unless things have changed drastically since I did the route, you pass through some fairly sizeable towns by ND standards, like New Town, Minot, Rugby and Fargo.  There was camping in all of thse towns when we passed through.  Rugby and Fargo had fairgrounds that looked like they could accomodate large groups.