Bicycling coast to coast off road....

[wilburmighty]

Is there a way to bicycle coast to coast only (for the most part) on trails and paths??  I would love to travel coast to coast, but I really despise riding on roadways.  I am an avid path/trail biker and I have made quite a few trips in the past with a touring bike, I have toured the Blue Ridge Parkway, quite a bit of Utah and Idaho, and most recently done quite a bit of traveling in SW Nebraska.   

[litespeed]

You might check out the American Discovery Trail. Go to: http://www.discoverytrail.org/

[Westinghouse]

I agree. I checked out the ADT a long time ago. A lot of it is off-road, and a lot of it is hiking-trails and horse-trails. It still has you on sidewalks and roads, and parts out west are impossible to cross on any kind of bicycle. From the reading I have done on the ADT I'd say it might be your best choice for a miximum-off-the-highways bicycle tour from coast to coast. I don't know for sure, but I don't believe there is any way of crossing the country completely off-road by bicycle. 

[arickrick]

Being a trail fan, you probably are aware of Rails to Trails Conservancy.  I would think that with some good maps, you could piece together a trail across the US using dirt roads, , but it would take a lot of investigation, but the Internet is a wonderful thing.  If you do put one together, I would be interested in checking it out too.  If you wanted to go Border to Border, there is The Great Divide Mountain bike Trail.

[John Nelson]

You might also investigate the "other" TransAmerica Trail, the one for motorcycles. However, some sections of this route might be too difficult for you, and services might be pretty far apart. According to the web site, "It is a route using dirt roads, gravel roads, jeep roads, forest roads and farm roads. Dropping down into dried-up creek beds. Riding atop abandoned railroad grades. There are sections of mud, sand, snow and rocks." It generally runs about one state south of the ACA TransAmerica Trail. It doesn't actually go fully coast-to-coast, however, since it starts in northeastern Tennessee and goes to southwestern Oregon.

http://www.transamtrail.com/

[Westinghouse]

A taril like that would have to be checked out carefully for cycling. An off-road bike might handle the terrain and surface conditions, but available services for food and water that are reachable by motorized transportation might be too far spaced out for a person on a bicycle. It would have to be researched, and surely there are maps with that information.

I have read about that trail. I have also seen photos of sections of it. Some parts looked to be extremely deeply rutted and muddy. You'd have to go around parts like that. Also, if anything happens, there's nobody around maybe.

[ducnut]

I have read about that trail. I have also seen photos of sections of it. Some parts looked to be extremely deeply rutted and muddy. You'd have to go around parts like that.

^^^ Those are photos of the trail during the rainy season and only in one section. Also, there are bypasses for some the really difficult sections, especially in the mountains.

I'd think you'd want to ride some kind of MTB on this trail.

For even more info on the motorcycle TransAm, search the ride reports on the ADVRider forum. Just enter "TAT or Trans Am" in the search function. Many a motorcyclist have traversed the trail. There are more reports and pics of that trail on the forum than any other ride.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2

[wilburmighty]

 

Hey thanks for the information!!   The ADT seems to be just what I need!!   I live in Lincoln, Ne right now, But I moved here from Lewes, De -- the eastern terminus for the trail.  I had no idea this trail ended there!  It looks like it ends about mile from where I used to live.  Small world!   This will certainly be a huge help!