The DUMBEST question <sorry>

[gr82hike]

Okay, I'm a hiker/backpacker and been in the back country for a long time. I can't stand the heat when I'm backpacking so I bicycle in the summer when it's the hottest, and LOVE IT !!! While backpacking I've also gotten pretty spoiled looking at the ground and being able to follow its direction. And, many places will actually take the navigational skills out by "blazing" with a small vertical paint stripe on a tree, rock, road sign, telephone pole, etc. Of courrse, a map and compass are musts!

So my dumb question - - - is there a system like this in place for the route maps purchased through AC? Y'know, like the "crank/turn" symbols seen on the roads of many of the road bike rides I've been on - a standard symbol that AC maps has created?

Hmmm . . . could make for neat project if one doesn't exist.

[CMajernik]

No, there isn't any "on-the-ground" symbol that one can use to follow ACA routes. And more and more government entities aren't allowing folks to mark pavement. For example, Summit County in Colorado won't allow any groups to mark the roads within the county.

[John Nelson]

That would be really cool, especially on some of the ACA routes with lots of turns. I have wished that locals in the area would so mark the ACA routes in their areas. However, I didn't factor in that it would be illegal in many places.

Some of the ACA routes are marked with "Bike Route" signs. Much of the TransAm in Virginia is so marked, and there is at least one "Bike Route 76" sign in Kentucky and at least two in Colorado. I'm not sure I saw any others. Once the bike corridors are finalized for the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS), it would be really nice if more of the states would mark these routes.

[ronn12]

2nd , The markings for the ACA routes it would be nice!!  Cheers,s Ron

[knolltop]

No, there isn't any "on-the-ground" symbol that one can use to follow ACA routes. And more and more government entities aren't allowing folks to mark pavement. For example, Summit County in Colorado won't allow any groups to mark the roads within the county.

Yep, unfortunately.

[Pat Lamb]

I'd prefer to have either signs (like a county or state puts up), or nothing.

A few years back, a couple of bored teenagers took it upon themselves to re-route the local century.  They went out early in the morning of the ride and painted a new directional sign, with a wrong turn.  The organizers found it and corrected it.  Then those yahoos did it again!  One guy was rather upset that his century was 120 miles, until he found his way back.

I can imagine something similar happening with an AC trail, except the riders might not find out until the end of the day, or after they'd ended up on some narrow, winding, highly trafficed Kentucky or Missouri road.

So it'd be nice if it worked, but I think we'd be better off without.

[knolltop]

Would be great to have the "76" signs that are still up on TA in VA.

[Nubo]

There are a few scattered signs for the Pacific Coast route in California, but nowhere near what it would take to navigate the route unaided.  I noticed some hand-painted road markings at a few key turns that helped confirm my map reading.  Thanks, whoever it was...  Probably the most frequent and consistent "signage" was from "the 3 amigos" from various years.  In any case, the ACA maps were essential and pretty good.  An iPhone definitely came in handy a few times!