Southern Tier to NYC

[dreitman]

I would like to hear comments/proposals riding San Diego to NY
ST to Las Cruces, NM
US 54 to Kansas, pick up Trans America
Trans America to Cave in Rock, KY, thence Underground Railway to Cincinnati
Leaving Cinti, pick up US 50 to Winchester, VA, thence US11 to Chambersburg, US 30 to Philly/Trenton, rt 27 in NJ to NY
(obvious skipping some connecting roads for brevity)

[John Nettles]

What time of year are you doing this? You will need to go a good job of balancing ST heat and TX/OK/KS spring storms.  You might following Route 66 loosely once you get to I-40 and around Tulsa connect up to Girard, KS and the ACA route.  You would have more services, more scenery variety, and less traffic.  I am in Oklahoma so if you need some help here, send me a private email.

[indyfabz]

US 30 to Philly/Trenton, rt 27 in NJ to NY
(obvious skipping some connecting roads for brevity)

1.  What sort of life insurance do you have? A portion of U.S. 30 around York, PA heading east through Lancaster is a multi-lane, limited access highway with intense traffic. It them narrows down to two lanes but still carries heavy traffic depsite the fact that there are various stages of by-pass expressway.  The riding would pretty much suck big time from at least York all the way to the Philadelphia city line, where U.S. 30 becomes a city street (Lancaster Ave.) with a bike lane in places. U.S. 30 eventually  combines with I-76 and then I-676 before crossing into NJ. Both roads are off limtis to bikes. (You can cross into NJ on the pedestrian/bike path of the Ben Franklin Bridge.)  I suggest taking a look at the PA bike route maps. Being familiar with the area, some of the roads are not the greatest, but they beat the hell out of U.S. 30 in that part of the state.

2. How do you plan to get to Trenton from Philadelphia?

3. SR 27 in NJ looks like it would be no fun at all from a traffic and scenery perspective. Some of the most densley populated real estate in the most densley populated state in the nation.  I have an cool route from Lambertville, NJ to Hoboken, NJ (ferry to NYC) if you are interested, but it can only be ridden on a weekend, and there is no camping.

4.  What is your ultimate destination?  If NYC itself, note that the only way you can actually ride a bike into NYC from the east is the GW Bridge. There are, however, rail options.

[dreitman]

1.  Yes I plan to check PA bike routes.  My route is a generalization on actual route I plan to take.  I am not concerned too much about traffic, as I bike around NYC. 

2.  I will be riding north of Philadelphia, paralleling US1.  Just north of 1 is a local road that crosses the Delaware River into Trenton.

3. I have cycled Rt 27 before, and am aware of the traffic.  After 3000 miles I will just be glad on getting home.  But if you want to share your info on rte Lambrtville/Hoboken, please do.

4. I plan to hitch a ride over Outerbridge Crossing to Staten Island, thence ferry to Manhattan, ultimately riding north to New Rochelle, NY.  GW Bridge would be my second option.

Again, thanks for your input.

[indyfabz]

Remembered that the cue sheet for the Brooklyn Ride that goes through Hoboken is on line:
http://phillybikeclub.org/newbcp/doc/rides/NH-NY_Cue_90_09-04-11(old).pdf

It actually starts in New Hope, PA and quickly crosses into Lambertville, NJ.  (You can get to New Hope following AC’s Atlantic Coast route from the trail mentioned below.)  If you were to ride this on a weekday you would be taking your life into your own hands riding through the port (McLester, Lyle King, Corbin St.) and on into Jersey City by Doremus and U.S. 1 & 9 Truck.  But maybe you can modify it to avoid that area.  If you do get to Hoboken on a weekday, you need not go to the ferry terminal on 14th St. During weekdays the ferries sail from the NJT train station, which you ride past. It was built in the 30s and has been nicely restored. Worth a look.

Any tolerance for riding in traffic notwithstanding, I really would avoid U.S. 30 in the neck of the woods mentioned for safety (and scenery) reasons. While not ideal in places, PA Bike Route S takes you to the Schuylkill River Trail, which will take you into Philadelphia. The route from the end of the trail to the center of the city is not a bad one, and it’s very popular with cyclists. I can give you a better alternative to a portion of Route S in Lancaster County that that spends a little less time on PA 23, which has heavy traffic at times and has a narrow shoulder. The alternative spends a little more time in the Conestoga Valley (Amish territory) just to the north of the highway. Route S also passes near French Creek State Park, where there is camping. From there, it’s a relatively easy ride to the trail and then mostly flat into downtown. The route into town also gives you the option of climbing the infamous “Mannayunk Wall” that was once used in the U.S. championship race and is still used in a big one day race in the city.

[dreitman]

Riding thru New Mexico?

I am looking for some advice as to best route for least difficulty and services (food/drink/restaurants, hotels, etc.). We are planning to use Adventure Cycling maps (west to east) at least as far as Safford, AZ, and then either via:
1) Silver City, Las Cruzes, Alamogorda, Artesia, Lovington
2) Lordsburg, Deming, Las Cruces, then above
3) Silver City, Caballo, Truth or Consequences, Socorro, then east on US60 or US380

My ultimate destination is NYC.

Again, we are concerned about services for food, water & lodging.  What are your thoughts on beginning in Sept.

[John Nettles]

You questions are a bit vague, i.e. are you leaving San Diego, Safford, or Las Cruces in early September?  How far east on US-60/US-380 are you talking?  What kind of mileage due you do/are you capable of per day.  Are you camping, motels, cooking, cafés, etc.??   Do you ride every day or take days off every other day?

If you are leaving San Diego about September 1st and do typical mileage, you will end up in Las Cruces about September 17th.  It will be very hot in places, i.e. the AVERAGE high temp for Phoenix is 102 on September 10th.  Once you gain altitude it cools off pretty quickly, i.e. Silver City's average on Sept 17th is the mid/upper 80s.  Still warm but not near as bad as 100+.  Getting from there to Tulsa via Alamogordo, Roswell, Clovis, Amarillo, Route 66 (loosely), to Tulsa is about 860 based on a route I developed a few years ago thinking about a similar trip.  That would put you into Tulsa about October 1st.  Assuming you connect up in Girard, KS on the TransAm and stay on until the Blue Ridge Parkway, you are adding approximately 1,500 miles or 27 days.  To get to NYC, add 400 miles or 8 days which is arriving in early to mid-November.  If you are comfortable with the weather, that is quite doable.

You should note that between Roswell and Portales, NM there is not too much other than a conv store.  If you are camping and willing to eat cold food for a few days (assuming you are eating out), again it is doable.  There are services between Las Cruces and Roswell fairly evenly spaced, and from Clovis eastward.  This is based on camping not motels.  Once you get to Oklahoma, even motels will be doable but you may have to ride short or long days which could alter the dates/times above.

If you can give as much detailed info as possibly, the community could help you better.

[dreitman]

Any comments on starting southern tier in mid-sept from San Diego.  Concerned about riding thru desert during late summer.