BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

The Adventure Cycling Association maps are well-received.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/

They cost a few bucks, but they are apparently worth it. I haven't used them myself, but people I met traveling by bike like them.

+1 on the ACA maps. I have used them -- trip around Lake Erie. I think they are worth every penny you would spend on them.

The maps are works of art. They're on waterproof paper. I have never seen a map pack so much useable information on the front and back of a piece of paper. There's a learning curve of about 30-45 minutes to figure it all out.

The maps themselves are in strip form. Cue sheet and distance both directions is beside each strip. Back side contains contact info for fire and police, a few selected motels/campgrounds, general information for the portion of the route the map covers, basic topo profile info for mountainous areas. If you are passing through a large city that map will have separate info about the city as well as a blowup map for it.

Check out the website link Mick provided. You may find your route is already mapped by them and it will save you re-inventing the wheel.

I have a set of "ACA" maps and books for the cross-country route from 1976. Probably less than helpful.

The other thing to say about ACA maps is that because they are so widely used, a lot of the places along the way are prepped for bikers... you will see a lot of "bikes welcome here" signs.

Ran into a guy from Tokyo yesterday on Liberty Ave around 6pm who was on his way to NYC from LA. He was pretty well loaded up.

I highly recommend the Adventure Cycling maps and the Transamerica route. I did this back in '99 and it still stands out as the greatest thing I've ever done.

Adventure Cycling also publishes a gear list. You should join as a member. It's worth it.

+ 1 for ACA. They pay themselves off with free

camping in city parks, and free showers. They

list where all bike shops are too.. Pretty

amazing.

If you have any questions, there are a lot of

us here who I know have toured. I did the

ACA northern tier as well as the GDMBR.

@ Steevo Curious - how long did the Northern tier take you?

Also, one guy I ran into (who was even older than me) told me that it's best to do it East to West because by the time you hit the Rockies, you're in shape for them, "and you hardly notice it's a hill" (yeah. right.)

I had to look up GDMBR.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Divide_Mountain_Bike_Route

Impressive.

NT took 65 days, including 5 days off for a

buddy to get stitches on his perineum (for

real)... I was in the worst shape of my life

heading into it. The end of it is by far the

best (I started in Pittsburgh, so did not do

new england, ended up with 3550 miles) ...

ND and eastern MT are hellish. From the

entrance to glacier on, it is so freaking

amazing. Aside from the headwinds, I would

not want to go west _> east cause the mid

west is indeed a letdown.

Hey all,

Sorry for reviving a long dormant post. I really appreciate all the advice I've gotten thus far. I've gotten my ACA membership and will be getting those maps shortly. I'm currently planning with a couple other people who are going on the trip with me and we're investigating which maps to purchase. I think the discussion we're having now is what route to take. We're thinking of taking the TransAmerica Trail to the Western Express. I guess my questions are these....

We are planning on leaving in late August now. Is that too late?

What are the pros and cons of straying from the trail as outlined by ACA?

Any specific recommendations for a touring bike? I'm about 6'3" and am getting a bit lost in my search.

I hiked the AT in 2009 and continually ditched gear along the way to save on weight. Any must have gear items I should be shopping for?

Sorry for the lengthy post. I can also communicate with folks directly if that's easier. Thanks!

In all due respect, these questions are probably better asked at the adventure cycling forums http://www.adventurecycling.org/forums/index.php especially the questions regarding the ACA routes which most of us haven't had a lot of experience riding. Search the forums there. You'll find tons of great info to answer your questions.

Not that there is anything wrong with asking here, I'm just throwing out the link because you'll find more help there than here.

Your post isn't abnormally lengthy, no worries there.

I don't think anyone objects to reviving old posts here, it's cleaner that way, and the post is only four months old anyways.

But to answer your questions the best that I can:

Is August too late... depends on which route you are taking, again you'll find lots of discussion on this at the ACA forums.

Any bike that is sold as a touring bike will do, individual needs will vary, find what is the most comfortable and buy from a bike shop that you enjoy shopping with.

How is it that you are getting lost in your search?

You should see if this bike is still available and take it for a test ride: http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/bik/2753833357.html

Wow we have a lot of similarities. I'm 6'3", hiked the AT in '08, and the transamerica route is on my 3-year plan. Good luck!

threads like this make my wanderlust super itchy.

ej, winter reading:

Those maps are nice. Never heard of that site until this post. Thanks for the info.

"threads like this make my wanderlust super itchy."

The fact that I have the entire month of August off makes me feel the same way *looks over at newly purchased touring bicycle*

@ohlukeson, keep me in the loop if you're looking for additional riders. headloss [at] gmail

Dangerous, edmonds. Also on my list is Vagabonding by Rolf Potts, and Griftopia by Matt Taibbi. My inner hobo is screaming at me.

I know I can haul the dogs and cat in a trailer behind the bike, so as to better aid my ability to take off and "see the world" without sacrificing the company comfortable creatures from home. The question is, will my husband fit in there too. I think I'll need a very large trailer.

@ejwme: There are ways to do such things. Fr'instance:

Yes, that is a tandem touring trike pulling a trailer for the dog.

When is the best time to ride a specific route?

Adirondack Park Loop: late spring to mid-fall.

Allegheny Mountains Loop: late spring to late fall.

Atlantic Coast: late spring to mid-fall in the north; all year in the south. Caution: hurricane season is from June 1 to November 1, and can close the Outer Banks Alternate.

Florida Connector: all year round. Caution: the hurricane season is from June 1 to November 1.

Grand Canyon: early summer to mid-fall. Caution: snow can occur at any time in the higher elevations along the route.

Great Divide and Great Divide Canada: early summer to mid-fall. Caution: snow can occur at any time along the route. If it is a heavy snow year, high-elevation roads in the north may not be open until late June or early July.

Great Parks: early summer to mid-fall. Caution: snow can occur at any time during the summer in the Rocky Mountains. Due to snow, Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana is only open through certain dates. Call the Park at (406) 888-7800.

Great Rivers: mid-spring to late fall.

Green Mountains Loop: late spring to mid-fall.

Lake Erie: late spring to late fall.

Lewis & Clark: late spring to mid-fall. Caution: snow can occur at any time during the summer in the Rocky Mountains. The highest point on the route is Lemhi Pass, 7,323 feet.

North Lakes: late spring to mid-fall.

Northern Tier: late spring to mid-fall. Caution: due to snow, State Route 20 in the North Cascades National Park in Washington is only open through certain dates. Call the Park at (360) 856-5700. The same is true for Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana. Call the Park at (406) 888-7800.

Pacific Coast: early spring to late fall in the north; all year in the south. Caution: heavy winter rains cause flooding and mud slides and may close roads, especially along the coast.

Sierra Cascades: late spring to mid-fall. Caution: due to snow, State Route 20 in the North Cascades National Park in Washington is only open through certain dates. Call the Park at (360) 856-5700. For information and historic closure dates on Monitor and Tioga passes in California go to www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/clsdlst.htm.

Southern Tier: early fall to late spring, and into summer in the east. Caution: snow can occur at any time in the higher elevations in the Southwest, with the highest pass in New Mexico being over 8,000 feet. In the southeast, hurricane season is from June 1 to November 1.

Tidewater Potomac: early spring to late fall.

TransAmerica: late spring to mid-fall. Caution: snow can occur at any time during the summer in the Rocky Mountains, with the highest pass in Colorado being over 11,000 feet.

Utah Cliffs Loop: late May to early June, and September into mid-October, depending on weather due to high elevation.

Underground Railroad: early spring in the south to mid-fall in the north.

Western Express: early summer to mid-fall. Caution: snow can occur at any time along the route in the Sierra Nevada and in the Rocky Mountains. The highest pass is at 8,573 feet in California, and at 11,312 feet in Colorado.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/faq.cfm

My wife and her best friend left Pittsburgh in

late summer. I think late august to do the

trans am -> western express. They got a bit of

snow in telluride one day and had to take a day

off, but it was nice after. Western express could

be brutal in summer heat, as it crosses 50 for

a few hundred miles, which is 100+ miles no

services.