Trans-America routing help needed

I'm in the planning stages for my first Trans-America ride that will take
place from late May through late July, 2007. Having spent some time looking
at Adventure Cycling's Trans-America Route, I'm beginning to question
whether I can cram the 4259 miles into a workable itinerary. It seems a lot
of miles are used to travel north to Missoula while a more direct route can
be followed with these directions:

From Sisters, OR take US 20 east (off of SR 126) to SR 78 at Burns, OR.
Follow SR 78 to US 95 to SR 78 to SR 51 into Mountain Home, ID. From there
take SR 20 to Idaho Falls, ID and pick up US 26 to where it rejoins the
Adventure Cycling Trans-Am route at Jackson Lake, south of Yellowstone, WY.

I know that there is a lot of experience out there, so I'd like to tap the
collective mind. What are the advantages / disadvantages of the above
routing? What are your thoughts about scenery, traffic, availability of
accommodations? Is there a better route you could suggest based on your
touring experience? Should I stick with the original route and plan on the
extra miles each day?

Thanking you in advanced,

Skip

Skip wrote:
... It seems a lot
of miles are used to travel north to Missoula ...

That's where Bikecentennial was established. In '76, it would let the
tour leaders and staff take a breather.

I haven't ridden your proposed alternative, but it seems like you'd
find a different experience off the Adventure Cycle-beaten path. (Many
years ago I read a trip report about a small town that treated the
visiting cyclists like homeless at the Super Bowl.)

HTH

--Karen D.

Skip
While on your trip please consider using the www.bicyclejournals.net website
to journal about you days while riding. Free email account goes with it.
Jean Andre Vallery
Sarasota Florida
941-232-2183


"Skip" wrote in message
...

I'm in the planning stages for my first Trans-America ride that will take
place from late May through late July, 2007. Having spent some time
looking at Adventure Cycling's Trans-America Route, I'm beginning to
question whether I can cram the 4259 miles into a workable itinerary. It
seems a lot of miles are used to travel north to Missoula while a more
direct route can be followed with these directions:

From Sisters, OR take US 20 east (off of SR 126) to SR 78 at Burns, OR.
Follow SR 78 to US 95 to SR 78 to SR 51 into Mountain Home, ID. From
there take SR 20 to Idaho Falls, ID and pick up US 26 to where it rejoins
the Adventure Cycling Trans-Am route at Jackson Lake, south of
Yellowstone, WY.

I know that there is a lot of experience out there, so I'd like to tap the
collective mind. What are the advantages / disadvantages of the above
routing? What are your thoughts about scenery, traffic, availability of
accommodations? Is there a better route you could suggest based on your
touring experience? Should I stick with the original route and plan on
the extra miles each day?

Thanking you in advanced,

Skip

Consider US 2 all the way from Spokane to St. Ignace, MI. I've ridden it
and recommend it. West of Spokane, it you want less climbing, take I-84
through the Columbia river gorge, and then come up through Walla Walla.


"Skip" wrote in message
...

I'm in the planning stages for my first Trans-America ride that will take
place from late May through late July, 2007. Having spent some time
looking at Adventure Cycling's Trans-America Route, I'm beginning to
question whether I can cram the 4259 miles into a workable itinerary. It
seems a lot of miles are used to travel north to Missoula while a more
direct route can be followed with these directions:

From Sisters, OR take US 20 east (off of SR 126) to SR 78 at Burns, OR.
Follow SR 78 to US 95 to SR 78 to SR 51 into Mountain Home, ID. From
there take SR 20 to Idaho Falls, ID and pick up US 26 to where it rejoins
the Adventure Cycling Trans-Am route at Jackson Lake, south of
Yellowstone, WY.

I know that there is a lot of experience out there, so I'd like to tap the
collective mind. What are the advantages / disadvantages of the above
routing? What are your thoughts about scenery, traffic, availability of
accommodations? Is there a better route you could suggest based on your
touring experience? Should I stick with the original route and plan on
the extra miles each day?

Thanking you in advanced,

Skip

Skip wrote:
I'm in the planning stages for my first Trans-America ride that will take
place from late May through late July, 2007. Having spent some time looking
at Adventure Cycling's Trans-America Route, I'm beginning to question
whether I can cram the 4259 miles into a workable itinerary. It seems a lot
of miles are used to travel north to Missoula while a more direct route can
be followed with these directions:

From Sisters, OR take US 20 east (off of SR 126) to SR 78 at Burns, OR.
Follow SR 78 to US 95 to SR 78 to SR 51 into Mountain Home, ID. From there
take SR 20 to Idaho Falls, ID and pick up US 26 to where it rejoins the
Adventure Cycling Trans-Am route at Jackson Lake, south of Yellowstone, WY.

I know that there is a lot of experience out there, so I'd like to tap the
collective mind. What are the advantages / disadvantages of the above
routing? What are your thoughts about scenery, traffic, availability of
accommodations? Is there a better route you could suggest based on your
touring experience? Should I stick with the original route and plan on the
extra miles each day?

Thanking you in advanced,

Skip



I'm quoting some email from Bill Cook
"Folks, on Thursday I'm leaving from Seattle with an Adventure Cycling group
bound for DC on my trusty Barcroft Dakota bike. If you care to follow my
progress, I'll have a blog on the Knight Ridder newspaper Washington bureau
site. www.washingtonbureau.typepad.com/bikeblog
There are a couple of opening posts up, but there won't be much else till we
get rolling, assuming all my toys work."


He's about a week into the trip, one bad accident so far, but that doesn't
seem to be stopping them. Bill, by the way, is "Barcroft Cycles" and the
Dakota he's riding, though probably well customized, is a fantastic ride. (I
want one!)

Again, keep an eye on or set your RSS agrigator to watch it.
http://www.washingtonbureau.typepad.com/bikeblog

--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://mike.vorefamily.net/twr

Skip wrote:
I'm in the planning stages for my first Trans-America ride that will take
place from late May through late July, 2007. Having spent some time looking
at Adventure Cycling's Trans-America Route, I'm beginning to question
whether I can cram the 4259 miles into a workable itinerary. It seems a lot
of miles are used to travel north to Missoula while a more direct route can
be followed with these directions:

One of the alternatives you may want to consider is taking the Western
Express route from San Francisco to Pueblo, Colorado, where it links up
with the Trans-America route. I've done most of this Western Express
route although I started from Oakland and made my own route thru the
Sierras where I finally picked up the Western Express.

Now you don't say whether you are going east-west or west-east. Given
your timeframe, the Western Express only really makes sense going
west-east so you do the Nevad/Southern Utah section while it's not too
hot as it would be if you finished on this section in July.

That said, US 50 across Nevada is a great ride and the scenery in
southern Utah is amazing and Colorado is nice approaching Telluride on
through Gunnison.

Denis

Denis wrote:
Skip wrote:
I'm in the planning stages for my first Trans-America ride that will take
place from late May through late July, 2007. Having spent some time looking
at Adventure Cycling's Trans-America Route, I'm beginning to question
whether I can cram the 4259 miles into a workable itinerary. It seems a lot
of miles are used to travel north to Missoula while a more direct route can
be followed with these directions:

One of the alternatives you may want to consider is taking the Western
Express route from San Francisco to Pueblo, Colorado, where it links up
with the Trans-America route. I've done most of this Western Express
route although I started from Oakland and made my own route thru the
Sierras where I finally picked up the Western Express.

Now you don't say whether you are going east-west or west-east. Given
your timeframe, the Western Express only really makes sense going
west-east so you do the Nevad/Southern Utah section while it's not too
hot as it would be if you finished on this section in July.

That said, US 50 across Nevada is a great ride and the scenery in
southern Utah is amazing and Colorado is nice approaching Telluride on
through Gunnison.


I've drove US-50 from mid-Colorado and most of Kansas. Beautiful scenery in
both states - in their own ways. But in Kansas it is a 2-lane road with
Trucks. I don't remember if there were many shoulders, but the speed limit was
65 or 70.

Years ago I was in Gunnison where as I remember it US-50 was 4 or 6 lanes
wide, but with virtually no traffic.



--
Mike Vore
http://www.OhMyWoodness.com
http://mike.vorefamily.net/twr

"Denis" wrote in message
ups.com...


Now you don't say whether you are going east-west or west-east. Given
your timeframe, the Western Express only really makes sense going
west-east so you do the Nevad/Southern Utah section while it's not too
hot as it would be if you finished on this section

I'll be going from west to east. Seems like the Western Express reduces the
mileage about 475 miles. This allows for some time to "smell the roses" and
add rest days. Can anyone comment about this route? I'll be SAGged so
extended time in desert isn't a large concern. Thanks,
Skip