How can I measure my planned route across the US?

[Nick H.]

Hi everyone - I've just joined the forum. I'm planning to ride across the US next year and I need to plan the whole route precisely because it's for a record attempt. Does anyone know a web site or a bit of software which might help? How about a Delorme product?

The route will be from west to east (probably Vancouver to New York) and will need to be about 10,000 miles long - so I'll zig-zag down towards Mexico and up towards Canada a lot. I'll probably use sections of several Adventure Cycling routes, but I need to link them all up into a big coast-to-coast wiggle, and I need to know the distance to the nearest hundred miles or so before I set out.

 

[wmgardner]

I have no idea, but wow that's a lot of miles. I salute you.

 

[Nick H.]

I have no idea, but wow that's a lot of miles. I salute you.

Please, no saluting until I've done it! I have absolutely no track record as a hard core long distance fruit cake. Yet!

By the way, the whole trip has to be 18,000 miles long, i.e. right around the world. You can judge for yourself whether I have any chance of making it by visiting my miniature forum at www.bikereader.com/forum/index.php?board=71.0

 

[Eden]

Sounds like a cool trip - We have Topo and have used it map trips, there is a tool in it that lets you trace routes and gives you distance and elevation stats. You do have to be careful with your tracings, but it will get you in the ballpark. Its better at distance than elevation.

You might also be able to get in touch with AAA and have them do some route maps for you. I think that they do it for free and since it is a person doing the mapping (unlike a mapquest.com map that will take you the fastest car route) you should be able to get the routes you are interested in.

Good luck setting that record! and have a great trip.

 

[KnoxGardner]

Hello Nick,

It is a bit tedious but you could certainly use MapQuest, point to point between all the small towns you will be going between on the back roads. The issue is of course, you need to be fairly specific on what those towns are, though I guess that is part of the fun of planning the next trip. This is a fairly easy thing to do in the West, but a bit harder and time consuming in the east.

I see in the other forum, that you plan on CC tour for this trip and are hoping to stay on decent roads. I'll add my two cents on your bike: it hardly looks appropriate for a round the world adventure. It looks like fun for sure, but oh man, you'd not find me setting off across the desert in Iran with that thing. I'll be up front with you, I've got on of those steel touring bikes that folks keep telling you about, it's sturdy and swell. I got it before I had done any touring and did not know much about it. It has Campy. Even something as simple and basically different as that, is a real pain when somewhere kinda remote, and I've yet to cross Asia, where I don't think my bike is sturdy or swell enough. And your bike is way more spec'd out and wierd. It sounds like maybe you could afford a new bike if you need it half way through. If so, I guess it is no big deal and go have fun. That's a decent attitude.

Also, if you are crossing the desert in the US, you really should have more water than those two measly water bottles.

Finally, I get that you want to break records and stuff, but I find I start making all kinds of dumb choices and get angry at people for no good reason if I don't get a rest day once a week. And by rest day, I mean, lying in camp, not touching the bike, not sight seeing, not nothing. Maybe working on my tan and going for a swim but that's it.

Um, I wish you all the luck on your kooky endevour.

Knox
www.bikenerd.blogspot.com

 

[Nick H.]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I should look at Topo. I went to the AAA site but couldn't find a service that might do the job.

As for the question of having the wrong bike...well, it appeals to my sense of adventure to do it with carbon wheels and all the rest of the goodies! I used to tour on a 753 road racer and really the only problem it gave me was a lack of comfort. My Serotta is like a feather bed by comparison. I like big climbs so I'm a bit of a weight weenie - I just refuse to drag a 60 lb bike up a mountain. Plus I hate panniers and barbags because of the extra drag. I know I'm in the minority with my approach to touring but I really hate to go slow. And having spent so much on my bike and its wierd components I have this enormous confidence that it won't break. It's all quality stuff - I hope.

 

[nun]

Thanks guys. Sounds like I should look at Topo. I went to the AAA site but couldn't find a service that might do the job.

As for the question of having the wrong bike...well, it appeals to my sense of adventure to do it with carbon wheels and all the rest of the goodies! I used to tour on a 753 road racer and really the only problem it gave me was a lack of comfort. My Serotta is like a feather bed by comparison. I like big climbs so I'm a bit of a weight weenie - I just refuse to drag a 60 lb bike up a mountain. Plus I hate panniers and barbags because of the extra drag. I know I'm in the minority with my approach to touring but I really hate to go slow. And having spent so much on my bike and its wierd components I have this enormous confidence that it won't break. It's all quality stuff - I hope.

Hi, I'm looking at a West to East US tour in the next couple of years. Your trip makes mine look like a quick trip down to the shops. Anyway National Geographic does some nice software. Also with the availability of devices like the Treo and GPS devices it should be possible to use online services for a lot of the trip.

PS I'm with you on bike selection for touring and amount of stuff. I just ordered a new bike that will be lugged steel, but the frame still comes in around 4lbs and I plan to carry around 30lbs of stuff.

 

[nun]

Hi everyone - I've just joined the forum. I'm planning to ride across the US next year and I need to plan the whole route precisely because it's for a record attempt. Does anyone know a web site or a bit of software which might help? How about a Delorme product?

The route will be from west to east (probably Vancouver to New York) and will need to be about 10,000 miles long - so I'll zig-zag down towards Mexico and up towards Canada a lot. I'll probably use sections of several Adventure Cycling routes, but I need to link them all up into a big coast-to-coast wiggle, and I need to know the distance to the nearest hundred miles or so before I set out.

Nick,
I've just read your website/forum posts and we have some things in common. I'm also a born again cyclist having picked up my pedals seriously last year after a 20 year hiatus. I'm 44 and 200lbs having lost 20lbs this summer by simply putting in about 150 miles a week. Best diet ever. I've been on a couple of week long credit card tours this summer and my goal is to do a few back to back centuries next spring and in a couple of years ride across the US. So my approach is maybe less intense than yours.

My bike is an Bianchi Volpe that I bought to get back into cycling and its done a good job as its allowed me to find out what I like without breaking the bank. Now I've just ordered a custom tourer from a local shop. I picked up an example of one of their steel lugged bikes and I was amazed at how light it was. I don't really see the need to go too hi tech in a touring bike as its important to have simple equipment that can be fixed on the road. Also from everything I've read comfort and psychological well being are important on a long tour, so I'd probably beef up your wheels and make sure you carry enough to be comfortable on the road.

Here are some websites that I've found useful

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com
http://theory.lcs.mit.edu/~e_lehman/Ultralight/
http://www.monmouth.com/~mconnick/chklist.htm

 

[DrD]

It won't give you the elevations, but here is an interesting program to map out routes, especially your daily rides. I've used it to map out local rides: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?centerX=-86.43845558166504&ce

 

[spartanstorkbir]

There is a do hickey called a map distance wheel. You can find them on the web for about 20 $. The problem I saw with the map distance wheel is that the scales on the maps vary all over the place.

How about a ruler and use the scale on the map?

Lee Stork
[email protected]

Hi everyone - I've just joined the forum. I'm planning to ride across the US next year and I need to plan the whole route precisely because it's for a record attempt. Does anyone know a web site or a bit of software which might help? How about a Delorme product?

The route will be from west to east (probably Vancouver to New York) and will need to be about 10,000 miles long - so I'll zig-zag down towards Mexico and up towards Canada a lot. I'll probably use sections of several Adventure Cycling routes, but I need to link them all up into a big coast-to-coast wiggle, and I need to know the distance to the nearest hundred miles or so before I set out.

 

[rsheard]

Hi everyone - I've just joined the forum. I'm planning to ride across the US next year and I need to plan the whole route precisely because it's for a record attempt. Does anyone know a web site or a bit of software which might help? How about a Delorme product?

I realize this thread is a little old, but I've been using the free website at wayfaring.com to measure routes. It's very accurate to the other ways I've measured routes and a whole lot faster and cheaper than measuring them in the car.

 

[DougLSmith]

I realize this thread is a little old, but I've been using the free website at wayfaring.com to measure routes. It's very accurate to the other ways I've measured routes and a whole lot faster and cheaper than measuring them in the car.

I took a quick look at the thread and did not find (I probably missed it) anyone suggest Delorme's program Street Atlas or their program Topo USA. I would suggest Topo USA. It will provide you with a profile of your route. In addition it shows a lot of information about stores, etc. It is a lot better along interstates and in big cities, but it may help find a burger joint in some small town.

 

[Treky]

I realize this thread is a little old, but I've been using the free website at wayfaring.com to measure routes. It's very accurate to the other ways I've measured routes and a whole lot faster and cheaper than measuring them in the car.

This seems to ask you to enter an address when everytime you want to add a way point. I guess you do not use that many way points? If you do not give addresses does it still do a good job calculating distances?