Need Help with Southern US Roads

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by The Ride of 05
My friend and I are planning a trip across the country in May of 2005. We need some assistance though mapping out the roads to take. The route below depicts our proposed course. Please let us know if the roads we chose are "rideable" and which ones they are by either posting here or email at [email hidden]

Thanks for all your help!

Starting Place Roads Taking
Pismo Beach, CA US101, SR166, SR33
Taft, CA 33N, 119E, SR184, 178N
Ridgecrest, CA SR178, Trona Rd, SR190
Death Valley Junction, CA SR372, SR160, SR604
Las Vegas, NV SR159, SR582, US93, I-40Bus
Kingman, AZ SR66, Diamond Creek Rd, I-40Bus
Seligman, AZ Willaha Rd, US180, SR64 (East Rim Dr.)
Grand Canyon Village, AZ SR64, US89, US160, US163
Kayenta, AZ US160, US163, US191
Bluff, UT US191, SR163, SR262, IR201, US160
Durango, CO US160, US84, US64
Chama, NM US64
Taos, NM US64
Raton, NM US64, US56
Boise City, OK US56, US64, US54
Liberal, KS US270, US83, US64
Alva, OK US64, SR11, US177, US60
Ponca City, OK US60
Vinita, OK US60
Springfield, MO US60, SR14, US63, US63Bus, US160
West Plains, MO US160, US67, US60Bus
Poplar Bluff, MO US60, SR114, US60Bus, US62, US60, US51, SR121, US45
Mayfield, KY SR58, SR80, US68, THE TRACE, SR49, US79, US41A
Clarksville, TN US41A, SR76, US41, SR49, SR52
Red Boiling Springs, TN SR52, SR151, SR56, SR53, SR85, SR52, US127, SR329, SR62, US27
Wartburg, TN SR62, CITY STREETS, US11, US25
Newport, TN US25, US70, SR2500, SR9, SSR1100 -> US221, US64
Ruth, NC US64, SSR1700, SR226, SR10, SR27, SR73, US220, US74
Concord, NC CITY STREET, SR73, SR24, SR73, US220, US74
Laurinburg, NC US74, US17, US76
Wilmington, NC

US 25 runs from Newport to Weaverville(near Ashevilles NC) and is a beautiful drive. It is only 2 lanes without a shoulder but traffic is usually not bad. It has some good climbs. Should not present a problem for you. You may want to stop at Hot Springs for the mineral springs. 😎

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by The Ride of 05
My friend and I are planning a trip across the country in May of 2005. We need some assistance though mapping out the roads to take. The route below depicts our proposed course. Please let us know if the roads we chose are "rideable" and which ones they are by either posting here or email at [email hidden]

Thanks for all your help!

Starting Place Roads Taking
Pismo Beach, CA US101, SR166, SR33
Taft, CA 33N, 119E, SR184, 178N
Ridgecrest, CA SR178, Trona Rd, SR190
Death Valley Junction, CA SR372, SR160, SR604
Las Vegas, NV SR159, SR582, US93, I-40Bus
Kingman, AZ SR66, Diamond Creek Rd, I-40Bus
Seligman, AZ Willaha Rd, US180, SR64 (East Rim Dr.)
Grand Canyon Village, AZ SR64, US89, US160, US163
Kayenta, AZ US160, US163, US191
Bluff, UT US191, SR163, SR262, IR201, US160
Durango, CO US160, US84, US64
Chama, NM US64
Taos, NM US64
Raton, NM US64, US56
Boise City, OK US56, US64, US54
Liberal, KS US270, US83, US64
Alva, OK US64, SR11, US177, US60
Ponca City, OK US60
Vinita, OK US60
Springfield, MO US60, SR14, US63, US63Bus, US160
West Plains, MO US160, US67, US60Bus
Poplar Bluff, MO US60, SR114, US60Bus, US62, US60, US51, SR121, US45
Mayfield, KY SR58, SR80, US68, THE TRACE, SR49, US79, US41A
Clarksville, TN US41A, SR76, US41, SR49, SR52
Red Boiling Springs, TN SR52, SR151, SR56, SR53, SR85, SR52, US127, SR329, SR62, US27
Wartburg, TN SR62, CITY STREETS, US11, US25
Newport, TN US25, US70, SR2500, SR9, SSR1100 -> US221, US64
Ruth, NC US64, SSR1700, SR226, SR10, SR27, SR73, US220, US74
Concord, NC CITY STREET, SR73, SR24, SR73, US220, US74
Laurinburg, NC US74, US17, US76
Wilmington, NC

My cross country journies have only taken me on or near the Arizona portion of your route. I was riding east to west. In Arizona I was told that the Las Vegas to Kingman route was very bicycle unfriendly. As a result when I reached Kingman instead of heading north to Las Vegas, I headed south to Lake Havasau.

However, I did ride from Kingman to Seligman over the old Rt 66 right of way through Hackberry, Truxton, Peach Springs and Nelson. There are a couple of good diners along the way and part of the trip takes you through the Huapapai Indian Reservation. It's an eye opener and one the things that turned me into an anti BIA supporter. If you ever protested the African "Homelands" you never saw an American Indian Reservation.

As you head up to the Grand Canyon, (when I thought about it and changed my mind) the roads were bumper to bumper with people driving campers and other towed vehicles. Now a quick word of warning about such "tourists" ... They well know the width of their car and will give you just enough room so as not to hit you with their car, but clip you with their camper. Most drivers do not take the extra width of their camper into consideration when passing a cyclist so the safest thing for you to do when you see one in your rearview mirror is a little defensive cycling and swing away from them.

My route was more direct than yours. One of my goals was to ride as much of Route 66 as I could. I picked up RT 66 just outside of Tulsa OK and rode it west to Kingman when I turned south for Lake Havasau. It was a great ride... there was literally nobody on it. All the cars were up on I-40. It was like having my own personal two lane black top to cycle on. You'll find your best places to eat and sleep not at the Highway exits but a couple of miles farther on in the old towns themselves. The times that I was forced to ride on I-40 (because no other road existed) the breakdown lane is so wide that it seemed like I was 30 or 40 feet away from the traffic.

I found OK very cycle friendly as they have a major trans OK cycling event that many towns bid to be on the route. The name of the event skips my mind at the moment. They likewise have a similar event in Nebraska.

I also found that if I stayed out of everybody's way and minded my own business, people sought me out, asked me questions about what I was doing and invited me to have lunch with them, go on pig hunts and coon hunts. I found the people in this country incredibly friendly and curious. They would often ask if I were afraid cycling alone. (I'm just shy of six feet and well over 200 pounds). I would tell them that I wasn't afraid in their particular town and they would respond "Well not in this town, but in the town over the hill there are some pretty nast characters." When I got to the town over the hill, they would ask the same question and I would give them the same answer and they would say, "Well not in this town, but in the next town over the hill..." and so on. It always seemed that the booger man was always in the next town over the hill.

I had a great time. I hope you do to.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by jhuskey
US 25 runs from Newport to Weaverville(near Ashevilles NC) and is a beautiful drive. It is only 2 lanes without a shoulder but traffic is usually not bad. It has some good climbs. Should not present a problem for you. You may want to stop at Hot Springs for the mineral springs. 😎

Thanks for the help. By NC we are sure gonna want and need some mineral springs, as well as cold beers.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Trekker2017
My cross country journies have only taken me on or near the Arizona portion of your route. I was riding east to west. In Arizona I was told that the Las Vegas to Kingman route was very bicycle unfriendly. As a result when I reached Kingman instead of heading north to Las Vegas, I headed south to Lake Havasau.

However, I did ride from Kingman to Seligman over the old Rt 66 right of way through Hackberry, Truxton, Peach Springs and Nelson. There are a couple of good diners along the way and part of the trip takes you through the Huapapai Indian Reservation. It's an eye opener and one the things that turned me into an anti BIA supporter. If you ever protested the African "Homelands" you never saw an American Indian Reservation.

As you head up to the Grand Canyon, (when I thought about it and changed my mind) the roads were bumper to bumper with people driving campers and other towed vehicles. Now a quick word of warning about such "tourists" ... They well know the width of their car and will give you just enough room so as not to hit you with their car, but clip you with their camper. Most drivers do not take the extra width of their camper into consideration when passing a cyclist so the safest thing for you to do when you see one in your rearview mirror is a little defensive cycling and swing away from them.

My route was more direct than yours. One of my goals was to ride as much of Route 66 as I could. I picked up RT 66 just outside of Tulsa OK and rode it west to Kingman when I turned south for Lake Havasau. It was a great ride... there was literally nobody on it. All the cars were up on I-40. It was like having my own personal two lane black top to cycle on. You'll find your best places to eat and sleep not at the Highway exits but a couple of miles farther on in the old towns themselves. The times that I was forced to ride on I-40 (because no other road existed) the breakdown lane is so wide that it seemed like I was 30 or 40 feet away from the traffic.

I found OK very cycle friendly as they have a major trans OK cycling event that many towns bid to be on the route. The name of the event skips my mind at the moment. They likewise have a similar event in Nebraska.

I also found that if I stayed out of everybody's way and minded my own business, people sought me out, asked me questions about what I was doing and invited me to have lunch with them, go on pig hunts and coon hunts. I found the people in this country incredibly friendly and curious. They would often ask if I were afraid cycling alone. (I'm just shy of six feet and well over 200 pounds). I would tell them that I wasn't afraid in their particular town and they would respond "Well not in this town, but in the town over the hill there are some pretty nast characters." When I got to the town over the hill, they would ask the same question and I would give them the same answer and they would say, "Well not in this town, but in the next town over the hill..." and so on. It always seemed that the booger man was always in the next town over the hill.

I had a great time. I hope you do to.

That story made me laugh. The city to city part sounds just like the kind of people I would imagine would live out that way.

We figured the Las Vegas to Kingman route would be somewhat non-cycle friendly, but is that route rideable. We will have a support team near-by each day (they can go off on their own until we need them). Is that part of the trip doable if we have a vehicle riding behind us or is it a complete waste of time to even think about it?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by The Ride of 05
That story made me laugh. The city to city part sounds just like the kind of people I would imagine would live out that way.

We figured the Las Vegas to Kingman route would be somewhat non-cycle friendly, but is that route rideable. We will have a support team near-by each day (they can go off on their own until we need them). Is that part of the trip doable if we have a vehicle riding behind us or is it a complete waste of time to even think about it?

If the vehicle shields you from the traffic you should be OK.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Trekker2017
If the vehicle shields you from the traffic you should be OK.

Thanks for the info.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by The Ride of 05
My friend and I are planning a trip across the country in May of 2005. We need some assistance though mapping out the roads to take. The route below depicts our proposed course. Please let us know if the roads we chose are "rideable" and which ones they are by either posting here or email at [email hidden]

Thanks for all your help!

Starting Place Roads Taking
Pismo Beach, CA US101, SR166, SR33
Taft, CA 33N, 119E, SR184, 178N
Ridgecrest, CA SR178, Trona Rd, SR190
Death Valley Junction, CA SR372, SR160, SR604
Las Vegas, NV SR159, SR582, US93, I-40Bus
Kingman, AZ SR66, Diamond Creek Rd, I-40Bus
Seligman, AZ Willaha Rd, US180, SR64 (East Rim Dr.)
Grand Canyon Village, AZ SR64, US89, US160, US163
Kayenta, AZ US160, US163, US191
Bluff, UT US191, SR163, SR262, IR201, US160
Durango, CO US160, US84, US64
Chama, NM US64
Taos, NM US64
Raton, NM US64, US56
Boise City, OK US56, US64, US54
Liberal, KS US270, US83, US64
Alva, OK US64, SR11, US177, US60
Ponca City, OK US60
Vinita, OK US60
Springfield, MO US60, SR14, US63, US63Bus, US160
West Plains, MO US160, US67, US60Bus
Poplar Bluff, MO US60, SR114, US60Bus, US62, US60, US51, SR121, US45
Mayfield, KY SR58, SR80, US68, THE TRACE, SR49, US79, US41A
Clarksville, TN US41A, SR76, US41, SR49, SR52
Red Boiling Springs, TN SR52, SR151, SR56, SR53, SR85, SR52, US127, SR329, SR62, US27
Wartburg, TN SR62, CITY STREETS, US11, US25
Newport, TN US25, US70, SR2500, SR9, SSR1100 -> US221, US64
Ruth, NC US64, SSR1700, SR226, SR10, SR27, SR73, US220, US74
Concord, NC CITY STREET, SR73, SR24, SR73, US220, US74
Laurinburg, NC US74, US17, US76
Wilmington, NC

I would contact the Bluegrass Wheelmen regarding the route through KY. Sounds like a great trip.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by larry barr
I would contact the Bluegrass Wheelmen regarding the route through KY. Sounds like a great trip.

Thanks, I emailed them today. Hopefully they'll help us out!

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by The Ride of 05
Thanks, I emailed them today. Hopefully they'll help us out!

If you were coming through Illinois I might have been able to give you a little more assistance. Probably would have asked to join you for the day or so.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by larry barr
If you were coming through Illinois I might have been able to give you a little more assistance. Probably would have asked to join you for the day or so.

We're almost in Illinois....you're welcome to join us!

Do you know any of the roads through that southern end of Illinois or the surrounding states that you might be able to enlighten us on?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by The Ride of 05
We're almost in Illinois....you're welcome to join us!

Do you know any of the roads through that southern end of Illinois or the surrounding states that you might be able to enlighten us on?

Unfortunately not. I live in Chicago and know absolutely nothing about the southern part of the state. Have you checked out www.adventurecycling.org? They have all kinds of maps available for journeys such as yours.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by larry barr
Unfortunately not. I live in Chicago and know absolutely nothing about the southern part of the state. Have you checked out www.adventurecycling.org? They have all kinds of maps available for journeys such as yours.

Adventure Cycling referred me to DOT's from the various states. Unfortunately, I've only gotten one reply, from Missouri, that directed me to a link that maps the volume of the roads in Missouri. That's somewhat helpful, but not quite what I am looking for. Just gonna keep pluggin' and contact as many people as possible. Nothing like the feeling of a sales agent.

Thanks for the thoughts and wishes.

Check this one out. Wow that is a long trek. I've seen people do this kind of trip. I think you'd be buff after a few weeks of this. They should of come back here and posted the stories about his one. Buff and like the Buddha after this one. I wonder if they did the same thing back. Probably not.