USA (local)

Virgina is worth a bicycle ride. On the rolling hills some may get exercised. The tour comprises the Skyline Drive (elevated round 3.000 ft/1.000 meters) and the Blue Ridge Parkway (elevations in Virginia up to 3.500 ft/1.200 meters). Higher elevated in North Carolina. A continuous climb and decent sucks a bicyclist off power. I have underestimated the Parkway. At this time of the year, the weather can be cold and wet. Some rest areas are closed. A lone ride... But very busy from May on. See more details in my report. Good luck to all the followers!

A long winter made me think on better times... To escape, I made a decision: get some exercise on California' s back country roads. see the report. Good luck to followers!

It is a repeat tour! It seems, I felt in love with Hwy 1. Pacific Coast Hwy. San Francisco - Los Angeles. In May, the same year, I have done the same with my daughter Anne. You may find a short report on this portal. This time, I did a little detour: I stopped for a couple of days at Pismo Beach and discovered the surroundings of San Louis Obispo. I detected, the Los Osos Valley Road, the Lopez Lake, The Foxencanyon Road, Solvang the Danish city replica, the Marcos Pass road, etc. All places, I will remember well...! Enjoy the pictures! Good luck to all the followers!

I did it the usual way: taking the CalTrain down to Santa Clara and heading for Hwy 9 at Saratoga. This time, I have been confused - found the wrong way, met another biker who convinced me to ride up to Skyline Blvd. via the Old Page Mill Road. I should have been warned: this road is very steep and with all my luggage (two saddle bags) and absolute no-training at all, it has sucked all my power of. [...]

What a challenge! Freeways surround San Bernardino. Not made for bicycles. Luckily I found the entrance to the San Timoteo Canyon Road. So, I escaped the freeways for a while. Not knowing, I will re-enter Hwy 10 again. There was no way out at the city of Banning. I have been riding on Hwy 10 at least for more exits: Then I found, there is a little side road after the Hwy fence. I slipped through the fence and have been continuing riding safe of the sideway of Hwy 10. Hwy 111 has taken me down to Palm Springs, where I arrived pretty late in the dark after a 200-kilometer ride. [...]

Again: Palm Springs is not made for bicycle riders. It is surrounded by the San Bernardino mountains in the North and the San Jacinto mountains at the South. Riding down to San Diego and Tijuana was a sort of deja-vu. San Diego's Old Town has not been so busy as time I have been there with Anne. It looks to me: California is in a sort of economic recession. Enjoy the pictures! Good luck to all the followers!

To complete our Hwy 1 experience (remember, we did Seattle - San Francisco), we decided to do the Southern part. Final destination has been San Diego (I tried a bit more: Tijuana [MX]). Anne has been a very brave rider! It's was a beautiful tour. Worth to go!

Recommended to have a stopover at Solvang, and further the Foxencanyon Road via the San Marcos Pass which leads you to Santa Barbara. We made it it via Lompoc and the Vandenberg airfield. Funny: we, as foreigners have passed the military complex, whilst an US citizen has been stopped... Maybe because of the reason: we had an ID, the poor US cyclist had no ID. The distance San Diego - Las Vegas we managed by a rented car. But we where back on bike in Las Vegas. Going down to the Hoover Dam, is recommended. Wonderful, real scenic landscape! If you like it or not: Las Vegas is always a place to see. Good luck to all the followers!

As my managing director retired in the same year as I did, we decided to do a joined bicycle tour... We have found information in a popular booklet 'bicycling the Pacific coast'. At the Internet, we found the tour description by the publisher of this web page.

Me, as the tour leader, was inspired by the idea of doing this tour. Nearly 2000 kilometres. That' s what we have been looking for... Staring at Seattle, which is a hilly city (I found myself reminded on San Francisco), we took the ferry to Bremerton in order to hit Hwy 101 in day trip. Washington has been a little 'wet' - not raining, but high ambient moisture. Oregon coast: just beautiful. Every day continuous eye catchers... [...]

Californian people are very open. Clear English, easy to understand, and still a flower people mentality... Very pleasant! Good luck to all the followers!

My former managing director Raimund and me (Iris Mueck) started bicycling the Western world after our retirement. Our most desire: to pedal round the Grand Canyon (what we actually did not - as the distance is too big. With the help of a rented car, we made a lot of local trips to the parks.

Starting at Los Angeles, we hit Las Vegas. If you like it or not. It is worth to see. And, if you plan a trip to Grand Canyon, there is more or less no way. A stopover should be planned.

Sideway trips leaded us to the Arches park (oh wonder bicycle path ways up to the park) and to Page (Glen Canyon). From there to the Antelope Canyon, which is operated by native Americans. And further to the Monument Valley. On the way back, to complete the circle trip, we hit Bryce Canyon and the Zion park.

Back to San Francisco with another side tour to the Yosemite park. As a well known book author was still alive, we tried to meet him at the campus of the Stanford University. Good luck to all the followers!

The Big Circle: A round trip which is a little demanding. All eye catchers needs to be 'earned' by your personal power. Good luck to all the followers!

San Francisco - Los Angeles - Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Bryce Canyon - Zion Park - Death Valley - LAX.

Cycling in America is; friendly people, vast landscapes, hamburgers and picnic tables by the campsite. Our favorite region to tour through is the American Southwest with its painted deserts, mountains and colorful rock formations.

On our Cycling in America website we show what it's like to travel across the states (via the Adventure Cycling Transamerica trail) and through the American Southwest.

I finished up my MBA at Wharton and decided to bike across the country before starting a life of 80 hour work weeks. I rode from Seattle to Washington, DC, alone, self-supported, creating my own route while I went, covering about 100 miles a day (3200 miles in 33 days). My blog details the logistics like where I stayed, how far I rode, and what roads I took. It also covers some of the more entertaining bits: the amazing people I met, getting lost a LOT in the west, being chased by dogs, coinciding the the Sturgis Bike Rally, my mild obsession with Wall Drug, and other daily trials.

As a single woman, this whole thing made my mother very nervous, but it was a fun adventure.

Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff Springs, Alberta Canada to the Mexico border at Antelope Wells, New Mexico. This ``off road'' route parallels the Rocky mountains for 2715 miles and with approximately 200,000 feet of elevation gain. National Geographic magazine calls it the #1 Trip of America's top 50 Adventures

Great vacation!

This cycle journal describes my trip from eastern Washington state, through the central basin area of Oregon, across Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Kansas to the Missouri border. Most of this route follows the Adventure Cycling Association Western Express route, famous for it's long distances between towns, food, or water. However, the less traveled central basin of Oregon presents even more challenges requiring careful planning.

Bicycle Tour San Francisco - Pismo Beach - Santa Barbara. Some back country roads. Distance: Total 926 Kilometer.

Two sisters make the move back to the west coast from Manhattan on Bikes! Lots of great pictures and stories to boot, and some suggestions on packing, route choices, etc. (more to come soon).

Bicycle Tour San Francisco -> San Diego
Distance: 1.150 Kilometer on Cabrillo Hwy

Website includes travelogue, gear, planning, 50 (USA) State Bicycle Coordinator summary page, beer sampling, etc.

I also took the opportunity to sample beers from across the USA. When you are riding your bike across the country, beer is guilt free. It's called fuel, and it tastes good, too! At the end of the day, nothing replaces those vital body fluids better than beer - water works OK, too, I guess.

You'll find that some state bicycle coordinators are better than others. Wyoming and South Dakota coordinators were topnotch! Clearly, they were real bike riders not some pinky office donut eaters.

A one-week cyclotouring trip from Albany to Buffalo, along the Erie Canal and Mohawk River in New York State (650 km ~ 400 miles), mostly camping. Practical informations about traveling and camping in Upstate New York, and getting there by bus. Especially useful for budget travelers who don't mind pedaling long hours along the Mohawk River Valley, the cradle of US industry, an area rich in historical significance and landmarks.

A shorter tour of Colorado on a race bike, including two days on a mountain bike. Visiting: Ophir Pass, Imogene Pass, Corkscrew Pass, Red Mountain Pass, Lizard Head Pass, Independence Pass, Cottonwood Pass, Loveland Pass, Mount Evans, the lovely Trail Ridge Road and more.

From Denver to the Grand Canyon and return...

These pages describe a series of day rides around San Diego County, these include

• Mount Laguna and the Sunrise Highway
• Mount Palomar
• San Diego's South Bay
• The Anza-Borrego Desert
• Julian, and
• La Jolla

Last year I decided I wanted to go home for Christmas, but I previously stated that I would only leave Orlando if it was under my own power.

I spent seven days covering the 610 miles between Orlando Florida and Birmingham Alabama.

The page tells some of the highlights and realizations I encountered along the way as well as a map showing some of the places I stayed, I think this trip was a great warm up to my eventual goal of riding across country one day.

The plan is to pedal from Southern California to Virginia, or Canada if we don't feel that 3,200 miles is enough. Barring accidents, failed joints, or break-ups, we'll get to dip our tires in more than one ocean. We hope to succeed or fail before August.

Six men set out on a journey that would build character in body, mind and spirit. Physical challenges, scenery and surroundings ``to die for'', and a spiritual emphasis made this trip truly ``one of a kind''. There are many photos, detailed route maps, a list of everything we packed, the expenses for the trip and a daily ``blog'' or diary of each day. If your planning on doing this trip, it probably is worth your reading. If you've never done a multi-day trip in the ``back country'', it's a ``must read''. It was a trip none of us will ever forget - in the best sort of way! Enjoy!

These pages describe a series of day rides on or near California's Coast.

The rides include visits to

• King Ridge, Meyers Grade, Cazadero, Healdsburg, Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, and the Jimtown Store in Sonoma County;
• Tiburon, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Sausalito in Marin County;
• Paso Robles, Peachy Canyon, and the Klau and Buena Vista Mines in San Luis Obispo County;
• Lake Piru in Ventura County and
• Calabasas, Topanga, Fernwood, Saddle Peak, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, Manhatten Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach in Los Angeles County.

Utah is better known for its colorful canyon geography than its lofty summits. But it order to get to the summits, you have to traverse the canyons first. A cycling climb in Utah often involves a combination of arid canyons, mountains and forested plateaus. These pages derive from day rides or short tours taken over many years. They contain elevation profiles, pictures, route descriptions, maps and history for numerous summits. Some of these summits are part of popular touring routes, such as Ut12 connecting Capitol Reef and Bryce National Parks, or the Kokopelli's Trail near Moab. Many others see cyclists very seldom - includes paved and MTB summits - new summits added regularly.

The gap was bothering me. I had done San Francisco to San Diego and Astoria to Eureka. The ride from Eureka to San Francisco would take about a week. Which, coincidentally, was about all the vacation time I had after starting a new job. So I flew to San Francisco, took the bus to Eureka, and filled in the gap, on my first solo tour.

These pages describe a series of day rides in California's Central Coast.

The rides include 17 Mile Ride, See Canyon, Figueroa Mountain, Camino Cielo and a loop of Lake Casitas.

Why would I bike around America? Why not? Or better yet, because I can. After first reading about cross-country bicycle tours on Crazyguyonabike.com I was hooked!

There it was, a great adventure that almost anyone could do, and I had all the free time in the world. Before reading about bike touring, I had dreams of hiking the 2500+ mile Appalachian Trail. But 75 mile days on a bike and real food quickly trumped 15 mile days on foot and oatmeal.

So I sold all of my stuff, opted to not renew my apartment lease, and bought a bike. It took me three months and almost $2,000 to aquire the knowledge and equipment to pull off this trip, but now I am ready to start it.

A lot of people ask me why I would want to do something like this. They either assume that I am either crazy, or poor. And while I may be a little of both, I just think it sounds like a good time. Cars, planes, and big cities are three things I try to avoid when I travel. So a nice slow bike ride through the Rocky Mountains sounds like a dream.

While most people will spend $20,000 on a new car, or $5,000 on a one week vacation, I spent $2,000 on a three month vacation with no bills to worry about. Everything I need, will be carried with me on my bike.

So, while it may seem a little crazy at first, I guess the main reason I would do something like this would be the journey itself. As one old Chinese guy once said, `The journey is the reward.'

Ten Days Of Cycling Through The Best Of California: Starting off with an awesome 150-kilometer ride high on the cliffs of America's wildest seacoast--past beaches filled with monstrous elephant seals--I pedaled on around surrealistic 17-Mile Drive and on through the Cannery Row of Steinbeck's novel into the famous resort of Monterey. Next, I soared across vast San Francisco Bay on the Golden Gate Bridge, and on across bike-friendly Marin Country to Point Reyes National Seashore for two nights in a traditional cyclists' hostel. Then came more exciting bike travel, through towering redwood forests beside the Russian River and across the Napa Valley Wine Country to the university town of Davis, famed for its many bicycle paths. Finally, I cycled part way around beautiful Lake Tahoe and ended the trip at the Nevada State Line. My website gives full day-by-day info on how I made the tour;and how to make the same trip yourself, including overnighting at economy lodgings, and where to get maps, when to go, and other helpful literature.

Seven tips, ride description, and map for a one-day ride from the sea up the mammoth 61-kilometer climb of the Hawaiian volcano Haleakela on Maui. At over 3,000 meters, this climb will take literally into thin air - some planning should be undertaken.

It's just a hill, in the grand scheme of things. Only different. Not because it's 10,023ft at the summit, but because this is one of those rare mountains that you can literally start at sea level... well, not just sea level, but actually at the sea! You don't have to do the ride that way though; you can start at the base of Highway 37 (near the airport), and pretty much eliminate the chance of taking a wrong turn and adding another 1700ft to the climb. But what's the fun in that?

The climb isn't challenging because it's steep (it isn't), but rather the length. You start climbing and never, ever stop, until you reach the top. Lots and lots of photos on our page, along with a printout from a HAC-4 heart monitor/altimeter.

A number of articles in rec.bicycles and rec.travel about the Oregon Coast inspired me to take my first long distance bicycle tour. I flew to Seattle from Denver on the 10th of July with a plane ticket to return from San Francisco on the 28th. If there was anything that I didn't like about this trip it was that deadline. I felt free except for the schedule I had to keep. This article is a personal narrative about my journey from Seattle to San Francisco following highways 101 and 1 along the Pacific Coast.

Every day is different. If you bring expectations from yesterday into a new day you increase the chance for disappointment and you waste time and energy trying to overcome that disappointment. Everyday unto itself.

This tour changed my life. I had never felt more alive. I left seeking a new way to see the world and I found me.

Paved all the way, Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway takes cyclists on a breathtaking 75-mile ride through the Columbia River Gorge, a region so spectacular that in 1986, Congress declared it a National Scenic Area. Almost every mile of the way, I pedaled past steep, rocky cliffs and evergreen forests and I cycled next to 5 roadside waterfalls, one cascading down a sheer 620-foot drop. Most of the ride is on low-traffic, secondary roads with about ten miles on car-free bikeways. (To by-pass an as-yet unfinished 14 miles, cyclists are permitted to ride on the wide shoulder of I-84.)

Comfortable, affordable motels are spaced every 20-30 miles and you can take either 2 or 3 days to ride the Gorge--surely one of America's most awesome cycling experiences. En route, I pedaled up two superbly scenic--and fairly gentle--climbs, each around 750-feet in elevation gain--and with stunning panoramas from both summits. Along the way, I also spent a couple of hours touring Bonneville Dam where salmon were leaping up fish ladders. My day-to-day report tells exactly how I made this two-day tour and it's packed with advice and map sources for anyone wishing to duplicate my route. (Tip: it's just a six-hour drive between the Gorge and Spokane WA, end of my ``Touring the Northwest'' trip (see report on home page menu) and you can squeeze both tours into a one week vacation.

New York State's long, spindly Finger Lakes are webbed by roads that take you pedaling along lakeshores or over rolling hills, past world-class vineyards and picturesque farms, to quaint towns and villages with elm-lined streets bordered by elegant Victorian houses and gardens. From high ridges, I viewed breathtaking panoramas of the sparkling lakes below. On quiet backroads, I met Amish carriages drawn by high-stepping horses. And I spent the final two days on a flat 90-mile ride along the car-free towpath of the Erie Canal, cycling next to a series of still-operating locks and 19th Century towns, each with a unique lift bridge across the Canal.

My trip took 14 days and covered nearly 600 miles and I spent each night at a comfortable, affordable motel in traditional towns like Auburn, Geneva, Watkins Glen, Penn Yann, Canandaigua, Brockport and Lockport. Small wonder this is one of America's most popular bike tours! And if you'd like to ride it yourself, my full report not only describes my day-to-day cycling experiences but also gives full map and info sources for duplicating my route on your own.

Up in Northern Idaho and Washington, a series of 4 car-free bike trails linked together form one of America's newest bicycle tours. My 4-day tour began high in the Bitteroot Mountains with a wildly scenic ride down the Milwaukee Road's Trail of the Hiawathas, former route of the famous Hiawatha Scenic Vista Dome train. The line went bankrupt in 1977 and the Hiawatha stopped running. Today, though, you can enjoy the same scenic adventure on a bicycle, including traveling through the same 9 cavernous tunnels and across the 7 high steel trestles used by the train.

Next, I rode a 12-mile stretch of the former Northern Pacific railbed through emerald forests then switched to a paved stretch of the former Union Pacific Road that led for 66 spectacular miles through a wilderness of tall mountain peaks, rivers, lakes and wetlands and past historic mining towns to the Victorian village of Harrison, perched on a hilltop overlooking beautiful Lake Coeur d'Alene. I completed the trip by riding another 62-miles on the paved Millenium Trail beside Lake Coeur d'Alene then west along a cascading river into Washington and the city of Spokane.

My day-by-day report not only describes how I biked this 160-mile tour but also gives full map and info sources for duplicating my route. Using a unique routing strategy, for instance, I was able to ride the whole way either on the flat or downhill. And I found comfortable motels or guest houses a day's ride apart the entire way.

Almost every year, I spend a bike touring vacation at Frisco CO, staying in the same motel while each day I bike out and back on a complex of paved, car-free bike trails that wind past colossal mountain scenery to famous ski resorts like Breckenridge, Keystone, Copper Mountain and Vail. One easy trail hugs the shore of huge Dillon Lake to Keystone. Another winds up to the posh resort of Breckenridge. And a third climbs through awesome Ten Mile Canyon to Copper Mountain and on up over Vail Pass (10,600 feet, 3250m) then drops down to the Alpine-style town of Vail.

Using fat tires, I usually spend a day cycling up the unpaved road to Boreas Pass (11,480 feet, 3500m) where America's highest railroad depot still stands. Then for a change, I'll rent a kayak and paddle around Dillon Lake for a few hours. But there's lots more. It's just an hour's drive to nearby Georgetown, an unchanged Victorian mining town and from here a paved bike trail leads up to Silver Plume, a fascinating old mining town still much as it was in 1880. Heading back down, a low-traffic paved road leads to Idaho Springs, your motel base for cycling America's highest paved road that leads for 28 miles to the summit of Mount Evans (14,264 feet, 4360m). And with a mountain bike, still more exciting rides await, all in a world class setting of breathtaking grandeur. My website describes how I biked each trail, then gives loads of advice, and full map and info sources, for riding these trails on your own.

Trail reports and best strategy for touring 4 of America's longest Rails-Trails conversions that take you cycling through America's rural heartland on former railroad beds, converted to car-free bike trails, with comfortable, affordable motels a day's ride apart. Day-by-day, these reports describe how I cycled each trail plus loads of info and advice for anyone wishing to cycle the same route.

The trails are: Root River Trail, 60 paved miles (100 kms) along Minnesota's beautiful Root River, 2 days, McElroy-Sparta, 105-mile (170kms) trail system along Mississippi River in Wisconsin, smooth-unpaved, 4 days (can be combined with Root River Trail), Mickelson Trail, 109-miles(175kms)on smooth, unpaved trail through historic, Gold Rush country of South Dakota's Black Hills, 3-4 days. The 225-mile (362-km) Katy Trail along the Missouri River in Missouri, smooth-unpaved, 4-5 days. All are fairly level, easy rides through historic railroad towns and scenic countryside rich in Americana and wildlife.

Pictures of my Alaska bike trip/honeymoon this summer.

In the fall of 2000, my wife and I planned a tour around Lake Pepin for our anniversary, starting and ending in St. Paul, Minnesota. A lovely short tour in easy stages- my first tour!