Ok - reading about the routes in the other thread makes me wonder.

How do you plan your route, or do you at all??

Riding 40-100 miles - is it a path? Do you just go where you feel like & turn around eventually?

I've been "discovering" my neighborhood really - seeing where all those little side roads go & yes, turning around after half of my designated ride time is over to head back - some roads I know well enough so my "back route" can vary a little bit. But if I were to want to go for 20 or more miles I wouldn't have a clue where to go except to ride around in circles!!!



-Nancy

Nancy

There is a great book about bike trails and routes in the DC area and the Washington Area Bicycling Association has actually posted them some on a website. (I think there are some PA books but I don't know about your area.)

But, for me, the best way to learn routes has been to go on bike rides with someone who already knows the route. Some of them are a little tricky without someone who knows what they are doing the first time or two.

Dean

“When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything ...”--John Wesley

My "neighborhood" ride is down a few of the straighter and less traveled roads in town. I go to a certain point (5 miles), then turn around and head back home.

I live more towards the country and there are many goods roads that don't have much traffic on them. When I want to do a longer ride, I head out towards there and can get 20+ miles in with no problem. I am familiar with them because I grew up in the area and "ran the back roads a lot".

Several times, my BF and I will grab out bikes and go to one of the parks towards Houston that has a hike and bike trail - about 16 miles round trip.

As Dean mentioned, there are publications out there that give some great bike routes. You can also check with your local bike shop and see what they recommend.

But, it is fun to just jump on the bike and ride to see where roads take you, maybe discover some "hidden treasure".

Judy

Like I mentioned before, there are many cyclists in Tucson. So all I have to do is ask somebody and they are more than willing to suggest a new route to try. So if you know any cyclists in your area, I am sure they would be more than willing to share their favorite routes with you.

I also spend a lot of time looking on bikely.com and other resources I've collected on roads through Tucson. I then go about meticulously planning out that perfect route. Then on more than one occasion, as I've been riding out my well planned route, I suddenly discover the roadway, that was clearly mapped, doesn't really exist or is not rideable.

But, that all the more adds to the adventure of just getting out there and seeing how far and to what new and exciting places you can get to.

Have fun.

Eric

Of course, some of this depends on your sense of direction. We were vacationing on the Norhtern Neck of Virginia this summer -- very, very rural. I got nervous a few times that I would not be able to remember my way home. I have a lousy sense of direction or memory for what turns I've taken. Fortunately I aways made it back. Still I always carry my cell phone just in case I need help getting home.

Dean

“When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything ...”--John Wesley

I live in a rural area too.... and don't really have anyone else to ride with or show me where to go. I guess I'll just keep on "exploring" my neighborhood for now

I always take my cell phone with me too Dean, not because I'm afraid I'll get lost but I don't wanna get stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire or end up falling off getting hurt or something & have to walk 5, 10 or even 2 miles home!!! Some of the roads around here are just farmland or woods - and people have hundreds of acres, so I can be riding a mile or two (or more) and not even pass a house.


-Nancy

I ride around the towns in my area. I have a mount on my bike with a GPS I can use in case I get lost. It has come in handy to pop on and see where you are and how far to home or where ever your final destination is located.


Jim

SW - Aug 1, 2006: 275
CW - Sep 7, 2007: 204.5
GW - ??? ??, 2007: <200

Nancy check with your local bike shop as they may have group rides scheduled. And usually for all different pace's as well.

Dan

http://obrats.blogspot.com/

I have lost 100+ pounds and determined to lose the last 30.

Nancy,

I agree with the others. Ask at the bike shop and find a standard route. After that just do a little exploring by estending that standard route. In time you will develop a few favorite routes of various lenghts. If your real serious buy maping software and check out your ride on the map after your done and see if you could expand it a bit. Also the new GPSs are great. You can come home download and it will show you were you were.

HW: 237
CW:218
GW:179