Touring: Route-Planning Resources

Touring: Route-Planning Resources nformation is key—particularly when planning a bike tour. You want information that is accurate and up-to-date, and ideally from more than one source—just to be sure. Where do you find it? Here are some essential resources you should check before heading out on your next cycling adventure. Get tips from locals. Pick up good maps. Make backup plans.

Personal Recommendations

Local touring cyclists can be a great resource for trip ideas, route suggestions and specific road and trail information. REI Staff Members: Stop by your local store and visit the cycling department. Local Cycling Clubs: Many also offer related services like organized tours, classes, written route descriptions and more. Local Bike Shops: The salespeople and mechanics at local bike shops are usually well-informed about local rides and area conditions. They can be useful both before and during tours.

Guidebooks

Guidebooks are usually the most convenient source of bike touring information. However, not all tour books provide the same level of detail or caliber of information. The good ones—which local cyclists and REI employees can recommend—offer a variety of useful facts, including: Detailed Route Descriptions: where to go, how to get there, and what you're likely to see Difficulty Rating Systems: strenuous, moderate, easy Identification of Possible Hazards: high-wind areas, steep climbs Trip Distances and Estimated Pedaling Times: for use as general guidelines only, since conditions vary from trip to trip Support Services Along the Route: water supplies, grocery stores, bike shops, laundromats and so on

Cycling Organizations and Magazines

National and regional bike touring organizations often produce written resources for cyclists. These organizations, which typically charge a small membership or subscription fee for their information, can help you plan tours all over the country. Monthly bicycling magazines can also be great resources, providing route reviews, equipment tips and technique explanations. A few examples: Adventure Cycling Association: This national group organizes commercial tours and produces touring maps, plus a monthly magazine for its members. The ACA also produces The Cyclists' Yellow Pages, a guide to cycling maps, books, routes and organizations all across the country and the world. Phone: (800) 755-2453. League of American Bicyclists: This cycling advocacy group is not a touring club like the ACA, but it does provide its members with information about tour planning, resources and even fellow LAB members who open their homes to traveling cyclists. Phone: (202) 822-1333. Bicycling Magazines: Bike shops carry a number of cycling periodicals that serve as excellent sources of information for touring cyclists. Most offer feature articles, resource pages, contact numbers and advertisements related to bike touring and places to enjoy it.

Maps

On all but the shortest bicycle tours, maps are essential. They provide non biased, straightforward information about the roads and trails. Some points to remember: No single map tells the entire story about a route, but each type has its own benefits for different types of tours. Roads and trails have highly variable features. Even up-to-date maps may present a less than accurate picture if they're not studied carefully and combined with information from other sources. Road Maps Road maps describe major (and sometimes minor) road systems and the population centers they connect. Most also include basic information about historic sites, public lands and roadside attractions. Some road maps show major highways only; others show secondary roads, small-town roads and even farm lanes. Choose your route based on the location of your tour, the kinds of roads you want to explore and the overall length of the tour. In addition to REI, road maps can be found at local bookstores, travel agencies (like AAA) and libraries. Tourist bureaus often send them (for free or for a reasonable charge) to people who request them by mail or computer. Cycling Maps In popular bike touring areas, special cycling maps are often available that cater to touring cyclists. These maps typically combine basic road information with helpful extras like point-to-point distances, support facilities and overnight accommodations. Most cycling maps also categorize roads (with symbols, numbers or color codes) in terms of their suitability for cycling. These ratings are based on considerations like traffic levels, shoulder widths, scenery and attractions. Some even include information about prevailing winds. Unfortunately, cycling maps tend to be available only for popular touring areas and heavily pedaled cycling routes. Also, in order to provide adequate detail for cyclists, cycling maps tend to cover rather limited areas. So it can be difficult to plan alternative routes in the same general area without consulting other maps. In addition to REI, cycling maps can be found in local guide books and periodicals. They can also be ordered from regional and national cycling organizations. Local tourist bureaus occasionally offer cycling maps, as do some local and state highway/traffic departments. Topographic Maps Topographic maps provide information about the physical contours of the land. They tend not to be the best source of road or trail information. But they do provide useful insight into the difficulty of the terrain that a given route will cross. When used in conjunction with other maps, topographic maps can provide a very detailed picture of the area to be traveled. Topographic maps come in a variety of sizes (or "scales"). Large-scale maps cover large areas and are best for general planning purposes. Small-scale maps provide more detail about terrain features and are usually better for planning specific routes. Topographic maps describe the shape of the land using contour lines. To use these maps, you must learn how to interpret these lines correctly. The biggest source for topographic maps is the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Private companies also produce them for specific regions. Both types of topo maps are available at REI.

Government Agencies

Local government agencies and organizations can be great contacts for finding up-to-date information about things like road conditions, construction areas and the status of popular camping spots. Many of these agencies have staff members and/or written materials that can make trip planning easier. Local Tourist Bureaus If you're planning a tour through any small towns, chances are the local tourist bureau can be a great resource. These bureaus typically provide free information about local accommodations, attractions, road conditions, scenery and more. Traffic Offices Traffic offices and Department of Motor Vehicle offices usually have information about local construction projects, road surface conditions and temporary road obstructions that might hinder your progress. Some regional highway departments also have "Bicycle Coordinators" specifically trained to assist in bike route planning. Public Land Agencies Many great cycling destinations fall inside of local, state or federal lands (national parks, state parks, BLM land). The rangers and caretakers who maintain these areas often have lots of helpful information. Keep in mind that there are occasionally permits, paperwork and fees associated with camping in these areas. Some have mandatory reservation systems for busy times of the year. National Weather Service This organization usually has weather hotlines in moderate-to-large towns that you can call to find out about current and incoming weather patterns. These hotlines often provide information about winds as well.

Stay Flexible

No matter how much route information you have prior to a tour, some trip variables cannot be assessed far in advance. Bad weather, injuries or changing road conditions, for example, can force you to reevaluate your cycling route before or during the trip. For this reason, approach route planning as an ongoing process, one that lasts until the end of your tour. Stay flexible with your plans so you can handle postponed departures, forced rests, or changes in your route or final destination. Stay alert, and check in from time to time with locals to learn the very latest about area events (construction, weather, road closures). Equip yourself with backup routes and alternate plans, especially when you have limited time to enjoy a tour. When valuable vacation time is on the line, a well-planned backup route can mean the difference between a wasted trip and a great adventure. Once your plans are confirmed, leave a tour plan with a friend.