Friday, January 30, 2009

Nominate a Tour for us

So, we are in the research phase of planning a cycling tour with the parents. We can do this trip anytime between about June and October. We had originally planned to ride some of the Route Verte in Quebec. But, we've learned that moving their recumbent trikes via airplane or shipping is going to cost about $800 no matter how we slice and dice it. And, it appears there are more unpaved sections to the paths than we anticipated.

Soooooo.....we are looking at other options. We have 3 things on the table in addition to the Route Verte that might be good, but I thought I'd query the masses of cyclists and see if there is something totally great we are overlooking.

Here are the criteria:
-Driving distance of 2 days or less from the Bay Area
-Paved Class 1 paths and/or quiet roads with wide shoulder/bike lane (5' min) most of the way
-Starting and ending in the same place or "hub and spoke"
-Route distance between 200-350 miles
-Regular hotel/motel/b&b/dining accommodations available no more than about 50 miles apart if it is a loop ride.
-Less than 4,000 feet of climbing per 100 miles, and ideally no extended grades over 7%. The flatter, the better.
-Preferably routes are not at elevation, but this is not mandatory

7 comments:

Susie said...

Pacific NW. There's plenty of routes in both Oregon and Washington. You can even do Seattle to Portland (and take the bikes on Amtrack one way)and hit the Gorge or the Willamette Valley. There's the coast, there's Bend and the other side of the Cascades. There's a lot to choose from.

Allison Krasnow said...

oh dear, i am just not sure.
cirmnavigating prince edward island is supposed to be amazing.

chatterbox said...

Susie - Thanks! A couple of the things we are looking at are in the Pac/NW. How is the route for STP? Are there wide shoulders the whole way? Have you done it?

Alicat - yes, that is definitely one for the future - probably for Rick and I when we can use the planes.

Susie said...

I haven't done STP, but have friends that have and I can certainly get you in touch. There are some beautiful places along the way and if you're really adventurous, you can check out Mt. St. Helens. The Gorge is also spectacular as are any places around Bend. Hell, it's hard to find a place that isn't bike friendly and beautiful up there.

Itinerant Rick said...

Fast, cheap, or good. Take any two.

Apply the principles you learned from the software world. When there are too many requirements that can't all be met, prioritize them. Then apply the prioritized set to candidates.

Chris said...

Not sure what to tell you, but I like the SW US. Utah is a great place and the southern part around Moab is nice.

One problem though. Have you ever seen that movie "The Hills Have Eyes?" Lots of strange desert people lurking about down there.

chatterbox said...

hey Chris! Long time no see.

Thanks for the input. Yes, southern Utah is one of the options in the queue.