Route advice: New Orleans to D.C.

[ateitelb]

I'm posting here looking for advice on a trip from New Orleans to D.C. that I will be taking with a friend. There are a couple of routes that we are looking at:

1. Google maps gave us this route (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=New+Orleans,+LA&daddr=Washington+D.C.,+DC&geocode=FbI5yQEd5KGh-illghGyVKQghjG00yJe6FsG2w%3BFQh-UQIdsoRo-ylb5PZa3sa3iTEqXYjUIkVSwg&hl=en&mra=ltm&dirflg=b&sll=34.48974,-83.554095&sspn=16.230967,43.286133&ie=UTF8&ll=30.065008,-89.808683&spn=0.03105,0.084543&z=14&lci=bike), which seems to give us a mix of highways and bike trails.

2. Another option, found by looking at adventurecycling.org (http://adventurecycling.org/routes/RouteNetwork.pdf), would be to begin in Baton Rouge and take the Great Rivers trail, to the Transamerica Trail, to the Atlantic Coast trail. This route would be longer, but seems to keep us off of the highways for the most part, which is a definite advantage.

We are both pretty inexperienced cyclists, so any advice would be much appreciated. If you've done the ride, it would be great to hear the route you took, or other sources we can look at to try to find our best route.

Thanks in advance,
Alex

 

[jpr95]

I can't be of much help if you're looking at Google. My route plan would be to go NE...

Jason

 

[An old Guy]

I think google showed the distance as 1200 miles. 6 days if you like to ride long days. 24 days if you like to sit around a lot.

Inexperienced bicyclists should follow roads that keep them within cell phone coverage, provide options for food and sleeping.

I would ride to Mobile and then follow the main highway, I-65 and I-85, to DC. I am sure there are roads that parallel these that are suitable for riding. The interstates provide a supply of convenience stores, hotels, and small towns.

If I was young, I would locate hotels every 50 miles along the route. 50 miles was a reasonable distance between breaks. And plan on doing 150 or 200 miles a day.

I am old now and would locate hotels every 40 miles along the way and plan on 80 or 120 mile days. (I am currently riding 45 miles in 3 hours. So 120 miles is 9 hours. Long summer days have 15 hours of sun. I might even do a 160 mile day if i got bored.)

But you need to evaluate your abilities and expect to get stronger as you progress on your trip.

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Do a couple long practice days. Something that reflects your planned trip schedule.