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Bicycle Touring (Old page - use for copy, paste, links)

Is a great way to travel

Hemingway is right -  bicycle touring may be the best way to travel and it's making a comeback.  You might simply grab your backpack and ride to a friends house in a nearby town, load up with camping gear and strike off across country or ride inn to inn. As riders have discovered cyclocross and adventure/gravel bikes, they've realized that those same bikes are great for touring.  With wider tires they can handle packed gravel rail trails, fire roads and roads with equal aplomb. Rack mounts provide connections for racks and panniers, or you can simply attach frame bags and you're ready for adventure. Here at Gus' we aren't just fans of bike touring - we do it.

Here are some stories about our tour's and some resources for you to use in planning your own. Adventure awaits!

Gus' recent trips:

Touring the Champlain Valley and Eastern Townships of Quebec  

Inn to Inn along Quebec's Le P'tit Train du Nord

Tours we want to do:

The Great Allegheny PassageThe C & O Canal connect for 385 car free miles from Pittsburgh to DC  

The Katy Trail 

The Erie Canal - Parks New York hosts an annual tour

Land's End to John O'Groats (UK) 

Veloroute les Bleuets (Quebec) 

New England Tours

The Eastern Trail - it starts right across the Memorial Bridge in Kittery and heads to Portland Maine and points beyond.

Champlain Bikeways - Simply follow the on road signs all the way around Lake Champlain with loops into other parts of Vermont.  Connects to the Route Verte in Quebec.

The Granite State Rail Trail.  One day you'll be able to ride across New Hampshire on rail trails.  Today you can take a journey along the 52 miles of the Northern Rail Trail, cruise the Rockingham Rail Trail from Newfields to Manchester or explore the sections south of Manchester including Windham & Derry trails. 

Across State Tours

These organized rides across states orginated with RAGBRAI in Iowa.  Typically your fee includes baggage shuttle and you'll campout along the way.

RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa)

List & Links of Across State Tours

Resources for Bicycle Touring:

Adventure Cycling Association - It all started with Bike Centennial in 1976.  Today Adventure Cycling is the place to go for maps & routes across country or your state.  They host many tours each year including both camping and inn to inn. Check out their Resources section for packing lists and videos. 

Gus' Summer Packing list for a "Credit Card" tour

Gus' Spring/Fall packing list

Bike Overnights - Don't wait - go overnight

The East Coast Greenway - The vision is for an "appalachian trail" for bicycles from Key West to Calais, Maine. Many sections are complete and ready to ride.

Rails to Trails - creating a nationwide network of rail trails. The GAP and Katy trail are both rail trails, this is the place to find trails across the country.  

Once the adventure bug bites and you do a bit of research you'll find there are lots of great roads and trails waiting for you. Almost any spot you can think of touring has been ridden by someone and their stories are here on Crazy Guy On A Bike.  Simply type in a state, trail or town and you'll be off on an armchair adventure with tips to help you plan our own.