Getting back from Afgan in a month and me a couple of guys are thinking of riding from camp lejeune NC to arlington Va, then NYC, then over to Rochester NY (my home town) then back down the blue ridge parkway to ashville NC to ride the dargon and go to wheels through time muesum. Leaving late june for 10 days and want to ride about 500 miles a day. Anyone have any good routes to take? Not looking to go on I 95 and is it even worth goig to to NYC on a bike (ie are they going to get stolen, or where do you park).

 

First of all, deepest thanks for your service. Godspeed on your last few weeks of deployment.

As for the riding, a lot of it depends on what and why you're riding to Arlington and NYC. If you're visiting someone or someplace, that makes sense, of course. But since they're rather stuck hard to the coast, the riding won't be especially good. Lots of people, lots of business, lots of traffic. If good riding was the goal, I'd suggest heading up via a route a bit further west - through the central parts of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, etc. Rts. 17 and 15, for instance, would be far preferable to I95.

Heading south, your plan sounds good - Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway are great roads. Just be mindful that it's hard to make good time on them on weekends. The Deals Gap area has lots of great roads.

Overall, I'd say your plan sounds a bit optimistic mileage wise. A 500 mile/day average will be tough to maintain if you hit any dicey weather (which you likely will on a 10-day trip), and in the mountains where speeds are necessarily lower. And once you get into fine riding roads (BRP, Deals Gap area) you'll want to savor it. You might think of either adding a few more days or else scaling back the total trip distance.

Since you're leaving from Camp Lejeune, I assume you're a Marine. Thanks double for that...

 

Ratshovel,

First, thanks for your service!

I cannot give any good advice on going from Arlington to NYC by bike. Most of the roads are crammed most times of the day. There are some nice roads but it will require jumping from one road to another.

On your return from Rochester there are lots of good roads through PA down to MD. A lot of guys like Rt 15 which you can pick up in NY and take all the way to MD. If you go that way take the time to head to Wellsboro and ride around the PA Grand Canyon area.

http://www.pacanyon.com/

Wellsboro is a biker friendly town.

There are also lots of great roads in the Gettysburg area as you head further South on RT 15.

All-in-all, there are a lot of great roads in PA.

 

95 sucks, but it gets the job done.

Have you thought about reversing the trip and starting in TN/NC and heading north?

That way you can do all the rides that are scenic first. Visit NY and then slab it down to Arlington and back to the base. You would be able to make time at the end of the trip if you needed to. Lots of weather in NY and in the mountains in June.

Laconia and Americade are in June as well.

 

thanks to everyone for the input. Toypuller going the western route up to roch taking the highway if time gets crunched is a good idea. better to push it there then on the mountain roads. I got some buddies in PA so checking out gettysburg and the canyon could work. was thinking of going to NYC for the towers but theres not much to see now anyways and going down 15s we can still scoot over to arlington if time permits. Thanks again everyone for the ideas

 

thanks, and well wishes.

plan extra time....you'll need it. Always works that way.

~Joe

 

was worried too about overnight parking nyc. stayed at the hoiday inn express very pricey. parked the next block over in a underground found beside me rolls royce, ferrari, ect in there parked. 30dollars over night. walk round times sq great time. parking lot was manned all night and day. call ahead and ask you hotel about parking

 

If you get a chance, on your way to Arlington visit the Marine Corps museum in Quantico, VA. You won't regret it.

 

Im no help for your trip planning. I just want to say thanks for your service. Come home safe.

 

If you go through NYC on a bike, you take your life in your hands. NYC is filled with Kamakazie drivers, and then theres the cab and bus drivers that pull out if your there or not and don't care. You can get a motel on the NJ side and most of the hotels have shuttles that go over to the city. I'm an ex New Yorker and love going to the city for a visit, but I don't think I'd ever do it on a bike