Camping - Cycling Trips! Let's hear about them

[Escape_Plan]

Virginia Creeper Trail. Start in Whitetop, Virginia and coast (yes, literally coast almost the entire way) the 17 miles to Damasus, Virginia. Stop for lunch, then leisurely peddle to Abingdon, Virginia (another 17 miles) for a 34 mile bike trip. Most folks park in Damascus, take the shuttle up to Whitetop then coast/peddle back down to Damascus. With your own bike, I think the shuttle is $25/person. Imagine the "lazy river" meets a bicycle trail.

[lucyd]

Originally Posted by Too tall

Last year myself, wife and two friends did a tour. We began near Luray, va staying at a local campground and did a few rides from there. Skyline Drive is close by as are nearby mtn. ranges. Next we drove to NellysFord, Va staying at a campground near NellysFord and again did some epic riding. I used to run bicycle training camps from NellysFord so I know all sorts of great routes. After that we headed for Highland Haven Airstream Park and it was rinse and repeat!



The format allowed us to change venue and nobody was stuck driving while the other rode bikes.


Sounds like the OP and others chiming in would make fantastic travel companions for something similar.


FWIIW I'm a retired cycling coach and industry supplier (nixfrixshun.com)



I'd love to organize or be part of something similar.

My husband I would definitely be interested. We have bicycled extensively through the USA and Europe and Asia. Most trips were supported rides, but lately we have just added the bikes to the airstream and “winged it.” We also have cervelo R5s but for travel purposes we like to leave with our triples

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by Escape_Plan

Virginia Creeper Trail. Start in Whitetop, Virginia and coast (yes, literally coast almost the entire way) the 17 miles to Damasus, Virginia. Stop for lunch, then leisurely peddle to Abingdon, Virginia (another 17 miles) for a 34 mile bike trip. Most folks park in Damascus, take the shuttle up to Whitetop then coast/peddle back down to Damascus. With your own bike, I think the shuttle is $25/person. Imagine the "lazy river" meets a bicycle trail.

This does sound nice, the shuttle would be very handy but a ride up to the top would be good to burn off all those camp calories

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by lucyd

My husband I would definitely be interested. We have bicycled extensively through the USA and Europe and Asia. Most trips were supported rides, but lately we have just added the bikes to the airstream and “winged it.” We also have cervelo R5s but for travel purposes we like to leave with our triples

Hi Lucy, it sounds like all these Cervelo's will be very fast and probably in a breakaway!

I like the winging it approach now add a bunch of other riders winging it together. Sort of organized but still offering some freedom.

[pegmurphy]

This is my group! My 2 favorite things - cycling (road/gravel) and Airstream travel! Would love to meet up with this group to camp and ride! Also, I live in north Georgia - just where Georgia, TN, and NC meet. I'm about a hour away from Top of Georgia Airstream Park in Helen, Georgia. I'd be more than happy to organize a camping/cycling event! Between my place and my neighbors, I can host 4 trailers. If group was larger, we could camp at Top of Georgia Airstream Park. Amazing, beautiful cycling here in the southern Appalachian mountains!

I've done bike tour with Bicycle Rides Northwest - they are amazing. Montana previously; ride in eastern Oregon Joseph, Eagle Cap area for this year cancelled due to virus. Have biked Spain. Looking forward to doing much, much more.

Shall we start our own Facebook group? I'm hoping we do this!

[Airhead59]

Spent a day on the George S. Mickelson bike trail, Black Hills, SD, a little more than a week ago. Beautiful rails-to -trails ride through gorgeous country. Old railroad bed has gentle grades. The surface is packed crusher fines (rideable on most any road bike). There are more than 100 converted railroad bridges and four hard rock tunnels along the 109 mile route. $4 for a day pass or $15 annual.

*

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by Airhead59

Spent a day on the George S. Mickelson bike trail, Black Hills, SD, a little more than a week ago. Beautiful rails-to -trails ride through gorgeous country. Old railroad bed has gentle grades. The surface is packed crusher fines (rideable on most any road bike). There are more than 100 converted railroad bridges and four hard rock tunnels along the 109 mile route. $4 for a day pass or $15 annual.

*

This would be a great area to focus on as part of a trip!

I think a quick look over at Trek Travels might offer some trip locations that could be rolled into various trip itineraries as well.

[demijac]

The Airstream is a great support accessory for long distance endeavors, e.g. for us, hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2014 or doing a 48-state bike trip (2016 - 2018).

Our goal with the bike trip was to ride up the highest paved road in each of the lower 48-states and connect the dots: 16,500 miles total and three coast to coast crossings. Started in Myrtle Beach, SC in March and did the southern crossing to Northern California and Oregon; then, the northern crossing to Maine; then, the Atlantic states down to Mississippi where after having completed 39 states by mid-August, got hit by a pickup doing 70 mph. Took two years to recover and rehab, Finished the last nine central crossing states in the summer of 2018 and completed the quest on the slopes of Mt. Rainier in Washington in late September.

Spent every night in the Airstream. Typically, we would overnight with hookups twice a week and boondock the rest of the time. All I had to do was ride to the Airstream: either for a lunch stop or overnight. Didn't have to carry anything but water bottles so we were able to average around 500 miles per week with one rest day.

It was an unforgettable experience that combined three passions: cycling, Airstreaming and traveling with my wife joined every once in a while by cycling buddies or family. As our routes between high points definitely took us off the beaten path, we got to go to lots of random 'hidden gem' places we wouldn't have known to go to.

The Airstream and my extremely supportive wife made all this possible. Hopefully, you have a dream that your Airstream can help make happen too.

Cheers!

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by pegmurphy

This is my group! My 2 favorite things - cycling (road/gravel) and Airstream travel! Would love to meet up with this group to camp and ride! Also, I live in north Georgia - just where Georgia, TN, and NC meet. I'm about a hour away from Top of Georgia Airstream Park in Helen, Georgia. I'd be more than happy to organize a camping/cycling event! Between my place and my neighbors, I can host 4 trailers. If group was larger, we could camp at Top of Georgia Airstream Park. Amazing, beautiful cycling here in the southern Appalachian mountains!

I've done bike tour with Bicycle Rides Northwest - they are amazing. Montana previously; ride in eastern Oregon Joseph, Eagle Cap area for this year cancelled due to virus. Have biked Spain. Looking forward to doing much, much more.

Shall we start our own Facebook group? I'm hoping we do this!

Peg, your enthusiasm is outstanding!

I too am hoping that we can get something organized for a bunch of rides and perhaps some sort of calendar to work off of.

I am one of the last few hold-outs and has not jumped on the Facebook format. I am sure that we could use something like that platform to get this organized. Too Tall had mentioned some means of organizing but we aren't quite there yet.

I am very excited that there is so much interest in this and look forward to seeing something come out of it!

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by demijac

The Airstream is a great support accessory for long distance endeavors, e.g. for us, hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2014 or doing a 48-state bike trip (2016 - 2018).

Our goal with the bike trip was to ride up the highest paved road in each of the lower 48-states and connect the dots: 16,500 miles total and three coast to coast crossings. Started in Myrtle Beach, SC in March and did the southern crossing to Northern California and Oregon; then, the northern crossing to Maine; then, the Atlantic states down to Mississippi where after having completed 39 states by mid-August, got hit by a pickup doing 70 mph. Took two years to recover and rehab, Finished the last nine central crossing states in the summer of 2018 and completed the quest on the slopes of Mt. Rainier in Washington in late September.

Spent every night in the Airstream. Typically, we would overnight with hookups twice a week and boondock the rest of the time. All I had to do was ride to the Airstream: either for a lunch stop or overnight. Didn't have to carry anything but water bottles so we were able to average around 500 miles per week with one rest day.

It was an unforgettable experience that combined three passions: cycling, Airstreaming and traveling with my wife joined every once in a while by cycling buddies or family. As our routes between high points definitely took us off the beaten path, we got to go to lots of random 'hidden gem' places we wouldn't have known to go to.

The Airstream and my extremely supportive wife made all this possible. Hopefully, you have a dream that your Airstream can help make happen too.

Cheers!

Wow, I don't think EPIC is enough of a description for your adventure! Sorry to hear about the truck incident but sounds like you have bounced back.

It looks like we are gaining some momentum.

And I sure that more Airstreamers are going to see this and show more interest.

[daytripper]

Thank you for starting this thread Peter!

I am relatively new to Airstreaming, but have enjoyed (road) biking for a number of years. I feel like the 2 endeavors are a perfect match.

Last year I signed up for an REI-supported 10-day bike ride through Montana, from Yellowstone to Glacier, ending with the challenging, but magnificent ride up Going to the Sun Road. The scenery was breathtaking (literally),and the food and accomodations were top-notch. But the best part was getting to know a wonderful group of people.

Now, with my Airstream, I mostly seek out places where I can camp for several days and do a variety of loop rides. I live in Colorado, so not too hard to do. My favorite has been Carbondale, CO, about 40 miles from Aspen. From there one can ride, of course, up to and back from Aspen, but also down to Glenwood Springs and then along the Colorado River through the spectacular Glenwood Canyon, or up the scenic Crystal River towards McClure Pass.

For the most part, I do these trips on my own. My husband doesn't enjoy biking or RV'ing. So I decided a couple of years ago, that I would just figure out how to do this myself, and go. A little bit of a steep learning curve, but that's another story. I would love to share some of these trips with like-minded people (and gain from your experience!) Count me in if you get a group going, especially if you're planning a trip out West.

Anna

[Dan_Rox]

The groups.io site that TooTall mentioned is a good tool. It has a message board, calendar, photo, and file storage, and it's free with up to 5gb of storage. It allows members to post real names, addresses, travel plans... that are only seen by approved members.

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by PB_NB

Hi Jim,



I have talked to my wife about the ride from Jasper to Banff for many years now. The Ice Fields Pkwy is spectacular, We did about 50km of it a few years back mixing in some mountain biking near the Jasper end of the parkway. Congrats on doing that with your son! That will be a memory that you will cherish!



That route would be one to talk more about as there are places to camp along the route if memory serves me.



Is your dream Colnago a new carbon rig or is it an Italian Classic. Back when i was racing a long time ago, I enjoyed my DeRosa SLX, But by todays standards, that would be a paperweight. Today, I have a bike that is way faster than I am and it often has to slow down and wait for me to catch up!

Hi Peter,
My Colnago (over ride on my spell check this time) is the new carbon rig, my son's is an older Colnago steel. He currently gets his mileage in on A1A from Fort Lauderdale to Boca about 4 times per week, along with a bunch of other guys from around Canada and the US. Lots of Quebecers.
There is a nice overnighter from Jasper to Honeymoon Lake along the old highway past Athabasca Falls. My younger son was 10 when he first did this trip.
There are several campgrounds along the way to Banff, including Lake Louise where an overnight is fantastic.
I just remember that it all seemed to be uphill. The nice thing about a bike is that it is a suitable exercise as one ages since it does not lead to worn out body parts and the effort is controllable. I still get out with my wife 4 times per week on a safe bike trail along the shores of Lake Ontario. In the winter, Markham Park near Fort Lauderdale provides ample opportunities, including a dirt bike park.

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by daytripper

Thank you for starting this thread Peter!

I am relatively new to Airstreaming, but have enjoyed (road) biking for a number of years. I feel like the 2 endeavors are a perfect match.

Last year I signed up for an REI-supported 10-day bike ride through Montana, from Yellowstone to Glacier, ending with the challenging, but magnificent ride up Going to the Sun Road. The scenery was breathtaking (literally),and the food and accomodations were top-notch. But the best part was getting to know a wonderful group of people.

Now, with my Airstream, I mostly seek out places where I can camp for several days and do a variety of loop rides. I live in Colorado, so not too hard to do. My favorite has been Carbondale, CO, about 40 miles from Aspen. From there one can ride, of course, up to and back from Aspen, but also down to Glenwood Springs and then along the Colorado River through the spectacular Glenwood Canyon, or up the scenic Crystal River towards McClure Pass.

For the most part, I do these trips on my own. My husband doesn't enjoy biking or RV'ing. So I decided a couple of years ago, that I would just figure out how to do this myself, and go. A little bit of a steep learning curve, but that's another story. I would love to share some of these trips with like-minded people (and gain from your experience!) Count me in if you get a group going, especially if you're planning a trip out West.

Anna

Hi Anna, a few years back we drove "Going to the Sun" with the kids and it was quite something. We did hike a bit at the top but I can only image the fun you had riding up that road.

There is a similar ride out West riding from Glacier, WA to the top of Mt Baker. We travel there quite a bit except for now with the border being closed. We could ride from the campsite for the top of the mountain. This offers some dry camping and riding on a nice little secondary road. This is just an example of a possible stop, camp and ride!

Riding in Colorado must give you a great mix of terrain to mix it up.

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

Hi Peter,
My Colnago (over ride on my spell check this time) is the new carbon rig, my son's is an older Colnago steel. He currently gets his mileage in on A1A from Fort Lauderdale to Boca about 4 times per week, along with a bunch of other guys from around Canada and the US. Lots of Quebecers.
There is a nice overnighter from Jasper to Honeymoon Lake along the old highway past Athabasca Falls. My younger son was 10 when he first did this trip.
There are several campgrounds along the way to Banff, including Lake Louise where an overnight is fantastic.
I just remember that it all seemed to be uphill. The nice thing about a bike is that it is a suitable exercise as one ages since it does not lead to worn out body parts and the effort is controllable. I still get out with my wife 4 times per week on a safe bike trail along the shores of Lake Ontario. In the winter, Markham Park near Fort Lauderdale provides ample opportunities, including a dirt bike park.

The scenery around Jasper and Banff is amazing! I am not too sure about overnight stopping along the way down the Parkway but this is something add to a list of stops! The Bow Valley Parkway is very nice and a great opportunity to see wildlife. Traffic is there but mostly cars doing less than the speed limit which I think is about 50kph last time we were there.

I imagine that with all the development on the lakeshore, the riding paths must be quite extensive now. Probably going all the way from Toronto to Hamilton

[PB_NB]

So I went and had a look at Too-Tall's link to the his forum that combines Camping and Cycling. It looks like a good resource to explore as well.

Here is the link: https://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f62/

[jcl]

Originally Posted by PB_NB

The scenery around Jasper and Banff is amazing! I am not too sure about overnight stopping along the way down the Parkway but this is something add to a list of stops! The Bow Valley Parkway is very nice and a great opportunity to see wildlife. Traffic is there but mostly cars doing less than the speed limit which I think is about 50kph last time we were there.

The Bow Valley Parkway was just repaved, and then closed to motor vehicles to encourage social distancing. We keep hearing how good it is. Photos in the link.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...ures-1.5638541

Fantastic scenery through that area. The photos are from the Legacy Trail out of Banff.

Jeff

[jcl]

Originally Posted by PB_NB

Peg, your enthusiasm is outstanding!

I too am hoping that we can get something organized for a bunch of rides and perhaps some sort of calendar to work off of.

I am one of the last few hold-outs and has not jumped on the Facebook format. I am sure that we could use something like that platform to get this organized. Too Tall had mentioned some means of organizing but we aren't quite there yet.

I am very excited that there is so much interest in this and look forward to seeing something come out of it!

Please, no Facebook. Happy to follow along, but many of us quit Facebook years back, and won't rejoin.

My cycling advocacy organization uses groups.io, but I am not active on it.

Jeff

[jcl]

Originally Posted by PB_NB

I think a quick look over at Trek Travels might offer some trip locations that could be rolled into various trip itineraries as well.

Our European trips were all with Trek Travel, as was our as our Napa Wine Country trip. They did an outstanding job. We were going to do the Trek ride camp in Solvang, but ended up doing it ourselves. All of the routes are publicly available, and are a good start at determining where to ride.

Jeff

[PB_NB]

Originally Posted by jcl

The Bow Valley Parkway was just repaved, and then closed to motor vehicles to encourage social distancing. We keep hearing how good it is. Photos in the link.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...ures-1.5638541

Fantastic scenery through that area. The photos are from the Legacy Trail out of Banff.

Jeff

Hi Jeff, this is great to hear. We are looking at the map from Tunnel Mountain Campground to the parkway and then to Lake Louise. Looks like about 140km round trip. Very limited interaction with cars which is nice.