East Coast Greenway

[teejay]

I've begun planning my first cross country bike trip & I'm just looking for some general pointers and/or personal experiences from others who have travelled via the same means. I plan on taking the east coast greenway from Worcester, MA to Key West. I have a touring road bike with 21 gears, it's very good at climbing hills. I also plan on getting a rear rack and panniers to keep my supplies in, besides tools, I'm gonna pack a bivy bag, sleeping bag, a few changes of clothes & a water filter. I hope to mostly do stealth camping along the trail. Are there any places you guys would suggest I stop to check out along the way? Any pointers to a first time bike tourist? I just got my bike last month and have been riding at least 5 miles every day, some days as much as 20. Any pointers and personal stories will be greatly appreciated!

 

[Andrea Van Scoyoc]

Stay safe!!!

Far too many people don't pay attention to bikes.

 

[sandpaper cowboy]

Good luck man!

 

[Matt Derrick]

Are you familiar with the adventure cycling association maps? you should get them, they show all the cool spots and elevation and all kinds of useful stuff for cyclists.

also, i would avoid the 301 highway. i tried riding that to richmond from baltimore, and it wasn't that great. hilly as fuck, and the bridge over the chesapeake(?) into virginia doesn't allow bikes/foot traffic. i had to hitch a ride on a construction worker truck across it. also, i got a terrible case of poison oak from camping in the woods in virginia...

 

[EastCoastGreenway]

If you haven't already, take a look at our online trip planner: map.greenway.org
You can print or save custom cue sheets (turn-by-turn directions) you create and also download them as GPX files if you happen to be riding with a gps tool like a garmin. You can see elevation and cumulative miles in the custom cue sheets as well.
We continue to add in amenities to the trip planner like bike shops, overnight camping, etc. Also, we have a companion mobile app for android and iPhone that you can download for free and is helpful when out on the trail.