Highway vs. Backroads

[keithaba]

1st off, I'm not sure if this is in the right section, but wasn't sure where else to post. Figured you guys would be the best for advice.

I am doing a 762 mi run from Louisville, KY to Jacksonville, FL. Mapquest says 11 hours and 46 minutes.

So, 1st question, how accurate have you guys found a program like mapquest to be in determining actual travel time? I am assuming it doesn't factor in Gas stops.... food stops....etc.... But also probably assumes you will be doing the speed limit the entire way. I'm not planning on blasting at 100 or anything, but usually cruise around 10mph over the limit.

2nd question, the route by mapquest is all highway. An alternate route which will put about half the miles on backroads increases the estimated time to 13 hours and 30 minutes. To avoid fatigue, is it better to increase the amount of time but allow for more scenery and more leaning (turns)?

The longest continuous (without a 1 hr break) ride I ever did was 400 miles, so this will be tough for me.

Also, I read the IBA tips about food, gas, getting tired..., so I am doing my research.

Keith

 

[Randy]

For long trips that are mostly highway, I usually figure around 60-62 mph average and that's at a roughly 10 over. This usually covers fuel stops and quick meal stops.

It's looking like Mapquest is assuming a 65mph average. You're going to have spend some time on your trip planning as you're going through 2 major cities (Nashville and Atlanta). I don't know about Nashville, but, I do know that you don't want to be anywhere near Atlanta during rush hour.

I have found that off-route diversions help. The superslabs are good for eating miles, but, it can get monotonous if you aren't use to long hauls. If I need to eat up the miles, I'll look for a road that is close to the slab and which reenters onto the same route. With GPS, it's easy...just use the Detour function and it will get you off of the route and then back on.

 

[BullCBX]

Keith,

Living in Atlanta and having the majority of your family living in Louisville has lead me to look into a lot of alternative ways to get there from here. We got tired of all the construction around Nashville and the re-paving of I-65 south of Bowling Green. For the longest time we bailed off 65 at Horse Cave and went thru Glasgow, Scottsville, down thru Lebanon to Murfreesboro and got back on 24 there. The latest route runs from E’town all the way to Chattanooga (thru Columbia, Albany, Livingston, Cookeville, Spencer, Dunlap). This is a very enjoyable route and surprisingly the speed limit thru a good portion of this route is 70. The only issue is the repair work that is taking place at the dam at Cumberland. We have not made the trip since this started so I cannot comment how it might affect traffic thru that area. Mileage wise, it is a little shorter, but time wise it might be a little longer than taking the slab-ways. Once you get to Chattanooga, you could jump back on 75 to head south or head a little further east and run across the north GA mountains and enjoy some really good roads.

BULL

 

[keithaba]

Keith,
Living in Atlanta and having the majority of your family living in Louisville has lead me to look into a lot of alternative ways to get there from here. We got tired of all the construction around Nashville and the re-paving of I-65 south of Bowling Green. For the longest time we bailed off 65 at Horse Cave and went thru Glasgow, Scottsville, down thru Lebanon to Murfreesboro and got back on 24 there. The latest route runs from E’town all the way to Chattanooga (thru Columbia, Albany, Livingston, Cookeville, Spencer, Dunlap). This is a very enjoyable route and surprisingly the speed limit thru a good portion of this route is 70. The only issue is the repair work that is taking place at the dam at Cumberland. We have not made the trip since this started so I cannot comment how it might affect traffic thru that area. Mileage wise, it is a little shorter, but time wise it might be a little longer than taking the slab-ways. Once you get to Chattanooga, you could jump back on 75 to head south or head a little further east and run across the north GA mountains and enjoy some really good roads.

BULL

Thanks for the heads up. I will definately factor that into the ride. The last thing I want on a 12 hour ride is to deal with a crapload of traffic (unless your in Cali and you can lane share, BASTARDS!!!)

If you ever ride up to Louisville to visit family let me know, I'm always down for a ride and I know a lot of good roads around here.

 

[BullCBX]

Hey Keith,

Sounds good and I'd make the same offer to you. If you make it down here around Atlanta, I'd be happy to burn a tank or two of gas with ya. There are a lot of good roads across the north GA area.-BULL

 

[mdisher]

It depends on how much of a hurry you are in and what you want to accomplish.

If getting there is the point, the get on the slab and get it done. If riding is the point... From where you are, take the extra few hours (more than Mapquest or Google will show) and take 127/27 for the majority.

You're heading by/through some great riding in Ky/Tn, but you know that.

Atlanta is going to suck but if you time it right is no big deal, though there is traffic even at 0'dark 30...

I'd probably take the longer, lazier scenic route down, then slab it back. But I don't know what your time constraints are.

Streets and Trips is your friend too... Play with alternate routes.

-MD

 

[drjfjr]

There is a lot of construction from Macon south on I75 til you reach Tifton. Posted limit is 60 in these areas.

 

[trimmantom]

Keith,If you want to stay on back roads all the way through ga. I can give you some routesIf you,ve got time you should go into tenn. and run down deals gap and keep going on 129 south to robbinsville n.c. and pickup 143 which is the cherohala skyway over to telico plains tenn.Once here you'll go south on 68 which will dump you out on 60 south into Ga.

Once in north ga. you'll have some options but if you like the curves stay on 60 til you get to Such's and stop at the BP station for a break then take 180 east,it's about 10 miles of real curves and will dump you out on 129.Go north on 129 for about 3-4 miles and pick up 180 east again ,go about a half mile and to the right you'll see signs for 348,this is richard russell scenic highway and you'll love it,nice sweepers and curvy,it's around ten miles or so and dumps you out on alternate 75.go left or east here and in 5 miles you'll run into 75,go south here through helen.

From here south there are several roads that you can take over to 441 south to athens.After you gothrough athens on 441 you can catch 15 south all the way down to the fla border almost.

You pickup 1 east which runs right into Jax.Ive run this road many times to not get on interstate and you can haul ass out there in the country.

The roads I mentioned in north Ga are worth the extra time if you've got it.If you take this route p.m. me and I'll talk with you about some of those roads.

That is a long route and you'll need a good bit of time.When are you going?If it's on the weekend I've got a cabin in north ga. south of helen you can spend the night if you like.

Let me know.If you make it a two day trip you'll enjoy the ride through the mountains more.

 

[Valueman]

I use Delorme, and it allows you to change the your average speed to adjust travel time. It still does not calucluate "stoppage time".

One key thing is to avoid rush hour, which can be hard to do when routing through multiple cites. The traffic into Nashville on I-65 is really bad from 7:00 am until about 8:30. The traffic out of town on I-24 is murder from 3:00 pm until 6:00 pm. If you see that you are going to hit Nashville near one of those times I recommend exiting near Portland (just south of the TN-KY line), picking up 109, then taking 840 around the city back to I-24. You may not save that much time, but you will be safer, and it will be more fun.

VM