The following are guidelines and not hard and fast rules. It will not always be possible to design a route that meets all the guidelines. Judgement must be used. It is also worth noting that the only way to truly evaluate a tour is to ride it.
A tour should:
- never require riders to violate any law, such as riding the wrong way on a one-way street.
- avoid busy roads, with a lot of traffic, particularly if the shoulder is narrow.
- avoid roads with high speed limits, unless traffic is usually light and there is a good shoulder.
- favor crossing busy, high-speed or 4-lane roads at a light -even if it means adding or subtracting mileage.
- avoid “mid-block” (no stop sign or light) left turns in high traffic locations, unless there are traffic control devices.
- favor paved roads, unless a short section of unpaved road is rideable on standard road tires.
- avoid congested, downtowns, unless it’s a compromise to get to a food stop, e.g., Flemington.
- include “regroup” spots-especially on hilly sections
- avoid congested “bike paths”, unless you are designing an off-road tour. While bike paths sound good, typically they have lots of pedestrians.
Overall: Keep fun and safety in mind. When making decisions, ask yourself: “Is this the safest route possible–especially for first-time riders of the route or new Club members?”
