View Full Version : bicycles via foot, not pedals, on AT
cliffordbarnabus
06-27-2016, 22:15
i'm going to be doing some bicycle touring paralleling, more or less, the AT. if i cross the AT in the evening, it would be ideal to push...NOT PEDAL...but walk my bicycle a bit on the AT and camp away from the road. i.e. walk my bike ~300 feet on the AT, find a spot, camp. NEVER riding my bike on the AT.
in terms of "impact" this would be similar to a parent pushing a wheeled stroller onto the AT. or someone pushing a friend/family member in a wheelchair onto the AT.
so, as long as i am not actually cycling on the AT, is this legit?
fyi, i've thru hiked the AT 3 times, the PCT once, and cycled around the world for 6 years.
thanks,
cb
orthofingers
06-27-2016, 22:24
is this legit?
cb
It sounds pretty cool to me but you'll probably piss somebody off just because it's not the norm.
swjohnsey
06-27-2016, 22:36
Who's gonna know?
MuddyWaters
06-27-2016, 22:43
In 36 CFR , bicyle "use" isnt defined as limited to riding, its not really defined at all.
But, it is also expressly prohibited to possess a bicycle in a federally designated wilderness area.
I dont think it would be a real good idea. AT usually goes uphill from road crossings anyway. Yeah, theres no one around to ticket on AT, but it just looks bad.
Mamabear17
06-27-2016, 22:55
I know here in GA you would want to keep you'r bike close to the road DNR will ticket anything with wheels on a foot path.
You are going to go in 300ft pushing your bike with gear and then push it 200ft off trail? Just seems like a lot of pushing to me. The trail is maintained for foot traffic which means there will be a lot of roots, rocks, boulders and possible blow downs in your way. Have fun :)
squeezebox
06-28-2016, 03:32
Not really that difficult.
so, as long as i am not actually cycling on the AT, is this legit?
fyi, i've thru hiked the AT 3 times, the PCT once, and cycled around the world for 6 years.
Very interesting question.
Here is a link to the "Compendium of Orders" in which the NPS cites a prohibition of bicycle "use":
https://www.nps.gov/appa/getinvolved/upload/APPA_compendium_2002.pdf
Word of caution on that, however. Thie official document is still just a summary, and as such does not capture all the detail of the underlying/controlling regulations. Even so, having a copy on your phone (or just being able to reference it from memory) might help turn a conversation on the matter in a good direction.
bigcranky
06-28-2016, 05:55
Some road crossings have campsites nearby, especially if there is a creek as well. But many of them have the trail head up steeply from the road in both directions, with no place to camp for a long while.
But, it is also expressly prohibited to possess a bicycle in a federally designated wilderness area.
In the Whites, the Wilderness Area borders are well back from any AT road crossing, so such a prohibition would not come into play.
Not sure, but I think Wilderness areas in other areas along he AT might be similarly located away from the places the OP is considering as camping places.
Since the OP has hike the trail 3X, my guess is that he is aware of the practical consideration of finding a site.
fiddlehead
06-28-2016, 06:39
Why not switch your bicycling gear over to a pack (instead of panniers), and then hide and lock your bike close to the trail and carry the rest in?
That's what I would do.
chknfngrs
06-28-2016, 07:15
Fiddlehead FTW. Don't mess with all that hauling, especially when you don't have to. Work smarter not harder!
garlic08
06-28-2016, 07:51
I have combined biking and backpacking trips, and carry an old Gossamer Gear silnylon pack (8 oz) on the bike for the nights on the trail, sometimes just off the road as you're planning. I believe the intent of the trail rules is that no wheels are supposed to touch the trail in the national park system. (But you saw how well that's enforced on the PCT in SoCal.)
I met a European hiker attempting to pull a wheeled travois on the CDT. He was in violation of the wilderness rules as soon as we got to the Gila, but of course there was no enforcement. Except the travois didn't last very long under the tough rocky desert trail conditions and he ended up hauling out 12 pounds of extra load.
MTBers carry their bikes through the Grand Canyon on AZT trips.
I crossed the AT in NH on a XC bike tour a few years ago, and camped a mile away from the AT on a forest service road, rather than try to find a spot on the trail close to a road crossing.
Traveler
06-28-2016, 09:27
In 36 CFR , bicyle "use" isnt defined as limited to riding, its not really defined at all.
But, it is also expressly prohibited to possess a bicycle in a federally designated wilderness area.
I dont think it would be a real good idea. AT usually goes uphill from road crossings anyway. Yeah, theres no one around to ticket on AT, but it just looks bad.
Adding to this, interpretation of use is a consideration. Much like walking along a river on a trail with a fishing pole lashed to your pack, a Warden can make the legal presumption your intent is to fish without a license. The same would hold true for mechanicals on the AT, specifically in Wilderness areas or sections that are under NPS oversight.
Likely you'd not see a ranger with a ticket book, but you will probably hear about the prohibition of mechanicals on the AT by anyone passing you. Perhaps stashing the bike and packing into a camping area is the better idea.
I would think you would like this much better.
http://www.bikepacking.com/routes/great-divide-mountain-bike-route-gdmbr/