Thoughts about a route across the Americas
On an adventure of this scale, I found it useful to have a rough ideas of a potential route, while also adjusting on the fly as the ride progresses and I learn more. Following are current ideas:

Alaska
Dalton Highway from Prudhoe Bay and the Alaska Highway from Fairbanks. Not too many choices here other than perhaps the Top of the World Highway. Good chance to get an initial shakedown of gear and trip overall.
Canada
My Canada choices get linked to how I ride through the USA. However, thinking of the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse and then the Cassier Highway through British Columbia, traveling via Banff.
USA
Thinking of three primary choices (in rough preference order):

  1. Great Divide Mountain Bike route, come from Banff to Antelope Wells. This is most intriguing, particularly interested if low volume out of the way gravel roads. Not as interested if lots of rocky single-track.
  2. Cross to east side of the Rockies, come via Alberta and then south through Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. Visit family and friends along the way.
  3. Cross to Seattle and take the Pacific Coast. A wonderful and beautiful ride, though one I’ve also done before.
Mexico
Enter Mexico on the Baja Peninsula and then take ferry across. Follow security recommendations and other riders routes in rest of Mexico. An interesting alternative that came recently was The Baja Divide, a new off-road route being mapped down Baja with inaugural ride January 2017.
Central America
No ideas yet. Ian Benford has an interesting guide
Columbia
Bypass the Darien Gap. Either taking the new ferry from north coast of Panama to Cartegena or use this as an excuse to fly back from Panama and then return to Columbia.
Ecuador
No ideas yet on rest of Columbia or Columbia
Peru
Peru seems to offer a choice between coastal desert (dry, windy, first 800km north of Lima dodgy security issues near Piura, Mancora, Paijan) and mountains (much slower and indirect travel, mountains). Recently I’ve read several positive reports of the mountainous route while a lot tougher also seems to have friendly people. For now, most likely start on the coast through Lima and then cut inland to Cusco. Find time to visit Machu Pichu. Inland, highway 3 might be good alternative to the coast or another alternative mentioned is from Macara to Chulucana to Angles to Chiclayo on old panamerican highway.
Bolivia
Cycle via La Paz, Lake Titicaca,the salt flats and high Altiplano.
Argentina and Chile
Study others routes a bit more. Seems to be two or three possibilities with the Chile side perhaps a bit more rugged though also a bit more beautiful.

If you’ve got suggestions, leave it in the comments below.


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