LexRides

[jkizzle]

anybody have a safe (or at least shouldered) route to cincinnati mapped out?

[seicer]

US 27 from Lexington to Newport is a route I have driven many times. Much of the route is improved, with 12' lanes throughout.
1. Four lanes with grass shoulders from Lexington to Paris, with at least a 1' buffer between the lane and the shoulder.
2. Partial to full shoulders from Paris to Falmouth, mostly on a two-lane alignment. There are significant portions that have full 12' shoulders and feature gentle hills and curves.
3. Partial or no shoulders north of Falmouth to a point south of Alexandria. The route was rebuilt in the 1940s and features great curves and sight distances, but minimal shoulders -- although there is about a 6' grass buffer.
4. Road work near Alexandria may/may not be completed (haven't been on it in about 5 months). Involves widening the roadway. An alternate to this may be switching to KY 1936 to KY 177 south of Alexandria and taking that route north instead.

US 127 from Frankfort to Covington
1. Two 12' lanes with full 12' shoulders from Frankfort north to Bromley (KY 35). Sweeping curves and excellent sight distances.
2. Two 11'-12' lanes with minimal or no shoulders from Bromley to US 42 @ Ohio River.
3. US 42/127 from there on northeast to KY 338 south of Union is a curvy two-lane highway with 12' lanes but minimal shoulders. Light traffic, though.
4. Two-lanes expanding to four-lanes south of Union to Florence, with 12' lanes. The newest portions have, IIRC, 4' bike lanes.

There are other variants too. US 27 to Cynthiana > US 62 to KY 19 > KY 19 to KY 10 to the Cincinnati metro. US 62, KY 19 and KY 10, for the most part, are very lightly traveled routes with little or no shoulders.

US 25 is another direct route, but is more heavily traveled, especially as you near the metro Cinci region, and is not as improved.
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Sherman Cahal | Cincy Rides

[jkizzle]

thanks, im from northern kentucky, just up the hill from bromley, so i may try that out in a month or two.

i really want to start riding home rather than drive to see my family, and that helps alot. I was considering 127 as it seems more relaxed and direct, but i feel like 27 would get to be too dangerous, with 55 mph limits and no shoulders on parts.

anybody ridden it to recommend stops or anything like that?

[sailorjames]

There's a book at the Good Foods Co-op called Backroad Bicycling in Kentucky's Bluegrass: 25 Rides in the Bluegrass Region, Lower Kentucky Valley, Central Heartlands, and More and it's written by George Garber, a fellow Lexingtonian. It might do you some good to check that out, there's a number of routes in the book and I'd be surprised if there wasn't some Lexington-Cincinnati route mapped out in there.