America Rides Maps
The Best Motorcycle Ride Maps Available!
Waynesville,
NC 28786
(828) 734-2164
(fax) (828)
456-5243
info@americaridesmaps.com
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Current
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FAQ's
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FAQ'S Question: Your maps are like none I've ever seen! Are you planning maps of other areas? Answer: Yes. We are currently mapping the mountains of north Georgia. I've found a lot of really fun roads that get you off the congested arteries and may even save you time getting to other desired rides. It's proving more extensive than anticipated. I hope to have the next map ready by the end of June. Afterwards, we been requested by local Chambers of Commerce to map further north on the Blue Ridge Parkway at the North Carolina / Virginia border. A Sturgis, South Dakota, map is on the planning board and a few more days revisiting is need to complete a northwest Arkansas map centered on Eureka Springs. Question: Are the maps waterproof? Response: All maps are available in a waterproof version. Standard maps are not fully waterproof, though they will survive a soaking. The inks will not run or bleed and once dried out they are almost good as new. Waterproof maps are printed on a synthetic material that is completely submersible, chemical resistant, and can withstand a good deal of abuse. Waterproof maps cost more due to the high cost of the synthetic paper and the time involved - they must be produced one at a time, but they are the way to go if you are looking for something that will last for years. Question: How do I fold the maps? Response: Fan folding most maps can be a challenge. We've avoided the fan fold and tried to keep it simple. Fold them in half long ways, fold them in half again, then fold them in half once more. You're done! Question: How do you choose the roads on a map? Answer: Carefully. There are a lot of criteria a road must meet to be highlighted. First of all, it needs to go somewhere and be useful. There are lots of fun rides that lead to the middle of nowhere. Not on these maps. I'm not going to lead you somewhere without giving you a nice ride to come back on. Roads must be paved and the quality of the pavement must be good. Roads must be fun to ride which means they should have nice curves and plenty of them. Avoiding roads with heavy traffic and through towns also keeps you moving and enjoying the ride. I also strive for continuity. The routes should flow from one to another with as few stops and turns as possible. Question: Why don't you include US 64 as a highlighted road on your maps? Answer: Too much traffic. It's a nice ride, one of the more scenic roads on much of it's long east-west course. The areas around Highlands and Cashiers in North Carolina have a number of roadside waterfalls. Lake Lure and Bat Cave are beautiful. The scenery is very nice in places. It's also one of the primary east-west routes along the southern edge of the mountains. Between the tourists, the commercial traffic, the locals, and the trucks hauling rock and gravel for construction, it can be a slow and frustrating ride. I route around and alongside it whenever possible. I also don't include US 129 in Georgia, only the best portion of NC 107, US 19E north of Asheville, NC , and others though they are good roads. Just not great. Question: Are all gas stations shown on the maps? Answer: No. I've selected ones which appear to offer 24 hour / 7 day service and are located at strategic points. No need to show every station in a single town or area. Most towns have at least one. You may find others in your travels. Question:
Why are your maps smaller than some others? Answer: Utility. We experimented with larger maps and found them more difficult to handle in the field and less practical. 11 x 17 inches proved to be the best size compromise. Its large enough to contain a lot of information while remaining easy to handle. It's often windy up in the mountains and a large map blows around so much it's hard to read. 11x17 size is also more practical in a tank bag as you're not stopping to refold it every 45 minutes to view the next section of map, and not least of all, it makes them easy to fold. Question: Do you sell through vendors and other distributors? Answer: Yes. We are constantly increasing the locations where are maps are available over the counter from vendors. The sidebar lists locations where they can be found. We have wholesale and consignment arrangements if you'd like to stock our products. Question: What sources do you use for your maps? Answer: The only source we trust is personal experience. We ride every road and the surrounding roads. Selected routes have been ridden in both directions, often multiple times, at different times and days of the week to determine the consistency of traffic levels and weigh them against other options. To discover new roads to ride we use every source possible from guide books, other published maps, detailed study of existing maps, various Internet sources, satellite imagery, US Census data, GPS sources, personal recommendations, you name it. Question: How long have you been riding? Answer: My dad brought home a Honda scooter when I was about 8 years old. We rode that thing constantly until I turned 15 and bought my first legal road bike, a Harley. I've been riding since, on and off road. I turn 50 this year. Question: What bikes do you currently ride? Answer: I do most of my mapping from a 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050. I also ride a 2007 BMW F800 ST. I found the need to transition from the big cruisers, Harley's, Kawasaki's, to keep the pace and cover as much ground as I can in a day. Scraping floorboards got old once I really started exploring the mountains and trying to get through areas as quickly as possible. I've also got a bit of a wild hair that likes to loft the front end once and a while. The Tiger is a great all around sports / touring bike that is good for the multi-day hauls as well as the short fun rides. Question: What got you started making maps? Answer: I'm not really a rally kind of person, though I do drop by many of the local events and participate in charity rides. There are plenty of them. It started as knowledge gained from local explorations. That led to me leading tours for Gryphon Bikes. But it was the bike rallies that really woke me up to the need for maps. So many come to visit the mountains and all they see is the same old stuff - the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap. Even return visitors ride the same old rides over and over. I'd tell them of other rides, but too often they never made them or got lost along the way. I've mapped thousands of miles of great motorcycle rides in the mountains and still can't believe how undiscovered this area is.
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Shop securely in our America Rides Maps are available at the following locations:
 Maggie Valley A Holiday Motel  Smoky Falls Lodge / Grizzly Grill 2550 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley, NC 28751 (877) 926-7440 (828) 926-7440 www.smokyfallslodge.com Waynesville Visitor Center
Iron Calvary Motorcycle Shop 746 N. Main Street Waynesville, NC 828-926-4113 BMW - Ducati - Triumph - Aprilla - MV Augusta of Charlotte Mountain Dreams Realty Market Square Maggie Valley, NC 28751 (877) 296-0400 (828) 926-0400 www.MDRNC.com Clarketon Motel CabinVentures
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