Spotlight Nevada: Ride the “Loneliest Road in America”: Route 50

Are you craving the peace and isolation of roads outside the boundaries of civilization to explore on your bike away from cars, the city, and even other people? Then a ride across Nevada might be worth investigating.

Once there, you can ride the “Loneliest Road in America,” as a journalist from Life magazine proclaimed back in the 80s. Yes, there’s more to Nevada than the cacophony of casinos, glossy shows, and high-end shopping. It’s the chance to feel truly isolated as you ride Route 50 across the central part of the state and take in views not seen by most tourists, according to a recent article over at the Thrillist website.

It’s Called the “Loneliest Road in America” for a Reason

It’s amazing the power a comment from a magazine can carry. In addition to the Life journalist’s comment, in that same article, he was able to generate an aura of fear around the road when he received a comment from a representative of AAA.

That AAA representative stated that over the 300 miles Route 50 traverses, only 5 towns could be found at the time. So, there was a true possibility of people breaking down in the middle of nowhere without finding immediate help. Not only that, but the same AAA employee said that the area lacked any points of interest, so why even bother exploring the road.

But these statements couldn’t be further from the truth. Route 50, according to its Wikipedia page, “crosses several large desert valleys separated by numerous mountain ranges towering over the valley floors, in what is known as the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin.US 50 has a diverse route through the state, traversing the resort communities of Lake Tahoe, the state capital in Carson City, historical sites such as Fort Churchill State Historic Park, petroglyphs, alpine forests, desert valleys, ghost towns, and Great Basin National Park.“

It sounds like everything we as cyclists crave and love: empty roads with low to zero traffic in good condition and beautiful scenery that goes on for miles.

“Oatbran” and A Bike Ride Across Nevada

It’s hard to tell if this 80s article about Nevada’s Route 50 had a wide-ranging impact. But many Nevada residents didn’t feel that way about the road, especially Curtis Fong, who was (and is) a cyclist and has ridden the route many times. He also mentioned that Nevada and Route 50 were where the Pony Express operated, and that the movie Top Gun was filmed there.

With those things in mind, Fong decided to flip that negative view about Route 50 and Nevada on its back and developed a ride across Nevada called Oatbran in 1991. The ride would last seven days and terminate in the Great Basin National Park, supposedly one of the least visited parks in the United States.

But after 30 years of putting on the ride, Fong, now 74, has decided to move on to other ventures. However, those roads he and other cyclists marked out and rode several times over the years are now common knowledge among cyclists everywhere, especially those attempting to ride across the state.

Last Thoughts

If you’re seeking a new place to ride or a new challenge, Route 50 and a ride across Nevada (or parts of it) are definitely worth investigating. Because of its recognition as a beautiful place to visit, the area now offers more commerce along the route.

So, Route 50 is not as lonely as it once was deemed. Still, with the isolation, Great Basin National Park close by, and the history of the Pony Express with its use of the route, central Nevada should be on your ride list soon.