What do you consider "clinched"?

[CrossCountryRoads]

I was just curious as to what you guys think is the generally agreed upon definition of actually "clinching" a road.  What criteria must be met for you to consider a road clinched?

For me, I have the criteria that there isn't one full mile straight of that road which you haven't been on.  I don't count it if you get off an exit to get fuel, eat, etc and get back on.  For roads which end at the Canadian or Mexican border in the U.S., I consider them clinched as long as you covered up until the final U.S. exit before customs, since sometimes it might not be possible to turn around just before or after customs (the Bluewater Bridge near Port Huron, MI would be a good example of this).

So what are your criteria for clinching?  I'm interested in hearing what others consider to be clinched or not clinched.

[dgolub]

I always thought it meant having travelled the full length.  Anthony and I fudged the definition a little bit with NJ 68, since there's a small piece that's inside a military base that isn't open to the public.

[CtrlAltDel]

When it comes to these sorts of things, there are as many definitions as road geeks, none necessarily better than another. As for me, I consider "clinch" to mean to "drive the entire length of." When it comes to exits for gas and the like, I double back to an earlier exit, or I don't consider the route clinched. Same thing goes for borders and whatnot. Needless to say, this isn't always feasible, but I'm okay with the asterisks that come up now and again. 

[jbnati27]

I consider it clinched by driving end to end. However, I allow the exits for gas, etc. as long as I get back on at the same exit.

[briantroutman]

I always thought it meant having travelled the full length.

Of course, but there are lots of details that one may or may not consider to be part of the "full length"  definition. Does that require having traveled in both directions? What about driving on separate express, local, or truck carriageways if a road has them? Are you allowed to exit and reenter at the same interchange–therefore never having traveled the through lanes under the overpass (or vice versa)? And so on.

Among roadgeeks, I probably have one of the looser definitions. For example, I-80 is the longest route I've "clinched" , although since I don't think I've ever passed Walcott without stopping at Iowa 80, I've never driven the segment between the on and off ramps of Exit 284. Still clinched in my book.

I'd even allow exiting on Texas freeway frontage road and reentering at the next on-ramp. I have precious little time for roadgeeking as it is, so I can't be pedantic about circling back and covering every inch of pavement. If I've seen basically every mile by car, I've clinched it as far as I'm concerned.

[oscar]

I always thought it meant having travelled the full length.

Of course, but there are lots of details that one may or may not consider to be part of the "full length"  definition. Does that require having traveled in both directions? What about driving on separate express, local, or truck carriageways if a road has them? Are you allowed to exit and reenter at the same interchange–therefore never having traveled the through lanes under the overpass (or vice versa)? And so on.

Among roadgeeks, I probably have one of the looser definitions. For example, I-80 is the longest route I've "clinched" , although since I don't think I've ever passed Walcott without stopping at Iowa 80, I've never driven the segment between the on and off ramps of Exit 284. Still clinched in my book.

I'd even allow exiting on Texas freeway frontage road and reentering at the next on-ramp. I have precious little time for roadgeeking as it is, so I can't be pedantic about circling back and covering every inch of pavement. If I've seen basically every mile by car, I've clinched it as far as I'm concerned.

But "pedantry" is what this concept is all about. Not to mention OCD.

We've had this discussion elsewhere on this forum, which went into many angles not already covered here (such as highways ending at international borders or military bases). Do a search for that, and if people have something to add to past discussions, add it to an existing thread just so we don't end up repeating ourselves.

[Jardine]

Interstate 680 (Iowa and Nebraska) is the only interstate I have traveled end to end both ways, have gotten on and off all exits and entrances, and have nevertheless driven on the all the pavement between the ramps too.

I've driven all of Illinois Interstate 88 end to end, but in at least 6-8 stints.  Haven't done all the ramps though.

I've ridden on I-29 both ways KC to over the line in Canada, but my dad drove quite a bit of it, and we didn't do all the ramps.

As for an official 'clinched' definition, I guess I'd give a nod to the anal retentive among us who've done a given road end to end both ways, and done all the ramps, and the pavement between the ramps too.

(Yeah, I know, I left out end to end both ways on all lanes, sue me)

[CrossCountryRoads]

Since I don't have a passport, I consider a road leading to Canada customs to be clinched if you took that road to the last possible exit in the U.S.  I think relaxing the rule is acceptable in these situations, since turning around right before customs is sometimes not possible.  I want to clinch as many roads as possible, but I don't think going into customs without a passport or a military base without proper clearance is worth the trouble just to say you've been on every possible inch of pavement.  Like I said before, if I go to clinch I-69/I-94 in Michigan and get off just before the bridge which goes to customs with no way of getting turned around without entering into another country, I would consider that clinched for the reasons I stated above.  Besides, it's just under 1 mile from that exit to the border, so it still fits my definition of "no more than one continuous mile uncovered".

That's what makes it interesting though, is to hear the slight differences in everyone's definition of what they consider to be clinched.

[Pete from Boston]

When I feel reasonably satisfied that what I've seen of it rounds up to the whole thing.  I never drove the area west of the first exit or so of I-70.  I also got off somewhere along the way and one exit and got on again at another.  I'm not going to cry about it.  I've driven the whole road as far as I'm concerned.  You only get so much time in life and you can't waste too much of it on being upset that you skipped a few miles somewhere in Missouri.  There are other roads to see.

[rschen7754]

Perhaps this is a bit of a circular definition, but I go by cmap/TravelMapping segments, counting the segments I've been on from end to end. If it's a gas stop, it's fine as long as it's the same interchange and same point in cmap/TravelMapping (i.e. opposite sides of the Baker, CA frontage road off I-15 through town would not be okay).

Sometimes I don't remember if I've been on one state highway or another, so I only count it if I had to have gone that way without a reasonable doubt, or if there is a photo I took or handwritten note I made backing that up.

[oscar]

Sometimes I don't remember if I've been on one state highway or another, so I only count it if I had to have gone that way without a reasonable doubt, or if there is a photo I took or handwritten note I made backing that up.

Reconstructing your travels can be the hard part, especially if they were done a long time ago when your record-keeping wasn't very good. Figuring out where I drove in California a quarter-century or more ago (including when I lived there through 1978) is particularly troublesome for me. For example, I know I went to Yosemite in 1991, and took lots of photos from Glacier Point within the park. But unless I dig through my shoeboxes of old film-camera photos, I can only take wild guesses how I got to or from Yosemite on that trip.

[NWI_Irish96]

I consider it clinched by driving end to end. However, I allow the exits for gas, etc. as long as I get back on at the same exit.

I count this as well, especially since for a lot of the roads I have clinched, I did so before ever really thinking about the concept of clinching, and I'm not likely to ever get back to those roads just to pick up the stray 1/4 mile here or there that I missed due to exit/entrance ramps.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

My definition is pretty loose as well, as I consider it simply driving from end to end of a route in any combination at any points in time. I'm still sort of undecided how I feel about considering a route I could not drive to customs as being clinched (the only example of this I have is I-95 in Maine, where we were unable to continue past US 2 due to lack of documents). The more I think about it the more I'm willing to fudge it and count it clinched.

I'm surprised we haven't heard yet from those with stricter rules (such as those who only count a route clinched if they drive it from end to end in the same direction).

[froggie]

Regarding military and border endpoints, I'm a bit of a purist.  But I'm a retired servicemember (military ID card) and I have both a passport and an EDL, so those types of endpoints don't bother me as much as others here.

In fact, on some roadtrips and at a few road meets, I've been known to bring those riding with me onto a military base.

I agree with some others who will consider a stretch of route clinched if they get off at an exit but later get back on at that exit.

[freebrickproductions]

I only consider a route to be "clinched" if I have driven it from end to end. It doesn't matter if it was all in one trip or not though.
The routes I've clinched according to my rule have been I-565, AL 255, AL 35, AL 34, I-359, Alt US 72, and maybe AL 279 as well (I can't remember if I have or not though).

[cpzilliacus]

I consider it clinched by driving end to end. However, I allow the exits for gas, etc. as long as I get back on at the same exit.

Agreed.  When I did my first "long" clinch of I-70, I did not turn around and go back an interchange to make sure I drove it all. Though because I drove most of it in both directions (except the miserable section in southwest Pennsylvania), I can say that I have "gotten" all of it.

[triplemultiplex]

I only count routes where I am driving when considering "clinching".  I don't even keep track of being a passenger for non-interstates.

They absolutely can be cumulative; no need to grab it all in one go.

Only one direction of travel is needed.

Interchanges are treated as part of the routes that intersect.  So a right turn onto a freeway from a lesser road that I am clinching counts.  No need to go all the way to the other ramp terminal.  Therefore exiting and re-entering at the same interchange is not considered a gap either.

If a route that I have clinched is moved to a new-terrain alignment (existing roads or new construction) then the route is no longer considered clinched by me and that part must be driven again.  On-location widenings and curve smoothings don't apply.

Routes that are created out of existing highways; they must be driven after they are signed to be counted.  Example: I've driven US 41 tons of times, but never since I-41 was signed this summer.  So I must drive it again to consider any portion of I-41 to be clinched.

I share the consensus on military entrances.  Although there only a few places where that happens that I would want to keep track of. (interstates)

International borders; I want to drive through to count it.  But I understand that is not always reasonable.  Hasn't been an issue yet in my clinching since I'm not keeping track of state highways outside of Wisconsin.

[oscar]

Regarding military and border endpoints, I'm a bit of a purist.  But I'm a retired servicemember (military ID card) and I have both a passport and an EDL, so those types of endpoints don't bother me as much as others here.

So am I, though my dependent military ID expired about four decades ago. I usually manage to get on base when absolutely necessary some other way, though don't try that during heightened security, or at sensitive or high-security installations such as Fort Knox or Area 51 (fortunately, no roads worth clinching to either place).

I have a passport and use it a lot at the Canadian border. The Mexican border raises additional issues, such as border violence risks, and the need to spend $ on a Mexican insurance policy if you drive there. Next time I feel I need to cross that border to clinch something, I'll look for ways to do it as a pedestrian (if the road has a sidewalk next to it on at least one side of the road where it crosses the border, that would work for me).

[1995hoo]

Sometimes I don't remember if I've been on one state highway or another, so I only count it if I had to have gone that way without a reasonable doubt, or if there is a photo I took or handwritten note I made backing that up.

Reconstructing your travels can be the hard part, especially if they were done a long time ago when your record-keeping wasn't very good. Figuring out where I drove in California a quarter-century or more ago (including when I lived there through 1978) is particularly troublesome for me. For example, I know I went to Yosemite in 1991, and took lots of photos from Glacier Point within the park. But unless I dig through my shoeboxes of old film-camera photos, I can only take wild guesses how I got to or from Yosemite on that trip.

For me this is a particular issue from when I lived in Texas as a baby. I rode on various highways there, but I have no idea what they were other than a few that I had to have been on due to where we lived. I ultimately figure that since I was so young and had no idea what a road was, much less a "clinch," those travels are irrelevant. But I do count travel as a kid when I was old enough to know about roads because I always liked maps and roads. I see no reason not to count travel as a passenger. If I get tired and ask my wife to drive and I tell her where she needs to go, why wouldn't that count? Or earlier this fall when we were in Arizona riding with my brother-in-law.

I don't need indisputable evidence to satisfy myself on some roads where I'm not 100% sure I used them but it's extremely likely, typically in Virginia or Maryland where it's almost inconceivable I'd have gone from Point A to Point B via any route other than a particular one.

[Henry]

I've always thought clinching meant travelling literally all of the highway's length in one direction; if it's been done both ways, I consider it a bonus.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I've always thought clinching meant travelling literally all of the highway's length in one direction; if it's been done both ways, I consider it a bonus.

Some roadgeeks have a term for that, which they call a "certified" clinch. For me though I generally don't apply that term for my own personal uses except in a fun-to-think-about way.

[vdeane]

I fudge military bases and borders if on land or ferries; not so willing to do it with bridges.  While I have a passport/EDL, I'm not spending an hour trying to teach border guards about roadgeeking and getting my car searched and possibly denied entry just to clinch a random state highway.

[Rothman]

I consider the length of a route clinched with the exception that if I get off and on at the same, small diamond interchange, I don't consider that tiny mileage in-between ramps not clinched.  For all larger interchanges, I go through the effort of going down to the next exit and turning around and whatnot to get that mileage.

I'm getting pickier as I get older, it seems, though.  Those tiny little bits annoy me more and more.

[rschen7754]

Regarding military and border endpoints, I'm a bit of a purist.  But I'm a retired servicemember (military ID card) and I have both a passport and an EDL, so those types of endpoints don't bother me as much as others here.

I have a passport and use it a lot at the Canadian border. The Mexican border raises additional issues, such as border violence risks, and the need to spend $ on a Mexican insurance policy if you drive there. Next time I feel I need to cross that border to clinch something, I'll look for ways to do it as a pedestrian (if the road has a sidewalk next to it on at least one side of the road where it crosses the border, that would work for me).

The San Diego-Tijuana border is particularly scary as there's a confusing maze of ramps once you cross the border. If you're not paying attention, you can get diverted to the freeway to Ensenada. If you're trying to turn around, you have to exit into downtown Tijuana, and then find the ramp that will take you back to the US.

I remember coming back from Mexico 10 years ago, trying to go through at San Ysidro, and somehow winding up at Otay Mesa after several U-turns. Thankfully, I clinched the border-facing portions of I-5 and CA 905 at that time and don't have to do it again.

[wphiii]

For me this is a particular issue from when I lived in Texas as a baby. I rode on various highways there, but I have no idea what they were other than a few that I had to have been on due to where we lived. I ultimately figure that since I was so young and had no idea what a road was, much less a "clinch," those travels are irrelevant. But I do count travel as a kid when I was old enough to know about roads because I always liked maps and roads. I see no reason not to count travel as a passenger. If I get tired and ask my wife to drive and I tell her where she needs to go, why wouldn't that count? Or earlier this fall when we were in Arizona riding with my brother-in-law.

My litmus test is generally "could I have been the driver?" Meaning a) not commercial transport of some kind, i.e. Greyhound or the like and b) the travel occurred after I got my license (which I didn't do until I was almost 21). That part is rather arbitrary, but it saves a lot of grief and head-scratching over trying to remember routes I may have ridden as a kid during family trips or whatnot. This is how I've constructed and continue to add to my CHM/TravelMapping database.