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rail trails
Last Post 10/24/2021 06:14 PM by Orange Crush. 6 Replies.
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smokey52

Posts:498

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10/19/2021 10:25 PM
I'm still pampering my foot, so I skipped hills and rode on the local rail trail. Horrible experience. The kids all over are acceptable; it's their nature, but the dog walkers and oblivious riders are scary. The trail has a 15 mph speed limit, but some of the jacked-up cyclists seem to think it's the TdF. From now on I'll stay on the roads and just worry about drivers on the phone.
longslowdistance

Posts:2886

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10/20/2021 03:34 AM
Too bad. I’ve been luckier (and maybe more selective) with rail trails. The 77 mile long Greenbrier Trail in WV is superb. Can be ridden on any bike but s fat tire gravel bike is ideal.
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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10/20/2021 10:16 AM
We have an extensive river trail (not a rail-to-trail) that probably gets similar multiuse activity. Where it encounters Nature Preserves or other areas w/ parking, it can get a bit crowded and suffer form the same issues....but once away from those spots, it is pretty open and we can hit some pretty fast speeds (20-25 mph).

Now, this is also a packed sand / "kitty litter" trail, which helps keep users like rollerbladers off it.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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10/20/2021 11:30 AM
Our rail trail is better than your rail trail. The Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) stretches close to 1000 km west east across a big part of BC and several valleys and mountain ranges. Also the scene of the annual BC epic; this year it was won by a female competitor in 2 days, 19 hrs. I covered several sectors of it this year and last year. More to come in coming years to complete the route. I've started developing a preference for riding the KVR as downhill segments, doing the uphill either on road or FSR. Reason being the many sandy sectors which are more easily covered using downhill momentum, or whatever momentum one can gain at 2% slope. Generally it is quite rough, all they really did is remove the rails and beams so it tends to vary from sand to rock with little smooth base. The entire route is an engineering marvel with trestles, tunnels, embankments and slope cuts to make a train ready route across mountainous terrain. Then it turned out to be relatively uneconomical and much bigger rail lines were built along the Fraser Valley so the KVR was only used for a limited time.

Fully agreed on the pitfalls of busy multi-use trails and me too would rather mix it up with cars/drivers.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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10/20/2021 12:26 PM
BTW - like CK we also have an extensive river dike trail network which can be ridden on any bike (OK, perhaps not the grassy dike sector which has a very Roubaix feel to it), rode part of it on Monday coinciding with cranberry harvesting season (picture large flooded fields red with berries). And then of course along the coast there's the sea dike system (almost like being in NL). Opportunities galore.
Dale

Posts:1767

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10/20/2021 05:47 PM
The in-town trails suffer from the same ailments as elsewhere but the Frisco Highline Trail (~35 miles) is great. Loads of cedar trees to block the wind in the winter and a tree canopy in the summer mitigates the nasty of weather. The north end is semi feral and it's loads of fun on a cross/ gravel bike. The southern 1/2 can be done on a road bike.

Another gem is the Katy Trail that parallels the Missouri River and rolled through some quaint river towns. My wife and I did a section and rode our tandem to Hermann, MO for Oktoberfest a few years ago. Great fun! The western end you get to see miles and miles of soybeans and corn so we've elected to forgo that.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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10/24/2021 06:14 PM
Hit the Boundary Bay trail yesterday. Already teeming with overwintering and migrating birds. Too early for bald eagles but for much of winter every tree and pole will have one.
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