The Eastern Trail in southern Maine
06-21-18, 05:27 AM
#1
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The Eastern Trail in southern Maine
I will be spending next summer (2019) in the Freeport, Maine area and looking forward to riding the Eastern Trail and others. For those familiar with the ET, when they talk about off-road sections, will a hydrid bike be suitable for anywhere on the entire trail? Thanks for your info!
06-21-18, 08:09 AM
#2
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looking at pics online that looks like good quality roadbed. you should be fine with common 32mm tires. 35mm would be a little better. start with max pressure & bleed a little out if it feels rough. I'll bet road bikes have ridden it too
https://www.traillink.com/trail-gallery/eastern-trail/
https://www.easterntrail.org/
excerpts from reviews:
"The surface is sand, and fine gravel. It's an easy trail"
"The trail is in excellent condition. We used our regular road bikes with no trouble"
"The gravel and dirt surface are very well packed. While hybrids or mountain bikes are better for this surface, it's doable with a road bike too."
"There might be a few places where you would have difficulty going through here with a road bike but with a hybrid it is no problem and is mostly smooth."
"The middle part of this trail is a mix of woods and backyards and can be a little rough in places; it is fine for a hybrid but I would not recommend a road bike."
(from 2013): "Biddeford to Kennebunk Probably the hardest pack of the off-road ET so far.Couple of soft spots from recent flooding,but repaired and signed,ok Very good surface,probably for road bike, but I use hybrid."
"great for running. This trail was definitely great for running, with flat surfaces and wide enough for bikes to pass easily around me. The hard packed gravel made it a good surface as far as taking it easy on the joints (knees especially), while still wearing regular street/road running shoes. No trail shoes needed."
https://www.traillink.com/trail-gallery/eastern-trail/
https://www.easterntrail.org/
excerpts from reviews:
"The surface is sand, and fine gravel. It's an easy trail"
"The trail is in excellent condition. We used our regular road bikes with no trouble"
"The gravel and dirt surface are very well packed. While hybrids or mountain bikes are better for this surface, it's doable with a road bike too."
"There might be a few places where you would have difficulty going through here with a road bike but with a hybrid it is no problem and is mostly smooth."
"The middle part of this trail is a mix of woods and backyards and can be a little rough in places; it is fine for a hybrid but I would not recommend a road bike."
(from 2013): "Biddeford to Kennebunk Probably the hardest pack of the off-road ET so far.Couple of soft spots from recent flooding,but repaired and signed,ok Very good surface,probably for road bike, but I use hybrid."
"great for running. This trail was definitely great for running, with flat surfaces and wide enough for bikes to pass easily around me. The hard packed gravel made it a good surface as far as taking it easy on the joints (knees especially), while still wearing regular street/road running shoes. No trail shoes needed."
Last edited by rumrunn6; 06-21-18 at 08:26 AM.
06-21-18, 12:13 PM
#3
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Thank you very much. For the ET info! Looks like quite a place, wish I could enjoy it sooner. Thanks again!
06-21-18, 12:24 PM
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06-21-18, 12:36 PM
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I will certainly do that, thanks!
06-29-18, 06:38 AM
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In a word, yes...Any and all parts of the Eastern trail can be ridden with a hybrid.
The Eastern Trail Association has a fund raiser ride, the Saturday after Labor Day weekend, every year.
2018 will be the 15th year. It's called the Maine Lighthouse Ride.
Parts of each ride (4 different distances) go on the Eastern Trail, with obvious stops at many different lighthouses along the coast.
If you are in the area in early September, you might want to consider this ride.
I did the 25 mile one last September (on my hybrid), and it was beautiful. We saw 7 lighthouses on this ride.
The Eastern Trail Association has a fund raiser ride, the Saturday after Labor Day weekend, every year.
2018 will be the 15th year. It's called the Maine Lighthouse Ride.
Parts of each ride (4 different distances) go on the Eastern Trail, with obvious stops at many different lighthouses along the coast.
If you are in the area in early September, you might want to consider this ride.
I did the 25 mile one last September (on my hybrid), and it was beautiful. We saw 7 lighthouses on this ride.
06-29-18, 09:34 AM
#7
Senior Member
The offroad sections of the ET in southern Maine are mostly finished with crushed pea-sized gravel. You can get through it on skinny (23 or 25mm) road tires, but something larger makes it more fun. Typical 35 or 38mm hybrid tires will be great.
07-08-18, 05:04 AM
#8
Senior Member
I've done the Lighthouse Ride on a hybrid. Most of the ride is on roads with several miles on the trail. Most of the trail is packed dirt but there are a few soft spots. There were plenty of road bikes that did the ride but gravel tires would handle it better.
