Grindin' Gravel to the Daily Grind...
09-27-23, 06:05 AM
#1
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Grindin' Gravel to the Daily Grind...
All my bikes have road tires, except my snow bike in winter. I prefer pavement. But, a co-worker kept going on about me taking the Greenway Trail to my job in Colorado Springs.
This spring I replaced my 90's MTB's 26x1.85 summer smoothies with 2.125" smoothies So I decided to "do the dirt". I hadn't ridden this Gravel and dirt stretch of the Greenway trail in at least 15 years and not to work, but boy am I glad I did...it was beautiful, fun and ads a new commute route for variety. I'll just stay off it when it's wet.
BTW, the route adds two miles to my 6 mile commute, but only adds 5 minutes since it's flat and has limited traffic interruptions.
This spring I replaced my 90's MTB's 26x1.85 summer smoothies with 2.125" smoothies So I decided to "do the dirt". I hadn't ridden this Gravel and dirt stretch of the Greenway trail in at least 15 years and not to work, but boy am I glad I did...it was beautiful, fun and ads a new commute route for variety. I'll just stay off it when it's wet.
BTW, the route adds two miles to my 6 mile commute, but only adds 5 minutes since it's flat and has limited traffic interruptions.
Last edited by BobbyG; 09-27-23 at 06:46 AM.
09-28-23, 09:05 AM
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Great video, I love the Greenway trail near me but it's pretty hilly.
10-24-23, 06:44 AM
#3
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greenway for me as well
I ride greenway on my commute but it is paved on the part I ride. I sometimes do enjoy adding a 3/4 lap of the lake and that is in gravel!
10-25-23, 04:32 PM
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That's a nice commute! I also mostly ride on the road, but there's a short trail that leads directly to my work. Sometimes I'll take the trail on the way home when I have extra time after work. I find that even wide road tires are fine on the dirt unless it's really soft or loose gravel.
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11-02-23, 06:16 PM
#5
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I ride on similar terrain on our Greenways on my 80s Ten speed. I can't remember the width of the ancient tires but they are 27 inches by roughly 28mm. They are pretty bald but I've never had a problem.
11-04-23, 07:41 AM
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I've ridden a few miles on dirt with my 1984 Nishiki 700x28 12-speed and my 2015 Charge 700x35. Very do-able when the dirt is dry and packed .
11-04-23, 10:07 AM
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I don’t commute to work anymore…retired…but when I did, I would often use my mountain bike (as a mountain bike) to mix up the ride. Simply riding roads and pave trails gets old and when you’ve been commuting for most 40+ years, you need something to stay fresh.
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
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