Anyone ride rough trails on their bent?

[zoridog]

I think my days on upright bikes is at an end. My 47 year old hands and back just can't handle being over bars anymore. My problem is that I live near the Delaware Raritan Canal which has a path once used by mules to pull barges up river.

The ruts, roots and horse apples are frequent obstacles to be avoided. My Bacchetta Giro 20 is great for all my riding needs until I hit the trail because I can't see the front wheel. Is anyone going off road with their bent? I need suggestions. Thanks.

[jeff-o]

There are a few bents with suspension, but even full suspension might not be enough to handle exposed roots and ruts. I'd suggest a trike. You may hit those obstacles, but at least it's nearly impossible to fall off. Choose a trike with sufficient clearance, at least 5 or 6 inches. Some trikes even have rear suspension.

[lowracer1]

I took my 03 catrike speed 12 miles on a local mountain bike trail with roots and gravel and stuff. It did fine. Woulda been nice to have suspension though and a little more clearance. It was a blast though chasing down a guy in front of me on the trail.

[Dr.Deltron]

OH YES!! My favorite off-road bent was the Haluzak Traverse. Taking jumps was the most entertaining! Full suspension is the way to go! I have also done some pretty serious trail rides on my rear suspended Challenge Hurricane as well as. Somehow lowracers don't seem entirely "at home" in the dirt though. My other choice is my rear suspended BikeE. The kids love it! (?) OK, I have the XL frame and got a second seat for the kids. To re-inforce the back of the frame I had a carpenter friend cut me a piece of Ash that I crammed into the back of the frame all the way to the rear shock bolt. Only bottomed out and hit the wood a couple of times. Increasing shock pressure and avoiding BIG HITS has eliminated that problem.
As I always say; It's not WHAT you ride, it's HOW you ride!
Have FUN!!!
Dr.D

[keith-pam]

Have used LWB Tour Easy on rough gravel trails. The long length helped with stability but I think you need wide tires most of all for rough trails.

[ChiliDog]

Have ridden some off road with my Wizwheelz Terra Trike. It has a pretty good clearance (8") and I use 2" wide tires that help add "suspension". I've also ridden some light stuff on a Stratus and Rocket. If the frame flexes and you've got the right tires, a lot is possible without needing a shock or suspension device. Maybe even add some MTB knobbies like the Tioga Comp III tires

[dogbitteneear]

I can't say that I ride rough trails with my bent. However the streets where I am at
are very, very rough. It would almost be worth it to have "The ugliest driveway on
Main Street contest". I suppose that would make it very rustic.

[Rogerinchrist]

Have used LWB Tour Easy on rough gravel trails. The long length helped with stability but I think you need wide tires most of all for rough trails.

I'd like to hear more about this bike. PM or e-mail me.

[funbun]

a lot is possible without needing a shock or suspension device. Maybe even add some MTB knobbies like the Tioga Comp III tires

Yeah, get some Schwalbe Big Apples you won't need a suspension ;)

[Dr.Deltron]

Is anyone going off road with their bent? I need suggestions. Thanks.

I posted once before, but here's the picture of my off-road 'bent. Landing jumps was always pretty tricky!
Paint is Blue/Purple Harlequinne made by PPG. Very fun to watch the color change as it went around in circles!

Ride On! (or off road)

Dr.D

[Carusoswi]

Where do you ride on the DR Canal? Horse apples - I never noticed them. Ruts, well, sure. And the trail is soft in places - not all that pleasant on my bike that has very narrow tires - it's a conventional two-wheeler. But, I don't recall any spots where I ride where I have to contend with tree roots. I'm not trying to contradict, just curious to know where you ride. I've pretty much covered the area from Bulls Island to Trenton (trail isn't very scenic on the Trenton end).

So, do you ride mostly between Bulls Island and Frenchtown?

Just curious - almost as curious as I am about recumbents.

Caruso

[zoridog]

On the Pennsylvania side they run Mule Barges in New Hope. There is also a horse riding stable before New Hope that takes customers on canal rides. I take the NJ path into Lambertville and the PA path into New Hope fairly often. The roads have no shoulder so I use the tow path exclusively. I'm using a mountain bike now but one time I did take the Bacchetta Giro 20. Once was enough. A LWB or suspended SWB might be better for the trail.

I've gone the whole length on the NJ side from Frenchtown area to Bound Brook through Trenton. The Princeton section is crushed stone and perfectly flat. Bound Brook is root city.