Mountain Biking - What to do when your car can't make it?

The wife and I took a trip to a local secret/famous trail that I've been wanting to go to for a while, its about a 30 minute drive. Eventually you get to where it turns off the asphalt onto a "gravel" road... gravel from hell that is. rocks the size of softballs with very sharp edges. many of them are part of the road so they don't even move when you hit them, just the thought of my 13" honda civic near-bald tires rolling over them makes me nervous. The wife's GPS says its a 35% grade uphill, and the sign says its 3 miles up this road to the trailhead. We tried to ride up it and were doing pretty well but the wife got scared saying going up is fine but she's scared of going back down (downhill's scare her). She also advised we had no cell service there so if i got a flat we'd be hosed. (i advised the asphalt road to this point was about 12 miles up hill, so we'd ride bikes downhill on asphalt till we got cell service, and it would be pretty cool anyway. she didn't go for it. anyway how am i supposed to get to this trailhead?

So far i can think of these options: 1) since my car's tires need replacing anyway, i could opt for the thickest tread i can find and try to tough it out (i'd presume new tires should be fine)... 2) tell my wife to not worry about the downhill coming back, and hope she doesn't wreck and make me feel guilty... 3) rent or borrow some sort of truck... Or am i underestimating the strength of car tires and it should be fine as is?

Just be glad you have some real mountain trails nearby! :D

Really though, you may be able to find a bike club or shop near by that would be willing to either give you a lift up there next group ride or they'd be willing to give you some local knowledge.

Yep we're pretty lucky :) there's another trail about 10 minutes closer that allows you to park at the bottom and ride up pine needly singletrack switchbacks for the same 3 miles at a 25% to 35% grade, i'm pretty sure its the same trail, i believe its a 26 mile loop. so we'd rather drive up that climb than ride it if possible. however if we did ride that whole climb it would be a pretty good accomplishment.

Rent a pick up truck with some befier tires from Home depot or local truck rental, or bring a couple spare tires with you. also drive nice and slow keep a look out for the really tough rocks and avoid them best as possible, and if the lady doesnt like driving downhill you should drive back. But If the trails are worth going to I would rent a truck for 60 bucks and save your own tires

Back when I had a beater car and time to head to the gravel roads north of Montreal, this is what I'd do.
http://www.racetothesky.com/images/gallery2006/KF7B8179_2.JPG

Embrace the opportunity.

Back when I had a beater car and time to head to the gravel roads north of Montreal, this is what I'd do.
http://www.racetothesky.com/images/gallery2006/KF7B8179_2.JPG

Embrace the opportunity.


I used to love the gravel roads in my first car, a Renault LeCar (R5 where you live). That was the only place the car fealt fast and it was very easy to make it drift through corners. :D

I used to love the gravel roads in my first car, a Renault LeCar (R5 where you live). That was the only place the car fealt fast and it was very easy to make it drift through corners. :D

I had a Renault 5 Sport when I was in my early 20s. One of the many strange and fun cars I had. It was a fun car to drive. My particular car had a gas gauge that didn't work and very, very comfortable sport seats. I have to tell you that the seats on that car rival the comfort of my current car. I didn't get to rally the Cinq, though. The rallying started a few years later.

I had a Renault 5 Sport when I was in my early 20s. One of the many strange and fun cars I had. It was a fun car to drive. My particular car had a gas gauge that didn't work and very, very comfortable sport seats. I have to tell you that the seats on that car rival the comfort of my current car. I didn't get to rally the Cinq, though. The rallying started a few years later.

I forgot, but you are right, the seats in that car were possibly the most comfortable seats I've ever had. My gas gauge worked but my shift linkage would occasionally fall apart, usually in 1st or 2nd. I would pull over and climb under and put it back together. I did have a nice ansa exaust end that eliminated the muffler, so it had a nice note.

A friend of mine actually imported an R5 Turbo 2 from France. This thing was FAST and very scary.

http://www.r5alpine.com/Fran-R5-Turbo2.jpg

I used to love the gravel roads in my first car, a Renault LeCar (R5 where you live). That was the only place the car fealt fast and it was very easy to make it drift through corners. :D
I felt the same about a Datsun B-210 that I had in 78.That gives away my age. But the LeCar if I remeber right came out about the same time, 79 or 80 didn't it?

I felt the same about a Datsun B-210 that I had in 78.That gives away my age. But the LeCar if I remeber right came out about the same time, 79 or 80 didn't it?

My first car was a Datsun 210 station wagon. It was a 1979. I got it when I was 17 years old in 1987. I think that car started my obsession with station wagons. Mine looked exactly like this. Same orange colour, too.
http://stradasystems.com/bmw/images/DatsunB210.jpg

Mine was an '82.


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f392/mcoine/scan-1.jpg

My first car was a Datsun 210 station wagon. It was a 1979. I got it when I was 17 years old in 1987. I think that car started my obsession with station wagons. Mine looked exactly like this. Same orange colour, too.
http://stradasystems.com/bmw/images/DatsunB210.jpg
OMG mine wasn't the wagon, but it was that same color! I remember those cheesy hubcaps!:D

This thread is like a year old...

I think you were underestimating the strength of a car tire, depending on what tire it was... Car tires are commonly re-treaded (dont know the tech name for that) and sent to countries where retreaded tires are allowed. I saw it on the discovery channel like a year ago, around the time this thread was made... old thread.