Northeast - DC: C&O Toepath -- OK for road tires???

ok, i'll admit to never riding the toepath along the c&o canal in the 8 years i've been riding in dc. don't shoot me! but now i'm considering it, but only have roadbikes with slick and thin (23mm) tires. would it simply be a brutal ride, and am i sure to chip up the paint on my bike, kill the tires, and risk losing the wheet from under me, or are there only short distances where the gravel is that bad and the reset would actually be a nice ride on a road bike?

thanks in advance!

matt

would it simply be a brutal ride, and am i sure to chip up the paint on my bike, kill the tires, and risk losing the wheet from under me, or are there only short distances where the gravel is that bad and the reset would actually be a nice ride on a road bike?

matt

I've only ridden on the towpath a few times, and only within about 30 miles or so of the DC end, and it's been a while, but . . . I would say that it probably would not be the most pleasant ride on size 23 tires. There is some packed dirt, which isn't too bad, but there are also a lot of somewhat gravelly/rutty sections (and beware if it has rained in the prior few days!! Lots of mud puddles.) I rode it on a 'cross bike with size 32 road touring tires (i.e. a little bit of tread, but no big knobbies or anything) inflated to about 75 psi.

I wouldn't personally.

-D

I've done most of the towpath - using a mountain bike with slicks. Can't imagine using road tires on the towpath. Years ago a guy named Jamie Meninges (sp) used to have a very nice site with lots of space dedicated to the towpath.

I am thinking of trying it with 27X1-1/4" slick tires this year. I rode the towpath before on knobby mtb tires and thought they were overkill. I personally doubt that you will enjoy riding the whole towpath on skinny road tires, but sections of it are fine for shorter rides.

It's a TOW PATH people..... as in the boats got towed down the river. Nobody towed a boat with their toe.....(to the best of my knowledge....)

23's not a good idea.
32's or wider, although someone on these boards posted that they rode the whole length on 28's.
Even on the right tires it can be a rough ride. Try out the DC to Great Falls section. It's pretty typical of what to expect. Hard pack sections farther out from DC are usually smoother but muddier.

32's or wider, ...

That is very good advice. Especially when the trail is wet, because it makes a fast transition from dry to bog, and with anything less than 32's I'm afraid you'd have no fun at all.

Having said that, it's a wonderful trail. I've ridden Pgh-DC twice now, it's a world-class adventure. Enjoy!

works great with 38s on a cross bike...

anopther consideration is how wet it has been. it's not a graded surface, so it can get pretty wet

I found the 23s on my steel road bike to be very jarring and uncomfortable. I sure was happy when we got back onto the cap crescent trail

You can do it, depending on comfort but I recommend 28+

I rode from White's Ferry to Key bridge with 27" x 1 3/8" knobbies on a 30 lb steel road bike. They worked but the towpath beat both the bike and me up.

It's a TOW PATH people..... as in the boats got towed down the river. Nobody towed a boat with their toe.....(to the best of my knowledge....)

I beg to differ. A toepath is like a footpath, only smaller.


Lynn, waiting for her parents to return with the car so she can borrow it: "Oh no! There's a tow truck pulling up in front of the house."

Alf: "Who ordered toes?"

I have ridden lots of miles on the Tow Path with my MTB and Continental City Slickers, and I would not ride my nice road bike on the path. There can be tree limbs and other debris at times, and depending on the recent weather; areas of the path get soft at time as well. I have ridden a road bike on it before and it wasn't a great experience. My Fisher hard-tail was a perfect canal bike in my OP.
BTW - I recommend this ride very strongly if you haven't done it. Although it is flat, if you go out early in the morning, during the spring and summer there is an abundance of critters that will appear for you, from fox, deer, beavers, eagles etc. Most enjoyable riding.

I have ridden lots of miles on the Tow Path with my MTB and Continental City Slickers, and I would not ride my nice road bike on the path. There can be tree limbs and other debris at times, and depending on the recent weather; areas of the path get soft at time as well. I have ridden a road bike on it before and it wasn't a great experience. My Fisher hard-tail was a perfect canal bike in my OP.
BTW - I recommend this ride very strongly if you haven't done it. Although it is flat, if you go out early in the morning, during the spring and summer there is an abundance of critters that will appear for you, from fox, deer, beavers, eagles etc. Most enjoyable riding.

Yea, I biked/camped the towpath back when I was in college. One of the best memories I have. And I have had some awesome trips so far in my life.

I live in the Williamsport, MD area and I can throw a rock and hit the towpath. My wife and I ride it quite often and I can tell you from personal experience to do yourself a favor and stick to the big tire bikes. You would most likely not have a pleasant experience on a roadie....even under the best weather conditions. Many, many miniature potholes, twigs, sticks , rocks....you name it....

.....but if you do decide to do it on a road bike, make sure you use 28-32's and stick some fenders on....and wear some well padded cycling gloves.... just my two cents worth :)

23's not a good idea.
32's or wider, although someone on these boards posted that they rode the whole length on 28's.
Even on the right tires it can be a rough ride. Try out the DC to Great Falls section. It's pretty typical of what to expect. Hard pack sections farther out from DC are usually smoother but muddier.

That stretch was not terribly representative of the rest of the path when I rode it 3 years ago. It was in better repair, and did not have the branches, ruts, roots and patches of mud that we encountered on much of the rest of the path. I think that 32's and wider is a good suggestion, and 38's would be better than 32's. It was a great ride, and I look forward to taking it on again (maybe next summer), with a much better bike than the 40+ lb Magna, full suspension P.O.S. I used last time. I thought that a rigid MTB, or a cross bike would be the best choices for the adventure.

p.s. - make sure you have a light if you're riding the whole thing. It is mighty dark in the Paw-Paw tunnel.

That stretch was not terribly representative of the rest of the path when I rode it 3 years ago. It was in better repair, and did not have the branches, ruts, roots and patches of mud that we encountered on much of the rest of the path......
True, but it's a good approximation, short, close in (to DC) spot to try out the skinney tires, with several easy bailout places in case it doesn't work.

I used a hybrid with 38s. The tires have a smooth area in the center and are knobby on the edges. The towpath is mostly packed dirt, with considerable mud, roots and holes. It's a rough ride in many sections. You would be nuts to try this with skinny road tires.

As for the Paw Paw Tunnel - take a flashlight and walk your bike.

Last time I rode it on my hybrid with 28's, it was rough enough that I gave up. I'd rather use my FS MTB. I don't need to bounce along anymore.