Hybrid Bicycles - my hybrid on crushed limestone.

I have a cannondale quick 4 with 700x28 continental ultra gatorskins.
I'm planning on biking a 50+ mile trail that is all crushed limestone.

This past weekend, I had to bike on loose gravel for about 3 miles, and I hated it, A LOT!

I have no knowledge of riding on crushed limestone.
My ? is...Is riding on crushed limestone a similar experience as riding on loose gravel?
Will my bike hate me afterwards?

thanks

Crushed limestone is a totally different creature then loose gravel. You should be fine, and your unlikely to have roadies wizzing past you at 25 miles an hour. I see you switched out the stock 38's for 28's, the 38's would make it a more comfortable on limestone IMHO.

i've ridden many a limestone trail with my (now deceased) hybridized MTB, and i rolled it with 100psi 25mm slicks. you should have no issues rolling on limestone with gatorskin 28s. as the previous poster said, crushed limestone is an entirely different animal than loose gravel.

if you're really sensitive to road buzz, maybe run the tires toward the lower end of their pressure range.

Crushed limestone will be fine. You bike will only hate you until you clean it. Wifey and I did 20 miles on crushed limestone last weekend and the amount of dust was incredible.

213347213348Yep, love the trails but the dust and grit is pretty bad. My wife and I each have a dedicated bike that we use on the trails. I put full fenders on ours otherwise you kick up a roostertail of limestone fines that shoot six feet in the air and will get all over everything.

I ride weekly on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath here in the Cuyahoga National Park. Lots of crushed limestone, and I agree with the others, you should have no problems. crushed limestone does get very dusty==wash off the bike, clean the gears and chain, and re-lube after you ride.

You should be fine on your 700x28 tires, though I wouldn't want to do much narrower on limestone. I ride my hybrid on limestone and leave my road bike with 700x23c tires at home. The hybrid has 26x1.5 (40mm) tires that really make for a nice ride on limestone paths.

I run with a 700x32 in the front with a moderately aggressive tread and a 30 in the rear and find it works quite nicely. The bike came with 28's with little tread and I struggled a bit. On the other hand, I've a friend who rides the trails with his fixie and 25's and has no problems. This is on trails that are primarily crushed limestone.

Crushed limestone will be less tricky than gravel. If your 28mm Conti's measure close to 28mm, they should be fine. Lube your chain before, wipe it down, and leave enough time for any solvents/carriers to evaporate.

Crushed limestone will be fine. You bike will only hate you until you clean it. Wifey and I did 20 miles on crushed limestone last weekend and the amount of dust was incredible.

If you think 20 miles on dry crushed limestone makes a mess, you should try 100 miles in serious rain! The limestone grit gets everywhere. It was piled up on my front deraileur like a little mound of snow. My Road Morph had it inside the main tube and had to be thoroughly washed out. I literally couldn't touch anything on me, my bike, or my clothes without feeling grit. :twitchy: