BluesDawg

Let's see where you do your gravelbiking. Here are a few shots from my favorite roads in Middle Georgia.

shelbyfv

The last pic of the sunken road is cool. That one has been in use for awhile!

Barrettscv 

Most of my cycling starts in Chicago and takes me out to the suburbs. None of my local riding is rural. I not only enjoy the fitness benefits of cycling, I like good scenery and a little adventure. I really enjoy the cycling away from Chicago in places like Ohio, Wisconsin and central Illinois.

I'll take my bikes off-road every chance I get. Gravel paths provide a sense of exploration, offer a more natural setting, and help me avoid vehicular traffic. Most of my gravel cycling is spent on a 50 mile section of the Des Plaines River bike trail. The trail is good quality gravel, except for a few sections that become more like singletrack. A Cyclocross bike is ideal for the mixed road and trail travel.

BluesDawg

Really? Only two of us have pictures to post?

I live in a semi-rural part of Georgia where there is no such thing as a bike path, paved or otherwise. There are many unpaved roads around here and most are fairly well maintained allowing the people living along them access. Aside from those residents, few drivers choose to ride on them, so there is very little car traffic. There are also more primitive dirt and gravel roads throughout the National Forests and Wildlife Management Areas which may be a little rougher, but are still easily traveled by bike.

Here are some pictures from today's ride near Union Point, GA.

IMG_4596 by BluesDawg, on Flickr


IMG_4598 by BluesDawg, on Flickr


IMG_4596 by BluesDawg, on Flickr


IMG_4595 by BluesDawg, on Flickr

IMG_4595 by BluesDawg, on Flickr


Untitled by BluesDawg, on Flickr


IMG_4623 by BluesDawg, on Flickr

Andy_K 

I rode a 50 mile gravel grinder today but mostly forgot to take pictures. I do have this one.

Barrettscv 

I took my first ride on the Katy Trail last winter. The trail is firm and smooth. I took the perfect-for-trails Soma Double Cross and used Kendra Happy Medium tires. I'm 210 lbs using 700x32 tires and the gravel never felt soft or loose. Riding was great with no traffic to think about and plenty of wildlife on and near the trail. I'll stay here several days a month during 2014 and hope to ride most of the Katy Trail this year

NZier

Mmm... there's a great little coffee shop/breakfast nook/bike shop right by the trail head there in St. Charles.

BluesDawg

Katy Trail looks like a great place to ride. I hope to get out there and ride it someday.

unterhausen

Detweiler Run Rd

Thickhead Mt Rd.

Pennsylvanians don't believe in views, this is one of a very few in Rothrock State Forest, Wampler Rd. near Bear Meadows

JerrySTL

Here's your chance! June 16-20 starting in St. Charles, Missouri. About $410 including a bus ride back.

https://mostateparks.com/2014-katy-trail-ride


Sold out in 4 days last year; however, they are adding 50 more riders this year. I'll be there.

Barrettscv 

This is a popular event held annually: https://mostateparks.com/2014-katy-trail-ride

BluesDawg

Looks like a nice event, but I'm more likely to just go there and ride it on my own schedule.

john.b

If you only want to ride one way, there is a "River Runner" Amtrak train that goes between St. Louis and Sedalia with a bike-specific baggage car, so you wouldn't have to break down and box your bike. The bike is an additional $10, and is bought as an add-on with your ticket (buy in advance, the bike spots do sell out). You can navigate to/from the St. Louis station to the St. Charles trailhead via surface streets or get a bike shuttle through one of the local bike shops.

Barrettscv 

In 2012 I had the chance to explore the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio. I was very impressed with the natural and recreational amenity. Considering that the Park is surrounded by typical suburban sprawl and several interstate highways, the large park provides hundreds of miles of bike friendly roads, tow-paths and MUPs. Not only is the cycling enjoyable, the routes leading away from the valley floor and out of the park provide some challenging climbs. The spine of this network is the 110 mile and mostly gravel Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path. I've cycled most of this trail.

I enjoyed a loop that combined the Summit County bike & hike trail that runs along the eastern border of the Park and the Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path. Both paths run under a canopy of trees and provide views of forest, meadows and the natural flora and fauna of the area.

Here is a map of the mostly gravel Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio: https://www.nps.gov/cuva/planyourvisi...path5Web-2.pdf

Here is information that covers the 110 mile mostly gravel Ohio & Erie Canal Tow Path: https://www.ohioanderiecanalway.com/Main/Home.aspx

Myosmith

These beautiful pictures are making me kind of crazy looking out the window at all the snowbanks and icy roads.

lonesomesteve

I recently rode Mana Rd on the Big Island of Hawaii. Mana Rd spirals down the slopes of Mauna Kea from about 7,000 ft near the crest of Saddle Rd to the town of Waimea at about 3,000ft. We hitched a ride to the top and made it a downhill run.



Although you lose 4,000 ft of elevation in 45 miles riding the direction we did, there's still a surprising amount of steep uphill.



The quality of the road varies from po'okela to almost unrideable.



It wasn't a day for views of the ocean as we were in the clouds most of the time, but wild turkeys, wild pigs, nenes and other wildlife kept us entertained.

BluesDawg

Today's March edition of my club's Monthly Grind had very little gravel but lots of red clay and sand. These roads had been in great shape before we got a day and a half of hard, steady rain. Today's weather was gorgeous, but the roads were still soaked and sometimes sloppy. About 3 miles into the first dirt road section, we got into the worst muddy red clay slop we would see all day. Everyone had to stop and clean mud off the bikes just so the wheels would turn. After that there were some soft sections that made it harder to pedal, but for the most part it was nice. I'm going to need to do some major cleanup to my drivetrain, but that's the way it goes.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesda...75756103/show/


Here we go by BluesDawg, on Flickr


sloppy by BluesDawg, on Flickr


Oh boy! by BluesDawg, on Flickr


steady rollin' by BluesDawg, on Flickr


photo op by BluesDawg, on Flickr


grinding along by BluesDawg, on Flickr

BluesDawg

After I watched the Paris-Roubaix race online, I felt inspired to head out and do a long ride on paved and unpaved roads around my part of Middle Georgia. I wound up riding 62 miles on an absolutely beautiful Spring day.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesd...59722725/show/

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/2477412

tarwheel 

BluesDawg - I grew up in Georgia but have lived in NC for nearly 30 years, and there are very few dirt roads around here. Unfortunately, I didn't have cross or offroad bicycle when I lived in GA, although I did ride a motocross cycle in high school and college. I would love to ride some of the roads in your area based on the photos you posted.

I really enjoy riding on unpaved roads and trails, when I can find them. I've ridden several times on the New River Trail in Western VA, and I'm planning to ride the entire GAP-C&O Canal trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC in June. Will post some more photos after that trip, but here are a few shots from a previous day trip on the C&O Canal and a weekend trip on the New River Trail, which is well worth a trip to VA.

BluesDawg

I'm surprised to hear there aren't many dirt roads in the Raleigh area. I would think the mountains would have many fire roads and Forest Service roads.

Here are of few from the latest "Monthly Grind" ride.

lasauge 

I have two favorite gravel roads near me, both climb westward into the mountains: To the north is Mt. Herman Road, which is quite steep in places. And to the south, Gold Camp Road, which is also a great climb but not as steep because it was formerly a railroad bed (unless you access this road via North Cheyenne Canyon, which is paved but very steep):


And just for grins, some assorted gravel porn:

(view towards Rocky Mountain National Park, the US Air Force Academy on a hazy day, a road somewhere between Co. Springs and Pueblo, and a hidden back road about 5 minutes ride from my front door, respectively)

Noonievut

Recent cycling vacation in Harrisonburg Virginia. The Shenandoah valley has a network of narrow roads through farming communities...the local bike shop helped me select a route that had a lot of gravel roads.

justin1138

From yesterday morning's pre-work dirt and gravel mini adventure.

Willis24

Found outside Polo, MO.