Steele-Bike

Now that I live out of town and am going to try out the gravel roads into work, I was wondering who else has a back/off road commute.

I look forward to the loose gravel, mean farm dogs and mud puddles. Most of my gravel commute is on extremely rolling hills, so it should make for a more interesting ride than my previous in town jaunts.

Artkansas 

I used to have a commute that ran through the Los Penasquitos Reserve in San Diego. I used to encounter deer, coyotes, skunks, bobcats, jackrabbits and other residents. It was so nice compared to my commute before that which was through downtown Los Angeles.

Coyote!

In a former career, I was a Back Road Commuter. Pretty charming, actually. It was only seven miles each way, but it made four dashes per day [two each way] into the Opequin Creek [West Virginia] gorge. It was two half-hour interludes of peace and [initially] solitude bracketing the stress of the Medical Trade. Toward the end, the stress of the increased traffic and sheer mindless inattention of the drones behind the wheel took the fun out of it.

I was on a first name basis with all the dogs [Odd, they were all called "Go Home"] and we had an agreement. . .they let me pass and I didn't need to use the household ammonia on 'em. . .a second time. Birds, 'possums, foxes, white tails. . .unfortunately, there were never any Farmer's Daughters, sigh.

cyccommute 

One of my commutes (I have two in opposite directions with several options on each) includes 6 or 7 miles of single track trails along a creek here in Denver. It's relatively flat but very twisty and has a number of challenges on it. If I want, when I get close to work, I can climb over Table Mountain (about 1000 feet in 3/4 of a mile) and ride down into the upper parking lot of my building. On the way home, I've been known to ride over the mountain (and around on top ) before doing that killer downhill.

-=(8)=-

About 4 miles of my 12.1 mile commute is old Rt. 7b from Rutland into Clarendon.
It is paved but I have ridden smoother dirt roads. The pavement has decades
of heaveage and cracking and the lanes(?) are two different angles everywhere !
I had to stop riding my fixie 'cuz I feared for the life of the spindly little 23c's and
switched to the Cross-X bike. I still find myself going about 1 ft. diagonally to go
2 ft. forward to catch the smoothest line through all the cracks, heaves, cow dung,
mud piles etc But, Ive gone 10 whole days before I was passed by a car
on my AM. commute and the scenery is typical Vermont postcard !
I can easily live with 'bad' roads under these circumstances !

Boudicca

I hope you have somewhere to shower when you get there. Don't think a sponge bath would get rid of the grime on a dirt-road ride to work. In fact it would be rather nice to have a washer/dryer combination too, to rinse and dry the clothes before heading home again.

huhenio

For sure your bike can handle 28's ...

that would be roughly 1 & 1/4 inch ... I ride in rough pavement and well packed dirt on 25's, but not faster than 14 mph

huhenio

Pry tell me that they if there is a shortage of high school teachers in rutland ...

detrieux

Gravel road for about 2.5 miles of a 6.2 mile commute. Includes a major down hill and major uphill on gravel both ways. Use a MTB with 1.5 armadillo tires. Have to brake down the hill because of the sliding and have to remain seated to climb on the rear tire spins out. Ride to work rarely has any traffic until the last mile. Is it worth the slower speed, great distance and the major climbs/descents on gravel. You bet it is. The quiet and having the road to myself is definitely worth it.

-=(8)=-

^^^ Huhenio...Yes !!!!!! www.schoolspring.com

Thats what brought us here.....My wife is in the
Rutland school system !!!

Come up dammit !! I need someone to ride with...
Lots of fairweather boutique yups, but no riders

McGillicutty

If I go off-road on my way home I can choose from 3 to 6 or more miles of singletrack to take home, depending on how direct I want to go home. Riding off-road on gravel or singletrack or anything but pavement is a great relaxing ride! go for it!

dobber

Swerving way off topic, ever see the movie Time Chasers (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145529/)? Better yet, the MST3K send up of the movie? Filmed in and around Rutland and Burlington.

-=(8)=-

^^^ I think that link is broken , but I will check this movie out !!
We see indy films here at a real old time theatre in West Rutland but
that hasnt been there whil we've been here .

Thank you for the Heads up !!!!!

CastIron

If only. I travel some of the highest density urban through streets in the metro. Still wouldn't trade it for the 'burbs, though.

khuon

There's a bunch of offroad opportunities for me on my commute. On the days I use my MTB (and provided I have time), I will "indulge". Additionally, my house backs to a system of singletrack so I can make the last six miles or so of the final section of my commute a nod to my MTBing roots.

huhenio

Foreign Language: Spanish - That is my first language
Social Studies: General - This will be my certification

Time to wax the skiis and get a ski rack for the Jeep too.

jyossarian

If you're moving to VT, I believe they require you to drive a Subaru.

pahearn

Mine starts-off with 9-10 miles of packed gravel through Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, and then another 5-7 miles of paved, mostly back-roads. I love it.

-=(8)=-

thats juz fer them uppity 2 stoplite town types who also require indoor
plumbin' an' lectricity....
Reel Vermontster drivez 4-wheelerz on da road or flat green pickups
wit biggfeet tirez wit no winderz fer incase you needz to shoots sum
critterz fer dinner you dont haves to waste times rollin' em down

huhenio

EXCUSE ME! - It is Volvo driving blah blah blah to you mister!

skidmarx

Hey,
I do a ten mile commute from Rutland to Cuttingsville whenever possible....I choose the East Clarendon Road as the most pleasant ride and was damn pissed by last years rip and tear of the road in June only to see it not paved 'till October.
When I'm not riding my bike, I drive a flat green 4x4 truck...


(just kiddn....got the Suby)

-=(8)=-

Hey Skidmarx....
If you see a black Surly Crosscheck or
a black Mercier fixie with pink zebra furr that will be me !!


I pass a roadie almost every day on the way home...
Yellow helmet....is that you ?

crtreedude 

I am about to start a country commute. It isn't gravel, it is river rock. To make a road here, after the bulldozer passes, they haul in loads of rocks from the rivers - most are about 2 inches, but they are anything but regular. Then the trucks, buses, cattle trucks, etc smash them into the ground. However, I usually can find a "line" through it.

In the morning, usually there is no rain, but about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, the rains come and last for between 30 minutes to 3 hours. Should make for an interesting return commute. Since it is downhill in the morning and uphill in the evening - I might be glad for the rain!

Cows will be an issue - normally there are cows by the side of the road eating something - not much problems with dogs - they tend to be small - and well educated.

skidmarx

Hey,come on, I see lots of guys with pink zebra fur on their bike.....
That road of mine, by the way, is the East Clarendon road, not East Creek and yeah, I've got the yellow helmet, which I don't always choose to use, but this year I haven't started my commute in deligence ....now last year at this time it may very well have been me, you'd been seeing daily. I usually ride with panniers.
Got a deep blue '81 Schwinn Voyageur SP and a '76 silver mist Super Le Tour 12.2. And no I didn't ride today and am not happy about that.
I took to riding 7b last year while E. Clarendon rd was in the rip and tear mode....so I knows what ya mean.

max-a-mill

fenders.... full fenders.