C&O Canal: Anybody wanna ride in September?

[Kalidurga]

Anyone up for a C&O ride some Sunday this month? Let me know when & where, and I'll be there

[divingbiker]

Sure, that would be fun. I've only been on the C&O once, and though I think I remember seeing road bikes, it seemed better suited to mountain bikes and hybrids. What do you ride? (I just bought a new mountain bike yesterday (yay!), and I also have a hybrid and a road bike, so I'm covered. Just don't know what works best.)

[ladyfish]

Maybe we could plan a mini TE bike ride on the C&O. There are several of us out here.

I was also wondering about the bike to ride on the C&O. Keep me in mind if you plan a ride.

I've never ridden the C&O but my son's scout troop is planning a trip in a few weeks, so I may go along with them.

[Kalidurga]

Sure, that would be fun. What do you ride? (I just bought a new mountain bike yesterday (yay!), and I also have a hybrid and a road bike, so I'm covered. Just don't know what works best.)

I was also wondering about the bike to ride on the C&O. Keep me in mind if you plan a ride.

I used to ride a hybrid, but now I have a cyclocross bike. Depending on which section you're riding, you definitely want a bike that can handle rolling resistance and vibrations.

I'm open for just about any Sunday this month or next (except 10/1). If anyone wants to meet up with me, just feel free to post a location here or shoot me an e-mail. If folks are interested in plannning a group-type ride, how does Sunday 9/24 sound? Edit: Oops, there's a 'cross race that day, too. How does Sunday 9/17 sound instead?

[emily_in_nc]

I did Bike Virginia a few summers ago, and part of one day's ride was on the C&O Towpath. It had rained hard a couple of days prior, so the path was still quite muddy in low spots. I was riding my Terry Isis road bike with skinny (23c) tires. NOT RECOMMENDED if it has rained at all recently there!!

After fishtailing all over the place and almost falling several times, I finally had to get out and walk part of the way. Silly me had Speedplay X-2 cleats and NO coffee-shop caps. My cleats got encrusted with mud, so when I finally got back on the bike, I couldn't clip in at all and had to ride on top of the pedals for some distance.

I noticed all the fat-tire riders passing me and going the other way seemed to have big s***-eating grins on their faces, or at least that's how if felt at the time...

Definitely, if you have one, a hybrid, mountain bike, or fatter tires on your road bike is the way to go on the C&O (hey, that rhymes!!!)

Oh, and it's a gorgeous ride. I hope to do more of it one day - but on my mountain bike!!

Emily

[Selkie]

Emily's right. A road bike won't cut it on the C&O. It's gravel closer in to the city and becomes dirt with lots of tree branch speedbumps, rocks, etc. as you head west. A 'cross or mt bike or a hybrid works best.

I'd join you but this is a busy time---next week is the PPTC metric and then a few weeks later, the Seagull.

[Kalidurga]

I did Bike Virginia a few summers ago, and part of one day's ride was on the C&O Towpath. It had rained hard a couple of days prior, so the path was still quite muddy in low spots. I was riding my Terry Isis road bike with skinny (23c) tires. NOT RECOMMENDED if it has rained at all recently there!!

After fishtailing all over the place and almost falling several times, I finally had to get out and walk part of the way.

I noticed all the fat-tire riders passing me and going the other way seemed to have big s***-eating grins on their faces, or at least that's how if felt at the time...

Yeah, I've had some fun rides on the towpath both during and after rain. It's the only time I can feel like a rough'n'tumble mtb rider, plowing through the mud and going home a total mess I did fall once. Trying to ride along the raised edge of a mud pit, rear tire slipped, I extended my hand to catch my fall (as you're not supposed to do, of course), screwed up my elbow and ended up wearing a sling for a few days. And I wore one of those big s***-eating grins the whole ride!

Mickchick, I hope we can get together on the towpath at some point this fall or next spring. I'm really interested in checking out your custom 'cross.

[Selkie]

You betcha. By the way, the new 'cross bike rides like a dream. I'm so glad that I went w/campy components! Of course, now I don't want to get the bike dirty since it's only been on the "clean" streets of my neighborhood. It's still nice and brand-spanking new looking. haha. Sometime in Oct will be good and that will be a lovely time of year to head out on the C&O.