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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110

    North woods back roads tour

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    Thought you might like a sample of where I love to ride, so here's a ride I did, today. The destination is some wild north woods logging roads/trails, but to get to this area and then back home ... I have to ride seven miles of paved roads, but very light traffic.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    The fun begins when I go off the pavement on this stretch of county gravel road:

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Since this is a county road open to through traffic and since no one lives on this road, it get little maintenance, so things get rough in a hurry. Rough riding for the next four plus miles. No place for road bikes.



  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Finally, my destination. The logging roads are gated to prevent damage from vehicles when not in use by logging trucks. Foot and bicycle traffic is allowed and snowmobiles in the winter. Have yet to see a single footprint or bicycle track in this area. Next 8 miles is all wild and all mine. Happy, happy, happy.


    This is what happens to logging roads if they are not gated and open to vehicle traffic between logging cycles. (Another area and, yes, I do bicycle this one, too.)
    Last edited by north woods gal; 10-06-2016 at 05:18 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Can be many years between logging use, so the roads do get overgrown, sometimes little more than single track. Flushed some grouse in this section, today.


    Same section earlier this summer. Wasn't even sure of there was a road.
    Last edited by north woods gal; 10-06-2016 at 05:25 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Always have to be aware of downed tress and branches, some can be hard to see. These are more dangerous than the obvious, easy to see downed trees.
    Last edited by north woods gal; 10-06-2016 at 05:26 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Mostly just me and the road and the woods and total contentment.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Exit on a paved road and 8 miles back home. Finish the day with almost 30 miles and a big smile on my face. Thanks for riding along.


    Bike used: Trek Stashe 29er plus, 3" tires, no suspension, but the perfect bike for this work

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Would love a tour of some of your rides, too. Please feel free to share.


  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    3,436
    Those are great, north woods gal. Really interesting.
    "My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved;I have been given much and I have given something in return...Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and an adventure." O. Sacks

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Concord, MA
    Posts
    13,394
    Beautiful. Glad I saw your mountain bike at the end, because I was thinking, "I sure would be riding a mountain bike..."
    2015 Trek Silque SSL
    Specialized Oura

    2011 Guru Praemio
    Specialized Oura
    2017 Specialized Ariel Sport

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Tucson, AZ
    Posts
    1,973
    Beautiful-

    So very different than the areas I ride though.
    2016 Specialized Ruby Comp disc - Ruby Expert ti 155
    2010 Surly Long Haul Trucker - Jett 143

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Thanks, all. Glad you enjoyed it.

    I could probably manage the gated logging roads with my 700x35 bike, but I'd have to be extra vigilant. No way, though, on the 4 plus miles of gravel/sand road to get there, since that road gets beat up and rutted with vehicle and ATV traffic. I tried it on the 700x35 and had to turn back. Even my standard 2.2" tire MTBs have floundered on that road. The 3" 29er Trek, above, has never let me down on that road, though. Night and day difference when things get soft and squishy with those 3" tires.

    Believe it or not, the Trek 29er plus is not too bad on pavement, either. I can still average 11 to 12 mph with it on the pavement part of the ride without pushing it too hard. Very comfy ride with those big wide tires and I even bounce off the pavement to ride the shoulder for fun, sometimes. Pretty much gives me the freedom to go wherever I want. Kind of like a fat bike that went on a diet.
    Last edited by north woods gal; 10-07-2016 at 07:45 AM.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Posts
    10,889
    Beautiful, thanks for sharing! I had wondered if you had fat tires, and I see you do. If I could still ride, I think that is the kind I would like to do. Of course I would have to move to another part of the country to do that Are those platform pedals you're riding?

  15. #15
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    north woods of Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,110
    Hi Catrin.

    Yes, the 29er plus bikes like this use the same low pressure ballon tire and rim setup as fat bikes, just narrower. The beauty of the 29er plus, though, is that it is a faster, lighter, more agile bike and one that is much more pavement worthy than a fat bike. That's important to me because I have to ride some pavement to get to my back country roads and trails. Fat bikes out on paved roads for any distance drive me nuts.

    Yes, those are flats as far as the pedals. More and more of our mountain bikers, up here, now use flats on our nasty technical trails and nearly all our fat bike riders. That way they can use regular boots in cold weather and not have the hassle of cleats getting clogged with snow and ice. Have been using flats on all my bikes, all summer, and don't miss going clipless at all. Personal preference on my part and, by the way, a good set of flat pedals with pins work great with a wide variety of ordinary shoes. Have even used them with my Birkenstocks.
    Last edited by north woods gal; 10-07-2016 at 05:46 PM.

 

 

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