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91

Routes / Re: Northern Tier through Montana

« Last post by BikeliciousBabe on April 22, 2021, 01:18:49 pm »

Hopefully, the wind would blow you to Strasburg, where you can visit the childhood home of Lawrence Welk. CANDISC stayed in town one night so went to check out the place that afternoon. Got a tour from a niece of his and saw the very bed in which he was born. The entertainment that night was a locally famous young girl who sang and yodeled. Earlier in the trip we spent the night at the fairgrounds in Wishek. The entertainment that night was a polka band. Lots of locals came out to hear them play. Because we rode through the "Germans from Russia" area, a couple of nights we were served some old world dinners by local auxiliary groups. Wishek is known for its sausage. It was sort of like kielbasa, only better. We had it with dinner and then again with breakfast the next morning. The first rest stop on the first day out of Garrison (the self-proclaimed walleye capitol of the world), was in the basement of a church while service was taking place upstairs. The "church ladies" had made all sorts of baked good and home made lemonade.

92

General Discussion / Re: Advice on purchasing a fat bike

« Last post by aggie on April 22, 2021, 10:40:27 am »

I don’t know anything about fat bikes either.  However they also need some gear so I purchased some items from the ACA store and had it shipped to them.

I went online for some more info on fat bikes.  It appears that the Mongoose bike is a very basic entry level bike.  The gear range makes it a difficult ride for hills or anything requiring a low gear.  If you can find a good used bike for sale near Browning that might be the way to go.

93

Routes / Re: Northern Tier through Montana

« Last post by EmilyG on April 21, 2021, 09:42:11 pm »

I did the entire NT back in '99. In '06 or '07 I went back for CANDISC, which was a supported, one-week loop tour from/to Garrison. Really liked riding in the state for the reasons you mention. And there sure was wind. One memorable day in '99 we had a strong tail wind heading towards Page except when we had to turn right a couple of time. When that happened, we had to lean sideways to stay upright.

During CANDISC we left the lunch stop town one day and had 18 gently rolling miles until the next rest stop. During that stretch there was a woman with her daughter parked by the side of the road with water and Gatorade for riders. I and my friend pulled up and asked how far until the next stop. She told us 9 miles. I couldn't believe we had only come 9 miles since lunch. "I feel like we've been riding for an hour." I said. My firend looked at her watch and said "We have been riding for an hour." Remember that we were riding road bikes wth no gear. Going down one gentle descent I was in a tuck but only able to hit 12 mph coasting due to a massive headwind.
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So glad someone else enjoyed ND, wind and all!  In North Dakota we decided that one day, when we are retired and don't have anywhere we need to be, we want to plunk ourselves down in the middle of somewhere, and proceed with a "tailwind tour."  Each morning, we wake up, and find out what direction the wind is blowing towards, and then we'd ride in that direction.  See where the wind takes us.  maybe we'd go back and forth across a state, or maybe we'd eventually go everywhere. 

94

General Discussion / Advice on purchasing a fat bike

« Last post by jwrushman on April 21, 2021, 07:09:55 pm »

ACA's Bike Bits had a paragraph about a group in Browning Montana looking for fat bikes.  I'd like to help, but know nothing about fat bikes.  I see that Amazon has several by Mongoose for less than $500.  For example "Mongoose Dolomite Mens Fat Tire Mountain Bike, 26-Inch Wheels, 4-Inch Wide Knobby Tires, 7-Speed, Steel Frame, Front and Rear Brakes, Multiple Colors" and "Mongoose Aztec Mens and Womens Fat Tire Bike, 18-Inch Steel Frame, 26-Inch Wheels, 4-Inch knobby tires".   Would these just become a pain-in-the-a** or are they a reasonably priced bike?  Would they be difficult to service?   Nice if Amazon provides free shipping and they're pretty good with returns.  Or are there other options to consider?  I was thinking about getting something in Browning, but they don't have a bike shop. 

95

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / CNY Section 3, map 26. Brooke Pioneer Trail closure. April 2021 - Aug. 2022

« Last post by CMajernik on April 21, 2021, 11:48:19 am »

As of March 2021, portions of the northern end of the Brooke Pioneer Trail south of Wellsburg, WV, are closed due to the construction of a new bridge across the Ohio River; once finished, the bridge will offer a new shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians to cross into Ohio. The trail will be subject to continuous closures during the project; check with the trail manager, https://wvrailtrails.org/rail-trail/brooke-pioneer-rail-trail or call 304-737-0506, for up-to-date information. The southern end of the trail remains open. Projected time for the trail to be open again is August 2022. To get around the closure, use SR 2, but ride defensively and cautiously; the highway has minimal shoulders and a moderate amount of traffic.

96

Routes / Re: Weiser River Trail

« Last post by kfnewbie on April 20, 2021, 10:49:01 pm »

Thank you, Emily!

97

Routes / Re: Weiser River Trail

« Last post by EmilyG on April 20, 2021, 10:03:40 pm »

It is worth checking out the info and reviews on AllTrails and Traillink to see what other users have said and compare to your comfort level.  Goatheads take out many a tire on that trail.   We ride on Schwalbe Marathon tires (the 1.4 or 35c) and had zero flats in over 8,000 miles before we replaced them because they were worn out, in case you are looking for new tires. 

After watching the videos posted on the Weiser River Trail page, and reading reviews, we decided not to risk the section from Cambridge through the river canyon and back to 95.  Too isolated, and if we got into trouble, it was a long hike back or out.   Would love to go back someday with mountain bikes to ride the whole thing..

The trail goes along 95 from just south of Council, all the way to New Meadows, and that is the section we got to see and try out, which was not doable for us with our loaded touring bikes. But you could hop on or off easily due to close proximity to 95.  Keep in mind the trail was specifically developed for horses and mountain bikers and the terrain is very variable if not downright unpredictable. 

Enjoy Idaho, and be sure to stop in Council, which had a beautiful little park in town with a huge cannon, and excellent public restrooms.

98

Routes / Re: Safest starting point and route from San Francisco through Yosemite

« Last post by scotto1958 on April 20, 2021, 06:31:10 pm »

Thanks everyone for all of the awesome and detailed information! First time using this forum and am quickly realizing how valuable it is tapping into such local knowledge! Thanks again!!!

99

Routes / Re: Safest starting point and route from San Francisco through Yosemite

« Last post by wildtoad on April 20, 2021, 06:26:13 pm »

Hope you are able to make the trip w/ your daughter. You've received some great advice in this thread.

So Spring is rapidly progressing in the High Country of the Central Sierra.  I have a mtn cabin in Upper Hwy 4 area (closest to Ebbetts Pass, which you won't use leaving Yosemite). Did my last ski runs of the season last week at Bear Valley and, indeed, the snow pack is rapidly disappearing. Latest local info is that Caltrans has commenced snow removal ops for both Ebbetts Pass (Hwy 4) and Sonora Pass (Hwy 108), which generally indicates a near-term opening of both.  Don't know about Tioga/120...it will be later and there is the NPS factor and COVID-related restrictions at the park....but I would expect it to be open by late May.  Check the Park website, etc. for status updates.

There is the possibility of a decent late season snow storm this weekend, but I don't think it will delay the seasonal openings much if at all.  Now, there is always the chance for a late season snow storm during May (we had a big one Memorial Day weekend couple of years ago).  But once the seasonal pass closures are lifted, any subsequent closures are pretty limited/brief. Temps warm quickly after storms in May, and the sun angle is high, so new snow on pavement melts quickly.

Have fun.

100

General Discussion / Re: Lyme Disease Tick Spray Inquiry....

« Last post by BikePacker on April 20, 2021, 08:35:44 am »

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