Volpe vs. Lolo

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

I just bought a Bianchi Volpe and was curious if anyone has taken one (or any other bike with 32mm-wide tires) across the Lolo Motorway on the Lewis and Clark Trail. I have a friend who is an avid (15,000 km per year) cyclist and leads a lot of touring trips in NW Russia on back roads, using a bike which is basically a Russian version of the Volpe. I am inviting him over to the USA next year and thought the L&C from the Adventure Cycling office to Kamiah via the Lolo would be a good ride. Could it be done on Volpe-type touring bikes or do I need to pack the Trek 4600, too?

Ride safe,
Hans

Minnesota Backcountry Trails
www.wintersnowtrails.org

[valygrl]

Great ride, I did it the other direction.  It's all paved, no need for a mountain bike.  I don't know what the gearing is for the Volpe, if you are carrying a lot of weight you will probably want low gears, there is definitely a hill involved.  

Have fun, I loved that section of riding.

[TwoWheeledExplorer]

If you were on pavement, you were not on the "Lolo Trail" as followed by Lewis and Clark. The Lolo "Motorway" (as it is called) is a narrow, one- lane road with nothing more than what nature supplies as a surface. It's best to drive a tough vehicle with high clearance and good tires. Towing trailers or driving motor homes is prohibited during the restricted permit period and is not recommended at other times. (Taken from USFS information) This is the route shown in yellow in the Adventure Cycling maps.

For more info, see: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/LewisClark/permit/which_way.htm

Minnesota Backcountry Trails
www.wintersnowtrails.org

This message was edited by Trailpatrol on 7-11-06 @ 9:08 AM