Minnesota/Wisconsin Rail/Trail Query

Robert Kline

My wifa and I have a EZ Quadribent and are looking to
find rail trails in the MN/WI area that would be
conducive to a (geezerly) couple looking for a relatively
easy ride in an area where we can enjoy a night at a B&B,
a nice meal and an extendede cocktail hour. We've been to
Lanesboro and thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably go
there often but we wonder if there are other such places.
Thanks for any advice.

John Riley

Robert Kline <bob.kline@spamfreecomcast.net> wrote in message news:<bob.kline-400C6D.15565209072004@netnews.comcast.net>...
> My wifa and I have a EZ Quadribent and are looking to
> find rail trails in the MN/WI area that would be
> conducive to a (geezerly) couple looking for a relatively
> easy ride in an area where we can enjoy a night at a B&B,
> a nice meal and an extendede cocktail hour. We've been to
> Lanesboro and thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably go
> there often but we wonder if there are other such places.
> Thanks for any advice.

I believe that the trails in MN are paved and the ones in WI
are not. Hard to beat the Root River trail.

Edward Dolan

"Robert Kline" <bob.kline@spamfreecomcast.net> wrote in message
news:bob.kline-400C6D.15565209072004@netnews.comcast.net...
> My wifa and I have a EZ Quadribent and are looking to
> find rail trails in the MN/WI area that would be
> conducive to a (geezerly) couple looking for a relatively
> easy ride in an area where we can enjoy a night at a B&B,
> a nice meal and an extendede cocktail hour. We've been to
> Lanesboro and thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably go
> there often but we wonder if there are other such places.
> Thanks for any advice.

Robert, do a search under Minnesota Rail Trails and you will
find more information than you will know what to do with.
The Root River Trail system in SE Minnesota with Lanesboro
as your headquarters is a hard one to beat for what you and
your wife want to do. I have never heard any but good things
too about the Cannon Valley Trail near Red Wing, also in SE
Minnesota. The northern Minnesota trails are not quite so
user friendly as you will be spending many miles just going
through those North Woods. Some folks find this a bit
monotonous after awhile.

I believe Minnesota may well have the most extensive and
best rail trails in the entire country. Most importantly,
they are mostly all paved, unlike the trails in Wisconsin. A
trail that is not paved will require fat knobby tires in my
opinion. I do not ever go fast on bike trails so I do not
mind being slow with fat knobby tires on a gravel or crushed
limestone trail, but you can't beat a paved (asphalt) trail
for ultimate cycling pleasure.

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Zippy The Pinhe

>"Robert Kline" <bob.kline@spamfreecomcast.net> wrote in message
>news:bob.kline-400C6D.15565209072004@netnews.comcast.net...
>> My wifa and I have a EZ Quadribent and are looking to
>> find rail trails in the MN/WI area that would be
>> conducive to a (geezerly) couple looking for a relatively
>> easy ride in an area where we can enjoy a night at a B&B,
>> a nice meal and an extendede cocktail hour.

Check out the Great River Trail between Onalaska WI (starts
behind the Bait Shop) and Trempealeau WI with the historic
Trempealeau Hotel. The latter has great food and is a nice
place to stay though not technically a "B&B".

Tom Sherman

Edward Dolan wrote:

> ...A trail that is not paved will require fat knobby tires
> in my opinion. I do not ever go fast on bike trails so I
> do not mind being slow with fat knobby tires on a gravel
> or crushed limestone trail, but you can't beat a paved
> (asphalt) trail for ultimate cycling pleasure.

The I&M Canal Trail [1] is primarily surfaced with limestone
screenings (with a few section paved with asphalt cement
concrete) and I found less than 500 feet over the 61 mile
length to be unsuitable for a RANS Rocket with Avocet 44-406
Fasgrip Freestyle slick tires.

If I were riding primarily on limestone screenings I would
choose a tire with moderate tread such as the Continental
Top Touring or Primo V-Monster.

[1] <http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/i&m/main.ht-
m>.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

Edward Dolan

"Tom Sherman" <tsherman@qconline.com> wrote in message
news:2lb4qqFaqn2bU1@uni-berlin.de...
> Edward Dolan wrote:
>
> > ...A trail that is not paved will require fat knobby
> > tires in my opinion. I do not ever go fast on bike
> > trails so I do not
mind
> > being slow with fat knobby tires on a gravel or crushed
> > limestone trail,
but
> > you can't beat a paved (asphalt) trail for ultimate
> > cycling pleasure.
>
> The I&M Canal Trail [1] is primarily surfaced with
> limestone screenings (with a few section paved with
> asphalt cement concrete) and I found less than 500 feet
> over the 61 mile length to be unsuitable for a RANS Rocket
> with Avocet 44-406 Fasgrip Freestyle slick tires.
>
> If I were riding primarily on limestone screenings I would
> choose a tire with moderate tread such as the Continental
> Top Touring or Primo
V-Monster. [...]

Tom, when I am on tour on a bike trail I do not like to
spend any time at all looking at what is immediately ahead
of me on the ground in front of my front wheel. With fat
knobbies I can virtually ignore the surface of the trail and
look at the clouds or the passing trees or whatever. Most
limestone screenings types of trails are pretty good, but
with narrow road tires you have got to keep your eyes on the
surface of the trail or sooner or later you will receive a
rude awakening. With fat knobby tires you can go anywhere on
any kind of trail surface and not have to ever even look at
the trail surface. For gravel trails and roads especially,
fat knobbies are mandatory.

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Tom Sherman

Edward Dolan wrote:

> ...For gravel trails and roads especially, fat knobbies
> are mandatory.

Not on a trike.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

Rod Kuehl

I've ridden the beautiful Elroy-Sparta Trail in soup with
skinny Schwalbe Marathons on my old Rocket. Those limestone
trails are quite safe on tires of any persuasion IMHO.

If there weather is good, I'd imagine you will have a
great trip.

http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/lodging.htm

Rod Kuehl Strada Riverview,FL

People that ride recumbent bikes do not run knobby tires as
best I know.

"Tom Sherman" <tsherman@qconline.com> wrote in message news:2lbekjFaopj0U1@uni-
berlin.de...
> Edward Dolan wrote:
>
> > ...For gravel trails and roads especially, fat knobbies
> > are mandatory.
>
> Not on a trike.
>
> --
> Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

Tom Sherman

Rod Kuehl wrote:

> I've ridden the beautiful Elroy-Sparta Trail in soup with
> skinny Schwalbe Marathons on my old Rocket. Those
> limestone trails are quite safe on tires of any
> persuasion IMHO.
>
> If there weather is good, I'd imagine you will have a
> great trip.

And please do not run over any squirrels.

--
Tom Sherman – Quad City Area

Edward Dolan

"Rod Kuehl" <rkuehl77@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:%22Ic.1174$sV2.870@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I've ridden the beautiful Elroy-Sparta Trail in soup with
> skinny Schwalbe Marathons on my old Rocket. Those
> limestone trails are quite safe on
tires
> of any persuasion IMHO.

You have got to pay attention to the trail surface on any
other than a paved surface. If Wisconsin weren't so cheap
they would pave their bike trails like Minnesota does.

[...]

> People that ride recumbent bikes do not run knobby tires
> as best I know.

Most people who ride recumbents ride them on paved surfaces.
When you are not riding on paved surfaces you had best get
your tires right or you will regret it sooner or alter. I
have ridden hundreds if not thousands of miles on gravel
roads and I have never yet seen any other cyclists, let
alone recumbent cyclists, on those types of roads. Almost
100% of all cyclists like paved surfaces. That is why a bike
trail that is not paved is such an aggravation - unless you
are running fat knobbies. I do not consider limestone
screenings a substitute for a paved surface.

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Edward Dolan

"David" <cycler68@nospam.hotmail.com> wrote in message
newsan.2004.07.10.14.32.26.634761@nospam.hotmail.com...

Rod Kuehl wrote:
>
> > People that ride recumbent bikes do not run knobby tires
> > as best I know.
>
> Does that mean I'm breaking new ground when I put knobbies
> front & back on my Tour Easy come wintertime?

I have found that knobbies won't help much on ice and
compacted snow. Frankly, the only thing to ride when the
streets and roads are full of ice and snow are trikes. At my
age I cannot afford to fall - not even once!

--
Regards,

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Gcdoss

David wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 03:00:11 +0000, Rod Kuehl wrote:
>
>
>>I've ridden the beautiful Elroy-Sparta Trail in soup with
>>skinny Schwalbe Marathons on my old Rocket. Those
>>limestone trails are quite safe on tires of any
>>persuasion IMHO.
>>
>>If there weather is good, I'd imagine you will have a
>>great trip.
>>
>>http://www.elroy-sparta-trail.com/lodging.htm
>>
>>Rod Kuehl Strada Riverview,FL
>>
>>People that ride recumbent bikes do not run knobby tires
>>as best I know.
>
>
> Does that mean I'm breaking new ground when I put knobbies
> front & back on my Tour Easy come wintertime?
>
> David
>
> Year ro

I have had knobby tires on my Actionbent Jetstream for 7
months and so far have over 1000 miles on trails with them.
They work just great except in deep sand. There is another
Bent rider I see now and then on a rail to trails ride that
has knobbys also. I have a Tour Easy that I do the paved
road rides on.

Jerry