Gravel Biking.

Posted by: Brocklanders

Fishermans was closed before the covid19 outbreak. There was only a closed sign for weeks , now a fence. Closed because there is a section where the bank is unstable and it keeps sliding. 

Yes heard Stanley park is nuts busy with bikes.

Yeah - it was a bummer to see the wire gate go up on Fishermans.  But you can still get over to the FSR that heads out to the resevoir if you take the spur connector down.  Just don't bother on a weekend, that zone is nuts now with all the people that have discovered the outdoors.

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

Posted by: Brocklanders

Fishermans was closed before the covid19 outbreak. There was only a closed sign for weeks , now a fence. Closed because there is a section where the bank is unstable and it keeps sliding. 

Yes heard Stanley park is nuts busy with bikes.

Yeah - it was a bummer to see the wire gate go up on Fishermans.  But you can still get over to the FSR that heads out to the resevoir if you take the spur connector down.  Just don't bother on a weekend, that zone is nuts now with all the people that have discovered the outdoors.

Yes it's crowded for sure on weekends on the demo forest road but if you get out to the dam . Doing the lap thru Bear Island, stopping at lost Lake north is a great day out and very few people out that far. Seen zero in the last few laps thru there. Dunno what will happen with fisherman's , that unstable slope section needs a major reroute of some sort but looks like a difficult project to remedy.

So is there still a passenger train going up north into the province? The passenger line up through the Squish corridor is long dead if I recall but wondering about up the Fraser Canyon. Got some thoughts brewing for once the border opens up...

PG and PR according to:  https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan-your-trip/find-a-station

Thanks mucho. PG is a little further north than I'd like but I see Loops is a stop.  Gonna have to gawk at the map to see what the choices could lead to.

Wished BC Rail service to Lillooet was still a thing, man oh man.  Stick o' gum, sip o' water and you're back to the Lower Mainland in a marcha de la muerte day haha

Williams Lake would be a good drop off point too. Ride down through reserve lands into Dog Creek, to Lillooet and High Line it back to the corridor.

I wished they'd let you put a proper bike on the train out to Leavenworth, that'd be a high qual highly attainable trip back to SeaTown via mostly dirt.

I think they call this bikepacking but I just call it touring or motorcycle scale dual sport riding on a bicycle.

Posted by: heckler

PG and PR according to:  https://www.viarail.ca/en/plan-your-trip/find-a-station

Anyone taken a bike on a Via Rail service?

Musing about a one-way ride using Via Rail for the outward leg but the "bike baggage" service is "currently suspended". I presume that's a COVID related thing as they don't want to have to handle passengers luggage but I'm curious whether it costs extra and how secure it is....

Economy fare is a pretty reasonable $78 from Vancouver to Kamloops....

https://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/baggage/bikes

Read past “suspended” and your questions are answered. 

Ill bet the suspension is due to staffing limitations, not because the don't want to touch your bike and get the vids, but that they don't have an extra guy to load and unload your bike.

Setting up my hardtail with rigid fork to do some of this type of riding.

What are you guys running for tires? 

There seems to be a ton of options. 

My inclination is to run something closer to an xc tire than a true gravel tire but, maybe that's my mountain bike bias/ignorance due to not wanting to get too far outside my comfort zone.  

That said on a ride of fisherman's I could see myself diverting to bridal path. I think I won't be able to resist riding the odd trail so thats why I'm thinking something like a schwalbe thunder burt or g-one bite is just not enough tire to avoid death.  That said something like an Xr4 or rocket Ron is maybe overkill. 

Maybe something like xr3 or racing ray/racing Ralph, or conti cross king?

IMO, gravel bikes are not XC trail bikes, although they can double as that and its always fun to get the wonderous looks on Bridle.   

On a rigid xc mtb, If you want to ride xc trail, put on xc trail tires.  They will ride gravel path and roads just the same, but not as fast on smooth road.  But if you go with sub 40 cc gravel  tires, trail riding gets much slower and trickier. 

If you want to get into what a gravel bike is meant for - long, fast rides on logging roads or crushed gravel, go with 40 cc gravel tires, setup tubeless for flat tire reduction. 

I have a 29er Ti hardtail with 2.5 xc tires and high speed gearing (52T 3x up front).  It doesn't get out much since I have the Revolt Advanced with 40cc tires.   Fishermans Road and the gravel after it does not need xc tires.

Posted by: heckler

https://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/baggage/bikes

Read past “suspended” and your questions are answered. 

Ill bet the suspension is due to staffing limitations, not because the don't want to touch your bike and get the vids, but that they don't have an extra guy to load and unload your bike.

why would you need an extra person for that? you roll your bike on the bike waggon and mount/hang them yourself? no one in europe is helping you with that…

lol euro trains are so much next level

Posted by: heckler

IMO, gravel bikes are not XC trail bikes, although they can double as that and its always fun to get the wonderous looks on Bridle.   

......It doesn't get out much since I have the Revolt Advanced with 40cc tires.   Fishermans Road and the gravel after it does not need xc tires.

Which parts of Bridle have you been able to ride? Have you taken the Revolt on any other local singletrack? Im curious whether it would handle something like Expresso (with the saddle dropped and fatter tires).

I'm after a gravel bike of some description but more at the "xc" end of the spectrum but, obviously, availability is poor but I've found a Revolt 2 in my size. I'd have to throw quite a lot of money at it to get a suitable spec but it is pretty cheap to start with...

Posted by: Sethimus

Posted by: heckler

https://www.viarail.ca/en/travel-info/baggage/bikes

Read past “suspended” and your questions are answered. 

Ill bet the suspension is due to staffing limitations, not because the don't want to touch your bike and get the vids, but that they don't have an extra guy to load and unload your bike.

why would you need an extra person for that? you roll your bike on the bike waggon and mount/hang them yourself? no one in europe is helping you with that…

I asked the question mostly from a security point of view. I'd assumed that the bikes are carried in a separate carriage from the passengers (which has pros and cons from a security perspective if only rail employees have access to the carriage).

On a 9 hour rail journey, I wouldn't want to have to keep a close eye on my bike but limited stops and a "better class" of traveller ;-) means less likelihood of someone stealing your bike anyway...

6061, what do you mean by ‘handle’?  Be stable and safe to ride at speed?  Pick slowly around the rocks?  Get down multiple times without breaking?

Old Buck and Baden Powell up to Powerlines and back; Hyannis trail to Bridal down to Fishermans/Twin Bridges and back, no problem. 

XC singletrack around the Seymour golf course and the techy parts of Bridal, sure, but at your own risk, picking your way slowly through.  Challenging and slow for sure.

Expresso, Empress, High School certainly not recommended.    Get a mountain bike.

Please read the Giant website about what a gravel bike is intended for.   IMO, green circle Shore trails are pushing the limits if they aren't crushed gravel. 

“Whether you’re racing a gravel grinder or exploring backcountry roads, we have the perfect gravel endurance bike to ride variable terrain.”