Jim -- "Fire Roads" are just really the same as farm roads but are often very steep, hilly, rolly and unmarked. Out here in the west, fire roads are cut as just that, fire breaks and for deep access for crews and equipment. They are almost always cut by the forest service. The other type of road are the lumber roads, usually cut by companies logging a certain section of forest land. Most fire roads are more dirt than gravel, but most are steep, with lots of blind turns, washouts, etc. I have ridden the farm roads of the mid-west and the southwest. Those are definitely flatter, straighter, with more gravel and washboard than Cal's true fire roads. Enjoy the ride. You'll do well.
________________________________ From: Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery <[email protected]> To: RBW Owners Bunch <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, May 14, 2010 1:32:10 AM Subject: [RBW] the "fire trails" of the upper midwest I've been reading about these "fire trails" in Grant's writings for years. As far as I know, we don't have fire trails in Minnesota, but we have thousands of miles of rural gravel roads, and races/rides on these gravel roads have exploded in popularity. This weekend I, along with several hundred others, will be riding the Almanzo 100, which is a free-for-all gravel century. Technically it's a race, but I seriously doubt that I'm in contention of finishing much better than middle-of-the-pack. It's arguable that Rivendell has played a role (indirectly) in popularizing this kind of event with Grant's advocacy of tire clearance and riding "road bikes" on unpaved surfaces. I'll be riding my Atlantis-inspired Goodrich, and I expect to see lots of Rivendells. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
