Actually I’m thinking about riding down the railroad bed but ‘riding the rails’ sounds like a more impressive subject line.
So I’m getting pysced for the MUni that I’m planning to order soon. And I saw this section on my daily commute that would make for an adventuresome detour if I rode along the railroad tracks. The rail bed is made up of these bulky rocks but the tracks aren’t used anymore and it would make for a challenging kilometre or so of MUni’ing.
What do you think. Anyone out there have experience with riding along railway beds?
Round her, half the railways have been closed and converted to cycle tracks anyway. But this is England, where only yesterday on national radio, a bicyclist commuter publicly challenged his local rail ‘service’ that he would race their train over his 20 mile commute. If he won, he wanted a free season ticket; if the train won, he would buy a season ticket. I don’t think the challenge was accepted.
(This is also England where every second person you meet is carrying a bucket of water - a typically plucky British repsonse to a fire service strike.)
But back to the subject - I have ridden short distances on railway ballast. It’s uncomfortable and tiring. The looser it is, the harder it is to ride. It will be a good way to develop technique though. Let us know how you get on.
Yeah, the ties are still in place but there is also room along the sides of the actual tracks, hummmm, it might work.
This section of rails is in town but long since abandoned by the railway… don’t think it would be a too risky proposition in terms of liablilty but it is a good point and I’ll definitley give it some thought.
I’ve ridden between the rails of a minature train track that hauls people around this park. It’s OK, but it gets boring since I can only go one way. Give me some twisty, turny, rocky terrain and I’m having fun.
In article <Mikefule.e4cxm@timelimit.unicyclist.com>,
Mikefule <Mikefule.e4cxm@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:
)
)Round her, half the railways have been closed and converted to cycle
)tracks anyway. But this is England, where only yesterday on national
)radio, a bicyclist commuter publicly challenged his local rail ‘service’
)that he would race their train over his 20 mile commute. If he won, he
)wanted a free season ticket; if the train won, he would buy a season
)ticket. I don’t think the challenge was accepted.
Bikes routinely beat all other forms of transportation in door-to-door
transit races. 20 miles is a bit much, but in town there’s no contest.
-Tom
I’m trying to figure out why the railroad should care if a guy on a bike (who doesn’t necessarily have to follow the tracks) can beat them. “Good for you!” they should say. And when he gets tired, he can buy himself a ticket!
Back to the subject, if you’re on the rocks and not on the ties, you can cruise along. But it’s more challenging than plain dirt or even loose gravel. Plus the type of railroad rock I’m familiar with is something you don’t want to fall on without pads, so take it easy…