- Joined
- Sep 17, 2013
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The grey/black bicycle rides nice on gravel. Good for about 4 -5 miles and then the riding position becomes a little uncomfortable. There is not a lot of hand positions and you can't stretch out and then get more upright. It has a steel 3 piece cottered crank. I ground off the old large chainring and welded on a much smaller chain ring from an exercise bike with cottered cranks. I like the gearing for leisurely exploring old two track grass and gravel roads. We have un limited miles of this stuff and they are always changing as new areas are re logged. I have been living out here for a little over 3 years and have had the property for almost 30 years and have not begun to explore all the old logging trails, even with my 4 wheeler. It's unbelievable, you could actually ride over a thousand miles of gravel and old little used short paved connectors and never leave Michigan's UP. I have mapped a 300+ mile gravel route that leaves from my front door and goes through 5 of our 15 counties up here. By highway it's 350 miles, not counting the islands. I wanted to do it last year but I could find no one that wanted to do the whole thing with me. I involves taking 4 ferries to various islands in the St Mary's River and Lake Huron and riding around these Islands. It involves camping and backwoods motels. My family doesn't want me to do this in the back country by myself as there is no cell service. I still want to do this but I don't think I can find anyone who is retired in good enough shape or young enough to spend the three weeks to ride this with me. I go slow, 5 - 6 miles an hour on this kind of a ride. I have figured out how to ride around and avoid stream crossings where there aren't bridges. In one place you have to ride on a dike and over a flow control dam, either that or wade through 4 waist deep outflows. I really want to do this ride. I don't carry a gun and have never been challenged by any native wild animals. I have seen mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, bob cats and bear many times except only once for the lion. The most fearsome thing I saw was a Russian Boar that had escaped form a game farm 150 miles away. I suppose if I go agenst wishes and go solo I should get a pistol, but I don't think it would be necessary. The worst thing would be the flies and mosquitos when you stop.
