Reply to Rough trail

I ride a good bit, around 500 miles a month, mostly on a asphalt paved bike trail and asphalt surface streets.....not exactly well maintained, but whenever I get up there and ride the silver comet, wow, on the Georgia side, the concrete is so harsh to me, it beats me up pretty good, neck, shoulders, wrist, even after only 10-20 miles.....it's kind of starting taking the fun out of the silver comet for me.

For example, on the GA side, west of cedartown, there are a 2 short sections where an asphalt road parallels the trail, I take the road...and it's such a physical relief, the roads are not in pristine shape or anything, but relative to the concrete SC trail, it just feels like I'm floating when I'm on the road...Is this just me, I've never really heard anyone else talking about this....

I ride an older 2005-ish specialized allez aluminum frame with carbon forks and seatpost, 25mm tires around 90 psi, but I see you guys and gals out there with your fancy carbon fiber future shock ISOspeed decoupled bikes...do those rigs do a decent job of taking the edge off that concrete ? Anyone switched from an older bike like mine to a domane\roubaix\synapse\defy modern "endurance" bike ?

Also those long slight grades kind of get in my head at times, i'm used to more of a rolling ride with some pretty level sections in between...guess no carbon fiber in the world can help with that...but going down those long grades is great, makes me feel like I'm a real cyclists...i really like the run from around the state line going east back to cedartown.

No shade on the SC, it's absolutely beautiful, i really like it in the winter in the on-grade sections during leaf-off. You can see the terrain, it's really neat to ride across those valley fills when your way up high and the peak cuts are cool riding in between those walls of rocks...

Absolutely ruff conditions. Ive gone with a Jamis Ventura alum/carbon fork roadbike that will hold 32mm tires running about 85psi. Takes the edge off and wasnt a very expensive bike. Double wrap the bars. Im sure a gravel bike would be good also but probably heavier. Ive got an expensive isobar carbon fiber bike and i found them both similar but the 25mm tires are rougher. the carbon bike is faster if you pull but its just really not like the Jamis is a slow bike. I'm lucky to be able to compare both and i was surprised I dont feel like the alum bike is slower.

The 32mm tires are gatorskins. I prefer the Jamis bike on the trail.

Cheers.

>Absolutely ruff conditions
Thanks Redeye,glad it's just not me.

Sometimes when I'm riding the SC I think that it sure would be nice if they somehow were able to put a nice smooth layer of asphalt on top of that concrete...sometimes I think way back in the late 90s\early 2000s it was asphalt....but I'm pretty unsure about that...

>Ive gone with a Jamis Ventura alum/carbon fork roadbike
I actually have a ~2008 Jamis Ventura, I figured that it would be around the same ride quality as my Allez. I'm maxed out tire size wize on my allez running the 25s, but yea I'll have another look at my Jamis and see if I can get wider tires on it....

> Double wrap the bars
Ohh yea, thats a good idea

Ok, just road Saturday August 19th from 7 miles west of cedartown(to get an even 100 miles) to the end at weaver, AL.

I upgraded my tires from cheaper ones(continental ultra sport iii) to Conti Grand Prix 4 season, 25 mm, worked my way down from 95 PSI to 82.

Game changer, those tires take the concrete vibration(i think it the sidewalls, they seem different than the cheap tires?) that I was complaining about away, and also in general smooth out asphalt also, honestly it's kindof like a new bike. And too boot, they handle great, love the cornering.

With these tires, now I like the georgia side better, pretty pretty smooth. The roots on the Alabama asphalt side are now my new nemesis.

I'm still considering an endurance bike for those roots, looking at trek domane and specialized roubaix with their active suspensions, but also giant defy, canyon endurace, cannondale synapse, felt VR

I just got a used\like new 2015 Specialized Secteur as a backup\guest\kids bike, it supposed to be ~an aluminium version of the Roubaix. Unlike the newer roubaix, it does not have an active suspension(no future shock, pave seatpost), but it is supposed to be a more forgiving frame than my old allez, I'll give that a shot next time, i just wanted a few local shakeout riders first.

Surprised at how much better the shifting on 2015 Claris is over ~2011 105. Bigger jump between gears(8 vs 10 speed), but claris rear shift action is much lighter, does not miss, front shift action is almost not comparable, so so much lighter than my old 105. wow.

Root mitigation has started for the CLT in Piedmont, AL's area of responsibility (approx. 13 miles from MM9 to MM22). Good to see this issue is being corrected before severe injuries result.