I'm compiling a list of bad roads. Roads that are a specific kind of bad. They're northeast Ohio's version of the cobblestone roads of northern France. The surface should be good enough to support high speed riding on a road bike, but rattles the bones, and forces you to pay constant attention and choose a good line and make the occasional bunny hop to avoid disaster. On the other hand, the surface can't be so bad that a puncture or smashed rim is guaranteed.
There are some different road types that would qualify. One example is the brick roads around Chagrin Falls. Another example is the totally deteriorated pavement of Hart Road near Clay Street in northern Geauga County. Almost any chip and seal road would make the list, like Winchell Road in Hiram Rapids.
There are also the uniquely bad semi-private roads. One gem is the road that connects Hale Road to route 608. However, that road is too bad for high speed riding. There are several Amish farm roads that meet that qualification down by Middlefield.
Currently, I'm on the hunt for farm field roads, or utility roads that aren't just dead ends, but aren't total mud pits.
6 comments:
Sperry between Mulberry and Mayfield.(unpaved)
Heath between Mulberry and Wilson Mills. (unpaved)
Dines/Pekin, sort of.
Oh yeah! Sperry and Heath have that special combination of dirt, tar, and oil that makes them pretty fast, and sketchy at high speed.
I need to go check out Wisner Road, north of Kirtland Chardon to see if it's possible to connect to Wisner/Mentor Road on a road bike. I haven't been down there for a while.
Trying to steal my ride???
Jim, After watching that Leadville movie I started thinking about doing a Paris-Roubaix style race somewhere around here, or a point-to-point cyclocross race. But, I'm also wondering what our local Arenberg is--what's the worst stretch of road around here that you can still actually ride on a road bike at high speed?
I checked out Wisner Rd, north of Kirtland-Chardon. It's chip-n-seal, now up to the bridge, then packed gravel. Unfortunately where it's closed, I doubt it's rideable on a road bike. It's been chewed up by fat, heavy beasts and the horses they ride.
The last time I was on that section of Wisner, it was not rideable. Can't imagine it is any better. The real problem with that area is that you have to climb some pretty serious hills to get out of the area. My thought has always been to keep it fairly flat and let the roads do the damage.
I welcome any input you might have for next years Roubaix Ride (April 11). I always tell guys that any help in finding roads is good. I found some new ones between Mesopotamia and Bloomfield.
If you are trying to do a race, I am very willing to help you find some areas. The problem is that a circuit race requires going over the same roads multiple times but a point to point is much harder to manage.
BTW, I think you and Bill found the worst road last year when you both flatted many times within 3 miles of Middlefield.
No doubt about those flats! The gravel they used on that road definitely wasn't bike-tire friendly.
The point-to-point format would be hard to organize, but would be a really memorable event for people.
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