RIP Cambridge to Paris Rail-Trail? (ON,Canada)

Hi there.

Saturday I rode the 18 kilometres long Cambridge to Paris rail-trail
on on my mtn drop handlebar bike with its 2.0 in. knobby tyres. I did
the out and back ride for the total of 36 kilometres. Very enjoyable
ride.

Lovely stone dust surface. I have ridden this trail with 20 mm tyres
with no problems. Many parts I can ride no hands safely.

Sunday late afternoon did the same ride with a friend. Very enjoyable
ride on the stone dust surface riding my 32 mm cyclo-cross tyres shod
road racing Miele.

Monday we took another friend on the same ride with me on the 32 mm
tyres. Just short of the 12 kilometres from Cambridge point the lovely
stone dust surface has been turned to coarse gravel. What the hell?
This crap was very hard to ride and still have full control of the 32
mm tyres on my bike.

This new surface was created between 7:00 PM Sunday night and noon
Monday.

We made it to the Paris end and headed back to Cambridge. At one point
I hit a large patch of loose gravel and the bike drifted
uncontrollably towards the edge of the enbankment! **** this is not
good! I tried gently steering the front wheel away from the looming
precipice. No joy, the bike continued driftling towards the now very
edge of a very steep and long drop. So I unclipped my right foot and
prepared to let the bike go over the edge without me. Braking had only
caused the slide edgeward to worsen. A final thought, "Lean the bike
to the right and hit the rear brake only and hard!" I did that and
sure enough the rear wheel skidded sideways a bit and I immediately
released the brake and the bike, which was now angled back towards the
trail, travelled to firmer ground. That was too close!

Today I rode down to the half-way point with the intention of perhaps
riding to the Paris end. I was on my mtn dropbar equipped bike again
but with my leather Wright saddle on it instead of the saddle I had
been using. As it turned out I met a very nice fellow on a cyclo-cross
bike headed back towards the Paris end. I rode the whole stretch with
him. He said that even with his cyclo-cross racing experience and the
38 mm tyres on his bike he was having a lot of trouble maintaining
control.

I can not but help wondering whatever possessed the powers that are
the managers/custodians of this trail to put that type of gravel
surface on this section of that trail. To all intents and purposes
this six kilometres of rail-trail has been ruined for the casual
recreational rider or for the older riders and for the children who
used to be able to enjoy the ride on the stone dust surface. What is
really disturbing is that this section is the FIRST six kilometres any
riders starting out from the Paris end of the trail are faced with.
This section of the rail-trail is now downright dangerous to riders
either with narrow tyre shod bicycles or who do not have great bike
handling skills.

This is more than a pity because I have seen many families riding
together on that section of trail. Many of the kids are less than ten.
I think this new surface is criminal!

I can only hope that these six kilometres of the rail-trail will soon
be returned to the much smoother and enjoyable stone dust surface.

This rail-trail is quite an attraction for riders from far away as it
directly connects with two other trails that let you continue from
Paris to Brantford and from there to Hamilton for a total one way ride
of @80 kilometres

With the trail the way it is now many riders will not be able to make
the their way from the Paris end to the half-way point towards
Cambridge.

This new surface is an abomination and I'd love to find out what idiot
or idiots implemented the change in surface.

Cheers from Peter

Well, grousing to us doesn't help. Contact the Powers That Be who
govern that trail. It's entirely possible that they contracted with
someone (idiotic) to do trail maintenance and this is the result.

On May 9, 8:03 am, Tim McNamara wrote:
Well, grousing to us doesn't help. Contact the Powers That Be who
govern that trail. It's entirely possible that they contracted with
someone (idiotic) to do trail maintenance and this is the result.


Hi.

Perhaps you saw it as grousing.

However, seeing as some of the members of this group live near enough
to that rail-trail they may have been thinking about going there to
ride it or may have decided to come some distance to ride it (it is a
very popular trail) I thought it might be pertinent to let them know
that those six kilometres section of rail-trail are no longer the fine
stone dust surface that a ( they might be familiar with or b) that
they read about in the available brochures or websites promoting that
rail-trail.

Believe me I do intend to question those who oversee the upkeep of
this rail-trail in order to ascertain why they went to this very poor
and dangerous surface.

Peter

On May 9, 9:55 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On May 9, 8:03 am, Tim McNamara wrote:

Well, grousing to us doesn't help. Contact the Powers That Be who
govern that trail. It's entirely possible that they contracted with
someone (idiotic) to do trail maintenance and this is the result.

Hi.

Perhaps you saw it as grousing.

However, seeing as some of the members of this group live near enough
to that rail-trail they may have been thinking about going there to
ride it or may have decided to come some distance to ride it (it is a
very popular trail) I thought it might be pertinent to let them know
that those six kilometres section of rail-trail are no longer the fine
stone dust surface that a ( they might be familiar with or b) that
they read about in the available brochures or websites promoting that
rail-trail.

Believe me I do intend to question those who oversee the upkeep of
this rail-trail in order to ascertain why they went to this very poor
and dangerous surface.

Peter

You and anyone else who has experienced this section of the Trail
should contact the Grand River Conservation Authority immediately.
All the contact information can be found on the following:
http://www.grandriver.ca/index/docum...Sub1=69&sub2=0

On May 10, 6:34 am, Phil wrote:
On May 9, 9:55 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:





On May 9, 8:03 am, Tim McNamara wrote:

Well, grousing to us doesn't help. Contact the Powers That Be who
govern that trail. It's entirely possible that they contracted with
someone (idiotic) to do trail maintenance and this is the result.

Hi.

Perhaps you saw it as grousing.

However, seeing as some of the members of this group live near enough
to that rail-trail they may have been thinking about going there to
ride it or may have decided to come some distance to ride it (it is a
very popular trail) I thought it might be pertinent to let them know
that those six kilometres section of rail-trail are no longer the fine
stone dust surface that a ( they might be familiar with or b) that
they read about in the available brochures or websites promoting that
rail-trail.

Believe me I do intend to question those who oversee the upkeep of
this rail-trail in order to ascertain why they went to this very poor
and dangerous surface.

Peter

You and anyone else who has experienced this section of the Trail
should contact the Grand River Conservation Authority immediately.
All the contact information can be found on the following:http://www.grandriver.ca/index/docum...ub1=69&sub2=0- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Hi there.

I contacted the GRC and they told me that it was routine (yearly - but
I never saw the trail this rough before) maintainance. Unfortunately
they will not be putting stone dust down over this 6 kilometres
section due to budget constraints. They are just going to wait and
let the larger patches of gravel work their way back into the trail.

Therefore if you need an area where you can practice bike handling
skiils or if you enjoy getting your butt paddled this six kilometres
of trail is for you.

When I ride the Cambridge to Paris section of the Cambridge to
Brantford to Hamilton rail-trail I will exit the trail at Glen Morris
nine kilometres from Paris and ride East River Road to the PAris end
of the trail where I can then pick up the Paris to Brantford section.

Cheers from Peter

On May 10, 6:34 am, Phil wrote:
On May 9, 9:55 am, Sir Ridesalot wrote:





On May 9, 8:03 am, Tim McNamara wrote:

Well, grousing to us doesn't help. Contact the Powers That Be who
govern that trail. It's entirely possible that they contracted with
someone (idiotic) to do trail maintenance and this is the result.

Hi.

Perhaps you saw it as grousing.

However, seeing as some of the members of this group live near enough
to that rail-trail they may have been thinking about going there to
ride it or may have decided to come some distance to ride it (it is a
very popular trail) I thought it might be pertinent to let them know
that those six kilometres section of rail-trail are no longer the fine
stone dust surface that a ( they might be familiar with or b) that
they read about in the available brochures or websites promoting that
rail-trail.

Believe me I do intend to question those who oversee the upkeep of
this rail-trail in order to ascertain why they went to this very poor
and dangerous surface.

Peter

You and anyone else who has experienced this section of the Trail
should contact the Grand River Conservation Authority immediately.
All the contact information can be found on the following:http://www.grandriver.ca/index/docum...ub1=69&sub2=0- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Hi all.

Well at least it is not as bad as the Kissing Bridge rail-trail from
Guelph to Millbank apparently is.

Check out the signs in this photo:

http://www.bobmcmullen.info/linwoodwest.jpg

or the condition of the Perth County section of that trail:

http://www.bobmcmullen.info/millbank2.jpg

Cheers from Peter