delaware and raritan canal bikepath

I have a Strada with std tires. would these be good enough to ride on the canal path in the
Princeton area? If not, are any areas of the path good enough?

thanks, john clarke

I have been wondering that myself. It looks like hardpack clay gravel etc. I live so close, it would
be a nice place to ride.

"jc" <jcswedes@comcast.net> wrote in message news:C_ednRWRJrk7KbSiXTWJkA@comcast.com...
> I have a Strada with std tires. would these be good enough to ride on the canal path in the
> Princeton area? If not, are any areas of the path good enough?
>
> thanks, john clarke

I have riden for several years on the path with Kendra Quest and Primo Monsters and they worked
fine. The canal path by Carnegie Lake is the best part. It is exciting to ride there when the crew
team is racing or practicing. You can race along side them. Recently, I rode the canal on the
Deleware side from Frenchtown down to Trenton a great trip.

I have riden other rail trails in the state and my favorite is the Columbia Trail. Look at
www.trailLink.com and look up New Jersey.

Bill K.

I have 2 406 S-Slicks on my recumbent, I was afraid to try. I am real close to the lake, directly
off of 27.

"BillK" <w.f.kelly@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:ebcd8b42.0308010742.42ffbe1@posting.google.com...
> I have riden for several years on the path with Kendra Quest and Primo Monsters and they worked
> fine. The canal path by Carnegie Lake is the best part. It is exciting to ride there when the crew
> team is racing or practicing. You can race along side them. Recently, I rode the canal on the
> Deleware side from Frenchtown down to Trenton a great trip.
>
> I have riden other rail trails in the state and my favorite is the Columbia Trail. Look at
> www.trailLink.com and look up New Jersey.
>
> Bill K.

I've ridden most of the D&R path and the PA side of the Delaware River, usually on my mountain bike
with 1.6 inch slicks mounted. They are pretty sturdy tires and I would suggest using more than
"standard road tires". I flatted this year on the strech between Lambertville and Washington
Crossing - there are some rocky - well stoney - sections there. That was on my road bike (upright)
with worn out 28C700 kevlar belted tires. The front tire was flat the next day. I've been thinking
about riding the path on my Tailwind with the 1.75 primo comets and fenders. I think they would work
fine. The section of the path near Princeton can be muddy after heavy rain - so beware if you ride
then with skinny tires. There are some nice loops along the Delaware - go up the Jersey side, cross
the river on one of the bridges and come back down the PA side. The path has recently been improved
south of P'town so New Brunswick to Mulberry St in Trenton are now easily rideabe. Sorry for the
brain dump - in a hurry so just jotted the thoughts as they tumbled out.

"jc" <jcswedes@comcast.net> wrote in message news:C_ednRWRJrk7KbSiXTWJkA@comcast.com...
> I have a Strada with std tires. would these be good enough to ride on the canal path in the
> Princeton area? If not, are any areas of the path good enough?
>
> thanks, john clarke

I've ridden the Delaware and Raritan Canal from Boundbrook to Millstone and Millstone to West
Windsor via Princeton.

The Boundbrook to Millstone leg is horrible, large gravel, many tree roots, etc.

The Millstone to Princeton Section is mostly clay type hard packed dirt. There is a small
stretch that might involve crossing a four inch stream. (I carried the bike over). It is kind of
like man made mini waterfall with cobblestones. It's slippery. The princeton/west windsor
stretch is very nice.

The nicest part of the D&R canal is the Frenchtown to Trenton portion. We rode from Frenchtown to
Lambertville crossed the river to New Hope PA, rode back on the PA side, then recrossed into NJ in
Frenchtown. The NJ side is consistently even hard packed cinders. The PA side is very nice by
Lambertsmill, but then continues to deteriorate into single track by Frenchtown. Also there are
several low hanging overpasses, and no exit by the Frenchtown covered bridge. (you have to exit
through a park, or go past Frenchtown and return).

There is a nice bridge to cross into PA at Bulls Island State Park.

Years ago I tried the section below P'town and it was single track then just stopped. Can you now
ride into Trenton on the canal or do you have to get off the trail?

Bill K.

"Louiedafish" <loubekes@msn.com> wrote in message
news:<dlCWa.27507$Wd5.6416501@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>...
> The path has recently been improved south of P'town so New Brunswick to Mulberry St in Trenton
> are now easily rideabe. Sorry for the brain dump - in a hurry so just jotted the thoughts as
> they tumbled out.
>
> > >

I know the path has been improved all the way to Mulberry Street so technically you are in Trenton
but you have to go off trail and use the city streets if you want to ride the path along the
Delaware River. I'm not sure how the path negotiates Route 1. Several years ago when I last rode
that part of the path you had to travel about a half mile south along the highway to cross at a
traffic light. Since there is so little headroom between the canal and the highway a direct crossing
will require a pedestrian bridge over the highway so I'm sure that you still have to get off the
canal path there.

Lou

"BillK" <w.f.kelly@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:ebcd8b42.0308030409.6f621c27@posting.google.com...
> Years ago I tried the section below P'town and it was single track then just stopped. Can you now
> ride into Trenton on the canal or do you have to get off the trail?
>
> Bill K.
>
>
>
>
> "Louiedafish" <loubekes@msn.com> wrote in message
news:<dlCWa.27507$Wd5.6416501@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>...
> > The path has recently been improved south of P'town so New Brunswick to Mulberry St in
> > Trenton are
now
> > easily rideabe. Sorry for the brain dump - in a hurry so just jotted
the
> > thoughts as they tumbled out.
> >
> > > >
>