How do you all like RWGPS for route building? 

This weekend I was up in West Kill, NY with the cx bike and used the new route creator feature on the Strava app. It lets you plug in filters like distance, hilly/flat, prefer dirt roads, etc and uses their heatmap to create a route for ya. This LOOKED great on the map but I realized fairly deep into a ride that I was being sent on a non bikable, North East hiking trail. When I got back, I tried to make other routes and for some reason it kept routing me down that trail. There's definitely some bugs that I hope they work out soon because it would be awesome for traveling. Maybe it is better in more bike popular places. 

I'm gonna argue, in the US nothing rivals RWGPS for route building.

There's still tricks to create good enjoyable routes with RWGPS, which like you, I have learned the hard way.

• Lean heavy on the google maps street view, see the details. 
• Another is to use satellite view, turn label off -- is there a road? unless you've been there and know otherwise, if you can't see it, there is no road.
• Plan for stops and civilization
• Nothing beats local knowledge. Harder in times of Covid, but ask your parent, aunt, whoever owns the place you are staying, hey, this is my ride tomorrow, what do you think?
• And, well, be prepared for adventure. Its the whole point
  

Mark Taylor said:

Does anybody have any tips on how to seek out gravel roads while using RWGPS

While this is not complete (especially for the Catskills) I've found some pretty good inspiration for potential routes:

https://gravelmap.com/

Mark Taylor said:

Does anybody have any tips on how to seek out gravel roads while using RWGPS

While this is not complete (especially for the Catskills) I've found some pretty good inspiration for potential routes:

https://gravelmap.com/

This was helpful , i had actually planed a route into PA from calicoon NY , which seems to of included some gravel , i managed to tag on some more using the map

How optimistic are you? Are you ready to register for a ride/race in May? Will mass start events be back?

Registration for Farmer’s Daughter opens up January 1st at 12:01am. I registered for the first time in 2020 and had my registration reimbursed when they cancelled. I figure that’s the worst that could happen. Right?

Who is silly enough to optimistically register with me?

Reg link

I think May is likely too soon, but will register, will also register for the Vermont overland in August 

I plan to register for Farmer's Daughter, too

I registered for FD. 

Signed up to FD, forgot about Vermont Overland, just checked already sold out

Registered too.

I’m in for FD🤞

In as well.

Nice that we will have a group on this ride. Perhaps we will be able to ride together... if we have the vaccine? 

Wow you guys. I love the enthusiasm. April 1 seems awfully close. Watching the ER's in town fill and the reports of a new super-contagious strain have me feeling pretty bleak about 2021.

Jules said:

Wow you guys. I love the enthusiasm. April 1 seems awfully close. Watching the ER's in town fill and the reports of a new super-contagious strain have me feeling pretty bleak about 2021.

Well, Farmer's Daughter is mid-May but I agree that things don't look great. But if a miracle happens I didn't want to expect a second miracle (an open reg spot). 

I also doubt it will happen, and as far as riding as a group,I haven’t managed to hold any of you guys wheels previously 😩

I put myself in the lottery for Ted King's Rooted Vermont. I totally forgot to register this morning so I'm not sure if there was always just a lottery or if it already filled up. This one isn't until August 1st 🤞🤞🤞🤞

Mark Taylor said:

I also doubt it will happen, and as far as riding as a group,I haven’t managed to hold any of you guys wheels previously 😩

Everybody starts from zero in January. Your legs are a clean slate today. Well rested!

So, my grinder friends, the OCA (Old Croton Aqueduct).  Who has ridden it?

Yesterday, I picked it up in Hastings on Hudson and rode it south til it seemed to abruptly end in Yonkers, right by North Broadway.  I figured the cold weather might have kept people away.  Nope.  Or at least I hope it's not twice as crowded on warm weekends.

So, some questions.

1. I did it with a 23mm front, 25mm rear.  Seemed eminently doable on a road bike, though the ground was pretty cold.  A few muddy patches and a slick sidehill were the only difficulties, though I guess I could have gone faster over the curbs with something with greater volume.  What tires are people riding?

2. Is there a public map of where one can pick it up in NYC and ride it to where I lost the track in Yonkers?

I've done it a bunch of times this year, going from VCP and then up and over the Cuomo bridge. Is VCP the start of the actual trail portion? This is the route I have taken from Brooklyn.

I take my cross bike with the 33mm stock specialized tires which are usually a lil too beefier than needed for the road. I think the comfy tires might be faster (?) on the path but I could see how smaller tires could also be enticing. Those curbs at almost every intersection are pretty annoying and I'm surprised accessibility groups haven't asked to make it more wheelchair friendly. 

i've done it a bunch of times too, with @RobertMullen 's route from VCP loaded on my bolt. it's weird in spots like Yonkers and a couple of other random meandering junctions, but past Yonkers it's mostly connected with better trail markers. I've always taken my cross bike with 33mm file treads which are real fast in most sections, and pretty nice on the road. there are sections with roots, but nothing that makes it impossible on road tires. however, if you're going to follow the OCA on to croton dam there are a few rocky sections that would be difficult on narrow road tires.

Thanks both.  

I'm thinking the bigger file-tread or smooth tires are probably better overall for the trail.  However, if one is just jumping on for a few miles here or there, road tires are the faster overall ride option, even if it means having to hold back a bit on the dirt.

I just remembered that a bunch of us signed up for Rasputitsa. I think our reg moved over to 2021 automatically but I haven't heard anything about it. Based on insta, it looks like they're shooting for that April date. Any thoughts on it? 

April would almost certainly prove to be too early, regardless, we are most definitely not on 2021 the pre-reg list. If we are not sure, we'll need to double check with the promoter what might have happened to our  2020 registrations.

I checked my email and it confirmed we have been moved to 2021.

Here is the current Kissena list on bikereg for this year's event:

 

However, I see it does not show up in "My upcoming events" list

https://www.bikereg.com/Confirmed/47384

Thanks Patrick, somehow I missed it. Awesome, now let's fully fix Covid by then and we all set!!

That is a righteous roster!

btw you can "star" the event in BikeReg so that it appears under Saved events

2021 Rasputitsa has been postponed and moved to April 2022.