What is lower Michigans most technical trail

[Sortaslow]

Most technical and most fun! Probably bet. Highland and Poto. But like what most of the previous post, We are sooo lucky here in SE MI. Where can you find a good quality, well maintained, good single track ,good flow, with bathroom, well mark , safe and with good traffic even early in the morning and night, that you can hit right after or before you go to work, its only here in SE MI.In most of the States, you can only hit this kind of trail on weekend due to distance and traffic. I live in Macomb area and i have a lot of choices like Stony,Bloomer,Bald Mtn,Addison or all of them combined . Kudos and thanks to DENR/County park management and to MMBA.

Sounds like you guys are really fortunate on the East Side but we got a decent setup over here on the West Side too. I have 4 different trails within about 3 miles of my front door. 6 within 10 miles and 8 within 20 miles. Of course it's kind of boring over here without all the stabbings and shootings and such.

Yeah, but there's nothing quite like biking like a bat out of *beep* on the trail trying to get away from the gun toting psychos trying to rob me. Crazy out this way. Twice I've had some guy pull a shank on me demanding I give up my bike. Night biking here is intense.

[c0nsumer]

Most technical and most fun! Probably bet. Highland and Poto. But like what most of the previous post, We are sooo lucky here in SE MI. Where can you find a good quality, well maintained, good single track ,good flow, with bathroom, well mark , safe and with good traffic even early in the morning and night, that you can hit right after or before you go to work, its only here in SE MI.In most of the States, you can only hit this kind of trail on weekend due to distance and traffic. I live in Macomb area and i have a lot of choices like Stony,Bloomer,Bald Mtn,Addison or all of them combined . Kudos and thanks to DENR/County park management and to MMBA.

Sounds like you guys are really fortunate on the East Side but we got a decent setup over here on the West Side too. I have 4 different trails within about 3 miles of my front door. 6 within 10 miles and 8 within 20 miles. Of course it's kind of boring over here without all the stabbings and shootings and such.

Yeah, but there's nothing quite like biking like a bat out of *beep* on the trail trying to get away from the gun toting psychos trying to rob me. Crazy out this way. Twice I've had some guy pull a shank on me demanding I give up my bike. Night biking here is intense.

You must have been in the River Bends Seasonal Loops.

[Sortaslow]

Most technical and most fun! Probably bet. Highland and Poto. But like what most of the previous post, We are sooo lucky here in SE MI. Where can you find a good quality, well maintained, good single track ,good flow, with bathroom, well mark , safe and with good traffic even early in the morning and night, that you can hit right after or before you go to work, its only here in SE MI.In most of the States, you can only hit this kind of trail on weekend due to distance and traffic. I live in Macomb area and i have a lot of choices like Stony,Bloomer,Bald Mtn,Addison or all of them combined . Kudos and thanks to DENR/County park management and to MMBA.

Sounds like you guys are really fortunate on the East Side but we got a decent setup over here on the West Side too. I have 4 different trails within about 3 miles of my front door. 6 within 10 miles and 8 within 20 miles. Of course it's kind of boring over here without all the stabbings and shootings and such.

Yeah, but there's nothing quite like biking like a bat out of *beep* on the trail trying to get away from the gun toting psychos trying to rob me. Crazy out this way. Twice I've had some guy pull a shank on me demanding I give up my bike. Night biking here is intense.

You must have been in the River Bends Seasonal Loops.

Or Clinton River trail where the rest of the creepy folk are! Makes for interesting solo night rides....

[jwhitey]

Where were you when you had a guy pull a shank on you? Twice?

[bh357]

Either the High Country Pathway, or the North Country Trail from Highbanks Rollaway to Baxter (*beep*) Bridge.

[xcrdr]

I think the tight turns with steep loose climbs of Torn Shirt the most technical. Rock gardens are no match for a 29er with a little momentum. The most technical trail in SE Mi was the Poto in the early to mid 90s. There used to be some climbs that were steep, long and very technical. You had to pick your way very carefully to the top and even then you weren't guaranteed to make it. Sadly almost all the technical climbs at Poto are gone.

I do agree that Poto was quite a ride back in the day. Mid 80's you took a full tool kit and a spare chain and a few tubes. On the bikes we were riding and the the trail not being built for flow it was a challenge sometimes just to finish.

[mr_opjones]

Uncle Jimmis

[mr_opjones]

[chrismaltby]

Cool thread. It makes me want to ride some trails I have not ridden in years, and it makes me want to check out some trails I have not ridden yet. This is a rare thread in that it is approaching 10 pages and no one has threatened to kill anyone yet. I'd also like to throw out some pure turning trails without many obstacles or downhills. The Jailhouse Trail and Luton Park need mentioning here (I scanned the pages - if they were mentioned disregard this..). I am not disregarding any of the trails mentioned. These two trails reward turning and turning fast. I put Ithaca on this thread largely because of the number of 12 hr. races I've done there. It is a trail that demands a technical awareness found in few other trails. It is a short trail. shorter than 5 miles, but pulling low 20's for hours on end is, well, tricky and very technical.

Keep the rubber side down,

Chris

[G.Cook]

and Luton just flows and flows. I really like that in a trail.

[Nooge]

Good inspiration to try some new trails

[BigGear]

So I got on this new thing called Youtube and looked up basic skills, realized that my turning style is way wrong and my front forks have been set up way to stiff. So I'm playing around with tire pressure and air setting on my fork. I also have been going to a local school to do some figure eights, trackstands, wheelies and curb riding.

Also been working on riding smart rather than clipping every tree along the way @ high speeds. Slow is fast sometimes right!

Sheeren trail in greenville is also a tight twisty trail that can be hooked up with edwards creek , worth checking out if your in the area.

[300hp]

Well, I rode "Skeletor" top to bottom, in the wet, yesterday and the day before.

Bcar is right. I have not been on a section of trail in lower michigan that rivals this little section. I felt *beep* good for riding the whole thing without stopping or putting a foot down. So lucky to have this around to hone my skills on.

[jfactor!]

Unless he's fixed it, I don't think this is rideable. Sure didn't look like it last time I was there (last summer). He did put in some new skinnies/drops in the ravine by the creek.