Gravel Grinding
- Thread starter JTK37
- Start date
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
yes, but some sections are not well maintained
Where were you planning to start and in which direction?
My office is on Whippany road, is probably be looking to enter anywhere from Jefferson road to Sussex Tpke. Could go either direction. When daylight permits looking for something I could make into a 1hr round trip if possible(15 miles or so total depending on elevation-not opposed to multiple laps).
Looking at this as something I could do when I can’t get home early enough to take the road bike out and I haven’t made a decision on a new MTB yet.
Here’s a ride I did starting in MoTown out to Mendham. This was on my MTB, but I’ve done the same on my CX bike with both gravel and CX tires. The only sketchy part is the “boat loop climb” and descent on the way back.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2002178685
Just looking at the route and trying to figure it out. Did you ride down Morris-on the street, towards the center of town, or were you on the trail? Thanks, Joe
I parked on a quiet dead end street at the end of the Traction Line, right next to 287 and took the road for a short distance to the trailhead of Patriots Path, on Martin Luther King Ave, and the rest was gravel, paved path, and dirt.
Here’s where the trail starts.
The first short section brings you next to some train tracks, and says it’s closed, but only on the way back, so eff it. You can also park on Speedwell Ave and just go from there. You won’t miss anything, I just wanted to drive a little less, coming from Madison.
I’ll find one where I started at Speedwell and want farther (further?).
^ about @MadisonDan 's route...
I do something similar (live in Morristown)... That section that runs next to the train tracks pops out on the road. The path technically keeps going a little to the left but then it just stops. So when you go past the tracks, there's a gate that's often closed and you pop out on Cory road (?) where cars from the right will be coming towards you from under a tight tunnel/bridge thing. Cross there. Hop into street and make your way over to the speedwell parking lot for the rest of the path.
I hope that made some sense
I do something similar (live in Morristown)... That section that runs next to the train tracks pops out on the road. The path technically keeps going a little to the left but then it just stops. So when you go past the tracks, there's a gate that's often closed and you pop out on Cory road (?) where cars from the right will be coming towards you from under a tight tunnel/bridge thing. Cross there. Hop into street and make your way over to the speedwell parking lot for the rest of the path.
I hope that made some sense
Hop the gate.
East of 287 is the Traction Line. Paved path that runs parallel to the tracks and ends in Madison. The end is where I parked on the route above, and then heads east to Madison.
Paved well enough for a straight up 700x28 road bike? Or degraded enough to require a gravel bike or hardtail!
Paved paved. But traction line is only like 3 miles long? But you can pop out onto the road, make a right and then head into Geralda farms for more riding... Link it up with loantaka too... If you really want to keep going, head into downtown Morristown from there
What Joy said.
This route shows you how to get through Morristown and continues on Patriot's Path east of 287.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1130180975
I think everything in Morristown and probably Whippany would be ok on a gravel bike, but once you get north of Route 10, you'll want a mountain bike if memory serves. It is also blazed and signed in Morristown, but you have to really pay attention as you come out to the street several times. Look for the PP blaze on telephone poles telling you where to go. From Speedwell Lake to Cedar Knolls Rd is actually pretty cool, in a really ghetto kind of way.
I think it gets rough north of Ridgedale Ave, however still cross bike friendly all the way up through Whippany onto Parsippany Road.
Dusty the Whale
Mr.Chainsaw
What does PP thru Schooley's Mt look like?