Chuck
Maximum Pace
- Feb 7, 2011
- 1,617
- 1,877
For anyone interested to know what happens to Route 76 at the top of the pass...
At about the 29 km mark, the route turns to soft packed sand with large stones everywhere and continues like that for about 5 km (the 34km mark). I've not done much off-roading so can't compare, but found that the stones had me going off-balance while the sand had my tires sinking in to dirt that had the consistency of beach sand. I had Schwalbe 700x28s on the bike. They didn't flat, which actually surprised me a bit because the stones had pretty rough edges, but the tires weren't wide enough to give me the traction I needed to ride it.
Definitely wouldn't consider doing this section on regular road tires. My guess is the rocks would eat up the sidewalls. There is almost no asphalt. 95% loose packed sand and rock. I walked all but 5% of it. Took me 1.5 hours to hike this section. I took lots of pictures of the path on this part, so hope it helps you to understand what to expect.
About 2 km prior to the tunnel at the top (the 34km mark), asphalt returns. Yeah!! The south end of the tunnel has a load of rock dumped there to seal the entrance from cars. Bikers can easily scramble over. Another rock pile happens about a km further down the road. Again, easily gotten over by a biker. The rest of the way down the mountain is all asphalt.
From the tunnel down to the campground, the road is good but there were plenty of fallen rocks scattered over the road. Had to keep the speed low to be able to maneuver through them. Otherwise, easy to bust a rim or have a crash. Past the campground, it is smooth sailing down to Tanzawa and Yaga.
I liked Route 76. Almost no cars. Beautiful scenery. Certainly no speedsters. Lots of nature. However, the section I walked got a bit tiresome. Even on foot the rocks are throwing you off-balance while the sand is denying you traction. Plus, scrambling over rock piles got a bit old. So, if you choose to do this section, make sure you have either MTB shoes or carry a pair of tennis shoes. Plan to get them wet and muddy if it has rained recently.
I did pass one old man, hiking with his dog. He told me to be careful of bears. So, might want to keep that in mind. I had been fore-warned by Half-Fast Mike and had my bell on the bike.
At about the 29 km mark, the route turns to soft packed sand with large stones everywhere and continues like that for about 5 km (the 34km mark). I've not done much off-roading so can't compare, but found that the stones had me going off-balance while the sand had my tires sinking in to dirt that had the consistency of beach sand. I had Schwalbe 700x28s on the bike. They didn't flat, which actually surprised me a bit because the stones had pretty rough edges, but the tires weren't wide enough to give me the traction I needed to ride it.
Definitely wouldn't consider doing this section on regular road tires. My guess is the rocks would eat up the sidewalls. There is almost no asphalt. 95% loose packed sand and rock. I walked all but 5% of it. Took me 1.5 hours to hike this section. I took lots of pictures of the path on this part, so hope it helps you to understand what to expect.
About 2 km prior to the tunnel at the top (the 34km mark), asphalt returns. Yeah!! The south end of the tunnel has a load of rock dumped there to seal the entrance from cars. Bikers can easily scramble over. Another rock pile happens about a km further down the road. Again, easily gotten over by a biker. The rest of the way down the mountain is all asphalt.
From the tunnel down to the campground, the road is good but there were plenty of fallen rocks scattered over the road. Had to keep the speed low to be able to maneuver through them. Otherwise, easy to bust a rim or have a crash. Past the campground, it is smooth sailing down to Tanzawa and Yaga.
I liked Route 76. Almost no cars. Beautiful scenery. Certainly no speedsters. Lots of nature. However, the section I walked got a bit tiresome. Even on foot the rocks are throwing you off-balance while the sand is denying you traction. Plus, scrambling over rock piles got a bit old. So, if you choose to do this section, make sure you have either MTB shoes or carry a pair of tennis shoes. Plan to get them wet and muddy if it has rained recently.
I did pass one old man, hiking with his dog. He told me to be careful of bears. So, might want to keep that in mind. I had been fore-warned by Half-Fast Mike and had my bell on the bike.
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