The Rock Island Trail

Which direction is easiest?

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gsd from Ft. Worth on 10/11/2006 3:19:40 PM:

I will soon be riding the entire trail for the first time and would like to go the direction that would be the easiest. Should I go from west to east OR east to west? I'm assuming that elevation at both places would be the biggest factor, but also, what about winds coming from one direction or the other? I will ride in late November.

Mark of the Dalton Boys from Austin, TX/Columbia, MO. on 10/11/2006 3:52:54 PM:

West to East but total elevation difference is only in the 800' arena and winds typically southwest to northeast to oversimplify but only the elevation difference can be considered utterly accurate data. Been on the Trinity River system lately? Regards...Mark of the Dalton Boys

Jason from Huntsville, AL on 10/12/2006 11:03:33 AM:

I would DEFINITELY say west to east. There seem to be more rolling hills that go down and chances are, you will have a tail wind. When we were riding west, it was tough!!! Good luck. You will love it either way you go!

gsd from Ft. Worth on 10/12/2006 3:33:41 PM:

To the Dalton Boys - Concerning the Trinity River, YES!!! This is where I ride every day :) These trails go all over Ft. Worth and go off in so many different directions. It's great because you can either ride on concrete OR packed limestone. Depending on the shape your stomach is in, you can ride off one direction and smell the fish, but the other direction, you smell steaks grilling at the restaurants across the river. The scenery is very nice. Have you ever had the opportunity to ride the Trinity?

Ken from St. Charles on 10/12/2006 4:44:03 PM:

I rode the trail west to east in 3 days last week. The first day from Clinton to Rocheport was pretty grueling. It seemed to be all uphill to Pilot Grove. We also had light headwinds from the east all 3 days. In spite of that, the weather was great and I'm ready to do it again. If you're looking for a stop near Bluffton, I would heartily recommend the Rendleman Home B & B.

Ken

Ken from St. Charles on 10/12/2006 5:02:29 PM:

GC from Columbia, Mo. on 10/13/2006 7:28:24 AM:

Yeah, I agree,there is definitely a trend for slight inclines from the Clifton City area to Pilot Grove, and a little bit of one from I-70 into Boonville. If you are an experienced rider, I would think it wouldn't be too much of a problem.

Oh, and I have walked the Trinity Trails from near the Fort Worth Zoo to Lake Benbrook. Nice trail!

Jim from St. Thomas on 10/13/2006 12:39:04 PM:

When we rode the whole trail West to East last May and I have to say the first stretch from Clinton to Pilot Grove with it's long, gradual incline kicked my butt. When we pulled into Pilot Grove I was the happiest guy on earth. All of our riding is on the trail and I was surprised at how much difference the incline made. To be honest though, the real problem was probably that we had very little seat time before we did the ride. By the way,when in Pilot Grove I highly recommend Deon's Bar and Grill.....great burgers and onion rings.

TRYNA from NORMAN, OKLAHOMA on 10/15/2006 9:27:05 AM:

are you planning to ride the trail with a group or just by yourself, i am interested in riding but only in a group for transportation reasons....have a great time .

El Toro on 10/15/2006 8:17:12 PM:

I just finished a three day ride from Clinton to St. Charles yesterday afternoon at 2pm. EVERYONE I talked to on the trail (about 6 experienced trail riders) said go WEST to EAST. 3 people had done it both ways and said they would never again go east to west. It's a WONDERFUL trip. I had a great time. I will do it again sometime.

I also agree with the comments about the toughest part of the ride being from Clinton to Pilot Grove - or maybe Booneville. Grades aren't steep - but there are some long ones. It is manageable. I pushed hard the first day and did 114 miles to Hartsburg. Took it REAL easy day 2 and went to the Doll House B and B in Rheinland (great stay) and then finished with 67 miles to St. Charles. Next time - I think I'll do 4 days.

Enjoy your trip!

gsd from Ft. Worth on 10/16/2006 11:22:27 AM:

TRYNA - I will be riding with my husband - I'm not really into the big group thing :) Thank you everyone for your advice - I think I will definitely go West to East.

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