158 km gravel bike ride along the Prescott Russell Trail in Ontario goes off the rails!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.ย. 2024
- I had never ridden the Prescott Russell Recreational Trail in Ontario but kept seeing it pop up on Google Maps. The maps show it extending from Rigaud Quebec almost all the way to Ottawa, so I thought I'd try parking in Rigaud and then riding it out most of the way before looping back around on some paved and gravel roads I'd never ridden in the area. My trusty Mason Bokeh gravel bike is shod with 42mm Specialized S-Works Pathfinder tires and dealt with the actual trail just fine, but it turns out that the trail is NOT suitable at all for gravel bikes (or any bikes really!) in the Quebec portion. But I didn't want to double back, so I push through until the trail ends, and then find my way into someone's back yard before find a road again and getting back to my car! Watch my adventure to learn why you should ONLY ride the trail in Ontario!!
Here's my Strava file:
/ strava
Looks like fun, bring a tent, food,blanket, your all set.
@@bradhunt9518 I’ve considered this!
Thanks for this very informative video. I was riding in Rigaud many years ago and do remember seeing a CN sign advising cyclists not to ride on the old rail bed. I believe your video shows why! It was not supposed to be connected to the Prescott Russel trail, even though the train used the same route. There was also some concern years ago with riding the Prescott-Russell trail when it first opened because it was apparently covered in slag (scories), the dust from which, was not that good for health. However, I see now that it has been covered with fine gravel and is well-maintained. I don't understand the part about someone's backyard though. The trail map doesn't show that. The Ottawa-Wakefieled rail trail has also been recently upgraded, with new gravel applied in recent years.
On Google Maps (and other maps) it does show a bike path/trail leading all the back to that crazy rough bridge I started (and finished) on, so I just naturally assumed that the trail had been extended on the Quebec side all the way to Rigaud (which would make sense). Since the P-R trail is an Ontario "feature", I didn't expect the official trail map to show anything in Quebec necessarily. And while there is a trail of sorts (ski-doo trail actually) that keeps going along the rail bed, as you can see in the video it just gets rougher and rougher and more wild until it ends in the forest, just a few hundred meters from Rigaud! So I had to walk down that little path which in fact led to a housing development on the edge of Rigaud and found my way back to a road where I could get back to my car (super close). And on the Rigaud side it DOES look like they're doing some bulldozing/clearing where the trail exists just for a few hundred meters, so I'm guessing they are looking to extend it (hopefully).
Great vid, Paul! Nothing like being detoured and lost-ish at the start of a super long ride!
@@robertservranckx thanks! Yeah, it was more frustrating at the start lol!! At the end it was exasperating but I knew I was close so I was just gonna bush-whack it!
@@pss999 I hear you! And as great as your vid was, I can’t say that that Prescott-Russel trail sounds that exiting…
@@robertservranckx The trail was quite pleasant. Worth checking out at least once.
Wow, that’s a great video for me. I’m in Ottawa and have been trying to find someone to drop me off in Rigaud to ride back. I still want to try though… 😂
Ah, great! I wouldn't suggest it though lol. Start in St-Eugene and you'll enjoy the day... start in Rigaud and you better be riding an MTB 😂
@@pss999 I noticed on Apple Maps that it shows a trail detour around a part of the trail in Rigaud. I wonder if that’s valid
@@AndrewVanBeekOttawa Hmmm, yes, looking at Apple Maps now and their satellite view, it does seem that you can go from Rigaud and get to where it dead-ended for me and I had to go through that development (Rue du Frere-Andre-Daoust). On the way back, I do remember seeing a fork off to the left there, so it looks like it does in fact snake back to the horrid bridge I started and finished on (sign said don't walk or ride it lol). On the way out in trying to find the trail, I did also see a fork going off to the right, but I couldn't see from Google maps on my phone where it went exactly, and since it didn't seem to be going in the right direction and I had a long day ahead of me I didn't feel like wasting more time. But honestly, the whole thing just to get to that final little segment is so terrible I would never do it again, regardless of whether that bypass trail at the end actually exists or not.
@@pss999 It’s weird that it ends so abruptly at the border. It seems like a great opportunity for cyclotouring between provinces and Rigaud has a lot of nice areas around it.
I really appreciate your info!
@@AndrewVanBeekOttawa Yes, super weird that it doesn't extend all the way to Rigaud... lost opportunity for sure!
Hey is it possible to see your itinerary??
No problem, I've added it to the description!
they should open that for atv
they told me next year
it would be super boring for ATV