No flats currently on the CT

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opedaler from NE Nebraska on 7/13/2024 2:42:02 PM:

While we've been riding sections of the trail flat free with a tubeless set up, I found it interesting to talk to two riders who rode from Valentine to Norfolk completely flat free without thorn resistant tubes, liners, or slime. While I wouldn't recommend it, it does say something about the upkeep of the trail currently. One rider, who started from Seatle Washington, was very impressed with the trail. The other, a local rider, was impressed as well. The only complaint was the lack of follow up detour signs around Long Pine. As one person said they detoured me off, but after that I was on my own. I did about two or three miles more than I needed to.

Dougt from Castana, Ia on 7/13/2024 5:21:11 PM:

That's some encouraging news! I'd love to be able to skip the hassle of sealant in my tires and just go with tire liners for once! I wonder if there's a certain window on the calendar when they're worse, probably more dried out and lethal? I've had up to 6 or more flats on an out and back trip from Norfolk/Valentine/Norfolk in past years.
I've done this 6 or 7 times and noticed that the trail is VASTLY improved the last couple of years. I used to warn people that it was pretty rough. We're looking at maybe mid Sept after Labor Day so goathead updates are always appreciated.
I've always hated that there were no signs on the highway where the detours ended and I could go back to the trail, but it seems that I've read that the state won't let Alex post signs on the highway so I guess that lets him off the hook.
Tailwinds, brothers!

opedaler from NE Ne on 7/14/2024 10:31:45 AM:

For what it's worth the gentleman from Seattle said that he didn't see any at all.

I also was on a road ride around Valentine earlier this year (TDN) and several took the trail for a stretch from Ainsworth to Valentine and all seemed to think it was in good, but soft, condition as rains had happened recently. No one mentioned goat heads at all. My wife and I had road tires on, so we took the road. After one of the riders was killed on a hit and run incident there was much talk of going exclusively to trails by many.

Our agenda is to ride the full thing this year. We have some things going on, so it remains to be seen if the full ride happens this year. If we do, I'm leaving the sealant in, but will carry spare tubes and a liner as a precaution.

I'VE BEEN TOLD that the burrs are worse later in the season. I can't verify that.

Steve H from Lincoln Ne on 7/22/2024 9:25:09 PM:

We rode the trail a few years ago (doing in again next week). We found that the trail itself was pretty good. We made a conscious effort to walk our bikes anytime we went off the trail (green spaces) and managed to do the whole ride from Valentine to Norfolk without any flats. The only place we got thorns in our tires was off trail and we were able to remove those before they did any damage.

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