I'm guessing this has been discussed but I can't find it on old posts. What should I plan to ride once the pavement ends?

My road/tri bike has 650x23c's which I'm assuming might be a bit small on the packed gravel starting in Plymouth. The commuter rig has 26x1.25's. I'm thinking these would be okay so long as I bring the patch kit and some CO2?

I'd like to make a day of it and don't want to patch/replace tubes in Winsted if I don't need to.

You would have no problem at all with 26 x 1.25's. It's crushed gravel and not that loose except in patches. I wouldn't ride it on 23's, myself.

Great, thanks. That's what I figured.

Overall impression of the trail? Good scenery, pit stops, etc?

Scenery is okay but not fantastic. There is not much for pit stops as I recall. The trail surface is fine. The trail starts/ends in Winsted, which is pretty small and there's not much there, but there probably is a grocery store and a gas station in town. Otherwise you don't go through many towns, per se. I'd prepare some snacks and two water bottles.

Somebody that knows this trail better than I do might be able to give better suggestions, however.

Check out these links:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails ... index.html

http://www.luceline.com/pages/main.html

It's not actually crushed gravel. It's crushed limestone. which packs really hard and drains well. So even when it's wet a skinny tire won't sink into "mud." Still, over the years some places have gotten thin and some dirt has found its way on there. Wet or dry your bike will need washing. I ride 25's on those trails and they are just fine. I expect 23's would be the same. Just don't expect it to be like asphalt. I think 28's or 32's would be the perfect width.