Cycling?

[eugenefl]

I lived in Winston-Salem not too long ago and enjoyed the variety of off-road single track mountain bike trails. I used to tote a small point and shoot and try and grab a photo here and there. Now that I am back in Florida I'm trying to get back in shape so that I can enjoy some of the trails established by the local off-road club (S.W.A.M.P.). I ride an entry level Trek 4300 hard tail (~$389) with basic Shimano Alivio derailers and RST front suspension. It's served me well for a few years now - definitely gotten my money's worth. If I get back into it I'll be ready to upgrade to a lighter frame and something with better components.

FYI, unless I'm on a paved trail or in the woods away from cars/traffic there's no way I'd ever use a bike to commute. Florida has one of the highest (if not the highest) death rates for pedestrians and cyclists. People down here are absolute idiots on the road. I don't trust them when I'm in a car let alone on a bike.

 

[cjp]

And it's a Madone, not Modone....

See,old age and early morn:blush:ingsThanks.

 

[Scotty Dog]

I got a TurboCat light set years ago. 2 lights,one spot and one flood. Thumb switch on one light. Have no Idea as I write this whats in it for bulbs.I know when I used it ,it would light up the trails real nice,however it would burn the bat up fairly quick if I ran both lights.All these posts about cycling made me go out and find my bike. It was in the garage in the waaaayyyyy back .Also found my Camel Pack,tools,Co2/hand pump combo tire gissmo, chain fixxer thingy, tire paddles,White Lighting chain wax),lights,ect. HMMM, I may just get to ridding again.SWEET! Nice thread!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stickershock23]

I ride. but I don't think this quite counts...

 

[Scotty Dog]

I run big tooth ,mean ,shin breaking ,ripping,hole punching pedals. OUCH! I tried the clip ins and just couldnt get used to them. I fell over more times trying out a set of clip ins. Just not for me. I will admit there were a few times I wish I was clipped in. You know-when the feet go one way and the bike goes the other and you bounce rite off the bike... kinda funny now looking back on it. So, what do the rest of ya run for pedals?

 

[Scotty Dog]

I ride. but I don't think this quite counts...

Maybe if it wasnt a Yamaha, well then, it might count

 

[bytesiz]

Clipless always and on everything I ride.

Once you get used to them, flats just won't do.

 

[andytherocketeer]

Tend to swap between SPDs (on all bikes, mostly in summer) and Flats (mostly on snow and anything remotely rocky).

For lights in UK, google for troutie lights on singletrackworld. Think he's up to about 2000 lumens' worth now.
[YOUTUBE]CfiyWTDb_4A[/YOUTUBE]

As for trails... the first bit of forest for me is right outside the former US army barracks (Cambrai-Fritsch Kaserne - now a ghost town) in Darmstadt, Germany... and you come across such oddities as...
A U-Boat:

A Death Star:

And an odd number of feet:

 

[Scotty Dog]

Tend to swap between SPDs (on all bikes, mostly in summer) and Flats (mostly on snow and anything remotely rocky).

For lights in UK, google for troutie lights on singletrackworld. Think he's up to about 2000 lumens' worth now.
[YOUTUBE]CfiyWTDb_4A[/YOUTUBE]

As for trails... the first bit of forest for me is right outside the former US army barracks (Cambrai-Fritsch Kaserne - now a ghost town) in Darmstadt, Germany... and you come across such oddities as...
A U-Boat:

A Death Star:

And an odd number of feet:

Years ago I heard about this place.Dont know if ya still can get in to ride?????...... https://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm

 

[dr wogz]

I grew up in the 80's on a BMX, i never really did more than the usual street ricks, and the odd BMX track. But I followwed the BMX circuit, and wished for a race,or a chance to ride "Keyhole" (BIG skate / BMX park somewhere in California.. a full pipe in one section!!) We had some ramps around us, but were poor.. Oh, rode aroudn on a Diamond Back "Pro" Chromoly..

I later graduated to a Bianchi Grizzly, and rode it all over Montreal. Man, that was the summer!! My bud & I rode and rode and rode.. Working at a few bikes shops did have their merits!!

When I moved to BC, Vancouver, I quickly got myself another bike, a Rocky Mountian 'Thin Air'. And, at that time, started to ride the local trails in & about Vanocuver, namely Burnaby Mountain (I worked at the base!).. I Joined "the West Coast School of MTN Biking". A small group of about 150 people. Loved that too, untill one night, someone decided they liked my bike, and my CDs, and my.. well, lets just say they helped themselves to much of my stuff..

After about a year or two without a set of knobbies, I brock donw, and bought parts to build what I have now.. A Rocky MTN Blizzard (hand built!) a set of Judys, XT & LX parts, Sram shifters, and a Raceface cranck set.. mostly vintage, late 90's stuff..

This year, I plan to put a few miles on it. It's been a while... Maybe too long!

 

[Jeroen_at_CTI]

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing."

Or inappropriate equipment... Without studded tires and winterized hubs it would be impossible to bike here.

45 km (28 miles) per day. I'm racking up about 10,000 km's per year.

Jeroen

 

[SMR]

I'm racking up about 10,000 km's per year.

Wow, you young guys are really setting the bar high. I parked my knobby-tired Diamond Back mountain bike in 2000, after going down too steep a hill. The front tire sank in soft dirt and I went over the top, simultaneously cracking my helmet and clavicle on impact. This was second trip to the ER in a week, and the nurse started lecturing me about risks vs age, so I figured it was time. I now ride a skinny-tire Trek on pavement, and no where near the mileage I should.

Sather

 

[UPscaler]

https://tinyurl.com/y7o3x2a
Braden, this link is for you.

Hey, I'm pretty sure I was the first one to bring LMGTFY to TRF. :tongue:

Besides, I can ride a bike, I just don't have one besides my 20" wheel (not frame) one with backwards pedal breaks.

Blue light special :wink:


Braden

 

[UPscaler]

Maybe if it wasnt a Yamaha, well then, it might count

I agree :wink

Of course, you'd probably disagree on my first choice as well...

Braden

 

[Scotty Dog]

I agree :wink

Of course, you'd probably disagree on my first choice as well...

Braden

Of course, you'd probably disagree on my first choice as well.......Not so fast there bub, I own a Honda motorcycle.

 

[spacecadet]

Wik knows our 1978 Raleigh three-speeds. Nearest they've been to a mountain is downhill from the farm to Largs for a curry at IRW.
I do cycle to work every day, though, rain, shine or snow. It's been a tough couple of winters for the poor thing. Costs about £10-15 a year in spares. New ball-bearings all round last year, so I can do the no-hands thing again.

 

[foamy]

My trusty steed for my cross country tour in '08. This photo was snapped at the literal "high point" of the tour. Dipped the front wheel in Ocean City, MD and got the back wheel in the surf near an inlet a few miles north of Florence, OR. If you should ever have the notion—do it. If I can do it, most anyone can. The only epiphany I came away with is that the United States is a truly great place, full of great people.

 

[WiK]

I got a Elliptigo about a year ago I have so much fun on this thing, I burn over 1000 cals per hr.

I'm glad you posted the video, as I couldn't work it out from the picture! That thing looks like great fun - do they do a mountain bike version?

So, what do the rest of ya run for pedals?

Shin-killing flats all the way here as well. Never tried clipless, but I don't want to have to buy an expensive pair of shoes which I can only wear on the bike.

Wow, you young guys are really setting the bar high. I parked my knobby-tired Diamond Back mountain bike in 2000, after going down too steep a hill. The front tire sank in soft dirt and I went over the top, simultaneously cracking my helmet and clavicle on impact.

Been there, done that. One moment everything was fine as I was riding downhill on a moderately steep dirt road, the next moment I came to with the bike on top of me, with no memory of what had just happened, or why my shoulder was hurting or even where I was. Or why it had suddenly started snowing?!
The collarbone healed up quick enough, and didn't keep me off the bike for too long. But I'd rather not go through the concussion again...

At least the bike was undamaged!

My trusty steed for my cross country tour in '08. This photo was snapped at the literal "high point" of the tour. Dipped the front wheel in Ocean City, MD and got the back wheel in the surf near an inlet a few miles north of Florence, OR. If you should ever have the notion—do it. If I can do it, most anyone can. The only epiphany I came away with is that the United States is a truly great place, full of great people.

Fantastic - touring is something I'm really looking forward to trying. One of these years I'd love to just take a few months off and cycle across the US, stopping off at launches along the way.

Your bike seems pretty lightly loaded compared to a lot of touring bikes I've seen, were you camping or credit-card touring?

Cheers,
Phil

 

[foamy]

Your bike seems pretty lightly loaded compared to a lot of touring bikes I've seen, were you camping or credit-card touring?

Cheers,
Phil

I did both. I spent close to two years thinking about and planning it. I was going for light weight all the way. The bike is custom, built with Columbus Spirit tubes, which is not traditional touring bike tubing. In fact, I knew I was going to have to shed some weight after the first day, and shed weight, I did. I finally ended up toting about 30 to 35 pounds and I had everything needed for self-sustained camping/touring. I didn't carry a lot of food around as you pass through towns every day and it's easy to buy for a day or so or just eat in town. You figure out what you don't really need real quick. I stayed in flea-bag motels mostly in the mid-west where trees and good camping spots (when it's flip'in hot) were scarce or when I got to a town that I wanted to hang around in for a day or so, otherwise, I camped. Most of my gear I selected on a price versus weight and bulk basis. My clothing was reduced to two shorts, two shirts and three pair of socks. I washed a set every day. I couldn't wait to put on some cotton clothes.

 

[jadebox]

IFYI, unless I'm on a paved trail or in the woods away from cars/traffic there's no way I'd ever use a bike to commute. Florida has one of the highest (if not the highest) death rates for pedestrians and cyclists. People down here are absolute idiots on the road. I don't trust them when I'm in a car let alone on a bike.

... and there are very few dedicated bike lanes in Florida.

I visited upstate New York and saw that just about every road had a bike lane. And that's in a place where I wouldn't want to venture out even in a car nine months of each year.

The idiots aren't just in cars. Where I live and work, near the University of Central Florida, there is a big problem with cyclists who don't follow the rules - riding on the wrong side of the road, not stopping at traffic lights or stop signs, etc. I almost nailed one of them when I was making a right turn not too long ago because he came flying in front of me from the right.

When I was active in cycling, we usually travelled on roads. My friend's bike was a racing bike and it didn't fare very well in sand or dirt. We were very careful to follow the rules. Our lives, literally, depended on it. And, I was always on the defense. The idiot in the car might be the one at fault if he hit me, but I'd be the one going to the hospital.

BTW ... I also always wore a helmet. The friend I rode with wasn't wearing a helmet once when a car cut a corner short and hit him head on. He was thrown over the car and landed on the road. Fortunately, he wasn't seriously hurt. But, it knocked some sense into him and he wore a helmet when cycling after that.

-- Roger

 

[UPscaler]

Of course, you'd probably disagree on my first choice as well.......Not so fast there bub, I own a Honda motorcycle.

nice :cool2:


Braden

 

[top150]

I have a 1972 Schwinn breeze. Its a girls bike, but I love it. It is so nice I cruise to work and anywhere else I have to go except school because I can't ride my bike on the highway. I will try to get a picture up.

 

[Tronman]

Last year I traded my Trek hybrid for a bottom of the line Trek road bike (I think it's a 1.1). I don't ride enough to warrant a better bike.

In the olde days, my Motobecane 10-speed was my sole mechanical transportation. It was my mountain bike before there were mountain bikes. I rode it all over the local reservoir, before they put in bike lanes and banned bikes from the hilly regions.

 

[bytesiz]

... and banned bikes from the hilly regions.

Seriously!? What are they trying to achieve with this ban?

 

[Tronman]

Seriously!? What are they trying to achieve with this ban?

I'm guessing that with the advent of mountain bikes, there was some destruction of the reservoir's natural resources. I used to ride up there to get away from the party people who congregated at the base of the reservoir and to enjoy nature.

 

[bytesiz]

I'm guessing that with the advent of mountain bikes, there was some destruction of the reservoir's natural resources. I used to ride up there to get away from the party people who congregated at the base of the reservoir and to enjoy nature.

Oh, I see. I thought you were talking about public roads.

 

[m85476585]

Here's mine

 

[andytherocketeer]

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/
Lots of inspiration for epic rides there (but mostly road based).
Only ones I'd consider doing are the English coast2coast (off-road of course), Scottish C2C which I think can be done in a day, and possibly a trans-alp (seem to be popular on the German forums). Need to burn a few pizzas and steak pies off the waistline first though.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=1240&v=XS is on my list.
E-W across US/Canada isn't

 

[spacecadet]

We did cycle down the Thames Path ten years ago but it wasn't a good idea until Oxford.
Stiles? Don't talk to me about stiles!
Nice to be able to stop in the middle of nowhere and have a brew though. Confuses the cows no end.
I'm not sure either of us could ever go more than about six hours without tea.
Aargh! TRF only has a smiley for coffee!

 

[WiK]

We were very careful to follow the rules. Our lives, literally, depended on it. And, I was always on the defense. The idiot in the car might be the one at fault if he hit me, but I'd be the one going to the hospital.

Same here, when I'm riding on the road I just assume everyone is trying to kill me (pedestrians included! The number of people who don't look before crossing and think that because they can't hear anything coming that nothing is there, then step out in front of you is mad.). And then ride accordingly.

Do you guys over there have traffic lights which are only triggered by a sensor? There's one on my commute at a T-junction going on to a fairly fast road, with pretty bad visibility either way if you're joining. And the lights don't detect bikes! I've tried just about everything I can think of, but the only options are to either wait for a car to come along and trigger it, or jump the light when it's safe to join the main road. Drives me nuts.
</rant>

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=1240&v=XS is on my list.

Summer next year then?


I finally got out for a decent length ride yesterday, and tried out a new extension to a local loop. The extension didn't go too well (too many horses, paths were all far too churned up), but the weather was nice and I took a bunch of pics:

Gallery here.

Cheers,
Phil