Biking


unixknight
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I only know one thing about bikes* - shimano or bust.

*growing up in the Philippines, I was told that if I ride a bike, I'll lose my virginity.  I learned to ride a bike when I was a kid but I was limited to our circular neighborhood with no traffic.  I couldn't ride a bike proficiently in traffic or where there are turns.  When my kids were babies, I got this bike trailer that carries kids.  I was excited to be more proficient in biking until I realized... I'm not strong enough to pull that thing more than half a mile from the driveway.

 

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My bike is a Nishiki… 21 speed, I think.  Has a speedometer on it.  I got it barely used, really cheap, from a guy who had been in an accident and couldn't ride it anymore.  I felt bad for him until he showed me his new Harley he bought with the money from the settlement...

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39 minutes ago, unixknight said:

My bike is a Nishiki… 21 speed, I think.  Has a speedometer on it.  I got it barely used, really cheap, from a guy who had been in an accident and couldn't ride it anymore.  I felt bad for him until he showed me his new Harley he bought with the money from the settlement...

You need to fly out to Regina Saskatchewan!

 

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Guest MormonGator

As people on my Facebook would tell you, I've recently become obsessed with riding my bike! I have a Giant Sedona, certainly no Cannondale, but a great bike for basic riding. 

It helps me to make a habit of riding. I do 10-12 miles a day, sometimes a little more. 

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Guest LiterateParakeet

I discovered a love of bike riding several years ago, and then a health issue side-lined me.

Fast forward to today, I'm healthier and thinner, so I want to start riding again. 

Tips for newbies?  

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6 minutes ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I discovered a love of bike riding several years ago, and then a health issue side-lined me.

Fast forward to today, I'm healthier and thinner, so I want to start riding again. 

Tips for newbies?  

I'm not an expert on bikes themselves.  I think I got super lucky in the one I bought because I knew nothing about Nishiki when I got it but a co-worker, who is very knowledgeable about bikes, told me it was a good one.  

Find a local bike trail if you can.  That's the best place to go where there won't be any auto traffic to worry about and the terrain is relatively flat.  That's really critical.  When I got back on the horse, as it were, that's how I went about it.

If you're introverted, go alone with headphones and enjoy the zen.  If you're extroverted, get a buddy to help motivate and make it more fun.

Good luck!

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44 minutes ago, unixknight said:

Find a local bike trail if you can.  That's the best place to go where there won't be any auto traffic to worry about and the terrain is relatively flat.  That's really critical.  When I got back on the horse, as it were, that's how I went about it.

This is Key!  My boys rode 120 miles for a youth trip in Florida and you'd think Florida is flat as a pancake... but no, my kids have learned after an hour or so of biking that Florida is NOT FLAT!  And, their trip got cut short at the 100th mile because the stake councilor who rode with them got hit by a truck.

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There's a bike trail that goes most of the way around BWI airport near Baltimore.  There's one section where you have to use streets/sidewalks but the vast majority of it is just trail.  I rode it on my birthday a couple years back with the idea of doing it every year.  Well, I haven't, but my plan is to resume this year.

Oh, and it's 11 miles.  AND I successfully finished it.  Let's see if I can do it again this year...

The only problem is that there are a couple of very hilly parts.  I swallowed my pride and walked up the worst parts, but didn't give up.  I did get some encouragement from other riders like "Don't worry this is the worst of it" and the like, which I appreciated.  I'd love to have a friend go with me though.  Even as an introvert this one was tough on my own.

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1 hour ago, LiterateParakeet said:

Tips for newbies?  

Look into commute/utility riding.  It's easier to get the miles in if you're also getting something done at the same time, plus outfitting a decent bike for it opens up your options a lot.  My commuter needed very little extra stuff to prep for a couple of overnight camping trips, and aside from the trailer, a lot of it stayed as commute gear afterward.

Current job hasn't really left me much time to do anything worth posting, but this goes over some of my gear and one overnight camping trip.

https://texasfromtheothersaddle.wordpress.com/

The small panniers on the front in the fully loaded pics are big enough to hold two 2-liter soda bottles each, and the large ones are twice as big.  The trailer holds roughly as much as all four panniers, with the added benefit of being easier to strap even more stuff on top of its bag, or just get silly without the bag.

25358203-1799176063426841-53699526671696

 kimg0536.jpg?w=640

Walk the hills if you have to, but every time you get off to walk, note a spot 20-50 feet farther on and make it your goal to ride that far next time.  If you're riding that route daily, you'll surprise yourself with how soon you're pedaling the whole trip.

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