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Do you enjoy riding bicycles? (1 Viewer)

Grandpappy

Grandpappy

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I do. I own five bikes, and ride them pretty regularly, mostly just for the ride, but also to stay in shape. I am a member of Bike Forums, was kicked out of the P+A (political) forum there because I called Elizabeth Warren "Fauxcahontas" . No kidding. :2razz: It's kind of a liberal echo chamber. But this isn't about politics.
Anyway, what kind of biking do you do? Commuter? Racer? Beach cruiser? I like older bikes myself, but also own a modern one.
Her's a couple of my bikes:
image.jpg

image.jpg
 
It's definitely been more than 30 years since I've been on a bicycle and probably closer to 40. I would bike around here but I have this weird fear of being killed by a motor vehicle. They say that Tucson is bike friendly and plenty of people do bike but I've been driving in this traffic since I moved here in 1988 and there isn't a driver in town I trust any farther than I can throw them.
 
Grandpappy said:
I do. I own five bikes, and ride them pretty regularly, mostly just for the ride, but also to stay in shape. I am a member of Bike Forums, was kicked out of the P+A (political) forum there because I called Elizabeth Warren "Fauxcahontas" . No kidding. :2razz: It's kind of a liberal echo chamber. But this isn't about politics.
Anyway, what kind of biking do you do? Commuter? Racer? Beach cruiser? I like older bikes myself, but also own a modern one.
Her's a couple of my bikes:
image.jpg

image.jpg
Click to expand...

I love riding bikes. I have one but I usually end up riding my daughter's bike which is very similar to your second picture except it has a little basket that we put a radio in so we can jam out while we ride.
 
My city has around 12 miles of paved park setting bike trails and some unpaved ones of varying degrees of difficulty in addition to the many many miles of pointless bike lanes on the side of the road that bikers seldom use as they prefer instead to schlep down the traffic lanes anyway.
 
We do a fair amount of road biking. We've got a lot of country roads with little traffic that make it pretty safe, and a couple of routes really popular with cyclists so the locals are very used to seeing us and drive accordingly. It's been years since I've had a real scare or encountered the jerks that like to harass cyclists on more busy routes. What I mostly worry about are people texting on what they think is an empty stretch of backroad.

Our normal route is about 20 miles, so about 2 hours or so, but it's hilly around here so that's usually 1200-1400 feet of climbing, and we normally go in the spring and fall, to avoid the heat of the summer. It's a nice way to exercise, and lots to see. Our favorite route is the Cades Cove loop in the GSMNP. It's 11 miles and we do it twice on the day they close it to auto traffic. Last time out I paused at the top of a hill, and 20 yards behind me a momma bear and two cubs crossed. My wife was looking back at me, her eyes got huge....then we moved out another 50 yards down the road. The bears didn't seem to notice us.
 
Drawdown said:
My city has around 12 miles of paved park setting bike trails and some unpaved ones of varying degrees of difficulty in addition to the many many miles of pointless bike lanes on the side of the road that bikers seldom use as they prefer instead to schlep down the traffic lanes anyway.
Click to expand...

I can understand that depending on how the lanes are laid out. If they're fairly narrow with no barrier, it's sometimes safer to be out in the road, depending on the traffic, etc. Forces cars to recognize you, check the traffic, slow if necessary, then pass versus blow by at 1-2 feet from the bike lane because they aren't paying attention to cyclists.

What I typically do when I hear a car coming up behind me is get right in the middle of the road so I'm easy to see, and as the car approaches and gets closer, move to about where the right side tire tracks are on that stretch. The worst plan is to hug the right hand shoulder because many cars never see you. I did that when I started and got some close calls, and soon learned that it's better to take your share of the road, and if cars cannot pass for whatever reason, we pull off and let them by.
 
Lutherf said:
It's definitely been more than 30 years since I've been on a bicycle and probably closer to 40. I would bike around here but I have this weird fear of being killed by a motor vehicle. They say that Tucson is bike friendly and plenty of people do bike but I've been driving in this traffic since I moved here in 1988 and there isn't a driver in town I trust any farther than I can throw them.
Click to expand...

Tucson would be a great place to mountain bike. Don't get run over by a Jeep, though. ;)
 
Grandpappy said:
I do. I own five bikes, and ride them pretty regularly, mostly just for the ride, but also to stay in shape. I am a member of Bike Forums, was kicked out of the P+A (political) forum there because I called Elizabeth Warren "Fauxcahontas" . No kidding. :2razz: It's kind of a liberal echo chamber. But this isn't about politics.
Anyway, what kind of biking do you do? Commuter? Racer? Beach cruiser? I like older bikes myself, but also own a modern one.
Her's a couple of my bikes:
image.jpg

image.jpg
Click to expand...

nice bikes.

I enjoy riding, but I don't have as much time to do it anymore.
 
Helix said:
nice bikes.

I enjoy riding, but I don't have as much time to do it anymore.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Getting outside and exercising improves your outlook.
 
I ride almost every day weather permitting. I have a Huffy knock-off of a Schwinn from the 60's with the big whitewall tires, a carrier on the back fender etc.
 
Grandpappy said:
Thanks. Getting outside and exercising improves your outlook.
Click to expand...

I'm looking forward to doing that again. Feels like I'm working, driving, doing housework, or sleeping most of the time. Things have been crazy in the science world since March. I'm planning to take some time for more outdoor stuff this fall if things calm down.
 
I enjoy biking. I bike to work every day I can (and with climate change it's not like there are many days I can't do that even during winter anymore). And on weekend I enjoy taking longer bike trips.
 
Road frame, road tires, huge crank, t-handlebar. Ride it like BMX.
 
Love riding my bike. I got a new one last year. Not even sure what kind. but my daughter in law worked at a longstanding bike shop in the city and she knows a lot about bikes and accessories. She restores them as hobby and also builds bikes out of frames she buys. When I got my new bike she came over and fit it for me. It made a big difference. Also got some pretty sweet LED bike lights that charge up instead of using batteries. Where I live it's a violation of the law to not have lights on your bike during night riding.
 
Here's two other of my bikes. "Green Beanie", a commuter bike:
image.jpg


And a 1994 vintage mountain bike, was top of the line when new, now obsolete, but still fun:

image.jpg
 
My wife rides about 12-15 miles a day since her heart attack a couple years ago, and she loves it.
 
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