bikers of vegweb thread (or interested folks)
this thread is to talk about and ask about biking! yay!
i love biking! i wish i could ride my bike everyday. specifically, i like road biking, but mostly because i haven't done much else.
now that this is out of context i will say that i am responding to a question asked by AC of where I bike.
in terms of longer rides, i do usually use main roads. i have gotten really used to traffic to the point that i can ride on interstates without it bothering me, but i do prefer as little traffic as possible. san luis obispo is an amazing biking place (really, a good portion of california has great biking) and a lot of the main roads have good bike lanes. i often bike the PCH since it is bike friendly and gets me lots of places and is along the beach. i also occasionally bike to a lake near where i live. what i really like to do is bike to places in the county that i like going. the beach is about ten miles from me, north and south, my favorite vegan cafe is about 12 or 13 miles from me. i enjoy having a destination. it is als good to bike with people since biking take up a good chunk of your day! but it is also fun to bike alone when you just need that alone time. anyway, i guess to answer your question, i would talk to a local bike shop and see 1.) if they have a local bike map (usually showing bike paths only, roads with big bike lanes, non-accessible by bike roads, etc. all color coded) or 2.) if they have favorite roads/destinations or even group rides that you could learn about or participate in. getting into bike culture will make you learn one thing: bikers are NERDS. they love bikes and get super excited about them and love to talk about them. bike shops are great sources of wealth (of the nerds). ;D
I love biking as well! I go to the farmers market every weekend on my bike and I usually ride to the river bottom to watch the sunset a few times a week. My town is pretty popular for riders..lots of nice backroads that go through the mountains.
for AC: have you seen this?
http://www.visitmt.com/virtualvisitor/biking/
http://www.visitmt.com/virtualvisitor/biking/Rides/lolo.html
it looks like missoula is big into mt biking, though.. but i am sure you can find good road stuff.
I love biking as well! I go to the farmers market every weekend on my bike and I usually ride to the river bottom to watch the sunset a few times a week. My town is pretty popular for riders..lots of nice backroads that go through the mountains.
awesome! do you mountain bike as well? i have wanted to get into mt biking but that would require a new bike and going on scary steep trails! there are some more moderate trails that i could try to learn on, though. i think it would be fun to try.
california is just flush with awesome riding (road and mountain). good 'ol california.. i did miss it, afterall... :)>>>
do you know much about the highways for biking down there? i generally tend to bike north but have wanted to bike south more often...
awesome! do you mountain bike as well? i have wanted to get into mt biking but that would require a new bike and going on scary steep trails! there are some more moderate trails that i could try to learn on, though. i think it would be fun to try.
california is just flush with awesome riding (road and mountain). good 'ol california.. i did miss it, afterall... :)>>>
do you know much about the highways for biking down there? i generally tend to bike north but have wanted to bike south more often...
I've gone though the river bottom a time or two, that's the extent of my actual mountain biking. I would really like to do more of it, however. There are sooo many places to do it around here. Some of the trails are pretty intimidating, for sure. Hard to believe what some people will go down on a bike, stuff that I'm careful on while hiking.
California is definitely awesome for riding. I don't know the highways too well, but I'm pretty close to the PCH, and I'm close to highway 150 which seems to be really popular for biking. One route you may be able to do is the 166 to the 150 to the 33 which goes right into Ventura.
I love to bike too! Spending my whole life poor, and then finally getting a degree and a well paying job I was able to, for the first time in my life, buy something really nice. So I bought a brand new car (a Corolla, I am still used to being poor!), and a very nice road bike. Biking is really big down here around Houston because it is so flat. I like to ride out in Katy, TX. Lots of farm roads, no hills, wide shoulders mostly. A person can ride 40 to 50 miles in a day easily. I had to give up my bike because my belly is too big, and it is too hot. But it is only temporary! I plan to get back on the bike again! I want one of those "trailor" things, that attach to the back wheel of the bike, put the baby in that, and ride around like that.
Thanks hesp, I think that site will be helpful. Maybe I just don't feel comfortable enough to do longer distance rides...yet. We do need to go to the bike shop to get another lock..so maybe we'll see if they have a map. I think I'll continue with my noob rides...and gradually progress! I'm still thinking about the VW bike across the country. Maybe next summer...and maybe KMK will do it!
eta: Are your five finger shoes good for biking?
for AC: have you seen this?
http://www.visitmt.com/virtualvisitor/biking/
http://www.visitmt.com/virtualvisitor/biking/Rides/lolo.html
it looks like missoula is big into mt biking, though.. but i am sure you can find good road stuff.
I love biking as well! I go to the farmers market every weekend on my bike and I usually ride to the river bottom to watch the sunset a few times a week. My town is pretty popular for riders..lots of nice backroads that go through the mountains.
awesome! do you mountain bike as well? i have wanted to get into mt biking but that would require a new bike and going on scary steep trails! there are some more moderate trails that i could try to learn on, though. i think it would be fun to try.
california is just flush with awesome riding (road and mountain). good 'ol california.. i did miss it, afterall... :)>>>
do you know much about the highways for biking down there? i generally tend to bike north but have wanted to bike south more often...
I love mountain biking. Went on some really good trails this weekend. Wish there were some steeper trails here in FL though.
eta: Are your five finger shoes good for biking?
no. i hate wearing those things when i bike. if i am going anything over 1-2 miles i wear cycling shoes. mine aren't very ugly so i don't mind wearing them, and i have spd cleats so they are easy to walk in (isn't protruding from the sole and you don't ruin it while walking on it). they look like this:
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u255/emakl5/Shoes/navykeen.jpg
I would love to start biking. I live in the St. Louis metropolitan area and we have the "Great River Road", bike routes throughout the neighboring towns, and the Lewis and Clark from Illinois to Oregon bike route.
http://www.bbbiking.com/trailtest.asp?biketrails_id=273
http://www.visitalton.com/place.cfm?pid=676&src=lodging
Minnesota has some nice biking too. Currently, there is an 80 mile trail in SE MN near where I live that is eventually going to run across the whole bottom of the state. I can't wait until it hooks up with my town. Also, my town has some great biking trails.
Hannah, when you go on your long road trips, do you carry spare tubes with you? I'm always afraid I'm going to blow a tire or something...
Also, what kind of bike do you have?
Also, I found a riding/camping trip across Minnesota to raise money for multiple sclerosis that I am TOTALLY gonna do (next summer though - this one's too busy and its already over anyway). You have inspired me.
Hannah, when you go on your long road trips, do you carry spare tubes with you? I'm always afraid I'm going to blow a tire or something...
i almost always have a spare tube. even when commuting. at least a patch kit. i prefer patching but usually don't on the road since it takes a bit longer. there are also some flats you can't patch (like near the valve).
flats depend on a lot of things, though, and i really don't get too many around where i live. as long as you are good at fixing flats, keep your tires at the proper PSI (so you don't get pinch flats), have decent tires, and take standard precautions (like not riding through piles of glass), you shouldn't get too many.... but i always bring a tube with me (and a pump, and my multi-tool so that i have my tire levers.
Also, what kind of bike do you have?
specialized dolce. i wouldn't necessarily recommend it because some of the components are pretty lame, but it's a decent bike. it looks like this
http://millrace.com/images/library/large/spec_dlc_blk_08_m.jpg
I adore mountain biking, I love the trails and the challenge of it all, I love that I can usually kick my husbands but climbing a steep incline on the trail, but he can outbike me on the turns. I train by riding daily, usually 7-10 miles hauling my almost 3 y.o. in a trailer behind me on my mountain TREK. A linear trail runs right behind my house, it is a slag surface and runs 34 miles to the lake (Lake Michigan) well not right up to the lake but to a small town and then another 3 miles to the lake. I have ridden the whole 34 miles 3 times so far two with my husband and the kids-we have a tandem plus a tag along plus a trailer, so it's one long bike "train" and then I rode it by myself it took me 2 hours and 23 min. My husband did it in 2 hours and 17 min becouse he just had to beat my time. Anyway I love to bike, love love love it! We bike all the time with our kids too. Even though Michigan is not mountainous country, you would be suprised at all the cool, hilly mountain bike trails.
I adore mountain biking, I love the trails and the challenge of it all, I love that I can usually kick my husbands but climbing a steep incline on the trail, but he can outbike me on the turns. I train by riding daily, usually 7-10 miles hauling my almost 3 y.o. in a trailer behind me on my mountain TREK. A linear trail runs right behind my house, it is a slag surface and runs 34 miles to the lake (Lake Michigan) well not right up to the lake but to a small town and then another 3 miles to the lake. I have ridden the whole 34 miles 3 times so far two with my husband and the kids-we have a tandem plus a tag along plus a trailer, so it's one long bike "train" and then I rode it by myself it took me 2 hours and 23 min. My husband did it in 2 hours and 17 min becouse he just had to beat my time. Anyway I love to bike, love love love it! We bike all the time with our kids too. Even though Michigan is not mountainous country, you would be suprised at all the cool, hilly mountain bike trails.
Are you talking about the Kal-Haven trail? My friend's dad used to bike that thing constantly when we were growing up.
loulouj that sounds like an awesome trail.
it's cute that you guys are competitive with your time.
Yes, Mirrya1 it is the Kal-Haven, the reason why we bought our house becouse it is at the end of our back yard and very convenient!
Aaahh. Just got back from some nice trail riding! There were some pretty intense trails, but I passed quite a few guys on some $2k bikes ::) A guy in a lamborghini pulled up in the mountain biking park when I was leaving... how do you fit a bike in that!?!?
Only took one spill. Was making a climb when to go over a big log at the top and my rear discs locked up somehow. ??? Had a little momentum so I went right over the handle bars and on my face with the back on top of me ;D Lots of fun!
I had a REALLLYYYYY great bike ride just now! It's perfect outside, I saw lots of great, new things, the wind made it challenging, and there were lots of fun hills! :D
I need some tips to know how to sit to alleviate/decrease crotch discomfort. I have a gel seat..so my butt doesn't hurt anymore..but I can't sit so that my crotch doesn't start hurting after a while. ???
I've probably biked over 20 miles today, it's so fun (I've been biking to the various apartments to check them out)! Boulder is so fun to ride your bike in!!! This is the first day of biking for me in many years, so maybe the fun will wear off. :)>>>
I need some tips to know how to sit to alleviate/decrease crotch discomfort. I have a gel seat..so my butt doesn't hurt anymore..but I can't sit so that my crotch doesn't start hurting after a while. ???
I need to get one of those gel seat covers, because I always end up with a bruised-feeling butt. But--I found certain angles of the seat, and certain heights relative to the handle bars make it more comfy to the crotch. Unfortunately I am not at one such height now, because I took off my seat to put on the rack and didn't adjust it right. But maybe try playing around with it? If you find another solution to the crotch pain, please share it!!
I had a REALLLYYYYY great bike ride just now! It's perfect outside, I saw lots of great, new things, the wind made it challenging, and there were lots of fun hills! :D
I need some tips to know how to sit to alleviate/decrease crotch discomfort. I have a gel seat..so my butt doesn't hurt anymore..but I can't sit so that my crotch doesn't start hurting after a while. ???
i'm by no means an expert on making myself comfortable on a bike, but one thing that you should do is SLIGHTLY tilt your seat down. women should always have a seat tilted down slightly but not too much, otherwise you will feel like you are doing a wall sit the entire time you are on your bike.
crotch pain on the bike is the worst, but almost inevitable. another thing that might help is have a cut out in your seat.. do you? it also helps to stand every once in a while.
I love biking as well. I manage to ride about 6 miles everyday and just completed my second 25 mile ride from the small town I live in to a neighboring town. I'm usually on dirt roads, since they are so plentiful in this part of Northern California, but I'm getting better at riding on the highway. I love the feeling of wind propelling you forward right after a semi passes. Yay bikes :)>>>!
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