Bike trail riding

[jgillott]

Trail follows the Yough River. Can also kayak etc. from the campground.

 

[kthaxton]

I'm just not telling the wife what it cost.

Just tell her it's for your health.

 

[JR]

A quality bike is an investment unlike the cheap box store jobs. IIRC I paid ~$800 for my Cannondale in the mid 90's. It's much better quality and half the weight than any other bike in this household despite all the other bikes being less than 1/3 of my bikes age.

 

[kthaxton]

I don't really think of them as investment....because they lose value fast, and the technology moves so fast.....guys like me want new ones even though our old ones are just fine. It's an addiction/curse. I just chalk it up to the cost of living, my wife isn't quite on board with that yet.
My old bike was 6 years old.....my new one is way more fun and capable.

That said, I understand your point, cheap bikes sometimes just can't be repaired or upgraded. I have a female co-worker who asked my advice on buying a bike, she ended up getting a Walmart bike for about $100. She never rode it because it sucked. I used to tease her with every new upgrade I made:

"Hey Erin, I just bought pedals that cost more than your bike"
"Hey Erin, I just bought a seatpost that cost 3 times what your bike cost"
"Hey Erin, I just bought a cassette that cost the same as your bike".
"Hey Erin, I just bought shoes that cost double your bike.....etc, etc.

 

[JR]

It was an investment for me. 25 years later it still comfortably does what I ask of it. So maybe I could only get 150-200 out of it, at best. What would a few hundred buy me? Probably 1/4 of the bike I have now.
I'll keep my investment

 

[JR]

I should probably clarify why I even bought that bike to begin with. At the time I was into downhill and never expected much out of the bike when I got it. I ended up breaking my leg and shattered my wrist on a dirt bike so racing got sidelined for that year. And the next year I got a job hanging steel in Ft Collins, which laid the ground work for the outfit I ended up with for the next 15 years which required alot of traveling. The bike really only saw 5-6 hard races and then it got sidelined as a weekend rider.
Otherwise it most definitely wouldn't still be hanging in the rafters in my garage

 

[JR]

J, we have a "rails to trails" that spans the entire county North to south. Abandoned railway the county turned into a groomed trail. Starting at Lake Erie and ending at the Ashtabula/Trumbull border. I don't know the length of the trail but can tell you Ashtabula county is the largest county in Ohio in terms of sq miles.
It's a pretty good ride.

 

[jgillott]

J, we have a "rails to trails" that spans the entire county North to south. Abandoned railway the county turned into a groomed trail. Starting at Lake Erie and ending at the Ashtabula/Trumbull border. I don't know the length of the trail but can tell you Ashtabula county is the largest county in Ohio in terms of sq miles.
It's a pretty good ride.

Well, when we come out for dinner, we will bring the bikes and check out your trail.

 

[sarj]

Alright, so against my better judgment, we stopped at the local dealer after we got off the trail today (my daughter had a tire issue so I had an excuse ).

2019 Trek Verve II. Black pearl metallic. They also had it in bright red, but I thought it would be too flashy for me.

View attachment 114025

I ended up with a medium frame. Test drove this one and a large back to back and the medium was just more comfortable overall.

I'm just not telling the wife what it cost.

good for you. I was crackin' up on your first post

... I'm already trolling Craigslist for a "new" bike, maybe something made in the 2000's lol.

for guys that are semi-serious about their bikes, they'd automatically figure you're talking about the price. KThax knows what I'm talkin' about. I figured you were talking about the years it was made, but it could be looked at either way.

You buy enough that will get the job done. You don't need any more than that.

I have two. A pretty serious carbon fiber rig (and no, she has no idea on the price), and a chromoly Kona hardtail that I dropped an 11-speed pack into for in & out of where I surf. No suspension on that one. No wailing or knashing of teeth if it gets stolen either. That's the one I ride with my woman when we putt. I got her a nice little Specialized w/ oversized road tires and most importantly, good brakes, and we're always going on nice little rides together. She's in her 60's now and had back surgery a couple years ago, and bike riding is a great non-impact sport if you're just cruising bike path trails and such. She had an older one she thought was enough, but it was crap. When you get on a good bike, you know it. Whatever your age, it helps keep all the joints moving, builds co-ordination & confidence, and gets you out in the open air

If it gets you out regular, it's the right bike for you

 

[jgillott]

good for you. I was crackin' up on your first post


for guys that are semi-serious about their bikes, they'd automatically figure you're talking about the price. KThax knows what I'm talkin' about. I figured you were talking about the years it was made, but it could be looked at either way.

You buy enough that will get the job done. You don't need any more than that.

I have two. A pretty serious carbon fiber rig (and no, she has no idea on the price), and a chromoly Kona hardtail that I dropped an 11-speed pack into for in & out of where I surf. No suspension on that one. No wailing or knashing of teeth if it gets stolen either. That's the one I ride with my woman when we putt. I got her a nice little Specialized w/ oversized road tires and most importantly, good brakes, and we're always going on nice little rides together. She's in her 60's now and had back surgery a couple years ago, and bike riding is a great non-impact sport if you're just cruising bike path trails and such. She had an older one she thought was enough, but it was crap. When you get on a good bike, you know it. Whatever your age, it helps keep all the joints moving, builds co-ordination & confidence, and gets you out in the open air

If it gets you out regular, it's the right bike for you

It's interesting that you mentioned keeping the joints moving. I've really become tight as I've gotten a little older. After riding 3 days last week, this is the best my joints have felt in a long time.

 

[kthaxton]

Riding a bike can make a night and day difference with the knees. Mine start getting achy at rest when I haven't been riding.

 

[jgillott]

Riding a bike can make a night and day difference with the knees. Mine start getting achy at rest when I haven't been riding.

Cardio has been pretty difficult for me lately. I've always been an avid lifter. I even did competitive powerlifting in my 20's and early 30's. The problem is that all of the mass I've carried around for years makes it hard for me to run at this point. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy running. My knees just can't take it.

Like I said earlier, I started on the spin bike earlier this year and just love it. Now starting this trail riding feels amazing. And no sore joints. Maybe I've found my cardio nitch finally.

 

[AEdelheit]

Riding a bike can make a night and day difference with the knees. Mine start getting achy at rest when I haven't been riding.

So true but bike geometry is also super important as you know, for me I have to have my seat just right front to back, super short stem and fairly high seat height or my knees will hurt pretty bad after about 5 miles and I couldn't even think of 30 miles, but once geometry is all dialed in for each person it feels great.

Man I have not been riding nearly enough this year, owning a home sure has a way of taking up any spare time there is.

 

[kthaxton]

Running is just exercising. Biking is fun.

Something in my knees, back, brain or being.....does not like to run. It's kinda a strange, when I run, nothing hurts per se, but something just tells me....."you aren't meant for this".

 

[jgillott]

Tomorrow's ride if the weather cooperates.

I learned something interesting about this Great Allegheny Passage and Google Maps. If you put directions in between sites and then select bike as an option, it shows the route on the bike trail instead of surface roads and even shows elevation changes. Pretty cool technology.

 

[Wayne M.]

I agree that biking is a much better activity than running, in regards to impact on the body. Especially if you’re trying to shed weight.

 

[jgillott]

I agree that biking is a much better activity than running, in regards to impact on the body. Especially if you’re trying to shed weight.

My knees feel so much better biking than trying to run.

 

[jgillott]

Just got back home. Nice day except for my daughter hitting a washout and going over her handlebars. No problem except for a few brush burns and a bent front brake bracket.

 

[TFucili]

Glad she's OK.

 

[jgillott]

Glad she's OK.

Thanks. I think her pride hurts more than anything. I told her that there are only 2 types of bike riders......those that have fallen and those that will. This was her first big spill and it took her by surprise more than anything I think.