Anyone else into Cycling?

[osage outlaw]

Is anyone else on here into cycling?  Me and my wife have recently bought road bikes and have really been enjoying putting in some miles.  Growing up I had a bike but no where to really ride it.  My dad only believed in cutting grass about once a month and we lived on a rough gravel road.  I've probably road more this week than the rest of my life combined.  I did 20 miles yesterday and 26 today.  I'm planning on going out twice tomorrow and trying to do even more.  I've been hiking back roads for exercise lately but I'm enjoying riding a lot more.   

My wife came home from work the other day and said she needed a bike for exercise.  We tried walmart but they were sold out of all adult bikes.  We stopped at a bike store looking for a used model but they were almost sold out.  I guess everyone has been buying them during the quarantine.  We ended up getting her a new Fuji Hybrid.  She's kind of tall so she got a mens bike.  I needed something to ride with her so I found an old Trek hybrid bike on facebook marketplace.  I got it tuned up and replaced one of the tubes.  I am really getting into the vintage road bikes.  I want to find an old one and strip it down to the frame so I can rebuild it with new parts.  Maybe even do a custom paint job on it.  That sounds like a good winter project.


My wife's bike




My 20+ year old bike.  I have a new seat ordered for it.  My backside isn't used to a tiny bike seat.  I feel like I've been sitting on a fence post for a couple of days. 




While we were at the bike shop I grabbed a handful of old tubes for rasp and draw knife covers.  They were glad to give them to me.  Less for them to throw away.




I bought these cruisers at an auction for when we go camping.  They aren't near as much fun to ride as the hybrid bikes.



 

[bjrogg]

I think Jeb is into cycling Clint. When I was a kid we explored a lot of back roads.

My dad is going to be 83 in a couple days. He has Alzheimer’s and doesn’t remember much. Guess it’s true that you never forget how to ride a bike. My sister in laws childhood bike was in our shop and he climbed on it. Thinking it took him back about 70 years. He was zooming around and laughing like a little kid. Was pretty cool to see.
Bjrogg

[HH~]

Nope.

Unless its got 80Ci's of USA steel and plenty tourqe to rear wheel.

HH~

[amateurhour]

Clint I've been looking into those motorized kits for bikes. Thinking of getting one of those wide tire off road styles and putting a 1000w electric motor and throttle on it. They'll get up to 30-40mph depending on conditions and I figured it would be nice for grocery runs or running my property line.

[mullet]

I used to have a Trek hybrid. I've got a Mountain Bike hybrid now. I ride the Management Area during the closed season to fish and scout.

[Patches]

I used to ride a lot.  Had a Trek hybrid. Would ride 15 - 40 miles a day on it.  I never changed the seat out though.  Once I built up a permanent bruise from sitting on the little seat, it was not too bad. Had to get rid of the Trek. Ended up with a Raleigh mountain bike, but it met its demise on a trail in Southern Missouri.  Have you seen the videos of the skinny guys on mountain bikes going to the edge of the cliff and dropping down, and it looks awesome and cool and you think " I want to try that!"   I ended up on a steep path that I had never been on, going way too fast, and went off a 15 ft limestone bluff.  Yeah, it was not cool or awesome.   I weighed about 250 lbs at the time, so when I tried to land, nearly all my weight was on the pedals. Bicycle frame cracked on impact.  Luckily nothing on me cracked or broke.  I was very lucky. Have not rode now for 10 years.  I would like to get another hybrid bike and start riding trails again.   

Knoll rode a bike cross country after he retired.  Hopefully he will chime in on this thread.

Neal

[Hawkdancer]

Just loaded all the bikes into the camper and transported them to new digs!  Got to get clearance to ride on my knee, and might have to get stabilizer wheels due to balance problem, I don't like to crash and burn!  We rode fairly regularly a few years back! 
Brain, neat picture of your dad!  Hope he keeps it going !
Hawkdancer

[bjrogg]

Thanks Jerry. It was really amazing. He was hobbling around with his walker. He got on that bicycle and pedaled around like he didn’t have a care in the world. I wasn’t sure if I should have let him get on it at first. I’m sure glad I did.
Bjrogg

Neal that sounds like a hold my beer, watch this moment.

[jeffp51]

I ride 100-150 miles a week on a road bike.  I have close to 20,000 miles on it, and about 38,000 miles since I started riding in 2002.  I love riding. I ride for fitness and also commute to work when I can.  Do yourself a favor and spend the money for a really good bike --$1000-$3000 is the sweet spot for bang-for-buck.  The things at wal-mart don't qualify as real bikes.  There is a company down the road from me called Fezzari-they sell on line all over the country, but their factory is about two miles from my house. From them you can get a lot of bike without paying for a brand name. They can set you up with a mountain, road, or hybrid bike.  Look at the gravel bikes too--they are a nice balance that will take you over all kinds of terrain.

If you have any specific questions, send me a PM, and I will share what I know.  Be aware, however, that there is currently a worldwide shortage on bikes and wait times for new ones might take til August or September.  It seems a lot of people are discovering cycling during quarantine.

[willie]

Clint I've been looking into those motorized kits for bikes. Thinking of getting one of those wide tire off road styles and putting a 1000w electric motor and throttle on it. They'll get up to 30-40mph depending on conditions and I figured it would be nice for grocery runs or running my property line.

I got a friend that bought one for his wife as she didn't enjoy "competing" on the family rides. He gets his butt kicked on the uphills, and gets the "look" from her when she goes by.

[JEB]

Wife and I have a few miles on bikes. Years ago we started running foot races and decided to get into the shorter triathlons and duathlons. Then after a few years our feet went south but kept the biking up and took up long distance cycling. At one time we had 7 bikes which included a road tandem that we did 5 - 100 mile days on an organized bike ride.  We then got into self contained cycling and rode across the United States carrying our gear. We went from Washington to Maine but broke it up into 3 summers. We also rode around Lake Michigan which was an outstanding ride. Can't really tell you how many states we rode across but we did a lot of them.   I would guess 60,000 miles or more over 25 years.

As mentioned stay away from cheap bikes and get a good entry level Trek or something simular. We have Treks, Fuji's, Klien, Diamondback, Rockhopper and a Santana tandem and don't regret buying anyone one of them. The old saying you get what you pay for.

I would suggest keeping the smaller seats and just get use to them. You will eventually break in both seats, the one on the bike and the one on your rear. I would also suggest that you buy bike shorts with the padded seats and wear a helmet.  My wife was a terror on the bike when competing. She either placed or won everything she entered in her age group but that hard training came with side effects. TWO cracked helmets and a broken shoulder. So wear helmets.

Have fun and drink lots of water.

But my wife is gone now and that really took the steam out of me. I had thoughts during the winter months of throwing the panniers on the bike this summer and take off for a  month and then covid showed up.

[neuse]

My last ride was 95 miles, and I was dead at that point.

I plan on getting back at it.

[JEB]

Neuse I know what you mean. Every other year they have a ride in Michigan called ODRAM, One Day Ride Across Michigan. Wife and I signed up for it. It took us 12 hours to ride 160 miles across the state. Lucky for me I was getting a ride home. Got in the van and didn't wake up until we got home.

[Hawkdancer]

Sounds like my last "run" in the Bolder Boulder 10km Road Run!  Missed last year after 31 in a row, blew out my knee mowing the grass!  Hope to get some bike time in after we get settled into the new digs.  Got to scout some new hunting grounds as well.
Hawkdancer

[GlisGlis]

I would also suggest that you buy bike shorts with the padded seats and wear a helmet.

+1
unfortunately everyone seriously into cycling discover the hard way that almost anything is more solid than himself