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    • When Kathy and I hiked Vermont we went to the peak of Mt. Killington. The ski lift was running, bringing down hill cyclists and their bikes to the top of the mountain. The cyclists had helmets, shoulder pads, chest protectors and more. Not something I'd want to do.
      Right now I'm killing time at Dunkin Donuts as I'm cycling to work today.
    • LIhikers wrote:

      When Kathy and I hiked Vermont we went to the peak of Mt. Killington. The ski lift was running, bringing down hill cyclists and their bikes to the top of the mountain. The cyclists had helmets, shoulder pads, chest protectors and more. Not something I'd want to do.
      Right now I'm killing time at Dunkin Donuts as I'm cycling to work today.
      Sorta like football, if they have to put all those pads and special helmets on you, maybe you really shouldn't be doing it. :S
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      When Kathy and I hiked Vermont we went to the peak of Mt. Killington. The ski lift was running, bringing down hill cyclists and their bikes to the top of the mountain. The cyclists had helmets, shoulder pads, chest protectors and more. Not something I'd want to do.
      Right now I'm killing time at Dunkin Donuts as I'm cycling to work today.
      Sorta like football, if they have to put all those pads and special helmets on you, maybe you really shouldn't be doing it. :S
      I wish I had a nickel for every article read that says hiking alone is dangerous, yet is oblivious to recreational activities that are an order of magnitude more so.
    • Glamping and mountain bike riding with my hiking buddy, Slingshot, and some other friends. We went for a night time ride after a few beers and rode one of the more challenging single tracks backwards- because we could and we knew no one else would be out there at night doing it. Saw a herd of 20+ deer. Great ride. Rode the same trail this morning in the correct direction. Getting my confidence and some air on the jumps.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • When I ride to and from work I wear a high vis orange tee shirt and a high vis yellow vest, with reflective stripes, over the shirt, all in hopes that drivers will see me and avoid hitting me. Yesterday while at work one of our avionics techs was telling me what happened when he was in the Marine Corp. Due to a high accident rate the Marines set a policy that any Marine driving a motorcycle had to wear a high visibility shirt, jacket, pants or vest, in hopes of reducing the number of injured Marines. After 18 months statistics showed that the accident rate went up and more Marines were injured than before they had policy. That kind of makes me wonder if I should just dress to blend into the surroundings. Any opinions?
    • my opinion, which most here will disagree with, is that bikes should not be ridden on roads that are used by cars for safety reasons even though they have every legal right to do so.

      most automobile drivers are more interested in reading the text they just got on their phone than ensuring your safety. a 20 pound bike is not going to win a battle with a 2 ton car.

      i live 3 miles from a paved rails to trails biking/walking trail which is the only place i use my road bike. i don't even ride my bike there from my house -- it's attached to my thule bike rack on the back of my car.
      2,000 miler
    • odd man out wrote:

      So what is the most extreme downhill ride? I once read that the ride from the summit of Haleakala (Maui) to the ocean was the only place you could bike from 10,000 feet above sea level to the ocean on 35 miles of paved public roads. They used to have tours that would take you up and you coast back down, but the National Park now doesn't allow that anymore so the commercial excursions now have to start at the park entrance (6300 ft). However the park service doesn't prevent your from riding down from the top if you do it on your own, assuming you can find a way to get to the top.
      We did this in Nov 2000. They picked us up in Lahaina at about 2am and drove us to a spot where they showed us a safety video then about 5am they drove us to the top past the observatory. We hung out there for a while; amazing seeing the stars with absolutely no artificial light from 'civilization' and to see the sun coming up there was incredible. There were several different tour companies. I rode down right behind the tour leader most of the time and sometimes in front of because there were a lot of, shall we say. much more cautious riders in the group. GREAT time!
    • A few more pics of the mountain bike trip. I wish I had taken more pics of the trail, but I didn't want to stop riding to get them. Lots and lots of trails, 50+ miles as they have added several that are not on the maps. You can easily get lost.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • LIhikers wrote:

      When I ride to and from work I wear a high vis orange tee shirt and a high vis yellow vest, with reflective stripes, over the shirt, all in hopes that drivers will see me and avoid hitting me. Yesterday while at work one of our avionics techs was telling me what happened when he was in the Marine Corp. Due to a high accident rate the Marines set a policy that any Marine driving a motorcycle had to wear a high visibility shirt, jacket, pants or vest, in hopes of reducing the number of injured Marines. After 18 months statistics showed that the accident rate went up and more Marines were injured than before they had policy. That kind of makes me wonder if I should just dress to blend into the surroundings. Any opinions?
      Is the theory that if they cannot see you, they cannot get you?

      I read a study once that indicated that police cars which race to a scene with sirens on are more likely to get in an accident with another vehicle than cars racing in stealth mode. Apparently drivers suck and they just freak out.
      “Of all sad words of tongue or pen,
      the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


      John Greenleaf Whittier
    • I don't know why but I'm considering changing from using toe clips and straps to clipless pedals and shoes.
      The problem is that I don't know anything about them and it seems the possibilities are endless.
      All I know for sure is that I'd want shoes I can walk in normally and that have a roomy toe box, as I have a problem with in-grown toe nails.
      Anybody have any experience, good or bad, with clipless pedals and insight they'd be willing to share?
    • On my street bike I wore out the stock pedals and got some new ones that have red led lights that are motion powered, ie they flash red when are pedaling. And they cost less than the stock pedal.
      My moutain bike has large oversize no clip or strap with reflectors.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      On my street bike I wore out the stock pedals and got some new ones that have red led lights that are motion powered, ie they flash red when are pedaling. And they cost less than the stock pedal.
      My moutain bike has large oversize no clip or strap with reflectors.
      The pedals with the built in LEDs sounds interesting for commuting. Do you know a company name that sells them ?
    • LIhikers wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      On my street bike I wore out the stock pedals and got some new ones that have red led lights that are motion powered, ie they flash red when are pedaling. And they cost less than the stock pedal.
      My moutain bike has large oversize no clip or strap with reflectors.
      The pedals with the built in LEDs sounds interesting for commuting. Do you know a company name that sells them ?
      I'll see if I can get a name off them. I bought them at Agee's in Richmond. They really add to your visibility.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • Riding a bike down a ski "jump" is easy. Riding it down the landing is apparently the trick.

      An interesting fact about ski jumping is they don't really "jump" in that the skier is never going up. The take-off ramp is still at a slight downward angle. The jump the skier does at the take off just keeps them level. So at take off the skier is going horizontally. The hill drops out from under them and is angled to match the arc of their fall so they are never rally very far off the ground. Nevertheless, i got the chance to climb up to the top of an Olympic ski jump hill. It was a very long climb and the view from the top was pretty terrifying. Because the hill drops out from under the skier at take off, you actually see the landing area from the top of the hill.
    • odd man out wrote:

      Riding a bike down a ski "jump" is easy. Riding it down the landing is apparently the trick.

      An interesting fact about ski jumping is they don't really "jump" in that the skier is never going up. The take-off ramp is still at a slight downward angle. The jump the skier does at the take off just keeps them level. So at take off the skier is going horizontally. The hill drops out from under them and is angled to match the arc of their fall so they are never rally very far off the ground. Nevertheless, i got the chance to climb up to the top of an Olympic ski jump hill. It was a very long climb and the view from the top was pretty terrifying. Because the hill drops out from under the skier at take off, you actually see the landing area from the top of the hill.
      So after you did it, were you glad you did?
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      odd man out wrote:

      Riding a bike down a ski "jump" is easy. Riding it down the landing is apparently the trick.

      An interesting fact about ski jumping is they don't really "jump" in that the skier is never going up. The take-off ramp is still at a slight downward angle. The jump the skier does at the take off just keeps them level. So at take off the skier is going horizontally. The hill drops out from under them and is angled to match the arc of their fall so they are never rally very far off the ground. Nevertheless, i got the chance to climb up to the top of an Olympic ski jump hill. It was a very long climb and the view from the top was pretty terrifying. Because the hill drops out from under the skier at take off, you actually see the landing area from the top of the hill.
      So after you did it, were you glad you did?
      Definitely. Going up was great. Going down would be bad. BTW, this was in January 1972 in Sapporo Japan, just a couple of weeks before the Olympics there. We went to see a pre-Olympic qualifying competition on the 90 meter (large) hill. After the event, a guy we knew who worked for the TV crew covering the event gave me a tour of the hill. In addition to climbing to the very top, he also took me up to his camera platform which was just a few feet from the takeoff point - a view few people ever get.
    • max.patch wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Does anyone else remember the ski jump video that was shown at the beginning of the TV show, The Wide World Of Sports? ;(
      And that's when Bruce was Bruce and my hero. So disappointed in him/her/heshe
      He can think whatever he wants, but he is still a he.
      <snip>
      not any more...
      even if he is a unic, he is not really a she
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • Astro wrote:

      max.patch wrote:

      Astro wrote:

      jimmyjam wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Does anyone else remember the ski jump video that was shown at the beginning of the TV show, The Wide World Of Sports? ;(
      And that's when Bruce was Bruce and my hero. So disappointed in him/her/heshe
      He can think whatever he wants, but he is still a he.
      <snip>not any more...
      even if he is a unic, he is not really a she
      he said the only thing it was good for was taking a whiz in the woods -- is bruce a hiker?
      2,000 miler
    • LIhikers wrote:

      And speaking of the Olympics, I have a nephew who will be running I'm the US Olympic marathon trials this coming Feb........ go Nate go.
      That is awesome! I hope he makes it. And even if he doesn't knowing you were good enough for the Olympics Trials is special. Something you can look back on later in life with pride. :thumbup:
      As I tell my kids, better a has been than a never was. ;)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General