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    • Fortunately we have beautiful weather today so I decided to explore the Maryville Greenway. As usual, I thought following my nose (after a quick look at a map) would be the most fun but it wasn’t. I chose the wrong direction which took me on some busy roads (with bike lanes), a flooded section, and some detours for construction. Next time I’ll know the best way to go…trial and error.

      My ride was about 12 miles and I wrecked at the end when a curb jumped up in front of me. I was approaching a street and looking for the continuation of the greenway and didn’t see the very high curb. It’s my first wreck in many years but the bike is fine and I’m missing only a little skin.
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      Lost in the right direction.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      E bikes are a great thing!

      My dad is 80, in poor health and can barely walk (2 weeks ago he was shocked with his implanted defibrillator 4x) but he rides his recumbent E bike every day. It gets him outside and moving.

      He has a sturdy strap hanging from the garage ceiling that he holds to get on and off the bike.
      My mom rode a regular bike until she was around 81 and then she said she felt wobbly, so I bought her a three wheeler which she rode until she passed at 83.
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      Fortunately we have beautiful weather today so I decided to explore the Maryville Greenway. As usual, I thought following my nose (after a quick look at a map) would be the most fun but it wasn’t. I chose the wrong direction which took me on some busy roads (with bike lanes), a flooded section, and some detours for construction. Next time I’ll know the best way to go…trial and error.

      My ride was about 12 miles and I wrecked at the end when a curb jumped up in front of me. I was approaching a street and looking for the continuation of the greenway and didn’t see the very high curb. It’s my first wreck in many years but the bike is fine and I’m missing only a little skin.
      Sorry to hear of your accident, but with time skin should grow back. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • 27 miles on my gravel bike this week plus spin class…my legs are tired!

      I also checked out the C&O Canal trailhead at Williamsport, MD.
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      Lost in the right direction.
    • I didn't think e bikes were allowed on the Silver Comet Trail (the rails to trails conversion near me which goes from Cobb County to Alabama) but I saw some.

      Turns out they are legal as long as you keep it under 20 mph. :)

      They must have changed the rules; I know when it first opened 20 or so years ago I'm sure I saw signs that said it was "non motorized". I'll have to look for the signs next time I go and see how they've changed.
      2,000 miler

      The post was edited 1 time, last by max.patch ().

    • I completed the GAP, it was a blast! My butt and triceps got really sore but it was manageable. Hopefully I’ll get to do the C&O canal this fall.

      I’ve neglected hiking for music and cycling so can now look forward to planning some hiking trips…heck, I’d be happy with some day hikes!

      Next up is a kayak trip so I better get out on the water soon.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • LIhikers wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      I completed the GAP, it was a blast!
      How many days did you take to do the GAP
      While I hiked the GAP I really enjoyed learning about area history along the way.
      4.5 days. I really enjoyed the history also. We don’t have that kind of history in the south.

      I was very surprised at the number of young (20-30 yr olds), seemingly-healthy adults using e bikes. I don’t judge but find it odd.
      Lost in the right direction.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Traffic Jam ().

    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      I completed the GAP, it was a blast!
      How many days did you take to do the GAPWhile I hiked the GAP I really enjoyed learning about area history along the way.
      4.5 days. I really enjoyed the history also. We don’t have that kind of history in the south.
      I was very surprised at the number of young (20-30 yr olds), seemingly-healthy adults using e bikes. I don’t judge but find it odd.
      I guess e bikes are just the latest and greatest fad that they have to be on to. Although considering the priced of e bikes maybe they just rented them.
    • Traffic Jam wrote:

      LIhikers wrote:

      Traffic Jam wrote:

      I completed the GAP, it was a blast!
      How many days did you take to do the GAPWhile I hiked the GAP I really enjoyed learning about area history along the way.
      4.5 days. I really enjoyed the history also. We don’t have that kind of history in the south.
      Have you been to Harpers Ferry?
      George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, origin of supplies/equipment for Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark), Robert E. Lee and John Brown Rebellion, Robert E. Lee praying in church about what do in Civil War, Civil War battles, etc..
      And you can stop by the ATC while you are there. :)
      The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
      Richard Ewell, CSA General
    • WanderingStovie wrote:

      I rode 22 miles yesterday on a mountain bike towing a trailer I built from metal scrap. It has been months since I rode more than 7 miles in a day, so I stopped to rest at a picnic table along the bike path on the way back. I saw three sandhill cranes in the street while riding through a residential zone.
      what's the trailer for?
      "Dazed and Confused"
      Recycle, re-use, re-purpose
      Plant a tree
      Take a kid hiking
      Make a difference
    • If you have a mountain bike, you might not notice a difference, unless you hit a stretch of freshly made mud. When I hiked the C&O, I hit a long stretch of mud evenly coating the entire width of the trail. It looked man-made. I do not know why it was there. Maybe I messed up someone's hard work. There were no maps showing a detour. If I had had a bike, I would have found my own alternate route, but not on foot without a map. Walkng through mud burned more calories, but it was better than getting lost. Sorry NPS.
    • jimmyjam wrote:

      WanderingStovie wrote:

      I rode 22 miles yesterday on a mountain bike towing a trailer I built from metal scrap. It has been months since I rode more than 7 miles in a day, so I stopped to rest at a picnic table along the bike path on the way back. I saw three sandhill cranes in the street while riding through a residential zone.
      what's the trailer for?
      I haul groceries and salvage discarded trash. It has been some years since I owned a car.
    • I rode at least 16 miles today. My path more closely resembled that of a fly rather than a crow. I scavenged a crock pot, a humidifier, a bicycle wheel, and some lumber. I went to Goodwill and bought some pyrex cookware. I may not have lost any weight after drinking half a gallon of chocolate milk in the park. But I did strong heart interval training on one small hill on the return trip. Heavy breathing on the way up gave me a rush.
    • Yesterday Kathy and I got out for a nice, leisurely, ride about 10 - 11 miles. I recently replaced my back tire with a Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire and wanted to give it a try. That tire has a reputation for being very puncture resistant. I'm going to be riding to and from work again. I'll probably try for 1 day a week.
    • LIhikers wrote:

      This week I'll do my commute by bicycle on Wednesday. The forecast is good and I don't have anything to do after work. Tomorrow I'll need to get home quick so I can go vote after work..
      Good for you! Stay warm and safe.

      I’m thinking about purchasing some cold weather cycling gear and continuing to ride as long as possible. Mostly, I need shoe covers, skull cap and a wind jacket. It’s nice that hiking clothing can be used for cycling.
      Lost in the right direction.
    • For cold weather cycling I do a few things.
      I don't know if it matters but all my cycling is on roads.
      First, if it's commuting to work my low temperature limit is 30 degrees. The windier it is that limit goes up. And of course precipitation cancels the ride. If it's a recreational ride on a day off I'll go down as low as mid 20s, and again the wind plays a part in that decision.
      I figure if I'm on a local ride I can go home if I get too cold.
      As for dressing I use a lot of clothes that I already have accumulated over the years for hiking as you need them to wick away sweat and breathe.
      On my feet I use a pair of heavy wool socks that just barely fit in my shoes.
      On my legs I use a pair of long, black, underwear worn under a pair of black cycling shorts.
      I have different weights of long underwear and choose which one to wear based on conditions.
      On top I layer up with a tee shirt, long sleeve base layer shirt, fleece vest or jacket, and then a wind breaker jacket that's made as a safety jacket and is bright yellow with silver reflective taping front, back and on the sleeves. It's not sold as a cycling product so it was much cheaper. I got it from a web site fullsource.com but they don't have it listed now as it's not a winter jacket.
      Then for my head I have a thin, fabric beanie, not a knitted one. It fits under my helmet pretty good if I adjust the fit of the helmet up a little. I supplement that with a fleece head band as needed. The headband covers my ears and I can't hear traffic as well so I only use it if I really need it. I also carry a buff in case I want to use it around my neck.
      On my hands I use a pair of glove liners, under a pair of fleece mittens, which go inside a pair of shell mittens. So far I've never needed anything for my eyes but do carry a pair of clear, plastic safety glasses just in case.
      This time of year coming home from work is in the dark and that always feels colder even if it's not, so I fill my water bottle with hot water, it helps a little.
      This week it looks like Thursday will be my day to ride as there's rain in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.
    • Just took my Surly Disc Trucker out for a test ride and all is good. Due to pain in my neck and shoulders I decided that I needed to raise the handlebars. Months ago I took it apart to due this but then I got lazy and never did it. I raised the bars by adding a 3 inch riser to the top of the steering tube. Of course then all the cables were too short. I spent yesterday replacing the cables and adjusting brakes and derailures. The test ride was good so now all I need to do is wrap the handle bars. The first few miles to today's ride my legs let me know that I haven't riden in a while. I guess wrapping the handle bars will be tomorrow's project.