Messages

31

Youth Bicyle Travel / Re: taking the family across the country?!?

« on: February 06, 2013, 10:54:53 am »

The biggest problem I see here is the wife's reluctance.  I would get past that before going by doing 2-3-4 day shakedown trips well before the big one.  If you don't get that problem resolved, you'll fell like you're "pulling" her the whole way and also possibly feel responsible for every little thing that goes wrong. And things will go wrong every day.  However, if she's enthusiastic, you can solve problems together as a family and the whole thing will be a great learning experience for all, not to mention fun.

32

Gear Talk / Re: Bicycle alarm innovation

« on: February 06, 2013, 10:42:31 am »

I could noit tell what the locking mechanism is. I prefer a combination lock.  I don't neede another key to carry around! Also. the cable part should be at least 3 feet long.  If not, it won't fit around many things, like small trees.  The cable I have now is 5 feet long and is very handy for trees, telephone poles, etc.

Good idea and good luck!

33

Routes / Re: Seattle

« on: February 04, 2013, 04:33:11 pm »

Recycled Cycles might be a good option. Also Greg's, which has a store in Bellevue, east of Seattle. There is even a good bike shop in downtown NB called, I think, Singletrack.  Recycled Cycles is near routes that lead you out of Seattle via the I-90 bridge bike lane toward North Bend.  If you are going to NB, I assume you are planning to go over Snoqualmie Pass on I-90, which has had major construction going on for years now and in places has been clsoed to bikes.  Stevens Pass to the north (HWY 2) or White Pass or Chinook Pass to the south of I-90 might be better choices.  Also, these other three options are not major freeways and are quieter and the roadside is less dirty.  I have always gotten lots of flats on I-90. You can check with WSDOT aboiut the status of I-90 and the other passes. 

For routes out of Seattle, some of them  are kind of complicated but all are good bike routes if you know where you are going.  You may get good info and even maybe maps from the Cascade Bicycle Club at cascade.org.

Best wishes! Sounds like a great time to me! 

34

Colorado / Re: Worst experience across the US was in CO

« on: February 03, 2013, 03:43:05 pm »

[quote author=
As for CO, there are easily two different Colorados.  The most disturbing is how often I have heard the "N-word" in western CO, after almost never hearing it in the modern South. 
[/quote]
That's the mountain west. You meet the nicest people everywhere you go.  But I can't count the number of pickups I've seen in Idaho and Montana sporting the confederate flag (and roaring by with no consideration of leaving any room for the bike. ):

35

Routes / Re: Recommendation for a 1 week solo tour in warm weather region in March

« on: February 03, 2013, 11:48:21 am »

And there's some nice quiet countruy SE of Tucson, out near Thombstone. 

You know where the weather's nice.  I like to just grab a road atlas and check out the roads marked as scenic and go on the adventure. The southwest has countless areas that would work. Just do a weather check first, because some of the area can be high elevation and be cold (like N Arizona and New Mexico).

36

Colorado / Re: Worst experience across the US was in CO

« on: February 03, 2013, 11:39:19 am »

I've spent some time in Virginia Beach.  It's potentially the perfect bike town.  Weather is fairly benign, albeit somewhat muggy in the summer.  It is absolutely flat in every direction you can see.  But you can spend a whole week there and not see one bike rider.  I saw no bike lanes or trails and most of the roads have no shoulders, even the ones out of the commercial areas. Just cars, cars, cars (and their attendant pollution and noise) everywhere.  It's such a waste of good potential.  This would be a good area to help cut our oil dependance, not to mention to increase local health metrics!

37

General Discussion / Re: When You Are the Only Cyclist in the Family

« on: January 29, 2013, 01:12:08 pm »

Even in the busiest times when the kids were little, I always set up one 3-day weekend tour with my buddies every spring.  It makes a real difference when you know that it's going to happen and it's been reserved months in advance.  We also did a lot of hiking, but that was easier to arrange because we could carry the kids (at least when they were small enough). 

38

General Discussion / Re: When You Are the Only Cyclist in the Family

« on: January 22, 2013, 07:16:37 pm »

I've spent over 40 years balancing my passions for family, biking, hiking and climbing.  When the kids are very young, it's tough. There were times a 45 minute ride or quick hike or ski was all I could get after work. (In fact, I often went out crosscountry skiing or biking at night, after thee kids were in bed.) 

My wife is very supportive and we've kept open communication through the years.   That's necessary, if you are both going to work it out so you can have a healthy family, marriage and personal life. Believe me, it gets weird if you don't have that.  I definitely can't say it was always easy.

As the kids grew up, they became part of these activities, and we've had many family hikes and bike rides.  Now, I've got sons who carry some of my stuff.  25-30 years ago, I was carrying them! It's great to see them enjoying active lives doing pretty much the same things I was doing so many years ago, and still do, albeit on a more relaxed level than they do.  And it's wonderful to see them excel at these pursuits. 

39

General Discussion / Re: Traffic burnout?

« on: January 22, 2013, 07:03:41 pm »

  These days I'm getting back into rock climbing--an original passion of mine--and I'm thinking about long-distance back packing, too.  NO cars on wilderness single track!

Scott

I'm doing more climbing and hiking than biking these days, even at age 64. I sport climb once or twice a week in season and hike regiularly, too. I bike usually about once a week. If you are around WA, and want to colimb, let me know.

40

General Discussion / Re: Traffic burnout?

« on: January 21, 2013, 10:06:10 pm »

I guess I rarely get traffic burnout.  I ride all over the NW, esp WA and with the exception of a few roads rarely feel threatened. There are many rural options in WA that have very little traffic.  However, I also enjoy riding all over the city of Seattle, traffic or not.  For me, the key is the mirror.  As long as I can see what's coming from ALL directions, I feel I can control the situation to my satisfaction.
I actually thrive in the energy of the city and the peace of the country.

41

General Discussion / Re: Realistic time requirements

« on: January 14, 2013, 12:03:52 am »

1600 miles in 30 days is just a little over 50 miles per day average.  That's very doable if  you're in shape and prepared.  In my 30+ years of touring, I have often averaged over 70 mpd, and I'm no special athlete, just a guy who's always been willing to gut it out as necessary.

42

General Discussion / Re: Newbie - Quick Intro

« on: January 10, 2013, 11:00:42 pm »

I'm 64 and have been riding since I was about 8.  I have learned a lot about biking (and hiking and rock climbing) at what many would consider an "advanced" age.  Years ago, I never worried about bike fit, padded shorts, multiple long days in a row, etc.  I do now!  First, get a fit by a quaified, experienced specialist.  That has made a huge difference to me.  I now mix my exercise up between biking, hiking and climbing.  I'm careful to make sure I get rest days for biking and climbing.  Hiking, I seem to be able to do day after day as long as I don't go too hard on any one day.  I read a book called "biking after 50" and I think that's where I heard the three most important rules for the older athlete:  "rest, rest, and rest".  Anyway, be careful and pay attention to those aches and pains and, most of all, have fun.  I'm sure still having a lot of it!

43

General Discussion / Re: Bike and Cars - share the road

« on: January 08, 2013, 10:49:03 am »

Frankly, cmtbiz, I'm nopt sure from your post that I can determine the point of the post.  Are you supporting the radio announcer or not?  Are you, too, fed up with cyclists?  Are you a road biker yourself, and what do you really think of all this.

True, there are cyclists, especiall in the urban scene (I see this every time I ride in Seattle) who do not help our image.   We need to follow the rules and show respect for motorists.  However, there are lots of drivers who could learn to do the same.  They cut us off, too, and don't leave adequate space for bikes.

As a cyclist, I know I have to be extra cautious and defensive and take care of myself.  I don't stand a chance if I don't do everything I can to protect myself.  For me, that means being hyper alert and always keeping an eye in my mirror.  Also, we can't anticipate what a car is about to do.  Half the time (not an exaggeration) they don't signal for turns, and sometimes when they do, they don't turn or they turn the other direction.

So follow the rules of the road, wait your turn at intersections, and be safe!

44

General Discussion / Re: 2007 Trek Madone 5.0 for touring across the states

« on: December 29, 2012, 10:59:02 pm »

I have toured with a CF Specialized Roubaix and a Burley Nomad trailer and the combination worked very well.  I also used to own a Trek Madone 5.5 but sold it because of the double instead of triple chain ring setup and because it was fraught with repeated mechanical breakdowns.  The seat post bolts broke 3 times (and they were torqued correctly), one of the shifters just broke in half under normal use (Trek replaced it--a $237 fix if I had paid for it) and the rear casette just never worked--made terrible noises and slipped out of gear repeatedly and no one could figure it out.  That problem disappeared after I replaced it with another at my expense.  This all happened within a few thousand miles even though the bike cost more that twice the Roubaix.  It was light and fast and fun to ride, but durability is very high on my list.  I think perhaps the endless quest for lighter materials may lead to fragility. 

45

General Discussion / Re: Bicycle Touring vs Backpacking

« on: December 18, 2012, 11:04:49 am »

I agree with Staehpj1.  In over 30 years of touring, the only negative interactions I have experienced have been with motorists driving by, you know, the finger, the yell, etc.  With people I actually meet, it's all been positive, even to the point of going up to the cash register to pay the bill for breakfast and being told it was already taken care of buy an anonymous person in the cafe.

A little off topic, but one of the strangest things I've noticed about the people I meet is that locals often know nothing about local geography, roads, etc.  They can't tell you which road to take, where a particlar road goes, etc, even when I'm asking in a small town where a road leaving is going or which way to another nearby town or how far it is or especially if a road is hilly or  not.  I think I often leave a town I've never been to before knowing more about the area than the people living there!