Messages

1

General Discussion / Re: Camping on the Blue Ridge Parkway (between mile marker 270 and 376.6)

« on: October 15, 2012, 06:12:45 pm »

If you stay at Crabtree Meadows be sure to purchase food before getting to the campground.  A camp store is on site but last October the shelves were empty as they were preparing to close for the season.  Even in peak season I have found that supplies were very limited.

2

Connecting ACA Routes / Re: Atlantic Coast to Atlanta to Southern Tier

« on: July 06, 2012, 09:13:18 pm »

The Georgia department of transportation publishes maps of bike routes in the state.  They can be found at:

http://www.dot.state.ga.us/travelingingeorgia/bikepedestrian/pages/Maps.aspx

What part of the Atlanta area are you heading to?  You may want to pick a route to avoid as much of the metro area as possible. 

3

General Discussion / Re: Looking for bike shoe suggestions to overcome issue with Parkinson's

« on: May 21, 2012, 07:07:09 pm »

Sandals are a good idea.  I was also wondering about shoes with a larger toe box (Keens?) in order to try a pad like Don D. suggested.

Thanks for the suggestions.

4

General Discussion / Looking for bike shoe suggestions to overcome issue with Parkinson's

« on: May 20, 2012, 08:20:57 pm »

I've been riding (and light touring) for about 8 years now but I've recently run into a problem reportedly related to a symptom of Parkinson's disease.  While I'm riding, my toes want to curl under my foot.  It's a strange thing but PD is a strange disease.  Unfortunately, this is very painful after a few hours and I have yet to find a good solution.  I really don't want to give up touring but the pain is really cutting into the enjoyment of being on a bike.

I currently use SPD cleats and have found my very stiff soled Specialized shoes are somewhat better than a more flexible pair of Shimano shoes.  Tightening the shoes excessively stops the foot movement but is no more comfortable.  I've used the same cleat positions and bike fit for several years and have not tried changing the cleat positions yet. 

My local bike shop has heard of this problem before but had no ideas on a work-around.  Does anyone out there have any experience with this?  Thanks in advance!

5

Gear Talk / Brooks B17 - Standard or Aged?

« on: November 13, 2010, 08:03:45 pm »

I've given up on the stock saddle that came with my Trek 520 and am going to upgrade to a Brooks B17.  Does anyone know if the aged version is worth the extra cost?  And, will it hold up as long as a standard model? I'm not too concerned about the break-in time but I like the pebbled texture of the aged model and was wondering if it is as good as the original.

Thanks in advance!