The bicycle thread

[Hegemony]

I just bike to the university and back. A lot cheaper than paying to park my car, plus it counts as (a minimal amount of) exercise. I actually bought a house in my current location so I would be within cycling range of work. It takes 15 minutes, or 12 minutes if I'm running late. It would be a lot faster except that I have to stop for a stop sign on practically every block. Not designed for cyclists in any way.

Those of you who have the energy for recreational cycling, I applaud you!

[Sun_Worshiper]

Anyone go biking in the Netherlands? I thought it was weird that no one was wearing helmets, so I didn't wear mine. I saw a couple of Americans wearing helmets and they looked ridiculous. BTW, those Dutch people bike really fast.

Yes, I spent a few months in Amsterdam as a young adult and biked daily. It is a great system they have, although not what we're accustomed to in the US. Definitely requires some getting used to.

[apl68]

Whose got summer bicycling plans?

I bought an ebike a few years ago and wheeee! It is like a regular bicycle except you are 30 years younger. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy.

Last summer I rode from Montana to the Olympic coast, 650 miles, staying in hotels and riding mostly rail trails. IT WAS EPIC FUN. Now I'm trying to figure out the next adventure.

Who's got a bicycle trip planned? Or dreamed of?

I don't bike but I have driven portions of the Natchez Trace Parkway around Natchez and Nashville.  Car traffic during June when I was on it was very light.  But there were lots of cyclists. Here's an article about biking the trace:

https://www.scenictrace.com/top-3-tips-for-biking-the-natchez-trace-parkway/

It's scenic, not spectacular like Montana. I was visiting historic sites on and nearby the Parkway. There are places where the Original Natchez Trace is still visible and can be hiked for a short distance. I thought was pretty cool walking on such an old 'trail'.

The Trace south of Nashville is a fantastic place to drive and photograph!  I've got quite a few scenic photos from there.  The Parkway crosses a valley a little out of Nashville on a spectacular bridge that makes a fascinating photographic subject.  I've never cycled any of it, though.

[apl68]

The Razorback Greenway in northwest Arkansas is turning into something of a Mecca for cyclists.  About 40 miles of mixed cycling and walking.  The best of the cycling is toward the northern end, where they have mountain bike trails paralleling the main paved trail.  During some of my down time from a conference there a few weeks ago I got to see and photograph some of that.  There are some wild mountain biking obstacles in places.  And some public art displays here and there beside the trail, including a Sasquatch made out of bicycle chains welded together.


https://razorbackgreenway.org/


I've never tried cycling any of the Razorback Greenway, but it's a favorite place to walk whenever I'm up in that region.  It passes right by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and several public parks.

[Funastrum]

I found a pair of pruning shears on my bike ride in yesterday.  The small kind like used for Bonsai.  They were in the gutter on the side of a busy road.  Looks like they fell from a moving vehicle.  I have found numerous tools over the years, but always more normal utilitarian things like hammers and wrenches.  I wonder at the story of the shears. 

[fleabite]

Having initiated this thread many moons ago, I figured I should check in. I still use my nearly 4-decade-old bicycle for almost all of my transportation. I am eager to visit a wildlife refuge (best known for its birdlife) that's about 15 miles away, so that's the next recreational ride I have in mind. I did a lovely 50-mile ride last fall around a distant part of my city and then rode most of the way home to achieve a metric century (if not an official one). My bicycle has given me much pleasure over the years.

[Anselm]

Have any of you ever participated in RAGBRAI?  I myself have not.  I am kind of a loner when cycling.  With the entire summer free for me I might start traveling to try out new bike trails. 

https://ragbrai.com/

[larryc]

Have any of you ever participated in RAGBRAI?  I myself have not.  I am kind of a loner when cycling.  With the entire summer free for me I might start traveling to try out new bike trails. 

https://ragbrai.com/

My wife and I almost signed up for RAGBRAI a couple of weeks ago when registration opened. Then we had second thoughts. It sounds crowded and humid and kind of expensive when you sign up with a company to arrange your tent and an charging place for your ebike. Plus there are so many great, uncrowded bicycle routes we want to explore here in the PNW.

[apl68]

Wow--50 years of runs and counting, tens of thousands of participants.  Sounds like RAGBRAI is quite an event!  Not much for crowds, though, and I've never been in good enough shape to ride all day long for days on end.  Forty-odd miles is the most I've ever managed in a single day.  And never on consecutive days.

I'm currently looking for a new bike.  Mine is on its last legs.  The nearest bicycle shop is hours from here (by car), so I depend on whatever Wal-Mart has in stock.  Haven't much liked their stock lately.  It's all kids' bikes, bikes too short for me to ride, and mountain bikes with what look almost like ATV tires.

[fleabite]

How are my fellow bicyclists and their bicycles? I managed to get in a few 50-to-70-mile rides this summer, although I mostly use my bicycle for transportation. I haven't done a century in more than 40 years, but I am determined and eager to do so. Although I didn't find one to ride this year, I will next summer, I hope.

Now the days are getting shorter (sob), so I'm going to have to get out before breakfast instead of in the early evening if I want to get some mileage in. Happy riding, all!

PS: apl68, did you find a new bike?

[apl68]

Yes, I found a new bike.  It was a mountain bike whose styling I don't much care for.  But it meets my needs.  I've also come to appreciate the suspension on our rough streets.

[fleabite]

Glad to hear that you have new wheels! I've never owned a mountain bike, but they look very comfortable.

[AJ_Katz]

Have any of you ever participated in RAGBRAI?  I myself have not.  I am kind of a loner when cycling.  With the entire summer free for me I might start traveling to try out new bike trails. 

https://ragbrai.com/

YES!  I grew up in Iowa and rode the entire Ragbrai routes a couple of times while in high school, and I've ridden a couple of days here and there later in life.  I would love to be able to ride the whole week every summer, but it requires a good level of training and preparation and being able to be away from work for over a week to do the whole ride.

As others noted, it is expensive.  I remember my mom saying that it was more expensive for me and my sister to go on Ragbrai for a week than it was for us to drive out to Seattle that same summer with friends.  The tent service didn't exist when I first rode Ragbrai --- the expense came from all of the food we bought along the way. 

It's a really amazing ride.  The reason I love is because they block off entire roads so it is safe to ride right down the middle of the road.  People are very friendly and people of all abilities are out there riding.  There are some very entertaining goobers on the trip too.  You can have a nice bike, but don't need it or the whole spandex outfit.  There is plenty of live entertainment in every town you pass through.  It's a lot of fun.  While there are a lot of people there and occasional crowded areas, it's a different kind of crowd and people are all doing the same thing, so it seems to flow. 

I highly recommend that anyone who enjoys riding a bike spend at least one day on Ragbrai.  It's a great event.