Bicycle riding

[JVShocker]

Hot and humid ride today boys. Little to no wind. Wife and I went out for 25 miles, mostly exploring type stuff - molasses rides I think as MVJ puts it.










And finally, we found these super cool paths that don't allow walkers or joggers....

.

.we didn't get far before we were chased off by some older white guys with sticks....kind of like this...

[dregn]

Thats exactly what he's talking about. At least he's not one of those guys on a stupid recumbent trike. I hate those things! They got their lame flags on them, they look stupid, go slow and they take up the whole path.

End of rant. Dont tell my wife I bitched about the trikes, she disagrees with me on the subject. My wife is a slow take up the whole path person, too.

7-Reasons-Why-Recumbent-Bikes-Can-Be-a-Great-Option-for-Those-Over-60.jpg

Hadn't seen any of these in a long time, was hoping the breed had died out. Then I ran into a group of 3 today. They had a new weapon deployed in addition to their flags...a strobing light angled up just enough to blind a rider on a normal bike coming the other way. Last one in the group of 3 also seemed to believe the goal should be to keep his back wheel along the centerline of the trail. While that's usually just an annoyance its enough to make ya mad when you have kids in the trailer behind you and could really use half the trail...

[MoValley John]

Hadn't seen any of these in a long time, was hoping the breed had died out. Then I ran into a group of 3 today. They had a new weapon deployed in addition to their flags...a strobing light angled up just enough to blind a rider on a normal bike coming the other way. Last one in the group of 3 also seemed to believe the goal should be to keep his back wheel along the centerline of the trail. While that's usually just an annoyance its enough to make ya mad when you have kids in the trailer behind you and could really use half the trail...

Yup, been blinded by the bastards, too. Only got 50 in today, I was dead at the end. 165 for the week.

[MadDog]

Hiked the Purgatory ski slopes in Durango today. Steepest hiking I can remember and I’ve hiked all over the western US. For those with a Fitbit that was 171 floors on a hike of just more than 6 miles. We were hiking the mountain bike trails until the rangers kicked us off. Watching the mountain bikers was insane. There were parts of the trail that were on a 70 degree slope. So steep that I had to slide down them on my butt, too steep to even walk down. No collisions with the mountain bikers so that was good. Will stick to marked hiking trails in the future!

[MadDog]

Ok JV, I’ll take a stab at your last two pics. I think the wall is on 13th by the Whitetail neighborhood. And I think the last pic are the golf cart paths at Terradyne. How’d I do?

[JVShocker]

Ok JV, I’ll take a stab at your last two pics. I think the wall is on 13th by the Whitetail neighborhood. And I think the last pic are the golf cart paths at Terradyne. How’d I do?

Yeah. Nailed it.

First one I followed the wife into Lakepoint. 2nd one is the k96 bike path heading up to Central.

[MadDog]

Can’t believe I missed the K-96 path since I ride it all the time. Even had to study the picture for a while, but now I recognize it. Maybe half way between Central and 13th right as you’re getting ready to descend to the second ditch.

Almost guessed Lakepoint. Haven’t ridden in there, but there’s not that many places on the east side it could be that would look like that.

[JVShocker]

Can’t believe I missed the K-96 path since I ride it all the time. Even had to study the picturfrom Central to 13th....yeah, I know, shocking.e for a while, but now I recognize it. Maybe half way between Central and 13th right as you’re getting ready to descend to the second ditch.

Almost guessed Lakepoint. Haven’t ridden in there, but there’s not that many places on the east side it could be that would look like that.

Made a mistake. Just now saw 13th in your post. It was actually Central, just east of 127th street. Wife always says "where are we going" when we venture into the street, and I rarely do it anymore, but yesterday, she nearly rode the entire 143rd street from Central to 13th....yeah I know,



I used to ride SOLELY in the streets, but there has been so much development just east of Wichita, and I'm guessing a fair number of younger drivers who have cells, that I rarely risk it. That same stretch is where I maxed out at 43 mph many years ago, though in looking at it yesterday it didn't seem all that steep, even riding back west. Must have have a decent tailwind many years ago.

[MadDog]

I think I got up to 28 on that downhill stretch of Central this year. That’s about as fast as I ever care to go on a bike.

[JVShocker]

Sleep in this AM because its a bit cooler, the humidity is down from yesterday, overcast....perfect conditions for bicycling. Eat, pit stop, get dressed and ready to go, on the bike around the corner and I hear this clicking noise. I have 4 BROKEN SPOKES. I was so pissed. All I can think of is "this is wht people have more than one bicycle."

So I grab an old bike (son's), Schwinn terrain bike with a much too small frame size for a 6'3" 210 lb person, pull the seat post up about 1.5 inches above the recommended limit, and go bicycling anyway. I was in such a sour mood. Relegated to bicycling a mile or two from home. And then I'm like "blank it", bbut I didn't say blank, let's just go. So we head out. Tubes with schrader valves in this young adult bike, out into the great unknown. The first 15 minutes of the ride all I can think of is "what kind of road bike am I going to order online?" I could tell wife was a bit nervous, and not just because I had no way to repair a flat on this bike. The weather was just so beautiful, I couldn't NOT go, right?

So today I got my first taste of trail/corridor riding in Wichita on the unpaved sections, and all I can say is....wow. It was so much fun. I actually found a place in the Wichita area I hadn't yet explored. And it was overcast, shaded for the most part, and just really enjoyed the ride. Some pics, and yes, at the end I included the soon-to-be-paved section of the redbud trail. Where's my construction people? Based on photo, how long before we pour concrete?

So I decided by the time I got home, to simply order a spare set of wheels for the road bike, maybe look into some gravel tires as the replacement so I can easily switch both sets of wheels for different rides. I'll check on replacement spokes tomorrow (all LBS closed on Sunday). Also pick up a set of presta valve tubes for the "spare bike" as I'll call it so it will work with my kit and pump. AND....best news of all, the seat tube is exactly the same size between the two bikes, so I can switch out the seat/seat tube from my road bike whenever I want to go trail riding. AND my road bike seat tube has almost 3 inches in length that the terrain bike does not have. (yeah, I know, I'm just imaging the extra length). LOL. All in all a pretty good day AND I get to go to the bike shop tomorrow. :-D (almost forgot.....almost 19 miles, somewhat uncomfortable by the time I got home, remedied with the seat post swap.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Platoro, Colorado for me, please. 67 degrees today. Low of 49. All the hiking, and trail riding I could ever want (if I had a trail bike). Fishing too if you like that sort of thing. We spent a day in Platoro when my son was looking at schools and was thinking about swimming in college, took an official visit to a school in Colorado and we drove to Platoro for the day. It was October. There's Road 250 (from Highway 17) going north. Don't recall the exact distance, want to saw about 20 miles, but it took an HOUR to make the drive. So you can imagine the road for a bicycle. And it may have only been October, but in that 20 mile drive, we went from sunny and pleasant 50-60 degree weather to snow covered roads before we reached the valley of Platoro. When you reach the "settlement" they have a big sign that reads "WE FIX FLATS." We think about making a trip next year for our 30 year anniversary.

Very nice. And I'm jealous about the weather. Usually by this time of year, I'm ready to go looking for some cool weather. Yesterday was the last day of peak temperatures (averaged over the last 40 years) - and the average high was 97. Today's is 96, and the average high drops about 3-4 degrees every two weeks so that by mid-September our average high is down to 90. We broke a record (I think we hit 105 ) yesterday and are supposed to hit 102 today. Mileage for yesterday was 22 at a very fast (for me) pace.

Trying to catch up on work today (after spending the entire day yesterday running errands), so no riding today. We're going to celebrate my g/f's brother's birthday with Akayushi steaks, lobster tails and champaigne. So no riding this evening, either.

We went on a wine run yesterday - to Messina Hof (Hill Country) and Sister Creek to pick up orders.

Messina Hof had the entire facility open and were accomodating people by serving food and had generous samples of all their wines available (and gave all visitors to their food service area 8 tickets for tasting). It was the first time I had been in that type of setting since the pandemic began and we had a nice bottle of white wine and a charcuterie board. Service was outside in a pavilion-like structure The biggest problem was the hundred degree heat (it was about 103 there yesterday). I would definitely like to go back - they had the tables socially distanced. But it was great from the standpoint that it reminded me how this danged virus has impacted normal socialization for most people.

Tomorrow is training (work-related) so I can get off at a 'normal' time and perhaps get rides in tomorrow and Tuesday. For the month, I'm about up to what MVJ was going to ride this week.

[revenge_of_shocka_khan]

Hadn't seen any of these in a long time, was hoping the breed had died out. Then I ran into a group of 3 today. They had a new weapon deployed in addition to their flags...a strobing light angled up just enough to blind a rider on a normal bike coming the other way. Last one in the group of 3 also seemed to believe the goal should be to keep his back wheel along the centerline of the trail. While that's usually just an annoyance its enough to make ya mad when you have kids in the trailer behind you and could really use half the trail...

That's what you call a three-fer. Doofus riding a recumbent (I understand why someone might want one for medical reasons like back/knees), taking up more than half the trail, AND using strobe which, to me, has to be one of the dumbest things going. Absolutely zero reason for having a strobe on a trail. I might get it if you're riding on the street. To me, a light is used for evening/night rides, so if you're on the street, I suppose it would be of some value around dusk, but I've never owned one and would never own one.

[MoValley John]

That's what you call a three-fer. Doofus riding a recumbent (I understand why someone might want one for medical reasons like back/knees), taking up more than half the trail, AND using strobe which, to me, has to be one of the dumbest things going. Absolutely zero reason for having a strobe on a trail. I might get it if you're riding on the street. To me, a light is used for evening/night rides, so if you're on the street, I suppose it would be of some value around dusk, but I've never owned one and would never own one.

All of my headlights have a strobe option. I ONLY use the strobe feature if I'm on a city street, which is rare. I also angle them downward as to not blind others. I have been strobed by douchenozzles riding those abominations! On yesterday's ride, I passed a couple, each riding one of those. Dude had like five flags, his wife had more.... and a freaking windchime!

[dregn]

All of my headlights have a strobe option. I ONLY use the strobe feature if I'm on a city street, which is rare. I also angle them downward as to not blind others. I have been strobed by douchenozzles riding those abominations! On yesterday's ride, I passed a couple, each riding one of those. Dude had like five flags, his wife had more.... and a freaking windchime!

The new one starting to drive me crazy are the mudder looking ebikes people are riding on the trails. Had 2 going the other way from me today and the front guy was smoking a cigar. Almost as bad riding through a cloud of cigar smoke as the cloud of smug from the recumbent crowd. Unless your French or Italian, if you can smoke while on a "bike" it's probably not a bike that should be on the trail...

[MoValley John]

The new one starting to drive me crazy are the mudder looking ebikes people are riding on the trails. Had 2 going the other way from me today and the front guy was smoking a cigar. Almost as bad riding through a cloud of cigar smoke as the cloud of smug from the recumbent crowd. Unless your French or Italian, if you can smoke while on a "bike" it's probably not a bike that should be on the trail...

I've never seen an ebike rider smoking a cigar, but that is funnier than sh!t!!! I have, however, seen many people on ebike rentals, taking a break smoking cigarettes. I think its great that there are thousands of bikes and ebikes laying around for people to jump on, I just wish they realized that riding a bike and smoking are diametrically oppositional activities.