The Bicycling thread

[rbourey]

Red Rock Pass. One of the few places in Montana you can go east to enter Idaho.
(Sent the picture to my wife - her helpful reply was "Go left.")

 

[rbourey]

A lot of guys run most of the great divide mountain bike route on their motorcycles. There some single track and areas that don't allow motors, but a fun trip. Not too many bikes over 450 pounds.

(To stick to the advantages of cycling in this thread, I'll note the guy on the right was life-flighted out a few days into the trip to pick up another stent. True to form however, he was back on the road in 48 h. The guy on the left is in the motorcycle industry.)

These are some cabins in Dell MT - home of the Schoolhouse Cafe, where some of the Saturday morning crowd parked their planes in the parking lot.

 

[skibum69]

For photos I use a pay site called SmugMug that I've been on since '06. I'm now up to almost 20K pics uploaded. My pics are all separated into galleries to make them easy to find only computer or any device. It is also very easy to upload any photos to any forums etc that I want and I post hundreds. If anyone is interested I can give a coupon for $5 to join. PM me.

 

[kurtr11s]

Great pics of the Great Divide. Another ride that is on my list. I'm waiting for my 8000+m mountaineering buddy to hang up the ice axe and look for new challenges. I'm too chicken to do something like that by myself (what if I need a stent?).

Did you do the whole thing? In one go?

BTW - If you were referring to Lacklan Morton, he is Australian.

 

[lee]

(Group rides are fun, until the first time you have to stand in line for ice cream.)

I hate long lines and usually have good luck avoiding long lines during RAGBRAI.
2018 near Ames there was a huge line for homemade ice cream. I was riding with my friend who is 20 years older than me and his son in law.
They wanted ice cream so I told them I would wait for them in the shade.


That's my friend on the left. He's 88



Here's the ice cream vendor from 2013

 

[rbourey]

Great pics of the Great Divide. Another ride that is on my list. I'm waiting for my 8000+m mountaineering buddy to hang up the ice axe and look for new challenges. I'm too chicken to do something like that by myself (what if I need a stent?).

Did you do the whole thing? In one go?

BTW - If you were referring to Lacklan Morton, he is Australian.

(Many thanks. Don't tell Lachy I accused him of being British - I corrected the post in case the EF Pro Cycling crew keep track of the internet for him.)

Did it all in one go when I turned 65. Healthwise, a lifesaver, and it improved my motorcycling as well. The key was to set it up so the end date was open. The folks having the most fun were the young and jobless and the old and carefree. Saw too many middle-aged guys and girls trying to stick to a limited schedule and just not having fun.

(If you actually race it as a time-trialer or part of the Tour Divide, well..., it's not supposed to be fun.)

As long as one can keep themselves entertained while climbing (and climbing), and have the sense to walk the bike when they need to, it's a pretty tame route. Met a lot of guys, and a few girls enjoying their solo rides at their own pace. (You might not want to wait for your friend in the Himalaya. You can share with him the argument my wife has made - a ride along the GDMBR is a fraction of the anxiety and cash it takes to get an adrenaline rush in Pakistan or Nepal - I mean, unless one's heavily sponsored.)

Will add - not news to this forum - building one's own bike and having the tools and parts to fix it along the way keeps the anxiety low. (That's actually a duct-taped spare tire under the frame.) Met an astrophysics major from Manhattan (NY) who spent two weeks in his local bike shop just before the trip to make sure his skills were dialed in.

If you need a stent, just push the SOS button on your Garmin InReach Mini - that's what the fellow above did.

Have fun out there.

 

[kurtr11s]

I'm actually writing a response to say that I like the like button.

 

[kurtr11s]

Regarding the GD trail: how long does it take "normal" people to do? Just to get an idea of how much time I would need to devote. I also want to do the TAT (but on a motorcycle). I'm thinking of doing that in segments. My wife and I have started talking about a cross country trip by bicycle. We've done it so many times on motorcycles - now we are ready to slow down and actually see stuff.

 

[rbourey]

Regarding the GD trail: how long does it take "normal" people to do? Just to get an idea of how much time I would need to devote.

If one's not riding 40 miles every day, then a lot of soreness when they try to take a 50 to 80 pound rig up and down hills for 8-12 h a day.
The good racers can do over 200 miles of predominantly gravel roads for 2 weeks..., as noted, no fun, and they are all experts on saddle sores and running past their limits.

I should mention, I was a medocre racer until my late 30s, and up until this trip, have usually ridden with that mindset. Shift in mindset might be important.

I went into it with a lot of advice on set-up and positioning from a sports medicine DPT following a broken neck, knee surgery, a bad shoulder, a cardiac stent, and a 15 mm disk sticking into my spinal canal.... I designed the trip to lose some weight, regain lost fitness, and stabilize my back and joints.

Of course, I started out with a 90 mile day - as always, forgetting my game plan as soon I touched the pedals. I always feel so good day 1..., until I realize it's close to 100 deg F and I ran out of water and energy 20 miles ago.

After a full day of rest, I recovered and settled in at 40 mile days, which led to 60 mile days, which finally led to 80 mile days in New Mexico. Total - ~8 weeks. (On return, I did a 165 mile day riding 33 miles to and from a regional century ride.) And yes, I had days I was truly dogging it, following the old LSD training mantra - long, slow distance, but it really paid off. Along the way, took off a few days or several hours here and there to do things like catch a rodeo in Helena, split wood for the winter pile of the nice folks at the llama farm, visit the mountain man museum, hang out with the crowd at Brush Mountain Lodge (currently on hiatus), shoot the breeze at a coffee shop all morning with an MV Agusta rider, swim in a hot spring, or borrow a Park stand at a local bicycle shop to do some maintenance.

I found the average tourist was running 4-8 weeks, but everyone is different, and some only discover their limitations once on the road. Met one guy from California with pretty severe congestive heart failure who was at altitude, on the 12 week schedule, and loving it.

When the locals - who were often familiar with the racers - asked how long I was taking, I'd usually reply that the really good guys finish in 2 weeks; I was hoping I could finish in 2 months. (Goal accomplished.)

Have fun.

Oh - and if you have the funding and your wife doesn't mind a pillion spot, think about a tandem ride on one of the Adventure Cycling Association paved transcontinental routes. It's faster than you can ride by yourself and guarantees you'll finish together. Their mapping department is one of the best.

 

[kurtr11s]

Interesting. Thanks. A rough estimate (like "2 months") is what I was looking for. I'm all for stopping to smell the roses.

My wife and I have never ridden a tandem (nor does she ride pillion on motorcycles). We should give it a try sometime. I am pretty lucky, Michelle and I are very compatible with our cycling abilities. I'm a bit "stronger", but she has phenomenal endurance. We train exactly the same way, so it isn't surprising. We do train hard to be able to participate in adventure travel and participate in gravel races to gauge where we are.

 

[lee]

Oh - and if you have the funding and your wife doesn't mind a pillion spot, think about a tandem ride on one of the Adventure Cycling Association paved transcontinental routes. It's faster than you can ride by yourself and guarantees you'll finish together.

Maybe, maybe not

 

[kurtr11s]

Maybe, maybe not

That's funny. Our neighbors are big cyclists and "they" (the husband) decided the family (mom, dad, two pre-teen boys) should bicycle across the country. They already had a Quad - so they packed it onto their car and drove to Seattle (or Oregon, can't remember). They sold the car and started the journey. They made it to somewhere in the midwest at which point mom and the kids flew home and dad continued on.

When they initially told us about their plans, we gave them our best wishes and general enthusiasm. As soon as we were alone we both agreed, "they're insane". We weren't surprised by the outcome. I'm sure those boys have some good stories to tell their friends.

 

[littlebriar]

My partner and I are researching week long bicycle tours for this summer. We are looking at BRAG, Atlanta to Savannah. Has anyone done this? Any other suggestions for early summer. We're happy with 60-70 miles a day with a moderate amount of elevation. We live in Michigan and have done several tours in Michigan over the last few years.

 

[rbourey]

Lived in Toledo for 20 y and enjoyed escaping the Great Black Swamp in summer for rides with the League of Michigan Bicyclists with my sons. Shoreline Tour, Sunrise Tour and do it yourself variants. (In my opinion, the only reason to leave Michigan for riding is if you don't cross-country ski in the winter to stay in shape.)

That said, can't brag I did BRAG - Hopefully, someone who has will comment.
Again a lot of people (a lot of lines for ice cream) and it's post-Memorial Day weather in Georgia. Not sure how Michiganders handle that weather; I've done it; I would rather not....

(Sideways thought - If you want to go south and you like small, van supported trips, ACA runs one that does the entire length of the Natchez Trail in 9 days a few times during the year. ) Scout it on the motorcycle; ride it on the bike.
https://www.adventurecycling.org/guided-tours/van-supported-tours/natchez-trace-van/

That said, I've looked at trying to incorporate the April BRAG Spring Tune-up and festival into a motorcycle trip at some point.
BRAG Spring Tune-up at the Sunflower Farm

One of my dreams is to throw an 18-pound Brompton titanium folding bike into a case on the pillion or rack and go train at venues like the BRAG Tune-up festival. (I know some folks have done this, but didn't find the word Brompton in this thread.)

Brompton's fold in 20 seconds (with a little practice).
Folding case:
H: 33m, W: 64cm, L: 70cm (13 in, 25 in, 28 in) Photos from the Brompton USA Site -
https://us.brompton.com/




(Copy and paste - very dangerous. Lee might regret pointing out this feature. )

 

[kurtr11s]

Not a Brompton but similar idea, check out my posts #193, 225, and 230. They are about our Bike Fridays. they are about 20# and fold into a suitcase for air travel. They don't fold as quick as a Brompton but they are more like a road bike that is actually made to fit you. Post 230 is about a rack I constructed to fit the bike on my motorcycle and how long it took to "deploy" from that position. I would never put the suitcase on the bike. It is too large and it takes too long to get the bike in and out.

We have ridden them on the Natchez Trace, the GAP, the Erie Canal, and county Donegal (Ireland) and other bike trails across the US.

 

[rbourey]

Not a Brompton but similar idea, check out my posts #193, 225, and 230. They are about our Bike Fridays. they are about 20# and fold into a suitcase for air travel. They don't fold as quick as a Brompton but they are more like a road bike that is actually made to fit you. Post 230 is about a rack I constructed to fit the bike on my motorcycle and how long it took to "deploy" from that position. I would never put the suitcase on the bike. It is too large and it takes too long to get the bike in and out.

We have ridden them on the Natchez Trace, the GAP, the Erie Canal, and county Donegal (Ireland) and other bike trails across the US.

Reviewed all. Thanks to all for the inspiration (even Paul Glaves, who hasn't owned a bicycle since 1958 added his bit). Heading out for a ride to think about it. Will try to put together the finances to try this out - perhaps in time for Redmond.

 

[littlebriar]

Lived in Toledo for 20 y and enjoyed escaping the Great Black Swamp in summer for rides with the League of Michigan Bicyclists with my sons. Shoreline Tour, Sunrise Tour and do it yourself variants. (In my opinion, the only reason to leave Michigan for riding is if you don't cross-country ski in the winter to stay in shape.)

That said, can't brag I did BRAG - Hopefully, someone who has will comment.
Again a lot of people (a lot of lines for ice cream) and it's post-Memorial Day weather in Georgia. Not sure how Michiganders handle that weather; I've done it; I would rather not....

(Sideways thought - If you want to go south and you like small, van supported trips, ACA runs one that does the entire length of the Natchez Trail in 9 days a few times during the year. ) Scout it on the motorcycle; ride it on the bike.
https://www.adventurecycling.org/guided-tours/van-supported-tours/natchez-trace-van/

That said, I've looked at trying to incorporate the April BRAG Spring Tune-up and festival into a motorcycle trip at some point.
BRAG Spring Tune-up at the Sunflower Farm

One of my dreams is to throw an 18-pound Brompton titanium folding bike into a case on the pillion or rack and go train at venues like the BRAG Tune-up festival. (I know some folks have done this, but didn't find the word Brompton in this thread.)

Funny, I lived in The Great Black Swamp (Toledo) in a past life. I've done the Natchez trail on the motorcycle a while back. I think we're looking for something not so remote. Some of the towns on the Brag look like some fun times after the days ride. Hopefully someone can offer some suggestions if nobody has done the Brag.

 

[littlebriar]

Not a Brompton but similar idea, check out my posts #193, 225, and 230. They are about our Bike Fridays. they are about 20# and fold into a suitcase for air travel. They don't fold as quick as a Brompton but they are more like a road bike that is actually made to fit you. Post 230 is about a rack I constructed to fit the bike on my motorcycle and how long it took to "deploy" from that position. I would never put the suitcase on the bike. It is too large and it takes too long to get the bike in and out.

We have ridden them on the Natchez Trace, the GAP, the Erie Canal, and county Donegal (Ireland) and other bike trails across the US.

We've heard the Erie Canal is a good trip. 6 or 7 years ago and I took a boat from Jacksonville, FL to Northern Michigan. We did the entire Canal. There are lots of quaint towns along the way.

 

[kurtr11s]

In 2013, the National Rally was in Salem, Or (not too far from Redmond). On our way up from San Diego, we stopped in Eugene for a tour of Green Gear Cycling (the makers of the Bike Friday). Michelle got her Bike Friday in 2008 and wanted to get a new custom made stem - so we carried the adjustable stem with us and dropped it off with them to make the new one. So the company isn't too far from the rally site. Heck we rode from Redmond over to Eugene to get oil filters at the BMW dealer there during one of the previous rallies (we've been to both - 2002 and 2010 maybe?). There was no filter to be found at the rally site. As I was changing my oil, (K75) a guy came over and asked me if he could have my OLD filter! That was how bad it was.

Regarding the Erie Canal: It is a long flat ride. The villages along the way are great and you go through all of the major upstate NY cities (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany). To me, if it is below i90, it is downstate. There are some parts that are particularly boring - but some that are great. We stayed at B&Bs (and our house, which is about 5 miles from the canal trail). We did the 380 (ish) miles in 6 segments - so 60 to 70 miles per day and it was enjoyable. We picked the hottest week of the year - July, every day hit 100, so there were some shadeless sections that ground us down between Rochester and Lockport.

To me, the interesting thing about the Erie canal was that it was the beginning of civil engineering as a discipline. It was a massive undertaking but the payoff was equally massive. It was the catalyst for the settlement of the midwest, and eventually the far west. It was the beginning of the US as an industrial giant. After the canal was built, the cities I mentioned above flourished but were also set up for ecological disaster to follow. We had car companies, steel companies, chemical and oil, salt and other mining, heck at one time we had a number of bicycle companies right here in Syracuse! Camillus Knives was right along the banks of Nine Mile Creek which fed the canal (now Camillus is made in China and sold in Walmart). Our waterways were dumping grounds for the pollution stemming from the industry. Heavy metals filled our local lake (Onondaga - when I moved here I was told that it was the most polluted in the country).

The area has undergone a massive cleanup. Honeywell spent years dredging the lake and developing wetlands on the shores. Now it is a stopping ground for migrating birds - and we even have a number of bald eagles living in the giant trees along the shore.

 

[kurtr11s]

Here is a picture of the park and the bike path that goes around 80% of the Onondaga Lake. Because it was so polluted, nobody wanted to live near it. So now most of the shoreline is a park! It is weird being in a city and having a lake with almost no buildings on it. The city of Syracuse is in the background above the bikes. This picture is taken near the NYS fairgrounds (behind the photographer). The canal trail goes along the lake in the upper right corner of the picture.

And this is what remains of the Richmond aquaduct, completed in 1856. This is part of the second iteration of the canal. It was the second largest aquaduct on the canal it is located in Montezuma, NY. You have to take a little side trip to get to this. This is one of the few sections of the trail where you are routed onto the road for a pretty long chunk because there are no bridges along the old canal route.