Anyone gearing up for the cycling season? I mean it's really year round if you're brave enough. I have some 26 MTB studded tires that I loved to run back when I worked close enough to bike.
It's warming up here in North America and I'm wildly out of shape. I suppose Rule #5 still applies... I used to work about 10 miles from home and I'd ride in and back and that was really the best part of my day. Now I'm an hour+ drive for work and finding the time and energy is the struggle.
Back then I actually did the Rapha Rising Challenge and was onne of the finishers who took a badge for climbing the combined elevation of all the climbs in the Tour de France that year.

So, any pre-season tips for a rusty rider?

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Anyone gearing up for the cycling season? I mean it's
really year round if you're brave enough. I have some 26
MTB studded tires that I loved to run back when I worked
close enough to bike.

I'm not a cyclist (though I did a 60km ride on an ebike last year that was a blast), but have a friend who rides and they got me a bit interested.

Last year I got photos of the riders in the Belgian Waffle Ride Canada (on Vancouver Island, BC). I forget the exact spot I was at on the route, but I was about halfway through - so about 70 miles into the ride. I had a great morning of sitting and snapping photos as riders took the corner in front of me. If you're interested, I have a photo album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAFAEs


Chris/akacastor

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)

Thanks,

I'll look it up.

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What a great photo set!
I'm surprised how many had camelbacks on in the 1st peloton! The bikes all look like they are gravel or rigged for gravel bikes so it must have a lot of unpaved sections in the ride. That one guy mugging was awesome and some of them holding the line just super work.

I think the last big group ride I did was a Tour de Cure ride many many years ago out of Watkins Glen (yes where the NASCAR track is.) We have one near by called the Tour de Shunk and it's crushing vertical in rural central PA that's beautiful. I never finished it but it was beautiful. Mt Desert Island in Maine was a lovely ride, though you had to be warry of cars. We started spending more time on rail trails after the GAP ride and that's when I went to the beefy Trek, not quite the gravel bikes in your photos but not built for speed. I'm just not that into the race I guess. There's some YouTubers that have a channel called the Path Less Pedaled, they like to refer to the pace they keep as Party Pace quick enough to get somewhere, slow enough to not kill yourself. And ride in what ever you're comfortable riding in.

Great photos,

Thanks again,

N2QFD // Malachi

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What a great photo set!

Thanks! It was great to have such an amazing opportunity to take photos and practice my amateur skills. Hours of friendly and interesting subjects to snap photos of - it was a blast!

I'm surprised how many had camelbacks on in the 1st
peloton! The bikes all look like they are gravel or
rigged for gravel bikes so it must have a lot of unpaved
sections in the ride. That one guy mugging was awesome
and some of them holding the line just super work.

The Belgian Waffle Ride is absolutely insane, 136 miles long with 8500 feet of climbing over three mountains. I could not believe how many riders had such big smiles when I saw them - I think I was around the 70 mile mark, after 2 mountains, with plenty still left to ride.

That guy mugging is clearly insane hahah! :)

What a great group of people!

I think the last big group ride I did was a Tour de Cure ride many many years ago out of Watkins Glen (yes where the NASCAR track is.) We have one near by called the Tour de Shunk and it's crushing
vertical in rural central PA that's beautiful. I never
finished it but it was beautiful. Mt Desert Island in

I don't know that I will ever get my shit together enough to get into shape for any kind of big ride, but I got a lot of respect for how many riders will push themselves so hard.

We have a lot of really nice trails in this area (Cowichan Valley, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada). Some mountains and gravel and plenty of challenge, and also plenty of rail trail that's a real pleasure to ride on. A lot of great stuff I miss out on by being too lazy to ride. ;)

Sounds like you've had some beautiful rides, I am jealous of the experience but respectful of the effort you put in! Those long rides have gotta be intense.


Chris/akacastor

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)

N2QFD (21:1/154) wrote to All <=-

Anyone gearing up for the cycling season? I mean it's really year
round if you're brave enough. I have some 26 MTB studded tires that I loved to run back when I worked close enough to bike.
So, any pre-season tips for a rusty rider?

I would like to try cycling, you get to wear tacky clothing and get some fitness at the same time.
The problem is finding a good bicyle that does not cost more than 1/10th of a car payment.


... The number you have dailed...Nine-one-one...has been changed.
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52


--- WWIV 5.9.0.3695[Windows]
* Origin: inland utopia * california * iutopia.duckdns.org:2023 (21:4/108)

The problem is finding a good bicyle that does not cost more than 1/10th of a car payment.

NO kidding!

So I rode a bicycle that came out of a dumpster in Saratoga Springs, NY ... that had a Cornell University registration sticker so it lived in Ithaca, NY once in it's life... It did cost a bit to get it back up to usable, but that old MTN Bike has served me well for probably 18 years now.
I would go on 30 mile rides with it and after I put 2000 miles on it I finally started shopping around for a new "good bike." In 2011 ish I got a Giant Defy 5. It was the bottom of the Defy line up and cost me $800. That was twice as much as my first car cost me outright. It was wonderful, it still is wonderful. I have some 6100ish miles on that bike. I sold a motorcycle and bought my Trek 520 and with nearly 1500 miles on that I think I'm going back to my Giant.
The Mountain Bike is a Shogun an old Japanese brand, and being a 26" MTN wheel it was the least expensive and easiest to get parts for. The others fun 700c wheels and are a little more exotic.
It costs, and there's an expression my father in law who was into racing dragsters. "How fast can you afford to go?"
Bicycles tend towards, "how light can you afford to go?" But I can tell you as a casual rider, it's not about shaving grams on a bottle cage, it's about getting a bicycle that fits your body and your budget. Then it's making the time to get our there.

N2

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Hello n2qfd,

13 Mar 24 20:35, you wrote to All:

Anyone gearing up for the cycling season? I mean it's really year
round if you're brave enough. I have some 26 MTB studded tires that I loved to run back when I worked close enough to bike. It's warming up
here in North America and I'm wildly out of shape. I suppose Rule #5
still applies... I used to work about 10 miles from home and I'd ride
in and back and that was really the best part of my day. Now I'm an
hour+ drive for work and finding the time and energy is the struggle.

energy will come! the first two weeks is a bit bad, but after you'll start to miss biking. at least me. try to ride at least 30-50 mins, minimum 3 times a week. i am running the Strava application with my friends and it really motivates me for moving. :)

So, any pre-season tips for a rusty rider?

try to ride as much as you can, in the beginning just have fun, don't make too long circles, later you can start to challenge yourself, so it will increase the fun.

Regards,
--
dp

telnet://bbs.roonsbbs.hu:1212 <<=-

... Uptime: 2d 11h 27m 10s
--- GoldED/2 1.1.4.7+EMX
* Origin: Roon's BBS - Budapest, HUNGARY (21:4/148)

Hello AKAcastor,

14 Mar 24 11:29, you wrote to N2qfd:

Anyone gearing up for the cycling season? I mean it's
really year round if you're brave enough. I have some 26
MTB studded tires that I loved to run back when I worked
close enough to bike.

I'm not a cyclist (though I did a 60km ride on an ebike last year that
was a blast), but have a friend who rides and they got me a bit
interested.

Last year I got photos of the riders in the Belgian Waffle Ride Canada
(on Vancouver Island, BC). I forget the exact spot I was at on the
route, but I was about halfway through - so about 70 miles into the
ride. I had a great morning of sitting and snapping photos as riders
took the corner in front of me. If you're interested, I have a photo
album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAFAEs

great photos! what gear you have? (canon guy here ;) )

Regards,
--
dp

telnet://bbs.roonsbbs.hu:1212 <<=-

... Uptime: 2d 11h 27m 10s
--- GoldED/2 1.1.4.7+EMX
* Origin: Roon's BBS - Budapest, HUNGARY (21:4/148)

ride. I had a great morning of sitting and snapping photos as riders
took the corner in front of me. If you're interested, I have a photo
album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAFAEs

great photos! what gear you have? (canon guy here ;) )

Sony A7iv and Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3. I just got into photography last year, what a blast! But already there is risk every time I go to the camera store - will this be the trip when I trade my car in for a better lens! :) Just like with microscopes, I crave that expensive glass! haha

I have a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 also, and a Sony 85mm f1.8. Wide angle is next on my list, haven't setled on a specific lens yet.

It's been really interesting getting into photography, once I began noticing light and colour and composition, I started realizing how little I really looked at the world before! Nice to have a reason to sit and really look at things.

I started carrying kneepads in my car, since I never know when I'll want to get that low angle. Gotta be prepared. :)

I went to a couple rodeos last year - lots of fun photo opportunities there! A lot of dust (makes for some nice images but can also make for a dirty camera)! At the Chilliwack Fair & Rodeo there were also motocross riders that were fun to photograph. Between the bikes and the bulls it was a hell of a weekend! Photo album: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAR6Jm


Chris/akacastor

--- Maximus 3.01
* Origin: Another Millennium - Canada - another.tel (21:1/162)

Ha!
I'm an old Strava user from back when they were in beta! I used to get into arguments with them over their trimming my ride and they'd say well.. you're GPS isn't barometric corrected! I was like well I'm a land surveyor, but hey you do you...
I ended up getting an Garmin Edge 200 but I think I still have to walk all my rides though the Garmin Connect web page because Stave wants me to buy a more expensive model!
Search for me by my First name Malachi and look for the snail from Elmira, NY. I haven't posted in a while.

N2QFD

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--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Queen City BBS (21:1/154)