My first bent on order ... - Page 2

Hi,

I'm a newbie to bents. The V2 is a nice machine. I ride a Rans Tailwind. Wet streets will, well, get you wet. I would suspect fenders would be a must. Since I have a horse farm, road debris are a fact of life in the driveway. Adds to the fun of riding when dodging the road apples.

I use Power Grip straps and I like them. My road bike has toe clips. I've never used special shoes or cleats (clipless pedals). The straps do have the option of allowing you to position and reposition your foot as you ride. I've not had a foot come loose or hang on the pedal.

I'm 53 and no grey beard yet. In fact I'm usually shaved. As to hill climbing my Tailwind will climb like a mountain bike. Just sit and spin. In fact I would venture to say it climbs easier (although slower) than my Trek road bike. You could change the gearing to give you a hill eating granny if you need it.

I too live in Ohio (Wellington).

I can't comment about the camping and trespassing since I'm a transplanted "westerner" and I camp very little, just at the county fair with our 4-H kids. Boy do I miss NM. Lots of "rural" country there.

Have fun on your V2. It looks like an awesome bike!

'bent Brian

"Tom Sherman" <tsherman@qconline.com> wrote in message
news:2l3nm6F86ajpU1@uni-berlin.de...
> jhaake wrote:
>
> > ... What's BFE ?!?!...
>
> Beyond Freaking Egypt - a colloquial expression for a
> place far from any town, major highway, etc.
>

That's the polite version of the expression for the mythical
place in the middle of nowhere. You can go to
urbandictionary.com and search under BFE if you are
interested in the less polite version.

skip

"Edward Dolan" <edolan@iw.net> wrote in message
news:9P-dnUy4rNTc7nHdRVn-uA@prairiewave.com...
>
> Skip, you have got it mostly right, but you are a more
> social person than
I
> am. I have often found it more trouble than it is worth to
> ask permission
to
> camp. Many people will just worry needlessly about it and
> it seems to
create
> a lot of unease.

I'm just the opposite.

If I see people outside in their yard and if I like their
looks I'll stop, introduce myself, tell them where I'm from,
what I'm doing, etc. A little small talk or question about
something going on in their local area doesn't hurt. I tell
them I'm looking for a place to pitch a pup tent for the
night (not *camp* which in their minds may suggest a lot of
stuff and a longer stay). I ask if they would help me and
maybe suggest suitable place. I assure them I will be no
trouble and that I'll bike off in the morning without
leaving a trace. I never ask them directly if I can camp on
their property I just ask if they will help me find a spot
which always seems to end up somewhere on their property.

To me haphazard off road camping always seems to be a less
than ideal because of high weeds, rocks, and other
undesirable things like the chiggers and ticks we have in
the south. I find the permission granted sites nicer and
less troublesome.

skip

.

Wow, a lot of good stuff here. Thanks everyone.

Here's what I think I'll do:

fenders - yes

computer - okay, I'll try one

pedals - I'll get those dual function pedals and by bike shoes ... if I break my neck it'll be all your fault. If I don't like bike shoes I'll put clips on the pedals (I really like powering with both legs at once).

beard - mine needs to be grown out a bit more to fully comply with bent regulation :-).

I'll try hard being a spinner.

touring - I'd probably ask if people (land owners) were outside (I liked skip's soft approach - thx) otherwise I'd probably find some unfenced property. My wife'll probably never go for that, but I'll twist her arm and pout (hey, it works for her!!!). Pamela, thanks so much for that link - it was great, I stayed up reading it a 1:30am.

Brian, we're almost within short (relatively) biking distance of each other. I live in Marshallville which is southwest of Akron, bought my bike in Barberton.

Ed, I'm with you. Every westerner that wants to develop/drill/pave BLM land should be required to live in the east for 5 years (I've been an easterner for 8) to really develop a proper apprieciation for all that open land.

"skip" <skip@acmeproducts.com> wrote in message
news:sqWdnWzaUv5mRnHdRVn-jg@comcast.com...
>
> "Edward Dolan" <edolan@iw.net> wrote in message news:9P-dnUy4rNTc7nHdRVn-
> uA@prairiewave.com...
> >
> > Skip, you have got it mostly right, but you are a more
> > social person
than
> I
> > am. I have often found it more trouble than it is worth
> > to ask
permission
> to
> > camp. Many people will just worry needlessly about it
> > and it seems to
> create
> > a lot of unease.
>
>
> I'm just the opposite.
>
> If I see people outside in their yard and if I like their
> looks I'll stop, introduce myself, tell them where I'm
> from, what I'm doing, etc. A little small talk or question
> about something going on in their local area
doesn't
> hurt. I tell them I'm looking for a place to pitch a pup
> tent for the
night
> (not *camp* which in their minds may suggest a lot of
> stuff and a longer stay). I ask if they would help me and
> maybe suggest suitable place. I assure them I will be no
> trouble and that I'll bike off in the morning without
> leaving a trace. I never ask them directly if I can camp
> on their property I just ask if they will help me find a
> spot which always seems to end up somewhere on their
> property.
>
> To me haphazard off road camping always seems to be a less
> than ideal because of high weeds, rocks, and other
> undesirable things like the chiggers and ticks we have in
> the south. I find the permission granted sites nicer and
> less troublesome.
>
> skip

All of what you say above goes to my point that you are a
more sociable person than I am. Very often I do not feel
like engaging in conversation with the locals for any reason
whatsoever. I would rather take my chances with the weeds,
insects, rocks, etc. Usually I am all tired out and I want
mainly to be left alone.

When I tour by bike I never properly "camp", but I try to
get a good night's sleep. And I do not like to pay the
outrageous camp fees that both public and private
campgrounds want these days. You could never travel the way
I do with another person as no other person would put up
with what I put up with. My way is strictly for the lone
traveler who disdains all comfort and luxury and wants to
travel on pennies a day.

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Idiot, don't ride nekkid. YUCK! You are scaring everyone....

Doofus grouches:
> I just never ride in the rain - period! I will ride in a
> drizzle, but not in a pouring rain. When I get wet I go
> hypothermic and become extremely miserable. I have
> occasionally sat out entire days when on tour just waiting
> for the rain to stop.

"bil" <me@notme.net> wrote in message news:XqmIc.3271$f9.1926@fed1read02...
> Idiot, don't ride nekkid. YUCK! You are scaring
> everyone....
>
> Doofus grouches:
> > I just never ride in the rain - period! I will ride in a
> > drizzle, but
not in
> > a pouring rain. When I get wet I go hypothermic and
> > become extremely miserable. I have occasionally sat out
> > entire days when on tour just
waiting
> > for the rain to stop.

Others ride in the rain with rain clothing or just shorts
and t-shirt and do not become hypothermic like I do. I
attribute this mainly to the fact that I am not a big fat
slob like most Americans are. Tell me Bil - are you a big
fat slob, like Michael Moore is for instance ( he is also
treasonous and has no brain - but that is another subject
for another day)?

--
Ed Dolan - Minnesota