Where are you from,what do you do?

Hey everyone,,,,


I'm from, Mississippi (4 years now),, been cycling for a couple of years and have put down some good miles. Love to read, music, sports, and life. For financial gain (and meaning) I am an addiction counselor. Came to this site to find out about getting started in touring. Not sure if this is the place to post, but will anyway.

I have a road bike (De Rosa) (only 2 ring, but its flat here (mostly)).

I want to do some trips this summer,, maybe 2-7 dayers and am looking at what to get. I have camping gear, not the lightest, but decent, so I think if I can figure out what to get,,, racks/paniers or a trailer, I will just need basics. I'm a student as well, so not rich.

Plan is to do some couple day trips to get the hang,,,, leaning towards trailer, but need feedback,,, is a standard roadbike fine??? De Rosa is a steel frame (light though) fyi. Trailer Paniers????

Please help.

thanks BK

 

Hello

Bob here, I am from Austin, Texas and am a personal chef. Also play hockey on a regular basis.

 

Wow.. so many new people here everyday! I've been lurking for many hours now and thought I'd just say hi.

Archana here.. I am an undergraduate in Evanston, IL, right outside Chicago. I've done Critical Mass .. but only on my old clunky MTB from like 12 years ago. It was good exercise trying to drag that heavy thing around for four hours.

I'm looking to get a roadie or a track bike soon. I think after all the reading I've done (hours and hours) I know something about The Bicycle, measurements, fittings, bike tricks , converting to fixed-gear, building your own FG, etc. But I still have no clue about actual brands and models! Hopefully a bit more lurking will help some... and a visit to the LBS (when I get back to the States--I'm abroad right now).

I hope to be traveling across the globe on my bike, hopefully for as long as my body will carry me, starting in the very near future.

So glad to have found this forum! Best wishes to all..

Append: Also, btw I am female.. and pretty small (5' 4")... I've heard that finding a roadie that size is difficult.. but I've done some measurement tests and it looks like 51cm (C-C) would be ideal for me.. That isn't so impossible, is it?

 

I hail from Redding Calif. I've been riding since 1979 when I broke my right knee Skiing @ Snow basin (Ogden) Utah. I average an annual 3,500 miles and have played with racing over the years. I'm 45 years old, married have 2 teen age boys. Work with the post office after a 20 year career with the Air force. My only draw back with my cyclig career is I'm over 6' tall and weigh in over 200lb's, All my cycling bud's call me a truck, cause they love the tow's. I have post several sub 5 hours 100 milers. (I know big deal if your serious) But I live in the extreme northern California and when you ride a hundred your going up more than your going down. I love it! And I'm still a Hamilton fan ride on and keep the rubber down

hoagster

 

What makes me ride, the feeling you get in your legs when your going as hard as you can (the burn) and your brain tells you, you can go harder that is what makes us all ride more, becuase we know we can go harder the more we ride!!

 

I'm interested in Classic bikes from that period and always looking for a few bits and pieces. If you are trading then please contact me on [email protected]
Thanks

 

I've driven through part of your state. The part I saw was great. I've had panniers as well as trailer. They both have advantages. However, trailers have a disadvantage that I'll share with you. If you get to stairs or area where you have to take one at a time, then you have to disconnect trailer and reconnect somewhere down the line. This may also mean you have to make two trips. If you plan to ride public conveyance during your trip, train, the trailer may not be the best bet.



Having said that, if you know that your route is going to be over trails that support trailers, they are a great way to tow extra gear. When I had my trailer it was strictly a child trailer. I seldom get off paved trails and still I had to disconnect at times to go up stairs and through bike guards.



If I have not been able to recon the entire route, I'd leave the trailer at home. I've tried and looked at various types of panniers. I stay away from the one pocket type. Anything you want will invariably be on the bottom. Waterproof is not nearly as great as you may imagine. If water does find its way in, guess were it goes. NOWHERE! If just sets there and soaks your clothes.



I look for multi pockets and zippers out the kazoo. When my wife buys pillows and other bed stuff, I save the plastic bags with the zippers to pack my clothes in. Last summer my biking bud and I took a hundred mile trip down the Mosel River. The second day out we arrived at our campsite just as it was starting to rain. I usually bring my bags in the tent with me. However there was room enough for just my friend and me. So, the bags were left out in the rain.



The next morning when I checked, the pockets were all full of water, just standing there. I took my trike to the camp restroom and helped myself to several paper towels several times. I'd take my plastic packed clothes out and pack the pockets with paper towels, soaking up the water; otherwise it just set there. My bags are waterproof.



I packed my underwear in one plastic bag, and other clothes in other plastic bags. This individual packing allowed me to always get what I wanted the first time around. It also kept all my clothes dry.

As for bike, I'd stay with touring bikes. I ride a recumbent trike and it will carry close to 100 lbs on the lugage rack. I typically carry 55 when camping. Happy biking.


Archie L. Tucker

publisher www.bentmiles.com

 

MMM! Yeah I feel the same way. I have no ambitions or anything.. I just want to feel that.. I want to beat myself.. I want to break my own mental/physical/spiritual/whatever boundaries!

 

Nope......sure is not! Some bike manufacturers produce women specific road bikes that have shorter top tubes and smaller diameter bars and brake/shift levers to make the smaller ladies more comfortable. Off the top of my head check out Cannondale and Trek. The smaller sizes also come with smaller wheelsets(650) that were traditionally used by triathletes.

Here`s a great website to check out consumer reviews and gather info on the multitude of bikes out there.......

www.roadbikereview.com

Good luck and good hunting.

 

BK acouple of friend's & myself are planning a trip on the Natchez Trail on june 20th. we will start in Nashville & will be taking 7days to do the trip
I see that Hattiesburg is not to far from jackson if you are interested in
ridding a distance with us contact me back thebreeze

 

Hi everyone... I'm from california and don't mean to do this but I need help from everyone on this one!!!

So I'm in a little bind and in need of a lot of help.

My name is Linda and this year, I am participating in the AIDS/Lifecycle 4 and determined to ride 585 miles in 7 days to raise money for AIDS. Okay, that's scared me a little saying that; that's a lot of miles and sitting on my bike for seven STRAIGHT days but it's worth it. The event will take place in June 2005 and need your support. This ride is something I can’t do alone; I need your help! Join me on this tremendous feat!!! I have made a commitment to raise a significant amount of money ($2500 to be exact) for the HIV and AIDS services of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and AIDS services in Southern California. Both foundations help provide thousands of individuals in our community life-sustaining services as a result of the money raised through AIDS/LifeCycle.

So far, i'm about 1/3 of the way to my 2500$ goal. I also want to try to get as many sponsors as I can. Below is the website you can go for more information as well as sponsoring me. Even if it is a few dollars you can spare... THANK YOU! ANYTHING HELPS RIGHT NOW!!!

THANKS FOR READING THIS!

peace!

Linda
http://www.aidslifecycle.org/3361

 

I'm from Costa Rica, allways try to train about three hours or roller trainning,right now in Costa Rica we are in the pre-middle season of competition on road and mtb, I prefer the mtb races but sometimes race on road events to keep the level, next saturday we have a 12 hours mtb race, all training of the year is focus on La Ruta de los Conquistadores if you need tons of pain, beautyfull views and a big smile at the end of the day I recomend you this race, a lot of foreigns come all years to try to beat us but at this moment we are invincible, so we're waitting for the first man who's gonna kick our a....., let me know if you have the guts to come this year.

 

I began road cycling last fall as part of a weight loss regimen. It worked very well for me. I lost the weight I wanted and I've started cycling again now that the snow is gone to tone my body. I now feel and look better than I did when I was in my teens! I also love the rush I get from a good ride. I'll be very happy once the sand has been cleared from the streets. There's nothing I like more than a fast ride but need to be cautious I don't want to wipe out in the sand. I already did that skiing and severed a ligament in my left leg. I'm presently looking for a good pair of road shoes. I hope to get involved in competitive cycling this summer. Anyone out there with suggestions for reasonably priced womens road cycling shoes?

 

I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA.

 

Hi
I am a radiology manager from London, Ontario Canada. I have always rode for fun and to stay in shape for hockey. I have been riding about 160-180 km a week, but have been diagnosed with patellar femoral syndrome and have been forced to nearly stop altogether. If anyone has had some success recovering from this, I could use some advise?
R

 

Sup all. My name is Gregg, new here. I am a student and work two jobs right now. Lots of fun

 

Hi! Thanks for responding to my thread! How are you? What type of cycling interests you? It Must be far more difficult for you during the winter months. I hear you get lots of snow in your neck of the woods. Keep in touch.

 

Hi, my first post. They made me. I live in Hawaii. I ride my very old semi-crappy- yet-always-reliable bike to work and back and around on weekends. I love it. I was addicted to watching Tour de France '04 and want to cycle more, mainly for exercise. I really don't know anything about cycling (other than getting on the bike and GO!) like the right equipment, getting my bike fitted properly, how to buy bike shorts (eek!), the correct "cycling terms and phrases" and generally feel slightly stoopid when I enter the local bike shop. Soooooooo, here I am to read posts and absorb information. Thank you and have a goodnight.

 

I'm new to cycling myself where equipment is concerned. I have found a nice shop however where the gentleman who actually works on the bikes and is knowledgeable where cycling is concerned doesn't mind spending time with me explaining cycling terms and even showed me how to change a tire (which is important since road bikes have such thin wheels and can go flat easily). The woman who owns the store pretends to know what she is doing but really only knows how to pick out pretty, yet not well functioning shoes and tries to get me to spend all of my money. I can relate to riding a "very old semi crappy" bike. The first one I used to ride was so bad the brakes didn't work and the chain always fell off. I had to ride it into town with a backpack on to go shopping and pray I wouldn't have to stop in the midst of heavy traffic. I used to hop the curbs and ride through grass until I slowed down enough to hop off the bike while it was moving. I've really gotten into it this time though and am doing it purely for exercise so I want to get proper shoes. Last time I didn't even wear a helmet! Looking back, I'm lucky I wasn't killed. Enjoy the weather in Hawaii, I hear it's lovely there.

 

So, you are from Canada? Well, I haven't a clue what the condition you speak of is. Could you inform us?

lloyd
publisher www.bentmiles.com