Bicycles

[Midpack]

Do you bike? Y
How often? 5 days/week
Road, path or trail... cross country? Road
Length of ride? 30-45 minutes intense, longer occasionally
Part of a group? N
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc. Trek 7.3FX (traded in my Madone SL 5.5 last summer)
Been biking since Since I was a kid, but seriously race/distance in the 80's, just for exercise past 20 years.
Expect to bike until Until I can't anymore!

 

[sengsational]

During my bike ride yesterday passed by woman all wire and hands free and chatting on her cell phone. Nothing wrong with that as not a traffic threat. But, as I was coasting along my thought was what a waste of a nice bike ride.

When I go on longer (or any) ride, I never have distractions, electronic or other. I even quit mounting my bike computer...I found myself thinking too much about distances, speed, etc, and not being in nature.

 

[GravitySucks]

Do you bike? Yup!
How often? 3 or 4 days/week
Road, path or trail... cross country? Road and trail. I live near a 35 mile stretch of the old Erie Canal.
Length of ride? 10 to 35 miles
Part of a group? Once a week for a flat 25 miles.
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc. Trek 7.1FX and a Specialized Roubaix)
Been biking since As an adult, since 1999.
Expect to bike until Can they take my carcass away in a bicycle hearse?

 

[aja8888]

Do you bike? Not any more - too dangerous around here
How often? - N/A
Road, path or trail... cross country?
Length of ride?
Part of a group?
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc.
Been biking since Expect to bike until

Too many folks around north Houston have been hit by people in cars and trucks. Cell phone use has been the main cause of driver inattention. It's not worth it to ride here.

 

[kcowan]

Just got back from a bike/barge trip along The Moselle. 8 days. Great experience with VBT!

Because of problems with my tendons, I have not been biking like normal every day but I intend to resume now.

 

[Bamaman]

We're not riders buy our daughter has worked in bicycle shops since she was a kid. Her bicycles start as a custom aluminum frame, and she's constantly collecting components. All axles and spokes are titanium and the wheels are custom made.

She had a Specialized triathalon bicycle at our house putting it together for a local racer. It was all carbon fiber--$5,000 new. Needless to say, it's much more bike than all but a few need. I think the guy paid $2K for it.

 

[athena53]

I've been biking since I was a kid. I'm now 63 and have no plans to quit. I still feel like a 12-year old on a bike.


I ride on the road and do 35-mile charity rides a few times every summer; one coming up next Sunday. I've been a real wimp about riding in tis heat, though- I've been hanging out in the gym to stay in condition. It's an early- morning ride with plenty of rest stops so I'm not concerned- have done them before.

 

[sanfanciscotreat]

I spend a week a month on the AL coast and I ride my bike most days there. I have an Electra Townie 7 speed which is a cruiser style. The trail I ride is roughly 15 miles long and is very scenic. Here's a peek of the trail.....

Are you still living in Meridian primarily?. We moved to WNC a couple of years ago for cooler weather. Just started bicycling a few months ago. A lot of pretty rides around here.

 

[Dawg52]

Are you still living in Meridian primarily?. We moved to WNC a couple of years ago for cooler weather. Just started bicycling a few months ago. A lot of pretty rides around here.

Yes. Meridian is not exactly a retirement haven, but it's home and my friends are here. I do want to start spending 3-4 weeks in a cooler climate like Colorado next summer. Had a lot of expenses when I moved to a new house a few months ago so letting my wallet cool off the rest of this year.

My little brain is not working......WNC = western NC?

 

[imoldernu]

Do you bike? yeah, but not so much anymore

How often? when the spirit moves

Road, path or trail... cross country? used to "all" but now just quiet roads and paths... no hills

Length of ride? once in a while 15 miles... usually just a four mile trail ride circle at my campground... gettin too old for traffiked roads. scary.

Part of a group? not for three years, and only trail rides in FL. Favorite..
http://www.traillink.com/trail/withlacoochee-state-trail.aspx

What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc. All classics and all free or $5. '74 Schwinn 'bent tube', 75 motobecane super mirage, Vintage Proflex Girvan... (before Trek).... and many others... yick! Current is my soft riding Mongoose Maxim... Most I ever spent $45.


Been biking since... 1940... Expect to bike until I can't find my way back home... (maybe pretty soon)

 

[dessert]

Yes, bicycling is one of my hobbies. I've been cycling since I was a kid.
After retirement, I started riding around the country roads behind my home. I upgraded bikes three times and now own a nice road bike.
I joined a group of retirees that ride 3 times a week for 20-40 miles at a time.
I ride once or twice a week. I'm too busy with other hobbies and chores to find more time for the bike.
I ride for exercise and enjoyment of being outdoors as well as the social aspect of the group ride.
Last week on a break we were discussing military service and I discovered that one of the riders and I served aboard the same Ship at the same time over 40 years ago. Imagine that!

 

[Badger]

Do you bike? Yes
How often? 2-3 x wk
Road, path or trail... cross country? Road
Length of ride? 60 min (about 13 miles)
Part of a group? No
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc. A 1998 Trice - recumbent trike (now called Ice)
Been biking since Expect to bike until Since about 1951. As long as my bum knees hold out.

And anything else having to do with bicycles... as opposed to "bikes" (cycles).

Since I don't sleep well and often wake up around 3am my wife suggested that I go ride instead of watching tv and feeling miserable. Great idea. I have a bright head light that can burn a hole in a stop sign and there are no cars on the road. Since I live in a small residential beach town it's a very peaceful and safe ride. After the ride I'm ready for a nap.

Cheers!

 

[Danmar]

Took up biking about 10 years ago when I retired. Don't bike too often, maybe 2-5 times a month, (30-50kms). Spend more time on spinning bikes unfortunately. Have multiple bikes, hybrids/mountain/road at our various places.

Really enjoy organized biking trips, mostly to Europe. Do one or two of these a year. Next one in Sept is to Bavaria and Austria.

 

[eytonxav]

Do you bike? Not any more - too dangerous around here
How often? - N/A
Road, path or trail... cross country?
Length of ride?
Part of a group?
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc.
Been biking since Expect to bike until

Too many folks around north Houston have been hit by people in cars and trucks. Cell phone use has been the main cause of driver inattention. It's not worth it to ride here.

Sounds like me. Road a lot back in the late 70s and early 80s when living in Stamford, CT. Used to love the very hilly and curvy backroads up through Pound Ridge, NY. Had a high end Trek, columbus tubing, campy components and in those days no helmet. When it rained would train indoors on Kreitler rollers, which were great for improving balance. As my career progressed didn't have time for it anymore and then after arriving in Texas, came to the same conclusion about the danger on the roadways. Back in my younger days, drivers were not nearly as courteous to bikers as they are today, but even now thats still a problem despite all the share the roadway messages.

 

[Tree-dweller]

DW and I treated ourselves to two new Electra Townies (7 spd) last summer. They are supposed to be easier on the back due to the slightly forward pedal placement. We rode some last year (well, at least weekly 20 - 30 mile trips), but we've discovered that since we live on a hill in a fairly congested suburb, the need to haul the bikes to where we want to bike safely has cut back on the frequency of our biking. That, and the heat.

 

[aja8888]

Sounds like me. Road a lot back in the late 70s and early 80s when living in Stamford, CT. Used to love the very hilly and curvy backroads up through Pound Ridge, NY. Had a high end Trek, columbus tubing, campy components and in those days no helmet. When it rained would train indoors on Kreitler rollers, which were great for improving balance. As my career progressed didn't have time for it anymore and then after arriving in Texas, came to the same conclusion about the danger on the roadways. Back in my younger days, drivers were not nearly as courteous to bikers as they are today, but even now thats still a problem despite all the share the roadway messages.

When we lived in Southbury, Connecticut, I rode a mountain bike quite a bit to coincide with my long distance running habit. There were lots of old fire roads through the woods and lightly traveled roads so biking was pretty safe. I alo had a few motorcycles back then.

Now around here, you have be prepared to deal with the large increase in traffic and drivers who really don't care much in sharing the roads with bikers. There have been a few very nasty accidents in the last year where bikers came out on the bad end, one getting killed.

 

[Ronstar]

Great thing about my F150. After folding the back seat up, i throw the bike in the back seat and take off to whatever trailhead I want to start at. No need for a bike rack or truck bed rearranging.


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[W2R]

Bicycles? Pfft.

I am 68 right now. Some people age faster than others, and maybe I am old for 68. I think you get the idea. Look up "ancient" in the dictionary, and you will see my photo there. I had several bad falls before my cataract surgery, and do not want to fall any more.

Anyway, as I age, I am feeling less and less sure of my balance and also less and less sure that I would find a fall off of a bicycle to be trivial. I even hang on to hand rails on stairs, and step down off curbs very slowly and carefully. Seems prudent.

I decided that my bike riding from now on will be limited to stationary bikes, for safety reasons. Besides, the hot, humid weather here doesn't often make outdoor bike riding a very attractive form of exercise. And then like Aja8888 I am concerned about the dangers from oblivious drivers, as well.

Frank bought a trail bike a few years ago, and when I moved in here a year ago he asked to store it in my (gigantic) garage, so there it sits. He hasn't ridden it.

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

I have 3 bikes down from 5 - part of the downsizing for ER

1 MTB with slick tires to run errands and get around town. 1 road bike - 20 years old but a nice carbon Trek for casual rides. And a Tri bike since I still do an occasional triathlon and I love the time trial position and the feeling of going really fast.

Always use the bike in the summer as much as I can - DW is a big biker as well.

Some day I would like a new road bike - but I'll probably take my time and get a used one or last years model.

I see more bikers around town than ever - all ages.

I see a trend in electric bikes which will be nice when I still want to ride but I can't pedal the distance.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Interesting thread. DH (68 this year) just bought an all-purpose bike yesterday and we went for a short ride this morning around our neighborhood, me on my 40-year-old three-speed for 30 minutes in second gear and him doubling the distance. I do feel nervous riding it, from my own klutziness and fear of falling and not from the minimal traffic in our very quiet and mostly flat town. We will do this for fun, in the built for comfort and not speed mode, and extend the distance every time.

We bought our first helmets ever, too. Life is different these days.

 

[BigBob]

Do you bike? Yes
How often? 3-5 days per week
Road, path or trail... cross country? At least 3 days road biking, about 2 days per week MTB
Length of ride? Road - 45-50 miles per day, MTB 10-15 miles
Part of a group? Almost always with a bike club - more fun that way
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc. Specialized Roubaix road bike, Trek Superfly mountain bike
Been biking since teen years, but more seriously the past 2 years. Expect to bike until 80 (that be 25 years - dad is still road biking, often with this same club)

Fun thread, seeing what others are doing! My mileage/days per week are ramping up as I retire in less than a month and current work schedule allows me to ride before work.

 

[nuke_diver]

Do you bike? Yes
How often? Typically 4 times a week
Road, path or trail... cross country? Road only
Length of ride? 3 rides to the gym ~17 total and one long ride on Sunday ~40-50 miles Occasionally the Wed Legs day at the gym will be replaced with a much longer ride usually 50-60 miles
Part of a group? Never with a group
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road, trail, recumbent etc. And old ('82) steel for the gym and a new (2013) Cannondale CAAD 10-3 for the long rides
Been biking since I was a kid
Expect to bike until I can't or a car kills me which is kind of the same

I thought I'd see more people like a couple of people I've chatted with on longer rides here. They were both 300 mile a week people. In fact that 65 year old that told me that said you can't be any good unless you do at least that much. But it would get me divorced so I stick with my current schedule

 

[dallas27]

Occasional bike riding for fun, to the bar, or the store, or a local festival.

Dahon mu with a da'vinci n360 CVT drivetrain. (Folding bike)


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Bestwifeever]

...

I thought I'd see more people like a couple of people I've chatted with on longer rides here. They were both 300 mile a week people. In fact that 65 year old that told me that said you can't be any good unless you do at least that much...

I wonder why they think you have to be "good" at riding a bicycle and what that means--move those pedals, stay upright, feel the breeze in your face? Good enough for me!

 

[slowsaver]

Do you bike? Yes!
How often? 6 days per week.
On the Road
Length of ride? 17miles round-trip to/from work, also on Saturday (length varies: 20-60mi)
Part of a group? Not usually. Mostly by myself, or with husband.
What kind of a bike (bikes)? Road -- specifically Rivendell bikes
Been biking since 1999... Expect to bike until 2049