This happened today, I am so ********ing weak Got a used X02 for an incredibly low price. I know the previous owner so I know the bikes history and maintenance record. This will probably be my primary commuter bike and hopefully not an introduction to cross racing bike. On another note, if this link hasn't already been provided, this is an awesome roadie website that is quite funny if you are familiar with road cycling. The rules alone are worth the read. http://www.velominati.com/
I'm a sucker for trends. At least I'm cheap. But its fun to ride. And I can finally now say I've been Mountain Biking.
When I was younger I used to race centuries. Then my precious ride was stolen out of my backyard in Brooklyn and I despondently decided I'd never sink money into another bike. Since then I've been riding an old Motobecane roadster that I bought for $50. It never fit me right. I crashed it a few times. I commuted in the city for years with it. (As a matter of fact, I calculated my mileage one year as 2900 miles, the distance from NY to SF.) I've even finished a few triathlons with it although I always get funny looks because it's such a piece of garbage. But we moved up to the mountains and the damn thing just can't get me up these hills. So I got this guy for Chanukah. In quarantine, I've been able to put some miles on it and hoo boy what a difference! I literally added 35% to my average speed and it is SUCH a joy to ride.
Platte Clove Road? That's a bit above my current climbing ability, I think. I did ride up through Devil's Tombstone though (Phoenicia to Hunter), which was gorgeous. The devil you know...
Yeah, its a bit above my pay grade as well. I ride with some that do do it though. I don't get down quite that far into Greene County. Pretty much draw the line around Freehold/Durham.. Would like to get down toward the reservior, but thats about 110 mile round trip.
Ha, it's about 1/2 mile round trip for me. They just finished a glorious rail/trail on the north side that's become my personal gym. I forget where you are. Near Binghamton, was it?
Ah, that's right! I was just hiking up at Indian Ladder a couple of weeks ago...really gorgeous. It got me thinking that Albany must be the biggest metro area in the USA, and maybe the Americas writ large, without a soccer team.
Ahh yes, rode up there last Saturday (16 miles to Thatcher for me). Sadly, flatted on the way home. We've tried soccer here. Never seems to work. Too many little fiefdoms and none with pockets deep enough to make it happen. That and its too many small population centers instead of one logical center spot, like the fun that Kingston Stockade puts on. The last time we had pro ball here, it was a pretty good roster. https://funwhileitlasted.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/7-29-1989-Albany-Capitals-Roster.pdf. #21 scored 7 goals off of me in one game in HS when I lived downstate. A few of the other guys live here and I play in an over-40 league with them.
I do no cycling sports but a fair share of bike commuting in and around Berlin, Germany. I am also in love with the Schindelhauer bikes, a Berlin based bike manufacture. For my commuting I have to use a mix of public transport (ferry and train) and biking (2x8km) or in winter (1x8 + 1x 22km). There difference is due to the ferry not operating after 6 pm in the winter so I have to ride a lot more. Which is fine. I normally use my Schindelhauer Ludwig VIII for commuting. I upgraded it with integrated Lightskin LEDs for front and back spotlight. 4 years of intense commuting and it drives like on the first day. For thinks like bringing my child to day care, buying groceries, going to a lake etc. I use my Schindelhauer Emil with a pinion c-line. It's a Pedelec with an integrated Mahle engine and allows me to transport my child and up to 15kg of stuff on the front, plus backpack etc with ease. I love it. Only thing that is not so great, is the original spot light. I think about buying the NACA Road as extension to solve this problem. Yes, a bit different stuff for the thread but bike commuting and daily tasks is actually a big deal in Europe.