Bicycle Enthusiasts thread

[n9tkf]

If you mountain bike head to French Lick. Professionally built trail behind the casino and FREE to ride. Used to be one of the best in the state. The green trail is 2.5 miles up hill and 2.5 miles down hill. The trails are not advertised anymore on the Casino site but they are still open to bikers.

 

[cbhausen]

I just did my first ride of any appreciable distance in, literally, years. 17 miles round-trip from Eagle Creek Airpark to Brownsburg and back on my new Cannondale Bad Boy 1. Between the greenways and sidewalks I had maybe a few blocks only on public roads. No cycle computer except my Apple Watch. Only averaged about 10 mph including waiting at crosswalks, actually obeying stoplights and stop signs, etc. Did the ride in jeans (not sure why?) and I really need a rear-view mirror because even short stints on public roads w/o one really suck. My hands got a little tingly and my legs are feeling heavy but my posterior doesn't feel too bad considering no padded shorts and a very minimalist saddle on the bike. Leave it to me to get warmed up for some Fall commuting by doubling my commute on the test ride.

 

[spencer rifle]

I just did my first ride of any appreciable distance in, literally, years. 17 miles round-trip from Eagle Creek Airpark to Brownsburg and back on my new Cannondale Bad Boy 1. Between the greenways and sidewalks I had maybe a few blocks only on public roads. No cycle computer except my Apple Watch. Only averaged about 10 mph including waiting at crosswalks, actually obeying stoplights and stop signs, etc. Did the ride in jeans (not sure why?) and I really need a rear-view mirror because even short stints on public roads w/o one really suck. My hands got a little tingly and my legs are feeling heavy but my posterior doesn't feel too bad considering no padded shorts and a very minimalist saddle on the bike. Leave it to me to get warmed up for some Fall commuting by doubling my commute on the test ride.

 

[rhslover]

I've started riding again, both road and mtb. I've got a Breezer Doppler and a steel framed 29er hardtail. Trying to do around 50 miles a week now. I still feel like dying on hills, but it's getting better.

 

[Mark 1911]

I've started riding again, both road and mtb. I've got a Breezer Doppler and a steel framed 29er hardtail. Trying to do around 50 miles a week now. I still feel like dying on hills, but it's getting better.

Keep up the hard work and it will pay off. There comes a point when your body starts responding, and it will surprise you. Don't worry about the times, just put the miles in, try to have a regular routine, and as your legs get stronger and your lactate threshold increases, you will be surprised at how your average pace starts increasing. Keep an eye on the weather and try to adjust your riding times accordingly if you can. The key is, be consistent.

 

[Mark 1911]

Put in 190 miles over the past 7 days. Last Saturday I rode 32.7 miles in 1:48:41, 18.1 mph average. I received a notification from Garmin Connect that during that ride I had my personal best 40 km (24.85 miles) time of 1:20:20, which converts to 18.56 mph average. Not too shabby for a guy about to turn 63 in 11 days. I told myself that if I could attain an 18.5 average this year on my entry level road bike that I purchased in 2015, that next year I would reward myself with a nicer bike. I have one in mind, but still shopping. I will probably opt for a higher level model of the one I have now, which I have been happy with! Honestly I didn't expect to improve as much as I have over the past 4 months, so excuse me for sounding like I'm bragging, I really don't mean to, I'm just excited about the progress and looking forward to riding with some guys next year that I wasn't in good enough shape to ride with this year.

Since the end of the nice riding weather is not that far away, I am tentatively planning to make tomorrow morning's ride the longest mileage ride for the year to date. If I can drag my butt out of bed early enough, the goal is to do a 65 mile ride tomorrow morning.

 

[spencer rifle]

Put in 190 miles over the past 7 days. Last Saturday I rode 32.7 miles in 1:48:41, 18.1 mph average. I received a notification from Garmin Connect that during that ride I had my personal best 40 km (24.85 miles) time of 1:20:20, which converts to 18.56 mph average. Not too shabby for a guy about to turn 63 in 11 days. I told myself that if I could attain an 18.5 average this year on my entry level road bike that I purchased in 2015, that next year I would reward myself with a nicer bike. I have one in mind, but still shopping. I will probably opt for a higher level model of the one I have now, which I have been happy with! Honestly I didn't expect to improve as much as I have over the past 4 months, so excuse me for sounding like I'm bragging, I really don't mean to, I'm just excited about the progress and looking forward to riding with some guys next year that I wasn't in good enough shape to ride with this year.

Since the end of the nice riding weather is not that far away, I am tentatively planning to make tomorrow morning's ride the longest mileage ride for the year to date. If I can drag my butt out of bed early enough, the goal is to do a 65 mile ride tomorrow morning.

 

[smythe012]

Any mountain bikers in here from Northwest Indiana? Just a heads up, Valpo is getting a new trail called Creekside Trails. It's about five miles when it opens (next thursday) and they plan on expanding it to ten miles in the next few years.

 

[spencer rifle]

Did half of the Hilly this weekend (53 miles). Saturday was cold, rainy and dangerous, with more SAG calls for hypothermia than anything else, and people turning back because their brakes didn't work. Sunday was much better.

Saturday

Sunday

McCormick's Creek afterward