General Cycling Discussion - No need to convert rails to trails at all

Is it bad that I sort of want to ride this (http://thereifixedit.com/2009/08/27/epic-kludge-photo-latest-in-hobo-transportation/) like, a lot? :)

http://23x.us/pix/bikes/matthewc-choochoo.jpg

That contraption must weigh 500 pounds! Why? What was someone thinking? Yikes!! :twitchy: :eek:

wanting to ride it isn't bad.

Wanting to commute with it is nuts, though.

Is it bad that I sort of want to ride this (http://thereifixedit.com/2009/08/27/epic-kludge-photo-latest-in-hobo-transportation/) like, a lot? :)

Yes.

Just remember. The railroad won't like you for doing that.

I did see something similar to that around Vesper WI in the late 60s. Some old guy had hooked up a triangular frame that would drop down and straddle the other rail. The advantag was since the frae could be raised he would ride the track into town and then ride to the store for his shopping.

being that I am a Railroad Engineer for the Union Pacific i'd rather stick with my 4,000hp locomotives...

2 on the front and 1 in distributed power... thank you very much...

i got to say, i'd ride it. if for no other reason other than the novelty of it.

Keep in mind that when a railroad is abandoned (and thus fit for a rails-to-trail conversion), the rails are usually taken up for scrap iron.

So from your signature, they sell scrap iron for money and pay their taxes - and it's all imaginary? Cool!

I've never seen a double like that, but I've wanted a single since I first saw one a few years ago. The shortline behind my shop only runs once every couple of weeks in the slow part of their year, so all I'd need to do is contact them, or go rogue with a radio tuned to their freqs. Their MOW is not in-house, so I might have to learn their freq too.

So from your signature, they sell scrap iron for money and pay their taxes - and it's all imaginary? Cool!

I think it's more complex than that.

How does that make you feel?

Looks pretty cool to me, don't think it weighs 500 lbs - though I'm only looking at that pic on my blackberry.
I know that those little speeders often have gatherings on sections of tracks; maybe if there was a group they could do that also.

That contraption must weigh 500 pounds! Why? What was someone thinking? Yikes!! :twitchy: :eek:

But when you do get it up to speed- the mass of the thing wil keep it moving with very little effort on the pedals. I just wouldn't like to take it up any slopes steeper than 1% though.

You'd need an Air-Raid Siren if it started rolling backward.

I'd want a lightweight single with an outrigger so I could bail off of the track superquick to get out of the way of the Metra trains.

But when you do get it up to speed- the mass of the thing wil keep it moving with very little effort on the pedals. I just wouldn't like to take it up any slopes steeper than 1% though.

Fortunately, they tend to make railroads as flat as possible.

Then there's these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nztl8UT79Ng&feature=related

Then there's these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nztl8UT79Ng&feature=related

I gotta say that looks freaking awesome. I wish I knew of some honestly abandoned (not just seldomly used) rails around me to try that on. It looks fun and I don't care what nobody says! :) :thumb: