willic

Yesterday was a fine pleasantly warm day, also a bank holiday (whit).

So I unharnesed the road bike and set out on a what turned out to be a 54 mile route. Along the North Tyne valley out of the valley up into the Wanney hills, and past Sweethope lough, all a beautifull scenic route.

As I retuned home it dawned on me, I had not seen another cyclist the hole trip.

Where have all the cyclists disappeard to this spring as this is not the only occasion this year where there seems to be a dearth of cyclists out and about.

Perhaps they have all swopped their cycles for motor bikes as there seemed to be a lot more of these on the roads (unfortunately).

Maybe it is just in my locality, but compared to last spring when I came across many fellow bikers on the roads, they are conspicuos by their absence.

Any one else noticed a similar change this year...

carlee

maybe by that particular day you were out, they were on their MTB, thats why you have'nt spotted one on the road.
anyways, just a wild guess

Guest

Nope-

More cyclists, both recreational and serious, than ever out. I no longer frequent the lakefront bike path (unless in the very early morning hours). I stick to street riding, which is a bit safer and much less congested.

I'll be back on the lakefront bike path in the fall when it's less crowded.

DnvrFox

All those cyclists were in Denver on the South Platte Greenway bike path. Believe me!!

closetbiker

I was out yesterday and saw lots!

I even had a brief, pleasant conversation with a couple.

Nothing like a beautiful day in springtime to put a smile on your face!

Avalanche325

I was in Ft. Collins, CO (north of Denver) this weekend. No shortage of cyclists there. Man, you Colorado guys have it made. Pleanty of mountains. Pleanty of looooooooooong flat roads too. Freindly people. Not too crowded. Not too hot (I am in Miami). Hey, what's the number for U-Haul????

firebolt

You know why? They are all riding at your pace. Just stop your bike and wait, or pretend to have a flat. I bet you'll see at least one cyclist every couple of minutes

crucifixion12

Hardly anyone cycles in WV. Actually, hardly anyone goes outside in WV. I spent 1 day cycling in Boone, NC, and saw more cyclists in that time period than I had seen in the whole previous year in WV. Pretty sad.

Avalanche325

That's cuz they ain't got no cyclin shoes!!

Just kidding

OmahaRider

They were out in force around here yesterday----maybe its a regional thing??

Tilly1

They must have all gone to Eagle, Idaho!!!!!
Beautiful weekend for cycling and plenty of people to keep me company on th road.
It was great!!!!

danr

Man I miss Ft. Collins. I use to live in Cheyenne, just about 40 mins away. The best thing about Cheyenne is it was close to Ft. Collins.

They have great microbrews there. If you ever head back, one of my personal favorites is Easy Street Wheat by O'Dells. MMMMMM.

As far as cyclists, I ran across a group ride yesterday. I hit the tail end of it, so I got to ride with the older folks and the kids. Nice people. Then, about 20 miles later, some dude with a Litespeed and aerobars flies by me. Originally, I thought it was a poser pass. However, when I saw him about 500 yards down the road from me, I realized it wasn't quite the poser pass.

Chris L

I've actually noticed an increase in the number of cyclists around in recent months as the weather has started to cool down a little. Having said that, I was the only one out in the rain this morning. There even appeared to be fewer cars than usual today!

Bokkie

Not too many our way either. I see a few regular roadies but their agenda is different to mine. Families hit the cycle paths when the weather is decent at weekends. For now, mine is a lonely vigil. Somewhere, out there, is another cyclist...

willic

Well Bokkie.. I saw quite a few regulars out on the roads and got to know a few of them last year.

But this spring!! no sign of any of those regular people.

Firebolt... I appreciate there could be other cyclists going in my direction at my pace in front or behind, but never to see another biker in 3+ hrs cylcing, coming from the opposite direction is most unusual...

And as I mentioned in my original post, I passed through the Wanney hills, which has a couple of exellent off road route`s and there was no sight of any M.T.Bikers or any vehicles in the trail head car park....

Bokkie

I'd settle for no other riders on a trail ride, considering what the south east is like. The MBR magazine published a detailed route of a ride in the North Downs, in the Dorking/Leatherhead area. Since the magazine did that, the trail was literally transformed into a freeway, and every weekend dozens and dozens of riders head there. Otherwise I could head to the South Downs and use the trail head at Ditchling Beacon, but that too is like a busy shopping mall at weekends. If I want to do decent distance rides I have to head for a bridleway on a converted railway line. That, as expected, is as flat and boring, but it does offer some really nice forest tracks but land ownership is of course another problem. Ashdown Forest (home of Winnie The Pooh) offers some great rides, but again, its busy. The pressure for land and good use is always a problem in the UK. The best compromise for me is to hit the sidewalks and potter around aimlessly. That's one place where there is less of a problem than mad hounds on the trails.

ChiliDog

The fewer out, the better. I ride to get away from people and crowds, not be immersed in them...be thankful you have quiet, isolated places to ride.

willic

Do`nt get me wrong people..... I enjoy solitude as much as others.

Its just yesterday in particular, with it being a National holiday one would expect loads out doing their recreational thing, whatever this entailed, including cycling, off or on road.
I saw quite a few S.U.V`s with bikes on racks. So where the heck were they all headed. Unless they were just the "posser" types.

Hey Bokkie! Shame about all those bikers trying to squeeze onto the trails in your vicinity, must kinda take the edge off any enjoyment.

Try heading up this way sometime, there is some great off roading to be had (and very quite) you can have trails all to yourself, Keilder Water in particular has about 8 seperate routes, 3 of them even visit a foreign country Well if you consider Scotland foreign anyway. I even have the CTC in my backyard and the "Reivers way", and just opened this Spring the "Hadrians way". Spoilt for choice, eh.

Regards Willi`c

Paige

What I notice where I live are the lack of kids on bicycles. What I do see a lot of are SUV's pulling trailers with a load of 4-wheelers and dirt bikes or jet skis, the back seat full of kids. A couple months ago I saw a little boy, couldn't have been more than 4 on a little 50cc dirt bike with training wheels;puhleeze!

Bokkie

It can be a pain. Especially if I come accross a whole family riding 6 abreast! The old shout 'Coming through...' also falls on deaf ears on occasions.

Scotland? Well, we had in mind to do NC and other recommended areas around it in the US, but alas, our 'lil 'ol car was wrecked by a joyrider. We get a new one this weekend maybe and we have a towbar fitted (one concession my wife did make) so I can get a secure and decent rack for the bikes. All this means is that plan A, the US is not an option, and plan B, Tuscany will not happen this year, but we have it mind to take the bikes to Scotland and do some real super rides. A 'foreign' country perhaps but I'm English/Afrikaans parentage with a scottish double barrel surname so they won't trun me back at the border post.