philrush

Yep, 41 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!

Picked up a new Giant Cypress Monday, but the weather held me back. Tomorrow is calling for heavy rain all day, so I figured today was the day.

Nothing spectactular..... 2 1/2 miles out, and 2 1/2 miles back.
I feel like I could have doubled that with no problems, but wanted to take a baby step the 1st time out.

This forum has helped me tremendously in making a decision to buy a bike and ride. I desperately need to lose a BUNCH of wieght, and was looking for some basic transportation when camping. Im ectremely happy with my choices at the moment.

So, next time you guys need some thing to "toast" to, raise one for the FAT guy! (wont be fat for long though.

I have dicovered the W&OD trail, about a 30 minute drive from me.

It is an unusual Virginia state park (because of its size). It is 100 feet wide X 47 miles long! Very nice.

I plan to do aa lot of my riding there, as I definately need to work on my confidence level while riding.
I could hardly believe the difficulty I had in passing pedestrians coming in the opposite direction.

It seemed as tho, if I focused on THEM, I would drift TOWARD them...I was not comfortable around them at all, which leads be to believe I am NOT ready to handle traffic situations yet.

Anyway..thanks to ALL the posters on this forum...your information has been invaluable.

phil

caloso

Welcome back! And keep turning those pedals.

wfin2004

Great job philrush. We have a State Park here in Florida also that is 49 miles long! Withlacoochee is a nice trail. Only a few crossroads. I like riding on the trails. No idiots in 4900 pound cars talking on C-Phones! I lost 50 lbs in 6 monthe riding on weekends only. As far as drifting towards peds, I only gawk at the girls when they ride by, but no problem "drifting" over their way.Anyway, good luck with the weight thing. I am 50 yrs old and never was in such good shape. Gave up Smoking, drinking and potatoeing on the couch. Virginia gets my vote for the prettiest state. wfin2004

kerk

Welcome to the biking crowd!!! You have made a great decision. Remember you will steer toward whatever you are looking at. Example: People that drift off the edge of a paved path make the mistake of looking at their tire when trying to get back on. Look 6-8 inches into the pavement and you will hop right up there. Good Luck!

Litespeed

Welcome aboard, glad to see another person deciding to take up bicycling at an older age (the 6) (We aren't over the hill, just down the road a ways).
In order to avoid drifting into someone, don't look at them except for a glance. Your bike will go where ever you look. Don't look straight down at the front wheel, look ahead and your bike will go straight. If you don't have a computer, be sure and get one, it's fun to keep track of your mileage and you will be surprises how fast it adds up and how fast you increase your mileage.
Keep pedaling !!!

philrush

Right now, Im gonna pass on the bike computer. I have ordered a handlebar mount for my handheld GPS.

That will give me EXACT milage, EXACT speed, show me the compass direction I am traveling (or want to travel), show me elevation, show me EXACT time, and even act as a stop watch, not to mention that it will show me they way home if I get lost.

Thanks for the suggestions about bike control. I cant image what I would do if I collided with someone and it was my fault.

thanks guys

Litespeed

How big is your GPS? Sounds like it will do everything you need it to do. I could sure use a feature that would tell me how to get home, I'm constantly lost but seem to find my way back. That's pretty bad for someone who has lived in this city for over 50 years. Let us know about your progress on weight loss and mileage.

temp1

You picked a great bike and hopefully it will enhance your lifestyle, congrats. And if you're going to hit someone don't forget about the brakes.

BeTheChange

Wow, I thought I'd never hear of that trail again. I went to middle school and part of high school in Purcellville VA at the end of the W&OD. It is a great trail. If you are near leesburg it sets you out right in the historic downtown where you can get some great food. I remember biking from Purcellville to Leesburg (12 miles) and going mountain biking for a few hours then biking back. It is an awsome trail and I wish I had something like that where I live now. Good to hear you are starting biking, watch out though, it is addictive. Good luck.

tomsanborn

Good for you! Take is slow - I've stayed with a couple of overextended riders waiting for an ambulance to come! Remember: It doesn't matter how fast or how far you go, all that matters is that you're out there enjoying the ride. Isn't it a great feeling riding and especially the "high" you feel when you are done with the ride? I lost some weight a couple of years ago (50#) and I found that if I was riding or walking, I wasn't home thinking about food or eating.

Concerning the weather, I'm at the other end - I rode when I got home from work to day and it was 103. "Sunny California"

philrush

I have a Garmin Map 60sc. Its a little pricy @ $500, but there are plenty of good units out there for 1/2 that price.

I bought it for when I am fishing on some of the larger fresh water lakes.


It oly 2 1/2"w X 6"" high and wieghs 5.4 oz (without batteries.)

I have ordered a handlebar mount for it , so Ill be riding in style this weekend.

kerk

That thing rocks!