DaHaMac

Question: What does a Clyde do with a 37lb hybrid bike when out of milk on a Saturday?

Answer: Make a 21.5 mile round trip to the grocery store after attaching a milk crate to the rear rack!

Question: What do you call riding with ~30lbs of groceries while pushing against 20 MPH headwinds in 50 degree weather while avoiding vicious loose dogs and hurried Saturday afternoon drivers blinded by the sun?

Answer: AN AWESOME RIDE!!!!! OMG, I'm ready to go again! LOL. No really, I mean seriously, the ride tonight was absolutely thrilling.

I should have taken some pictures of the groceries in the milk crate but the bike wouldn't stand up by itself the groceries were so heavy, hehehehe. As the weight comes off the body, I am then putting it back on the bike. I actually hit one of the dogs on the way home with the front tire but didn't go down, Praise the Lord. I was glad that I could get my foot out of the cage quick enough to defend against the dog-bear that was charging me. I am sure the motorists were freaking out behind me because I took the lane baby and beat the dogs. It was a 1/4 mile later before I realized one foot was still out of the cage!

Boy O'Boy I am hooked on this cycling thing! Plus the gas I saved going to get the groceries is an extra bonus.

Mithrandir

Haha, awesome. Today I went for my first non-work utility ride. Needed to go to the bike shop to get fitted for the new road bike. Then I remembered I had a coupon to use at the big and tall shop, so I stopped by there too, total round trip of 31 miles. I got a basket for the front of my bike last week so I can begin grocery shopping! Haven't installed it yet though.

I am going to use my mountain bike as a utility bike once I get the roadie. If I make it through the winter, I am seriously considering going car-free.

jimnolimit

Good ride man.

I take my bike to the grocery store 1-2 times a week. It's only about 2.5 miles round trip if I take a direct route, but I usually detour and make it a 5-6 mile ride. I carry my groceries in a backpack.

chefisaac

mith: I need to come up to your place and ride with you someday. Still freaks me out to ride in NJ traffic around here.

Snydermann

For some reason I always seem to find a ride that accomplishes a task more enjoyable than a ride just for exercise or fun.

bradtx

Nothing like having some frozen peas in the back pack on a 100 degree day!!!

Bad

Neil_B

If you want experience riding in traffic there's a little city named Philadelphia very close to you. I understand people ride bicycles in that town.

tony_merlino

I don't know about Philly traffic, but I grew up in NYC and have lived in NJ for the last 23 years, and I'd rather ride in the city than most of NJ any day. One of the things that I used to say about New Jersey drivers was that they had all of the aggressiveness of NYC drivers, with only a small fraction of the skill.

Around my area, the real problem is just traffic density and speed. We have traffic that's almost as dense as NYC's, (I'm in a more urban area than Chefisaac), but it moves a lot faster. And there's no awareness of cyclists at all. Most people think bicycles are toys you're supposed to stop playing with at about the age of 10, and only ride in the park or in cul-de-sacs until then. I mostly just ignore the horns and take the lane. If you try to be nice and stay to the side, you're flirting with death.

chefisaac

tony: where abouts are you?

chefisaac

Neil: thanks for the suggestion.... been there a few times riding already. Why ride in NYC? Because it is NYC and I havent done it yet plus I would get to meet another clyde.

Neil_B

Have you looked at a map of New York State yet? I'll give you a hint.... Buffalo isn't near NYC. :-)

chefisaac

doesnt mean we cant ride in NYC. Hell riding anywhere in NY would be great.

chefisaac

hell.... just meeting another clyde would be great and worth the trip. If you havent figured it out yet, I dont mind traveling.

Neil_B

OK. I just want you to realize how far you have to travel. Otherwise you'll get strange looks when you stop in Queens and ask "which way to Buffalo?"

Incidentally I have a friend who lives in Buffalo. I might need to plan a visit next year so I can ride with Mithrandir.

chefisaac

would be cool to hook up with you and ride again. Maybe next year if you are up to it???

tony_merlino

I'm in Belleville, right on the Nutley border. Or in Joisey terms, Exit 150

Mithrandir

Heh yeah, everyone assumes Buffalo is near NYC for some odd reason. It's on the exact opposite side of the state! And it's a long state!

We've got nasty humidity here in July/August so it's not very pleasant in those months, but any of the months around it should be much better for cycling. We don't have a ton of cycling facilities here, but there's the riverwalk that goes from UB to a Naval Park in Downtown: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...&z=12&lci=bike

22ish miles, plus a bunch of tributary routes along the way.

Alternately there's a partial-road route from Buffalo to the Falls: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sour...&z=11&lci=bike

26ish miles. You could technically shorten it and go over Grand Island, but there's 2 large bridges over the river, which you have to dismount and walk over. It's a pain in the butt and takes forever because the bridges are so big.

I wanted to make it to the falls on the bike this year but never got the chance, so I'll have to go next year sometime.

indyfabz

You know...on another forum a poster planning to tour from Long Island to the west coast asked whether the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero and Niagara Falls were all nearby to each other. Seriously.

indyfabz

+1. For years I commuted from Philadelphia proper to Mt. Laurel, NJ. Rode into the center of the city, caught the train and then rode 8 miles from Haddonfieled, NJ to the office. The NJ part of the commute was the most troublesome, especially on the way home. Speeds were much slower in the city and most people knew there was little point in trying to rush past you because you usually wouldn't get very far. In fact, pedestrians and other cyclists usually caused more trouble than motor vehicles. In center city Philly, many, many pedestrians will see you approaching an intersection with the light and simply start to cross against the light if there are no cars close. Guess they figure you will/are required to stop for them.

During the portion fo the commute in NJ, there was pretty high density, multiple lanes, longer distances between lights and lots of businesses with parking lots. I cannot count the number of times some numbskull passed me and then immediately turned in front of me to get to, say, a gas station. No ackowledgement of my presence at all, and no respect for the law.

Neil_B

I once got into a p*ssing match with another chess historian over his description of Cambridge Springs, PA, as "near" Philadelphia. It's about as near Philly as Buffalo is near NYC.