My bike rides, fat guy travels
 

I decided to start a new thread, I am sick of the old thread title mentioning my Shimano Acera derailleur issues. LOL

Anyway, went for another bike ride today. Well 2 actually. First one with my son and 2 friends. My friend's wife is a big Athena and hasn't ridden a bike in years. She finally got the courage to go for a ride. She borrowed my spare Fuji mountain bike. The seatpost was a tad small for her but she did okay.

As for the first ride, we went 6.96 miles. The average moving speed was 8.39 mph but the average overall speed was only 4.93. Katie was just having a reallyrough time doing the hills. SHe had to walk up a couple of hills but oveall, she did quite well.

We came back to the house and Mike (Katie's hubby) and I went for another ride. We went 2.87 miles and had an average mph of 10.96. I was pushing myself for that ride.

Here is my new bike that I built up yesterday that I used for today's rides:

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...304_160243.jpg

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...304_160227.jpg

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...304_155848.jpg

Picture from the ride at roughly the halfway point. Looking out at Spokane falls from one of the walkway bridges.
http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...304_151723.jpg

Is that seat level? Looks like it might be angled down a bit. Level is usually better unless you have a specific fit issue.

Nice work on squeezing 10 miles in - riding with friends is superior to riding alone, IMO. As for katie, gotta start somewhere! I distinctly recall not being able to ride up my own street when I got back on my bike after a hiatus. It was awful. Yeah, it's a steep street, and yeah, the gearing in my old bike was wrong and yeah, those are excuses. You just have to find a way to do it.

Enjoy your "new" bike!

Well I had it pointed a little bit higher last night but when I took it for a quickie 1 mile test ride (after I finished it), When I got home, it felt like it was poking me in the front area. Was starting to hurt and it felt like I was getting a small sore. That is why I pointed it back down.

You really can't tell but towards the front of the seat, there is a part that seems to stick up high.

Great job on your "new" bike.
I have two "new from the store" bikes but am impressed by those who recycle bicycles. You get something you can be proud of. I get something new and am then paranoid about scratches, dents and theft. Way to go.

I have this insane fascination with taking something that is ready for the dump and rebuilding it back into functional and good looking shape. The sad thing about this bike is just how fragile the paint is. It is chippping/scratching at barely the lightest touch. Its like something happened to it when it sat outside for the last 20 years.

I would almost consider getting the frame powder coated but i'm not sure I want to spend 100 bux to do that. Would make it look like nearly new though.

Good going! I'm trying to get my wife out riding with me. Gotten her out for a couple of 2 1/2 milers so far.

Good post...nice to hear about a new cyclist and what he is doing. I have been at it for a lot of years, and have worked up to long miles. Last Saturday a friend and I did a slow 42 mile ride with an average speed of 13.7 (all bike path, no cars to contend with) and really had an excellent time. When I talk with friends about riding and say I rode 40+ miles they can't believe that I can ride that many miles in a single trip. I always tell them, "You don't START OUT doing 40 miles, you start out doing a mile or two and keep working up." What you are doing is the start miles that will lead to the long rides. Well done! I find that riding keeps me fit, helps me take off the weight and has really helped my blood pressure. All good things!

Again, nice post, good to hear you are getting in those miles....

Tractor Tom in Okeechobee, FL

Another night ride tonight. 4.44 miles. average moving speed 9.37 mph. I rode my new Schwinn Traveler. Rode very nice but had a few shifting issues. I wondered why my bike felt like it was dragging. I was hoping for 10-11 mph average moving speed. Turned out that when I got home, the wheel was crooked in the dropouts and was dragging pretty good on one of the chain stays. Doh.

My son showed me the planets that were out in the clear skies. Just wish it was a little warmer.

Tom, nothing wrong with that average whatsoever. Generally, the obstacles on MUPs really hit the average (peds, families on bicycles, etc.). And 40 miles is a great ride!

Still sounds like a good ride. And the time with your son was a nice bonus.

I love riding under a dark sky. I start most of my rides before dawn and ride til after sunup. It's a very peaceful time of day.

UV is what happened to the paint. It eats car paint and causes cancer in people and pets -- yeah, sunlight is hard on paint. :D

When I was riding in Florida. This was a pretty average speed of most riders. I was averaging in the mid to upper 14's and only got passed once. There's some fast guys out there but the average rider doesn't average 16-18 mph as some would lead you to believe. Lots of time I'd look down and see 18 mph on the computer but I sure don't average that.

Yes, all the stops and slowdowns really bring that average down. My normal cruising speed is between 14-16 of late, but my average when I am done is normally 12.5-13.5

4.37 miles tonight. 10.44 average moving mph. Nasty incline on today's route. We took our normal route but we changed it a bit. 5 percent grade for a short bit. Really pushed me but I did it. Good ride toonight.

Well I think I have kind of forgotten about this thread. I haven't stopped riding by any means. This past week, I went for 4 rides and would have gone for more but the weather didn't cooperate. Keeping up with a mini-blog is kind of annoying to say the least.

My last ride, I only went for 4 miles but my average speed was 11.04 mph. I was very pleased with that speed. So don't think I Have given up, I just kind of gave up updating this thread every day.

Nice! If you would like, set up a monthly go and plug it into the monthly mileage thread. Neat to see how you progress throughout the month.

would a wax like Nu Finish help restore the paint a little...might be worth a shot for the $4 for the bottle... ;)

hey it works in the junk yard on the commercial!:D

LOL I'm not going to worry about the chips. Since the paint is all chippy, if I bump the bike or bang it with something, I don't worry or freak out about it.

For some reason, there is this little fairy in the back of my head that just keeps telling me "go get it powder coated when you get an extra 100 bux". Its getting annoying. Well I don't have the extra 100 so that is a help. I just can't help wondering how pretty the bike would be with the factory Scarlet red or other bold color.

$100 is a lot. Maybe it costs more? I do not know.
Wait til you have a new bike. You will treat it better then your family! :)

I like your bike by the way.... I wish we had a co-op in the area... I would be a regular there!

Nice!

Thanks,

I changed the handlebars and shifters on the bike:
http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...311_160050.jpg

http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/a...311_160042.jpg

Since these photos were taken, I have replaced the front and rear wheels with new ones that I built at my coop using a freehub for the rear with a matching 7 speed cassette.

I'm not sure WHAT to say????

LOL!

I meant to say that the seat post was too short for her to ride comfortably. :)

Not my style of bike AT ALL and yet I find myself coveting this one.... I do think I will have to create my own version out of the pile O stuff ;) cool bike