uphill climb in an older part of the suburban city in which i live

might try to export data here like others have if I can find a way to get data from this android app - UrbanBiker

Today my hybrid took me to see the sunset at Maaria (just kidding - that's a nuclear strike). It was an easy 30 km there and back, save for some unintentional mountain biking when I took a short stretch of the wrong trail. Endomondo did not want to record the return trip (same route), but my free version does show a Finnish-language tooth-whitening ad, which I've kindly left in the screenshot for your enjoyment.

http://i.imgur.com/UZH1RiO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/YFHjZvR.png

Last weekend -- the one year anniversary of my return to cycling after 30 years away -- the modest Globe Carmel comfort hybrid I bought to get back into shape took me 63 miles. I was aiming to ride my age, 58, and went a bit over. I split the ride between 30 miles into the country during the day, and the other half that night on a group ride with friends.

I've modified the Carmel slightly over the past year: a rear rack; flat bars, swapped with a Univega (which now wears the Carmel's riser bars); heavier puncture resistant all terrain tires.

It's been a good bike to get back into shape with. I plan to keep it, mostly for the comfortable ride. The simple spring suspension fork helps minimize neck pain over rough pavement and gravel. Glad I got it instead of a rigid fork road bike last year -- back then the type of bike I used to ride probably would have been painful and might have discouraged me from continuing.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BH...=w1000-h667-no

To another series of yard sales, some of which were active. . . .

Took me to the bike shop today. I carry a camera every time I ride. I wear cargo shorts (bike shorts underneath on any lengthy ride) and carry the camera in my front pocket. Last weekend I wore a pair of athletic non-cotton shorts and obviously it was much more comfortable except for the camera. The cargo shorts holds the camera against my leg. With the athletic shorts being much looser, it bounced around.

I have to have my camera. I am kind of the photographer of the group I ride with (we are hybrid riders, riding 60ish mile rides around Pittsburgh or on the rail trails at around 12-14 mph, so not pace lining on road bikes or the like.) I whip it out and take snaps of the group while we are riding. I stop and take photo opportunities of the scenic views then hammer up a bit to catch up to the group.

I wanted to grab one of those top tube pannier like bags to carry the camera for easy access. Figured I could toss the wallet and keys in the other side along with the phone in the center phone pouch and it would be much easier just grabbing it off the bike and carrying into restaurants or bike shops or where ever we may encounter in our travels than digging around my trunk bag to collect that stuff. The bag was velcro closure and I was going to remove the velcro and put some neodymium earth magnets in it for easier access to the camera. Unfortunately the capacity was way to small to be able to slip the camera in and out easily while riding. Everything I find on Amazon seems to be zippered which would be a hindrance to camera access.

That's a great effort. You must have been putting in some practice over the past year. How often do you ride? Can you give us some background on your year, some tips perhaps for us 50's guys just getting back into it.
Frank.

My hybrid took me on the newly completed connection to our newest rails to trails path. I am fortunate indeed, they have now completed a new bike trail that has an access point literally across the street from where I live. I can now access over 120 miles of wide rails to trails multi use paths that are very well maintained ,with two thirds of them paved and the rest of the distance being packed crushed granite. Feeling blessed...

I took these of BC off the Web. If these are your trails you are blessed indeed. Rain here so no riding.

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/me...e-regional.jpg

http://www.christinesculati.com/blog...totrailbc1.jpg

Out to the river & back @ 30 mies. Water was a bit high in places :lol:

...to the wrong side of the tracks. Since being hit by a truck mirror in the spring, I've gotten buzzed again recently and I'm really nervous on country 2 lane roads with high speed limits. I still ride on group rides (safety in #'s) on one of my road bikes, but I've pulled my Target Schwinn Trailway out of mothballs when I ride by myself in an industrial area close to home I've started to frequent. There's almost no traffic other than big trucks just doing 30ish as they pull in and out from loading docks. Several of these driveways have gravel spilled on to the asphalt hence the wider-tire hybrid.

I feel guilty for bad-mouthing it here on BF. It's really not that bad of a bike for the money, and although 2 of the 21 speeds make a clicking sound it still shifts, brakes, and rides great and its got a lot of miles on it. I keep adding weight with racks, mirrors and bags so it's probably 45 lbs now, but I'm just riding it for exercise anyway - so if I can get a good workout at 14 MPH why not?
http://i387.photobucket.com/albums/o...l/IMG_0751.jpg

You're lucky to be able to access 120 miles like that. What state are you in?

My riding group is all heading to DC. I can't go. Financial priorities.

Thus, my hybrid took me solo out to the lake for lunch. Been wanting to do this ride for a while. 22 miles out and 17 miles back.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...20P1020487.jpg

Brand spankin new asphalt for a different route back. So new that they were currently laying it down up ahead of this photo. SO smooth.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...20P1020524.jpg

Fought the winds, not the rip currents. #goodride

These pictures are indeed from the trails I ride on, its a regional trail system called the Galloping Goose and Lochside Trail here in Victoria BC.

I consider myself to be very fortunate to have access to so many amazing and very safe trails. https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/me...e-regional.jpghttp://www.christinesculati.com/blog...totrailbc1.jpg

I copied these from the above post by "coominya", I don't live in a state but have a gorgeous view of the Olympic peninsula of Washington state across the water from us. I live in Victoria BC, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

Nice rides everyone.

I got back on my Fuji this morning because we finally had a sub 80F degree morning here in North Texas, and I wasn't about to waste it inside on an elliptical machine at the gym. I decided that for my first decent ride in 3 months, I would simply enjoy the ride, not worry about taking pics, and not worry about pace. I did a relatively easy 22.5 miles only averaging about 13.1mph and enjoyed every minute of it. I even grinned a bit when I passed a couple roughly my age on a climb that were riding shiny new Specialized e-bike hybrids (I'm a few months shy of 50 yrs old). I call that a win!

Cheers

I know what your saying. That's how I approach rides after a break, just enjoying the ride with no pressure on yourself often makes for the best rides :ride:

Exactly. Well said! :thumb:

Last night's dining room.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...20P1020554.jpg


Heading back home I see this.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...20P1020562.jpg

Yeah, I need to check this out. Oops, not going through this on my new 100 psi 28's....

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...20P1020565.jpg


I'll have to hike this when the weather gets cold. Something I want to start doing this year.

What part of NC?

We've got miles & miles of Greenway trails here in Raleigh that are car-free! :thumb:

Yeah I'm there as often as I can be on the Neuse River Trail or ATT with family that live in Raleigh & Chapel Hill. I'm in Kinston

Cool...I'm in the North Hills area of Raleigh & about 1/4 mile from a Greenway entrance. It's really nice to be able to get about town without much street time!

It's about 12 miles for me by Greenway to the Neuse River @ Anderson Point Park. :thumb:

Oooh, I like that look of that :) That's why you buy a front suspended hybrid :)

Yeah, I would love to ride stuff like this but there aren't enough trails around me to bother. I am strictly an on the road and on rail trail rider. I need a road bike to satisfy the n+1 and then in the far future maybe an inexpensive mountain bike to do this stuff to satisfy the ever moving n+1 after the road bike.

Did some more yard sales. . . .