deckyon

Quick background - I have some long motorcycle trips coming up (ADV style, not on the slab) in the next year and a goal to be on the road full time, living off the motorcycle while I travel the globe. I have to get myself back in some semblance of shape to do this, so I asked some other friends, who never go to a gym, how they do it. Their unanimous response was to get a bicycle and just start riding.

So, at first I started looking online for bikes and spent a week, and had it narrowed down to a couple that were around $1000. Then, I got home one night and happened to notice my old bicycle I bought back in 1999 and rode for very little hanging on the wall. It was full of cobwebs and dust with 2 flat tires and a rusty chain. So, I decided that I would take it in to a local bike shop and see if it was salvageable. In short, I have a basically "new" 1999 Diamondback Response with new tubes, cleaned chain (not actually rust), new handgrips (more comfortable ones) new saddle with more padding for my fat arse and a set of lights (front and back). Tires are still the original ones, no dryrot or anything. To be fair, it was garage kept the whole time.

So, I got it back last night, and of course the weather forecast is rain for the foreseeable future.

mattbur

good deal on finding your old bike....welcome to the site.

mrv 

The 'ville is a great place to ride.
Hopefully you're neat Seneca / Cherokee parks, which means you are also able to ride downtown to the Ohio River and the Big 4 Bridge. Which means you can ride down to the Falls of the Ohio and hike around the fossil beds!

Love riding around L'ville when I visit my in-laws. I got a single speed hanging in their shed.

deckyon

I live on the east end, in an neighborhood that used to have a golf course which has since gone bankrupt. This gives me 18 holes worth of cart paths to ride without having to get in traffic. Also, down the road from my neighborhood is a small area with a 7-mile bike loop as well.

I have done a lot of the areas you list while on the motorcycle. I generally stay away from Cherokee and Seneca and Downtown just because of the traffic and lack of attention people pay right now. I have been sitting at a light on my motorcycle and been hit and told "you dont need the whole road". So, I stay out of the town as much as I can. At least with the motorcycle, I can get out of trouble pretty much instantly with the twist of the throttle.

Eventually, I want to get to the point I am riding my bike up to the bus stop (couple miles) and commuting to work (downtown). I need to get a time of what it will take me from the front door to the stop before I can judge how much I need to wake up earlier to get there on time.

Trsnrtr

Welcome!

cb400bill

Welcome to Bike Forums deckyon.