Another old guy saddles up.
05-16-19, 04:24 PM
#1
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Another old guy saddles up.
I rode motorbikes for years, but only street. I quit because of the expense after retirement and distracted drivers trying to kill me. Last September I saw an ad for a Mongoose Hitch and was intrigued by the fat tires. Initially a trip around the neighborhood was enough, a couple miles. The weight began to come off (I was technically obese for my height), so I began eating better to lighten the load and make riding easier. After a bit I promised myself that if I were to lose 30 pounds, I got to get a new, lighter bike. That day came and now I'm on a 2016 Kona Wo and love it. I only need to ride two blocks to be on dirt and pretty much completely alone, just the way I like it. Did I mention that I'm 72 years old? Also I'm an hour West of Las Vegas so I have lots of desert to explore. Looking forward to learning a few things on here, cheers!
flieger
flieger
05-16-19, 06:05 PM
#2
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Welcome to BikeForums and bicycling. I am soon to be 67 and have been road cycling for about 47 of those years. People ask me "How long do you think you can ride bikes?" and my stock answer is " If I get into my eighties I would still like to be pedaling.
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05-16-19, 11:14 PM
#3
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I used to live in Vegas years ago and share your opinion that off-road is better than on-road in that area.
Join us in 50+ Forum and the 65-80+ thread. And when you get 10posts, pics - or it didn't happen. Love to see your Nevada trails.
Good year for desert bloom?
Join us in 50+ Forum and the 65-80+ thread. And when you get 10posts, pics - or it didn't happen. Love to see your Nevada trails.
Good year for desert bloom?
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05-18-19, 07:48 AM
#4
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Welcome to Bike Forums, flieger!
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05-18-19, 08:09 AM
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Good stuff, welcome to the forums and enjoy the ride.
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05-19-19, 06:57 AM
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Originally Posted by curbtender
Good stuff, welcome to the forums and enjoy the ride.
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Keep the chain tight!
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05-19-19, 08:14 AM
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I know where you live since there is only one decent sized town exactly an hour west of Las Vegas! I'd take issue with the idea that off-road is better than on-road in Las Vegas. When I first bought my house the desert started at the edge of my subdivision and good, smooth roads were hard to find but no longer. The valley has over 250 miles of bike lanes and bike trails. I quit riding my mountain bikes regularly when the desert disappeared under housing developments. One separate trail to the east of town is 40 miles long, all well separated from any nearby roads. I consider it cycling heaven.
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05-19-19, 08:50 AM
#8
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I just don't want to be anywhere near someone using a cell phone while driving a motor vehicle. A lot of the appeal for me is the solitude. After I get enough posts, I'll post some photos and links to videos of the local terrain. I retired out of Mercy Air and have overflown this terrain for hours but never really saw or appreciated it until I began riding it. I also gained an appreciation of how much harm inattentive driving can cause.
Cheers,
f
Cheers,
f
05-19-19, 11:43 AM
#9
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Thread Starter
I have several videos on YouTube of the local riding area. You can access them from the link in my profile.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSJ..._as=subscriber
Anyone else notice a lack of video quality in some of them? They are from a GoPro 7 Silver, reduced to 720 in Openshot to save bandwidth.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSJ..._as=subscriber
Anyone else notice a lack of video quality in some of them? They are from a GoPro 7 Silver, reduced to 720 in Openshot to save bandwidth.
Last edited by flieger; 05-19-19 at 11:45 AM. Reason: more info to impart
05-19-19, 01:32 PM
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You keep riding those roads, you're going to be in a rut...lol. Yes, the center of some of those videos seem light on definition, but maybe that's from the camera shaking. Pretty vacant around those parts. You might like this thread,
Empty road ahead photos
Empty road ahead photos
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05-20-19, 12:09 PM
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Welcome. Your weight loss and getting into shape is impressive.
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05-21-19, 11:58 AM
#14
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Welcome! I lived in Sandy Eggo and rode my motorcycle all through the desert. It’s beautiful country out there. I hope you enjoy your bike!
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05-21-19, 09:27 PM
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I love success stories. Congrats on the weight loss.
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05-22-19, 06:27 AM
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Welcome to BF and congrats on getting biking back into your life.
Im also inspired about the rides in the Vegas area and would love to ride that 40 mile trail.
Next time I stay and play, I will be riding as well, hope there are some good rental shops?
Im also inspired about the rides in the Vegas area and would love to ride that 40 mile trail.
Next time I stay and play, I will be riding as well, hope there are some good rental shops?
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