Visitor from PA needs a bike
 

I'm going to be in the Texas hill country from April 30 to the following Saturday, and I'd like to either borrow or rent a bike while I'm down there. I'll bring my own saddle and pedals. I'm 6 feet tall, with a 30 inch inseam, and, err, a Clydesdale.

Any suggestions?

I'm looking forward to possibly meeting some of the Texas Bike Forums posters, and experiencing the famous Texas hospitality.

Ok
If you are flying ,as I did to Florida, TSA wont know what pedals, shoes ( cleats to be more precise) are. Some people pack their kit in checked baggage, but as I have seen in a video from a professional racer, always keep a kit as carry on

I had my carry on ki,t in a camelbak, torn apart and I was patted down in airport security.
( The TSA officer ask me, before the pat down, if i had anything to declare, he was looking me in the eye, and i said yes. He said "what" and i said i was tickylish. He cracked a rye smile and finished the pat down. So you can have fun with TSA egh!)

They didn't know what the pedals were.
On the return flight i had pedals, shoes, helmet, gloves all tied to the outside of the camelbak so security could see them ( they didn't know what the pedals were they thought they were locks)

As far as renting a bike I recommend it. As far as hill country i think of Austin
So I googled Bicycle shops Austin TX and came up with this

http://bicyclesportshop.com/

If you end up in Houston. I have a 95ish Trek 1420 21 speed or a Mercier Corvus 30 speed. We have a few hills around Lake Livingston (Coldspring TX) and rollers near Lake Conroe)
I am a Clyde also and over (and over again) 50 The Trek has a 28/28 that i use for hills. Corvus has a 30/25 that is not quite geared low enough for me on the Coldspring hills but rolls nicely on the Houston flats. Both Al frames. 60 cm frames

Hi Jamesw2,

I'll be in Llano first week in May.

Due to a balance problem I can't ride bars that require me to remove a hand to shift or brake. So I'm pretty much stuck on flat bars. Thanks for the offer.

For what it costs to rent, I could probably ship my bike.

Your welcome And I looked Llano on google maps and you are going to be a few hundred miles away from me. Looks likes a good road through town have a good ride or two

PS the mercier corvus has bifters and I replaced the down tube shifters on the trek 1420 with speed shifters. I also have a 58 (maybe 56) cm Trek 750 with a short straight bar

Local places to rent bikes --

http://www.mellowjohnnys.com/product...rvice/rentals/
http://bicyclesportshop.com/
http://www.bartonspringsbikerental.com/

MJ's town/commuter bike might be good at $30/day.

If you fly Southwest:

Non-motorized bicycles, including Bike Friday and Co-Pilot, will be accepted in substitution of a free piece of checked baggage at no additional charge provided the bicycle is properly packaged and the box containing the bicycle fits within the 62-inch sizing limit and weighs 50 pounds or less. (Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height per checked piece of luggage.) The handlebars, kickstand, and pedals must be removed and placed inside the box. A $50.00 each-way charge applies to bicycles that don't meet the above criteria. Bicycles packaged in a cardboard box or soft-sided case will be transported as a conditionally accepted item.

I refuse to fly Southwest simply because they will make me buy two seats.

After flying as much as I have the last two years, I no longer have any issues with buying two seats (I have to on any airline).
The only drawback has been price. However, you get to bring twice the carry-on luggage (panniers fit nicely into overhead compartments) and have LOTS more room.
When I see regular sized people jammed together, having to fight for personal space...I have less issues with the price of two seats.
I have had instances of airlines thinking I'd made a mistake in reservations and issuing me only one seat (all handled with sensitivity and tact).
The funniest was when a flight was canceled and I was sent to another airline where I was, indeed, issued two seats.........each in different rows!

I never had to buy two seats even when I was 400 pounds. But again, I never flew Southwest.

Granted, it started with Southwest and some other airlines followed suit (don't know which ones...don't care).
If you can physically fit into one of those torturously small seats...more power to you.
Most my weight is in my hips and butt so it is not easy (maybe even possible) for me to wedge myself in.
Nope...more comfortable all around (no pun intended) if I have two seats.
Now, perhaps when I lose 100lbs....

By the way...how in the world did you fit in a single airline seat at 400lbs???

If you transit through Houston, you are welcome to use my hybrid.

I live in Austin, and if able to make it up to Dallas to my parent's house, I'll have a nice hybrid that you could use.