I've settled on a ride (for now) and I'm working on a routine.
This morning:
11 miles, average speed 11 MPH, course has some hills so it's just enough challenge to work me, and it's local so I don't have to drive anywhere before I ride.
... and it's beautiful early in the morning!
Last night we rented a movie from Redbox, so that was my "excuse" for a ride this morning - I had to return the movie. I started out at 7:30 a.m. and it was COLD! Luckily I was smart enough to wear leggings and my long sleeved shirt; I was not, however, smart enough to wear full gloves. Who knew I'd need gloves in September? When the temperature is 57 degrees and the bike is moving at 30 mph the wind on my bare fingers feels like 10 degrees. Made the 13 mile round trip in 1 hour 7 minutes which I didn't think was too bad, considering that I wasn't even working - this was just a pleasure ride.
I decided to address this issue first, because if you're not comfortable you won't be able to ride very fast OR very far. The first comfort item, of course, is the bike itself. You don't have to spend a fortune on a bike, but you DO need to spend enough to get a decent one. I don't recommend buying your bike at WalMart. Find a reputable dealer. The dealer should be able to measure you for a frame . You should be able to straddle the bike and your crotch should not touch the center bar - there should be about 1/2 to 1 inch of clearance. In addition to frame size, tire size (or, more appropriately, rim size) must be considered. Most mountain bikes or trail bikes use 24 or 26 inch rims; most street bikes use 26 or 27 inch rims The next question is bike configuration. For riding in a hilly area such as northwestern Pennsylvania, you will want as many gears as you can get; if you can include a "mountain climbing" gear, that is even better. Riding "stan...
Wife and I took a ride together today; we rode the Oil Creek trail, which I rode on 8/20/16 . Of course we took it slower - average speed 9 MPH - and when we got to Drake Well Park , we decided to continue via the Queen City Trail into downtown Titusville . We visited the park in Titusville and enjoyed some refreshments while sitting in the gazebo. On our way out of Titusville my wife's pack came loose from her bike; we didn't discover the loss until we reached the Drake Well parking lot, so I got a "sprint" in; I rode back the entire Queen City Trail length into Titusville hunting for the pack. Fortunately I was able to find it, and nothing was missing. Total distance: 28.6 miles Max. speed: 26 MPH Average speed: 9 MPH Total Time: just over 3 hours, but we stopped several times on this trip.
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