Epic Bicycle Trip

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...

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.

If you're just getting into "serious" biking (on any level, really) there are some things you can do to improve your "cycling score". Your cycling score is a combination of: 1. How far you can ride 2. How fast you can ride 3. How comfortably you can ride All three of these characteristics are a reflection of how efficiently you ride. When you ride, you want to be able to stay on the bike as much as possible - up hill, down hill, on the flats, and around the curves. In order to do this you want to be efficient at shifting gears, assuming an appropriate riding position, and anticipating conditions. In order to ride longer, you want to appropriately condition yourself for endurance. In order to ride comfortably, you have to have the right clothing and accessories. We'll deal with each of these areas in future posts.