My Most Recent Ride 2010 (Part III of the series)

OK Folks,

I am starting a new thread for 2010. The "My Most Recent Ride" thread proved to be one of our most popular threads last year. Anytime you get on your bent, write down a couple of sentences or paragraphs and tell the rest of us about your ride. It doesn't have to be epic, we just want to hear about your rides!

Note: If you enjoy this thread and would like to read of similar travels, check out
My Most Recent Ride 2009 (Part II of the series! )​

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Hilton Head Island, SC
December 2009



I was in Hilton Head after Christmas this year. I brought my V-Rex in spite of cold weather predictions for the area. As it turned out, because of a terrible cold spreading through my family, I only got to ride one day. I have some pictures of the ride below.

Hilton Head certainly embraces bicycle riding. Almost every road on the island has parallel bike paths on one or BOTH sides of the road. All bike paths are asphalted so they are nice and smooth. We booked a condo through our Hilton Vacation Rewards program and spent 4 days there. Condo was great. As part of the package, they included (at no extra charge) two bicycles. I went with my wife, daughter and our “beach” daughter (a good friend of my daughter who frequently goes with us to the beach). The bicycle shop brought the bikes the next day. They were Giant beach bikes. You know the bikes with big, wide tires, fenders, fat cushy seats, single speeds and coaster brakes. Reminded me of my old Schwinn I bought back in the 60’s.

In our restricted development (you needed a pass to get in) there were bike paths that took you through a gated exit to prevent “intruders” from trying to bike into the development. This is the first time I ever needed a code to access a bike path!!! They were meant to keep the riff raff out, but I got in anyway!

The paths were great and in the middle of winter, fairly vacant. I would NOT want to be biking in summer when you have 1000s of bikes on these paths with people who are not used to riding!!!! Dangerous situation. Plus, the rental company did not have bike helmets as part of the deal. Talk about dangerous!!!

Anyway, I biked uneventfully for about 2 hours on an out and back ride. Very pleasant but very cool. Another first is the alligator warning signs on a bike path. Never saw one of those before!!! Didn’t see an alligator either!

That is the last time I rode in 2009. My cold sent me to a walk in clinic and I am still coughing and snorting. So I have parked my bent for warmer weather and when I am feeling better.

Though the pictures look nice, I would be cautious of going in summer because I bet these paths a jammed packed with kids and that would make for LOUSY riding. I threw in one picture that looked like it could be a Tennessee Christmas Card cover!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

The pics look nice. I can see where the trail would be too narrow for heavy traffic - there's barely enough room for two bikes to pass; but a wobbly kid, or worse, 2 trikes: no way!

I generally don't ride on paths because I like to go faster than what's safe for them. The problem is, drivers feel that if the community spends all that money on paths, cyclists should stay off THEIR ROADS. Trying to reason with them is useless. So I don't equate having trails or paths to a community being 'cycling-friendly' or even 'cycling-aware.' Paths are just nice Linear parks. What really matters is motorists' attitudes.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Ironically, just days after my last post about how trails affect motorists' attitudes, this was called to my attention. Anyone who has a facebook account is encouraged to contact the FB folks (somehow) and complain.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/There...you-stupid-cyclist/190080667052?v=info&ref=mf

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

OOOH! that was mean and that makes me angry! too bad they didn't get the license tag.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

It is SUMMER!!!

Well it feels like it. It turned a balmy 50 degrees this afternoon and sunny. I couldn't stand it so I went for a short ride. (If you will remember, I am STILL getting over a terrible cold / bronchitis / pneumonia.)

I did 10 miles and loved it. Felt great getting out and on my DIRTY bike. When I came back from Hilton Head, it rained the whole time and my bike was on my bike rack and got covered with road scum. It has been too cold to wash it, but if the weather turns a little warmer, that is exactly what I am going to do with it.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Work schedule enabled me to take the Dragon out yesterday. Met my buddies and we started out easy riding the Riverwalk downtown warming the legs up. lots of walkers/strollers/dogs and squirrels as we gradually made our way out of the congestion.

Picked the pace up a bit as we headed out toward Ft. Benning surprised that there were only a few other bikers out. Once on post the lack of traffic due to the holiday was nice as we hit the worst of the climbing, about 230 feet of climbing in about 3 miles, not solid thankfully but in short little bursts which allowed the HR to return to normal.

Starting to get dark so all our lights came out. We are pushing some serious lights now after having ridden in the dark for several months. I actually feel safer now than when riding in the daylight as the cars are extremely wary and unsure of exactly what we are. I need a better solution for mounting the lights on the Dragon as I am getting lots of foot flash from the helmet and the handlebar mounts I have tried so far. I have a skewer mount coming, hopefully it will solve the problem. Still liking my $35 dollar spiderfire flashlight http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.19767 stays bright on stays nice and bright on high for about two hours, no highly focused but I like having a wide beam to see the sides of the road where its real dark.

It had been right about 60 degrees when we started but as darkness fell the temperature did also. the sky was absolutely clear as a bell with a nice sliver of moon above us, not enough to give any light on the few really dark stretches of road. coming back around to river you could palpably feel the temperature drop, nothing to do but pick the pace up and keep the blood moving.

We finished with 40 miles almost exactly with 2 hours 30 minutes of ride time and a 14.9 adv. However, there were lots of stops, everyone's cell phone went off several times etc so pretty happy with the ride in general.

I pushed the Dragon a little harder this time, making sure I attacked every small hill we came to. I actually feel stronger in some respects from having been on the Weisel so long.

Anyway, more work and more rain coming so I don't know when I'll get out next.

happy riding

Ward

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

With any kind of luck, we might be able to get out for a ride in another couple of months. Somehow I just can't imagine riding on all the salt they put on our roads.....that's after riding out on our ice covered road. It is really slippery now.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Oh come on Dennis, Andy rides everyday up in Alaska.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Ward,

How do you mount the flashligh to your helmet? How are you planning to mount that to your handlebars??? I like the flashlight but am puzzled how I would attach it to my bike.

If you remember, take some pics. Thanks!

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

More power to Andy, but I notice he has a tendency to come south a lot too.

As I've stated before, riding on ice is not my cup of tea and I would hate to have to wash everything on the bike after every ride because of salt and other gunk you'd get this time of the year. Nope. I'll wait for Spring.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

just pickin at ya man, just pickin

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Ya, well I was thinking some day I am going to have to come down there to see how you guys ride at this time of the year. But Ward, I probably can't keep up with you...

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

the Weisel is the great equalizer

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride - 2010

Come on down Dennis and ride with us. I will warn you, once you see what great weather and terrain we have here in the south, you won't want to go back to Michigan!!!