Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Finally got to it. Put my lights on my road bike and hit the road 6 a.m. this morning.
Nice. Quiet (Well, except for the wind). Dark and chilly. For some reason I'm a bit more active in the winter. In the winters I usually mountain bike before sunup and work 2 -3 times a week. But bagged out on that all summer. Something about riding in the cold, and the dark I like.
So my first "morning" ride in the dark today was on my road bike. Much pleasure was experienced. I expect I'll be doing a lot of this. Especially days like today when the trails are too muddy to ride. (Big No No down here in TX) Having the road option is awesome. But it's going to be a lot colder out in the open than the slower rides through the trees. Time to get out the cold weather gear and ride through winter -- doable here in Texas, but cold. On my mountain bike I've had my camelback hose freeze.
I think I had a point to make. Or just share? Who knows? After reading that bit of badly written blah.
Just a ramble I guess.
Hit the road with my night lights before sunup today. Good time. I recommend pre-dawn rides. Good for the spirit.
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Use Gatorade when it is really cold...it has to be well into the twenties to freeze and even then it takes awhile.
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
Lon wrote:
Use Gatorade when it is really cold...it has to be well into the twenties to freeze and even then it takes awhile.
Nice Lon. Thanks. I'll check it in another month or so.
I don't use my camelback on my road bike. Any trouble with beverage freezing in water bottles?
What part of Penn you in? I'm "talking" to a place in Emmaus about a position. It's been D...r...a...g...g...i...n...g on endlessly. But then again just made the cut, today actually, -- yet again after too many times -- on another layoff session at my current place. So I'm still "good" here for a while. But the Penn position is interesting. Though easier year-round riding here. How do you get through the winters?
Hopefully I can get me back to AZ some day.
OK,
Thanks again,
Nev
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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I only use bottles so that is where I have used it. Even if it is super cold you get some great slushie for awhile!
That is the other side of the state about 6 hours from me. The good news is their weather is much better. We get lake effect and they do not. I have friends in that area and it is on average about 10 degrees warmer. Plus the snow melts faster.
I ride all year. Not all do. I'd say TX would be easier to ride in the winter!
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skagwayroadie
contributor
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 141
Loc: Alaska
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I'm glad you like riding in the cold so much, cuz I really don't care for it. Being asthmatic, the cold air impairs with hard efforts and long distance rides. But, I do commute all year long by mountain bike. I have to throw on the studs in the peak winter months cuz the icy roads can be horrible and the snow ruts and berms are interesting to ride in/through as well. I will live thru you during the snowy seasons then, since you enjoy the cold rides...thank you!!!
Riding by headlight is an interesting expereince and I find that very fun, either road(preferably) or trail. It is not nearly as fun as the monthly full moonlight rides, but it can come close, in a sensory deprived sort of way:) I especially like full moon-winter rides as the snow brightens up the landscape tremendously...but that gets back to riding in the cold again. I used to live in Arizona, and I wintered in Austin a few years back, and miss those rides dearly. Hill country is great, though the traffic and pollution leaves much to be desired!! Both places have wonderful road and trail riding.
I am a camelback fan, so I do not use the water bottles much, except for races and my Spin Classes. In the wintertime, the hose does freeze, even with the sleeve, but the bite valve and hose seem to be fairly immune to freezing if you take frequent sips. I do not have any expereince with Gatorade in the winter, but it is an interesting option to try out. I like to drink hot tea. By the time I finish a ride/run or ski when I do go out, the tea is usually cool, but not icy cold.
Thanks for cheering me up...indirectly anyways! Happy riding...Mark
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
skagwayroadie wrote:
Thanks for cheering me up...indirectly anyways! Happy riding...Mark
No problem. Here's how you can pay me back:
I have in-laws in Anchorage, including a mother-in-law living in a village up on the Kobuk river! Next time I head to Alaska (sometime next year) I'll post up here and you can me for a spin. Road or mtb, weather be damned --- but hopefully not too cold out, eh?
And I'm FROM AZ and every time I'm there I ride mtb with my friend who makes us start at 5:30 A.M. so he can get to work on time. Dark AND cold in the desert at that hour. But nothing better than being out ther when the desert starts to wake up, coyotes howling, the smell of the plants as they start to warm up. I gotta get my road bike out to Tucson. I've only ridden mtb out there.
Small world.
Peace skagway,
Nev
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Nev,
Is Tucson as bike friendly as "they" say? I understand the city has hundreds of miles of bike lanes. Are they decent.
Thanks.
Lon
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
Lon wrote:
Nev,
Is Tucson as bike friendly as "they" say? I understand the city has hundreds of miles of bike lanes. Are they decent.
Thanks.
Lon
Yes, absolutely. In town, even in the city, many intersections have left hand turn lanes for bikes -- for going across traffic. Wide shoulders marked for bike throughout the city. As you get outside the city areas the shoulders get even wider. All well marked. Designated lanes painted on the roads for bikes at intersections. Obviously, some streets/areas better than others. But you see folks on bikes throughout the city.
I'll be there for X-mas. Can't decide which bikes to bring, road or mtb.
I wish I had never left. But alas...work.
In fact, my "stuff" that's been with a place in Emaus for months. If they ever decide to move on it, and offer me something, I just might be asking you about PA one of these days.
Peace,
Nev
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skagwayroadie
contributor
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 141
Loc: Alaska
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I have not been to Tucson in years, but Metro-Pheonix si where I started riding many moons ago. The desert truly is an amazing place to ride...road or mountain. I found Tucson to be a little dirty, litter/debris wise, but the road riding is very easy there. The vehicle traffic is easy on you as well. In Phoenix you have to be very aggressive an brave to ride with the traffic. Not so in Tucson, much more friendly there.
The only thing about derert riding I found annoying are the thorn punctures in the tires...cactus, stickers, you name it. The summer heat is a little rough at times as well, but I always enjoyed the heat to the cold. Don't ask why I live in Alaska when I hate the cold and left Arizona, longing for the heat!!!
Ciao...Mark
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skagwayroadie
contributor
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 141
Loc: Alaska
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Okay, that is a reasonable payback, but I hope you realize I live in southeast Alaska, north of Juneau. Haines is my sister town...the same one that is in Outside and Backpacker magazines all the time! Anchorage is not a great place for road riding, but there are lots of mtb trails. I do like riding in Eagle River and Turnagain Arm along the Seward Highway...yes the winds are "difficult," the tourists are deadly, but the scenery is stunning. I would be glad to go riding...drop me a line and we'll go. Skagway has some road-riding, but it is all uphill. The trail riding is much better, more along the lines of NW style technical riding than anything else.
A small world - truly. A fellow Spin Instructor here in Skagway is from Cottonwood, Az and misses the trail riding there deeply. Where abouts in Texas are you living in? What part of Arizona are you from?
Cheers...Mark
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Lon
sage
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 595
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA
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Tucson sounds like a dream...
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
skagwayroadie wrote:
Okay, that is a reasonable payback, but I hope you realize I live in southeast Alaska, north of Juneau.
A small world - truly. A fellow Spin Instructor here in Skagway is from Cottonwood, Az and misses the trail riding there deeply. Where abouts in Texas are you living in? What part of Arizona are you from?
Cheers...Mark
HA!
Wife was born in Juneau. She is a spinning instructor.
Wife and I hate going to AZ because we take trips to Cottonwood/Sedona area (we like going to Jerome) when there and leave depressed we don't or can't live there.
Live now in the Dallas/Ft.Worth metoplex. Right in the middle, north side.
I grew up in Tucson. That's my home. Went to college in Flagstaff for two years before I left. I'm pretty familar with the entire state. Lived again in Tucson 4 years at the begining of the "career."
The world gets smaller.
That surprises me about the "litter" you say in Tucson. Parts of town? Sure. Phoenix was always the Big City whereas Tucson was more authentic Arizona, no grass in the yards, cactus, richer plant life, Sonoran desert, etc. Phoenix was just "city." But everyone's partial to their home town, eh? You would freak out if you saw it today. It has grown so much it's unbelieveable. But one good thing on that, ALL the new -- and improved -- roads have very good dedicated bike lanes.
Isn't the Tour de Tucson coming up?
Peace,
Mike
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
Lon wrote:
Tucson sounds like a dream...
It's pretty, too. Mountains, the northern edge of the rich lush Sonoran desert = lots of cactus, trees, plants. In less than ten minutes of driving you can go from saguaro cactus to pine trees up the mountain. Mt. Lemmon. Lance has trained on the road up that mountain.
If you're in the health care or real estate biz you should just move on out there. Plenty of that going on.
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skagwayroadie
contributor
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 141
Loc: Alaska
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This thread is a riot!!!! Small world...too true, too true!
hehe - Our new Chief of Police here in Skagway is from Denton, Tx. Not too far from your neck of the woods!
Tour de Tucson...yes it should coming up, if it hasn't come to pass all ready. Good ride, that and the Tour de Phoenix. I should look into making a trip south and participate in them again, it has been way too long! Fountain Hills/Scottsdale area had a good Dualathon series in the early to mid 90's that was fun to race in. Many of the top Tri's would race. Definitely a cool part of the states to live, in a cycling aspect that is!
Ciao...Mark
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Nev
captain
Reged: 05/03/04
Posts: 375
Loc: Never where I want to be
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Quote:
skagwayroadie wrote:
This thread is a riot!!!! Small world...too true, too true!
hehe - Our new Chief of Police here in Skagway is from Denton, Tx. Not too far from your neck of the woods!
 When I ride my road bike I'm actually in Denton city limits for a few miles. I live in Denton county
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