Bikes!

[BigV]

Twil and I are going for a bike ride now! We're gonna cover a section of the Burke-Gilman trail starting at Gasworks Park and heading north.

[xoxoxoBruce]

You need Growlers.

[ZenGum]

Interesting design. No front brake, rear disc break, looks to be a beer jug in the carrier, and a nasty-looking pinch point between the front of the seat and the cross bar.

[xoxoxoBruce]

A Growler is a beer jug. The purpose of the bike is to carry the Growler.

[Griff]

Never trust a bike not made of triangles.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

You need Growlers.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

A Growler is a beer jug. The purpose of the bike is to carry the Growler.

Originally Posted by Griff

Never trust a bike not made of triangles.

Griff, relax, we used bikes made of triangles.

xoB, get out of my head. We used our bikes made of triangles to visit The Lake Trail Taproom. I had four glasses of water and a Hoppy Bitch while Twil enjoyed a Ginger Cider, both icy cold served in frosted glasses (a mug for me and a brandy snifter for Twil), and both on tap. Please note in the description that the entrance to the taproom is immediately on the trail. I hung our bikes on the wall and walked in with my pannier and helmet. We were right at home. I give it five frosty stars!

Here's our route. The link opens the map at the turnaround point, the Lake Trail Taproom. Zoom out to see the whole route.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by BigV

Griff, relax, we used bikes made of triangles.

Now I can breath easy.
Latest bike news road mountain bike Sunday. Hot like a griddle out there. Broke my chain but fixed it fairly smoothly.

[Perry Winkle]

So I've got two offers of employment in San Francisco. Since there won't be mountains available to run during the week, so I am going to go to the ends of the earth to ensure I have a bikeable commute if I end up moving.

Any suggestions on commuter bikes? Any general bike commute tips? Any opinions on bikes with CVT? Are they user-serviceable at all or am I going to break the bank every X years?

One of the jobs has showers and indoor bike parking, which is pretty awesome.

[BigV]

???

rOAd

Or

rode?

Road mountain bike? Huh?

[Griff]

I musta broke my engrish. I rode a mountain bike on a single-track trail in a wooded state forest.

[BigV]

that sounds really fun. I'd love to go for a ride with you sometime. You're patient, right? You don't mind relaxing at intervals while I carry my bike up the steep parts, right?

just kidding. I enjoy all the terrain, just not at high speed.

[Griff]

The thing people often don't get about riding single-track is that faster is easier. If you're pushing bigger gears you glide over short climbs and the gyroscopic effect helps your balance. If you go slow, you'll struggle more. It is fun and I am patient.

[BigV]

I've been on *some* forested tracks and I don't see myself hauling ass through them. The trail surfaces I've seen are often criss-crossed with roots, mined with rocks, everything covered in moss, usually wet. To me, a city mouse, this is tiptoe territory, trails riding style, not bombing downhill, powersliding through the sweeping gravel turns. I'll look for some pics of my greener rides for examples.

I totally understand that momentum is my friend when it comes to intermittent ups and downs. But on pavement or well groomed trails, yeah?

[Griff]

Speed will carry you over roots and rocks as well, but you have to be aware of the surface if you're turning or braking. My riding buddy has been talking about getting a GoPro camera. I would be nice to show the local rides as every locale has its differences. Our trails are almost as lush and rooty as yours in the PNW but rockier with a fair amount of mud, while up in NH and Me its a lot rockier but sandier. We don't really do much downhill stuff, sticking more to trails with some balance in descents and climbs.

Different stuff from all over ...
http://www.reddit.com/r/MTB/search?q...elevance&t=all

[BigV]

Here is a nice report by a hardcore bicyclist about Banner Forest, one place we like to ride. There are a bunch of nice pics; check them out. Are these the kind of places you'd gain and conserve momentum?