Road riding rocks. I like my road bike. Maybe its the smooth rolling descent of a hill, or the fact that you can cover distance so quickly. Maybe it's pounding the blacktop for an hour, looking up and saying "Where am I?" when I see farmland... Even in NJ, there are plenty of places to ride, to ride through, and to ride to. Of course, road riding had its dangers, especially cars, but these can be avoided. Most motorists will see you, but make sure to look out for them and you'll be alright. Don't assume the guy behind the wheel of that new Hummer can see you on your 700c wheels.
CURRENT RIDES [as of 7/31/03]: My Trek 1000 and 1984-85 Scwhinn Le Tour. The Trek is a new [2000] model with aluminum frame, two water bottle mounts and STI [built into brake lever] shifters. The Le Tour is single bottle cage mount, downtube aero friction shifters, skinny steel tubes. I prefer the Le Tour over longer rides, though now both have sdp pedals. In the past I thought lowly of these inventions but they are amazing and much easier than reaching down to tighten toe straps like i do when riding a bike with straps and clips in traffic. The sdp "clipless" pedals are hands free, your shoe clicks to the pedal and with a quick turn sideways clicks out. It makes going up hills so much easier and clipping back in isn't a pain in traffic; no snagging fingers.The Trek is awesome, but it's loud yellow paint is a detraction. I'm afraid someone will see it and steal it. On the other hand, it is visible when i'm riding which is a safety plus. Wish I'd waited a few years to buy a new bike; this years Trek 1000 is stealth black! How cool is that? Anyway... Road riding is cool.
But not everyone appreciates it. Some people don't like road riding. I dunno why... it's fun and relaxing. I like it, whether riding an older bike, such as my Schwinn LeTour or my store-bought Trek 1000. Personally, though i love older bikes, i have to say the Trek rocks. It is lighter, faster, and has dual water bottle mounts, not just one as on many older vintage road bikes. The fact that the brake levers are also the shifters is a plus, especially going down or up hills. The tires are 700c, which is slightly smaller, i'm told, than 27-inchers they used to use on road bikes. I have heard some people say 27" tires are in short supply, and maybe that's the case in some spots, but i've never had a problem getting them for my older rides, at least around here. On the other hand, the steel Le Tour isn't much heavier, has a subdued paint job by comparison, vintage looks, and has easier gearing [at least it still seems that way to me, a guy who rode nothin' but old bikes for years and every once in a while after that 45th mile realizes he's still getting used to the new gear groups they have on the bikes like the 1000, which have a narrower range overall but more gears...
The funny thing about road riding [and cyclists generally]is a goodwill not often found among motorists -- or anyone else, for that matter. How often if you are stopped on a road in your car do people offer to help? Rarely, if at all. Yet if you stop on a road with your bike, anyone who rides by is more likely to stop and ask if you need a hand than they are to keep pedaling by. Once, some time ago, when I was faced with a flat and a long walk, a cyclist showed me how to patch a cut sidewall with a folded dollar bill wedged between the inside of the cut tire and the innertube. I haven't forgotten that one; who knows if I may need to use it again someday. Get on a road bike. You'll see the country around you in a whole new way.Road Riding For Dummies! The Lone Rider's stupid Tips for the winter:
Back
back to the lone riders main page!