Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Any avid mountain bikers on here?

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » Any avid mountain bikers on here?

Author

Topic: Any avid mountain bikers on here?

Allison Parsons
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 630
From: East Peoria, IL
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 09-05-2007 05:36 PM

I just bought a bike on Saturday (a '08 Giant Boulder). I haven't owned a bike for about 14 years. There is a paved bike trail across the street from me, so I thought I'd take advantage of it before winter hits. I've rode about 10 miles on it since Saturday. Not a huge amount, but for someone like me who hasn't biked a whole lot since I owned my last bike, thats a good start.

So today I got ballsy, and headed to our local 'off road' unpaved bike trail. Lets just say that after getting lost in it for about an hour and a half, throwing my bike down a giagantic hill accidently, and getting more mud on myself and my new bike than humanly possible...I love biking! Granted, I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow do to shear soreness, but it was the worst funnest experience I've had in ages!

Any other avid bikers here? How long did it take you to get pretty good on off road trails? I'm probably going to go back on Sunday. WOOHOOO!

| IP: Logged

Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 09-05-2007 06:23 PM

I'm not avid about it, but I do ride from time to time around Golden Gate Park. I'm not that confident yet to go up on any trails, I'd be afraid that Marin County bikophiles would scoff at me.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 09-05-2007 07:06 PM

Ummm, I used to be an avid BMXer, does that count? I spent most of my childhood on a BMX bike and I felt like I was one with the thing. Eventually I got a mountain bike and while it was bigger and therefore fit me better than my BMX did, I just never felt that I had 100% control of the thing. I think I've only wrecked once or twice on the mountain bike, and those wrecks were pretty bad so my nervousness increases when I am on those things. Still though, I've done some big long rides on it which my balls did not appreciate.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 09-06-2007 01:20 PM

I have a Novara FS 24-speed trail bike, purchased a couple years ago from a REI store in Littleton, CO (not far from where Joe lives). REI's Colorado Springs store had lots of those bikes, but none with frame sizes that matched my body size.

Anyway, there's some pretty good places in and near Lawton for trail biking. The city has long term plans to expand bike paths out of the parks and into a complete bike path network. The Wichita Mountains have a few trails where one can take a trail bike. Some of those trails are really challenging. But make sure which trails are legal to ride. You can get an expensive ticket for biking down the wrong trails in the wildlife refuge.

Fort Sill has an annual trail bike race that is growing in popularity. They have a trail running through parts of the West Range that is simply BRUTAL. Don't worry, the trail doesn't run through areas where they explode bombs and other ordnance. There's still lots of hills with big rocks all over the place. It seems like at least a few riders end up in the hospital every year. This bike race isn't as popular as the Hotter-N-Hell 100 road bicycle race in Wichita Falls, but it's more entertaining (to watch).

The main use I have for my bicycle is just commuting between work and home. With the price of oil currently creeping toward record highs there is more incentive to use the bike.

| IP: Logged

Gerard S. Cohen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 975
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: Sep 2001

posted 09-06-2007 06:13 PM

I suppose the closest I've come to mountain biking was cycling up the Gap of Dunloe in Killarney in a pouring rain with heavy panier bags on 3-speed Sturmey-Archer gears in pitch darkness.
But with water pouring from my shoes and slippery stones sliding, I had to get off and push partway up.

So the next trip I had a London bike mechanic assemble to order a ten-speed with Heuret gears, a Holdsworth frame, Italian brakes and handlebars, French rims & tires, etc.
But I only used the smaller of the two chain gear rings in the Swiss Alps, where I beat the pedestrian postman up some rocky paths in stone mountain villages.

Now, in Forest Hills (which has no hills) my London bike hangs in my garage, and my other bike is a VW New Beetle.

| IP: Logged

David Zylstra
Master Film Handler

Posts: 432
From: Novi, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 09-06-2007 07:02 PM

I got my first mtn bike in the mid-90s after about 10+ yrs of not riding, didn't take too long to get crazy on the trail (by the end of my first summer of riding, I think) . . . . . . I currently have a late 90s Specialized Stumpjumper Comp, rock solid so far . . . . . I've got a few friends that race so it's fun to try and keep up when I ride with them . . .

When I was learning to use the clipless pedals I fell into a river because I couldn't get my feet unclipped from the pedals . . . . my friends had a good laugh on that one . . . .

I had a fall in early July - I still have some occasional pain from a bruised rib - I got t-boned by an 8 yr old girl who came out of a blind trail the wrong direction - I went endo and ended up with many cuts/bruises but still finished the remaining 12 miles.

Now that you have biking for the summer you should try skiing in the winter! (if you don't already)

| IP: Logged

Jim Bedford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 597
From: Telluride, CO, USA (733 mi. WNW of Rockwall, TX but it seems much, much longer)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 09-08-2007 09:41 AM

I don't think you'd call me "avid," but my 12 year-old Pantera is my primary mode of summer transport in town. My office is in Telluride (1.5 mi. x .5 mi.) and we live four miles from town so early in the season I ride into town. You can also take a bike up our Gondola and from the top it's all downhill pretty much no matter which way you go. Riding a bike is fun and I can't say that at all about driving a car anymore.

It's convenient, easy and cheap to park, very social as you can stop and chat along the way, you can see much more from a bike and it's good exercise too.

And yes, my ski pass for '07-'08 is already attached to my pack. Even though we haven't had our first frost yet (it's late this year), we're all starting to dream and talk about ski season which starts the day before the Great Turkey Sacrifice. Can't wait for the snow to start, but that's when it's time to put the mountain bike away.

| IP: Logged

Allison Parsons
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 630
From: East Peoria, IL
Registered: Oct 2004

posted 09-08-2007 10:49 AM

Round trip from my house to work is less than a mile. The problem is, is that I have to go to the bank everyday and thats located about 10 miles away. I wish I could ride my bike to work, but I don't think the boss would want me to do a 10mile bike ride to the bank.

It would be nice if bike manufactures could make the seats just a tad bit more comfy. I'm surprised male infertility isn't higher because of those things hehe.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 09-08-2007 01:57 PM

You can switch out different types of bicycle seats that come in a variety of widths, amounts of padding, etc.

A number of studies have looked into the activity of bicycling increasing the risk of male infertility or impotence, but none of those studies has been conclusive. I guess the concern is bicycle seats are going to cause injury to the prostate. It should be said if you're doing to do a lot of trail bike riding you're doing to be standing up in the pedals and not sitting on the seat much of the time. I tend to ride that way more often anyway for improved exercise. You're not going to get as much of a workout just sitting on the seat while pedaling.

One thing is clear, lack of exercise (in conjunction with other bad choices in lifestyle) does increase the risk of impotence.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 09-08-2007 03:54 PM

I ride standing up most of the time simply because I am used to BMX-ing and that's how I rode. My BMX has a very light, thin and PLASTIC seat. Not good for much, other than being very light.

quote: Bobby Henderson
standing up in the pedals

Not on your life! I cannot stand pedals that either lock on to your shoe or have a toe grip. My mountain bike actually came with the toe thingies but I promptly took them off. Not only is it a pain in the anus to get your feet properly on the bike, but it also makes it harder to remove your feet when you really need to, like in an emergency.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.