august948 972 Posted May 5 That's quite a ride. How long did it take you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted May 6 5 hours ago, august948 said: That's quite a ride. How long did it take you? Probably about 3 hours but I stop a lot to take my pics. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luminare 4196 Posted May 6 17 minutes ago, hindesky said: Probably about 3 hours but I stop a lot to take my pics. What kind of bike do you have? Not looking for something super high-end, but whats a good entry level bike for distance rides that are also good for casual riding in the city? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted May 6 1 hour ago, Luminare said: What kind of bike do you have? Not looking for something super high-end, but whats a good entry level bike for distance rides that are also good for casual riding in the city? My bicycle is what they call a gravel bike, it has the drop bars of a road bike but has a more relaxed ride and bigger tires than regular road bikes. It's a Specialized Awol Comp I bought from West End Bicycle. Mine cost $2100 a couple years ago but they have others at a lower price. https://www.specialized.com/us/en/shop/bikes/road-bikes/adventure--gravel-bikes/c/roadadventuregravel 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
august948 972 Posted May 6 (edited) 8 hours ago, Luminare said: What kind of bike do you have? Not looking for something super high-end, but whats a good entry level bike for distance rides that are also good for casual riding in the city? Specialized is a solid brand. I've been riding a Specialized Roll for the past couple of years. Got it for around $700 at Bike Barn with rack and kickstand added (yeah...you have to pay extra for that) plus had them put in puncture resistant tubes. After that I've customized it a little further for urban riding. The Roll is more of an upright comfort bike so it depends on what you like. 8 hours ago, hindesky said: Probably about 3 hours but I stop a lot to take my pics. That sounds like me, except i stop for beer. Edited May 6 by august948 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
august948 972 Posted May 6 On 5/4/2019 at 2:48 PM, hindesky said: On the western side of your ride, did you cross I10 on the pedestrian bridge off of Cohn St.? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted May 7 16 hours ago, august948 said: On the western side of your ride, did you cross I10 on the pedestrian bridge off of Cohn St.? Yes Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samagon 2555 Posted May 9 (edited) On 5/5/2019 at 7:48 PM, Luminare said: What kind of bike do you have? Not looking for something super high-end, but whats a good entry level bike for distance rides that are also good for casual riding in the city? I assume (as with most Americans) you either never had a bike, or haven't had a bike since you got your first car when you were 16? you don't have to spend a lot to get a great first bike, anywhere between 500-1000 will get you in a really nice starter bike. when you get over that price, all you really gain is lighter weight components. (I've been doing the adult bike thing for about 15 years, and I have as of yet to buy a bike over $1000). unless the bike you're looking at will have a battery and electric motor assist, you're probably wasting your money spending more on a first bike, or even a second. don't waste your time on a walmart or academy bike. they are ok for riding around UH campus as a student, but will not make you want to keep riding. gravel geometry is a good place to fit. you interface with the bike in 3 places, the handlebars, the seat and the pedals. on any bike, these are designed for average riders, consider replacing each of these with something comfy for you. the seat being the most critical. Edited May 9 by samagon 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luminare 4196 Posted May 9 4 minutes ago, samagon said: I assume (as with most Americans) you having had a bike since you got a car? you don't have to spend a lot to get a great first bike, anywhere between 500-1000 will get you in a really nice starter bike. when you get over that price, all you really gain is lighter weight components. don't waste your time on a walmart or academy bike. they are ok for riding around UH campus as a student, but will not make you want to keep riding. gravel geometry is a good place to fit. you interface with the bike in 3 places, the handlebars, the seat and the pedals. on any bike, these are designed for average riders, consider replacing each of these with something comfy for you. the seat being the most critical. Great advice. Will look into it. My budget is going to be between 300-500 and if I can get a used bike for cheaper than I'll do that. Just need a good entry road bike to get around town and then to get me back into long haul road journeys. While I was abroad in Germany I pretty much never set foot into a car and instead biked everywhere and would go on long haul rides to different villages on weekends that would be minimum 35 miles. So definitely not a first time rider, but definitely a first time purchaser of an actual road bike where my last one in Germany was a used mountain bike that I got for around $120. I live and work in Montrose, so I really only drive a couple times a month. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
samagon 2555 Posted May 9 (edited) 2 hours ago, Luminare said: Great advice. Will look into it. My budget is going to be between 300-500 and if I can get a used bike for cheaper than I'll do that. Just need a good entry road bike to get around town and then to get me back into long haul road journeys. While I was abroad in Germany I pretty much never set foot into a car and instead biked everywhere and would go on long haul rides to different villages on weekends that would be minimum 35 miles. So definitely not a first time rider, but definitely a first time purchaser of an actual road bike where my last one in Germany was a used mountain bike that I got for around $120. I live and work in Montrose, so I really only drive a couple times a month. there's a lot of places that do consignments. boone's cycles, and cyclone cycles come to mind. there's also Houston bicycle in montrose, (Taft and Westheimer), not sure if they do consignments or not. Edited May 9 by samagon 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted May 27 Today's route 5/27/19 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nate99 7058 Posted June 5 Do you head out around sunrise to avoid traffic? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted June 11 On 6/5/2019 at 4:00 PM, Nate99 said: Do you head out around sunrise to avoid traffic? I wish I could get up that early, usually get up about 6:30 go to Montrose HEB before the crowd hits, go home to eat a light breakfast then head out around 8-8:30. Traffic is still light on Sundays. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
august948 972 Posted June 14 On 6/10/2019 at 8:22 PM, hindesky said: I wish I could get up that early, usually get up about 6:30 go to Montrose HEB before the crowd hits, go home to eat a light breakfast then head out around 8-8:30. Traffic is still light on Sundays. Better anyway to not ride the roads right at sunrise and sunset due to the sun being in drivers eyes, making you harder to spot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted June 16 (edited) Decided to hit the Washington Ave corridor and lower portions of the Heights, so many projects in this area. If you think the traffic is bad now, just wait. Edited June 23 by hindesky 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Purdueenginerd 1104 Posted July 5 Yep, Ive definitely ridden by you on Strava in the past @hindesky . I'm too chicken to reveal my name here... but if I see you on strava i'll shoot you a message and say hello. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted July 7 (edited) Today hurt a lot. The heat and all the miles did me in. Was hoping to get 100 miles for my 3 days of riding but came up 1.6 miles short, couldn't go one more inch. Edited July 7 by hindesky Checked my Strava 98.4 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danielsonr 154 Posted July 21 1 hour ago, hindesky said: That is pretty amazing, particularly for this time of the year in Houston! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted July 21 26 minutes ago, danielsonr said: That is pretty amazing, particularly for this time of the year in Houston! I definitely need to get a second bottle cage for my bike. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danielsonr 154 Posted July 28 It's not 30 to 40 miles, but hiking at 7,200 feet produces its own nice workout. And the weather is certainly more pleasant than in Houston. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted July 28 41 minutes ago, danielsonr said: It's not 30 to 40 miles, but hiking at 7,200 feet produces its own nice workout. And the weather is certainly more pleasant than in Houston. Where? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danielsonr 154 Posted July 29 35 minutes ago, hindesky said: Where? Oh, sorry. Santa Fe, NM. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted August 24 It was a surprisingly cooler day for the end of August. Was expecting rain but luckily the clouds made it so much cooler. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted September 2 Sunday Sept 1. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted September 15 35 miles today, slight north wind made the humidity tolerable even though it was still hot. 4 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted September 21 Came across a dead person on the MKT bike trail under IH 10, HPD and the Medical Examiner were on site. Not sure if it was flooding related but White Bayou had clearly crested over the bike trail on Thursday. Appeared to be a homeless person, many reside around and under the highways around here. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hindesky 27218 Posted October 5 Rode the Heights Scavenger Hunt on Saturday, veered off course to get some pics of projects close to the ride. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
