Yep, that's him. Did he move to the East Coast? I used to see him all the time in San Rafael (always rocking that same hat) but haven't noticed him in recent years. Still see Charlie Kelly fairly often. If you ever come out to NorCal bring your bike and I'll show you some epic rides. Hell you don't even need to bring your bike there's always some kind of mountain bike festival going on here with free day demos. The one just an hour south in Santa Cruz is awesome, you'd have a total blast.
i don't know if he moved here...that was a trek-sponsored event so he might've just flown in for it. i gotta say though, i was surprised how pretty stylish he was...i don't know why but i was expecting a surfer-dude or hardcore-climber type look (torn jeans, raggedy clothes and all).
i've been to a few demo days here and try to stay away from them now...total money pit seeing all the latest and greatest bikes! i want to stay in ignorant bliss with my old bike
Good ole Gary, I usually spot him in my neighborhood every few weeks or so, we go to the same coffee joint, think he travels a bit more now with Trek. Diggin this thread, thanks JV3!
you're welcome! guys, feel free to post anything bicycle-related here...we already have 22-rimfire thinking of going back to riding and that's awesome.
Biking is a great activity. You can cover a lot more ground more quickly and still "smell the roses" so to speak. Easy to stop and wander around too.
I stopped by a bike shop here. Was asking about having them go over my bikes, probably new tires, brakes, new handle bar wraps, and so forth. They said probably looking at $200ish per bike depending on what they need to do. They suggested that I consider a new modest bike (Giant) since mostly what I would do is 75% highway and 25% dirt and gravel roads (versus trails). My mountain bike does not have shocks, has very aggressive tires, and is not so much fun to ride on the highway. So, I'm considering this a bit and probably go with a (using an old term) hybrid bike that is best suited for pavement but okay for light off road use. The decision at this point is "big diameter tires" versus more mountain bike size tires and of course the cost and how it fits into my budget.
It is a question of just how much I would ride when considering cost. I think I may get my mountain bike out (tires are still very good), clean it up a bit, and do some riding to get back into the feel of things. Then make a decision.
can't go wrong with a giant! they have the most bang for the buck. i'm not sure if it's still the case but people told me years ago giant makes the frames for most of the major brands (trek, specialized, etc.). only the really high-end models do the makers make the frame themselves.
riding with whatever bike you already have is a good idea...the point is just to get out there
Since this is blade forums, do you carry a knife while you mountain bike, and if so what?
Personally I don't have a knife on me while I mountain bike.. [emoji33]
I don't stop much and I try to be pretty minalmistic... All of my spares and tools fit in the smallest seat bag I could find and I carry 2 water bottles in cages on my frame. No phone or knife, and I stash my car key in either the wheel well or the bike rack as I don't want to ride with it in my pocket
Sorry for the thread hijack
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good question...that depends on the weather but i usually have my edc knife (spyderco's sprint run orange paramilitary 2) because it's too valuable to risk being stolen.
regardless of how cold it is we tend to ride until the snow gets to be too thick to ride so the colder it gets the more elaborate my kit becomes...in the colder months i'll toss in an orange mora companion along with a firekit and heat blanket or two, especially if i'm alone...basically, i go from just what i edc in my pants' pockets (knife, flashlight, cordage, cell phone, and orange bandanna) to a full blown day hike kit in the winter months...sure, a day hike kit is extra weight but that means i'll be getting more of a workout in a shorter distance and the goal is getting exercise anyway.
i ride with a tight-knit group of friends and when one stops to take a long breather, mechanical, etc. everyone stops...and i mean everyone, we don't split the group. a few winters ago a friend had his rear derailleur rip off and chain snapped and while everyone were shivering in low 20's fixing his bike i stood there warm enough with my winter jacket and beanie on...i think that was the last time anyone rode with just their shorts and t-shirts on...sure, they've gotten away with just the bare minimum for years but it only takes that one event to remind them it can get serious quickly.
IMO, it's a relevant question.
I don't mountain bike but I am and Nordic backcountry skier (think, rugged XC skiing) and a (former) long-distance bike tourer. I'm also an avid backpacker.
IMO, MTBing, XC skiing and UL trail running are all similar in that you can get way, way, way into the backcountry very fast and if things go bad, then what? I get the whole "speed is safety" concept but there are limits. I know a guy who was doing a relatively common 10 mile backcountry loop out of Waterville Valley NH several years ago. Very capable. AMC trip leader. He was skiing solo and caught a tip and double spiral fractured his femur. He told me he was on such pain, he couldn't get his pack off to get his parka for warmth or his SAT phone out to call for help. By great luck, he was discovered at dusk by another solo skier who was doing the same route and he survived (after 3 surgeries).
I was on a 4 day trip 2 weekend ago and a trail runner, running low on water, asked me to point out where the trail was to go. He was another 11 miles from the trail head. This was at 4 in the afternoon. The mind boggles. What happens with a sprained ankle?
I see more and more fat tired MTBers on the snow in the spring when out ski touring. I dunno. I'd be carrying a decently equipped pack or front panniers. Branch in the rear wheel and then what?
ditto...it's bad enough to try to walk just a few feet with my clipless shoes on the parking lot...can't imagine trying to walk out of there with an injury for miles.
JV3, where in NJ are you I'm looking for riding company.
My Giant Reign a 26er
nice bike! we mainly ride up north: jungle habitat (west milford), lewis morris (morristown) and the southern-most being six mile run (new brunswick?)...and trails near those.
pm me for your e-mail so i can give you a head's up where we're riding...i don't always ride but a couple of my friends are almost always riding sundays and you'd be most welcome to join...it's a no drop ride so the usual schedule is roll by 9 am and end around lunch time...if for some reason someone has an irreparable damage and has to walk out of there then everyone walks too, no excuses
Unfortunately, all my local trails are super overgrown this summer from all the rain, so just road biking for me. Can't wait for fall so I can hit the trails proper! Those are some awesome looking bikes you guys are riding!
thanks! i rode ride too when i can't go to the woods...this was last sunday at a local park. i got a pretty good workout for just 2 hours of riding. normally, that would've just been the drive to & from the woods.
... Not a Mt. Bike, but a touring bike... Yes. A knife than can hold an edge long enough so you don't have to carry a sharpening tool while on the road for a few days. A woodworking knife, like the Skookum Bush Tool.
That's exactly why I came here. I was looking for a way to shed weight and bulk. The bushcrafters are/were onto something. Make stuff out of localized materials (usually wood and plastic) using a knife rather than carrying their pre-manufactured equivalents. Lite travelers can shed weight and bulk by carrying a knife. I don't carry tent stakes, I make them. I don't carry combustibles, I cut up localized wood. I don't carry tarp poles, I make them. I don't like carrying combustibles for many reasons, so getting rid of them was a big deal. That's a lot of weight and bulk I don't have to carry around on my bike for hours at a time. Who wants to carry weight and bulk if they don't have to? Touring/bike-camping is all about traveling lite and understated.
i'd like to try off-road bike-camping one day but i don't know of any areas here.
I too am a mountain biker here in Wisconsin. Ride a Giant Anthem 27.5 on local trails. Also am a roadie and currently have a Orbea Orca. I happen to work in the bike industry, so I build up a new mtn. bike every other year or so. Usually buy a frame and build it up with our companies components. Road biking keeps me in shape and mtn. biking is the fun part - like little kid fun!
Got to say, I don't carry a knife on my rides although I do carry a bike specific multitool.
p.s. nice Niner's and Giants in the first post!
thanks! my friend with that black giant is like you - he builds a new bike every other year or so...the side benefit is he sells the old one to one of us...he sold that orange niner for dirt cheap, like $1k or so
...also the same guy who won't think twice about disassembling the whole thing to wash and lube it if it gets dirty...every trip his bike looks brand new it's so shiny and waxed
The Viet Cong used this method to transport many kinds of supplies on their trails. Using a bike to support a larger load is one of the SHTF/bug out strategies.
i didn't know the viet cong did that...smart!
If I'm just out riding on the street at night I keep any one of my folders on me..usually my BM 761 because it's so light.
If I'm on the trails with my pack I'll strap on a fixed blade, usually a Kephart.
bike and kephart pics?
a kephart is one of my favorites.
