The all about Bicycling thread

Haven't seen a flywheel bike despite the number of steampunks around this area. I have seen what I'm pretty sure was a subwoofer loaded bike though, which makes me wonder if they were attempting bass propulsion.

 

This weekend, my son and I participated in OCBC Cycle Singapore 2012. We rode in the 39km Challenge category. We were both aiming to finish the ride in under 90 minutes. I finished the ride in 1:20:46 and my son was 1:17:59 (I stopped for a pee break and fell behind).

The fastest time was 00:56:12 and the average time for the category was 01:36:52. Out of the 5,274 participants, we came in positions 1494 and 1216.

It was my first time doing something like this and it was definitely the first time doing something like this with my son. I was quite proud of his effort.

 

Way to go Char.
It must have been pretty exciting (and nerve racking?) to line up with 5000 other cyclists!

 

It was pretty crazy. Including the other riding categories (59km Super Challenge and the 24km Community Ride) there were about 10,000 riders.

Here is a shot taken from above of the start/finish line at the F1 Pit. We were positioned just below the photographer and the line snaked a long way back from there.

The start was a bit rough but once we hit the east coast parkway, it opened up quite a bit. I lost my son in the initial jostle and it was too dark and there were too many riders wearing the official riding jerseys to find him.

 

Cool!
10000 people over a total 59km course.. Must be pretty crazy! .

 

I'm finalizing stuff for the NYC bike share as well as the ones in Boston and DC. I'm also working on something for 2 indoor mountain bike parks - one in PA, the other OR. I may go visit one with my client.

And apparently the mountain bike trail system in the US is going to expand by about 1,500 miles this year alone.

 

Indoor mountain bike park? That is either the best thing or the worst thing ever.

I can tell I've been here too long when the first thing I thought was, Wow, airconditioning! I'd forgotten about winter riding.

 

One of my clients is in this video.


View: http://vimeo.com/38342504


He sent it to me and it seems appropriate.

 

Jazz, that looks awesome. I'd love to ride a snowy trail like that.

 

I dont know how to ride a bike

I aint saying i couldnt learn, I mean young kids learn it so I am sure I could, but never wanted to (or at least never wanted to when I had the chance to)

My dad wouldnt let me have a bike when I was a kid till I was about 12, and by then didnt really want one (and didnt fancy trying to learn at 11)... so Ive never ridden one in my life. My infant/junior school was 1/2 mile from my house and my high school about 1 mile, my paper round was just round the corner, so never really needed one.

 

I had my kids start their bicycle riding on this . Today they are both decent cyclist.

 

Strange it is never too late to try.
Cycling has brought immense pleasure to my life.
Who knows if you will even like it but it would be a shame to never experience it.

 

I'm building back up to physically getting on it. Abs still aren't working right so I'm a bit away yet but still.

 

Some photos from this past weekend, in which the lady and I met and rode bikes with a bunch of complete strangers in central Tennessee... as we do.







Yes, we had to stop and say hello to these super friendly horses...



...and take pictures of them. Obviously.



I found a deer tick crawling up my upper thigh in the shower after the ride as a result of standing in this grass. I'm an idiot.









At the crest of this hill above was the sign in the picture below. And beyond that sign...



...was a hill steep enough to completely drop out of sight just beyond where I'm standing, where its pitch jumps to 38%. This is me politely declining the chance to ride down it.



One of us did ride down. She hit 50mph on that descent without a single pedal stroke. Our broom wagon drove down to rescue her.



The view from the bottom. What goes down must come up. Ouch.



Best weekend I've had in a long time.

 

Looks like fun but faceless people creep me out. On the other hand, I'll recognize those horses anywhere!

 

Would love to go down that hill - makes up for going up one like it!

I've cycled extensively in the England and France and the pain of doing around 150 MILES in one day is only put in perspective by doing another 150 miles the next day, and then the one after that and so on, eventually your body becomes a machine and muscle memory keeps you going.

Wearing a helmet is a must, I've suffered all sorts of injuries for all sorts of reasons, usually unexpected ones - like going up a hard hill snapping a handlebar clean off, even snapping a crank (both resulted in waking up looking at the underside of a car)!!

Scary business, but with risk comes reward and there is something about overtaking motorists on a bike as you hold on for your life that other stuff doesn't supply.

Enjoy.

 

Bloody hell man, it's hills like that one that make me glad I live in Florida. In some areas the only way you realise it's a hill is on the way back when you notice it's vaguely easier.