Aug 07 2010

Cycling is on the Increase

“Government data published this morning confirms that in 2009 cycle use increased to the highest level in decades.”


Hopefully this isn’t a surprise to you because it certainly isn’t to me. I mean, what’s not to love about cycling?

  • It’s fun.
  • It’s easy.
  • It’s inexpensive.
  • It’s environmentally friendly.
  • It uses no fossil fuels.
  • It’s great exercise.
  • It’s a great activity for all ages.
  • It’s a wonderful family activity
  • I could go on and on…
Bicycling is the perfect activity for any economy, but it is especially appropriate for this recession.

Anyway, the National Travel Survey shows that while biking is on the increase, “car use is steadily falling.” Now that’s double good news.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/07/cycling-is-on-the-increase/

Aug 04 2010

Tandem Rowing Recumbent Bike

If you love bikes of all kinds, like moi, then you’ll get a kick out of this crazy looking bike. It’s about as original as they come and would exercise a whole different set of muscles.
Instead of pedaling it, the users row it like a boat or rowing machine. Each person’s propulsion system works separately so they can be in different gears and even row w/ a different cadence.
Another benefit: One person can see where they’re going and another can see where they’ve been. If I had more room in my garage, I’d snag this bike in a heartbeat.
I wonder how it does on hills?
There’s a great video of how it operates. You can find it by copying the title of this blogpost then going to Youtube and copying it in the search field.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/04/tandem-rowing-recumbent-bike/

Aug 03 2010

Great Allegheny Passage & C & O Canal Towpath trails

I’m starting to prepare for my September bike trip from Connellsville, PA to Washington D.C. This trip is going to be longer and more complicated than previous ones. It will entail about 300 miles on the Great Allegheny Passage and C & O Canal Towpath trails. It will also involve four states and the District of Columbia.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/08/03/great-allegheny-passage-c-o-canal-towpath-trails/

Jul 30 2010

Great Allegheny Passage & C & O Trail tours

I am in the middle of planning a trip on the Great Allegheny Passage and C & O Canal Towpath trails. 


And it’s a lot of work (and time). 

For those of you who want to save the time and hassle of doing all the trip planning yourself, there’s a company called Mountainside Bike Tours that will take care of most of the planning for you. They can arrange shuttles, lodging, and dining as well as give advice for each leg of the tour.

It takes a lot of the guess-work out of a trip when you can rely on the locals/professionals to take care of the important details. It leaves you time to relax and enjoy the ride.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/07/30/great-allegheny-passage-c-o-trail-tours/

Jul 28 2010

Sit-Up Cycles

I was just introduced to a whole new world of bicycling when I visited a blog called Sit-Up Cycle.

Not only did I learn about a great new category of cycles, but I also learned about a movement for liberalizing helmet laws. Some people are in favor of eliminating the mandatory helmet laws for certain groups of cyclists. Part of their argument is that the mandatory helmet laws may discourage some people from cycling and that isn’t a good thing when we’re trying to encourage as many people as possible to ride bicycles as an alternate form of transportation.

Another topic discussed in the sit-up cycle blog was bike share schemes. I am truly amazed how this concept has blossomed in the past few years. It seems that nearly every major city has come onboard w/ this great idea.

And finally, I learned that, although they aren’t exactly the same, there are a number of different names for what I call a cruiser bike: Some other names include sit-up cycle, comfort bicycles, and shopping bikes.
Any way you look at it, there is definitely a movement to make bikes more comfortable and more accessible to the general public.

Good on ya mate!!

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/07/28/sit-up-cycles/

Jul 27 2010

Medicine Bow Trail

If you’re allergic to moose, then you may want to take your epi-pen on this ride.
There is some prime moose territory located on either side of this trail.
And while you may see plenty of four-legged critters beside the path, you probably won’t see many of the two-legged variety. We were there on a Sunday in the middle of summer w/ beautiful weather and other than a couple horsemen, we didn’t see any other trail users the entire trip.
Unfortunately, our trip was cut short by an unexpected detour at Foxpark. (See photo #10)
So what was intended to be a 42 mile ride (21 each way) ended up only being a little over 26.
A couple important notes: Although this trail has a nice gradual incline/decline, its surface changes greatly at about the halfway point. The first 11 miles is a pretty well maintained gravel path. As you can see in the first few pictures.
After that, it becomes fairly overgrown and poorly maintained for a couple miles. Then you get to a sign that says the trail is closed for a while due to a legal dispute over the trail right-of-way near Foxpark.
For the above reasons, I would seriously consider a mountain bike w/ very sturdy tires for this ride. Although we had no problems with flat tires, I think the likely head for goat-heads or other types of thorns rises exponentially the further from the Pelton Creek trailhead you get.
Another warning to heed about this trail is the lack of facilities of any kind. I liked the remote qualities of the trail, but it is definitely less maintained and developed than many other rail-trails. There are no drinking fountains or resting spots. There is a well-maintained restroom facility at the Pelton Creek trailhead, but such facilities are few and far between.
Reaching the trailhead can be difficult also. If you are accessing the trail from its south end (definitely recommended), you will take highway 230 from Laramie. You will pass the small community of Mountain Home. From there you will continue south until you get to the Wyoming/Colorado border. You will take U.S. Forest Service Rd. 898 (I never saw a sign saying that rd. #.) which is right at the border. Turn right on that road. It is a well maintained/improved gravel road.  You will know you took the correct road when you reach the Pelton Creek trailhead just a couple miles down the road, on your right. Make sure you use the facilities here, because you won’t see many others further down the trail.
On our trip, there were some aspen trees over the trail just a few hundred yards into the ride (see picture #3 in the carousel) but they will probably be removed soon.
Enjoy the solitude and say hi to the moose in the pond near mile 6. 

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2010/07/27/medicine-bow-trail/