BS: Adventure Biking...

Subject: moved from: Does Religion Deny Music to Children?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 04:02 PM

Bit of a thread drift, but I wondered about peoples stories of 'adventure biking' around the world?

When I was in my late teens I almost learned to ride purely for the purpose of traveling (I was especially interested in riding across Eastern Europe as the Berlin wall had recently come down.)

At that time I hadn't heard of adventure biking, I just thought the plan sounded really good. But I didn't have a boyfriend at the time, and couldn't get any friends interested in an adventure like that. And I wasn't motivated enough to go for it on my tod, so I didn't.

Seeing Charlie and Ewan a couple of years back however, reminded me that it was a really good idea....

So, anyone fancy sharing their biking travel stories?

Subject: RE: Does Religion Deny Music to Children?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 04:06 PM

Yeah, that was really meant to go there...

Joe: please feel free to delete :)

Subject: RE: Does Religion Deny Music to Children?
From: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 04:08 PM

Unless anyone's interested in discussing adventure biking of course? I did begin with the caveat "bit of a thread drift" after all..

Subject: RE: BS: Adventure Biking...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 07:31 PM

Well, Crow Sister, couldn't tell from the second message what you wanted me to do, so I moved this to its own thread.
I rod my bike almost everywhere until I turned 44 and moved to a hilly area that was difficult for bicycling. At the same time, I gave up smoking, and I gained 40 pounds, and I haven't cycled much.
Now I'm in a very rugged area of the Sierra Nevada foothills, northeast of Sacramento. This is a very popular area for bicyclists. We're on a three-mile-long hill, and I constantly see people struggling to go up the grade. I really don't see how they find pleasure in that at all, but I have to admit the downhill ride looks exhilarating.
But I'm a city bicyclist. Riding a bike is such a wonderful way to get around a city. Even the heaviest traffic doesn't slow you down all that much, and you can often get around much faster than you can in a car.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Adventure Biking...
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 08:26 PM

The 'pleasure' of uphill road cycling
is the challenge of getting to the top
and proving to yourself that you still have the fitness and vitality
to achieve such an exhausting and physically strenuous goal.

I have a local hill I test myself with at the start of each summer.
So far I've not failed or died in the attempt.

Even this summer, despite gaining about 3 stone after being stuck in the house unwell for most of the last year or so,
i still summoned the bloody minded determination to get to the top..

Such an amazing sense of positive elation when I stood astride my bike
panting my lungs out and wiping the sweat off my face,
looking back down the hill toward the sea...

Still feeling the beneficial boost in motivation and morale !!!

..though because of my extra 42lbs of sedentary couch potato fat
I f@cked up the pedal bearings of my bike
and now need to get it repaired before it packs up completely...

though its still good for an hour a day cycling randomly around the local undulating hilly country roads
builing my strength back up in preperation
for getting back into regular serious gym training again..

Theres an even worse incline hill a few miles away,
but i know in my heart i'm still not up to coping with that one again yet,
i wont dare risk being that stupid with my blood pressure,
until i've lost a fair bit more surplus weight..

Subject: RE: BS: Adventure Biking...
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Jul 10 - 08:36 PM

Uphill biking for pleasure???? You're a better man than I am, Punkfolkrocker.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: BS: Adventure Biking...
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 07 Jul 10 - 01:53 AM

A guy who was a cop with me in the 60's came into a lot of money and bought two motor cycles for him and his friend...... they set off to try to go from England to China...... Before entering the Khyber Pass they were advised to get guns for protection against the many bandits... The bandits robbed them of their guns, bikes and just about everything else. When found they had to be repatriated.
A couple of years later they set off again to ride from one side of the US to the other on Harleys... they were robbed by a group of 'heavy' bikers who had seemingly befriended them and again had to be repatriated....... I have heard of many others doing successful trips but my friend never went on another.........