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<p>That’s exactly what I do as well. Works like a charm! When I stop at an intersection, I can get a quick sip through the straw and be on my merry way without having to fumble for a water bottle.</p>
<p>My brother hit a (parked) car with a brand new Trek bike when he was about 12 years old. It was pretty funny since it was only a parked car, but it did total his brand new (expensive) bike. So, be careful even if you think you know the road like the back of your hand.</p>
<p>H and I got new bikes last summer. We are by no means experts but have really enjoyed doing the rails to trails paths. It’s pretty easy to find the listings of some on the web. So far the one we have enjoyed the most is the New River trail in the mountains of VA.</p>
<p>I have a mountain bike and a road bike. Doing my road/rail trail biking as I get older, but am ready for some non-technical (picture big, wide dirt roads) riding in the spring. H was hit in NC this summer on vacation. No one hurt, but couldn’t ride the bike until we paid to have the front tire fixed. I actually hit a pedestrian with my bike while on my first co-op job in college. Luckily we worked together, no one was hurt. He walked in front of a parked car directly into my path. I wasn’t going very fast. I do ride with a helmet.</p>
<p>All this talk of collisions with moving cars has got me shaking because motorists here in New Jersey are notoriously agressive. Some are quick to seek retribution for perceived slights.</p>
<p>I read some articles on the 'Critical Mass" cyclists controversy in New York City. I don’t envision riding often on the streets of midtown Manhattan.</p>
<p>For folks who have mountain/hybrid bikes and travel mostly on paved roads and smooth trails, did you stick with the knobby MTB tires or did you switch to a more city-road type of tire? Thanks again.</p>
<p>I took my first ride on my new hybrid about two weeks ago. Yes, my knees complained at first (LOL) and I was a bit unsteady, but it quickly turned into great fun. It was a short test run in the neighborhood. I am looking forward to more adventurous and picturesque roads. This month’s Bicyling Magazine identifies the 100 best “climbs” in America. I nearly fainted just reading about them!!! Nevertheless, I intend to prepare for such a road trip. Bear Mountain NY, Cape Cod MA and Amish Country in PA are in my sights.</p>
<p>Can I make a comment as the driver of a motor vehicle and a former bike rider?</p>
<p>Please obey the rules of the road. Stop for stop signs and red lights. I have swerved around many bikes where the rider blew through a stop sign/red light and then yelled at me.</p>
<p>mohonk/minnewaska area near new paltz has great trails. possible deadly plunges but no road sharing with cars. just miles of magical winding prehistoric
inclines and declines. might wait for spring though. worth the drive.</p>
<p>I used to ride from NYC, across the bridge and up to the trails in Bear Mountain. My recollections are wonderful. Not too many steep hills.</p>
<p>My advice, casual rider to casual rider:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If your knees or hips hurt go back to the cycling shop to get your bike adjusted to fit you properly. Propoerly fitted, your knees should not hurt.</p></li>
<li><p>Buy the spandex shorts in a thicker black material that has a longer leg. dmd may have some on her site? You must protect your groin from chafing and numbness. Did you buy a good ie expensive seat? Well worth it for a middle aged bum.</p></li>
<li><p>Try to keep your weight over the seat of the bike–not on your hands and elbows. Try to keep your hands lightly placed and your shoulders down away from your ears. (Prevents sore numb hands on long rides).</p></li>
<li><p>Learn to change a tire. Carry a spare tube with you always. I use kevlar tubes–less prone to puncture.</p></li>
<li><p>Buy a cycling shirt with the pockets in back so you can carry a tube and a phone. Wear a windbreaker over it if you think you look too ‘too’.</p></li>
<li><p>I have a rear view mirror on my road bike. You can also buy one for your helmet. Makes a big difference when riding in traffic.</p></li>
<li><p>Get a pair of clip on shoes and loosen the clips so that you can easily move your left foot in and out of the clip very easily. (I take my foot out of the clip completely, turning over to the non-clip side, when going up steep hills because I have been known to come to a dead halt–with foot stuck in clip–tilting over into the gutter. My goal is to be able to get up the bloody hill one day without any fear of running out of puff). Shoes and clips make the four-sided pedal stroke a reality.</p></li>
<li><p>The technique for riding a road bike is different than what you might remember from childhood. You should learn to use a ‘four sided pedal stroke’–which puts the pedals and gears into an even rotation–rather than using your quads and your knees to push the gears over, again and again.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The four sides are (feel free to improve on this description cycling pros!)</p>
<p>a. Push the pedal down, heels down
b. Scrape the bottom of the pedal stroke with the ball of your foot–like you were scraping mud off.
c. Pull the pedal up using your hamstring power
d. Roll the pedal over the top</p>
<p>It takes loads of practice–for me anyway–and I tend to lose form on the steep hills. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Look for a ‘Spinning’ class in your neighborhood and ask if they have any semi-professional cyclists teaching classes rather than aerobic instructors. If so, cyclists tend to focus on the form of riding the bike. Spinning is a great substitute during winter months although you have to really work to get a stationary bike to fit you properly.</p></li>
<li><p>Ask your cycling shop if there are any riding groups in your area. WE have a group nearby that goes out every day. I can’t keep up with them for the whole ride or the hill rides but I can tag along for their ‘recovery’ rides every other day.</p></li>
<li><p>Try adding some squats and lunges to your week. They will help you in the cycling.</p></li>
<li><p>Improving as a cyclist is all about getting your aerobic capacity up. Your glut and quad muscles are some of the biggest muscles you have and when they are working, they suck oxygen out of your middle age body like nothing else (has been my experience). Essentially, to ride well, you have to train your body to deliver MUCH more oxygen to those muscles. That means it is tough to improve if you only go out once a week. In my opinion.</p></li>
<li><p>Be sure to take ten minutes to ride easy at the end of a workout ride. That allows the lactic acid in your legs to circulate and be eliminated. If your legs are super stiff when you get off–try riding ‘easy’ for a bit longer.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Hubby and I got into the bicycling thing after DD left for college. We bought new bikes and helmets and have enjoyed our casual rides around the neighborhood and on some bike paths around Nashville. We would like to participate in the “Jack and Back” (an annual MS fundraiser that’s a two-day 150-mile ride from Franklin to Lynchburg, the home of Jack Daniels), but we are nowhere near the shape we need to be in to do such a thing. I’m riding a Trek 7100 and my husband is riding a Giant Sedona. I’ve had a problem with one of my knees for the past couple of months, so I haven’t gotten to ride much since before Christmas. I found lots of great information at bikeforums.net. Keep on biking! :)</p>
<p>An odometer makes the whole experience much more fun.</p>
<p>Also, of anyone is really looking to experience bicycling as it should be, get a recumbent.</p>
<p>Once you go bent, you never go back, except on trails.</p>
<p>Thanks to Cheers for the great advice. Also, this month’s edition of Bicycling Magazine has a feature on exercises for cyclists.</p>