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Riding to the trailhead?

1K views 24 replies 22 participants last post by  SMOKEY 
#1 ·
How many of you ride to the trailhead on your SS.... I have this trail by my house this is around ten miles or so away so whenever I ride this trail I always ride. So in the last week since the weather has been nice and the stars have aligned themselves I have been able to put in about in few hours in the saddle on the SS. I am just amazed at how many people drive to the trailhead rather than park and ride or just ride. To stave off the answer of well people don't reside within distance will not fly with this one because this is a trail system that mostly locals know about. I just find it funny when these people drive past me with two to three thousand dollar rigs attached to cars. They spend more time getting ready in the parking lot then I do riding to the trail.

So this week two dudes fly past me in their truck with two FS bikes. I get to the lot and take a nature break when I hear one of the guys say... Hey isn't that the SS guy we past on the road? I walked out of the plastic stink chamber greeted them with a nice day eh! Have a good ride! As the two of them sat on the tailgate.....


-Dude
 
#2 ·
Wish I could

I'd kill for the ability to ride to the trails. I hate driving to ride.

Of the 4 that I ride regularly, only 1 would be within reasonable range to do so (about 12 miles) but I'd be hit by at least 4-5 cars along the way. There are NO bike lanes or even decent shoulders to ride on in this area. Tampa is always listed near the top of the most dangerous cities in the US for pedestrians and cyclists.

The other trails are all around 40 minute drive (30-40 miles), so that wouldn't work either.

I'd LOVE to live in an area where I could ride to the trails. I've been riding for a few years now and am getting more and more hooked. If it keeps up, I'm seriously considering a biking-related move to an area with better riding opps and closer vicinity to them.

Brian
 
#3 ·
Ride to trailhead on SS = problem

I love riding to the trailhead, the only problem is that it sucks to do it on my SS. I end up spinning out and frustrated with how long it takes. Most times, I end up taking my cross bike or my geared hardtail. But, once I get to the trailhead, I would much rather be on my single speed.

I would love to have a solution to this problem if anyone has any suggestions - I thought about building up a dinglespeed, a 1x2,3,4, any other ideas out there?
 
#5 ·
My driveway is the trailhead...

so I rarely take the bike on a car. I have my local trails right from the house. I can also ride singletrack to a gravel bikpath which links up 5 other riding "areas" (various state forests/parks here in CT). If I'm meeting people to ride one of those areas, I'll normally get there by bike.

Though if my group wants to ride somewhere and I'm pressed for time, I'll throw the bike in the bus and drive to the trailhead.

There is nothing better than having your house at the end of the trail. I consider myself a lucky, lucky dude.

B
 
#6 ·
Dude said:
How many of you ride to the trailhead on your SS.... I have this trail by my house this is around ten miles or so away so whenever I ride this trail I always ride. So in the last week since the weather has been nice and the stars have aligned themselves I have been able to put in about in few hours in the saddle on the SS. I am just amazed at how many people drive to the trailhead rather than park and ride or just ride. To stave off the answer of well people don't reside within distance will not fly with this one because this is a trail system that mostly locals know about. I just find it funny when these people drive past me with two to three thousand dollar rigs attached to cars. They spend more time getting ready in the parking lot then I do riding to the trail.

So this week two dudes fly past me in their truck with two FS bikes. I get to the lot and take a nature break when I hear one of the guys say... Hey isn't that the SS guy we past on the road? I walked out of the plastic stink chamber greeted them with a nice day eh! Have a good ride! As the two of them sat on the tailgate.....

-Dude
I get to! I have nothing against driving to a different trail though.
 
#7 ·
I ride. It's about 2 miles. Sometimes I ride to my buddie's house on the way, and we drive because he brings his dog and doesnt like riding with the dog on the road.

I also get frustrated riding 34:18 on the road. I once calculated how much time I would save by riding gears to the trailhead.
34:18=1.89
34:12 (highest gear on 1x9) = 2.83

assume you are spinning madly the whole (not true really, but gives an upper bound), you take about 1.5 times as long on the SS. Well, on the SS, the 2 miles takes me about 10-15 minutes. I never have timed it super precisely, and it depends on how long I have to wait at the intersection. On geared bike it would take 7.5 to 10 minutes. So I save a max of 5 minutes each way.
And driving that distance, including putting the bike on the roof, takes maybe 5 or 10 minutes or something. And you are not warmed up when you arrive. And you were sitting in your car instead of riding your bike!

I have 2 different trail systems that are about 2 miles away! yeah!

Downside is that I never ride anywhere else. I could drive 30 minutes each way to some other interesting places, but they are not that much different for me to justify it. THere is enough variety here at home. And when I get tired of the local trails, I will go for a road ride or a mixed ride on a cross bike.

Whoa, that was an essay and ahalf.
 
#8 ·
Dude said:
How many of you ride to the trailhead on your SS.... I have this trail by my house this is around ten miles or so away so whenever I ride this trail I always ride. So in the last week since the weather has been nice and the stars have aligned themselves I have been able to put in about in few hours in the saddle on the SS. I am just amazed at how many people drive to the trailhead rather than park and ride or just ride. To stave off the answer of well people don't reside within distance will not fly with this one because this is a trail system that mostly locals know about. I just find it funny when these people drive past me with two to three thousand dollar rigs attached to cars. They spend more time getting ready in the parking lot then I do riding to the trail.

So this week two dudes fly past me in their truck with two FS bikes. I get to the lot and take a nature break when I hear one of the guys say... Hey isn't that the SS guy we past on the road? I walked out of the plastic stink chamber greeted them with a nice day eh! Have a good ride! As the two of them sat on the tailgate.....

-Dude
This topic always comes up, but there is more to consider than what is presented sometimes. The closest trail to me is about 10-15 miles so riding my SS there and back would make for a really slow, long ride. This is fine, but like others I don't enjoy spinning out the whole way on the road. When I do want to ride to the trail I take my geared cross bike. With that being said, I don't think it is fair to make a judgement about people who drive to the trailhead, etc. even when it is close to their home. Some people have work, family, and other commitments that do not always afford the time to make a round trip from house to trail and back on the bike possible.
 
#9 ·
2farfwd said:
Some people have work, family, and other commitments that do not always afford the time to make a round trip from house to trail and back on the bike possible.
HAHAHAHAHAH! You so do not know me and my life :D But that is ok I forgive you!
 
#12 ·
lucky me

I have 4 or 5 trailheads that are less than 1 paved mile from my front door. And the ones that are further away, are accessible by riding the ones that are :D

scott
 
#13 ·
I have several excuses for driving, which would you like? :D

1) I honestly can't climb the hill to get there or back (I live in a pretty hilly town, Morgantown WV), so I would have to push most of the two miles (I know, only two miles- I've never been acused of having any fitness). The roads on the way to the trail have an avg speed limit of 40 MPH, and the locals (mostly college kids) drive faster and without regard to pedestrians or cyclists. There are at least three blind turns in that route with no shoulder. I am seriously fearing for my life when I even cross streets, much less to attempt road riding. Plenty of people do road ride around here, god bless 'em, but not me.

2) I like to take my dog. Not feasible with traffic.

3) Limited time with work and school; I can jet to the trailhead in five minutes to get an hour ride in before the sun comes down.

4) The trail is fun. Riding on pavement does not interest me in the slightest.
 
#14 ·
Bridge blues

Dude said:
How many of you ride to the trailhead on your SS.... I have this trail by my house this is around ten miles or so away so whenever I ride this trail I always ride.

-Dude
My everyday trails are on the other side of a nearby bridge that's been under renovation for the last two years. It's down to two tight lanes that make a SS pretty much of an obstacle. I can power across in traffic on the roadie, but it reeeeaaallllly hurts. I hate doing it, but it's just been much safer to put the Vulture on the rack and drive it.
 
#15 ·
KonaSS said:
I love riding to the trailhead, the only problem is that it sucks to do it on my SS. I end up spinning out and frustrated with how long it takes. Most times, I end up taking my cross bike or my geared hardtail. But, once I get to the trailhead, I would much rather be on my single speed.

I would love to have a solution to this problem if anyone has any suggestions - I thought about building up a dinglespeed, a 1x2,3,4, any other ideas out there?
once i work out the bugs and get all the strange bits i'll need, i'm going to run a 32 and a 34 in the front and a 15 and a 17 in the back, so that i can manually switch from the higher gear (34:15) to the lower on at the trailhead without having to retension the chain (34+15=49t, 32+17=49t...)
 
#16 ·
xrmattaz said:
...endured almost FIVE miles of pavement 'til I saw dirt. My life sucks up here in Preskit!
FIVE!!!! Oh, the horror!!! The humanity!!!!! Here in NYC, we got dirt trails all over the place. Trails here, trails there, we've got trails coming out of our ears! God, I'm so sick of trails already! I long for some asphalt!

Smallest violin in the universe playing here for you.
 
#17 ·
off topic... inquiry?

xrmattaz said:
I'm car-less. My wife won't let me use the truck, so I have to endure daily the mile long slog to trail heaven.

Had to go to the post office today, so endured almost FIVE miles of pavement 'til I saw dirt. My life sucks up here in Preskit!
Would that be Preskit AZ? I have family in Sedona and have driven home through Preskit twice, I was blown away by the "Main Street USA" postcard town tucked away miles from anything else. Was wondering if would be the best place or worst place to live. I did not see anyone riding, but I'm guessing there must be some sweet trails in them there hills.
 
#18 ·
I'll ride to trails that are within 5 miles or so, but the two knocks against it are 1) those trails aren't nearly as fun as those that are 10-15 miles further and 2) the whole spin-out factor, especially when riding flat roads to steep trails. One solution to the spin-out problem would be to run a big 46T ring in the place of my bashguard and then carry a second chain. I had a two cog set-up for a little bit for the same effect.

This thread reminds me of The Simpsons where Homer and Hank Scorpio are exercising on the treadmill and then step onto the moving walkway instead of walking to their office. Mmmm.... Simpsons. S
 
#19 ·
Prescott sucks.

We don't have hurricanes, nor earthquakes.

Only three hundred and thirty two days of sunshine per year. Downtown is 5300 feet above sea level, the trails only go up to 7500 feet. It snows in the winter, and stays on the ground until at least 10 am! There are way too many pine trees. The trails are often loamy, and often dry. Lotsa rocks. Lotsa smooth stuff too.

Mountain bikers don't own cars. Why would one need to?? People on the streets have this annoying habit of saying "hi!" all the damn time. Just sucks.

In a town of thirty thousand people, there's only five good bike shops!

I'm moving, just as soon as I find my "paradise"......

Mattman said:
Would that be Preskit AZ? I have family in Sedona and have driven home through Preskit twice, I was blown away by the "Main Street USA" postcard town tucked away miles from anything else. Was wondering if would be the best place or worst place to live. I did not see anyone riding, but I'm guessing there must be some sweet trails in them there hills.
 
#20 ·
I hear ya, Des.

Longing for some ashphalt and TALL buildings! Ya'll got it good.

SpinWheelz said:
FIVE!!!! Oh, the horror!!! The humanity!!!!! Here in NYC, we got dirt trails all over the place. Trails here, trails there, we've got trails coming out of our ears! God, I'm so sick of trails already! I long for some asphalt!

Smallest violin in the universe playing here for you.
 
#23 ·
I ride my single speed to the close trails

Dude said:
How many of you ride to the trailhead on your SS.... I have this trail by my house this is around ten miles or so away so whenever I ride this trail I always ride. So in the last week since the weather has been nice and the stars have aligned themselves I have been able to put in about in few hours in the saddle on the SS. I am just amazed at how many people drive to the trailhead rather than park and ride or just ride. To stave off the answer of well people don't reside within distance will not fly with this one because this is a trail system that mostly locals know about. I just find it funny when these people drive past me with two to three thousand dollar rigs attached to cars. They spend more time getting ready in the parking lot then I do riding to the trail.

So this week two dudes fly past me in their truck with two FS bikes. I get to the lot and take a nature break when I hear one of the guys say... Hey isn't that the SS guy we past on the road? I walked out of the plastic stink chamber greeted them with a nice day eh! Have a good ride! As the two of them sat on the tailgate.....

-Dude
but anything over 5 miles I ride the geared bike.
 
#25 ·
ugh!

I rode 12 frickin miles of road today on my 32x18 geared surly with 2.5 sticky knobs just to get to the trail... needless to say it sucked. The first 6 miles are at a grade just steep enough for me not to be able to effectively spin and when I stand and mash its too easy and I mash really fast like an idiot. It sucks.

Oh, yeah, the fact that I am waaay out of shape adds to the suck factor. Big time.
 
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