Track cycling?

[MORE_Guitar_Solos]

I see there are some riders on the board, anybody into track cycling? Shot in the dark as it's a niche of a niche sport, but worth a try!


Cheers,
Dave

[EL34]

Nope,
Just woods cycling for me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8l1OQE6Gqs

[MORE_Guitar_Solos]

Very nice!


Yeah, trees at the track would be a definite problem...

[bmccowan]

Road and woods riding for me. I always enjoyed watching track competition on TV, but never lived close enough to a velodrome to try it. At 66 I would still carefully try it. I have always been fascinated by beautifully built lugged frame steel road bikes, and have built up numerous frames with mostly campy groupos, which just add to the beauty of a nice lugged frame.
I road raced many many years ago, but now ride local and some touring. Did two weeks of dirt road touring in Uganda about 10 years ago, an experience that has been hard to top!
Doug - that's one hell of a downhill single track.

[EL34]

Doug - that's one hell of a downhill single track.

That trail was pretty smooth compared to most stuff I ride
Check out that one further down from the top

[bmccowan]

There are some pretty hairy rock piles and pedal grabbers on that stretch! Really similar to trails I used to ride in central Mass; rocky, rooty, single track through mountain laurel and hardwoods. I now find those tough on my body, but my friends are trying to talk me into buying a bike with 29" wheels to smooth things out a bit. A few years ago I rode out in Fruita Colorado and I wish I could find single track like that around here. Like a bicycle roller coaster!
I'm presently building up a Surley Cross Check with Campy 10 speed group. Not to smooth out those rocks but - well actually I do not have a good reason.

[EL34]

I sold all my 26 inch mountain bikes many years ago after riding a 29'er

It makes a big difference in rolling over stuff and they actually pedal easier than a 26 inch bike

The bike I am riding in those videos is a Luna X1 ebike
It's a 27.5 inch, but closer to 29 because of the large tires

Being 65 years old, it's the only way I can ride with the really fast guys that are younger than me
Here's the link to the Luna X1
https://lunacycle.com/x1-enduro-ebike/

[bmccowan]

Thanks for the tip - the bigger wheels and the electric boost could get me back on the more rocky terrain!

[bmccowan]

I looked at the link - confusing site but looks like a nice bike at a reasonable price. I'm 5'10 but short legs, so medium should fit me (you can see I'm talking myself into this, can't you?)
BTW I know you aren't a roadie, but I have an interesting story. Years ago I bought a used Gianni Motta frameset. Gianni was a pretty famous Italian racer who won the Giro d'Italia and placed well in the other major tours, and like many racers started a bicycle company. I built it up and was riding it through Vermont on a 3 day tour. I leaned it on the wall of a coffee shop and went inside. While drinking my coffee a woman burst through the door and yelled, "who has that Gianni Motta bike outside?" She was all excited so I thought she had backed her car into it. But she yelled again, "Gianni Motta is my Uncle!" We talked for a bit and parted. The next summer my wife and I are touring in Tuscany and stop in a small cafe for lunch. There is a poster of a rider and some trophies. I walk over to look at them and it's Gianni Motta. The cafe owner comes out of the back room and says, "do you know who my son is?" We talked and joked about me meeting her niece in Vermont. A stellar coincidence moment.

[EL34]

I was a roadie for many years starting in about 1975


I sold my last road bike 3 or 4 years ago
I was riding titanium Litespeeds for about the last 10 years

Riding on the road sucks compared to riding in a huge forest with no cars
Just my .02, but not having cars to worry about is a way better riding experience, IMO

[bmccowan]

I live in a very rural area with many good back roads, so without many cars I like both. But I certainly have had my scary car encounters!

[EL34]

I live in the mountains.
The blue ridge parkway is right out my back door

Zillions of riders come here for road and off road riding
It's a riding destination here and one of the best in the USA

Pisgah National forest

[bmccowan]

Yes it is one of the best. I've been there a few times as my wife is from NC and if we drive to visit her family we usually go through there and take a bit of time. I recall camping there and having Racoons try to steal chicken right off the hot grill! Younger friends of mine go south every spring (till now) and ride there. But they make this big deal out of busting up big road climbs and I have some heart issues that don't allow me to strain that much. Plus when I'm touring in a beautiful area I like to smell the roses. Same group and I used to take the train from Southern Vermont to Canadian border every Fall and ride back over a few days. The guy who organized the trip each year would try to route us over as many steep Green Mountain passes he could. Last time I went I took the Miata, carried their gear and made the beer runs. It was still fun. Unlike Maine and NH, Vermont takes very good care of their secondary roads.