Good day to ride fast. We got Kate a new/used road bike. So we had to do a 27.8 mile break in ride around our neighborhood. I like this ride cause about 30 minutes in we stop at the local coffee shop For caffeine and cherry tarts. We also spend half the ride or more on backroads with much less traffic.
In the last 2 years I have been working with the Mancos Trails Group (MTG) to maintain and build public use trails in our area. At first it was a selfish endeavor: I wanted to learn how to build and maintain trails on my land. There is little information online that I was able to find about trail building and maintenance. Especially the building part.
By volunteering with the MTG I have learned a lot and increased my confidence in building and maintaining trails. While I have been working on the trails, I have also gotten to know the people in the group much better. They are from all walks of life but share one goal in common: building and maintaining trails that anyone can hike, bike, or horseback.
There are a lot of benefits to having good trails near your home. Besides connecting with nature and appreciating the area you live in, they can also help attract people to your area for recreation. Those people end up staying at lodges and eating at restaurants. This creates economic diversity and benefits the entire community.
Mancos and the surrounding county are relatively poor compared to the rest of the state of Colorado. We are at the far end of the state from Denver which means we don’t get a lot of people just stopping by to spend their money. Durango is about 30 minutes away and grabs the majority of tourist activity in the area.
We have Mesa Verde National Park which is a big attraction, but you cannot mountain bike in the park, and one to two days is enough time to see all the sights. There are some other lesser known state parks in the area but those are mainly for hiking. Of the trails that are leftover we do have a good amount of biking friendly trails, but they are not in the town of Mancos. At the end of the day we need more trails here.
This summer we made some amazing strides towards creating more trails in the Chicken Creek Nordic Center and at the Aqueduct. While these areas are located just a few miles from each other, they could not be more different. Since Chicken Creek it at a higher elevation, it has Ponderosa Pines that reach high into the sky, and create a lot of shade. There are also a number of creek crossings. The Aqueduct is lower in elevation and is considered high desert. The trees are Pinon and Juniper, and there is a little bit of cactus to keep you on your toes. There is no water and the terrain is a bit more challenging.
In both areas we created new trails using a mixture of volunteers, paid trail workers, and a professional trail builder. The volunteer work was a lot of fun but the trail workers and builder made the most progress by a considerable amount. The money for these activities was generated by a combination of grants and cash donations.
Next summer the goal is to finish the Aqueduct trails, which could be done if we can raise enough money. Currently we could probably increase our grant writing activity, but also look at expanding where we are getting donations from. It would be awesome to have another 8 miles of awesome trails in our area. This would help us appreciate what we have, and bring more people to visit and live in the area.
In yesterdays post we talked about choosing a bike based on the style of riding you plan on doing. TLDR; if you are just getting started I suggest getting either a cruiser or hard tail mountain bike. Either one will be comfortable and affordable. Cruiser for pavement riding, mountain bike for dirt riding, although it will also be good on the pavement.
Today we are talking about clothing and tools. For many people the thought of riding a bike means spandex. While spandex does make cycling a lot more comfortable it is not necessary. As a beginner you want to focus on being comfortable and spending as little as possible. You still need to figure out if you want to ride a bike.
The easiest outfit to start of riding a bike in is whatever you wear for working out it already. Shorts and a t-shirt made of anything but cotton. You should avoid cotton as it absorbs moisture and that means your seat is gonna get wet. Which can cause chafing and all kinds of bad things. Athletic underwear, socks, shorts, and shirt are the best combo to keep you dry and happy. On days where I am just spinning the pedals for 30 minutes I will wear the same clothes I wear for my strength training.
For shoes you can get away with running or tennis shoes. You should not be considering clip in pedals yet. If you don’t know what clip in pedals are then even better. You should just have flat pedals that are large enough for your foot to comfortably fit on. If you need to buy shoes you shouldn’t need to spend over $50.
There is strong debate about whether wearing a bike helmet makes you any safer. For city riding at reasonable speeds I do not think wearing a helmet is necessary. However if you are going to ride longer distances at higher speed you should consider wearing a helmet. If you are going to do any riding on dirt or trails I think you should wear a helmet.
The most basic tools you should have to get started are a water bottle, multi-tool, floor pump, tire levers, spare tubes, and chain lube. With these tools you will be able to stay hydrated, tighten almost any bolt on the bike, inflate the tires, change a tire, and maintain the chain.
Having a water bottle with you on a bike is a good idea. Since you are riding at a faster speed than when walking or running you will need more water to stay hydrated. Also the bike usually has one or two bottle holders just sitting there to be used. I like the Camelback Podium Chill bottles as they keep your water colder:
A good multi-tool is small enough to fit in a pocket and has enough tools to fix just about anything on your bike.
For a bike pump I have had this Specialized Pump for years. You can find it a many local bike shops in the US, but you cannot find it on Amazon.com. Having a good pump with an accurate gauge will last you a long time. It is important that you check your tire pressure before every ride. The recommended pressure is usually written on the sidewall of the tire. Having it properly inflated will make the ride smoother and reduce the chance of a pinch flat.
Bike tubes come in a variety of sizes and even valve types. Once you get your first bike you will then know what type of bike tubes to buy. Most road type bikes are 700c and most mountain bike types are 26 inch for the diameter of the tube. There are also a variety of widths involved. The 2 valve types are Schrader and Presta and are determined by the size of the hole in you rim. Again, once you get your bike you will know what size tube and type of valve to get. Prices on tubes seem to be going up. I remember them being 2 to 3 dollars a piece but now they are more. They also vary in price. You should be able to get the lowest cost ones and be fine. Be sure to have at least 2 spare tubes and a patch kit:
On a bike with gears you need to pay attention to the chain. If it is not properly lubricated it can shift poorly or even break. You can use regular oil to lubricate the chain but it will get dirty very quickly. Before I changed to waxing my chain I used this lube:
All in all you will probably spend about $100 on the basic tools to start bike riding with. With these tools you should be able to avoid going to the bike shop unless a more serious mechanical issue occurs.
Having the right clothing to start bike riding is pretty easy. Just avoid cotton at all costs. Deciding to wear a helmet is up to you but if you are going on dirt or off road its generally a good idea as falling is more likely. Getting the basic set of tools mentioned means you will be self sufficient unless you have something break on the bike. With those tools and Youtube you will be able to keep your bike running without visiting the bike shop, unless you have money burning a hole in your pocket.
Today was a strength day but last night I was up late looking for a friend who was supposed to be on a 2 hour ride. They ended up being fine but I ended up staying up late trying to get yesterdays post done. So I slept in this morning. However, after my work shift I did spend an hour working on a new trail I am building on my land. It was a decent workout and I made some good progress. I will write some articles about that process soon!
I hope this was helpful. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Tomorrow we cover how to stay safe on your bike. See you then!
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