TT biking club

“Some people love speedplays while others can't stand 'em. I have Look's. I have heard good things about the new Dura Ace pedals.”

“If you do buy the Speedplay's be sure to get the new Zero's. They have a much better clip system. Expect to pay around $200 for the Zeros. The Dura Ace are even higher.”

“$200 for pedals! PEDALS! you peeps have too much money! =D”

“i'll prolly try to scare up a little bit better of a deal on ebay for the speedplays....

a cromoly set (slightly used) sold for $65 yesterday, although i will likely spring for the titanium....”

“Just rode my Mtn Bike 26 miles in less than 3.5 hours on the Lehigh Gorge Trail in Jim Thorpe, PA...

What a great ride!”

“
href="http://www.seatoseatrail.org/">Here's  the trail I'm dreaming of
riding in the fall, at least most of it.
 
Wow I haven't been to Trail Talk in a long time,
can't believe this thread isn't being bombarded with anti bike
sentiment.”

“guess I'll stay away from using HTML a little longer.”

“Hey A - The Gorge is a cool trail. We should do a shuttle and ride the 50+ miles from Jim Thorpe to White Haven one of these days. The only problem I have on that trail is that it's so flat, unless your butt is well trained, it's gonna be sore as hell with no hills to climb out of the saddle.

Twigster - I've been out of the bike game for several years and completely out of touch with the new equipment, so I may be off base here... some pedal systems have one side to click into while the other side is your basic flat pedal. A lot of people feel uncomfortable being locked in while on tricky off road sections, and this pedal provides an option. One advantage to the 2 sided clickable pedal is you don't have to look down or 'spin' the pedal to click in.

Do I still have a clue folks? ;o)
$200 for pedals? HA! I'm glad I ride for recreation these days because I remember when everything HAD to be titainium and every componet HAD to be Dura Ace or XTR. I'm quite content with my steel Jamis but I do confess to being a tad jealous when a Merlin or Litespeed cruises by me.

To answer Gonzo's question (it took you long enough Pennsy!), I'm using the Time Atac system on my mountain bike. I find them easier to click into than the Shimanos I used to use and I like the play they provide. So far, I've been able to avoid the Artie Johnson fall-overs.”

“I rode about 40 miles yesterday between World's End and Rickett's Glen State Parks (around LaPorte.) We rode for 6 hours, from midnight, to 6am, in the rain. We climbed three nasty hills that each took over an hour...well, I am pretty sure they did. Those hills just kept going and going and going...

Pretty good ride for me. This was only my fourth time on my bike this year...”

“Pennsy, I'd love to do that ride with you and/or Adventurist sometime!

Has to be the weekend of July 20th or later...”

“MileMonster,
That rim was going to go regardless....It had to be severely worn or defective for air pressure to do that to it. Who made it and how old was it? If it was somewhat new, I'd be calling the company or at least bringing it into a shop to see what they say.

As for pedals....I love my speedplays. I have the old school style...before the 0's came out. Love the lack of spring tension and the huge amounts of float, especially after riding the mtb with spd type pedals. Don't know if i'd pay 200 clams unless i was racing on them tho...shaving a few ounces may save you a fraction of a second, so unless you have a wife who really hates you to be late i'd stick with AL or chromolly.”

“I'm looking for new pedals for my Epic. It came with some cheap deathtrap Shimano 515's that I thought I had dialed in fairly well until I had to bail on my first real technical ride. A couple of broken ribs later... I swapped out the old reliable Ritchies from my Stumpjumper.
Everyone I talk to likes their Atacs, but nobody talks about how easy they are to get out of. I ride Mid-Atlantic trails with lots of rocks, roots, and logs, and confidence in my ability to unclip quickly is crucial.
How easy is it for you to get out of your Times?”

“The Time ATAC's are sweet. Especially if you spring for the Carbon ones. Really easy to bail from in the chicken setting too.”

“I'd love to get some people together to do a bike ride...

Pennsy the Gorge is 26 miles from Jim Thorpe to White Haven.

But it does feel like 50+ on your A$$!!!!
My butt is soooo freak'n sore.”

“How long does that ride take? Can it be done on a weeknight?”

“I rode halfway a little past Rockport from Jim Thorpe @ around 13 miles and turned around and rode back. That took me 3.5 hours. If you wanted to make a weekend of it there is Hickory Run State Park Campground nearby that you could stay at and ride another trail the next day.

Jim Thorpe was once rated as one of the best places to bike in the US.

I was going to call you, Pennsy and see if you had a Mtn. Bike..I thought you did...Its probably Titanium with all titanium parts.”

“PA Rails to Trails Info

Rails to Trails Website

Pine Creek Trail through the Grand Canyon of PA”

“Shadetree - I need to adjust the left pedal (or cleat) because I have to swing my heel out a ways before it releases, but the right comes out real easy. I'm sure the left one will when I get around to adjusting it. I don't do the crazy trails like I used to so I'm not too worried.

I'd suggest taking your bike into your local shop and test drive different pedals to see for yourself.

Fritz - is that a typo? Midnight to 6am? I didn't know you were nocturnal. July 20th I'll be coming home from Maine and then there are 2 Adirondack trips in August. We can play it by ear I guess.

A - oh yeah.... it's 50+ miles out and back, not one way. DOH!! Fritz, it's dead flat and an easy ride, but I don't know about a weekenight. By the time I got up from work and then did the car shuttling, there would not be much daylight left.

Jim Thorpe has some awesome trails, from the very easy Gorge Trail to some very gnarly single track trails. We used to go up there often. And NO, I got nothing Ti or carbon on my current bike. I am strictly recreational now and Ti would only tempt me to go back into racing. I'm done with ER vists.”

“Yeah...I thought of you, Pennsy when I saw all the waterfalls in full force...the Lehigh was really moving too. I have never seen it that high!

My bike is an old-school GT Karakoram, was one of the top 10 bikes over 10 years ago. Heavy and as strong as a tank!”

“I used to race when I was a teenager... was actually at 2 of the Norba Point Series Races...”

“Pennsy - no typo. Adventure race training. Nighttime navigation and sleep deprivation. :)”

“You're a sick pup Fritz.

They do white water rafting in the Lehigh Gorge, and it looks wild when it's calm. I can't imagine how it's been lately.

Just food for thought but perhaps a ride up there this Sunday? We can spend the day bragging about our old racing exploits.”

“If we make it an early day this Sunday it may be possible.....”

“Speaking of waterfalls, do any of you guys swim in the pools?
Gulf Hagas
You might have to register to read the article, but it's free.”

“DeathMarch99 - You're probably right. The rim was a cheap Weinman and had lived a tough life. It was past it's prime, for sure. I just wish it would've died when I could afford to replace it with a really good wheel.”

“Some idiot near here decide to swim a pool on the mid-portion of a large waterfall in higher than normal conditions...well he went over the falls and they couldn't find him.

They found him a week later still stuck in the pool at the bottom caught in the undertoe.”

“I grew up next to a pond that had a dam. On the other side of the dam there was a basin and we weren't allowed over there, for good reason I suppose. However it was too much fun to swim the "current" which is what we called swimming under the undertow so we could stand under the falls created by the dam. If the current wasn't strong enough we'd take boards out of the dam. I guess it was pretty dangerous, but to us it was mostly funny, like when guys would lose their trunks in the current. Or calling people wimps who couldn't make it. =D”

“I knew there was a good reason why I avoid water. ;o)

How early Sunday morning? Maybe Richb will see this thread and join us.

Options:
1) Start at Jim Thorpe and do the complete out and back. (serious butt burner)
2) Start at White Haven and ride south til we feel like turning around.
3) Shuttle cars and do the Gorge 1 way.

Have you hiked up to Onoko Falls? I'd like to do that if there is time later on.”

“Probably the best bet would be to do a shuttle and start at New Haven but, I only have room for one bike in my car so which vehicle would we leave at the end?

What Time works for you?

I just need to back by roughly around 3pm... It shouldn't take us more than 5 hrs to ride the whole trail at a comfortable pace and that's very conservative.

How's 9am work?”

“Hmmm.... this could be tricky now that you mention it. No matter how we shuttle, each of our cars would have to hold both bikes at some time, right? I don't have a bike rack for the Jetta yet. With the seats folded down, I bet there is room for 2.

Oh.. I've never been to the north end of the trail so I don't know where to park. This is starting to sound like a cluster$&^@, eh? ;o)

9 is ok and 5 hours is conservative. Shoot, we could probably walk most of it in that time.”

“I thought this was a backpacking board.”

“Trust me mister born, I do lots of backpacking. Biking is a nice change of pace. At least we're talking about being in the outdoors.”

“that's cool mr. pennsy, maybe our paths will cross one day - on the trail.


you don't wear those tight spandex outfits do you?”

“Chicks dig spandex. Rode 35 miles today in the 95 degree heat. Boy am I tired.”

“North Terminus of the trail is just off of Rt 940....

If you were coming route 80 West you would take the exit for Whote Haven I believe just before the Powerhouse Eatery, its the exit with all the personnel lifts...

We could always just ride 15 miles and 15 miles back....

I don't think my A$$ can handle 52 miles though.....

Or....another option is to go to the state gamelands near my house which we could ride all the way to Camelback....or park at the top of Camelback. That area is also fairly level with a lot of sand and rocks....nothing like the Gorge.”

“North Terminus of the trail is just off of Rt 940....

If you were coming route 80 West you would take the exit for Whote Haven I believe just before the Powerhouse Eatery, its the exit with all the personnel lifts...

We could always just ride 15 miles and 15 miles back....

I don't think my A$$ can handle 52 miles though.....

Or....another option is to go to the state gamelands near my house which we could ride all the way to Camelback....or park at the top of Camelback. That area is also fairly level with a lot of sand and rocks....nothing like the Gorge.”

“I would absolutely join you guys but since I am leaving 3 days later for Sierrapalooza, I don't think my wife would be too thrilled if I went out to play all day Sunday.

But sometime late July through November, I'd love to go ride with you guys.”

“There's a chance I might be able to make this ride. I'm supposed to go flyfishing Sunday with a friend, but it's possible that it won't work out. I'll keep an eye on this thread and see how things evolve as the weekend gets closer.”

“Let's confirm this and say Sunday morning at 9 at the north terminus. I assume there is a sign on 940?

I hope you can make it Rich. Go flyfishing Saturday. Besides, I heard the flies aren't biting this time of year (rim shot).

Fritz, we'll catch ya later on. I think you're gonna have a blast in the Sierras. I'm a bit jealous but in a few weeks I'll be backpacking with Twigeater in Maine for 8 days. Not such a bad thing. :o)”

“Yeah there is sign off of 940...

9am Sunday morning it is!

Maybe I can get a new seat by then.....”

“We are still on for tomorrow morning....right?”

“Yepper.... I'll be there.”

“Alrighty then....”

“If I had a bike I'd go with yas. have fun :) ....I have a honda does that count? even if it means I have to use some serious effort to get it moving? hehehe”

“52 miles in 4.75 hours....

Phew! I'm beat!”

“Hey A - Just think how good that steak will taste later today.

that time included breaks and we were on mountain bikes. With a little effort, I still think we could have caught that grandmother.

Nice ride on a warm pleasnt day. Lots of people were kayaking and rafting in the Lehigh.”

“Please allow me to edit that last post. Twigeater is going to have my head with the grandmother remark.

Can I make a save by saying she was a very fast grandmother?”

“Mmmmm..steaks were good!

My eyes kept closing I was soooo beat after that ride...

Where/When is the next ride?”