[Drew]

Originally Posted by giannifive

If you ever get back into it you could hit the Middlesex Fells. It's only a 30 minute bike ride from where you are, and has some decent riding. PM me if you want directions.

So Jon and I went riding with two friends of mine today - turns out Middlesex Fells is probably closer to 15 minutes from where I live - 15 from Jon's place, actualy, and we're pretty close.

It felt great to be out there again riding, but holy shit this was the first time I'd ridden dirt since getting glasses, and I figured I wouldn't need them so I left them in my car back at Jon's place. Huuuuuuuuuuge mistake - I couldn't see rocks coming at me until they were like 5 feet away from the front of my tire. I damn near killed myself time and time again.

Add into this the fact that I switched to clipless (Speedplay Frogs, those things kick ass) right before I moved to providence, where I basically stopped riding, and it was sort of a recipe for disaster.

It was actually kind of a good experience for me, I think, in that after 20 minutes I just had to bite the bullet and let myself trust the bike to carry me through anything I threw it at. Aside from the final descent where I hit a rock I didn't see and the bike jumped sideways on me, and then kicked out when I corrected and then somehow remained upright and rode it out things went pretty smoothly, and honestly that probably had more to do with the fact I was dead tired by that point, and just getting sloppy.

It was a fucking blast to be out riding again, though.

[The Dark Wolf]

Contact lenses, FTW!

Clipless and mountain bikes... Ok for road riding (I used to be huge into both mountain biking and road riding), but I'd avoid them for rough terrain. Too risky.

[Drew]

Nah, it's not that bad, Bob. Clipless MTB pedals are designed to let go pretty quickly - mine have about 15 degrees of float, as I recall, and if I kick my heel slightly farther off to the side then that then they disengage. It's pretty intuitive, and honestly I've gotten OUT of more potentially hairy situations by having my feet clipped in (via clipless pedals or toeclips) to the bike than free.

Contact lenses aren't a go because it still bothers my eyes to look at things close to me with my glasses on - you can't exactly pop out your contacts every time you want to dig through a bin of CD's, you know?

[The Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by Drew

Nah, it's not that bad, Bob. Clipless MTB pedals are designed to let go pretty quickly - mine have about 15 degrees of float, as I recall, and if I kick my heel slightly farther off to the side then that then they disengage. It's pretty intuitive, and honestly I've gotten OUT of more potentially hairy situations by having my feet clipped in (via clipless pedals or toeclips) to the bike than free.

Have to take your word on that, D. But it seems scary to me.

Originally Posted by Drew

Contact lenses aren't a go because it still bothers my eyes to look at things close to me with my glasses on - you can't exactly pop out your contacts every time you want to dig through a bin of CD's, you know?

Huh? Dude, I wear lenses, at look at stuff up close...

I don't get that. Do you think people with contatcs can't look at stuff close up? The contacts sort of are made to compensate.

[Drew]

No, it's something about the way my eyes are off - it's physically uncomfortably for me to look at things close to me with my glasses on. I don't get it, but I suspect it's because my eyes aren't THAT far off just yet, so when I look at something I don't need the glasses for, I have to strain my eyes a bit.

[The Dark Wolf]

Originally Posted by Drew

No, it's something about the way my eyes are off - it's physically uncomfortably for me to look at things close to me with my glasses on. I don't get it, but I suspect it's because my eyes aren't THAT far off just yet, so when I look at something I don't need the glasses for, I have to strain my eyes a bit.

Well, did you at least consult with an opthemologist? I hate wearing my glasses, and it's ort fo similar for me, but with contacts, nada.

[Universe74]

Originally Posted by The Dark Wolf

Contact lenses, FTW!

Clipless and mountain bikes... Ok for road riding (I used to be huge into both mountain biking and road riding), but I'd avoid them for rough terrain. Too risky.

Yes too risky!

[Mark. A]

I ride more BXM than I do Mountain biking because I prefer riding BMX's in Skateparks. I love doing half pipes and bowls etc.



That's my current mountain bike, very smooth.

For BMX I ride an Se Racing bike, three piece tubular cranks and stuff. Die for a service though :P

I'm gonna get some pics of me at the skatepark for ya'll

[Town Drunk]

Wow, I realy need to start checking out the other sections of the site. I ride a schwinn S20 but last season I got into road riding, and now im looking for a Klein road bike.

[Drew]

Originally Posted by Universe74

Yes too risky!

That's because I'm more of an XC rider while you're more of a, what do that call that these days, freeride sort of guy?