Downhill ARBR

Actually, downhill alternative recreational biking on

recumbents is quite enjoyable. Not the MTB stuff,

though.

There's a stretch of highway 518 running into Taos, NM

that must be 15-20 miles of mostly downhill through

beautiful forests into high desert. Has any one actually

ridden that route on a bike? It's not part of the Enchanted

Circle route that's reportedly a popular ride.

More generally, what's the best, most scenic, longest,

etc, downhill ride you've done? Thrills and spills hair

raising decent stories, OK, but also tales of beautiful

views and gravity assisted coasting.

Those of us lacking in immediate topographic relief

might enjoy hearing how perseverance or mechanical

assistance pays off when it comes to dissipating the

acquired potential energy. %^)

What comes close for some of us is the turn-around

on an out-and-back ride, going from a 20 MPH headwind

to a 20 MPH tailwind. Still not the same as going

from 9,000 ft to 4,000 feet in a matter of miles...

Jon Meinecke

NGM:

Want more On-Topic ARBR? Don't leave.

Post, post, post, more of what you want to read!

Riding the bike path next to US 1 in the FL Keys is like that in the Winter months. You ride
southwest at 25 mph then turn around and ride back into a 20 or 25 knot headwind. Folks asked why I
rode a 21 speed mountain bike in the totally flat FL Keys. I had to granny gear riding back straight
into a headwind out on the totally exposed old 7 Mile bridge.

--
Bob Siegel in Gainesville FL "Jon Meinecke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Actually, downhill alternative recreational biking on

recumbents is quite enjoyable. Not the MTB stuff,

though.

There's a stretch of highway 518 running into Taos, NM

that must be 15-20 miles of mostly downhill through

beautiful forests into high desert. Has any one actually

ridden that route on a bike? It's not part of the Enchanted

Circle route that's reportedly a popular ride.

More generally, what's the best, most scenic, longest,

etc, downhill ride you've done? Thrills and spills hair

raising decent stories, OK, but also tales of beautiful

views and gravity assisted coasting.

Those of us lacking in immediate topographic relief

might enjoy hearing how perseverance or mechanical

assistance pays off when it comes to dissipating the

acquired potential energy. %^)

What comes close for some of us is the turn-around

on an out-and-back ride, going from a 20 MPH headwind

to a 20 MPH tailwind. Still not the same as going

from 9,000 ft to 4,000 feet in a matter of miles...

Jon Meinecke

NGM:

Want more On-Topic ARBR? Don't leave.

Post, post, post, more of what you want to read!

Bob, it's winter for the rest of us, so that might factor in. Relevance will tick upwards in a
month or two.

Barry

"Robert Siegel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:YHsTb.161174$6y6.3150515@bgtnsc05-
news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Quoted message said:

YMMV ... but I no longer open 90% of the posts on this newsgroup. I read the topic and mark them
read. Very few interesting posts about RECUMBENTS any more.

Bob Siegel in Gainesville FL

"Robert Siegel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

YMMV ... but I no longer open 90% of the posts on this newsgroup. I read the topic and mark them
read. Very few interesting posts about RECUMBENTS any more.

Bob Siegel in Gainesville FL

Maybe Mr. Siegel instead of complaining about the quality of the posts about recumbents could do
some posting of his own so the rest of us would have something interesting to read - instead of just
another complaint to read.

After all, he is is Florida and many of the rest of us are in places like Minnesota - which is not
exactly cycling heaven this time of year. Maybe he could tell us something about the Bike Florida
ride that would be recumbent specific as it is my understanding that there are very many recumbent
cyclists that show up for that ride every spring.

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

"Jon Meinecke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>... [...]

Quoted message said:

Want more On-Topic ARBR? Don't leave.

Post, post, post, more of what you want to read!

Mr. Meinecke and I have occasionally been into it with disagreements on the order of ... it all
depends on what you mean by "is". 😉 But he is surely right in what he says above. Neither I,
Mr. Sherman, nor anybody else is preventing anyone from posting whatever you want to read on
recumbents. No one is here to inform or entertain anyone but ourselves. As Pogo used to say, we
have met the enemy and he is us!

I believe most newsgroups die of terminal boredom and not because there are a few firecrackers going
off from time to time (I am already starting to miss the Jim McNamara-Ed Ginn warfare). It may be
that those of us who are a bit obstreperous are actually contributing quite a bit to the continued
vitality of the newsgroup. At least, that is one way to look at it. 😉

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Many/most of the folks who dump their every thought onto a newsgroup dedicated to recumbent
bikes do it because they have no life. Also, they may not be able to find a live person who will
listen to them.

If the shoe fits ...

--
Bob Siegel in Gainesville FL "Edward Dolan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Jon Meinecke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[...]

Quoted message said:

Want more On-Topic ARBR? Don't leave.

Post, post, post, more of what you want to read!

Mr. Meinecke and I have occasionally been into it with disagreements on the order of ... it all
depends on what you mean by "is". 😉 But he is surely right in what he says above. Neither I,
Mr. Sherman, nor anybody else is preventing anyone from posting whatever you want to read on
recumbents. No one is here to inform or entertain anyone but ourselves. As Pogo used to say,
we have met the enemy and he is us!

I believe most newsgroups die of terminal boredom and not because there are a few firecrackers
going off from time to time (I am already starting to miss the Jim McNamara-Ed Ginn warfare). It
may be that those of us who are a bit obstreperous are actually contributing quite a bit to the
continued vitality of the newsgroup. At least, that is one way to look at it. 😉

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

"Robert Siegel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Many/most of the folks who dump their every thought onto a newsgroup dedicated to recumbent bikes
do it because they have no life. Also, they may not be able to find a live person who will listen
to them.

If the shoe fits ...

Nope, sorry, the shoe does not fit. If I dumped every thought I had in my enormously large brain I
would flood this newsgroup with Dolanthink and there would be no room for the rest of you. And do
not concern yourself with my life, whether I have one or not and whether anyone listens to me or
not. Such thoughts never even enter my head if you must know.

But you obviously do not read my posts because you have never yet given an intelligent riposte to
anything I have ever said. But still you feel you have to say something. Maybe you are the pathetic
creature that you are describing above. That is usually the way it works. We criticize in others
what we know so well in ourselves. But enuf of this psychologizing. It ill becomes me as I like
something I can get my teeth into.

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

PS. I believe the Bike Florida departs from Gainesville this year in another month or so. Instead of
"trying" to criticize me, maybe you could contribute something yourself to this newsgroup about
the ride with a view to recumbent specific information. If you think you can entertain this
newsgroup better than me, then give it a try. I am sitting here by my computer ready to read
what you have to say about something of substance for a change.

"Jon Meinecke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Actually, downhill alternative recreational biking on

recumbents is quite enjoyable. Not the MTB stuff,

though.

Jon,

I hate to admit it as it seems so out of touch, but I live in the mountains and much prefer the
uphills. I ride a trike and take them slow but the scenery is great and I have time to look at it,
and look at it. Downhill is all concentration on the next curve or bump. There is much less time for
enjoyment in accordance with my tastes.

If you ever come to Salt Lake City and want a decent climb, I would suggest Millcreek Canyon. From
the valley floor to the end of the road is about 3400 feet elevation gain. The best part is the
forest and the many curves in the road. It keeps the vista changing and makes for a cooler ride in
the summer. There is some traffic so pick an early weekday morning.

Gary McCarty, Greenspeed GTO, Salt Lake City

[email hidden] (Gary Mc) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Jon Meinecke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Actually, downhill alternative recreational biking on

recumbents is quite enjoyable. Not the MTB stuff,

though.

Jon,

I hate to admit it as it seems so out of touch, but I live in the mountains and much prefer the
uphills. I ride a trike and take them slow but the scenery is great and I have time to look at it,
and look at it. Downhill is all concentration on the next curve or bump. There is much less time
for enjoyment in accordance with my tastes.

If you ever come to Salt Lake City and want a decent climb, I would suggest Millcreek Canyon. From
the valley floor to the end of the road is about 3400 feet elevation gain. The best part is the
forest and the many curves in the road. It keeps the vista changing and makes for a cooler ride in
the summer. There is some traffic so pick an early weekday morning.

Gary McCarty, Greenspeed GTO, Salt Lake City

The Rocky Mountain region of the West is full of uphills. Gary is quite correct about having plenty
of time to take in the scenery as you are chugging uphill. But the secret to going downhill is to
keep your speed down. That way you can also enjoy the scenery and you are less likely to end up in
the hospital or the local morgue.

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Robert:

So post something about recumbents. Frankly, I'm worried there aren't enough posts about pancakes.
Can't get enough of those. I mean, think of what an odd food a pancake is. It's not a cake, and it's
not cereal. Who invented that thing, anyway? Did Jefferson eat pancakes? I'll bet Adams didn't. It's
just not his style.

"Screw 'em. Let 'em eat pancakes." (Attributed to Marie Antionette.)

--
--Scott
"Robert Siegel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

YMMV ... but I no longer open 90% of the posts on this newsgroup. I read
the topic and mark them read. Very few interesting posts about RECUMBENTS
any more.

Bob Siegel in Gainesville FL

Edward Dolan said:

The Rocky Mountain region of the West is full of uphills. Gary is quite correct about having
plenty of time to take in the scenery as you are chugging uphill. But the secret to going downhill
is to keep your speed down. That way you can also enjoy the scenery and you are less likely to end
up in the hospital or the local morgue.

However, the slower a rider descends, the greater the chance of his/her brakes overheating (and
blowing off a tire if the bike has rim brakes).

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Tom Sherman <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Edward Dolan said:

The Rocky Mountain region of the West is full of uphills. Gary is quite correct about having
plenty of time to take in the scenery as you are chugging uphill. But the secret to going
downhill is to keep your speed down. That way you can also enjoy the scenery and you are less
likely to end up in the hospital or the local morgue.

However, the slower a rider descends, the greater the chance of his/her brakes overheating (and
blowing off a tire if the bike has rim brakes).

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities

Mr. Sherman is quite correct about the braking problem going down a really steep mountain pass. Once
coming down the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming I would occasionally have to pull off to the side
of the road because I had grown weary of all the braking I was having to do. Let's face it; it
is as miserable coming down a mountain pass as it is going up a mountain pass. Screw it! I much
prefer to do my cycling on the flats. In my most humble opinion anyone who enjoys cycling in the
mountains is just plain crazy! Thus spake Zarathustra!

Ed Dolan - Minnesota

Robert:

This is clearly off topic. Take it too the downhill group!

--
--Scott
"Robert Siegel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

YMMV ... but I no longer open 90% of the posts on this newsgroup. I read
the topic and mark them read. Very few interesting posts about RECUMBENTS
any more.

Bob Siegel in Gainesville FL