Warning: Haiwatha Bike Trail, Montana

[Ed Pirrero]

troutboy wrote:
> G.T. wrote:
> > This is alt.mountain-bike, not alt.rails-to-trails-bike, nor
> > alt.paved-bike-path-bike. I mean, really. You wanna ride gravel roads
> > or paved bike paths go hang out in rec.bicycles.soc. Don't bore us here.
> >
> > Greg
>
> Donning asbestos suit myself...
>
> Quite true. But geesh folks, it was the guys first post. Surely it
> did not require someone reaming him a new a**hole to let him know most
> people would really not be interested in hearing about some rail-trail
> info.
>
> From my perspective Ed seems like a reasonable guy who likes to bike
> with his family and they don't happen to enjoy technical (or even easy)
> singletrack yet.

Actually, that's not quite true. I love to ride N.Idaho singletrack
that is narrow, full of roots, rocks and switchbacks, and has plenty of
exposure. But that would scare my wife, who is not a fan of heights,
and whose skill with a bike is not up to singletrack. Yet. Nor can
either of my kids do those sorts of things. Yet.

I doubt that ANY MTBer started riding bikes (any kind of bikes) on
technical singletrack. And I doubt seriously that anybody here had a
first ride that contained Ponderosa pine cone-filled trail descent that
was like trying to ride on big ball bearings.

I'll bet that Greg and Pete both first rode bikes with training wheels
on the sidewalk. Moved from there to riding bikes on the road, then
moved to off-road riding. Just like most folks. Well, a step away
from the neighborhood into the mountains might be a rail-to-trails
route, or a decent logging road. (some of the logging roads around
here would kick a flatlander's ass.) Dropping a newbie - or a scaredy
bike rider, or a kid) onto sweet singletrack is a dumb thing to do if
they aren't up to it. Especially if you would really like them to get
to enjoy MTBing. Real MTBing.

The HW is nice, scenic ride that is no-stress and family-friendly. I
don't think the trail is quite good enough for road bikes, but cross
bikes would do OK.

And for the folks who can't stand the mention of non-technical MTBing
in a.m-b - try and grasp the meaning of "alt" in alt.mountain-bike.

E.P.

 

[c308682]

Agree. We have a bike rack but wouldn't fit in luggage we took on the
plane.


small change wrote:
> "c308682" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > The Haiwatha Bike Trail at the Idaho/Montana border is safe and fun for
> > the whole family.
> >
> > Suggest you bring your own equipment, or at least bring your own bike
> > racks.
> >
> > Many of the racks available for rental at Lookout Pass are in poor
> > shape and cannot be mounted **firmly** on the trunk, i.e. before the
> > bikes are loaded the rack 'floats'. Since you have a few miles of
> > interstate and then a three miles of dirt road to drive, you want a
> > good firm rack to hold the bikes.
> >
> > Rent a bike and rack before you go down there.
> >
> > Bring a camera and enjoy the ride.
>
> Did you happen break your sunglasses on the trail?
>
> Um, not sure why you are posting this here. I would venture that all the
> posters on amb already own both mountain bikes and racks, and would not be
> renting. Also, we'd be more likely to hit the singletrack on the CDA river
> or the downhill at Silver over a graveled railroad grade. Though, the
> tunnels and trestles are kind of cool and have some scenic and interest
> value.

 

[c308682]

1. I always appreciate tips from people that have been somewhere that I
haven't. Might be why these are called Discussion Boards. Since I had
to come up with a rack after I got off the plane, I kinda hoped the
rental rack would be decent enough that they didn't float and bounce
while carrying the bikes.

2. Thanks to your pissy approach, it looks like alt.mountain-bike is
now a wider defined group than just your single track.

3. How did you come up with the handle "small change" ?

small change wrote:
> "c308682" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > The Haiwatha Bike Trail at the Idaho/Montana border is safe and fun for
> > the whole family.
> >
> > Suggest you bring your own equipment, or at least bring your own bike
> > racks.
> >
> > Many of the racks available for rental at Lookout Pass are in poor
> > shape and cannot be mounted **firmly** on the trunk, i.e. before the
> > bikes are loaded the rack 'floats'. Since you have a few miles of
> > interstate and then a three miles of dirt road to drive, you want a
> > good firm rack to hold the bikes.
> >
> > Rent a bike and rack before you go down there.
> >
> > Bring a camera and enjoy the ride.
>
> Did you happen break your sunglasses on the trail?
>
> Um, not sure why you are posting this here. I would venture that all the
> posters on amb already own both mountain bikes and racks, and would not be
> renting. Also, we'd be more likely to hit the singletrack on the CDA river
> or the downhill at Silver over a graveled railroad grade. Though, the
> tunnels and trestles are kind of cool and have some scenic and interest
> value.

 

[c308682]

small change wrote:

>
> Did you happen break your sunglasses on the trail?
>
> Um, not sure why you are posting this here. I would venture that all the
> posters on amb already own both mountain bikes and racks, and would not be
> renting. Also, we'd be more likely to hit the singletrack on the CDA river

1. I always appreciate tips from people that have been somewhere that I
haven't. Might be why these are called Discussion Boards. Since I had
to come up with a rack after I got off the plane, I kinda hoped the
rental rack would be decent enough that they didn't float and bounce
while carrying the bikes.

2. Thanks to your pissy approach, it looks like alt.mountain-bike is
now a wider defined group than just your single track.

3. How did you come up with the handle "small change" ?

 

[pete fagerlin]

c308682 wrote:
> small change wrote:

> 3. How did you come up with the handle "small change" ?

It's from the famous Hungarian Buddhist poem.
Duh.

 

[small change]

"c308682" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> small change wrote:
>
>>
>> Did you happen break your sunglasses on the trail?
>>
>> Um, not sure why you are posting this here. I would venture that all the
>> posters on amb already own both mountain bikes and racks, and would not
>> be
>> renting. Also, we'd be more likely to hit the singletrack on the CDA
>> river
>
> 1. I always appreciate tips from people that have been somewhere that I
> haven't. Might be why these are called Discussion Boards. Since I had
> to come up with a rack after I got off the plane, I kinda hoped the
> rental rack would be decent enough that they didn't float and bounce
> while carrying the bikes.
>
> 2. Thanks to your pissy approach, it looks like alt.mountain-bike is
> now a wider defined group than just your single track.
>
> 3. How did you come up with the handle "small change" ?
>

I've been appropriately spanked for not considering that some people might
come into town and rent racks for their bikes, and appropriately spanked
for being narrow minded about mountain biking. How long is this going to go
on?

 

[Bill Sornson]

small change wrote:
> I've been appropriately spanked for not considering that some people
> might come into town and rent racks for their bikes, and
> appropriately spanked for being narrow minded about mountain biking.
> How long is this going to go on?

Don't they have newsgroups for that sort of thing?

Bill "hears stuff" S.

 

[GeeDubb]

"small change"

> I've been appropriately spanked for not considering that some people might
> come into town and rent racks for their bikes, and appropriately spanked
> for being narrow minded about mountain biking. How long is this going to
> go on?
>

I didn't know that about you...................

Gutter er I mean Gary