Zombie Sch Topic: all-terrain, 2-wheeled transport

[fenster]

... the non fossil-fuel variant. yes, I'm talking about the bicycle. specifically the mountain bike. with a disruption of the fuel delivery infrastructure, the virtues of the lowly bike will be numerous. needing to get somewhere while avoiding roads, will likely point you to a mountain bike. ...or solar electric motocross. but for my present budget, it's the mountain bike.

I haven't had as much time in the dirt as I usually like, but I got in a fantastic ride during today's perfect weather. this got me to wondering if there were interested ZS members who might have an interest in learning MTB, but don't have a knowledgeable buddy/relative/co-worker to help them get started properly.

or there may also be experienced riders among the austin ZS crew who want to ride with other ZSers, just for a change of pace.

if you are now in Group A. total beginner. wants to ride. don't know where to start. I'm volunteering to help you get started. I can help with:

buying a properly-fitting bike, and perhaps saving some $$ on said bike (craigslist bike selection) if your budget requires it.

general advice on other gear you should have. helmet, clothing, shoes, water, tools, etc. one caveat: I tend to wear my gear til it falls to pieces. I also tend to pick my gear fairly carefully. result: I haven't shopped for gear in a while, so I'm not exactly up to speed on the latest/greatest, if that is where your interest is.

if you already have a trail-worthy bike, and a helmet, I'm up to host a meetup at the trails (walnut creek park) and help out with some basic skills. ie getting up a hill in the right gear, getting down a hill without going over the bars, taking corners while keeping the knobby-side down. that kind of thing. hopefully we can minimize the amount of blood you donate to the trail. I know of good, beginner-friendly routes we can take.

if you're in Group B, I'm up to ride, and will probably make you look good as you wait for me at the top of this hill or that hill. I live near walnut creek, so that would be my preference for location.

another perk to a ZS mtn biking meetup: low overhead. with the long daylight, we can meet at 6 and have plenty of light to ride in. shouldn't be too hard to find a timeslot we can work with. ...or for the adventurous, there's night-riding. but that's whole other subject.

IMPORTANT: if I'm leading a ride, all participants must wear a helmet. I have no wiggle-room on this topic.

any takers? remember, Rule #1: Cardio

what are my bona-fides? I'm a competent, intermediate-level rider. decent bike handling skills. kinda slow up the hills (may be related to the bit of extra around my middle). been riding a loonngg time.
this is me finishing a loop at Slickrock in Moab,UT. ...encrusted in salt, and just at the hurl/passout threshold:

[Helix67]

It's funny you posted on this topic. I have been wanting to find out more about the bike trails nearby. Just this past week, I took the bike to Lake Georgetown for a ride. It was harder and more technical in parts than I thought it would be. I would categorize myself as a beginner with a bike to match. So I would be in for a bike meetup and a little school'n on the ins and out of the sport. I will PM you with my number.

[Spamity Calamity]

This is great!!! Thanks for stepping up to the plate Fenster and putting yourself out there. This is what I'm talking about with Zombie School!

[hdandb]

I love to ride and am down for a beginner ride if one comes about. Here is the issue, I'm a single speed 24" cruiser rider. I would love to get back in to MTB riding but those things cost so much money now and it is simply not in the budget. BUT, if you guys do a downtown ride around Austin trip I'm in.

I did do 25 miles of the Chicago lake walk thing on the single speed, NEVER again. I'm too old too fat too out of shape for a long ride with that bike.

[fenster]

It's funny you posted on this topic. I have been wanting to find out more about the bike trails nearby. Just this past week, I took the bike to Lake Georgetown for a ride. It was harder and more technical in parts than I thought it would be. I would categorize myself as a beginner with a bike to match. So I would be in for a bike meetup and a little school'n on the ins and out of the sport. I will PM you with my number.

I PMd you back.

[fenster]

I love to ride and am down for a beginner ride if one comes about. Here is the issue, I'm a single speed 24" cruiser rider. I would love to get back in to MTB riding but those things cost so much money now and it is simply not in the budget. BUT, if you guys do a downtown ride around Austin trip I'm in.

I did do 25 miles of the Chicago lake walk thing on the single speed, NEVER again. I'm too old too fat too out of shape for a long ride with that bike.

single speed is hard on the body. I went thru a fixie phase and rolled around town on a homebrew trek fixed gear. that got old kinda fast. in time, and with the magic of craigslist, that fixie transformed itself into an acoustic guitar.

not knowing your budget constraints, it's hard to recommend this or that bike. however, one of the beauties of the mt bike is that old tech still works great. a mtb made in the early 90s from a reputable company will still get you around just fine.
for example:
http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2934283707.html

this is a perfectly serviceable bike. trek makes a good bike. this one is probably 90s vintage. without seeing it in person it's hard to say exactly what it's going to need to bring it back into regular use. from the photograph, I'd say some cleaning and lubrication of the drivetrain and a few drops of oil here and there will likely make it run like new.

[Spamity Calamity]

If yall get together and do some bike riding I must insist on pics!

[zombieapocalypsegame]

My wife is "gearing up" to buy the kids new bikes, and I can go along with that. But I have no idea what to get, and the budget constraints are pretty significant.

If I want a bike that won't disintegrate from a little off-roading, what should I be looking at? I'm 6'5" so I have found I usually need the tallest I can find, with the longest pedal post length I can locate, too. Pretty much everything else is just plain hard to ride.

ZAG

[fenster]

My wife is "gearing up" to buy the kids new bikes, and I can go along with that. But I have no idea what to get, and the budget constraints are pretty significant.

If I want a bike that won't disintegrate from a little off-roading, what should I be looking at? I'm 6'5" so I have found I usually need the tallest I can find, with the longest pedal post length I can locate, too. Pretty much everything else is just plain hard to ride.

ZAG

for a kid's bike, used is the way to go. check the craigslist kids section or bikes section. kids bikes don't get ridden hard. the extent of their abuse is usually getting left outside in the elements, or getting knocked over from their kick-stands. most of their problems can be fixed with new tires (if cracking), patches on the tubes, or oil on the chain.

as for yourself, you will need a size XL frame. this bike looked pretty capable, but I'm not sure what budget you're under
http://austin.craigslist.org/bik/2961399515.html

unfortunately, needing to get an XL frame is definitely going to narrow your choices.

[fenster]

so Helix and I are still trying to get our schedules lined up enough to go ride. however, it's looking unlikely to happen until next week. in the meantime, he can be making sure his equipment is in order. I was going to email him this checklist, but figured I may as well put it here, in case it can be of use to someone else.

mt bike gear checklist
- yourself. you are the engine. this doesn't mean you need to be a super-fit hammerhead when you start. it just means you need to make sure you don't have something going health-wise that may grow into something serious on the trail. also pre-hydrate. drink as much water as you can put down in the couple days before the ride

- your bike. good working order means
-- frame is sized for you. if it's too big and you have to do an emergency bail, that top tube of the frame can hit you in a vulnerable place. you should be able to stand over the bike and have at least a couple inches between yourself and the frame top tube. if sized too small, this is workable, but not optimal for comfort and pedalling efficiency
-- all the controls work and are responsive. it shifts up and down without clacking, grinding, or hesitating. the brakes have sufficient force and can stop you quickly. if you squeeze the brake, and the lever comes all the way back to the grip and just sorta slows you down, that needs to be fixed.

- safety gear
-- must wear a helmet. more money spent on a helmet tends to buy you bigger vents and a bit better cooling, but a budget helmet from a good brand do fine. Bell, Giro, Specialized are good.
-- gloves are good. I sweat a lot, and need them to maintain a decent grip. I also like them because most crashes involve the rider coming down on their hands. the gloves keep the palms of your hands from getting shredded.
-- shorts. any will do really, but if you get biking shorts they have a few perks. they are padded in the right places. they move with you, not against you and help prevent chafing, and they are made of wicking materials.

- other
-- water. must bring it. camelbaks are nice, but a water bottle (2 on a hot day) do fine.
-- spare tube, patch kit, levers to remove the tire and a pump. flats happen. having these items will prevent you from doing the walk of shame back to your vehicle.
-- bike multitool is nice to have so you can adjust this or that out on the trail

[fenster]

at this park, at 6:30:
http://www.austinbike.com/mtb/walnutcreek/index.asp

note that we will be meeting at an alternate trail-head, not the main parking lot. PM me if you want to join, and we can exchange contact info so you don't get left behind.

[snatchel]

I rode with Fenster Saturday...He embarassed me..badly.

I was puking up doughnuts after 1.5 hours. LOL

Oh, and he is dead serious about the headwear. My wife and I didn't have helmets... he wasn't happy about it.