Old hobby re-started. Great exercise....

[Bill Cahill]

Actually, it used to be one of my main transportations.
Not any more, but, I think it will help me out with my problems.
A friend recently repaired my bycicle for me, and, slowly, I'm getting back into riding it around the neighborhood for exercise.
When on it, I feel a little younger again. I'm riding it to help lose weight, and, to get my body working better. I think it's starting to work. I rode for 15 min. yesterday. Too dangerous to ride in the heavy traffic anymore. The drivers here are crazy, and, I see alot of road rage.
But, around the neighborhood side streets it's fun, and, I find each day I'm feeling slightly better.
Not as much pain, and, Saturday was only my third ride.

Great for seeing parts of the neighborhood I haven't seen in years.
Bill Cahill

[Dan/Panther]

Bill;
Congratulations, keep it up, before you know it, you'll feel great and will have lost a lot of weight.
D/P

[HobieSport]

Hey Bill, Sorry I didn't respond last night to your kindly PM. By the time I read it my eyes were starting to droop.

So...a bicycle eh? Good for you. Like you, I also don't drive a car. I am able to drive, but this Spring I was looking at my nice truck and realized that I was only mostly using it to drive a mile to the stores. Plus, we have a really good modern local bus system in our county. So after much due consideration, I sold my truck to a buddy and haven't regretted it one iota ever since. Now I just walk to town to do my shopping and other business, and it really is good exercise.

I do have a bike though too. Actually it's a quadracycle. I got a four-wheeler because I'm past middle age and small boned and a two wheeler on our hills and rougher roads is just too easy to get a serious injury like a broken arm. The quadracycle is an interesting beast. It wasn't cheap by any means but it's very well designed and built. The guy who builds them (all by himself, one at a time, all by hand) has designed and built and raced bikes most of his life.

Here's a picture of the beast. This is not my bike but mine is a similar model:

[Bill Cahill]

Well, I don't know how great I'll feel, or, how much weight I'll lose, either.
As I said, the bike used to be one of my main means of transportation. I was pretty fat then, also.
Big difference is I eat much better quality food now, and, less of it.
I used to have to ride the bike to St. Pete Beach to slave at BK.
Also, 34th street south store. St. Pete Beach is  nearly ten miles from me.I had to take busy 54th. ave . south to the bridge, and, go accross that bridge to the beach. I turned right, and, rode another mile to work.
Happily, those days are forever behind me.
Bill Cahill

[HobieSport]

What kind of bike do you have, Bill? My first bike was a big Schwinn, handed down from my older brother, probably a late 50s model, but very basic and nothing fancy. Then my best buddy and I got Stingray bikes. Those were fun. Then anther friend got a ten speed, which we had never heard of before (mid-late 1960s) and although he could outpace us, he couldn't have all the fun we had doing jumps and wheelies and semi-controlled crashes.

In college I sometimes didn't have a car, and used a twelve speed to get to school and work.

I guess what also interests my about this bike thread that you started is the idea of living without a car. I've usually had a car or truck since I was 18, but this year I just realized that I can quite happily do without one in my situation. It's not an "environmental statement" or anything silly like that. I just simply don't need one.

[Bill Cahill]

It's a Japanese 10 speed light  duty  bike I bought 20 years ago.
Had reall steel wheels put on it, though, for durability.
I have lights, and, generator on it, as well as an old front basket, now rusty.
I used to use it to go to work, and, light grocery shopping trips.
Won't be doing any of that any more.....
Just exercise now.
I originally learned to ride as a child on my sisters' Schwinn bike.
My mother didn't like that.
"You're blind! How can you see where you're going?"
Bill Cahill

[foots]

I wish I could ride a bike again but it's way too dangerous here. If you don't die of heatstroke, one of the idiots here will run you over. I'll stick to riding my motorcycle.
Bill, by keeping an eye on how much I eat and when I eat as well as staying busy I've gone from 240 lbs. to 226 lbs. and I feel much better. If you're doing that and riding a bike you should have no problems loosing weight.
Hobie, that quadracycle looks like fun. How either of you can carry on without an automobile astonishes me.

[Bill Cahill]

Never had a car. Can't drive due to vision problems. Though frankly, I honestly believe I'd do alot better than some of the idiots who are licensed.
Bike's been my transportation most of my life. Heck. I rode a bike to, and, from Junior high every day.
Bill Cahill

[McHeath]

My 17 year old rides his bike everywhere, to school, around town, etc.  I ride about once a year, and walk some, but really could do a lot more.  Cars are pretty much the only way to get around here as public transit is weak to none, and everything is a distance, though I could do as the boy does and just ride.  There is a small but hard core group of adult bike riders here that try to rarely use a car for anything. 

[HobieSport]

I'll stick to riding my motorcycle.
Hobie, that quadracycle looks like fun. How either of you can carry on without an automobile astonishes me.

In my case living without a car/truck is new to me, and I can do it because I live near a small but "complete" little town, and all facilities are within a mile from home. I realize this is not the case for many folks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mendocino,_California

In travels in Mexico and Europe in my youth (I hope that doesn't sound like bragging) found I could get anywhere without a car, because of all the public transport. Having a car sometimes was great too, but I really enjoyed the adventures of taking old rickety trains and buses and such to obscure little towns, and traveling like the locals. Or getting on the metro in Paris and being whisked to The Louvre for about a dollar in fifteen minutes.

I did ride various motorcycles (street and dirt bikes) in my 20s, and instead of getting the pedal power quadracycle I could have gotten a nifty new little Honda 50, the modern version of the classic Honda 50 that I had and loved since I was 12 years old. But the quadracycle gives better exercise, is less dangerous, doesn't require licensing and insurance, and although it may make me look like an eco geek/dweeb or something, I just find it healthy good fun for short distances.

[McHeath]

You need to mount a 302 on the handlebars, that will get the locals talking and confuse the tourists.   

[Bill Cahill]

I only have one 302.
How about a 500? 
Bill Cahill

[Bill]

Hobie -

Is that a chain saw in the back seat of your quadracycle? There's gotta be a great story there, and if there isn't one, make one up! I know - the villain in Texas Chain Saw Massacre joins AARP.

Yes, I suppose it goes with the firewood in the trailer - but I like my story better.

Bill

[McHeath]

There's gotta be a great story there, and if there isn't one, make one up! I know - the villain in Texas Chain Saw Massacre joins AARP.

Funny!  Whenever I see a horror movie of some sort, not often, I end up wondering when the villian shops for groceries or does the dishes.  Mundane stuff sure, but a villians gotta eat too, and they need more salt and paprika sooner or later.

Bill, I think the 500 on the handlebars is totally okay as well, but you will need one long extension line cord.

[HobieSport]

Hobie -

Is that a chain saw in the back seat of your quadracycle? There's gotta be a great story there, and if there isn't one, make one up! I know - the villain in Texas Chain Saw Massacre joins AARP.

Yes, I suppose it goes with the firewood in the trailer - but I like my story better.

Bill

I like your sense of humor, Bill, but I'm afraid I may disappoint, because the picture of the quadracycle with chainsaw and wagon that I posted below is not of my bike. It's a pic from the bike builder's website of one of his bikes to show how they can be used for work on rough terrain:

http://www.pedalcoupe.com/

My bike is similar, but I don't pull a wagon, nor carry a chainsaw. And my bike has regular spoke wheels and not the much more expensive alloy wheels on many of the bikes that he builds.

Now, I don't know about mounting a 302 or 500 on it...
But how about a small hand crank siren?

As for joining AARP, I'm 52, so I could, but just haven't seen a good reason to join. I don't travel much or stay in hotels, and don't need auto insurance. I'm afraid if I joined AARP that I'd just get more junk mail.