AD-SLE

Well, I just moved over Thankgiving from Memphis to NH....ah...slight weather change! Oh, yeah, there are hills! Real hills!!

So...got fat after 4 months of hotels, commute, relo etc and I'm trying to get back on the bike. Any kick in the a$$ welcome. But things are different here and you need a bike with gears...that work when you want them.

I have been avoiding buying a new ride because in Memphis it mattered most who was pumping, not whether you had a 9 or 10 speed cassette. I had 6...on a borrowed wheel after I wore out my old Normandy high flange. Yeah, guys could not believe how I could keep up but when you commute 20 miles a day...every day....you get some legs and lungs! Those are now gone ...except the fact I have a bunch of worn out, old technology bikes.

So, my shed of old bikes. AD-SLE designed for 27s but I have made 700s works and I spread the rear to fit a wider 7 spd hub....for the wheels that I had to return. Solution 1, buy a new set of wheels and live on a down tube shifting bike, put on fenders and stop whinning.

I also have an old Waterloo era Trek with a triple but the guy who gave/loaned it to me threw away the FD...and three speed FD that work with a 52 chainring was not in my junk box. At least it affords me a triple which seems like an option....if you don't have a modern compact crank.

Lastly....just go buy a new bike! But, I have not ridden around here and I doubt I know what I need yet.

Or...spin classes....but that requires joining a club? I believe the best local store is Revolution Cyclery in Concord. Any other places?

Sorry for the newbie questions and a tad of whining. I'll get back on, I just don't want to wait until spring. Back when I was in great shape I had dreams of doing the Mt. Washington ride on our tandem. My wife is always ready, it is me who has atrophied.

Look forward to some Southern New Hampshire wisdom!

TIA!

Lecterman

Welcome, I am not in Southern NH, rather western, right on the Vermont border.

But I am a recent transplant also. I moved from Texas. Hopefully we'll get through this cold weather and these real hills

bigchris603

lecterman where exactly are you living now? Are you close to Keene?

Lecterman

I am in Lebanon

Bikenstein

Merrimack, NH

Any of you happen to be one of the two other commuters I regularly see cruising the oposite way down Continental Blvd?

Ritehsedad

Beautiful day today...65 degrees. Rode down to Rye Beach.

tjc1965

Welcome to New Hampshire!

When you get on the road this spring, (or today , as it was 70 degrees) keep in mind that a lot of NH residents used to be Massachusetts residents, and they brought their crappy road manners with them...

Try Goodales, they have shops in Nashua and Hooksett, and I think spin classes in both

Tom

AD-SLE

Hummm. Well, I finished 5 years in Plano. Can't decide if the hills bite more than the Texas wind and heat. But you got to love yesterday. I put some fenders on the old vintage Trek 500 and rode to Concord. 38 miles....at the end....I resorted to my 28 tooth granny gear and 28 tooth sprocket.....but I got up the hill! Legs were toast! But I rode!

Lecterman

Ah so you're from Texas too (at least before Memphis). I was in TN before TX (grew up in Nashville). I started riding in TX so the hills are new to me too. I used to complain about the lack of hills in TX. Welp, I got what I wished for.

blonduathlongrl

yeah that was LAST week! miss it allready! now it's what 30 something and icing rain everywhere!
I hate winter! grrrrrr

Ritehsedad

Historically the coldest week of the winter is the last week in January. We're almost there and then it won't be long until spring!

garysol1 

Hope your having fun there!!! It is a balmy 28 here as I type this. I will try to ride tomorrow (high of 39) The wife says no way to the Tandem till spring though. Matter of fact the tandem is in Felty's garage....trying to bait the hook

AD-SLE

Gary...good to hear from you. Well, got up this morning and it was 2F. After some oatmeal and chit chat with the better half, it was 1F when I went out the door. Got to work, Concord, it was 5F. Lunch, it was 8F. Now it is 9F so we have a warming trend!! YEA!

I just shipped Felty's wheels back to him...packers packed everything before I got home.

NH gang. Well, this Memphis boy got on the bike again last Sat 13th and rode down to the LBS on Sheep Davis Rd. Then back. Working out the options for commuting to work. Not too bad Sat but the temp dropped quickly.

Sun, I got crazy after the snow/ice/sleet and jumped on the bike and headed over to another LBS in Hillsboro. Snow/Ice/Rain....as I was riding along I was wondering how crazy I was. Then, I got a flat, and I KNEW I was crazed. 15 minutes of finger numbing cold and fighting with new rubber, I got the new tube in and headed home. UGH! I would take 5 flats in the heat vs. 1 in 29F sleet! I think! Actually, heat exhaustion and changing flats is no fun either!

Ride warm!

bmike

Used to be in Putney, now I'm in Burlington.
Check in with the crew from West Hill Shop in Putney. They know most of the trails in your neigborhood.

Ritehsedad

I rode to work yesterday (York Me to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard). I can handle the cold, but the wind kicked my butt.

blonduathlongrl

gesh, you're tough! it was FREEZING yesterday!

mikewhite314

Ayer, MA. Anyone else ride the Nashua River Rail Trail? I know it's nothing special but it's right it my backyard (literally).

Wil Davis

I use it as a shortcut to get from Nashua down to Ayer & beyond. It's a nice, flat, pretty 12.7 mile ride, and during the week when there's not much traffic, can be ridden in around 40 mins without too much effort. Weekends are a different story though. I've worked out many rides in the area ranging from 20 to 100 miles, and the NRBT is useful to connect bits of them together without covering the same ground twice.

- Wil

AndreaM1307

hey all! I'm a newbie originally interested in just doing a triathlon but my friend is doing the cycle across the country challenge to raise money for habitat for humanity...i can't do it but i was wondering if anyone knew about about one-week cycling charity opportunities in the area in the summer time?

Thanks!
*A

finnegan

Andrea - check out the Trek Across Maine if you want to start with a 3-dayer...

TheSlav

Does anyone know of a good website that lists charity rides in New England? I've been looking around and most of the stuff I find is from a few years ago and doesnt look up to date.

or does anyone have other suggestions of fun charity rides theyve done in the past? The Trek Across Maine looks cool but I think I'm looking for something with a little less overhead for starters...I'd like to start with one day rides that are easier to plan/organize for.

ScottJoy

Seacoast NH!

blonduathlongrl

funny, seacoast NH here too, maybe Ive crossed path with you while biking

alexcf

Yep, I've ridden that trail many, many times. It's nothing special, but if I'm in the mood to go in a perfectly straight line, there it is.

I'm on the Nashua end. I've read that there are plans to keep extending it on our end. I don't know how far they can go before they run out of usable land.

BarryJo

Hi - I'm in Fitchburg, the city itself isn't that great, but what is great is within 10 minutes I am out of the city and experiencing some of what I think are the best rides in the area. There are too many to list, Westminster to Mt Wachusett is one of my favs (when is Mile Hill Rd going to get easy) - there's also a lot of good rides over 119 into Rindge, Jaffery, Keene. This year I'm hoping to do the 60 miles to Brattleboro with McNeill's brewery my final destination.....
It would be great to hook up with others in the area for rides, either around central Mass or the Pioneer Valley - I tend to average about 17mph, but I'm hoping to improve with a new bike this year.
JohnB