September rides, bringing in the fall.

[north woods gal]

Yes, I agree on the All City geometry. Their bikes are very traditional in their geometry. The Log Lady, for instance has XC MTN geometry for a fast ride with relatively steep head tube and seat tube angles, instead of the slack head tube and seat tube trail geometry that is so popular on trail bikes, now. That popular slack trail geometry is legit for handling obstacles in the trail, better, but since I'm no longer climbing boulders or log hopping, I don't really need it. XC MTB geometry is fast and very nimble and fun to ride for trails. Just need to keep off the trick stuff and keep both wheels firmly planted in the dirt. Happy to report that I still love trail riding without doing any of the trick stuff. My accident cured me of that for good.

Going to do some trail work, today, to clear leaves and trail litter. This is a safety thing for riding my standard MTB bikes like the Log lady with its 2.25" tires. Not needed so much for the fat bikes, but still a good idea for them, too.

As much as I am enjoying the trail riding, though, I'm still doing more road riding and enjoying it, more. Will even be doing more road riding this winter, than trail riding. Not going to kill myself to groom and keep my trails open with the snow. That nearly wiped me out, last winter. Will let the county plow the snow off our roads, first, then I'll be riding them with the fat bikes.

[emily_in_nc]

Sounds like good plans for future riding, nwg. Glad you are still enjoying trail riding in a safer way since your accident. And road riding as well! It's nice to have a variety of different kinds of rides, I think, as it keeps things fresh.

Congrats on the bike trade. I have never known anyone to have or trade more bikes than you. What fun, though! I am kinda stodgy and keep my bikes forever these days (used to trade them much more frequently), but that's one reason I am excited about the possibilities in Mexico, since I'll surely end up with some kind of new bike, whatever it ends up being. I am really attracted to the idea of a recumbent these days, to see if it helps the pain I have from my roadie in my lower back on the right side - this is where I fractured my pelvis back in 2005, and it still gives me problems in a roadie position. More upright is better, but harder to do longer rides really upright since so much weight is on the saddle area. Plus, since I have fallen a few times, I like the idea of being closer to the ground. I would really like a recumbent trike, I think. I know they are slow on hills, but we will be in a flat area...unfortunately, there is wind, which is like a virtual hill. So, we'll see. I don't even know if they sell recumbents there or if we'll find roads where we can do longer rides, so we may end up with beach cruisers. I'll certainly keep y'all updated!

My last ride on the West Orange Trail today was pretty good. It had rained cats and dogs last night, so the trail was very wet, with lots of tree debris down. The day was nice, though hot and humid, of course, but with the brilliant blue sky, and believe it or not, a slight amount of fall color here and there, it was still a very pleasant ride. Hard to believe I may never ride this trail that I've ridden 100s of times over the past few years again -- but never say never. I've learned that!

[Crankin]

Excited to hear about your plans, Emily. My first real international trip was to Merida, when I was a senior in high school. I loved that city and now I realize it was more like Spain, than other parts of Mexico.
We are having a good visit with my som amd family. They are dealing with a bit of hassle with buying their house in Fayetville, with just a little damage from Florence. We will not see them or the new baby, until later December, when they visit in Philadelphia with her family, so we will go down there. The baby is due in the beginning of November, then they will move.

[north woods gal]

Emily, I've considered going recumbent a time or two, myself, and I have done test rides on a two wheel version and enjoyed it. This was back when my riding was almost exclusively on a drop bar road bike and I was developing a pinched nerve in my back from riding in the same position, hour after hour. Had a friend that rode a recumbent and he swore by it. I could usually beat him up hills, but he would usually beat me down the hills. On the level sections, it was a draw. Those things are a lot faster than they look when you ride side by side with one.

The only reason I didn't go recumbent was that I was living in Chicago, at the time, with its horrible traffic. Just couldn't bring myself to get down that low and lose visibility, though I probably could have adapted. For me the cure for the pinched nerve was to switch to a standard 26" MTB in a more upright position, but, yeah, it was slower. A recumbent would not work for my trail riding, but I am keeping it as an option for my road riding if my back starts to act up, again. After all, the idea is to keep riding and any type of bike that keeps us riding is a good thing. Recumbents are pricey, though, since most recumbents are made by small shop operations, especially the trike versions. The trike versions, though, could make great utility bikes for hauling stuff. Hope you find one that works for you.

Crankin, glad you got to see you're having a good visit with family. My two sisters-in-law just left from a visit with us, up here, and hated to see them go.They really are sisters to me, not sisters-in-law.

Miserable day, yesterday, as far as the weather and riding. Headed out three times after the rain stopped, only to have to head right back indoors due to sudden, quick, heavy downpours. Made 5 miles out of three attempts and called it good. Hate to say it, but it did prompt me to put the comfort bike back on the trainer, though I still couldn't bring myself to ride it. That'll be coming soon, enough, and, yes, I will break down and ride, indoors, if need be, this winter. Not going to beat myself up like I did last winter. Maybe that knock to my head knocked some sense into me.

P.S. Seeing a lot of birds migrating though our area, now, so fall is definitely, here. Trees are turning color and got below freezing, last night. Good-by to summer. It will be mossed.

[Crankin]

The climate here is killing me! Really, how anyone can be outdoors in 80-85 degrees and 90% humidity is beyond me. Woke up with a sore throat I know is from the weather and I did not walk today. We went to Calloway Gardens, so some slow walking for about 1.5 miles. Great butterfly house, the birds of prey show, eh. Getting ready for an early dinner a fairly nice place right across the street. Hope my granddaughter does ok. Anyway, we are going to go to the Atlanta zoo tomorrow, so more heat and walking. Our flight doesn’t leave until 7 pm, so it will be a full day.
I am very glad we came, but I can’t wait to get back to fall!

[emily_in_nc]

The climate here is killing me! Really, how anyone can be outdoors in 80-85 degrees and 90% humidity is beyond me. Woke up with a sore throat I know is from the weather and I did not walk today. We went to Calloway Gardens, so some slow walking for about 1.5 miles. Great butterfly house, the birds of prey show, eh. Getting ready for an early dinner a fairly nice place right across the street. Hope my granddaughter does ok. Anyway, we are going to go to the Atlanta zoo tomorrow, so more heat and walking. Our flight doesn’t leave until 7 pm, so it will be a full day.
I am very glad we came, but I can’t wait to get back to fall!

LOL...what is fall? After nearly 14 months in Florida, I've gotten used to the heat and humidity, but it does get to be draining, I will certainly admit that. We try to get everything done in the morning and stay inside in the A/C in the afternoons. Then we venture out again to walk our dog after dinner. I am looking forward to a taste of fall when we visit NC next month, but I know I'm going to be a real wimp -- haven't experienced temps below 70 in months and months.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, I've considered going recumbent a time or two, myself, and I have done test rides on a two wheel version and enjoyed it. This was back when my riding was almost exclusively on a drop bar road bike and I was developing a pinched nerve in my back from riding in the same position, hour after hour. Had a friend that rode a recumbent and he swore by it. I could usually beat him up hills, but he would usually beat me down the hills. On the level sections, it was a draw. Those things are a lot faster than they look when you ride side by side with one.

Yeah, I've actually owned a recumbent before, many years ago, a heavy long-wheelbase one, which was killer to ride up the hills in NC (though screaming fast downhill). It wasn't suitable for riding with a bike club because of that characteristic, which we were doing a lot of in those years, so I traded it in. This was long before I fractured my pelvis, I just thought having a recumbent would be fun -- and it was, in some ways. Like you say, there are pros and cons for sure -- cost, storage and transportability, visibility, and certainly availability in a place like Mexico. Chances are, it won't end up happening anyway, but it's something I keep thinking of. It may be another 10 years before I pull the trigger on one -- and who knows where we'll be then!

[north woods gal]

Crankin, I do get it about that heat and humidity. Check my posts about our recent Florida visit back over labor Day week. You really, really have to go slow and give yourself time to acclimate to that heat. It can be a killer - literally - for us northerners who push too hard. My first ride, this year, was a whopping 6 miles and it wiped me out. By the end of the week, though, I could manage 20 miles, but ONLY if I drank water, a lot of water. As Emily says, everyone did the outdoor thing early in the morning, down there.

Have to say, though, that I wouldn't complain if we had some of that heat up here, today. Highs in the 40s at ride time. We actually cut our ride short because we didn't dress, right. Hubby had no gloves and was very uncomfortable. Called it quits after only a couple miles, then I spent the rest of the day doing trail work, removing rocks, debris, roots and anything that could trip up a standard MTB. Three hours of that and I was really pooped.

[Crankin]

I did live in FL for almost 5 yrs, so I know how you can acclimate. My DIL said she doesn’t go out after 11 am, but I give her a pass, since she is 8 months pregnant. Fayetteville won’t be any better, so we will plan our visits accordingly. She goes to see her family a lot, in Philly, and it is easier for us to just drive there to visit. I guess what I like about New England is that the weather is so changeable. Even the winter cold has varaiations, and it is not as long of a winter as in the Midwest. The months of relentless heat is what I hated about AZ, too. Same every day.
My sore throat is gone, now just a head cold, but I am not sneezing or achy.

[emily_in_nc]

Excited to hear about your plans, Emily. My first real international trip was to Merida, when I was a senior in high school. I loved that city and now I realize it was more like Spain, than other parts of Mexico.
We are having a good visit with my som amd family. They are dealing with a bit of hassle with buying their house in Fayetville, with just a little damage from Florence. We will not see them or the new baby, until later December, when they visit in Philadelphia with her family, so we will go down there. The baby is due in the beginning of November, then they will move.

I haven't been to Spain, but I can imagine that. Merida is a very international city, quite cultured and upscale, with some lovely restaurants and many cultural events. Lots of expats from the US, Canada, and beyond are choosing it as a place to settle, because it is quite safe and the cost of living is so much less than where they are from. It's very hot, though, being inland, and there's little green space, which led us to choose living much closer to the beach, at least for now. A large part of that is because the Airbnb house we found has a private, fully walled courtyard with grass, packed sand, foliage, and shade trees, perfect for our dog. Many of the houses in Merida have courtyards, but they are usually concrete ground only, not good for a dog to do her business, so we'd have to walk her on the hot sidewalks. With her heart condition, that wouldn't be ideal. However, once it's just the two of us, I can see the possibility of moving to Merida since there is a lot more going on there and better shopping, restaurants, etc.

Glad you're enjoying your family visit!