WhoAmI Posted September 10, 2023 Share Posted September 10, 2023 Other than the distance to the trail, what keeps you from riding to the trail? Heat? Cold? (In winter, obviously) Time? Motivation? Fitness? Other commitments like work, spouse, SO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRider3141 Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 Seems silly but tires. Probably overthinking it but my on my "XC" bike I'll ride any number of miles paved, gravel, trail but on my "Trail Bike" I keep it mostly trail. Partially, efficiency and partially the difference in $$ on tires I've spent. Other than that, time. If it takes 20min one way to the trail, that's 40min less time on the trails I get to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoAmI Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 (edited) On 9/10/2023 at 7:31 PM, RedRider3141 said: Seems silly but tires. Probably overthinking it but my on my "XC" bike I'll ride any number of miles paved, gravel, trail but on my "Trail Bike" I keep it mostly trail. Partially, efficiency and partially the difference in $$ on tires I've spent. Other than that, time. If it takes 20min one way to the trail, that's 40min less time on the trails I get to ride. A couple of observations of your valid concerns: First, are you accounting for the time it takes to drive there? I will ride to Walnut Creek for a group ride, and if I take a more scenic route to include some single track and riding that is not road , it takes me just under an hour and I get 10 miles in. If I drive there, it takes me 15 to 20 minutes. I just leave early enough to meet the group for the ride time, so it doesn't cut into my trail ride time. Next, I certainly understand the concern about cost. I chewed through a rear Maxxis tire that was not cheap. However, I add that to my health budget, as I am much fitter and healthier now that I ride to the trail a bit more. Edited September 12, 2023 by WhoAmI 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 (edited) Things that keep me from riding to ride: Heat Monotony I did enjoy the CTX trails a lot more when the weather was in the 50-60s. Edited September 11, 2023 by ATXZJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 I do it on solo rides, less likely to do it for a group ride because a.) there are people depending on a start time and I don't want to be "that guy" because I took too long and b.) if we go somewhere after I don't want to get back on my bike after being off of it for 60-90 minutes. The the first part, yes, I could be really anal retentive and make sure I was there on time but that takes the joy out of the ride there and makes it feel like work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taco Man Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 I either ride the trails in my neighborhood- .1 miles from my house or I drive. Its "possible" to ride to a trail but thats 12 miles to nearest trailhead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CBaron Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 I ebb and flow with regard to riding to the trail(s). I'd say my primary determinant is fitness. Once I get a base of fitness I prolly ride to the ride about 75% of the time. The times where I don't are usually because the trail system is a bit further than the OVERALL time alotment I have for the day. All that said, every place we've lived (or bought a house) in Austin over the passed 25 yrs. we have factored in road & mtn bike routes from home (to the trails or group rides). Its not the #1 factor, but its in the top 5 for sure. Later, CJB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AntonioGG Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 5 hours ago, CBaron said: I ebb and flow with regard to riding to the trail(s). I'd say my primary determinant is fitness. Once I get a base of fitness I prolly ride to the ride about 75% of the time. The times where I don't are usually because the trail system is a bit further than the OVERALL time alotment I have for the day. All that said, every place we've lived (or bought a house) in Austin over the passed 25 yrs. we have factored in road & mtn bike routes from home (to the trails or group rides). Its not the #1 factor, but its in the top 5 for sure. Later, CJB +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurronnicane Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 The vast majority of my rides are Ride to the Ride. That is mostly because I have a personal trail network on a neighbor’s property that is a ten minute ride away. We live west of Dripping Springs and there are no other trail systems that are very rideable from our house, though I have ridden to Pedernales Falls State Park a time or two. One was with my 8-year old daughter towing a BOB trailer for two nights of camping. The other was a training ride for my one and only Enchilada Buffet. As the traffic on our county roads gets busier and busier it feels pretty sketch anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circuitbreaker Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 its mostly time/exhaustion level.. if its' less than 20 minutes, i pretty much always ride to the ride. but if i want to ride to the greenbelt its about an hour each way. that turns a 3 hour ride into a 5 hour ride. and i know i'll be destroyed after, even if i'm in good shape. so i need to plan my day appropriately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssorgs Posted September 13, 2023 Share Posted September 13, 2023 Mostly about time and time of year for me. I live in NW Hills so I'm within 30 min ride from all the trails north of the river along 360. I 'to n fro' whenever I can! Great warm up, doesn't actually take that much longer, always need the miles, and love not driving (even more than I like driving). Started about 10 years ago when training for my first EB (which didn't actually happen till 2016)... And, I'm still not a roadie! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throet Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 On 9/10/2023 at 5:48 PM, WhoAmI said: Other than the distance to the trail, what keeps you from riding to the trail? Heat? Cold? (In winter, obviously) Time? Motivation? Fitness? Other commitments like work, spouse, SO? Cars. Even riding the 1 mi from home to Brushy Creek, I avoid the bike lane on the road, instead opting for the sidewalks. Just don't trust drivers, especially the ones glued to their smartphones. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATXZJ Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 31 minutes ago, throet said: Cars. Even riding the 1 mi from home to Brushy Creek, I avoid the bike lane on the road, instead opting for the sidewalks. Just don't trust drivers, especially the ones glued to their smartphones. 100% this 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sluggo Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 (edited) Riding to ride is easy if you live in South/Southwest Austin. Edited September 14, 2023 by Sluggo 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 3 hours ago, Sluggo said: Riding to ride is easy if you live in South/Southwest Austin. It's a fuck sight harder if you live in Colorado. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 12 hours ago, TAF said: It's a fuck sight harder if you live in Colorado. Especially if you want to ride the GB or SATN! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tip Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 I drive to the ride when I a take the ice chest for post-ride dranking. I drive to the ride a lot. 😁 I also drive to the ride if I'm going somewhere far and exotic, like Walnut. But like Sluggo said, most of my SATN rides start about a block from my house. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Posted September 19, 2023 Share Posted September 19, 2023 When we lived in Central ATX, it was always ride to ride as there were alot of factors that have changed. As crazy as it sounds bikes were lighter with tires not being chunky and sluggish on the pavement, now it's sort of a slog with big full squish trail bikes wasting an hr getting to trailhead through town, also, it seems hotter than it was 20yrs ago as we would head out to GB, Nut or even other trails 10 or 11 oclock in the summer which NFWay you can do that now. Hell 10 yrs ago I would roll out at 3:30 and ride to CP or Thumper on my Hardtail in the summer, now days that is a death march. Also being 20lbs lighter and fit helped. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoAmI Posted September 20, 2023 Author Share Posted September 20, 2023 On 9/19/2023 at 7:54 AM, Bart said: ...also, it seems hotter than it was 20yrs ago as we would head out to GB, Nut or even other trails 10 or 11 oclock in the summer which NFWay you can do that now. My two ride-to-the ride days are Tuesdays and Thursday when I usually ride about an hour to WC and SN, respectively, leaving my house around 4 p.m. The heat doesn't bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAF Posted September 23, 2023 Share Posted September 23, 2023 On 9/20/2023 at 12:19 PM, WhoAmI said: The heat doesn't bother me. Lucky you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoAmI Posted September 23, 2023 Author Share Posted September 23, 2023 4 minutes ago, TAF said: Lucky you. Not sure how that's luck. I train/ride in the heat to accustom myself to it. I try to stay lean b/c fat on the body will make one hotter*. I also hydrate really well; try to wear light colored, wicking clothing when I ride; and start my rides with half frozen/half cold water in my CamelBak. *Of course, I don't like the cold but don't bitch about it. I make my one statement at the start of my first cold ride of the season, and that's it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AustinBike Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 Yeah, heat does not bother me as much because I am lucky enough to be able to ride every day. The acclimation got hosed a bit this year as we did a bunch of road trips, but I have consistently spent ~15-20 hours a week on the bike. Of course if I head back up north I can't take the cold like I used to. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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