Cycling Thread 2

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

My family and I are not serious cyclicists but we go for the occasional ride or bike park. We like easier rides such as the Canmore to Banff trail or Bow Valley Parkway this summer. I'm looking for some suggestions on a unique ride for this summer in BC. We have previously done the old train bridge ride at Myra Canyon in Kelowna and I would love to find more rides like that. Can anyone suggest similar experiences to Myra Canyon that we can check out?

Myra Canyon has the fantastic views, and since it's one of the easiest trails out there it's super accessible. Gets quite busy though and super slow at times.

The Invermere Legacy trail, which is an out-and-back, is quite awesome even if somewhat hilly. It's fully paved and away from the roads. My kids even liked that.
Elsewhere in the area are the Johnson Mountain bike trail system. Freakin' awesome fun... fast and flowy. Mostly easy and intermediate, pretty hard to find actual difficult sections unless you make it a longer-distance. If you look at the trails hard enough you can get to the edge of a massive ravine and have lunch there.

Don't bother with Panorama unless DH is your thing.
Closer to Radium there are some other nice MTB flow trails, again many without excess hills.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by stazzy33

The trip we are looking at would be about a week and a half through BC/Alberta. The stops would be (starting and ending in Edmonton):

1. Hinton: They have an awesome mountain bike park and trails
2. Valemount: Neither of us have ridden here, but have heard good things about their single track as well
3. Kelowna: Do one day of road riding and one day of mountain biking (possibly at Big White)
4. Cranbrook: One day to ride the North Star Rails to Trails
5. Fernie: One day of mountain biking
6. Waterton: One day to ride the Red Rock Parkway
Probably do a mixture of camping and staying in hotels/airbnbs. If anyone has any suggestions on other places we should consider we're all ears.

Be sure to have some great fitness, and recovery, because you have some great rides listed.

Kelowna has lots of amazing road ride opportunities... PM me and I can see if I can send you some Garmin routes that I ride there. BTW you may need a navigation tool to maximize your ride potential. I'd suggest starting somewhere near Gallaghers Golf course area and zig-zag west, staying high, through various farmlands and orchards via their roads before hitting Lakeshore to the end and back. A solid 60-70km trip with lots of vertical. These days I take my gravel bike and mix in a bunch of singletrack, much of which isn't well mapped or findable. Trailforks will have a bunch there.


Fernie... can't do 1 day there... minimum 2 solid MTB days, doing big rides on each side of the valley. Pretty epic climbing can't really be avoided. That said around Fernie Provincial Campground there are amazing more intermediate trails. Or look at Lazy Lizard.

[stazzy33]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

Be sure to have some great fitness, and recovery, because you have some great rides listed.

Kelowna has lots of amazing road ride opportunities... PM me and I can see if I can send you some Garmin routes that I ride there. BTW you may need a navigation tool to maximize your ride potential. I'd suggest starting somewhere near Gallaghers Golf course area and zig-zag west, staying high, through various farmlands and orchards via their roads before hitting Lakeshore to the end and back. A solid 60-70km trip with lots of vertical. These days I take my gravel bike and mix in a bunch of singletrack, much of which isn't well mapped or findable. Trailforks will have a bunch there.


Fernie... can't do 1 day there... minimum 2 solid MTB days, doing big rides on each side of the valley. Pretty epic climbing can't really be avoided. That said around Fernie Provincial Campground there are amazing more intermediate trails. Or look at Lazy Lizard.

I will shoot you a PM! I bought a Garmin 530 just before Christmas so I am all set on the navigation side.

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by stazzy33

I will shoot you a PM! I bought a Garmin 530 just before Christmas so I am all set on the navigation side.

Garmin Connect is your friend. The maps is great, although a bit cumbersome to navigate online to be honest but decent on your device whilst riding. My Garmin 810 died last year, but picked up a usable 520.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by RichieRich

Closer to Radium there are some other nice MTB flow trails, again many without excess hills.

Which trails are you referring to? I know of Juniper/High Roller but haven't found any riding more toward Radium. I'm in the area a decent amount and always excited to find new trails! No excess hills means I can convince my eldest kid to try...

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I've been considering getting a recumbent trike... does it make sense to buy new? If so, what should I be looking at for a fast commuter - I.e. a good mix of performance and value, such that I'm not giving up much in terms of time to my road bike?

I'm sort of on the fence, it would be good to get to try a few out to see what I like. But it's not like bike shops carry a big selection.

If you have questions this is up my alley as well. Half of the last shop I worked in was trikes. We had everything from the sun seeker recumbent which is $1400 all the way up to an Azub Ti fly x with shimano steps and E14 rohloff at $18,000.

We sold sun,trident,Cat, Ice trikes, Azub ,terratrikes and Hp Velotecknic.

My choices would be for a first trike is a Catrike Villager or cattrike 5.5.9 but if you can spent slightly more it Would be a Catrike Dumont (Full sus) or a Azub basic ti fly 26.

Catrike is high quality and made in the usa so the prices are much lower than others . Ice trike is made in the uk so shipping and exchange rates adds up and Azub is manufactured Czech republic. A bit pricier but are probably the absolute best . The tech and innovation packed into them is really a marvel. Hp Velotecknic are also very high quility but pricer as they are made in Germany.

I would personally buy new from a qualified shop. Theres things on trikes you don't want even the best pro mechanics to touch if they haven't touched a trike. I was a really experienced mechanic and I had to be properly trained.

In Calgary you have Renu cycles and Funwest sports. Funwest seems to sell the same range we did.

[surferguy]

This showed up today! Neat!


upload

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

My choices would be for a first trike is a Catrike Villager or cattrike 5.5.9 but if you can spent slightly more it Would be a Catrike Dumont (Full sus) or a Azub basic ti fly 26.

Thanks, that's useful info. There does seem to be a range from the 2500ish ones up to the 4500ish ones (I can't see myself spending 5000 dollars on a trike without getting extremely into riding them). In general though it's definitely good to know a go-to brand.

I was looking at these - https://www.renucycle.net/index.php?...4&page_id=1014 - which appear to be a Taiwanese company, but at least look pretty solid and come in under the 3k mark. I guess they're reasonably new, so I'm guessing you haven't seen many or any of them maybe, but if it was you, would you say they look like they're best avoided or do they look like a good option?

I would personally buy new from a qualified shop. Theres things on trikes you don't want even the best pro mechanics to touch if they haven't touched a trike. I was a really experienced mechanic and I had to be properly trained.

In Calgary you have Renu cycles and Funwest sports. Funwest seems to sell the same range we did.

Good to know. I guess the question is if I did buy second hand, could I just rely on these guys for maintenance. I was looking at this one, which I could pretty easily pick up given the distance from my Dad's place.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-bike/b...ike/1519016140



Seems like potentially a good deal, though it wasn't one of the ones from Catrike that you recommended - thoughts?

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Thanks, that's useful info. There does seem to be a range from the 2500ish ones up to the 4500ish ones (I can't see myself spending 5000 dollars on a trike without getting extremely into riding them). In general though it's definitely good to know a go-to brand.

I was looking at these - https://www.renucycle.net/index.php?...4&page_id=1014 - which appear to be a Taiwanese company, but at least look pretty solid and come in under the 3k mark. I guess they're reasonably new, so I'm guessing you haven't seen many or any of them maybe, but if it was you, would you say they look like they're best avoided or do they look like a good option?

Good to know. I guess the question is if I did buy second hand, could I just rely on these guys for maintenance. I was looking at this one, which I could pretty easily pick up given the distance from my Dad's place.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-bike/b...ike/1519016140



Seems like potentially a good deal, though it wasn't one of the ones from Catrike that you recommended - thoughts?

Do you have the prerequisite beard and cut off jean shorts needed to ride one of these?

[Fuzz]

Please don't forget to use a high flag for viability on those things.

[stazzy33]

Anyone have any suggestions for a torque wrench? Finding one that does everything seems next to impossible, but I also don't want to get one of those over priced Park Tool one that only has three settings. I've looked at this one on Amazon and the reviews aren't bad (that's saying a lot for Amazon). Besides putting on cassettes or centerlock brakes it should be okay for most bolts on the bike.

[Ryan Coke]

That one looks impressive. If you want something smaller and cheaper, I’ve had this one for the last couple of years and like it. It does most things that require up to 10 nm.

https://www.bowcycle.com/product/ice...t-276449-1.htm

[RichieRich]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Do you have the prerequisite beard and cut off jean shorts needed to ride one of these?

Wear that on a 'bent bike and you'll also be sporting moose knuckles.

Nobody needs that level of trauma on top of Covid. sheeeesh.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Do you have the prerequisite beard and cut off jean shorts needed to ride one of these?

I mean I know you're joking but... yes.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

My family and I are not serious cyclicists but we go for the occasional ride or bike park. We like easier rides such as the Canmore to Banff trail or Bow Valley Parkway this summer. I'm looking for some suggestions on a unique ride for this summer in BC. We have previously done the old train bridge ride at Myra Canyon in Kelowna and I would love to find more rides like that. Can anyone suggest similar experiences to Myra Canyon that we can check out?

It’s not in BC and with Covid likely doesn’t work this summer but the Ride the Hithawatha on the Montana / Idaho Boarder is awesome. It goes through about 20 tunnels and tressels including a 1 mile long pitch black one. They also have a bus shuttle at the end so you essentially cost down hill the entire way. You can do as a full day trip from Sandpoint or Spokane

There are rails to trails under various states of construction from about Vernon all the way to Osoyoos. They aren’t as exciting as the Myra Canyon though. They run along the sides of the lakes through orchards with the occasional lake view. Well worth doing a few sections

https://okanaganrailtrail.ca/trip-planning/full-trail/

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Do you have the prerequisite beard and cut off jean shorts needed to ride one of these?

I know your joking but The majority of buyers are people that have balance issues. people who have suffered strokes as the can be set up for 1 handed use with both brakes ,shifters and or throttle on one side.

And the next are people with Parkinson's disease.

Then the 55 plus crowd if they can't ride a bike or ebike


The most notable sale outside of that I made was $46,000 in one shot to Simon Whitfield. He bought a hd Icetrike Adventurehd and 2 Azub to fly 26 with steps and rohloffs.

Never seen or sold one to any sort of hipster.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Thanks, that's useful info. There does seem to be a range from the 2500ish ones up to the 4500ish ones (I can't see myself spending 5000 dollars on a trike without getting extremely into riding them). In general though it's definitely good to know a go-to brand.

I was looking at these - https://www.renucycle.net/index.php?...4&page_id=1014 - which appear to be a Taiwanese company, but at least look pretty solid and come in under the 3k mark. I guess they're reasonably new, so I'm guessing you haven't seen many or any of them maybe, but if it was you, would you say they look like they're best avoided or do they look like a good option?

Good to know. I guess the question is if I did buy second hand, could I just rely on these guys for maintenance. I was looking at this one, which I could pretty easily pick up given the distance from my Dad's place.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-bike/b...ike/1519016140



Seems like potentially a good deal, though it wasn't one of the ones from Catrike that you recommended - thoughts?

Exeptition is a fine trike. But just be aware that price is just for a non electric used. The price is pretty high for used. I'd expect more towards 2300 as it's only $3500 plus 5% . So unless it's in mint condition I think the price is high.

I'd stay away from the performer brand. Just not a comfortable ride.

[pope04]

Originally Posted by stazzy33

Anyone have any suggestions for a torque wrench? Finding one that does everything seems next to impossible, but I also don't want to get one of those over priced Park Tool one that only has three settings. I've looked at this one on Amazon and the reviews aren't bad (that's saying a lot for Amazon). Besides putting on cassettes or centerlock brakes it should be okay for most bolts on the bike.

Years ago I bought an X-tools torque wrench from Chain Reaction Cycles on the basis of the excellent reviews it had for south of $40. 2-24 NM. It has served me well over the years. I checked their site and it appears to be discontinued or possibly rebranded as this:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/.../rp-prod155414

That being said, I use a Stanley Fatmax for the higher-torque stuff like cassette lockrings and bottom brackets.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by stazzy33

Anyone have any suggestions for a torque wrench? Finding one that does everything seems next to impossible, but I also don't want to get one of those over priced Park Tool one that only has three settings. I've looked at this one on Amazon and the reviews aren't bad (that's saying a lot for Amazon). Besides putting on cassettes or centerlock brakes it should be okay for most bolts on the bike.

This is my favorite tool. The best tool I've ever bought and I own the complete park tool catalog pretty much as well as many Abbey tools and Wera tools.

https://silca.cc/products/updated-t-...-ti-torque-kit

[Fuzz]

That looks pretty slick, how much is it? Link says it is sold out.