if you dont have one...get one

sixseven

New Member
You obviously have not visited the majority of NJ. Not too far from where you are, you can hit lower traffic roads. Pretty much all the counties west of Middlesex (and including parts of) have some fine rural roads.

Regarding road riding I wrote: "I can imagine it would be pretty good out on the middle of nowhere roads, super rural. But anywhere else forget it, esp in NJ."

I grew up in NJ and I would say I have visited the majority of NJ. What I was trying to say is that I dont find it enjoyable riding on the road in populated areas. I love NJ, I love my MTB. I dont like the way people drive here.

Does all this resistance I have to road biking pretty much doom me to eventually get one? :hmmm:
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
Does all this resistance I have to road biking pretty much doom me to eventually get one? :hmmm:

OK, misunderstood.

But yes, I resisted for a long time but could barely ride (time wise) if I didn't have a road bike now.
 

axcxnj

Hipster Keys
so i rode 6 mile last night with some guys who race road for van dessel. HOLY CRAP they are fast. they just go and go and go. during the ride, one of the guys asked me if i did any road riding, and my reply was "obviously not enough"

now i just need to get myself a real road bike...
 
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reihl_deal

Guest
I was sold on the benefits of road riding a while ago. Although a lot of people are really into long road rides in my area I just don't have the time for it because I'm still in college. Just picked up a singlespeed with a flipflop hub (monday night) which I intend to bring to some local road climbs and proceed to pound those hills with it fixed until i get the shakes. I've never ridden fixed before but from what I hear its going to be quite the workout....and a bit of pre-workout practice in the parking lot at school will probably be required.

Can't wait to experiment and play with different cog sizes until i find the right combo that allows me to beat myself up in an hour or less so i can do it between classes...luckily my place is between the hills and the school so i can quickly swap clothes.
 

axcxnj

Hipster Keys
now that ive graduated and am working, i actually have ALOT more time to ride. school was extremely time consuming for me
 

ChrisG

Unapologetic Lifer for Rock and Roll
so i rode 6 mile last night with some guys who race road for van dessel. HOLY CRAP they are fast. they just go and go and go. during the ride, one of the guys asked me if i did any road riding, and my reply was "obviously not enough"
Was this the Bike N Gear gang? Gui is just ridiculous on any sort of bike.
 

axcxnj

Hipster Keys
yeah, it was my first time riding with Gui...one of the guys got a flat, and by the time i caught up, they were just finishing pumping up the new tube..so yeah, they are fast..but it forced me to ride ALOT faster than i normally do, which is good
 
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DANSPANK

Guest
Road ridingis brilliant. I sometimes ride with Heythrop (remember him?) and he tours us all over the place. We typically hit 70ish miles thorughout Morris county and it's just beautiful out there.

I live in Secaucus, near Giants Stadium, and there's no possibility to hit the trails after work due to finishing late and traffic. But I've got a 22mile fast road loop that I can get done and it's really helped my endurance (I think).

I even saw another roadie last night! First one I've seen in Secaucus.
 

Gregg

Member
Road bikes are time savers

When I'm tight on riding time rather than driving 20 min to CR, riding, then 20 min back I pedal out of my driveway and instantly have an extra 40 min to ride that I would have spent driving. Don't get me wrong still love getting dirt under my wheels but as life and family vie for more of my time a good, quick road ride has to be a replacement for those epic all day mtb adventures. Remember a road ride is much better than no ride.
 

bonefishjake

Strong like bull, smart like tractor
Team MTBNJ Halter's
my ride yesterday reminded me one of my favorite reasons for loving road rides: bombing hills at 45 mph. if that's not reason enough, toss in a couple of wicked turns, i few pot holes/road patches and a dead snake and you've got yerself some fun.

if that doesn't elevate your heart rate, please see your doctor b/c you may already be dead.
 

BiknBen

Well-Known Member
my ride yesterday reminded me one of my favorite reasons for loving road rides: bombing hills at 45 mph.

I've got a better one; drafting a dump truck at 40+ on a flat road. :p

Tuesday morning's ride to work was supposed to be a recovery ride. Well, it was till that truck passed me ever-so-slowly. I followed at a bike length's distance for about a mile before I had to turn off. Ear to Ear smile!!!

It was one of the few times I wish I had a bigger gear instead of my compact crank.
 

MTB Aussie

Member
Flat and boring

I am on vacation at LBI this week and have notched up about 140 road miles since Monday. This place is flat and dull for road riding, so you have to invent games to play to make it more interesting like drafting cars down Ocean Boulevard where the speed limit is 25 mph and well enforced. Chasing down other roadies and then sprinting past them at 30 mph while looking back as if to encourage the chase is another favorite. Of course cruising slowly and counting the joggers is also cool to do.

Anyway, I vote the road works for MTB training, endurance and plain leg strength. I agree with others who say the road provides instant riding out of the driveway when you are pressed for time, and I have even come to enjoy riding north out of Metuchen towards the Watchung reservation and hitting the hills up there and around the great swamp area. Sure, traffic is a beatch but getting up early solves that problem for the most part. I have a real road bike but also modified an old Jamis hard tail with skinny tires that I use to commute. If you cant afford a roadie grab another set of wheels and some IRC smoothy training mtb tires that you can pump to 100psi and off you go. I can keep a good 16-18 mph on the Jamis that way and it offers a real MTB riding position.

An interesting observation about roadie attitudes this week. I have teamed up with at least one other rider each day here this week, working the draft and chatting about bikes, surfing, boats etc along the way. No bad attitudes and a ton of nods and waves from others going the opposite direction. Then again, none of them were wearing matchy matchys.
 

axcxnj

Hipster Keys
now i really want a geared road bike, but im not allowed any more bikes in the house. so i would have to sell my fixed gear.

im thinking about going with a cyclocross bike ( i want to try it as a sport) and getting a second set of wheels with road tires on it to be more versatile
 
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