Delaware State Forest: Mid-Winter Report
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
1M ago
In the past 7 days, I have been lucky enough to ride in the Delaware State Forest twice. Not bad for late January, early February. That being said, I would like to update the surface conditions for anyone that is thinking of riding there, this time of year. First, let me start with Five Mile Meadow Road and Flat Ridge Road. These roads are in very good shape for mid winter. Because of these roads getting the most vehicle traffic in the forest, they usually have quite a few pot holes. There does not appear to be an increase in pot holes from last fall until now. However, because of the melting ..read more
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Muddy Monstercross
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
2M ago
With snow in the forecast for this weekend (3-5, 5-8 or 10 inches), whatever the total accumulation ends up being, it usually means that the roads and trails in the Delaware State Forest will be iced over until about late March. I have stayed away from the forest during hunting season and the holidays and did not want to wait another 10 weeks. This morning, I decided to layer up and venture out. It was 28 degrees at 9:30am. That meant full balaclava, lobster claw gloves, 2 pairs of wool socks and thermal shoe covers. Although, I usually ride as much as I can throughout the winter, I really ha ..read more
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Mountain Bike Restorations
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
5M ago
This past year, I have become hooked on restoring 80’s and 90’s steel mountain bikes. What make these machines so desirable? Why steel? How expensive is it to do and how many hours will it take? All that and more lies ahead. In January and February, I immersed myself in You Tube, searching for as many mtb restoration and frame painting videos as I could find. I also scoured the internet for build ideas. It seems that many people love the simplicity of the old, mechanical 7, 8 and 9 speed drivetrains as well as a gorgeous steel frame with those iconic 80’s and 90’s paint schemes. 1991 Rockhoppe ..read more
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Tire Size – Is Bigger Better?
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
7M ago
If you read everything on the internet and listen to what the bicycle industry tells you, you’d be rolling around on the largest tires that you could get your hands on. Don’t get me wrong, in some applications, larger tires are just what the doctor ordered. Let’s talk about gravel tires. All the rage is about wider tires and lower air pressure. Wider gravel tires range from 40mm to 50mm and wider. The industry will have you believe that wider tires and lower air pressure will not slow you down. That is absolutely not true. Wider tires require less air pressure, they are more comfortable than ..read more
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Spain (The Basque Region)
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
7M ago
Just as summer had kicked off, My wife, Liz and I took a much anticipated trip to Spain’s Basque region. This was a Trek Travel trip that toured the La Rioja wine country while climbing numerous peaks in the Cantabrian mountain range. La Rioja consists of 524 bodegas (wine cellars). It’s only one of the many grape regions in Spain. We flew into Bilbao, via Madrid on the morning of July 1st. We did not have to meet our group until the next day. As luck would have it, We were able to catch the Grand Depart of the Tour de France (stage 1), as it kicked off in Bilbao this year and made its way to ..read more
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Tscheschter Kaundi 200K Brevet
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
10M ago
Keeping with my goal to increase mileage and my time in the saddle, this winter, I registered for a 200k Brevet. Largely European, Brevet, Audax or Rando are terms for a discipline of cycling, where you ride a predetermined route of 200, 300, 400, 600 or 1200 kilometers. There are numerous controls along the course, where you get your Brevet card stamped or you take a photo of the location. Last Sunday, the Pennsylvania Randonneurs put on the Tscheschter Kaundi (Dutch for Chester County) 200K, with a start and finish in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. The loop went through Chester County and ..read more
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The Upper Tier
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
10M ago
Usually, in the winter, I ride up above the tree line on Skyline Drive and Foster Hill, overlooking Milford and the surrounding area. But, I wanted to go higher. So, this morning, I hooked up with Bodhi at Action Bikes and Outdoor on Broad Street on what was a chilly but beautiful start to the day. We pedaled out of town and up Rt. 6.. We made a right hand turn on Schocopee Road and continued upwards. The first 4.5 miles resulted in over 1,000 feet of elevation. Schocopee is a narrow and winding hill that turns to gravel mid way up and becomes Fire Tower Road, leading to the Buckhorn Fire Tow ..read more
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The Manhattan Project
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
11M ago
In an attempt to add length to my daily rides, I went out on last Sunday for a longish ride, traversing some of the finest roads in the area. The average temperature was about 50 degrees and sunny, adding to a very good day on the bike. My goal was to add mileage and take in some newer roads while keeping the elevation to a minimum. This worked out like a charm. The weather held out until about 10 minutes after I finished. Then the rains came. I left my community and headed down Rt. 739, through Lord’s Valley, to Rt. 6. I made a left and pedaled a few miles, before climbing up past Costa’s Fa ..read more
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Lake Wallenpaupack
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
11M ago
Lake Wallenpaupack is a reservoir that is the second largest lake contained entirely in the state of Pennsylvania. The Lenape people named the area “Wallenpaupack”, meaning “The stream of swift and slow water”. The lake, which is 13 miles long and has 52 miles of shoreline, was created in 1924, when the PPL Corporation constructed a dam on the Wallenpaupack Creek, flooding the town of Wilsonville, which is still under water, near the dam. These days, Lake Wallenpaupack is a major recreational destination in the Pocono Mountain region. Always looking for an opportunity to try something differ ..read more
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Winter Gravel
ridingmilford
by ridingmilford
1y ago
January in northeast Pennsylvania is getting warmer as the years go by. Maybe it’s global warming, maybe it’s not. Either way, it’s helping facilitate an easy transition to winter cycling. December was freezing, with temperatures in the single digits for more than a week. But January has brought us a fresh start. Mild weather that’s conducive to outdoor activities. I’ve been riding quite frequently so far this year. Mostly on the road, as the back roads and trails were iced over for a the first week plus. But, I was able to sneak 3 gravel rides in at the Delaware State Forest. It’s been a re ..read more
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