FREQUENTLY ASKED CYCLING QUESTIONS
Q What type of bicycle should I buy?
A This is not an easy question to answer because much will depend on your personal skills, taste and budget. There are three major types of bicycles: (1) Mountain bikes which are designed mainly for rougher trails. They are heavy; have wide tires with deep treads and usually have front or full suspension to afford a comfortable ride on rough, bumpy trails. (2) Road bikes, which are very light; have very narrow, high pressure, smooth tires designed for minimum rolling resistance and do not have a suspension system. (3) Hybrid bikes are a combination of the first two. There is a wide variety of Hybrids available. All three of these bicycle types come in a wide range of prices but road bikes are usually the most expensive because of the lightweight materials used although top end mountain bikes with full suspension can also be very costly..
Basically, you can ride a mountain bike on the road and anywhere else there is a trail rated for bicycles but the bike will not be very efficient on pavement because of the weight of the frame and components and the wide, deeply treaded tires. A road bike is very efficient on pavement but very difficult to ride on dirt or gravel trails. A hybrid is a compromise between the two. It can be ridden on dirt trails but will not handle difficult trails as well as a mountain bike. It also does well on paved roads but is not as efficient as a road bike. Since the club does not ride extreme mountain trails very often but does hold rides on easier dirt trails such as the Virginia Creeper, a hybrid bike may be the best choice if you have only one bicycle.
Do NOT buy a Superstore bicycle. These low end bicycles have very poor components which will not last and may even prove dangerous to the rider. Your best bet is to buy from a reputable bicycle dealer who can fit you with the right bike and keep it maintained for you. If you do not want to buy an expensive bike at first then your best choice would be to find a good used bicycle either at a bike shop or from a newspaper ad, Craigslist, eBay, etc. If you decide to buy a used bicycle, you should seek the advice of someone who has a lot of cycling experience. Most of the experienced riders in the club will be glad to help you find a suitable used bike.
Q Am I required to wear a helmet when I ride with the club?
A The GHCC recommends the wearing of a helmet while cycling. A well fitting helmet will go a long way toward preventing a concussion or worse in case of an accident. If you buy a good helmet that is properly fitted and vented, you will almost forget you have it on after a few rides. Experienced cyclists would never ride without their helmet. However, the wearing of a helmet is not mandatory on GHCC rides, so feel free to ride without it if you are that "hard headed."
Q Does the club still hold their bike rides if the forecast calls for bad weather?
A Since our road bike rides are very exposed to the weather, many more bicycle rides are canceled than hikes especially during extreme cold or hot weather. Bike riding during thunderstorms or hard rain is very dangerous if not actually suicidal and riding in the wind can be very scary too! We can't forget that, during bad weather conditions, we are also dealing with automobile traffic and low visibility situations. Discretion is always the better part of valor when you are riding a bicycle on a public roadway.
Q What is a balloon loop?
A Imagine an imaginary line that outlines the shape of a balloon, if you trace around the outside of that balloon, and end up where you began that is a a loop, a balloon loop includes the straight portion that you would imagine as the string or the part of the balloon that you blow up. In other words you enter from a point and go straight for a period of time before making the loop and then return back to the beginning by using that same "straight entrance path" in which you entered the loop just in the opposite direction, arriving at the same place you first started.
Q What is an in-out ride?
A A ride that starts at one point and ends up at the same spot, mostly by going out one direction and returning on the same path just in the opposite direction. These have the added advantage of being able to shorten them as you can turn around at anytime and go back out the same way you came, as long as you know where you are going and can do so safely. Always notify others on the event and the leader, if assigned one, that you are going to do this! It is always good to find a partner who wants to shorten the trip with you! Bring ribbons to mark turns or make notes of the route if you plan on or think you might do this.
Q What type of bicycle should I buy?
A This is not an easy question to answer because much will depend on your personal skills, taste and budget. There are three major types of bicycles: (1) Mountain bikes which are designed mainly for rougher trails. They are heavy; have wide tires with deep treads and usually have front or full suspension to afford a comfortable ride on rough, bumpy trails. (2) Road bikes, which are very light; have very narrow, high pressure, smooth tires designed for minimum rolling resistance and do not have a suspension system. (3) Hybrid bikes are a combination of the first two. There is a wide variety of Hybrids available. All three of these bicycle types come in a wide range of prices but road bikes are usually the most expensive because of the lightweight materials used although top end mountain bikes with full suspension can also be very costly..
Basically, you can ride a mountain bike on the road and anywhere else there is a trail rated for bicycles but the bike will not be very efficient on pavement because of the weight of the frame and components and the wide, deeply treaded tires. A road bike is very efficient on pavement but very difficult to ride on dirt or gravel trails. A hybrid is a compromise between the two. It can be ridden on dirt trails but will not handle difficult trails as well as a mountain bike. It also does well on paved roads but is not as efficient as a road bike. Since the club does not ride extreme mountain trails very often but does hold rides on easier dirt trails such as the Virginia Creeper, a hybrid bike may be the best choice if you have only one bicycle.
Do NOT buy a Superstore bicycle. These low end bicycles have very poor components which will not last and may even prove dangerous to the rider. Your best bet is to buy from a reputable bicycle dealer who can fit you with the right bike and keep it maintained for you. If you do not want to buy an expensive bike at first then your best choice would be to find a good used bicycle either at a bike shop or from a newspaper ad, Craigslist, eBay, etc. If you decide to buy a used bicycle, you should seek the advice of someone who has a lot of cycling experience. Most of the experienced riders in the club will be glad to help you find a suitable used bike.
Q Am I required to wear a helmet when I ride with the club?
A The GHCC recommends the wearing of a helmet while cycling. A well fitting helmet will go a long way toward preventing a concussion or worse in case of an accident. If you buy a good helmet that is properly fitted and vented, you will almost forget you have it on after a few rides. Experienced cyclists would never ride without their helmet. However, the wearing of a helmet is not mandatory on GHCC rides, so feel free to ride without it if you are that "hard headed."
Q Does the club still hold their bike rides if the forecast calls for bad weather?
A Since our road bike rides are very exposed to the weather, many more bicycle rides are canceled than hikes especially during extreme cold or hot weather. Bike riding during thunderstorms or hard rain is very dangerous if not actually suicidal and riding in the wind can be very scary too! We can't forget that, during bad weather conditions, we are also dealing with automobile traffic and low visibility situations. Discretion is always the better part of valor when you are riding a bicycle on a public roadway.
Q What is a balloon loop?
A Imagine an imaginary line that outlines the shape of a balloon, if you trace around the outside of that balloon, and end up where you began that is a a loop, a balloon loop includes the straight portion that you would imagine as the string or the part of the balloon that you blow up. In other words you enter from a point and go straight for a period of time before making the loop and then return back to the beginning by using that same "straight entrance path" in which you entered the loop just in the opposite direction, arriving at the same place you first started.
Q What is an in-out ride?
A A ride that starts at one point and ends up at the same spot, mostly by going out one direction and returning on the same path just in the opposite direction. These have the added advantage of being able to shorten them as you can turn around at anytime and go back out the same way you came, as long as you know where you are going and can do so safely. Always notify others on the event and the leader, if assigned one, that you are going to do this! It is always good to find a partner who wants to shorten the trip with you! Bring ribbons to mark turns or make notes of the route if you plan on or think you might do this.