Yeah, I *want* to be bicycling again, but the last time out on the main road by my house—after I hauled myself up my loose gravel road—with no shoulders and people doing 15 over the limit cured me of that.
Not really, plenty of trails are a short pedal from my front door or my work. Same with a bunch of my rider friends and co-workers.
And that's not unusual for MTB anywhere. My siblings live on the Front Range in CO, they have to drive to most trail heads. Same with my cousin in Asheville. Or my buddy in Portland.
You're partially correct. There are havens for cycling in Vermont. I my area, not so much which is fine for me. I've never been into biking. There are a lot of other outdoor activities to keep me occupied.
problem being our cities have dogshit planning/zoning laws. few will bike 2.5 miles to the city center to do anything. mixed use neighborhoods are needed in addition to better infrastructure.
Vermont has some of the best gravel biking in the entire country/world. Problem is our weather is absolutely horrid for biking with 7 months of winter and the rest of the days often rainy. The weather is less of an issue if you're into other outdoorsy stuff like hiking, camping, but for people that have their life revolve around cycling, it's a pretty bad place to live.
This past winter was abnormal. I've lived here for 40 years, the past 10 years before that were much colder than normal. Winters in the 80s-00s were actually typically warmer/more snow/sunnier than the 10s.
I'm counting below freezing conditions as normal being 'winter'...typically Nov through April is the time period where below freezing is not out of the ordinary. Biking Dec-March is typically pretty brutal if you road cycle/gravel due to the wind chill you get which makes things so much worse. Fine biking days in Nov, Dec, March are certainly there, it's just nothing you can count on due to how erratic the weather is. April is usually more of a grin and bare it, it's doable but not particularly enjoyable.
For people that ride a couple hours a week it's all good, but if you are the type of person that regularly wants to do 12-20 hours a week, Vermont is a pretty place to live for cycling unless you are the type that has funds/work ability to spend extended time in other places during the winter. Basically when it's good its VERY good, when it's bad, it's VERY bad.
I've lived here 20 years, so I can't speak about the 80's. I have bike commuted for the past 6 years and I'm insanely keyed into when you can ride on the roads and what you need to wear. I've got a 15 mile (one way) commute and if there isn't snow on the road, I ride. Each ride has the temp that day stored on Strava, data is a beautiful thing!
Temps are getting warmer, that's a fact, there is data all over showing that. The thing you need to pay attention to for skiing/riding on roads is the temp at night. If it gets below freezing overnight, that snow is gonna last a long time, when it doesn't your snow disappears quick. A few degrees overnight makes a big difference as does rain on the snow. Both things are happening a bunch now. Dudes that snow mobile around here are lucky to get a few rides in, the guys I know are now driving to Quebec to skidoo.
6 years ago when I started riding you had to wait until April before the snow was gone from the rail trail, now early March. Then even if you get an 8in dumper, it'll be clear in a few days. I'll be curious to see how next year is...
December - March - fatbiking (biking on snow)
March - May - gravel biking
May - October - mountain biking & gravel
October - December - gravel biking
Seems like 12 months of riding to me!
It is quite possibly the silliest activity I partake in. You get absolutely roaring hot on the pedal up, then freezing cold on the way down. You are drifting around every corner like a rally driver and if you fall off you dig yourself out of a big pile of snow.
I giggle like a little kid on the downhills. It's a blast if you can tolerate the temperature extremes.
Wow. I have the exact opposite experience living in the same state as you. I only have four months of winter and ride consistently from April to December
Seven months of winter was a thing 30 years ago but hasn't been remotely true for the last decade. More like 5 now without even having to be a hardcore rider
There’s a great video about Ted King’s winter training regime in Vermont that I watched recently: https://youtu.be/DqWXSRCc1WY?si=JqKf183cikbG-819
It’s so damn hard to ride a bike when you’re getting blasted with frigid air, let alone doing the app gap.
I hit the mountain regularly in the winter, but I have to say the last few have been short and quirky. Cycling could EASILY replace the revenue that we are going to be loosing as the ski industry recedes. AND spread those tourist dollars around the state instead of in the hands of big corps.
Start pimping up those rail trails and add bike lanes to our most scenic roads and you will see people flood here from around the world to spend money at local business and B&B's. And it will be a better crowd than those who come to ski...
If each ski resort built a paved or rail trail like path to the top for the non-winter months, people will come to ride them all!
I have an ebike (RadRunner) which i love. And need to get tuned. But id like a gravel bike, a good but cheap one. not thousands of dollars. or that many hundreds even
Probably won't have much luck at those prices, but best bet would be Craigslist. There is a Walmart bike that's like 250 bucks that is getting hype.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-700C-G-1-Explorer-Gravel-Bike-Small-Frame-Green-Adult-Unisex/1417845974?athbdg=L1600
I know all the ones in Burlington. But I moved a bit out of town a few years ago and havn't even checked to see what we have for local bike shops. I'll have to fix that
yeah, a subreddit about biking and not a subreddit about vermont :\^)
not because there's anything wrong with asking the question, but you'll get a lot better informed recommendations on a biking subreddit!
I'm all for it but the states roadways
do not support it. 125 West of Middlebury it's a horrible spot to be riding a bike.
There is a severe lack of shoulder space amongst most roads in the state.
Is this some weird anti-cycling bot with a team that upvotes it, or are people here that dumb? I bet you see more drivers doing "some flat out negligent shit" driving for 30 minutes than you see cyclists do in a month.
It's also lycra wearing dumbos now so get your rhetoric up to date.
Roads have been around a lot longer than cars so it’s weird to think they’re designed specifically for cars.
If you hate bikes on the road so much then I hope you’re showing up for any town meetings about better cycling infrastructure!
That’s great to hear. But people ride bikes on the road for many reasons whether it’s recreational or for transportation. And they’re legally allowed to on almost every roadway. Just need to learn to be patient and safe on the road; even if that means waiting a few seconds to safely pass.
But if it’s legally allowed then what makes it not safe? If it’s the drivers that make it not safe. Why is that the cyclists are the ones to blame? Genuine question.
I remember 10 or 15 years ago biking a part of route 5 and people looked at me like I was insane. Nowaydays I see whole flocks of bikers and even on the most deserted gravel roads in the middle of nowhere you run into them. Fun too see
best riding in the country. Youve got world class terrain for every discipline. The community is great for women and and queer folks. The bro-y dude side of it is strong and that sucks. But there are so many other rad people encouraging cool people to take to the wheel. Its just too bad that the bike shops seem to be really struggling. I'd love to see more bike "industry" move to VT, like Mavic recently did.
Cycling on dirt roads during hay season is super fun, you get to ride your bike in front of all the slow tractors and it’s ok because they drive slow too and they all wave and say hi while honking their horns… it’s beautiful watching the people on their little tractors as they go around with those big funny machines cutting up grass so they can feed pet goats and stuff… maybe artisanal cheeses… it’s so quaint.
Hey that’s great, glad to see people wanting to be more active. How about a lesson to all of those cyclists on where they should be biking and proper etiquette and how to share the roads. Idk how many times I’ve been driving, come up over a hill to multiple cyclists in the absolute middle of the road. I’m talking in the yellow in a 50 zone. I always say I’m surprised more cyclists don’t die. Everyone’s always quick to blame the drivers, but it’s sharing the road, works both ways.. educate yourselves before becoming a statistic
^the cyclists disagree^ hence why motorists hate cyclists and vice versa. All they gotta do is respect sharing the roads and as you can see, they think they are entitled to it. But hey they can go home and smell their own farts and be happy. To each their own, but stay the fuck in the shoulder. I don’t move over if you don’t.
Not sure why you're being down voted. I see people all the time riding alone in the middle of the road not paying any attention to their surroundings, wearing earbuds so they cant hear approaching traffic and swerving all over the lane just as your're about to pass them. Its as if these people want you run their dumb ass over.
It’s Reddit man, any logic that’s not supporting their utopian logic is downvoted. I just hate how all the blame gets put on cars as if we’re not “sharing” the road. Also there is certain roads you should probably just not bike on. 22a, route 7, 125, 100 that it should be outlawed.
Yeah, I *want* to be bicycling again, but the last time out on the main road by my house—after I hauled myself up my loose gravel road—with no shoulders and people doing 15 over the limit cured me of that.
Get yourself a mountain bike!
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Not really, plenty of trails are a short pedal from my front door or my work. Same with a bunch of my rider friends and co-workers. And that's not unusual for MTB anywhere. My siblings live on the Front Range in CO, they have to drive to most trail heads. Same with my cousin in Asheville. Or my buddy in Portland.
You're partially correct. There are havens for cycling in Vermont. I my area, not so much which is fine for me. I've never been into biking. There are a lot of other outdoor activities to keep me occupied.
Vermont needs to continue to expand its bike infrastructure through trails and separated bike lanes.
problem being our cities have dogshit planning/zoning laws. few will bike 2.5 miles to the city center to do anything. mixed use neighborhoods are needed in addition to better infrastructure.
as does the rest of the US but Vermont has a head start
Vermont has some of the best gravel biking in the entire country/world. Problem is our weather is absolutely horrid for biking with 7 months of winter and the rest of the days often rainy. The weather is less of an issue if you're into other outdoorsy stuff like hiking, camping, but for people that have their life revolve around cycling, it's a pretty bad place to live.
Yeah, you could ride well into December this year and March was PRIME riding as well this year. 10 years ago, you'd be closer to right.
This past winter was abnormal. I've lived here for 40 years, the past 10 years before that were much colder than normal. Winters in the 80s-00s were actually typically warmer/more snow/sunnier than the 10s. I'm counting below freezing conditions as normal being 'winter'...typically Nov through April is the time period where below freezing is not out of the ordinary. Biking Dec-March is typically pretty brutal if you road cycle/gravel due to the wind chill you get which makes things so much worse. Fine biking days in Nov, Dec, March are certainly there, it's just nothing you can count on due to how erratic the weather is. April is usually more of a grin and bare it, it's doable but not particularly enjoyable. For people that ride a couple hours a week it's all good, but if you are the type of person that regularly wants to do 12-20 hours a week, Vermont is a pretty place to live for cycling unless you are the type that has funds/work ability to spend extended time in other places during the winter. Basically when it's good its VERY good, when it's bad, it's VERY bad.
I've lived here 20 years, so I can't speak about the 80's. I have bike commuted for the past 6 years and I'm insanely keyed into when you can ride on the roads and what you need to wear. I've got a 15 mile (one way) commute and if there isn't snow on the road, I ride. Each ride has the temp that day stored on Strava, data is a beautiful thing! Temps are getting warmer, that's a fact, there is data all over showing that. The thing you need to pay attention to for skiing/riding on roads is the temp at night. If it gets below freezing overnight, that snow is gonna last a long time, when it doesn't your snow disappears quick. A few degrees overnight makes a big difference as does rain on the snow. Both things are happening a bunch now. Dudes that snow mobile around here are lucky to get a few rides in, the guys I know are now driving to Quebec to skidoo. 6 years ago when I started riding you had to wait until April before the snow was gone from the rail trail, now early March. Then even if you get an 8in dumper, it'll be clear in a few days. I'll be curious to see how next year is...
December - March - fatbiking (biking on snow) March - May - gravel biking May - October - mountain biking & gravel October - December - gravel biking Seems like 12 months of riding to me!
This is the way (although I stick to pavement during mud season)
Plus there is skiing December-March (and sometimes April!)
VT is really the place to be
I want to take up fat biking because the name’s fun
It is quite possibly the silliest activity I partake in. You get absolutely roaring hot on the pedal up, then freezing cold on the way down. You are drifting around every corner like a rally driver and if you fall off you dig yourself out of a big pile of snow. I giggle like a little kid on the downhills. It's a blast if you can tolerate the temperature extremes.
Wow. I have the exact opposite experience living in the same state as you. I only have four months of winter and ride consistently from April to December
Seven months of winter was a thing 30 years ago but hasn't been remotely true for the last decade. More like 5 now without even having to be a hardcore rider
There’s a great video about Ted King’s winter training regime in Vermont that I watched recently: https://youtu.be/DqWXSRCc1WY?si=JqKf183cikbG-819 It’s so damn hard to ride a bike when you’re getting blasted with frigid air, let alone doing the app gap.
What a coincidence, I just learned how to ride a bicycle at 21.
I'm terrified of riding on the roads. I stick to bike paths. It's unfortunate it has to be this way but our roads are not safe for cyclists.
I hit the mountain regularly in the winter, but I have to say the last few have been short and quirky. Cycling could EASILY replace the revenue that we are going to be loosing as the ski industry recedes. AND spread those tourist dollars around the state instead of in the hands of big corps. Start pimping up those rail trails and add bike lanes to our most scenic roads and you will see people flood here from around the world to spend money at local business and B&B's. And it will be a better crowd than those who come to ski... If each ski resort built a paved or rail trail like path to the top for the non-winter months, people will come to ride them all!
Want to or actually do?
It's a top percent activity for the most part.
I need a good gravel bike. Anyone have a suggestion on where to get one?
Pinkbike.com
How much you want to spend?
I have an ebike (RadRunner) which i love. And need to get tuned. But id like a gravel bike, a good but cheap one. not thousands of dollars. or that many hundreds even
Probably won't have much luck at those prices, but best bet would be Craigslist. There is a Walmart bike that's like 250 bucks that is getting hype. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-700C-G-1-Explorer-Gravel-Bike-Small-Frame-Green-Adult-Unisex/1417845974?athbdg=L1600
Any more info on that bike? As in what praises are people giving it? I'd like to get something for my wife
Your local bike shop is always a good place to start
I know all the ones in Burlington. But I moved a bit out of town a few years ago and havn't even checked to see what we have for local bike shops. I'll have to fix that
yeah, a subreddit about biking and not a subreddit about vermont :\^) not because there's anything wrong with asking the question, but you'll get a lot better informed recommendations on a biking subreddit!
I'm all for it but the states roadways do not support it. 125 West of Middlebury it's a horrible spot to be riding a bike. There is a severe lack of shoulder space amongst most roads in the state.
Not to mention pot holes and frost heaves
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If the road isn't safe for cyclists, it needs to be made safe. Sometimes that's the only road to get where you're going.
Why not request the state make separate trail infrastructure then?
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I’m not sure. Contact your city manager or state representative. Lmk too lol
They do...it's called mountain biking.
A lot of people want to bike to places. Like work.
Is this some weird anti-cycling bot with a team that upvotes it, or are people here that dumb? I bet you see more drivers doing "some flat out negligent shit" driving for 30 minutes than you see cyclists do in a month. It's also lycra wearing dumbos now so get your rhetoric up to date.
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Roads have been around a lot longer than cars so it’s weird to think they’re designed specifically for cars. If you hate bikes on the road so much then I hope you’re showing up for any town meetings about better cycling infrastructure!
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That’s great to hear. But people ride bikes on the road for many reasons whether it’s recreational or for transportation. And they’re legally allowed to on almost every roadway. Just need to learn to be patient and safe on the road; even if that means waiting a few seconds to safely pass.
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But if it’s legally allowed then what makes it not safe? If it’s the drivers that make it not safe. Why is that the cyclists are the ones to blame? Genuine question.
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So instead of limiting accessibility for a chunk of the population. How about we lower speed limits, introduce bike lanes, and enforce safer driving.
Yeah, this is the thing.
Lol
Mountain bikers have entered the conversation.
Can anyone recommend a mountain bike for a beginner 220lb guy?
I remember 10 or 15 years ago biking a part of route 5 and people looked at me like I was insane. Nowaydays I see whole flocks of bikers and even on the most deserted gravel roads in the middle of nowhere you run into them. Fun too see
Sure 👍👍
best riding in the country. Youve got world class terrain for every discipline. The community is great for women and and queer folks. The bro-y dude side of it is strong and that sucks. But there are so many other rad people encouraging cool people to take to the wheel. Its just too bad that the bike shops seem to be really struggling. I'd love to see more bike "industry" move to VT, like Mavic recently did.
Protected bike path from Burlington to Morrisville to Waterbury to Shelburne!!!
Cycling on dirt roads during hay season is super fun, you get to ride your bike in front of all the slow tractors and it’s ok because they drive slow too and they all wave and say hi while honking their horns… it’s beautiful watching the people on their little tractors as they go around with those big funny machines cutting up grass so they can feed pet goats and stuff… maybe artisanal cheeses… it’s so quaint.
Hey that’s great, glad to see people wanting to be more active. How about a lesson to all of those cyclists on where they should be biking and proper etiquette and how to share the roads. Idk how many times I’ve been driving, come up over a hill to multiple cyclists in the absolute middle of the road. I’m talking in the yellow in a 50 zone. I always say I’m surprised more cyclists don’t die. Everyone’s always quick to blame the drivers, but it’s sharing the road, works both ways.. educate yourselves before becoming a statistic
Yes, you speak facts. 100% agree.
^the cyclists disagree^ hence why motorists hate cyclists and vice versa. All they gotta do is respect sharing the roads and as you can see, they think they are entitled to it. But hey they can go home and smell their own farts and be happy. To each their own, but stay the fuck in the shoulder. I don’t move over if you don’t.
Not sure why you're being down voted. I see people all the time riding alone in the middle of the road not paying any attention to their surroundings, wearing earbuds so they cant hear approaching traffic and swerving all over the lane just as your're about to pass them. Its as if these people want you run their dumb ass over.
It’s Reddit man, any logic that’s not supporting their utopian logic is downvoted. I just hate how all the blame gets put on cars as if we’re not “sharing” the road. Also there is certain roads you should probably just not bike on. 22a, route 7, 125, 100 that it should be outlawed.