Tag: bicycle
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Electric Motorcycles in the Tour de France?
Interesting question posted on the Tour de France subreddit… This was my reply: Let me frame my response with this – I have followed the Tour de France twice (once backpacking and once on a gas-powered motorcycle). And I have ridden an electric motorcycle from San Francisco to New York City. So I have some…
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Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains
We can confirm with 100% certainty that the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania are indeed endless. Endlessly hilly, endlessly challenging, but also endlessly picturesque and endlessly fascinating.
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My Ozark Trail “G.2” Explorer
I upgraded my Ozark Trail G.1 over the winter. Made some budget-conscious decisions (2×9 vs 1x, $15 rear derailleur, use stock front derailleur and rear brake and bars, sub $300 650b wheels, parts bin seatpost, saddle, bottom/crank, budget carbon fork, etc…) and some splurge decisions (RedShift stem mainly, but man those reflective hexagons better last!)…
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Farewell, Pocket Rocket
I remember reading about Bike Fridays in bicycle magazines in the 90s. In 2023, I found a used one for sale locally at about a third of the price of a new one, so I gave it a try. It was a revelation; very different than my other folding bike, a Zizzo Liberte. If you…
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1990 Tour de France Publicity Caravan
A Rolling Carnival They close mountain pass roads along the Tour de France route early. Many people get there the night before and camp by the side of the road or arrive super early in the morning and then wait hours for the riders to arrive. It’s a lot of free time listening to the…
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Virtual Endless Summer: One Week With a Zwift Indoor Trainer
I got a new toy to help me prepare for the Unbound Gravel 100 mile race in May – a smart trainer and a virtual training world. It’s all in the Substack – https://johnmflores.substack.com/p/virtual-endless-summer?r=2rzwg It’s a minor PITA to be posting stuff in multiple places. Still unsure of how to deal with it….
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Riding the GAP and C&O Trails – Chapter 3
Day three on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail, from the new hiker-biker campground in Ohiopyle to Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. It’s 41 miles today and a long and steady uphill. Lots of cool bridges and tunnels along the way. I’m riding a Bike Friday All Packa folding gravel bike. Video and photos shot by me on…
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Getting Ready to Bikepack with Walmart’s $248 Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer Gravel Bike
I received a great comment/question about Walmart’s $248 Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer (that name’s a mouthful!) on YouTube the other day: And it got me thinking. I don’t have any experience with the other Walmart bikes mentioned, so I can’t really say how they ride. KevCentral did ride them, and was pretty complimentary of the…
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Will Walmart’s $248 Gravel Bike…Gravel? Third Ride/Review of the Ozark Trail G.1 Explorer
The G.1 Explorer has impressed so far. It’s a surprisingly solidly built bike at its price point. And, unlike many other bikes sold at Walmart, it uses industry-standard parts and thus can be repaired and upgraded quite easily. The G.1 Explorer impressed on its first local ride with its general competence. And it impressed on…