riding bike to school, and the sights seen en route

[charliechaindrive]

For a school project, I'm going to be riding bike to and home from school occasionally until the end of the year. From my house to the school is 12 miles one way, very few hills, and it's all fairly easy going. The first bell for school rings at 8:15 AM, and I'm planning on leaving my house at 6:50.

I'm making this thread to show some of the neat things I see on my way there, and to also have a ride thread. Hopefully if the wind isn't terrible tomorrow morning I'll ride my road bike in. And maybe Thursday if it's also calm enough I'll ride my customized mongoose beast. I can average almost 15mph on the road bike, and 12 on the beast with it in top gear and my tires at 25psi. Wish me luck!

Ccd

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Sounds good!

Luke.

 

[mikeeebikey]

I hope you have a nice ride and only find couches!
12 on a beast at 25psi is impressive!

 

[nosmr2]

You'll be surprised by the stuff you see at 12 mph compared to driving the speed limit. Good luck with the project.

 

[charliechaindrive]

I've done a few mods to the beast since I bought it lol. 12 speeds and a disc brake later, I have a poor man's surly. Since that pic was taken, I rerouted the brake and shift cables and I added broom stick bars.
(the tab button apparently posts messages for you!) but anyways, I didn't ride in today because my dad said it was too cold, but I'd rather ride in 42 degree weather than -15 below weather like I did this past winter on the beast. It was perfect weather for riding though, 2 mph win with gusts of 3, out of the south. Really missed an opportunity today.

 

[charliechaindrive]

I hope the weather is good for your project. I rode all winter too. Today is cold here, snowing now and 25 to 35 mph wind. I don't like to ride in the wind, makes it feel like riding up a mountain. Your 42F is the same as what we have been having so I am guessing it is probably very windy and cold in Minnesota now too?

actually, Its beautiful outside right now, sunny and not a cloud in the sky. I'm unsure what the temperature is outside, but it is really nice. We've got the window open here in the classroom. I'm listening to Jackyl, and doing research on gear inches on the sheldon brown site. Makes 5th period english class almost bearable!

 

[B607]

Chicago, 1939. If you didn't have the chance to ride your bike to school growing up, you missed it! It was so great to get out of school and jump on my '66 Campus Green StingRay and head home. Freedom! Gary

 

[mikeeebikey]

Ha, you are old! 1939???
I loved getting out of school in the mid 80s going to the bike rack for my GT xlpro, jamming the dirt jumps for a half hour on the way to moms.
Yah, the good ol days!

 

[B607]

Yeah, right. That's me in the pic. Just a pic out of the 50th Anniversary Schwinn book (printed in '45) showing how many kids rode their bikes to school back then. I was born in '53 so I'm old but not quite '39 old. Gary

 

[jats]

rode bikes to school and college its a a blast cant wait to see the pics!!!

Troy

 

[charliechaindrive]

I've rode my bike to town many times, but to school is something I've never accomplished. Today was actually too cold to ride in, mid to low 40s and an evil north wind at about 15 mph. It'd be great going home with that wind at my back, but it would've sucked this morning.

 

[CCR]

I remember riding my bike to grade school in the late 80's, if you had a note you could ride your bike to Hardee's at lunch time to eat. In the 90's we moved in town about 8 blocks from school ... just walked then. I don't know if I'm just an over-protective parent or if there are just more crazies on the road, but I wouldn't think of letting my kid ride to grade school nowadays.

Looking forward to some pics though

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

interesting how the handlebars are on a majority of the bikes in that picture.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

I used to ride to primary school from about 8 years old with my 10 year old Sister, and then 5km (4miles) to highschool by myself in the early '90's, it was fine then but there are some bad people out there these days...

Luke.

 

[JimMendel]

interesting how the handlebars are on a majority of the bikes in that picture.

Ya, huh? Backwards. A local thing?

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

It's like they were hipsters back then.


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[B607]

It's like they were hipsters back then.


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Nothing new under the sun when it comes to bikes. Gary

 

[mikeeebikey]

Nothing new under the sun when it comes to bikes. Gary

In the first row only??? I think it looks like race bikes here, cruisers there, and middle weights up there??? Weird!

O.p. for outdoor riding in that brazen tundra called the north(where you live!), I had a specific riding gear. Many layers, but the most important parts were a face mask, hat and gloves. Keep those warm and you will be toasty. Snowboard clothing worked excellent.

 

[MplsCoaster]

What a great thread!
More pics would be fun
Keep up the good rides
and we'll warmup up more soon..

 

[The Renaissance Man]

Sounds like a fun thing to do.
How does this work as a school project? Is there some sort of report to turn it? Do you get a grade for it? More details please!