I’ll be studying in the University of Virginia for the spring semester (Jan-May 2013) and I’m thinking of getting a muni to practice riding and later go on easy trails.
Does anyone ride near the university?
I’m just a beginner, and can handle a ride about 5-7 miles on bike paths. Haven’t rode much this year because of an ankle injury, and a really crazy workload last semester.
Additional questions:
I come from a tropical country, so I have no idea about this, but do people not ride because of the cold? I will be bringing summer style gear like short tights, gloves, helmet, kneepads and quick drying t-shirts. Probably have do buy some leg warmers and sweaters when I’m there…
I know there’s several active riders in Virginia, no idea how close they are to the university. I believe BrickMan is fairly close by. Maybe MadFurai as well. There’s also a few very active riders in Maryland but you may be looking for locals.
And as far as summer/winter riding goes:
I’ve lived two places, North Carolina and the Dominican Republic (caribbean), so I know all about hot weather. As far as muni is concerned cold weather is absolutely preferred, and winters in this area are perfect. The temperature is anywhere between 25 (-4C) and 50 (10C) for the majority of the winter. Heck, last winter there was only one true cold day… and I was out there.
If it’s in the 20s or 30s I’ll start out with a coat that usually comes off after 15 minutes. If it’s in the 40s I can get away with shorts and a sweat wicking long sleeve shirt. Again, I might start out cold but if I fight through it I’m fine after 10 minutes or so. BTW: Shin guards double as leg warmers.
The hardest thing about winter riding is pushing yourself in those initial 5 - 10 minutes when you’re still cold. After that your cardio will keep you warm. Also, there’s an adjustment period; your body will adjust with time.
On a side note, for me it’s the summers that are unbearable. Heat starts affecting my ride once the temperatures get in the upper 70s. Heat REALLY starts taking a toll when it gets into the 90s. The problem with the southeast isn’t the temperature, it’s the humidity. Sweat won’t evaporate so no cooling factor there. You’re going slow, so no cooling to be had there either.
I’ve tried mornings but in the morning the dew point is only a few degrees off the actual temperature so you’re looking at humidity in the 85-90% range. In the afternoons you’re looking at a lower humidity, like 65-70%, but a higher temperature. More than anything it’s the humidity that wears me down.
Was it you that was thinking about going to school at UNC some time ago? Anyway, if you’re ever headed to NC drop me a message, we’ll dig up some people to ride with.
Hello 57UniRider How have you been doing? I’ll have to check out the other threads to get up to speed!
Thank you for your concern. My right ankle now clicks when I walk around in bare feet, and gets tired more easily then my left ankle, but it’s not stopping me from doing anything.
I did get on the 36", infact, the first thing I did after stopping for half a year, was to hop on the 36" and go on a long ride XD
Now that I’ve been in US weather for a week, I’m starting to better adjust to the cold and get the hang of having to wear layers of clothes.
I traveled from New York to Virginia (Charlottesville) to check out some housing options. Stopped by the school and the managed to get me a place to stay in, so that is a relief.
I am now back in New York, and will be going to a family resort. Will do some skiing there, looking forward to it!
I’m leaving for SE Asia very soon for 6 weeks. Our last 3 days will be in Singapore. Might be a long shot but are there any bike shops that rent unicycles or other local riders/clubs that would be interested in doing a ride with me using a loaner?
We were planing on renting bikes for a day while there to ride in Pulau Ubin, MacRitchie Reservoir and maybe around East Coast Park. How’s the cycling scene, safe, easy to get around, bike lanes? Thanks for any input, don’t mean to hijack your thread, you can PM if you prefer.
Sorry for the slow reply. The free wifi at the hotel I am at is horrible!
Yes there is a local unicycle club, http://sgunicyclists.com/
You could contact them, I’m sure there will be someone who will not mine lending your their unicycle.
The bicycle lanes are decent, but not perfect. Sometimes they just end in the middle of nowhere, and would probably be confusing for a non local. For example, it might stop right in front a Train station and continue 200 meters away… the exact location of which you can’t be sure of.
I think it’s better to stick to Pulau Ubin, they have some dark, narrow, hot and humid trails there. If you stick to the places where you can see the sky/sun, it will be the easy trails. You could ride around the island as well and check out the swampy area at Chek Jawa.
Awesome! Thanks for the link, I emailed them via the yahoo group. Looking forward to playing some unicycle hockey on Thursday night, hopefully I can find my way there. Thanks again, flying out tomorrow and very excited!
