On the contrary, last Saturday, an extrovert veteran cyclist started to talk to me while riding back home. Having been riding for 50 years, -he told me he was 64- you can obviously tell that bicycles are one of his passions. I didn´t ask him how many times he had been hit by Mr. Hammer, too many to be countered I guess. But it seems worth it if you consider the great shape he is in after been visited by that particular man so many times... Healthy and skinny, all muscle not fat. Your colleague´s road book to stay in good shape includes a very useful trick of the trade: “How to deal with hammers & hardware”. Pain and suffer are required. The reward is behind them… In the fascinating conversation –nothing like a passionate man talking about what he does- , he also explained to me how Club Ciclista Chamartín, the cyclist club he is in, works. It sounds pretty good if you want reliable evidence, professional eyewitness testimony when hammered… Are you by chance familiar with one of those clubs?.
I guess occasionally you meet some colorful people on two wheels (gosh, am I one of them?). I remember at the anti-golf-course demontration at Tres Cantos there were some really hippy-looking guys on their bikes. Kind of reminded me of my wayward youth :fumao In any case, I would actually do my best to avoid visits from Mr. Hammer as it does mean you've pushed yourself to your limits and your body is saying, this is where I draw the line :compress I have actually given some thought to joining a cycling club, I'm sure there are some nice pluses to this, but I just haven't found the time. And in any case, maybe I'll find out I'm not as good as I think I am :-o Actually I'm not really worried about that because I have seen some clubs out there and they're not really going all that fast. Cheers!
Hippy looking people! LOL Aesthetics counts in a world where making you stand out requires some clever creativity!, They could well think "if it´s not my bike, it´s me!"... Yeahhh... Now, let see.. colorful bikers that i saw today... Yes, there were a lot of us (including me!), but as far as I could see, no one was riding a Scattante unique bike!. You know, it´s Easter eve and some people decided to go to Santiago by bike. Or "Bicigrinos" as we call them. I met a few of them on their way there. Cheerful, colorful people 500 Kilometres away from their goal to get the "Compostelana".. 6 impressive days of pure cycling experience through one of the most peaceful routes ever. Nature, adventure, landscapes, local cuisine, good climate, hystory, tradition, deep forests, breathtaking valleys, plains... in the middle of an astonishing beauty. The number of things you can do with a bike is huge if only you had the time! Have a nice weekend.
By the way you describe it, doing Santiago by bike sounds great. I imagined a lot of it must be riding on the side of roads and that's not always comfortable. I've actually never seriously considered going cross country biking, but YOU have the right bike for it: a Berg Cross Country! Actually when I was a teen I once rode down the coast of California from north to south with some friends. I remember I hardly knew how to fix a flat tire back then (you've come a long way,baby). I tend to ride my Scattante on Friday mornings and we usually head up the bike lane to Tres Cantos, Colmenar, then onward! Actually yesterday I went alone because my riding buddies have young children at home, so I went to La Pedriza. It was actually on the windy side. By the way, the weather seems to be slowly taking a turn for the worse. In fact, the forecast says rain is due for Tuesday. I guess rain at Easter is a long-standing tradition. So we should get together sometime, maybe over the Easter break. Do you speak English as well as you write it? Cheers!
No, of course not. I can understand almost everything but when it comes to speak i´m not confortable AT ALL. My mind thinks in spanish, I can´t help it. It would take me some time to properly drill my mind and let it think just in english. I guess I could do so only by living abroad for some time. But for now, I practice a strange - and certainly long- ritual when I have to write which is impossible to do in the "quick" way that speaking is all about : Idea in spanish- translation into english- to think the best way to say it (many times I can´t even find a way!)- first "draw" - and corrections (false friends are really false friends)... Only written english allows you to take all this time. It would take a hell of a time to do the same when speaking. Oh my god, I really feel as if I were a 2yo little boy!. I´m not fast nor elocuent enough. It´s a common problem only to be solved by living abroad, thinking in english all the day long, dreaming of and in english all the night long... I bet you had this problem when you came to Spain for the first time unless you were bilingual at that time!. Btw your spanish is fantastic. Not only in biking you´ve come a long way and been successful! Sure!. We can get together on your biking day. Just one condition: In spanish, please . but I´m afraid weather forecast for friday is not good, rain is expected. I´ll take another look on wednesday... Cheers!.
Hi Interprator... I have just been reading this thread a little as I stumbled across it after doing a Google Search for "Berg Crosstown 7.4". I am thinking about buying it and have been Googling for some honest reviews about it. So how do you like the bike? Do you recommend it? It seems to have fairly impressive specification given its price (at least I think so). I have recently been a victim of having my bicycle stolen here in Madrid ... (long story), and so I am trying to get some relatively inexpensive wheels to get me back on the road again. The weather at the moment here in Madrid is just perfect for cycling , and I am really missing my bike at the moment! Anyhow...I just sent you a PM (personal message) with some specific questions about the price (as it may not be appropriate on this thread). Feel free to reply either by PM or here on the forum! Thanks so much in advance for your advice!
Hi Peter! (Masala). Welcome to the forum. Nice to meet another english native speaker biker. I did pm you back. I hope it helps. We are all curious to know what part of Madrid you are in and where you are from! Cheers.
Hola Interaptor! Thank you so much for the very kind welcome here to Foro MTB! I am genuinely so impressed that you took so much time in sending a complete newbie, such a long and detailed PM! Thank you so very much!!! I have to say that your extremely elaborated PM to me could work very well as a thorough independent review of the Crosstown 7.4 and really deserves to be on a public space rather than just in a PM. Once again I thank you. You have answered the vast majority of my previous doubts about this bike. The bike really is an amazing price for what it is, and exactly what I need now! The two bikes I was looking at in this price category were the Crosstown 7.4 and the Riverside 3 (Decathlon). However, I am not a big fan of the non-locking front suspension that comes on the Riverside, and from what I can gather the 7.4 comes with a Suntour SR Nex 4610 which has a lockout! If that is the case, and with the extra features such as the discs, the 7.4 has a great price!! As requested, a little about me! I have fairly recently moved to Madrid 'properly' but have actually been living in Madrid "on-and-off" for the last two years, as my better half is Spanish. However, I was still mainly studying back in the North-east of England. Now I am mainly working here and so am here for much longer periods. We live in the south of Madrid quite close to hospital 12 Octubre. In terms of cycling, this is close to the the new extension of the Manzanares path to the Caja Magica. (Actually very close to the new bridge that they built across the M-30/Nudo Sur area). When we still had our bikes we used to do a few local trips around here, but more in the Sierra Norte around the Guadalix area. Losing both of our bikes at once was sad but these things can happen anywhere, and we have also learnt from the experience! I love Madrid, and am sure to be around here for a long time. Once I am back on my wheels I would love to meet up with some of you guys for some trips. Also meeting some Spanish cyclists will help me practice some Spanish... Equally if any of you want to practice English or German I am up for that! I am not English born, but my origins are a bit complicated and will leave that for when I meet you in person! I am very much an amateur cyclist, but a couple of years ago I did a 500km tour along the Danube through Austria on a rented Trekking Bike and I realised again how much loved I just love cycling. (I liked everything... The bike, the trip, the country, the company...you get the drift...). Am hoping to finally do some longish trips here in Spain soon! Once again, thank you to all of you for the warm welcome... and especially to Interaptor for the very detailed PM that he painfully put together in remarkably easy-to-read Spanish. I am sorry I cannot write you an equivalent reply at this time of night, but in the future I will try to contribute as much as possible here on the forum! Cheers!! Peter.
New kid on the block. Cool! Welcome to the forum, Peter! On a not-so-happy note, the weather forecast is for rain EVERY DAY this Easter! Let's hope they're mistaken about that.
Thank you chainring! You guys are already making me feel at home on this block! Oh dear! :crybaby2 Not such good news... :rasca Well... hold on...less bad for me as I don't actually have a bike just yet! The bike I've been looking at is not in stock and looks like it will take a week getting to me. By then the weather will hopefully be perfect! Still... in the mean time, sorry for you guys!
So, It is not a stereotype!. UK people are really kindful and polite... Thank u so much, Peter. Don´t hesitate to contact me again whenever you need. After 3 months with my Crosstown I know her quite well. It´s a pleasure for me to know there could be another one in town!. Chainring is our chewing-gum cowboy from the States... (just another stereotype). We are in an urgent need of an australian biker over here!. We need a kiwi! (the third and last stereotype... cause No, I´m not a matador!) All right guys. I presume we have 2 premises and one conclusion. Premise numbre one, Peter is about to buy a bike. Premise number two, The weather forecast for this friday is not good. So, we can reach a logical conclusion: Do you fancy a get togheter on april the 29th so that we can start the "MMPCC".- or Madrid Melting Pot Cycling Club.???. Location to be determined, some spot in the Anillo Verde. And remember... we are in need of a "kiwibiker" in Madrid. (Just wanna-it-all and wanna-it-now philosophy). Cheers!.
The forecast for Friday doesn't look promising so we'll just have to play this one by ear. Actually Friday is road biking day for me, but if it's looking like rain I prefer to take my hybrid because it's got fenders and it's old. I love having an old bike: you don't have to worry so much about taking care of it. Actually the weather forecast for tomorrow Thursday doesn't look quite so dire so we could think about this day as well. In any case, where would be a good place to meet up on the Anillo? Can you make it, Peter?
Oh sorry, Peter sent me a pm as he would be going away from yesterday onwards... I´m afraid we won´t see the sun for the rest of the week. At least not enough to have a pleasant ride. I´m not keen enough on cycling to go out in the rain getting wet on the road... (my first step should be to buy a set of protective fenders like yours!). Our better option to meet up is better to be decided next week. Your road/hybrid biking day (Friday or Sunday) is OK for me . By then the weather can look up and Peter have his new bike ready to go. Have a nice rainy Easter.
Hello folks... Looking for some roadies in Madrid who can give me some advice on where to ride my road bike uninterrupted on smooth surface. Or, looking for a person / group that I can tag along with on rides. What are the best places to ride my road bike in Madrid? I have tried the anillo verde, but too interrupted. El Retiro, but too short (good enough for mornings before work). Casa Campo (little longer than el Retiro), and the bike lane along M607 (getting to the start is a pain from where I live). Today I was looking into El Prado but don't know if it is roadie friendly. I'm probably averaging 24 - 25 kph (17 - 18 mph) and currently can put in 40 - 60 km per ride. I live by Dr Esquerdo & O'Donnell. During the week I try to go to E Retiro and get at least 45 min of peddaling, but more interested in finding weekend, long, steady paced rides. Any recommendations on where to ride my "road bike" in Madrid? The MMPCC sounds like a great idea. Iváncho
Hi, In my case I live in Sanchinarro so the bike lane along the Colmenar Road (M 607) isn't too far away. So on Friday mornings some friends and I, there are three of us (if we're lucky), usually head out that way and go to Tres Cantos and then Colmenar. If you turn around at this point and go back to Sanchinarro you'll have gone 60 km. But we've done that hundreds of times so we usually push on to at least Soto del Real, where the bike lane ends. Actually we usually go off the bike lane and ride down highways to somewhere like La Pedriza, Miraflores or Guadalix, depending on the weather conditions and whatnot. Anyhow, you're more than welcome to come along. We meet in front of the Caprado at Avenida Francisco Pi y Maragall, 37 at 10:00 every Friday. Actually if you want to come along you could write and let me know so we'll be sure to wait for you. Our average speed is a bit faster than yours, probably 26-27 km/h, but one of the guys I ride with hasn't ridden at all this Easter so I bet we won't be going too fast. You can also turn around if it looks like we're going a bit far for you. So come along! Speaking of riding, this Easter I've managed to get out every day (except Friday) in spite of the inclement weather, although some of my rides were on the short side. But the important thing is pedal and stay in shape. In fact today I went to the Casa de Campo and rode around a bit with a friend who lives there, though I didn't take my mountain bike but my old faithful Diamondback, a 20-year-old hybrid bike. It was a beautiful day, clean crisp air after all the rain and wind. Actually it's still a bit windy. Cheers!
Friday... @ 10... Do you guys work? I would love to go with you guys. Let me know about any Sat or Sunday ride you guys do in the future. I too went to Casa Campo today. It was an excellent day for riding. Went from 11:30 to 13:30 and I had a Cafe De Colombia jersey. I cut across the park and made it to m-502 or 503 and it looked like a great rode to ride. Ever try these roads?
Hi Ivantraf Welcome to the forum. Aren´t you by any chance a Kiwibiker!!!?. Lol. It´s funny, Not a long ago Chainring said how lucky he is to live near the wilderness... Obviously it´s not your case. M-607 is an excellent paceful road bike lane for all those who live in northern Madrid or who can take the Anillo towards Tres Cantos, or who don´t care to drive their car there. Living in downtown Madrid you have to put in some extra 15 kilometers to get there. It probably worth it (your rides can well be 60-70 kilometers long -10 more than your current max. average ride- but you´ll have the magnificent opportunity to meet with Chainring (his average is around 30 when he is in fire!) with Peter -I hope- or with me (my average speed as amateur is only around 22 riding a hybrid) - but I´d suggest you another approach... Why don´t you join a cyclist club?.(I mean, not only The MMPCC, but an amateur real club)... I´m pretty sure it´s what you need. You know, for a friendly ride it´s not the road but the peloton that makes the difference in terms of security on the road, any road!... Besides every weekend they plan routes that vary depending on the group you are in. As far as I could understand, when entering a club you will be selected to join one group according your level and your needs as a cyclist. Why don´t you get it a try?. Anyway our weird cycling club, MMPCC, is probably about to be inaugurated some Friday or Sunday and you are invited to join us. Cheers!.
Yeah, we all work but it tends to be in the evening, so morning rides. Maybe we can do a weekend ride sometime, though I work on Saturdays and weekends tend to be family days for the other two (they have young children). Once I went from my home in Sanchinarro to the Casa de Campo and then on to El Escorial, a long ride. Actually I thought there was more smog in that direction than going more directly to the Sierras along the Colmenar Road. I sometimes go to the Casa de Campo on Sunday but usually on my mountain bike because a friend of mine who lives there has one. I do a bit of everything: road and dirt.
:shock: Thinking about why your average speed is so slow???. Look at Chain and repeat after me: "I won´t be lazy anymore. I won´t be lazy anymore" :razz: Cheers.
Hi Interaptor! Good to hear from you after the Easter break. So, I'm a little embarrassed to admit this because I feel I must have missed something obvious, but I don't what MMPCC is. Can you enlighten me? Cheers
