Well I did it.
I sold the 3 speed bike with the 26 x 3 inch tires to a neighbor and traded my 21 speed Specialized 700 x 45 road bike along with some cash to our local bike shop for a mountain bike.
A Giant Talon 27.5.3 -24 speed Mountain Bike.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bi ... 213/84067/
Keep the Terra Trike Rambler ( viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10299 ) for the road and will use the Talon for the dirt.
Had the dealer install a couple of water bottle holders , a rack on the back along with a trunk on the rack to hold tools and spare inner tubes along with emergency equipment. Also modified the handlebar with a riser which moved it up a bit and back and switched out the seat to something a little more comfortable for me.
I have a set of Panniers ( Bike Saddle Bags for a better term ) that will fit on the rack so they can be loaded with camping gear for some Bike Packing a little later on.
The same as canoe camping except in this case the bike will carry myself and all the gear on the trips. Switching off paddling for some peddling right now. :wink:
I have been trying it , back of the house , on the old Rail Road fill and part of the Flagler Trail and Florida Trail to see how it rides and handles the dirt. It is something else with the adjustable shocks on the front , sure smooths out the roots and bumps.
When you get back to the hard pavement just adjust the shocks to the hard setting for the hard road.
The 24 speeds lets you get the right gear for the sugar sand , mud , and old cinders on the trail. One good thing is you can cover some distance if you want to to find nice camping areas.
This bike is going to open up a whole new style of camping and territory for me. Florida State Parks and even the Counties have a ton of dirt roads and paths for Mountain Bike ( off road ) riding and camping. The National forests have even more paths and back areas to enjoy.
I sold the 3 speed bike with the 26 x 3 inch tires to a neighbor and traded my 21 speed Specialized 700 x 45 road bike along with some cash to our local bike shop for a mountain bike.
A Giant Talon 27.5.3 -24 speed Mountain Bike.
https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bi ... 213/84067/
Keep the Terra Trike Rambler ( viewtopic.php?f=16&t=10299 ) for the road and will use the Talon for the dirt.
Had the dealer install a couple of water bottle holders , a rack on the back along with a trunk on the rack to hold tools and spare inner tubes along with emergency equipment. Also modified the handlebar with a riser which moved it up a bit and back and switched out the seat to something a little more comfortable for me.
I have a set of Panniers ( Bike Saddle Bags for a better term ) that will fit on the rack so they can be loaded with camping gear for some Bike Packing a little later on.
The same as canoe camping except in this case the bike will carry myself and all the gear on the trips. Switching off paddling for some peddling right now. :wink:
I have been trying it , back of the house , on the old Rail Road fill and part of the Flagler Trail and Florida Trail to see how it rides and handles the dirt. It is something else with the adjustable shocks on the front , sure smooths out the roots and bumps.
When you get back to the hard pavement just adjust the shocks to the hard setting for the hard road.
The 24 speeds lets you get the right gear for the sugar sand , mud , and old cinders on the trail. One good thing is you can cover some distance if you want to to find nice camping areas.
This bike is going to open up a whole new style of camping and territory for me. Florida State Parks and even the Counties have a ton of dirt roads and paths for Mountain Bike ( off road ) riding and camping. The National forests have even more paths and back areas to enjoy.