Weekend Ride Report

[GuyGadois]

A couple of buddies and I headed out to Joshua Tree on our bikes-in-tow vacation to Palm Desert. It was beautiful, 75 degrees (!) and sunny. I have never been to Joshua Tree and was amazed at how beautiful it was. The roads were newly repaved like glass and traffic was minimal to non-existent (there was a tortoise crossing the road at one point). Good time and a highly recommended ride. I put U2's Joshua Tree on the iPhone's speaker phone during the ride for maximum impact.

photos:

http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs/100573/IMG_0357/web.jpg?ver=12449335800001

http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs/100573/IMG_0364/web.jpg?ver=12449335680001

http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs/100573/IMG_0343/web.jpg?ver=12449336020001

http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs/100573/IMG_0375/web.jpg?ver=12449335500001

Lone Wolf and I
http://gallery.me.com/danspeirs/100573/IMG_0339/web.jpg?ver=12449336100001

[whitecda]

Added: Guy, so sorry. I thought your title was Weekend Ride Report"S". I shouldn't have butted-in. ~Don

No pics sadly, but 20 easy mi Fri evening in Swiss/Amish area in Indiana (my moms hometown). Was on the way to a fam reunion and tossed in the Kirk at the last minute. Weather turned beautiful after being gray and gross all day and I went out for an hour just before sundown. Field of Dreams lighting.....beautiful!

Amish kids (and adults) waved at every farm and 3 kids in a buggy raced me. They never said a word, but kept running the horse faster until a full gallop. Never passed them, but had a nice draft there for a while. They kept sneeking looks back with huge smiles.

One of my favorite rides ever.

Don

[thinpin]

Pardon my ignorance, but do the Amish ride bikes. Cant imagine any reason why not but you never know.

[chuckred]

Pardon my ignorance, but do the Amish ride bikes. Cant imagine any reason why not but you never know.

Can't remember where, but I remember reading about a roadie on his $$$ racing bike trying to keep up with some Amish kid on an old klunker... or was that the Floyd Landis story?

[Steve in SLO]

Great pics, Guy.
I misspent many a long weekend there during medical school climbing and mountain biking, but never thought to bring my road bike. You hit ut just right: shortly it'll be over 100 degrees by 10 AM and too hot to ride.

[nahtnoj]

Pardon my ignorance, but do the Amish ride bikes. Cant imagine any reason why not but you never know.

Mennonites do, Amish don't. Amish use kick-bikes instead. Bikes with gears involve too much mechanization.

Kick bikes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohnfamily/2831747361/

If you don't know the difference between Amish and Mennonites you probably weren't raised in Lancaster County, PA.

[whitecda]

Pardon my ignorance, but do the Amish ride bikes. Cant imagine any reason why not but you never know.
Actually I saw several bikes parked by Amish homes. So I don't know the exact "rules", but I'd say yes, at least in this area.

AND, one other thing I had never seen before, Saturday AM on the main highway running out of town (US 27 btw) I saw an Amish kid, probably late teens early 20's, rollerblading up the highway! Flying, in full "plain" clothes, but no protection. :)

Don

[whitecda]

Mennonites do, Amish don't. Amish use kick-bikes instead. Bikes with gears involve too much mechanization.

Kick bikes:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohnfamily/2831747361/

If you don't know the difference between Amish and Mennonites you probably weren't raised in Lancaster County, PA.
Amish and Old Order Mennonites are often mistaken. Mennonite Church USA is a "modern" protestant denomination....no caps required. :)

[nahtnoj]

Amish and Old Order Mennonites are often mistaken. Mennonite Church USA is a "modern" protestant denomination....no caps required. :)

For the sake of explanation to tourists from Long Island, I used to break down the Mennonites along three lines, based on transportation device:

1. Buggy (black, gray are Amish)
2. Black car
3. Non-black car