the ole winking lizard!,....I am from Medina and fell in love with the towpath in the early 90s. I used to ride it before and after work ALOT! I worked in Brecksville right on RT21. Nice channel!
The Lizard is still a cool place with good beer but I won't go there for food anymore - very off-the-truck chain-like food unfortunately. I started riding there in the 90s too when I was just a kid. Thanks for tuning in - cheers!
A pretty ordinary ride Tim - no epic distance or grand views, but that's what most of us do most of the time, so very relatable. Your commentary and recollections of childhood in the area provide plenty of interest. Looking forward to following your future trips.
When I started making videos for this channel that is kind of what I thought. "this is the way most people ride - and here are some other ways to ride your town you may not have thought of". I get a kick out of crazy Red Bull videos and travel videos too - but I also like to see what other people's day to day is like. Thanks! Cheers!
I have done a couple of 130mile plus rides recently and planned to do them on my own at Audax events in the UK. I am finding I meet people on the Audax event day that match my speed and we end up hanging out and waiting for each other on the rides. Just an idea for motivation on bigger rides because Audax rides are often nice new areas to explore, it’s not a race and everyone has bags strapped to their bikes :). I don’t know about Audax USA but I think they exist and may do rides that are not too far from you. In regard to the content question I would say “keep it casual” - it’s great seeing a mix of terrain and activities. I would say it’s always cool when you are in a group and the footage has folks weaving about you because its fun to watch but you can’t always be out with friends so even just a solo ride with a talk track works for me. A story is always good to see to, like a journey to a campsite, what happened for food, how things felt in the morning after the rain 😂. Bags - wow. That’s a massive topic which I think for me in the UK is wrapped up in the class struggle, right wing politics and male macho. Certain riding group events/clubs I attend are very formal and structured. The group is focused on performance and the social aspects of riding is only a backdrop to the performance focus. Ironically a group ride that makes you feel like you are on your own? Most of the group display a desire to have more expensive road bikes and attached to that is a lot about social position in the group and perceived performance focus. I am a Lycra wearing rider a lot of the time myself but I have lots of bags on the bike and my focus is touring and fun, so if I do join a club ride with the performance club, I normally estimate at least 4 comments being made on the ride along the lines of “the drag you will get from those bags will slow you down” or “they will be adding a lot of weight and why do you need them”. I tend to leave bags on a bike setup and I have a basket setup on one of the bikes and unfortunately there is a real divide between riders that want a social adventure and riders that want a faster personal best for a segment. I do sometimes cross over but I know my preference is a fun ride at a mostly party pace. Slightly related topic in the UK is MTB riders. Sadly it’s another massive divide here and really focused MTB folks won’t even respond to a hello if you are on a gravel bike and not in the “uniform” of black shorts and Fox-forks T-shirt. It’s amazing how many cultural divides exist! When I get blanked by an MTB rider, a tiny voice inside wants to shout “I own two MTB’s, I love riding them, please don’t blank me just because I am on a gravel bike today!”. I imagine it’s similar tribe-like behaviour in the USA and it’s strange how people define themselves in a set way. Certainly for me its anything goes but there are a lot of very “normal” followers of conformity out there that struggle to step outside the pack. 😢
100. I think I find it so fascinating(and sometimes offensive) because I don't come from any specific cycling discipline and I was unaware of all this well through my 20s and into my early 30s. My Dad was just someone who owned a bike and rode the trails on weekends and I had a '01 MTB I rode everywhere. When I started to meet other cyclists and ride together we just all rode different kinds of bikes and no one cared. Being totally into the whole "culture" and all the little details has been eye opening to me. The extremes on each side of the sport just remind me of high school jocks and I can do without them.
@@TimFitzwater Its bizzarre as you get closer in because even within the tribe there are divides. For example in that road bike fast group I know, if you have not got your stemp slammed right down, other riders will mock both the aesthetic and "perceived" performance reduction of a more comfortable setup with a stem with risers on that matches your comfort levels. Probably just another reason that folks inside lycra-permformance-carbon groups like to define themselves as different within their own pack. Its an unusual behaviour but I suppose to a slight degree we are defining a style but usually a more inclusive one within a friendly social group.
Definitely enjoy the vlog style of video! I ride by myself all the time, and appreciate seeing a solo ride from your perspective. Thanks for sharing. And good luck finding someone to fix the rear hanger!
"And, The Ride By the Numbers" Nice nod to Dustin. Keep up the good work, Tim. Love the vlogs. Love the A2/Sic Transit Video. Hope to make the trek down to Akron area (from Ann Arbor) to check out the Towpath this summer. Happy Pedaling! Cheers!
Thanks! Nice! Towpath is great but as mentioned if you can make it happen on a weekday that is the best time. I will be back up in Ann Arbor toward the end of July.
Almost forgot to mention the abundance of rabbits, mice, nighthawks and snakes that are also always my nocturnal bike path compatriots. Calling it "critter slalom". Many years & many miles on this path network and nary a collision. Lots of close calls though. Keeps one alert and always a bike headlight critic
Great vid&soundtrack. The upside of living here in the land of scorch where it's too hot to ride during the day? My summertime weekly ride is usually about 70 miles on the loop bike path from sunset til about 4am and not seeing anyone but coyotes, javelina, owls and bats. Gets crowded with cyclists in the winter so these summer solo nightrides are really sweet. Coupla 24hr stores at various spots around the path so it's do-able. May i ask what brand of ti drops do you have? Thinking i want some of those. Again, a vid well done sir 👏
Thanks!! Wow - night ride - all night rides!! Mine are Carver - the AllRoad Bars. I think they discontinued them(or are reworking them). My first set broke and the refunded me(and then I think I re-bought the last set they had on the website because I love them anyways).
I just started following you on Strava. You almost do almost as many miles as I do... I ride every day rain or shine. I'm 68. From when I turned 60 to now I've done over 100,000 km. 90+ % of the time I'm riding solo. There aren't many really long days. It's just riding at least 30 - 40 km per day, rain or shine. Luckily, the coldest it usually gets here is about 80°F I have a rear rack bag on all four of my bikes. I have bar bags on all but my MTB. I have one of those stem-mounted insulated water bottle holders on all of my bikes. That's where I carry my phone. I carry everything and spare important stuff. I'm out for a workout, why would I try to make my bike as light as possible... makes no sense.
Always entertaining. Vlog rides are great since you give some input about what your filming. Music ride vids are fun as well for not needing to listen intently. : )
You mentioned the bag you were using...thank you. Getting into longer rides (25+ miles) per trip and looking to extend it. Just curious what you find as the best bike bags to use on your trips.
I am a huge fan of Swift(linked in description) - I use the Zeitgeist for more capacity and bike touring and the Catalyst for summer/day rides. Both can go on the bars or saddles. I often use a combination of one on front and one on rear.
It's perfect weather now to ride there up north. It's too hot already here in Florida. I'm looking forward to riding there next month, towpath and all away to Cincinnati. Enjoy the ride!
Awesome! I hope it goes well. It’s funny to read this comment right now - we are having a record breaking heat wave this week. It feels exactly like Florida with the humidity and random thunderstorms!
Riding a bicycle for transportation. What will they think of next? . . . and using a gravel bike as a road bike? . . . you kids and your flouting established norms. 🙄😀
I always have, at a minimum, a large bag on my rack. I’ll also bring my bar bag if I think I’ll need additional space. Many times, I leave home with a nearly empty bag and get home with a full bag.
I'm getting closer to doing a half century! Thanks for all the inspiration 🙏 cheers 🍻
Heck yeah! I definitely made this an easier one by breaking it up so much.
Thanks!
This is some of my favorite parts of the towpath.
Party Pace - got to love Russ & Laura too
awesome! thank you!
the ole winking lizard!,....I am from Medina and fell in love with the towpath in the early 90s. I used to ride it before and after work ALOT! I worked in Brecksville right on RT21. Nice channel!
The Lizard is still a cool place with good beer but I won't go there for food anymore - very off-the-truck chain-like food unfortunately.
I started riding there in the 90s too when I was just a kid.
Thanks for tuning in - cheers!
Thank you for letting us enjoying the ride together.😍
Relaxing video to watch. Thanks for letting me come along for the ride.
All the content is great! Looks like a cool place to live and ride!
Thanks Tim....very cool to see rides . Like this , with friends , in the woods ..etc . it's all good . Feed the onyx one !
Great ride thanks for dragging us along, I do enjoy these solo rides as your musings complete the picture. Cheers.
Thanks! Cheers!
A pretty ordinary ride Tim - no epic distance or grand views, but that's what most of us do most of the time, so very relatable. Your commentary and recollections of childhood in the area provide plenty of interest. Looking forward to following your future trips.
When I started making videos for this channel that is kind of what I thought. "this is the way most people ride - and here are some other ways to ride your town you may not have thought of". I get a kick out of crazy Red Bull videos and travel videos too - but I also like to see what other people's day to day is like.
Thanks! Cheers!
I enjoyed this video with your conversation throughout your ride.
Nice one Tim. I liked the childhood memory tour. Very cool.
I have done a couple of 130mile plus rides recently and planned to do them on my own at Audax events in the UK. I am finding I meet people on the Audax event day that match my speed and we end up hanging out and waiting for each other on the rides. Just an idea for motivation on bigger rides because Audax rides are often nice new areas to explore, it’s not a race and everyone has bags strapped to their bikes :). I don’t know about Audax USA but I think they exist and may do rides that are not too far from you.
In regard to the content question I would say “keep it casual” - it’s great seeing a mix of terrain and activities. I would say it’s always cool when you are in a group and the footage has folks weaving about you because its fun to watch but you can’t always be out with friends so even just a solo ride with a talk track works for me. A story is always good to see to, like a journey to a campsite, what happened for food, how things felt in the morning after the rain 😂.
Bags - wow. That’s a massive topic which I think for me in the UK is wrapped up in the class struggle, right wing politics and male macho. Certain riding group events/clubs I attend are very formal and structured. The group is focused on performance and the social aspects of riding is only a backdrop to the performance focus. Ironically a group ride that makes you feel like you are on your own? Most of the group display a desire to have more expensive road bikes and attached to that is a lot about social position in the group and perceived performance focus. I am a Lycra wearing rider a lot of the time myself but I have lots of bags on the bike and my focus is touring and fun, so if I do join a club ride with the performance club, I normally estimate at least 4 comments being made on the ride along the lines of “the drag you will get from those bags will slow you down” or “they will be adding a lot of weight and why do you need them”.
I tend to leave bags on a bike setup and I have a basket setup on one of the bikes and unfortunately there is a real divide between riders that want a social adventure and riders that want a faster personal best for a segment. I do sometimes cross over but I know my preference is a fun ride at a mostly party pace.
Slightly related topic in the UK is MTB riders. Sadly it’s another massive divide here and really focused MTB folks won’t even respond to a hello if you are on a gravel bike and not in the “uniform” of black shorts and Fox-forks T-shirt. It’s amazing how many cultural divides exist! When I get blanked by an MTB rider, a tiny voice inside wants to shout “I own two MTB’s, I love riding them, please don’t blank me just because I am on a gravel bike today!”. I imagine it’s similar tribe-like behaviour in the USA and it’s strange how people define themselves in a set way. Certainly for me its anything goes but there are a lot of very “normal” followers of conformity out there that struggle to step outside the pack. 😢
100.
I think I find it so fascinating(and sometimes offensive) because I don't come from any specific cycling discipline and I was unaware of all this well through my 20s and into my early 30s. My Dad was just someone who owned a bike and rode the trails on weekends and I had a '01 MTB I rode everywhere. When I started to meet other cyclists and ride together we just all rode different kinds of bikes and no one cared.
Being totally into the whole "culture" and all the little details has been eye opening to me. The extremes on each side of the sport just remind me of high school jocks and I can do without them.
@@TimFitzwater Its bizzarre as you get closer in because even within the tribe there are divides. For example in that road bike fast group I know, if you have not got your stemp slammed right down, other riders will mock both the aesthetic and "perceived" performance reduction of a more comfortable setup with a stem with risers on that matches your comfort levels. Probably just another reason that folks inside lycra-permformance-carbon groups like to define themselves as different within their own pack. Its an unusual behaviour but I suppose to a slight degree we are defining a style but usually a more inclusive one within a friendly social group.
Great video! Can't wait to see the coming big adventures.
Definitely enjoy the vlog style of video! I ride by myself all the time, and appreciate seeing a solo ride from your perspective. Thanks for sharing. And good luck finding someone to fix the rear hanger!
Thanks!!
I like this style video. Thanks.
This was a good one Tim keep up the good work.
Was in Richfield in 1990 for some Grateful Dead shows. Thanks for jarring my memory.
Coliseum? I remember when the Dead would come to town. All the hippies in the parks like Kendall Ledges.
@@TimFitzwater yes, the Coliseum. There was a wave pool involved as well.
Huh. If you’re talking in the literal sense the only wave pool around was at Geauga Lake.
"And, The Ride By the Numbers" Nice nod to Dustin. Keep up the good work, Tim. Love the vlogs. Love the A2/Sic Transit Video. Hope to make the trek down to Akron area (from Ann Arbor) to check out the Towpath this summer. Happy Pedaling! Cheers!
Thanks!
Nice! Towpath is great but as mentioned if you can make it happen on a weekday that is the best time.
I will be back up in Ann Arbor toward the end of July.
I was kinda bummed when they stopped the Sweetcorn Challenge.
Same. It has become a tradition for my Dad and I.
Almost forgot to mention the abundance of rabbits, mice, nighthawks and snakes that are also always my nocturnal bike path compatriots. Calling it "critter slalom". Many years & many miles on this path network and nary a collision. Lots of close calls though. Keeps one alert and always a bike headlight critic
great content,thanks !
Like the "ride about" veelog style.
Great vid&soundtrack. The upside of living here in the land of scorch where it's too hot to ride during the day? My summertime weekly ride is usually about 70 miles on the loop bike path from sunset til about 4am and not seeing anyone but coyotes, javelina, owls and bats. Gets crowded with cyclists in the winter so these summer solo nightrides are really sweet. Coupla 24hr stores at various spots around the path so it's do-able. May i ask what brand of ti drops do you have? Thinking i want some of those. Again, a vid well done sir 👏
Thanks!!
Wow - night ride - all night rides!!
Mine are Carver - the AllRoad Bars. I think they discontinued them(or are reworking them). My first set broke and the refunded me(and then I think I re-bought the last set they had on the website because I love them anyways).
Is the Towpath still closed north of Brecksville?
During the week it is.
Kind of tired of just riding for the sake of riding. Gotta need something to look forward to something.
I just started following you on Strava. You almost do almost as many miles as I do... I ride every day rain or shine. I'm 68. From when I turned 60 to now I've done over 100,000 km. 90+ % of the time I'm riding solo. There aren't many really long days. It's just riding at least 30 - 40 km per day, rain or shine. Luckily, the coldest it usually gets here is about 80°F
I have a rear rack bag on all four of my bikes. I have bar bags on all but my MTB. I have one of those stem-mounted insulated water bottle holders on all of my bikes. That's where I carry my phone. I carry everything and spare important stuff. I'm out for a workout, why would I try to make my bike as light as possible... makes no sense.
Lucky for you! Thats too hot for a lot of us here!
That is awesome you get out so much! I would definitely ride more if I had the time.
Mixing it up with solo and group rides is great.
More shots with the family, please... !!
Always entertaining. Vlog rides are great since you give some input about what your filming. Music ride vids are fun as well for not needing to listen intently. : )
I’m New to the channel and am Enjoying your vids. This might be covered in one of your previous videos but what bike is that you’re riding?
Thanks!
This is a 2014 Raleigh Tamland 2.
Early gravel bike.
You mentioned the bag you were using...thank you. Getting into longer rides (25+ miles) per trip and looking to extend it. Just curious what you find as the best bike bags to use on your trips.
I am a huge fan of Swift(linked in description) - I use the Zeitgeist for more capacity and bike touring and the Catalyst for summer/day rides. Both can go on the bars or saddles. I often use a combination of one on front and one on rear.
It's perfect weather now to ride there up north. It's too hot already here in Florida. I'm looking forward to riding there next month, towpath and all away to Cincinnati. Enjoy the ride!
Awesome! I hope it goes well.
It’s funny to read this comment right now - we are having a record breaking heat wave this week. It feels exactly like Florida with the humidity and random thunderstorms!
Riding a bicycle for transportation. What will they think of next? . . . and using a gravel bike as a road bike? . . . you kids and your flouting established norms. 🙄😀
🥸😎
Love your videos. Thanks for sharing.
😎
I'm going to your mom & dad's house!!! 🙃
Tell ‘em I said “sup?”.
Thanks Tim. Like the personal history you shared. Look forward to the ride prep videos. Very helpful in my prep for GAP/C&O, OTE, Erie Canal, etc.
Thank you for sharing your adventures and memories, it is inspiring!
Nice day out!!😉✌️
I always have, at a minimum, a large bag on my rack. I’ll also bring my bar bag if I think I’ll need additional space. Many times, I leave home with a nearly empty bag and get home with a full bag.
Sometimes I don't even know what will end up in the bag. I like to have options!
great video. i love seeing places i recognize in these videos
Thanks!
I thought of you when I passed the Rising Valley sign. I almost turned around and name checked you with an "for old time's sake?!"