Lehigh Valley Ride: Rodale Fitness Park

I was still craving more Trikke action after my exploration of Cedar Beach Park last Monday, so instead of doing more laps there, I headed to Bob Rodale Cycling and Fitness Park in Trexlertown.  I had biked here a few months ago, and it has been on my radar since then as a good riding place for the Trikke.

This trail is located across from the Lehigh Valley Velodrome on Mosser Road.  It has ample parking and porta-johns on site.  The trail is open from dawn to dusk, but sometimes is closed to the public for special events.  I have not yet located a schedule for these closures, but I believe they still run bicycle criterium races every Thursday night.

http://www.lehighcounty.org/departments/parksandrecreation/rodalepark/tabid/451/default.aspx#TOP

At all other times, you’ll find this to be one of the most delightful places to Trikke due to its unique design.  Although the Trikke friendly inner loop is a mere 0.6 miles long, the trail is very wide with individual lanes for walkers/joggers, inline skaters and bicyclists.  Traffic flows in one direction around the track; clockwise.  Because the Trikke moves at about the same pace as a skater, I selected the middle lane for my ride.  This layout almost eliminates the worries of being held up by slower traffic or by constantly having to watch your back for cyclists coming from behind.  That said, where the inner loop diverges and re-converges with the outer loop, it is necessary to check for upcoming bicyclists as you cross their path.  Due to the proximity to the velodrome, any bicyclists you encounter here are likely hardcore road racers doing 20+ mph, so safety is the key as you cross over.

The Rodale map describes the inner loop as “flat”, but whether you are on a bike or a Trikke you’ll likely disagree with this label.  From the starting point, it is a steady incline towards the southwest corner.  You get a slight breather around the corner itself before the trail climbs more significantly towards the northwest corner.  The level app on my iPhone showed this to be about a 3 degree incline, which for me is the maximum I’m able to handle right now.  From here, there is a short decline down to the junction where the inner and outer loop diverge.  Stay on the inner loop for a relatively flat ride back to the starting point.

The 1.3 mile outer loop lives up to its “hill” designation.  I have not attempted this on the Trikke, and would only recommend it to the most skilled and experienced riders out there.  I have biked it before, and it is a true challenge for me to get up it even using the so-called “granny gear”.

So if only 0.6 miles of this trail is Trikke friendly, why am I recommending it?  There are several good reasons.  As I mentioned earlier, you’ll likely have an unobstructed run in the roller blade lane.  Secondly, it is a great place to begin learning basic climbing techniques on the moderate inclines of the “flat” loop.  Finally, because of its short laps, you can vary your ride to whatever length fits your fitness level and mood of the day.

Because I had Trikked in Cedar Beach Park earlier in the day, I kept my ride here short.  It was a hot and humid day, so it was also pushing the limits of my endurance.  I did 5 laps for a total of 3 miles.  If you add the path to and from the parking lot the total ride was likely closer to 3.8 miles.  Despite that, I was able to complete 3 of those 5 laps without stopping on the inclines.  I was really proud of myself, because until last month’s Riding Clinikk in Philadelphia, I was rarely able to tackle even the smallest incline.

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/116433315

Overall this is a fun place to ride, and may be an ideal spot for some mid-week rides after work, provided it isn’t closed for a bicycle race.  I will continue hunting for this closure schedule so I can share it with you.

Lehigh Valley Ride: Cedar Creek Path

I set out last Monday morning to explore Trexler Memorial Park, but was greeted by a sign in the parking lot that declared that no bicycles were allowed in the park on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.  Although the Trikke is hard to classify, I took that as a clear indication that I wouldn’t be welcomed there, as the park was very full with walkers and joggers.  Shaking off this disappointment, I recalled that Cedar Beach Park was literally around the corner, so I decided to explore there instead.

My first impression of this park is that although the trail is relatively short, it is by far the most beautiful riding spot I’ve found so far.  The park is basically divided into two halves, split by North Ott Street.  I parked on the west side off at a small lot at Parkway Boulevard and North 30^th Street.  There were some walkers, joggers and kids on bicycles, but not enough to get in the way of a good Trikke ride.

I started by riding the main loop of Cedar Creek Path around the west side of the park:

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/116400833

There are some slight inclines and hills on this loop which may deter someone just learning to ride, but with a moderate level of experience they shouldn’t prove to be a problem.  In particular the area near where I parked (northern side) and the southeast corner involve some minor climbs.  This 1.3 mile loop is mostly out in the open with no shade for those hot days.  The northeast corner has some tree cover at the garden and pond portion of the park.  This section switches from a conventional asphalt trail to brick pavers, but the Trikke rides just fine over them.  It is here that the park really gets its distinct beauty and character.

Having completed that loop, I decided to start exploring everything else I could find.  There is an angled pathway through that loop which is flat and easy to ride, although you’ll likely have to walk your Trikke over the very narrow bridge connecting it back to the main trail.

I then crossed North Ott Street to explore the east side of the park.

http://www.mapmyfitness.com/routes/view/116415281

This side has less to offer a Trikker.  Cedar Creek Road runs the entire length of this part and has some vehicular traffic from North Ott Street to the parking lot.  It is closed to entry and exit from Hamilton Boulevard though, which does keep traffic to a minimum.  The nice thing is this road is very wide and flat, so with nobody else on it I was free to ride my Trikke without disruption.

Cedar Creek Path meets Cedar Creek Road at the east end of the park, but I was not able to Trikke this loop around Lake Muhlenberg as it is gravel.  So I rode back along Cedar Creek Road until I picked up a minor paved trail along the west end of the lake and around the parking lot.  This part was paved, but very narrow, and I would not consider this a real destination for Trikking.

As this was my first visit to the park, I cannot yet offer any commentary on how crowded it gets at different times.  It is located in a densely populated area, so I do have to assume there may be times it gets crowded.  I would not let that deter me from going back though, as it was an enjoyable ride in a beautiful location.  For future rides, I will likely stick with doing laps around the main loop on the west side, or riding back and forth on Cedar Creek Road on the east side.

My Fountain of Youth

What do you get when you combine 19 years of working at a desk job, PLUS a love of sedentary hobbies such as reading, writing, video games and model cars, PLUS a love of junk food, PLUS a general disdain for working out?  The answer’s easy.  You get ME . . . a 40 year old woman who weighed about 100 pounds more than she should, along with all the aches, pains, lethargy and moodiness that accompany such a sedentary lifestyle.

So what do you get when you add a Trikke T78 into the above equation?  That answer’s also easy.  You get ME . . . a 40 year old woman who has lost 40 pounds in 5 months and who now has the energy and enthusiasm of a 20 year old!  When I gave myself that little green Trikke as a birthday present, I had no idea that I had actually discovered my personal “fountain of youth”.

While this is a success story in its own right, my story has really just begun.  Five months ago, I struggled to make my little T78 go back and forth on my own driveway, and would get winded within minutes.  The first half-mile I rode it on a bike trail was enough to make me nauseous and fatigued.  But there was something I loved about the way the Trikke moved and the smile it put on my face, so I kept carving.

I joined a local riding group, Trikke Riders of Pennsylvania (http://www.meetup.com/TrikkePA/), to make some new friends, find some new trails and learn some better riding techniques.  Soon after, my rides increased to 5 miles and I was feeling stronger, more capable and more confident.

Last month I attended the Trikke Academy in Philadelphia and took the new one-day ‘Trikke Associates’ program (http://www.trikkeacademy.com/Associate_Clinikk_FAQ.html).  I have now earned the status of ‘Trike Affiliate’, and the first time I took to the trail with my improved carving skills I completed 10 miles with relative ease.  In such short time, I have gone from struggling to putter along at 4 mph to cruising along at 8 mph and enjoying it more with each carve.

My love affair with the Trikke has not stopped there.  My desire to ride faster and further has spurred other lifestyle changes, which include a switch to a nutritious diet, calorie counting, and other cross-training exercises such as bicycling and kettlebell workouts.  Most of my age-related aches and pains are gone, and I’m greeting each day with a newfound enthusiasm.

This blog is the next step in my personal journey, as I seek to share my love of Trikking with others and to begin building a community of fellow riders.  I still have another 60 or so pounds to lose while exploring the many trails that the Lehigh Valley and eastern Pennsylvania have to offer.  I hope you’ll join me in that journey, as we all seek to reclaim our health and our youth.

Accidental Discovery

Sometimes things happen when we least expect them.  Take today for example when it seemed that I had really screwed up badly.  All weekend I had intended to set out on Sunday morning to explore Trexler Memorial Park in Allentown on my Trikke.  I was really psyched for checking out a new riding spot.

But rewind to yesterday . . . it was the first comfortable day in about two weeks as our heat wave finally subsided.  I mowed the lawn in the afternoon, and then got really ambitious about cleaning up the yard that had been largely neglected this year.  So out came the weed-whacker, and after an hour or so of attacking all the places the lawnmower can’t reach, I was left with a beautiful yard . . . and two arms that hurt so badly I wished they would fall off.  I didn’t feel much better when I woke up this morning, so the Trikke ride was scratched off the day’s agenda.

But it was 70 degrees, overcast, and generally quite comfortable and I really didn’t want to stay cooped up inside.  I decided a bicycle ride would be a nice compromise between giving my arms a rest while letting the rest of me get some much needed fresh air and exercise.  Because I was still craving a new riding spot, I decided to explore some of the D&L Trail near Easton, PA.  Despite my love of the Trikke, I do still bike regularly, and I use those opportunities to ride the Lehigh Valley’s many gravel trails that are inaccessible to the Trikke.

I had never ridden the canal path between Hugh Moore Park and downtown Easton before, so I pedaled in that direction and made a delightful discovery . . . that 2.5 mile section of trail is paved!  Voila!!  A new Trikke riding place!

There are a few caveats to this discovery.  It’s a very narrow path and although it’s mostly flat, there are a few hills that might be too much for me to handle on the Trikke right now.  There was also a complete trail blockage by trees that were downed in last Wednesday’s storm, but I would guess they will remedy that soon.  Because I was on my bicycle, I was able to hop onto the gravel trail that paralleled the paved trail to get around this obstacle.  Finally, on the eastern end of the trail, some of the pavement is somewhat lumpy and broken up. http://www.delawareandlehigh.org/index.php/trail/section/hugh-moore-park-forks-of-the-delaware/

That said I will be planning a trip there in the near future with the Trikke to get a better feel for it, and to provide a complete write-up and map.  Across the river, there’s a 2-mile paved stretch of the D&L Trail running from Riverview Park off 25^th Street west to the boat launch near the Route 33 overpass.  This section of trail is wider and completely flat except for one tiny hill.  If you’re looking for a place to Trikke in the area, this certainly would be a nice choice, and it provides beautiful views of the Delaware River while you ride.  http://www.delawareandlehigh.org/index.php/trail/section/freemansburg-hugh-moore-park/

There’s a short section of public road that connects Riverview Park and Hugh Moore Park.  Vehicular traffic was almost non-existent on Lehigh Drive, but the road surface itself is very rough.  The Hill Street Bridge is also closed for construction, although I was able to cross it on the sidewalk.  If you’re able and willing to Trikke this short stretch, you can combine both trail sections for a ride that’s about 5 ½ miles each way.

Despite the difficulties, I was thrilled to make this discovery today, and when I return to the area with the Trikke I will post a full trail review.  In the meantime, I’m hoping my arms are recovered enough by tomorrow to take the Trikke to Trexler Memorial Park.

Lehigh Valley Ride: The Ironton Rail Trail

This is the first in a series of posts as I find and share good Trikke trails and roads in the Lehigh Valley.  Anyone living here knows that it's a beautiful but hilly area, so Trikking here is particularly challenging when you’re a beginner. With that in mind, there are still some great flat trails and roads, and as I Trikke them I will review them here.

I most frequently ride the Ironton Rail Trail in Coplay, PA. The full trail consists of a paved 5 mile loop, and a 2.5 mile gravel spur, but only a portion of the loop is well-suited for the Trikke:

Click here for my Trikke Ride Map.

There's a small gravel parking lot in the southeast corner of the loop off of Water Street that is the ideal starting spot for this ride.  (Be aware that at the moment, the driveway leading to the lot has some large ruts in it, so be cautious if you have a low-to-the-ground car.)  Heading west on the bottom portion of the loop, then north will take you to the northwest corner. It is a slight and steady climb, but close enough to flat that it is easy enough for a beginning Trikker.

The bridge over Lehigh Street offers a slight climb in both directions.  When I was new at Trikking, I would have to walk it to the top of the bridge, but after a few rides I was able to get over it with ease.  On the west side of the loop, there are road-level crossings at Center Street and East Columbia Street. Use caution here as there is a decent amount of car traffic at each crossing.

Once you reach the northwest corner, you'll likely want to turn around because beyond that point is a long steep hill that is challenging even on a bicycle (but someday, I’m going to Trikke up it, someday….).  By this time, you’re Trikked 2.5 miles, and there are two benches you can sit on and take a well-earned break. The Trikke ride back to the parking lot will be slightly downgrade and is very smooth and enjoyable.

If you’re just starting out, this 5-mile round trip may be as much Trikking as you can handle for the moment.  I rode this route many times, before extending my ride to the full 8 miles.  If you wish to do the same, simply continue past the parking lot heading north along the east side of the loop.  You can ride almost a mile and a half north before you hit the gravel portion, which is the northeast corner of the loop. Some of this is getting to be a steeper climb than the other sides (I'm estimating it's a 2% or 3% grade), and then it's of course easier on the return trip. This side of the trail often has less joggers and walkers, because its access from the neighborhood is more difficult. There is a lot of tree cover here, so you do have to be careful of fallen branches and such on the trail surface.  The return ride to the parking lot brings the entire ride to 8 miles, and covers as much of the Trikke-friendly portion possible without repeating a section.

I have not yet Trikked the northern side of the trail, for the simple reason that it’s all a steep hill that still challenges me on my bicycle.  The climb from the northwest corner to the street-crossing at West Coplay Road is very steep, and if I can ever climb this I know I will have truly mastered the Trikke.  The climb from the northeast corner (park at Saylor Park, near the old kilns) to West Coplay Road is longer but more gradual.  I’m not ready to attempt this stretch yet, but will likely try it in the fall when the weather is cooler and the trail traffic less.

For those who may have difficulty with ruts in the Water Street parking lot, parking at Saylor Park off of Coplay Road is a decent alternative.  If you’re looking for the flat part of the trail, head past the kilns and around the corner towards the eastern side of the loop.  You’ll only be able to go a short distance before the trail turns to gravel.  Luckily it is only gravel for about ¼ mile, so just walk your Trikke through that short stretch.  From there, you’ll have smooth and nearly level pavement all the way to the northwest corner and back.  This will get you the full 8 mile ride I described, plus a little extra.

I have been riding this trail regularly and am finding it to be great for Trikking. You do have to be mindful that it is a popular trail that encircles a large neighborhood, so there will be lots of bikers, walkers and joggers on it at certain times.  You also have to be looking out for cyclists coming up from behind, which can happen fairly quickly given the unusual curvature of this rail trail.  I use a mirror mounted on my helmet that helps to warn me of their approach.  The locals in this neighborhood are generally very nice, and I get a lot of smiles and comments such as, “That looks fun!” while I ride there.  Do take care to practice good riding etiquette here as you will be faster than the walkers and (most) joggers, yet slower than the bicyclists.  Most people there are not yet familiar with Trikkes, and I would hate for their first impression of us to be a negative one.

As with any trail, too many disruptions to your momentum will make this a tedious ride, so I do advise you to pick times and days when the trail is less crowded.  In general if you avoid rides during afternoons and early evenings during the week, and mid-mornings to evenings on the weekends, you’ll be riding this trail at its best.  I’m also fond of riding in the colder weather, which does tend to keep the trail clear at most times.  On quieter days, you’ll likely see deer in the fields along the southern portion of the loop.  Take caution as they do sometimes venture onto the trail, but also enjoy getting an up-close view of them as you ride by.

Overall, the Ironton loop one of the best local trails for both biking and Trikking as it is flat, scenic and has minimal road crossings.  If you have ridden this trail, I’d love to hear your impressions of it as well.

Welcome to the Brave New World of Trikking

Welcome to my new blog!  Over the next few weeks, I will begin posting articles about my new hobby of Trikking.  This is an established, yet niche sport which is great fitness and great fun.  I know many of you have never seen one of these unique vehicles before, and will have a lot of questions about them.  Some of you may have been considering trying one for a while, but have not yet found enough information or courage to get you started.  Still others may be experienced riders looking to meet others who share their passion for Trikkes.  It is my hope that this blog will appeal to all of you, regardless of your prior experiences.  Because I’m fairly new at the sport and still learning about it, I invite you to check back regularly and learn with me.

I live in the beautiful Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania.  For those that don’t know the area, it’s scenic and hilly, and initially seems like a strange place to learn to ride a vehicle that excels on flat land.  I’ve never been one to shy away from a good challenge, so I did some exploring.  My search has turned up many nice, flat places to enjoy Trikking here, which I will share with you as I ride them.  I am also just beginning to learn hill-climbing, so new areas will open up to me here as I master that skill.

This blog will be about so much more than just the Trikke and places to ride it though.  My primary goal is to build a community of riders from all walks of life.  I plan to organize some rides in the Lehigh Valley so we can meet and get to know each other.  I’d love to hear from people in other parts of the country and world to hear about their experiences, trails and communities as well.  You never know when a road trip or Trikke event will bring us together.

My other hope is to encourage those of you who’ve shunned physical fitness over the years to get up off the couch and have some fun.  I’m guilty-as-charged when it comes to having packed on way too many pounds during my decades as a desk-jockey, but I have now begun my journey back towards wellness.

Discovering the Trikke changed my outlook on this, and I enjoy it so much that now I can’t imagine not getting out and riding it.  Many of you likely find yourselves in the same place in life, so I will also include other information on health, nutrition, exercise and mental well-being that will help you get started on your wellness journey.

Stay tuned for coming articles to get to know me and the world of Trikke better.  Drop me a line to let me know about your adventures and experiences.  I’ll look forward to getting to know you too.

It’s time to rock and roll!!