Getting Started

The Logan, UT area is a wonderful place to live if you work locally and own no motorized transportation.  The hills around the valley are tolerable until you approach the foothills of the Wasatch-Cache or Wellsville mountain ranges.  The climate is relatively dry.  The morning and evening temperatures are mild during the summer months.  And when the winter weather clutches the valley, there is a free transit bus service to help folks get from point A to point B without freezing to death.

I lived in Logan for 26 years and my bicycle was my primary source of transportation for half that time.  Before the bus system moved into the valley, I walked during the winter and biked during warm weather.  But once I purchased a vehicle, the bicycle eventually wound up in storage.  I occasionally dragged it out for riding adventures in Green Canyon, Blacksmith Fork Canyon and Logan Canyon.  In 2003, my bike got more use when I motivated myself to shape up and lose weight.  I rode a 10 mile route from my home to Airport Road and back each evening.  When I bored of the route, I made little side trips to keep things interesting.

My bicycle returned to storage after I moved to Dacula, GA. in 2003.  I gave riding around my neighborhood several tries, but I disliked the big hills and detested the narrow roads with non-existent paved shoulders.  The traffic is oppressive and many drivers are just downright mean and nasty.  I found riding around Dacula to be a frightening experience.

As the middle-age spread returned to my body, I finally decided that I would give the bike another chance.  My mountain bike is pretty sluggish for suburban riding, so I researched road bicycles for many months.  I finally purchased a Surly Long Haul Trucker from The Hub in Athens, GA.  I would prefer to have a carbon frame bike for daily exercise and the Trucker for long distance trips I plan to do in the future, but I don’t have the funds to buy two expensive bicycles, so the Surly will have to do for all biking experiences.

I have found some great places to ride, like the Greenways and  roads around the Progress Center business area.  I experiment with new routes from time to time and log my routes using an Android app.  The hills are  a challenge everywhere I ride in Gwinnett County.  There just aren’t any roadways without elevation changes around here.  I just have to grin it on the way down the hills and bear it on the way up.

I am enjoying biking again and decided to start a blog to record my own discoveries, thoughts and ideas.  I hope some other bicyclers show up to keep me company and suggest new routes and ideas.

That’s it for my first post.  It’s time to suit up and get some evening miles logged.