Hi Kasper.and thanks for your comment. I’m reading your message in my tent on the side of a trail in Pennsylvania. Life is grand. Simple is rewarding. Thanks again, Steve
Yes! Have to stay away from those cemeteries! We will all be spending ALOT of time there someday for sure! 😃 Good to see you enjoying Life Steve! I'm catching up watching your videos and as always, really enjoying them! You take care my friend!
Hi again and good to hear from you. Yes, we must stay away from those places as long as possible. Hanging out with dead people doesn’t sound like fun. Thanks again and have a great day, Steve
Hi Steve, Enjoying another of your excellent rides, and fine video.. Very pleased that you are enjoying your new bike. As ever, thank you very much for sharing!
Hey Elizabeth, it was a great ride. In fact, any ride is a great ride! And just maybe we can stay out "Here instead of There" a little longer if we stay mindful of our health. Hope you're doing well today! Thanks, Steve
Thank you for sharing such beautiful rides with us! Will Jan be joining you in the future again? I really enjoyed her in the videos too... I thought she was great.
Steve your videos make me want go out and ride. Some parts of the video made me lol. Those were some nice looking trails. I recently got a new bike somewhat similar to your new Priority It has a frame with a lower top tube and wider tires. Which I've been wanting to get for such a long time. With my older bike, it was a struggle to get on and off because of the top tube being so high. I definitely like the wider tires on the new bike. The wider tires make me feel more confident that I won't get stuck in loose gravel as before. I would like to get better grips for my handlebars, though. I'm looking forward to more videos from you, Steve. Keep up the good work, and take care, David.
Hi David, thanks again for watching and commenting. Sounds like your new bike is just what you needed. Nice to have wider tires when you ride into loose gravel. Hand grips that flatten out at the top ends also make a big difference in comfort. Thanks again and have a great day, Steve
Steve, once again, it is good to see you on the road again. And yes, you are right. We are not super athletes any more. But we have the Spirit of 10... LOL, but our minds refuse to give up. And that is what makes us young in heart and mind, is the drive that keeps us going. Keep on cycling Steve. Good luck on your next adventure. And I hope one day to link up with you and ride.
Great video Steve, I enjoyed viewing it. It looked a nice route and your winter indoor riding certainly helped you, you should be proud of yourself, well done Steve😊
Hi Tom and thank you for watching and the nice comment! It was a very nice ride and training is key to an enjoyable experience. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Looks like an awesome trail. I'm lucky, I live in Florida, so I can ride every day of the year if I want to. No winter down time here...lol. Thanks for sharing.
As usual, very enjoyable video. Can't wait to see next week's video, I've been eyeing the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail for a bit. The USS Slater is historic and a nice find for WW2 history fans. Plus, if you found some nice routes south of Hudson NY, I'll certainly add them to my places to see!
I've done the empire state trail on the Rochester side of the state. It was okay. My observations. Not many doing this trail(not popular). Very few stops with to allow potty breaks. The geese crapping all over the trail making it less enjoyable. And then there is the fact very little part of the trail is covered (tree) but rather open - bring your sunscreen lotion. Not planning to go back.
Hi Jim, thanks for the comment. Jan and I did the Buffalo to Albany section three years ago. Same observations as you. It was okay. Geese everywhere. We made the best of it and did a series of videos about the trip. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Hi Amy, nice to hear from you! Thanks for the nice comment Amy. It does take a little longer between videos during this busy cycling season. Editing a video takes about 16 hours so I try to edit a few hours at a time. Thanks for your concern and have a wonderful day my friend, Steve
two great days. glad you got some weather. things are greening up as you go south. lucky early bird. kudos on your edits. my coffee disappeared. it was like you had your own private trail. my brother just did that route and he gushed about it too.
Hi Stephen and thanks for the nice comment! It was a great ride with more to come. Your brother was spot on. Hope you found your coffee. Thanks again, Steve
Hi Tony, good to hear from you again. Sounds like you had a great time on the Natchez Trace. Glad my videos were part of your motivation to go out on a multi-day ride. Take care and have a fantastic week, Steve
Steve, always nice to see one of your videos pop up!! You are such an inspiration. I am contemplating going to a gravel bike (Trek Checkpoint sl5) and trading in my domane. This bike wasn’t available to me when I bought the domane, but I love how you camp/hotel along the way. Do you know anything about the Trek Checkpoint?? It’s also tubeless, which is new technology for me, time to become a bike mechanic. 😊
Hi again and thanks, nice to hear from you. I hear the checkpoint is a nice bike, however I've never ridden one. Tubeless is the way to go! I've put over 4,000 miles on tubeless setups and only had one puncture that needed a "bacon strip" plug. It was an easy repair on the road and I also added another 2oz of tubeless fluid and I was back up and cycling. There's a little learning curve to maintain tubeless, but its easy to learn and a lot less headaches than dealing with tubes. Thanks again and have a great day, Steve
Hello from California. Enjoyed your video. Two questions…I would prefer to skip the initial (“dangerous”) portion of your route. Do you recall the name of the town where the gravel/MUP trail began? And what type of computer do you use (on your bike) to keep you on the route? I can hear it beeping in the background. :-). Thanks!
Hi Nick and thanks for watching and the questions. I'm not exactly sure what town the dangerous portion ends, I do remember it was about 135 miles from the Canadian border. I use a Garmin 1030 bike computer. Next year I'm going to upgrade to the latest Garmin since my screen is fading. It is about 7 years old. Not a bad unit. Thanks again, Steve
@@steveretiredandcycling Thank you for your reply. I did come across your route yesterday while viewing one of the later episodes of your NY trip. It is great to have it for future reference. And...I'll bet I will be able to figure out where the actual non-trafficked route begins. I'll be looking forward to more of your adventures and am planning my own now that I'm retired too. Best regards, Nick
I agree on the fitness thing. You have to keep active or it's very hard to restart; and Im not even talking about the overuse injuries that can happen or the long recovery times. Plus a comfy bike helps! Have fun on your trip
Sixty-nine miles in one day is twenty-nine miles more than ever biked! And my hinder was sore, and yes, I had several stops! Did you purchase a seat, or do they call it a comfortable saddle?
Hi George, thanks for the comment. I have tried all kinds of seats. The most comfortable is my Infinity Bike Seat. It's wayyyy overpriced, but the best. It has cutouts in the top that your sit bones rest in. As seats go, it can't be beat. Most riders on the "Race across America" use them. However they are much too expensive for the casual rider. www.infinitybikeseat.com Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Another great trip. I seem to have become a fan. Nearing retirement myself and looking forward to doing the things you do. I have a couple of questions for you. First, do you arrange your hotels before you leave for your trip or arrange them on the fly as you g along and figure out where you will be the next night.. The former seems more secure. But if bad weather or some other factor alters your planned progress you are pretty much out of luck unless you power though it. So basically, how do you plan your overnight stops? Second, do you carry much food with you and, if so, where do you store it at night to keep the critters away? I did a LOT of backpacking when I was younger and food safety in bear country was always a concern. Love your videos. You remain an inspiration.
Hi William and thank you for the nice comment. I always arrange my lodging before a trip. I use google maps hotel feature on my computer when planning a trip. However, you must be flexible. My first nigh on this trip I reserved a spot at a campground. Upon arriving I found the campground to be filled with unsavory characters. I found a local hotel instead. I always power through the rain. I carry a very limited amount of food in a pannier on my trips. I also carry an odor proof system to hang in trees at night. Keeps the small critters away. Thanks again, Steve
Hi Will and thanks for watching! I use my Kestrel road bike mounted on a simple trainer. Your Schwinn AirDine sounds like a good trainer. The key is getting on whatever trainer you have, consistently. Thanks again, Steve
Hey Charlie, here's the link. It's called the Fullshift ECOPAK Frame Bag.Great bag! www.greengurugear.com/products/fullshift-frame-bags-1?_pos=1&_sid=7aba2081c&_ss=r
Inspiring stuff . thank you
Thanks for watching. Have a great day, Steve
Nice seeing you young fellows on the bike trail. Thanks for a great ride! I am 78
Hi Kasper.and thanks for your comment. I’m reading your message in my tent on the side of a trail in Pennsylvania. Life is grand. Simple is rewarding. Thanks again, Steve
Yes! Have to stay away from those cemeteries! We will all be spending ALOT of time there someday for sure! 😃
Good to see you enjoying Life Steve!
I'm catching up watching your videos and as always, really enjoying them! You take care my friend!
Hi again and good to hear from you. Yes, we must stay away from those places as long as possible. Hanging out with dead people doesn’t sound like fun. Thanks again and have a great day, Steve
Hi Steve, Enjoying another of your excellent rides, and fine video.. Very pleased that you are enjoying your new bike. As ever, thank you very much for sharing!
Hi Dan, thanks again for watching and the nice comment. It was a great ride with more to come as I cycle my way to NYC. Thanks again, Steve
At a trade show and passing the time watching your videos! Glad to see you active and having a great time.
Hey Michael, thanks for watching. Retirement is great and I don’t miss all the trade shows. Have a great day, Steve
“Better here than there”. Darn right!! Looks like a great ride!
Hey Elizabeth, it was a great ride. In fact, any ride is a great ride! And just maybe we can stay out "Here instead of There" a little longer if we stay mindful of our health. Hope you're doing well today! Thanks, Steve
I really enjoy watching your videos.
Hey Rusty, thanks for watching and commenting. This was a really nice trip. Have a great day, Steve
Since you didn't post for 3 weeks i was hoping you weren't hit by something weighing a ton or ten. Glad you are still with us.
Hi Steve, thanks for your comment. I'm still alive and well. Have a great day and all the best, Steve
The "good morning" clips are a great touch
Thanks Noah!
Thank you for sharing such beautiful rides with us! Will Jan be joining you in the future again? I really enjoyed her in the videos too... I thought she was great.
Hi there and good to hear from you. Jan will be in our upcoming videos about our tour in Quebec. We’re having a busy summer! Hope you are well. Steve
Your videos are great!
I want to do bike packing !!
Thanks Lisa!!
That's so true that everything has to be well organized for successful tour. I'm happy to see that it's a beautiful trail👍
Steve your videos make me want go out and ride. Some parts of the video made me lol. Those were some nice looking trails. I recently got a new bike somewhat similar to your new Priority It has a frame with a lower top tube and wider tires. Which I've been wanting to get for such a long time. With my older bike, it was a struggle to get on and off because of the top tube being so high. I definitely like the wider tires on the new bike. The wider tires make me feel more confident that I won't get stuck in loose gravel as before. I would like to get better grips for my handlebars, though. I'm looking forward to more videos from you, Steve. Keep up the good work, and take care, David.
Hi David, thanks again for watching and commenting. Sounds like your new bike is just what you needed. Nice to have wider tires when you ride into loose gravel. Hand grips that flatten out at the top ends also make a big difference in comfort. Thanks again and have a great day, Steve
Steve, once again, it is good to see you on the road again. And yes, you are right. We are not super athletes any more.
But we have the Spirit of 10... LOL, but our minds refuse to give up. And that is what makes us young in heart and mind, is the drive that keeps us going. Keep on cycling Steve. Good luck on your next adventure. And I hope one day to link up with you and ride.
As always, thanks for the words of wisdom! Would be great to ride with you someday! Thanks again, Steve
Great video Steve, I enjoyed viewing it. It looked a nice route and your winter indoor riding certainly helped you, you should be proud of yourself, well done Steve😊
Hi Tom and thank you for watching and the nice comment! It was a very nice ride and training is key to an enjoyable experience. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Looks like an awesome trail. I'm lucky, I live in Florida, so I can ride every day of the year if I want to. No winter down time here...lol. Thanks for sharing.
Hey there, thanks for watching. It was a great trail! Thanks again, Steve
@3:46 Should have been whistling. 😂
Thanks again Kerry!
Beautiful trip Steve, thanks for sharing! Nice to hear you can charge your batteries at the lock tender facilities.,
Hi John, thanks again for watching and commenting. Camping at the lock is a great experience. Thank again and all the best, Steve
As usual, very enjoyable video. Can't wait to see next week's video, I've been eyeing the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail for a bit.
The USS Slater is historic and a nice find for WW2 history fans.
Plus, if you found some nice routes south of Hudson NY, I'll certainly add them to my places to see!
Hi again and thanks for the comment! It was a great trail through the Hudson Valley. Thank again, Steve
I've done the empire state trail on the Rochester side of the state. It was okay. My observations. Not many doing this trail(not popular). Very few stops with to allow potty breaks. The geese crapping all over the trail making it less enjoyable. And then there is the fact very little part of the trail is covered (tree) but rather open - bring your sunscreen lotion. Not planning to go back.
Hi Jim, thanks for the comment. Jan and I did the Buffalo to Albany section three years ago. Same observations as you. It was okay. Geese everywhere. We made the best of it and did a series of videos about the trip. Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Oh, how I just adore your videos...I was almost worried about you, there was a long time between videos. Keep pedaling, my friend...
Hi Amy, nice to hear from you! Thanks for the nice comment Amy. It does take a little longer between videos during this busy cycling season. Editing a video takes about 16 hours so I try to edit a few hours at a time. Thanks for your concern and have a wonderful day my friend, Steve
two great days. glad you got some weather. things are greening up as you go south. lucky early bird.
kudos on your edits. my coffee disappeared. it was like you had your own private trail. my brother just did that route and he gushed about it too.
Hi Stephen and thanks for the nice comment! It was a great ride with more to come. Your brother was spot on. Hope you found your coffee. Thanks again, Steve
Great job Steve congratulations enjoy have a nice trip
Thanks! Have a great day, Steve
Some beautiful trails and campsites. Bike is looking good and glad it's all working out. Take care, Al
Thanks Al, have a great day, Steve
Nice video Steve.
Russ in Avon
Thanks Russ and have an awesome day! Steve
Looks like you're having a blast, Steve!
Hey Gary, it was a great ride! Thanks again, Steve
A great video and a great couple of days touring. I hope you enjoyed that dinner :)
Hi Jay, thanks again and have a good evening! Hope your friend gets his container home done successfully. Take care, Steve
Good job Steve! I did the Natchez Trace June 5-11th and I had a blast! 4 nights camping and 3 nights Hotel! All with your motivation videos!
Hi Tony, good to hear from you again. Sounds like you had a great time on the Natchez Trace. Glad my videos were part of your motivation to go out on a multi-day ride. Take care and have a fantastic week, Steve
Steve, always nice to see one of your videos pop up!! You are such an inspiration. I am contemplating going to a gravel bike (Trek Checkpoint sl5) and trading in my domane. This bike wasn’t available to me when I bought the domane, but I love how you camp/hotel along the way. Do you know anything about the Trek Checkpoint?? It’s also tubeless, which is new technology for me, time to become a bike mechanic. 😊
Hi again and thanks, nice to hear from you. I hear the checkpoint is a nice bike, however I've never ridden one. Tubeless is the way to go! I've put over 4,000 miles on tubeless setups and only had one puncture that needed a "bacon strip" plug. It was an easy repair on the road and I also added another 2oz of tubeless fluid and I was back up and cycling. There's a little learning curve to maintain tubeless, but its easy to learn and a lot less headaches than dealing with tubes. Thanks again and have a great day, Steve
Hello from California. Enjoyed your video. Two questions…I would prefer to skip the initial (“dangerous”) portion of your route. Do you recall the name of the town where the gravel/MUP trail began? And what type of computer do you use (on your bike) to keep you on the route? I can hear it beeping in the background. :-). Thanks!
Hi Nick and thanks for watching and the questions. I'm not exactly sure what town the dangerous portion ends, I do remember it was about 135 miles from the Canadian border. I use a Garmin 1030 bike computer. Next year I'm going to upgrade to the latest Garmin since my screen is fading. It is about 7 years old. Not a bad unit. Thanks again, Steve
@@steveretiredandcycling Thank you for your reply. I did come across your route yesterday while viewing one of the later episodes of your NY trip. It is great to have it for future reference. And...I'll bet I will be able to figure out where the actual non-trafficked route begins. I'll be looking forward to more of your adventures and am planning my own now that I'm retired too. Best regards, Nick
I agree on the fitness thing. You have to keep active or it's very hard to restart; and Im not even talking about the overuse injuries that can happen or the long recovery times.
Plus a comfy bike helps!
Have fun on your trip
Sixty-nine miles in one day is twenty-nine miles more than ever biked! And my hinder was sore, and yes, I had several stops! Did you purchase a seat, or do they call it a comfortable saddle?
Hi George, thanks for the comment. I have tried all kinds of seats. The most comfortable is my Infinity Bike Seat. It's wayyyy overpriced, but the best. It has cutouts in the top that your sit bones rest in. As seats go, it can't be beat. Most riders on the "Race across America" use them. However they are much too expensive for the casual rider. www.infinitybikeseat.com Thanks again and all the best, Steve
Another great trip. I seem to have become a fan. Nearing retirement myself and looking forward to doing the things you do. I have a couple of questions for you. First, do you arrange your hotels before you leave for your trip or arrange them on the fly as you g along and figure out where you will be the next night.. The former seems more secure. But if bad weather or some other factor alters your planned progress you are pretty much out of luck unless you power though it. So basically, how do you plan your overnight stops? Second, do you carry much food with you and, if so, where do you store it at night to keep the critters away? I did a LOT of backpacking when I was younger and food safety in bear country was always a concern.
Love your videos. You remain an inspiration.
Hi William and thank you for the nice comment. I always arrange my lodging before a trip. I use google maps hotel feature on my computer when planning a trip. However, you must be flexible. My first nigh on this trip I reserved a spot at a campground. Upon arriving I found the campground to be filled with unsavory characters. I found a local hotel instead. I always power through the rain. I carry a very limited amount of food in a pannier on my trips. I also carry an odor proof system to hang in trees at night. Keeps the small critters away. Thanks again, Steve
The hotel allowed you to roll the bike into your room?
Hi there and thanks for watching. Yes, most hotels in the USA allow you to bring your bike into your room. Thanks again, Steve
So what kind of indoor exercise bike do you have? Mine is a Schwinn AirDine.
Hi Will and thanks for watching! I use my Kestrel road bike mounted on a simple trainer. Your Schwinn AirDine sounds like a good trainer. The key is getting on whatever trainer you have, consistently. Thanks again, Steve
After riding 69 miles , how many days recovery did you need?
Hi Nigel, about a day off, unless it’s a multi day trip. Thanks, Steve
I would need 3 days
hey Steve. interested in the frame bag. I've gone to their site but can't seem to find it. Can you provide the link?
Hey Charlie, here's the link. It's called the Fullshift ECOPAK Frame Bag.Great bag! www.greengurugear.com/products/fullshift-frame-bags-1?_pos=1&_sid=7aba2081c&_ss=r
@@steveretiredandcycling Thanks Steve!! Be safe.
You should tell us. where you are in your videos. You do not do this. For example, I’m leaving the town of. I’ m crossing the xxx River, etc.
Hi Dave, thanks for watching and you suggestion. Have a great day, Steve