HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: savigni@ghost.dsi.unimi.it (Mad Andy)
Subject: Biking in the Kuusamo area, Finland
Keywords: Biking Finland
Organization: Computer Science Dep. - Milan University
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 11:34:23 GMT


Hi,
I'd like some information about biking in the Kuusamo area.
I'm planning a trip there next summer, around end of July
to August.
I'd like to know something about weather, road conditions,
campsites or youth hostels.
I'd also like to know if there are villages in the area,
so that I can buy food and perhaps find a bicycle repair
in case something goes wrong. I have a good mountain
bike, so I won't mind about rough roads or tracks.
Also, do you know how I can ship my bike up to there?
I think the nearest train station is in Rovaniemi, which
is about 200 km away from Kuusamo: can I bring my bike
with me on the train from Helsinki, or should I ship it?
Can I ship it straight from home to Rovaniemi?
How about the language? Is English spoken there?
Please, if possible, reply by e-mail.
Thanks in advance,
Andy.
P.S.: I believe that area is flat:am I right?
-- 

=====================================================================
Andrea Savigni (despite my name I'm a man)
Computer Science Dept.   Univ. of Milan, Italy
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
From: lous@sr.hp.com (Louis Salz)
Subject: Re: Looking for a good weekend tour
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 01:26:22 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: HP Sonoma County (SRSD/MWTD/MID)
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8.1]

Tim McBrayer (tmcbraye@thor.ece.uc.edu) wrote:

:  Are all bicycle tour companies this outrageous, or am I just being stingy?

I believe that VBT and Backroads are the two biggest bicycle touring
companies offering these types of tours.  VBT has a reputation for being a
little cheaper than Backroads among the people I have talked to.

I just recently returned from a VBT tour in New Zealand and I thought I
got my moneys worth.  In the locations we stopped they had booked the
nicest motels/inns and they had reserved the best rooms.  I'm sure I
could have done it cheaper if I had made the arrangements myself, but it
would likely have taken many hours of homework on my part.  Another
factor was my homework would have had to have been done many months
before I had made the decision to go to have had any hope of booking
comparable accommodations.  These tour companies book blocks of rooms
about one year ahead.

: Are we out of line in thinking we can save money this way?  

I have done many trips with groups of local riders that we have arranged
ourselves.  The many successful ones usually involved someone who had
either ridden and stayed in the area before or had done some homework.
It also helps if you are willing to go on a weekend that isn't the peak
of the season.  For example, I would guess that you would have great
trouble booking rooms in B & Bs in Vermont during the last weeks of
September.

: And, would we be missing anything besides being in a group?

Maybe a view out of a nice room.

: Personal recommendations would be great. 

I've heard good things from people taking the Backroads tours here in
Sonoma County where I live and my experience with VBT was very good.
From what I can tell, if you want or need the services they provide,
they are a reasonable value.
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides,rec.bicycles.misc
From: scheng@bcarh886.bnr.ca (Spencer Cheng)
Subject: Re: Minor injury on a DC-Baltimore-DC trip
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 21:45:05 GMT


The numbness probably comes from the compression of the ulnary nerves
from riding. There is no 'cures' for it other than not putting any
pressure on your hands. It will go away after a few weeks. You should
change hand positions as much as possible.

Flat bars (even with bar-ends) do not give you enough hand positions.
Drop bars is much better for long distance touring simply because of
more hand positions. Some people may find flat bars acceptable but
obviously you are not one of them. You will doing days and more days
of riding. Comfort is the overriding criteria in that kind of a
situation.

Touring bikes comes with drop bars for a very good reason
(disregarding what Buy-cycling says in their latest issue). I would
suggest you reconsider your decision of not using drop bars.

[An alternative some people have is to use aero-bars. Changes the
handling of the bike quite a bit but maybe you will like it]

--

Spencer Cheng     scheng@BNR.CA  Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada  613-763-4046
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
From: tobis@SKOOL.ssec.wisc.edu (Michael Tobis)
Subject: Gulf coast rides?
Organization: U.Wis.-Madison; Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 01:19:35 GMT

I'm planning to be around New Orleans for Mardi Gras and proceeding
thence toward Miami with bikes strapped to car. Please don't give
me too much grief for this, I'm not in particularly good shape.

Would be interested in suggestions for easy loops (around 30 - 40 miles)
anywhere between New Orleans and Miami.

email responses preferred, as I guess I'm not in a league with the
century riders around here who wouldn't be much interested.

above address or tobis@meteor.wisc.edu

many thanks
mt
From: gross@velo.pa.msu.edu (Steve Gross)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
Subject: Advice on bicycle touring in Europe
Date: 27 Jan 93 18:12:02 GMT
Reply-To: gross@msupa.pa.msu.edu (Steve Gross)
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.rides
Organization: MSU High Energy Physics
NNTP-Posting-Host: velo.pa.msu.edu

Hello all:

	My wife and I are planning to spend about one month this summer
bicycling around Europe.  We plan to travel in England, France, and
Spain (probably in that order), beginning in mid-June.  I have read
Bruce Hildenbrand's very good primer for bike tourists in Europe, but
welcome any other advice available from the net.  Specifically, does
anyone have routes/books to recommend?  I have "Cycling Europe"
and "Fodor's Budget Europe" which are both good.  Of course, comments
based on personal experience are especially welcomed.

	We plan to camp and/or stay in hostels during our trip, both
out of preference and due to financial considerations.  We are 
(relatively) experienced self-supported tourists in the American
tradition (i.e. carrying cooking gear, sleeping bags, a tent, etc.),
but have never been to Europe or lived from our bicycles for longer 
than a week.  

	Thank you in advance for what I know from past experience
will be a mailbox (or newsgroup) full of advice.  

-Steve | Michigan State University | D0 High Energy Physics Experiment
 Gross | gross@msupa.pa.msu.edu    | work to eat to live to ride to work
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
From: praetzel@maxwell.uwaterloo.ca (Eric Praetzel)
Subject: Re: RIDE STORY: January Century (Two Loops Around the South Bay)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 20:17:45 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.185300.11822@kronos.arc.nasa.gov> iba@kronos.arc.nasa.gov (Wayne Iba) writes:
>bushnell@iscnvx.lmsc.lockheed.com (William D. Bushnell) writes:
>
>[Three cyclists cross the Dumbarton bridge twice without flats]
>
>This is nothing short of miraculous -- I'm amazed.

Really?  I crossed it quite a few times without problems.  The only place I
did get a flat was in Salinis (sp?) [ie further down the coast] and that
was just before twilight when I was trying to get out of the @!#%%!#$ town
and get to a state park on the coast.
  - Eric 
Xref: sparky rec.bicycles.rides:754 rec.bicycles.misc:2272
From: rperkins@bnr.ca (Robert Perkins)
Subject: Re: Switzerland: Info needed/am I bonkers?
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 23:28:26 GMT
Organization: Bell Northern Research

I lived in Deutschland for three years, so I have some experience.
A few words on Alsace- Traffic seems to pick up considerably around the
beginning of June, though it is warmer.  As far as carrying 8kg goes,
I recommend front lowrider panniers.  I use them on my commuter and they
are quite stable and help with weight distribution, compared to rear 
panniers.  I don't know how they would be on steep ascents (wheel wobbling), 
though I'm sure they'd be fine on descents.

Rob

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rob Perkins :::: rperkins@bnr.ca ::::: 
The opinions I opine are purely mine...Bell Northern Research
disowns my thoughts, feelings, opinions, etc. as expressed here.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: pamela@keps.com (Pamela Blalock)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
Subject: January Centuries (was: Lunchtime Training)
Date: 27 Jan 93 15:46:51 GMT
Organization: Kodak Electronic Printing Systems

In article <1993Jan27.143344.14006@cs.hw.ac.uk> sfleming@cee.hw.ac.uk writes:
>It's not quite warm enough here to think about taking up the Century-a-Month
>challenge.  Can I do 3 in March instead ?  

Well, I got mail from a Canadian rider who did his January Century near
the shores of Lake Ontario (waiting for permission to post it for him).
According to his mail the temps hovered around freezing throughout the
ride, and heavy snow started near the end.

So far, we have 6 riders with Jan. centuries, but there is one more
full weekend to get in that ride. 



-- 
Pamela Blalock                                    pamela@keps.com
KEPS, 164 Lexington Road                          1 down, 11 to go
Billerica, MA 01821-3984                          how many days til spring?
From: sfleming@cee.hw.ac.uk (Stewart T Fleming)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
Subject: Lunchtime Training
Date: 27 Jan 93 14:33:44 GMT
Reply-To: sfleming@cee.hw.ac.uk
Organization: Dept. Of Computing and Electrical Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh


Since the weather has turned milder here (well, it wasn't raining today or
yesterday), I thought I would try and stick to my reolution of last autumn
and get the training miles in during my lunch break.

Route: Riccarton Campus - Dalmahoy - Wilkieston - Kirknewton -
Currie - Riccarton
Distance: 25km (16 miles)
Rating: Moderately hilly

Ride Time: 43:00 (today's training pace); (1:00:00 touring)
Average speed: 34.9kph, 21.8mph
Feel-good factor: I feel fine.

This isn't my favourite route because of the rough road surfaces, but if I feel
the need for a short burst of level 2, this is the one I use.  Starting from
the University campus, about 6 miles West of the centre of Edinburgh, take the
A71 towards Livingston.  Usually there is a headwind combined with a long series
of drags which can make the first 10km a bit tough.

Spin past the Dalmahoy Country club (used by the Scottish Rugby team as a
training centre before Internationals) and up the slight hill to the turn
just below Kirknewton (10km - 18:30)  Now for the hard part.  The road climbs
from the turning on to the B1709, up through Kirknewton, across the railway
and past the gliding base to the A70 junction (14km - 25:00).
I don't have an altimeter on the bike, but I reckon this is about 150m climb
in 4km.  The road is very bumpy with farm traffic etc.

Turn left onto the A70 and spin in a big gear down the hill.  The Pentland
Hills, much used by local mountain bikers, are to the right.  Get caught out
by the false flats and the nasty little climb round Ravelston hill.  Put it
in top for the big descent down past Balerno and into Currie (22km - 38:40),
turning left down Riccarton Mains Road (roadworks here - bummer !) and back
onto campus (25km - 43:00).  I'm out of condition - I was 5 minutes quicker
last year :-(

The A71 is quite a busy main road, with a lot of heavy goods traffic.
From the turn, the roads are much quieter, but with other hazards.  I don't
ride with mudguards and there are several farms in the area.
Hiss...hiss...squelch...

It's not quite warm enough here to think about taking up the Century-a-Month
challenge.  Can I do 3 in March instead ?  Coming up are a couple of Audax
Scotland events : Tour of East Lothian on 28th February (usually about 200
riders over 105km - and it's tough !) and Tour of Upper Tweedale in March
(100km or 200km routes).

STF
--
sfleming@cee.hw.ac.uk, sfleming@icbl.hw.ac.uk
"...but if I'd known the roses/Wouldn't last until the winter/
   I would have been myself/Maybe I could have been somebody..."
     --Carol Laula, _Restless_
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
From: stek@amazon.pfc.mit.edu
Subject: Training Series in Newton, MA
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 03:00:44 GMT


	The Boston Road Club Presents:
	
	The Wells Avenue Training Series
    		Newton MA (That's a suburb of Boston)

	Sundays March 7 to October 3

Time	Race	Distance   BRC Members  Non-members
8:30	E	4 miles		$2	$2
9:15	D	12 miles	$4	$7
10:00	C	20 miles	$4	$7
10:00:30 W	20 miles	$4	$7
11:00	A	32 miles	$4	$7
12:30	B	24 miles	$4	$7

All races are held on a 0.8 mile loop in an industrial park.  There 
is only one turn of significance and maybe 20 feet of elevation change
on the loop. 

This is a great place to learn how to race!

All the standard USCF rules on equipment and attire apply, though if
you show up wearing a Banesto jersy we won't give you a hard time.  
A rainbow one is another story however.

E Race consists of five slow laps of instruction followed by a 5 lap race
  (the $2 entry can be applied to the D race if you do it the same day.)

D Race is for first year racers.  This race gives valuable pack riding 
  experience.

C Race is for experienced citizen racers and USCF Cat 5 men. It is faster 
  and longer than the D race.  Primes are offered as well. 

W Race is for citizen and Cat 4 WOMEN.  This will be run at the same time
  as the C race.  If attendance is not enough to justify a separate race, 
  they will race with the C's.  There will be women's primes in that case.

B Race is for USCF cat 3 and 4 racers only.  LICENCES WILL BE CHECKED!
  This may be run as a points race on occasion.

A Race is for USCF Cat Pro,1,2,3 riders only.  This may be run as a 
  points race also.  

Race Series memberships are $20 and give the $3 discount along with other
goodies.  More info is available at registration.  

To get to the races, take Exit 19B from Rt 128.  Take Highland Ave heading 
West.  Make a Left onto Huntington Road followed by another Left onto
Kendrick St.  This turns into Nahanton Street as you enter Newton.  Make
a right on Wells Ave. You should see a sign for the races here.

For more info contact the BRC hotline: (617) 332-1117

Paul Stek
President
Boston Road Club
Stek@pfc.mit.edu

Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.rides
From: yschin@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Yu-Shin Chin)
Subject: Re: Mud: What's the Secret?
Organization: University of Manitoba, Canada
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:04:03 GMT

I tried riding in the mud in Manitoba several times.  Once we camped out overnight and it rained pretty well all night long.  Most of the trail was o.k. for riding because there was some gravel over it.  However there was a stretch of about 2-3 km which was quite muddy.  My brother was having trouble with his bike so my brother and I were riding slower.  However, two others in our group continued riding on ahead, at a higher speed.  It seems that the two who were riding faster didn't have any trouble with 


the mud.  My brother and I however ended up collecting enough mud to prevent the tires from turning.  Maybe the trick is to ride fast enough so that there is sufficient centrifical (I think it's spelled right) force to throw the mud off the tires before it gets trapped in the stays/forks.  I don't like riding in mud, so if anybody out there wants to try it, let me know what happens

sam
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
From: tomk@netcom.com (Thomas H. Kunich)
Subject: Re: The Meek Shall Inherit tire tracks over their belly buttons
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 04:10:21 GMT

In article <1993Jan22.233716.4773@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> les@cs.stanford.edu writes:
>In fact, I believe that acting assertively or even nastily increases
>your chances of survival.

I actually caught up with a truck load of those )(*^ as(*oles with
motorcycles in the back. After leaning on the horn and shouting they
hit a red light. After I tried to tear their door off and one of the 
other guys in our group pulled me off they drove off very quietly. I'll
bet that there are three guys that won't bother bicyclists again.
 
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
From: Richard_Hennick@mindlink.bc.ca (Richard Hennick)
Subject: Re: Car intentionally runs down cyclists!
Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 05:43:10 GMT

> bob geer writes:
>
> Probably means she'll be declared mentally incompetent to stand trial
> & be placed in the loony bin 'til she's declared well, at which time
> she'll be released.


...and get her driver's license back again?

This incident has convinced me to spend some time checking how difficult it
is to take a license away from "loonies" up here, too.

And I hope this case will compel a review of the "right to drive" in the
States.  (It's in the Constitution, isn't it?)

--

                         0
            ___    >%  / \_
           / 0 \    |_=\__\
          |  O=_|   |/ \ |/\_%<       Richard_Hennick@mindlink.bc.ca
           -(*)----(*)---' (*)        (giant/axiom)
From: tomk@netcom.com (Thomas H. Kunich)
Subject: Re: Car intentionally runs down cyclists!
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 03:56:02 GMT

In article <93021.071824TOM@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> <TOM@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> writes:
>Scates is charged with murder and is being held without bail.  She was also
>accused in 1986 of threatening a neighbor with a pickax and in 1987 was
>arrested for misdemeanor assault in connection with an incident in which she
>apparently tried to run three neighbors off the road with her car.

I also read this. BTW this is the _fifth_ version of this woman's crimes
and I wonder if the media will ever get it correct.

Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
From: jesnow@athena.mit.edu (Jonathan E Snow)
Subject: Re: Do you use a mirror
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 04:43:59 GMT


My credntials: 7000 miles last year.

I don't fall down much any more, but when I think of it
happening, I don't like the idea of extra gadgets near
my face.  In traffic, as in a group, you have to be aware
of everything, not just what you can see in a mirror.
False sense of security, etc.  Turning your head without
turning the bike is riding skill #1.
From: jhb@calmasd.prime.com (Jim Bishop)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
Subject: Re: Do you use a mirror
Date: 22 Jan 93 02:21:28 GMT
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.soc
Organization: -

In article <casseres-190193114031@kip2-18.apple.com>, casseres@apple.com (David Casseres) writes:
> In article <1993Jan19.051313.12521@news.ysu.edu>, ae505@yfn.ysu.edu (Frank
> Krygowski) wrote:
> 
>> ...I don't like adjustable mirrors.  They un-adjust (when off the bike)
>> and need fiddling.  I make my own, just wire and plexiglas mirror,
>> and bend it so it's right.  It doesn't move.
> 
> How do you attach the wire to your helmet or glasses?  I'd really like to
> try this.
> 

I bought an eye-glass mounted mirror from another cyclist on a tour
this past summer.  It is made from a beer bottle cap with a mirror
inside and wire to attach it to the glasses.  He custom bent the wire
to fit my glasses.  I love it.  However, I did paint over the Bud Lite
logo.

I used to have a helmet mounted mirror, but hated it.  It moved around
too much.  Seems like I spent all my time adjusting it.

Jim
Organization: Senior, Civil Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc,rec.bicycles.misc
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 19:50:53 -0500 
From: Christopher Herbert Carroll <cc5i+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: Martha's Vineyard?

Tracy,
When I saw your post about Martha's Vineyard I couldn't believe my eyes.
 I grew up on the Vineyard (in Chilmark) and going to school in
Pittsburgh, I've grown tired of explaining where I live.  I'm sorry to
say I've never rented a bike there so I'm not sure how that works but
they are available.

I had a specialized MTB over this past summer and I fell in love with
riding.  It seemed like every time I went out with my friends for a
ride, we would find an incredably beautiful spot in the middle of
nowhere.  Having grown up on the Vineyard there are few spots that I
don't know about.

The amount of new trails opening up in the past few years is incredable.
 There is an organization called the land bank which is buying up land
all over the island and designating them "forever wild".  Which I think
is really cool and the best part about it is that they're cutting trails
out for the public to use.

If you have an specific questions I'd be happy to answer them the best I can.

Also, for anyone else reading this, I'd like to see how many people out
there have also enjoyed the Vineyard.
-Chris
From: chris@carnival.lbl.gov (Chris Moll)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
Subject: Re: Car intentionally runs down cyclists!
Date: 25 Jan 1993 23:29:51 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, California
NNTP-Posting-Host: carnival.lbl.gov

Eric House writes:
>I went riding in Contra Costa County yesterday with a couple of members
>of my bike club (Western Wheelers).  We went within a few miles of where
>this incident took place.
>
>Maybe it was a bad day, but I wasn't impressed either with the skill of
>the average driver in that area or with their attitude towards cyclists.

I've found the same thing while riding in this area: there's a definite
red-neck atmosphere, 25 miles from Berkeley.  A few miles from where
the incident happened, someone in a pickup threw a bottle at the smallest
rider in our group - she's 4'11".  Maybe they found her intimidating.

To this day I regret that another member of the group failed to catch
them, though he tried - a Tae Kwon Doe black belt...

(For some reason I always feel better when he comes along :-) )

--
Chris Moll                       (510)486-7891
---
A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature
replaces it with.        -- Tenessee Williams
From: camerons@NAD.3Com.COM (Cameron Spitzer)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.soc
Subject: Re: Rude drivers, was Re: Auto insurance laws in different state
Date: 28 Jan 93 18:44:40 GMT
Reply-To: camerons@NAD.3Com.COM
Followup-To: rec.bicycles.soc

I redirected this thread from misc.consumers to here, but the
author below defeated the change.  I'll reply when I have time.
Anybody else wanna take a crack?
In article <unknown>, Terry Von Gease <twv@hpcss01.cup.hp.com> writes:

>Look sport, when you're out there pedaling your little heart out on your
>child's toy you are mostly in the way.  Not only are you in the way,
>you pay not one dime in support of the roadways you claim a right to
>use and you have no obligation to be financially responsible for any
>damage or mischief you and your toy might cause.  But it's the part
>about being in the way that you don't seem to understand.  No matter
>how fast you little legs can pump, unless you've got gravity working
>for you, relative to an automobile moving along at any sort of
>speed at all, you're standing still.  It's kinda like coming around
>a corner and finding a sawhorse sitting in the middle of the road.

>I don't want to harm you but I want you to share my anxiety.  I want you
>to think your going to die.  If you want to finance and construct your
>own bicycle road system or even add realistic bike lanes to the existing
>road system, that's great.  But you have to pay for it yourselves.
>Until that time I want you to hang your toy on the garage wall.
 
>Terry

Cameron