How many people use bikes?

April 5, 2012

I've had a "brilliant" idea, and before I move forward with it, I was wondering how many of us use bikes while caching. Do you take a mountain bike? There are many caches in my area that are available for cycling, and I use one. 90% of my caches have all been within cycling distance of my home. This is a good thing, since I do not own a car. Just curious if I'm alone in riding my bike.

19k · April 5, 2012

I've had a "brilliant" idea, and before I move forward with it, I was wondering how many of us use bikes while caching. Do you take a mountain bike? There are many caches in my area that are available for cycling, and I use one. 90% of my caches have all been within cycling distance of my home. This is a good thing, since I do not own a car. Just curious if I'm alone in riding my bike.

I finally dug out, dusted off, and inflated the tires on my old tired bike (yeah, that was a pun) last summer. I used it just last weekend along the Munger trail in central Minnesota. We have quite a few rails-to-trails bike trails around here, and many (most?) of them have caches along them.

One plan that I have heard of, but haven't tried yet, is to get every other cache, so that you have a little more time to get the muscles warmed up before stopping, and so that you also have stops along the way back.

2.2k · April 5, 2012

I bring my bike any time it looks like the trails can handle it. In my area a lot of the trails are too sandy for decent bike riding. I have rented bikes in cities where I've gone for professional conferences and done a lot of urban caching that way. I've brought my bike on the subway in NYC to get to points too far to ride to. I just joined rails-to-trails conservancy so I hope to take my bike to some new areas this summer.

Edited April 5, 2012 by hukilaulau

April 5, 2012

As I watch the price of gas go up and up ($4.09 a gal.) I think more and more about getting one.

3.5k · April 5, 2012

I ride mine occasionally. Would love to do more if there were more caches along bike trails, but I'd have to have someone to ride with.

April 5, 2012

We have quite a few caches along our bike trails. This summer we are putting out a bike/walk power trail along the 17 mile Sacajawea bike trail. It goes over two bridges and between three cities. That is a power trail I could like!

6k · April 6, 2012

I am on a six month road trip and probably 99% of my finds are on a bike or foot.

April 6, 2012

I do quite a bit of geocaching by bike. I ride my mountain bike a ton of places, and a lot of the designated bike trails in the area have a ton of caches on them.

April 6, 2012

Here is Coman123,Darryl1799 and Aaronhaynes at the Canadian Embassy in DC

We were on a biking trip from Ontario, Canada (no we did not bike all the way) Lol

1.4k · April 6, 2012

Yep I use a Mountain Bike but usually only when I'm going on a trail that has quite a few caches that are only accessible by walking or riding.

April 6, 2012

We have a paved rail trail nearby that stretches through two counties and across the Hudson River (Walkway Over the Hudson). If the cache isn't near the parking, we'll usually take the bikes. While most folks store their bikes in the garage, we keep ours in the back of the van so we are ready to go at any time.

13.8k · April 6, 2012

We have crossover (or hybrid) bikes.

Many trail systems where we live are off-limits to bike use.

We figured the cost, comfort and actual use of a crossover more to our liking. A true mountain bike seemed to be overkill on the many rail trails in our area.

We use 'em for the few caches on rail trails that are more than a four mile hike and we placed a series on one.

Sometimes we'll hit the Lehigh River trail with fishing gear, hitting spots that many won't/can't access due to distance.

1.9k · April 6, 2012

no cachemobile here. bike only

2.8k · April 6, 2012

We just did a run that totalled 7.5 miles in a Management Area. We've done similar group runs inthe past.

I am finally breaking down and buying a new (tulry) mountain bike. Woohoo!

1.6k · April 6, 2012

My husband and I own mountain bikes. They've been in the shed for 15 year.... until last year. We started geocaching and there are several (very long) rail trails in our area that have been made into geocaching power trails. We got the bikes out....and had a BLAST riding and geocaching. Granted - we have our limits of 6-7 miles round trip since we are totally old and out of shape. But hey...that's better than nothing.

This year, we're ready for more!!

Another great reason why geocaching is soooo much fun!

Edited April 6, 2012 by Lieblweb

8.6k · April 6, 2012

I use my bike for some caching...

Our extended family did meet on Mackinac Island (MI) for some geocaching last autumn. No motor vehicles allowed there. So.... it was back to the ATB. I must confess that my behind has become soft riding the Harley. In my defense, those I went with were 1/3 my age!

Lieblweb, I know what you mean by "out of shape".

Sorry, but I don't have a photo of the ATB, an older one... without loaded forks or the like. Must admit though, it is far quieter the the pictured bike.

:lol: :lol: :lol: <_<

April 6, 2012

I cache on my bicycle ALL THE TIME. Not only is it (1) fast, and (2) healthy, I (3) don't have to pay for gas, (4) get to enjoy the scenery, and (5) discover new things along the way.

If I ever drive to a cache, it's because (1) the cache is too far to bike to, (2) I'm headed elsewhere and happen to be passing a cache, or (3) it's some sort of special day, and I need to get a cache fast (i.e. 2/29/2012).

1.3k · April 6, 2012

I use my bike for some caching...

Our extended family did meet on Mackinac Island (MI) for some geocaching last autumn. No motor vehicles allowed there. So.... it was back to the ATB. I must confess that my behind has become soft riding the Harley. In my defense, those I went with were 1/3 my age!

Lieblweb, I know what you mean by "out of shape".

Sorry, but I don't have a photo of the ATB, an older one... without loaded forks or the like. Must admit though, it is far quieter the the pictured bike.

That is a nice bike, man!

April 7, 2012

The summer cachemobile

April 7, 2012

Took my bike on the ferry to Block Island today. It's the second time I've done it--both times outside of tourist season (much safer for riding!). It's the only way I've seen the island. I can't imagine driving a car over there. The island is only 3x7 miles.

April 7, 2012

As the price of gas keeps going up :mad: I keep saying I'm going to get a bike not only to cache but to get to work also. Than I go to wallyworld and see the prices. I know in the long run I would save money but hard coming up with the money to get a bike.

1.9k · April 7, 2012

As the price of gas keeps going up I keep saying I'm going to get a bike not only to cache but to get to work also. Than I go to wallyworld and see the prices. I know in the long run I would save money but hard coming up with the money to get a bike.

if ya live in a high crime area, buy the cheap ones. I had 7 stolen in 2011[yes they were all locked too]

7.3k · April 7, 2012

One of my most favourite cache finds was a 10-12 mile multi designed to be found on bikes. I found it in 2003, and it's still one of my to caching highpoints.

April 7, 2012

I use my bike for some caching...

Ah, a Harley... you know, 97% of all Harleys ever made are still on the road!

...the other 3% actually made it home. :laughing:

6.5k · April 7, 2012

I got a new bike for my birthday 2 years ago because there were so many bike trail caches within 100 miles of home. The American Tobacco Trail follows a rails to trails line that will someday run all the way from Fayetteville to Durham NC and has over 50 caches on it already.

And a bunch of us are planning a trip to bike and cache the VA Creeper Trail next month.

Most of the cachers I run with started caching to either get outdoors more, or as something else to do while we were already out there. Now we've added bikes and boats to our caching kits and plan caching runs to have another excuse to play with those toys.

April 8, 2012

With current gasoline prices (over 8.5 usd per gallon and climbing upwards :mad: ), driving long distances just for caching isn't really fun anymore. A bike is a good help for local caching.

Of course, caching by car when anyway driving long distance is always an option. For that, a folding bike would actually be quite handy - just park the car somewhere, get the bike from trunk and go caching.

April 8, 2012

I don't own a car, so cycling is the preferred option. Trains and buses can work too but they're less flexible.

Cycling is only a problem when the caches are on public footpaths - bikes aren't allowed on them in the UK. I either have to wheel the bike (can be difficult) or leave it locked up and come back to it.

April 8, 2012

Yep. I have a GPS mount on my handlebars. It's a fun way to cache.

April 8, 2012

I'm always amused by logs complaining about the lack of parking near caches along bike paths.

3.5k · April 9, 2012

This has given me an idea. Instead of sitting around saying that I wish someone would put out more caches on our local bike trail, I'm going to get out and do it myself. :grin:

7.3k · April 10, 2012

This has given me an idea. Instead of sitting around saying that I wish someone would put out more caches on our local bike trail, I'm going to get out and do it myself.

Good for you!

14k · April 10, 2012

I live in a place that's not especially conducive to caching by bike due to the steep hills though there are a few bike trails that are relatively flat. However, I'm in Tybee Island, Georgia, rented a couple of bike yesterday and all the cache I've found so far have been by bike.

1.5k · April 10, 2012

I've had a "brilliant" idea, and before I move forward with it, I was wondering how many of us use bikes while caching. Do you take a mountain bike? There are many caches in my area that are available for cycling, and I use one. 90% of my caches have all been within cycling distance of my home. This is a good thing, since I do not own a car. Just curious if I'm alone in riding my bike.

I finally dug out, dusted off, and inflated the tires on my old tired bike (yeah, that was a pun) last summer. I used it just last weekend along the Munger trail in central Minnesota. We have quite a few rails-to-trails bike trails around here, and many (most?) of them have caches along them.

One plan that I have heard of, but haven't tried yet, is to get every other cache, so that you have a little more time to get the muscles warmed up before stopping, and so that you also have stops along the way back.

A friend stayed in Arizona for most of the winter and there was a power trail near where they stayed. He did it over 3 or 4 days by just riding and hitting the caches randomly. Lots left for the subsequent days.

We've used our bikes from time to time on a couple of the trails near us.

April 10, 2012

I'll use the car when the caches I'm after are very far apart and there are roads. Otherwise, I'll use the bike, even if it means driving with the bike to the area in which I want to cache. With a bike, parking near a cache is rarely a problem. When you have a bike, no one pays much attention to unusual antics at or about a lamp post, a newspaper machine, a tree, a post, etc -- it looks like you are just trying to lock up the bike or to fix a tire. On most trails, a bike is much faster than on foot. I recently spent a week in the desert. I did a bunch of caching from the bike and got to places I could not have gone with a car or on foot, and did so without tearing up the terrain.

I *really* want to do some of the big power trails by bike. Riding 500 feet on a bike is much better than driving a car 500 feet and then stopping, etc. The only problem is that if I get 20 miles away from the car, I have to ride 20 miles back to the car. Leap-frogging might help, in terms of having nothing to do on the way back, but 20 miles is still 20 miles.

April 10, 2012

All but one of the caches that I've found so far I've hiked or biked to. And now, with gas prices (it's a $4.10 and going up a cent or two each day where I live) being as criminal as they are at right now lol, I think the ONLY caches I will be doing are ones that I can get to on my feet or by bike.

There is actually this one section of trail that I discovered had a 12 or so long string of caches. I'm tempted to go for it but I'm not sure...they have to be a little challenging. If they are just thrown in the bushes along the trail I'm not sure if I find that very sporting.

Just have to wait for a nice day.

Edited April 10, 2012 by The Doubtful Guest

3.9k · April 10, 2012

I have a 'comfort bike" for urban caching, marinas, and similar. Not quite a beach cruiser, but enough gears and tire tread to handle mild-moderate trail riding.

How many people use bikes?

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