All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Dude, these might be the best bike photos I've seen in a looooong time! Especially the cat and chicken!

 

Sick! I don’t have a hardtail right now. Wish I had the space for more bikes haha

 

I was stoked on the photos, I thought they were pretty funny. Glad you like them!

Yes always the Delma! Steel hardtails though, highly recommend, way more fun than they logically should be. Also simplicity, amount of times I been on trips and my full sus breaks and then I run the hardtail is a very non zero number.

 

Beautiful! Post up in my Hardtails pics only thread.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hardtails-only-show-off-your-hardtail-mtb-here.863130/

 

For those who have went from a Van to a Tacoma or vice versa, how is it daily driving a Van?
I'm in between a new "nice" work truck or a new van and can't decide.

 

I'm not trying to be thick or a jerk, is this meant to be in the bike thread? Are you asking about both in terms of hauling bikes around in this thread?

 

I seem to remember a time when this thread was titled: All Things Bikes and Vans and Tacos...I think?

He mentioned Vans AND Tacomas...so I'll allow it.

 

tacoma and bikes added

 

lol. i mean, read the title. it's been changed a few times to now be all-vehicle-inclusive because there was a LONG discussion a while back about vans. and then it became some other vehicle. lol.

 

I switched from a Tacoma to a Transit Van for camping with our family. The Van is definitely not as nice to daily drive compared to a Tacoma but it's no worse than a full size truck. It's the same foot-print as a F150 and maybe just feels a bit more sluggish, mostly due to all the weight of the camper stuff and the height. I have no issue driving it around the city though and can park it in downtown SLC without too much trouble.
Big advantage is that I can keep expensive stuff inside and not worry about it. We also have a fridge and snacks and stuff, which comes in handy at trailheads all the time. It's also a nice place to change at a trailhead.

My take is... if you're looking for a camper or way to haul gear then get a van. If you want something more nimble, off-road worthy, or just simpler then stick with a truck.

Edit: You could also go for the 130" WB Transit Van and it'd be even more daily driveable.

 

This is what I was going to get at - I just didn't know if they meant to post here

The bed is only so secure. A topper can be compromised easily, where a van isn't as easy. Also a random panel van - nobody really cares about, but a truck where you can see the bikes screams steal me.

I have a fridge in my truck too it takes up an entire back seat but still, I have one. Highly recommend, cold water after/cold gatorade before rides is awesome. Also, I can set it to a freezer for freeze pops....

If you ride a couple times a summer, truck is easier to deal with. If you're constantly out and about and using it, I'd vote van. Downside being pressure washing the "bed" of a van can be dicey

Edit to add: Also needing to crash for a night in a van is easy, truck not so easy. The van is completely weather tight so throw down a cot and have a nice snooze, no dealing with tents and such. Might be hot in the desert but in-vehicle is so nice, no setup, no worrying about damp tents, just roll over and go, it's great.

 

Anyone been to Snowshoe in the fall? Probably not riding bikes but boss wants to add a few days to our trip to the coast, and we have never really done anything inland Maine. Wife will want to do some hiking, poke around a small town, good food. If I can sneak some riding in and a rental, then fantastic.

Or any other recommendation that are a couple hours from BGR? Probably flying into BGR, inland for a few days and then out to the Blue Hill area on the coast then back to BGR to fly home. Or fly into Portland and head out from there but that is a much longer drive to the ultimate coast destination.

 

Yea, we had a whole discussion about alternate vehicles in this thread a number of months ago. I think I started it cause I swapped our Taco for a Van, but there were lots of discussion around other "biking related" vehicles.

If you don't want a full on camper. I think a setup like this is the ideal bike vehicle...

 

Hiking - Katahdin if the weather is good, Cadillac on MDI if it's meh.

Everything in that red line below is logging land, controlled by logging companies and the North Maine Woods. Fall is hunting season up there too. No bikes allowed (ever), snowmobiles on trails marked for it. You need to pay land use fees/check in at gates to get in, so it's not as aimless wander as some people make it out to be.



My recommendation would be Mt Kineo smack in the middle of Moosehead. Small hike, great view, little to no biking.

Maine isn't a MTB mecca. Katahdin is in Baxter and there's almost no MTB trails there. Cadillac is on MDI and there's some there, but the fall can be a mad house. I think there's some trails outside of Millinocket that are mediocre at best.

I say this not to rag on Maine but to not get your hopes up for a great MTB trip and be disappointed. I was just in the North Maine Woods last weekend and it's amazing, and would be amazing for MTB trails, but they're not allowed. So.

 

For trails in the Bangor area: Rose Bike | Where to Ride?
IDK about rentals up there.

In the Blue Hill area, you'll be close to Acadia and there is plenty to do in Bar Harbor.

Gulf Hagus is an awesome spot with hiking trails and waterfalls, but it's near nothing.

In the western mountains:
Grafton Notch has multiple spots to hike.
Mt Abram rents bikes for lift assist. It's not a big mountain and the lift is slow, but it's good for at least a half day. I often do a half day at Mt Abram then the afternoon riding the local trails. Mt Abram is nice because it's not aggressive to the point that you need armor and a full-on downhill bike. I've been smoked by tikes on 24" wheels.
I believe Barker Bikes in Bethel, ME rents and you can ride from there to Bethel Community Forest and Gould Acadamy trails. There are a couple more trail networks in the area that are a bit further, Bacon Hill is a good spot.
For eats in Bethel: Butcher Burger, La Mu Eats and Steam Mill Brewing

 

Yeah, completely familiar with Bar Harbor, MDI and Acadia. We used to do that after Labor Day every year, but it has gotten to be a mad house, so we are branching out. Thus, Blue Hill, close but not in the main madness. Wife likes Bar Harbor and the vibe, just not the loads of tourist. Thought we would look for similar but inland.

Not really looking for biking, it would be a plus but not necessary. Obviously, Snowshoe has bike trails but not the main reason I chose there.

I had actually looked at Mt. Kineo. How remote is it up there? Katadin seems to be a bit remote.

 

Snowshoe or sugarloaf? Carabassett valley is supposed to have solid riding. I try to go to Maine once a year but haven’t made it up this year and haven’t ridden but there is a ton of good hiking too. sugarloaf held an Enduro World Series race before it became a World Cup event.

Farmington is a cool little town, I think Origin USA is based out of there and have a nice little shop. Some solid hiking around there with wild blueberries at the top of some mountains.

bar harbor/acadia has a ton of good hiking and food.

 

Bethel/Newry has that vide. It's a ski town (Sunday River), but there is plenty of summer activities and a lot of VBRO rentals available. Some good hiking spots in the area besides Grafton Notch would be Screw Augar Falls and Frenchman's hole.
Plus it's not far from NH for tax free shopping. When the kids were young we would spend the WE at our cabin in Bethel and go to North Conway, NH for back to school shopping.
Maine is relatively non-mountainous except for the north west and Katahdin which is kind of sits by itself. The lack of surrounding mountains and exposer is what makes Katadin's Knife's Edge trail exciting.

Sugarloaf opened their lift assist bike park this year. The Outdoor center has been there for several years and also has hike/bike trails.
Farmington is a cool town, but it's still about 1.5 hours from Farmington to Sugarloaf. Titcom Mountain Ski area in Farmington also has bike trails (non-lift) maintained by the local NEMBA chapter.
Yes Origin USA is based in Farmington.
When we were looking to buy our ski cabin we looked at Sugarloaf (Kingfield), Saddleback (Rangeley) and Sunday River (Newry/Bethel). Bethel had more real estate options and we felt it had a better downtown. Plus it was only 10 minutes (without traffic) to get to Sunday River from Bethel and Mt Abram was 15 minutes away in the other direction. Also for trail options in within the same area Grafton Notch is hard to beat.

Sunday River used to have lift assist biking, but they stopped a several years ago. The trails were rugged and would thrash a non-downhill or enduro bike. My friend that works at SR said Boyne Resorts didn't want to invest in trails and marketed as semi-natural terrain. Whenever I biked SR I'd rent a bike and get the extra insurance. I tore my rotator cuff at SR overshooting a landing and pancaking myself into a rock garden.

 

Greenville is bumping in the summer. Haven't been in the winter and fall but hunting season in the fall i would bet it's busy. Not like OOB/Bar Harbor busy but there's probably 3 SxS instead of 2

Katahdin is remote because it's in Baxter. It's nice but kinda out there.

That's you

 

Honestly, I was thinking something like this.
Not at this price, but if he'd take KBB possibly, but it's been for sale forever.
He would have to come down like 8k to match KBB though.
I alson need the sprinter to be able to tow, and I have no doubt it should tow better than a Tacoma. I'd consider it a mid way point in towing from a midsize to 1/2 ton truck?