How one driver stays fit on the road.

Yea, that is a good idea. Beat's walking lol

 

Kinda like lots of other stuff, bike quality can be pretty pricey. Most of us are so used to seeing Walmart bikes (which don't hold up under REAL use, and are heavy/clunky) at such cheap prices, that there's quite a lot of sticker shock when presented with the price tag on a real, decent quality bicycle.

When I was hauling pneumatic tankers, I had a CH Mack with a 42" flat top sleeper. I didn't have a folding bike at the time, so I took the front wheel off my Huffy (fixed that problem later... bought a real bike) and rested the rear wheel in the right footwell, forks resting on the mattress between the seats. I just left the front wheel wherever it wasn't in the way. That setup worked well enough for me, and I continued the practice when I bought my first *real* bike, a Trek Multitrack (it was only about $300).
That year I lost over 100 lbs, between the bike, eating well, and other exercise. I used the truck as a platform for various types of pushup, slung rubber bands through the grab-rails for a few exercises, and steadied myself on a fender for squats.
I also used the steering wheel and air-ride seat for whatever exercises I could imagine while I was in the driver's seat.

Back to the bike, though. Now I have a Montague Paratrooper (about $700) which folds in half. If my Kona ($1200) or Surly ($1000) road bikes can't find a comfortable place in the truck, I'll just take the 'trooper on the road with me.

As for the prices of bikes compared to, say, cars. Think economy of scale and handcrafting. The more expensive bikes have a higher level of hand-crafting, and good-quality bicycle shops don't sell *nearly* as many bikes as do car dealers. This brings the per-unit price up by itself. Let me tell ya, though. A good quality bike will last a lot longer than most would think, especially given that most people are used to having dime-store bikes.
My Kona, for instance, has over 30,000 miles on it, and has been on nearly a dozen century rides (100 mile) and still looks new.

 

Indeed, Spacer. I just purchased my real bike last February, a Trek 7.3FX ($650) I haven't rode much, only 100 miles in the first few months, but am now getting back into it and am planning on doing much more miles in the next few months Currently have a 15 mile one-way commute to work, and will start doing that daily in a few weeks.

In the future, I will definitely want to bring my bike with me if I ever get in a truck. ( I still have 1.5 years until I 'm 21 ). I'm curious about storing it... I suppose taking off the front tire is a good idea, if you don't have to air down/up the tire to get it off/on like I do (tire is too fat to go around the brakes). Of course I've been looking at Bike Friday's as well ($900+ folding bikes), and figured that would be a good idea for trucking. Of course I don't have any trucks on hand to play on, but I'm trying to figure out how I would store a bicycle onto the back of a cab.

 

If you have a narrower tire, it makes it a lot easier to get 'em off the fork. Some brakes open up wide enough that it isn't too much of an issue. One thing that makes it really easy with the Montague is that the front brake is a disc. Your bike probably already has tabs for those on the front fork, and it's no longer an expensive/complicated upgrade. Then the wheel slips on/off very easily, so long as you're careful to ensure the disc slides into the calipers when you mount the wheel. No big deal there.

As for storing the bike on the back of the cab, so long as you have it securely mounted, there are probably several bike covers that'll keep the road grime off.

 

I Was at a truck stop in Colorado a few years a go and saw a driver set up next to his truck with a weight bench and a full set of weights. He was working out just like he was at the gym. Trucks going by...he didn't even look up.

 

When I started exercising outside the truck, I was pretty self-conscious. It took a little while to get over doing something that was "different", and eventually didn't worry at all about what the other "normal" drivers thought. I didn't think it'd be a big deal at first, but I guess it was more than I'd thought.

You can also turn a simple walk into a calorie-roasting workout that involves your upper body, by carrying and manipulating a dumbbell while you walk. Lemme tell ya... even when I was in my peak condition, I did that with a 10lb weight, and done right I could work myself into a frazzle, like I'd just done some heavy gym time. And it's completely portable. It's also infinitely adjustable. Start out with a lighter weight, and you can even adjust the intensity of the workout using the same weight... just adjust how energetically you toss that thing around.

 

I also carried a bike and road around the small towns. You get to see a lot more of life and meet some nice people. This opened up some oportunities for me to attend local activities that I would not have had access to. I just recently picked up a flyer at a local trade show from an inventor of a neat bike called a bag bike. You guessed it. It is a mountain bike that is carried in two bags and assembles in two minutes. I think I could store it behind the passenger seat if I put the seat all the way forward. I haven't purchased one yet but it would be a whole lot easier than wrapping up my bike in a tarp on the back of my sleeper. I am new to the Forum so I don't want to cross over into advertising for someone elses product but this was a great product ofr someone who lives in a truck and wants a chance to get out and about.

 

.... now why does this not surprise me... 'cause I used to drive for Crete then gave it up as a lost cause and went to work in the safety department.....over all the logs bad mistake!

 

i know of some who take out the passenger seat to make room for the bike

 

I exercize by punching the trailer with work out punching gloves also get two 20lbs dumb bells great for indoor outdoor work out.hick the tire with steel toe boots.I like to start a meetup group on the road to have boxing matchs.