Go with the bike...but only if you're one of those people that can convince yourself that the bike is also better for making the 3-mile RT run to the store too.

If there are no bike areas? Should be close to the entrance door, I imagine, if there's something to wrap a chain around.

N/t

That way you can start now without spending a penny.

Don't make the mistake I did last summer when I got back into walking. I just grabbed some old, kind of ratty and beaten down walking style Rockports and started doing miles a day. I ended up three weeks later in an Urgent Care for severe blisters and celulitis, and a few days later in a podiatrist's office having him open up my right heel to stitch the fascia layer back to the underlying muscle.

I would check out specialty hiking boots at someplace like REI or at least a good sporting goods store, and also look into speciality insoles to cushion the blow further. Also, look for moisture wicking, friction reduction socks that are appropriate to the temperatures you will be hiking in - you don't need arctic level heat retention if you're hiking in the Mojave, for example.

There a a thousand hiking boots to choose from, you will need to figure out what conditions you will be hiking in to get the right pair. So, this will be pretty meaningless, but I just bought a pair of these a few weeks back, and, like all Under Armour products, they are ultra comfortable and well-made:

http://www.underarmour.com/shop/us/en/mens-ua-valsetz-7-tactical-boots-wide/pid1233291-001

You'll probably want hiking poles and some kind of canteen or water pack that you can carry on your back or body. I personally like my Camelbak, it holds 100 ounces which gets me through a long workout.

I have these poles or a very similar Black Diamond pole:

http://www.rei.com/product/830472/black-diamond-trail-shock-trekking-poles-pair

I have this Camelbak:

http://www.rei.com/product/847862/camelbak-lobo-hydration-pack-100-fl-oz

[img][/img]

Pretty much, everything else needed for hiking is fungible...except feet. I mean, if you don't want to buy a canteen and poles, you can fill any bottle and pick up a stick. You can hike in any old clothes. Hiking and doing it safely and well, requires at least an investment in appropriate shoes and a decent pair of socks. The value-pack Hanes socks and ratty old trainers with the busted-down soles are asking for a trip to the MD.

Fortunately, you can usually buy decent hiking/walking/jogging/sports socks at someplace like Marshalls for about $2-4/pair instead of $8/pair at some specialty hiking store, a good cross-trainer sneaker will be sufficient for most beginning hikers but I'd either buy a new pair or make sure the ones I had were in fairly-good shape and fitted correctly.

The one thing that I do have with me at all times is moleskin for blister prevention. If at any time, I feel as if the shoe is not comfortable and is rubbing, I put some moleskin in that spot....and I do not use that pair of shoes in the future. I hike in the woods usually, and I do it at my own pace...usually fast for a while, then mosey for a while. I love looking for wildflowers or mushrooms or critters.

the wildflowers, birds, butterflies all wonders of the woods. [img][/img]

Hiking, not biking? I like the pace. BTW, I am closing in on 60 and still love it....although there have been a few times that I have bitten off more than I can chew. I have learned to read an elevation chart on a hiking map.

I'll be 65 on my next birthday, no hurry to do anything beyond enjoy each day to it's fullest.
At one time, my hiking gear included gloves and a long piece of rope. Going up hill was fun, coming down again . . . not so much. I got my start wandering around Lake Lanier, climbing up Stone Mountain.
Today, my bikin' time is spent on a Honda Goldwing Trike.

I think you think the person you're responding to is the one who did the OP, but that's me.

Both biking & hiking sound fun to me, which is why I asked. But it would be cheaper and easier to start with the hiking, I suppose, since I don't have to buy a bike. I have jogging socks, so I'd just need cross trainer shoes.

But as far as trees and elevations and such that other posters are talking about, I live in Dallas. I don't think the wild terrain will be that pretty. This is cowboy country. Think about the old westerns with plains for miles ahead. That's Dallas. The buildings are pretty, but the natural landscape isn't the prettiest (speaking as someone who comes from the Gulf Coast, a heavily wooded beautiful part of the country, although flat). There would be a few hilly areas, I suppose, but that's it. Not many trees.

I can understand what you mean about hiking around Dallas. I lived for several years in Houston, and I did make it to Dallas once. I was not impressed with the landscape. But there must be parks there, and possibly hiking trails with some interesting landscaping.

I now live in W PA, and it is so much greener than you would have, and hillier. There are lots of trails in the woods here, some flat and some not so flat. But I have had some interesting hikes in areas that seemed barren---NM Bandelier National Monument, Utah's Zion and Bryce National Parks, Yucca National Park, and the Grand Canyon. I was always amazed at what could be found in the most arid and bleak places.

But on a personal level, I am uncomfortable biking anywhere but bike trails, and that means loading up the bike just to get to the trail. I just grab my boots. Lazy? Maybe.

This is as far north as I've lived.

Interesting how some people can move so far. I guess your job transferred you?

The group I'm going to join no doubt has the hiking areas determined, and maybe new ones always coming up. I suppose we drive out somewhere a good bit sometimes, and sometimes hike in area parks.

It's possible that one day I'll be able to move further south again, amongst the trees and rain and greenery. I can only dream about PA and places in the north...lots of trees there in the pictures I've seen.

I was born and raised here in W PA. I thought I was in love with a guy who wanted to move to Houston when the economy cratered here and it was boomtown in Houston......so I went with him. Well, that didn't work out, but I stayed and did like it there, except for the traffic. (This area I am in is small town.) I moved back up here when my father was diagnosed with cancer and both parents were too old to manage his illness alone. (They refused to move to Houston with me.) So I have really only lived in two places. But my sisters live far from me, and each other, so we always meet some place interesting for a vacation. That is where I get a lot of the hiking in.

And yes, the Gulf Coast is so much greener and more lush. And PA is even more so. This really is a great place to be....in the summer. Come visit some time!

For some reason, I've always wanted to see Maine up close and personal. It looks beautiful in pictures and in the movies (and on "Murder She Wrote&quot . I would go up to Maine and say aloud, "I think a nor'easter's comin'!" And I AM used to the rain.

But I would love to visit the coast, and see what inspired Rachael Carson so much.

Just let me know if you ever want to make it up here. It really is incredibly beautiful, especially if you know where to go and love the outdoors.

Seriously, I've been hanging around with my bike shop and cyclist buddies long enough now to know that buying cheap doesn't pay. Don't even consider something mass-market like Schwinn/Mongoose. Cheaper to begin with, but the poor quality components and assembly guarantee constant breakdowns and repair or replacement.

I would say you're going to have to spend a mimimum of $1,000 to get a decent bike. Not counting the bells and whistles - at a bare minimum, a good helmet, gloves, and shoes, which is going to be about a $350 outlay. Lights are a MUST if you are riding at dawn, dusk, or at night. You will probably want some kind of bike computer to keep track of stats, that runs $50 to $100 plus. If you really want to go upscale, there is always GPS, which his great for navigation.

If you do decide to go for a bike, please don't go to a mass merchandiser. Go to a good local bike shop or REI or a full service sporting goods store that does repairs and maintenance by a certified technician. Because, no matter what level of equipment you go for, you will need repairs and maintenance, and it's good to get to know the guys doing it.

but I thought your choice was between that and a bikini group.
(pardon my old eyes)

I hate to even think what a bikini group for 50+ year old people would look like. (shudder)

I'm over 60 so it's double shudder.

a Transeo 4.0 upright.

recumbent link: http://www.sunbicycles.com/product_detail.php?short_code=EZ-1+SX+Recumbent&cl1=RECUMBENT

Now I alternate between the two. I do not have a computer, odometer, special shoes (I use toe clips with straps), or any of the more popular bells and whistles. I have several routes that I've measured with the motorcycle, none being over 25 miles, and all starting and ending at my house. I ride on back roads, and have never been endangered by motorists, just a random dog or two.

I don't have a link to the Transeo. I would recommend getting your bike from a reputable dealer rather than a big box/department store. Personal service after the sale is much better.

We live in a fast-paced world. Hiking slows everything down and allows you appreciate the details.

If you do get into hiking consider buying trekking poles. They are marvelous for reducing stress on the knees.

I know very little about hiking, apparently. But reducing stress on the knees sounds like a practical thing. Having developed a pain in my feet from worn out or improper shoes when I was on a walking program, I learned the value of proper equipment. (The feet recovered, when I got new and better shoes.)