The Soundry Social Ride

Tonight a group of us met at Bikes @ Vienna, rode out to the Reston Town Center and on the way back stopped at the new coffee shop/art house, The Soundry.

It was a crisp cool night and a full moon. In all we had at least 13 riders with a mix of tandems, trikes and a heavier duty transport bike (think European cargo bike). The pace was nice, the group stayed together, took a couple of breaks to verify that everyone was still with the pack.

Back at the Soundry we created a new kind of "biker bar". In all 10 riders stopped for a night cap. The front entrance literally looked like a "biker bar" from the movies, except it was with bikes & trikes.

Thank you to everyone who came out. One of the participants took some pictures. Hopefully I can post a link to them soon.

Give me 40 acres...Greenspeed GTT (tandem)

Got to take the "limousine of trikes" out for a 2 hour tour today. Most of the way I had the old country & western song "Give me 40 acres (and I'll turn this rig around)" stuck in my head.

First the trike is LONG. I'm guessing at least 10 feet and closer to 12. Tadpole trikes don't normally have a small turning radius but with the extra length, let just say I was looking for that 40 acres at different points.

This test ride was with the Greenspeed GTT. It was set up with the normal gearing & the SRAM internal rear hub. So there was definitely more gears high & low. The captain shifts the rear derailleur and SRAM. The stoker shifts the "front" chain rings (which are actually in the middle). Standard front disc brakes but there is an option for a rear disc brake as well.

The length did have a positive side effect: it smoothed out the ride. Bumps & wooden bridges that are usually a jarring experience on our other trikes were almost smooth on the GTT. In that respect it lived up to the "limousine of trikes" moniker.

Overall we did a 20 mile ride averaging around 10 mph with a maximum speed of 27 mph. A bit slower than our individual trikes but not bad for the first time on the tandem. We found it was definitely important to communicate decisions to shift gears or change cadence. Anything you do is directly transferred to your partner.

There was also another positive/negative issue: your partner is close enough that you can actually talk which is difficult on two single trikes. But then again if you don't want to talk there's no speeding away.

We had an enjoyable ride and nobody had to feel like they were waiting or holding up the other person. So this was a positive experience.

Special thanks to Bikes @ Vienna, www.bikesatvienna.com, for providing the trike. If you are considering a tadpole tandem go see John Brunow <john@bikesatvienna.com>. This is a sweet ride and a clean used trike. The price will definitely be better than a new one at retail!

You can read more about the Greenspeed GTT here: http://www.greenspeed.com.au/gtt.html

Metric Half Century - one year later...

Yesterday, 8/23/09, we completed the Reston Bike Club Metric Half Century. This was the first organized event we rode in last year when we initially bought our trikes. This year my wife joined us for 3 on trikes! We used the Greenspeed GT3, TerraTrike Cruiser & the new addition the Catrike Road.

We stopped at the rest areas and didn't push ourselves too hard. However we managed to average 10.4 mph for the 32 mile ride. If we can get some more time in the saddles we should be able to get our speed up even further.

Sidewinder SportZ

The Sidewinder series from Sidewinder Cycle, www.sidewindercycle.com.

After hearing me promote the tadpole trike design as a great way to get back out on the pedals a friend of mine decided to take a test ride. Unfortunately she has limited strength in one hand due to a medical condition and the standard style tadpoles from TerraTrike, Greenspeed, Catrike, etc. proved too difficult for her to steer with one hand. I did some online research and discovered the Sidewinder series of rear wheel steer tadpoles. Looking a little further I found that a bike shop not too far from me was not only a dealer but had one in stock. So last Saturday I took a ride to Mt. Airy, MD and visited the Mt. Airy Bike shop.

The model they had in stock was the SportZ (manufacturer’s photo here:http://www.sidewindercycle.com/index.php?n=item&p=03).

What initially separates the SportZ from other tadpoles is the steering. Most tadpoles use direct or indirect steering of the front wheels. All Sidewinder series tadpoles steer with the rear wheel. To accomplish this, the steering arms push/pull in opposite directions (think cross country ski pole motion). The tension on the steering can be adjusted so it’s easy or a bit harder to turn the rear wheel. This type of steering takes some mental adjustments after having ridden other tadpoles. But it certainly added another dimension of “fun”.

Other items unique to Sidewinders:

* The drive train goes only from the crank to the front cross member. Which means the distance is closer to that of a traditional bike. There is no need for idlers and chain management found on other tadpoles.

* The seat has more adjustments that any other tadpole that I’ve seen, including the TerraTrike. There are at least 5 forward/back positions for the seat and an adjustable incline. This means multiple people could ride the same set-up without adjusting the boom/chain length.

* It folds for transportation/storage! With no tools the seat comes off and the trike folds at the cross member making transportation & storage even easier.

* The wheelbase is shorter than other tadpoles (OK, I didn’t measure it but it looked & felt shorter).

I enjoyed the limited test ride and indeed think this style may assist my friend in hitting the trails. The steering is indeed easier than a traditional tadpole which is what led me to this style in the first place.

Overall I think the Sidewinder series will definitely appeal to the casual rider and intown commuter who wants a lot of flexibility in a tadpole. I will reserve judgment on handling at 15+ mph speeds until I can take a model on an extended ride. Having seen my son role/flip his TerraTrike Cruiser multiple times I would be leery of fast turns in a Sidewinder, the tests I did in the parking lot put me on two wheels or made me feel like I needed a seat belt multiple times.

If you are in the Northern Virginia area and interested in seeing this model in person visit Mt.Airy Bike at 4540 Old National Pike, Mt. Airy, MD 21771, 301-831-5151 or online atwww.bike123.com. Their staff was attentive & very helpful during my test rides. A big hats off to all of them!

Best Buddies Challenge Ride

Wow what a day!

After driving 9+ hours on Thursday to Massachusetts and doing some tourist things on Friday we were all set to kick off the Best Buddies Challenge Ride on Saturday morning. The weather cleared & we had a perfect day to ride.

Thanks to your donations we were recognized in the top 5 fund raisers at the 50 mile start and 13th overall. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT.

While the ride was the longest we have done I must say it wasn't the most difficult. I understand that the 100 mile segment was much harder coming out of Boston. We had a couple of good size hills to climb, a very dangerous high traffic bridge to walk over and a several mile long steady climb at the end. But none of us were wiped out at the end. We had plenty of energy to enjoy the showers, massages, classic clam bake (thank goodness for the Chicken alternative since I'm not a big sea food fan) and a concert by the Bangles (Walk Like An Egyptian). The post ride logistics of getting our truck & trailer from the starting line and back to load up the trikes turned out to be one of the biggest obstacles of the day. Luckily while I was on the bus back to the starting line my wife & kids were able to convince the local shuttle driver to transport them & the trikes to the hotel. Otherwise they would have been waiting on the beach for 2 hours.

It was a fun experience for the entire family. We got to experience some of Boston, especially the traffic. We got a parking ticket because we lingered too long at a diner. We got "rear ended", guess the person didn't see the big hitch sticking out the back, I didn't even bother to get out of the truck. We spent way too much time trying to find parking spaces only to give up and walk half a mile to dinner. But we laughed, we talked and we rode. You can't beat that.

Once again, thank you to everyone who supported the fund raising. The money will go to help a wonderful organization that is making a difference in people's lives every day.

Our next "organized" group ride will probably be a local short 32 miler in late August. Less than a year ago I don't think "short" and "32 miler" would have been a sentence for me. But it certainly is now.

Rolling Thunder

Memorial Day weekend brings thousands of motorcycles to the Washington, DC area for Rolling Thunder, www.rollingthunder1.com/.

Since were were still conditioning for our Best Buddies Challenge Ride we, at least my wife & I, decided to cruise over to DC and watch the motorcycles stream in. We took the W&OD trail to the Custis Trail to the Mount Vernon Trail and stopped at the Memorial Bridge.

We made it to the Memorial Bridge about 20 minutes before the "parade" began. We parked our trikes and took up a position along the sidewalk with hundreds of other watchers. We stood there for over 90 minutes watching motorcycle after motorcycle stream past, all there to bring awareness to our POW/MIA. Of course the classic "thunderous" Harley-Davidsons were represented well but there was almost every shape & size of bike and rider that you can imagine. Eventually we decided to take advantage of the closed streets around the monuments to get some very safe riding in. We took a tour around the mall area and even answered several questions about the trikes we were on. I began calling our little two person parade the "silent thunder".

We made our way back to the Memorial Bridge only to find the stream continuing. After 2 1/2 hours the bikes were still coming into DC. If you look at a satellite photo of the DC mall area (where the monuments are) you'll see the park space with softball fields and common areas. Every space that didn't have a monument on it or was needed for foot traffic was in use for parking bikes. The last estimate I heard was 500,000 and I wouldn't doubt it!

We returned home via the Mount Vernon Trail to the 4 Mile Run Trail and back to the W&OD. All in a all about 32 miles and a lot of fun.

Another ride ... another flat!

We managed to crank out 23 miles today but only averaged 8 MPH while moving. We lost a bit of time changing yet another flat!

The TT Cruiser developed a punctured tube on the same rim/tire as last week but in a different location on the new tube. So I don't think it's rim related maybe just bad luck in finding thick thorns?

I think this week I'll be investing in several quick fill CO2 cartridges and possibly some "flat fixer" canisters. Maybe some goo in the tubes will at least fill small holes automatically.

New moon rising

This week I started reassembling the Duffy Moon. Here is how she arrived:





















After going through all of the parts and applying a little elbow grease this is what I took to the local bike shop for an official tune up:











From what I can tell only one small nut was lost in transit. I'm sure the local shop can provide a new one. I'm going to use the head rest from this trike on my Catrike Pocket until the Duffy Moon returns from the shop. Depending on the cost I'm going to have the local shop replace the grip shifters with bar end shifters & a new rear derailleur. The grip shifts & existing rear derailleur are functional but I've come to appreciate the bar end shifters on my GT3 more. After our Best Buddies ride I may swap out the rear cassette for a faster set of gears opting to keep this trike for faster rides and my TerraTrikes for "touring".

Just in time learning

Most of the time in life you need to know how to do something when you need to do it. Knowing how but never needing the skill seems like a wasted effort in learning. So when learning comes "just in time" you are quickly applying your new found skills and the effort of learning has immediate value. Such was our experience today.

Late in the afternoon we decided to take the trikes for a quick 20 mile or so round trip ride. I had no idea I'd be using the basic repair skills I learned just last week at my local bike shop.

I thought we were fully prepared. We travel with tools, spare tubes, patch kit & pump. So when we had the first trike I summoned my new skills to remove the rib, remove the tire, check for what caused the puncture and reached for the new tube. OOPS! The type for the 20" rim was the wrong type and the valve stem wouldn't fit the rim. Still no problem, I used my still fresh tube patching skills to patch the tube and put everything back together. Well almost, my old bicycle pump decided to break apart and even after repairing it I couldn't get enough pressure to fill the tire completely. "Oh thank heaven for 7-11." A block away was a 7-11 with an air pump, for a fee of course. Now 75 cents later and at least 80 PSI in the tire we continued on our ride.

About 3 more miles down the trail and one of the other trikes got a flat! No use reaching for the tubes so out with the patch kit again. Enough air to ride, definitely not permanent but back on the road and heading back to our new favorite 7-11. Another quick 75 cent pump use and it was at least ridable.

Now it was getting late and we were about 7 miles from home with darkness quickly approaching. We pushed each other hard and made pretty good time getting home just before it was unsafe to be riding but it was close.

Now I have two rims sitting in the garage to take back to my local bike shop for new tubes. And, of course, exchanging the other tubes so I have viable spares.

I guess I'll be getting a new portable bike pump and some of those fancy CO2 cartridge things for my birthday.

And then there were more...

Last year we started our triking with a Terra Trike Cruiser and a Greenspeed GT3. With our pending Best Buddies Challenge Ride we needed two more rides. (For details on the Best Buddies ride see http://trikelandblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/best-buddies-challenge-ride.html.)

I was planning on renting or borrowing the trikes/bikes for the other two riders but my initial recumbent rental didn't work out all that well. So I started cruising the Internet looking for used trikes.

Bingo! As with many other things in life "timing is everything".

This week I found a Catrike Pocket for sale locally. I quickly bought it even though it may turn out to be too short for us. I'm thinking it can always be a loaner or I can sale it later. I took it out for a test run today. It's light, short & quick. Overall a lot of fun but since I couldn't extend my legs fully I think it would not be on my list to ride for an extended time.

I also bought an older Terra Trike model, the 3.6. I'm still arranging shipping for it to get here from Columbia, SC.

But the trike I'm most excited about is a Catrike Road. This particular trike was ridden on a wonderful journey from California to Texas (see Favorite Links page for details). I expect it to arrive in the next 7 to 10 days and I'm hoping it will inspire us to ride more & further as well. (Thank you Sheila.)

With these additions we'll be a 5 trike family. I have noticed that my neighbor, who is an avid cyclist, has multiple models. I guess it customary to have different models for different needs but when we started this adventure last summer I never dreamt we'd get in this deep.

Three Wheeled Tow Trike?

Some days you get the feeling that leaving the house was not the right thing to do.

Today started with a trip to the tire store to have a nail removed. This was possibly the positive highlight of the day. No actual damage because the nail was short and no charge for the tire check & rotation.

Since our Best Buddies ride is coming up in May, see http://trikelandblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/best-buddies-challenge-ride.html for information, we decided to start "auditioning" the additional bikes we'd need for the ride. Four riders and only two trikes leaves two people walking. So I visited our local bike shop, Bikes @ Vienna, and reviewed their rental options. After testing a Barcroft Columbia recumbent tandem, a Rans Crank Forward and a Rans recumbent, I decided to take the single rider recumbent (only 3 riders today anyway). Once the rental bike was secured on my truck it was back to the house to meet up with the family and prep the trikes.

Finding balance on two wheels after months of riding the trike took a bit of adjustment. Then about 5 miles into our ride the right pedal started to wiggle. Quick pit stop, resetting the pedal and we were off again. Only to have the pedal work loose again. So we decided to head back to the bike shop for a quick repair. Unfortunately the pedal and the distance we needed to go didn't agree and it came flying off in mid stroke. Shaky recovery but no wipe out. Now we're over 5 miles from the bike shop and without a pedal. Should we walk it back? Call for assistance? No, let's rig up a tow!

So one of the trikes was pressed into service as a tow vehicle. We attached the security cables from the rack on the trike to the frame of the bike and towed it back to the shop. Ever ridden a tandem and felt like the person on the back wasn't peddling? Imagine not only knowing they weren't pedaling but were actually using the brakes to keep their distance and the tension on the tow strap. We never exceeded 6 miles per hour but we did get back to the shop.

Quick loaner bike (the Rans Crank Forward from the earlier test ride) and we were back on the road to the house. But alas, there was the matter of the first hill. This time we learned first hand about chain tension, trying to shift with pressure on the pedals and just how much torque a chain can handle. The result? SNAP! We broke our a chain. There's that old "weakest link" again.

So my wife took the three wheel scooter back to the shop while we pedaled home, retrieved the truck and went back to rescue her. Even though the shop was pretty busy the trike mechanic repaired the chain quickly and it was ready by the time we got back to pick her up. That saved a trip on another day.

We're laughing about it already but we would like to have gotten another 25 miles on the trail today. It was just too beautiful to stay indoors.

Check back, I'm sure there will be plenty more adventures & misadventures in Trikeland.

Best Buddies Challenge Ride

Involvement with Best Buddies (www.bestbuddies.com) has been a life changing event for my sons and ultimately my family.

On May 30, 2009, my family will do an extraordinary thing (at least for us!). We will be traveling to Hyannis Port, MA and will ride our trikes for at least 50 miles in the Audi Best Buddies Hyannis Port Challenge in support of the 250 million people living with intellectual disabilities. The ride will be physically challenging, but the reward will be like none-other; the chance of a life-time to change the life of another, while positively changing our own.

Please "join" us on this ride by making a donation to support the cause. I would appreciate your support on this endeavor. Every donation will be critical. Please share with anyone that you think might be interested. In order to ride, we need to reach our fundraising goal of $3,500. Any amount you can give will ensure Best Buddies continues to provide critical services and job integration for people with intellectual disabilities. And, your donation is tax deductable!

We choose to ride for Best Buddies because 100% of the funds raised will go directly to their programs. Which means any contribution you give for our challenge directly affects the lives of those living with intellectual disabilities. Best Buddies is a non-profit organization founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989, dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities form friendships and find jobs in their community. The Audi Best Buddies Challenge events are a strong symbol of the lasting friendships and open community that Best Buddies fosters throughout their programs.

Here is how you can donate: You can donate easily and securely by clicking on our personal fundraising webpage link located below. Here you can read more about the Audi Best Buddies Challenge, see our fundraising goals, and read why it is more important than ever to support Best Buddies Programs. We will also be posting updates & information on our blog at www.trikeland.com.

We are so excited to participate in this ride! With each day, we train harder and longer. With each dollar you donate, you bring us one more mile closer to our goal. Thank you in advance for your generous support!

Follow This Link to visit our personal web page and help us in our efforts to support Best Buddies International.

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