Coming your way

Hey all you California folks,

I am coming out to Sacramento on business in October and looking to ride the American River Bike Trail.

Couple of questions.

Is it worth riding?
Is it paved?
Can a recumbent do the trail?
Are there any recumbent rental places around??

Please let me know your thoughts; and if any of your are available Friday, October 2, 2009; why not meet me to ride this trail for the day. That way I won't get lost!

 

Hi Jon,

I've never ridden in the Sacramento area. But I did find a web page with some information regarding the bike paths.

http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=BGS057-026

Hope this helps. I'd like to join you, but Sacramento is about an 8 hour drive north of me.

I looked on line, but didn't notice anybody that rented bents anywhere close to the area. Realizing where you're coming from, you also might want to verify what the weather is going to be like during the time you're in Sacramento. In California, our weather tends to be a little on the "warm" side during the months of September and beginning of October. And with Sacramento being in the central valley of California, it tends to be quite warm during the summer (100 plus is not uncommon) and usually has a good amount of humidity since it is located on a major waterway.

Enjoy your trip, if you ever make it to the Southern California area, let me know, I'll do my best to meet up with you for a ride. And since I have 2 bents, I can lend one so you can ride for free.

Curtis

 

Hey money bags....yes you Jon,

This old man has the solution to one of your dilemas.

Call Tim Brummer out there in Lompoc Ca., and have
him build you a folding P-38 that goes in it's own
suitcase, then in all your future travels, you will have
the best bike ever made and it will be your favorite
bike long after I'm dead and gone and you will remember
me every time you get it out of the bikecase.

What a deal. Sure glad I thought of that.

 

Thanks for the help Curtis. If I ever get to Southern California (hmmm sounds like the words to a great song....) I will let you know. I have a brother who lives in San Diego. He is a dirt bike rider (both motor and peddle bikes).

 

Buddy,

I'll even up your ante. Why don't YOU buy me the folding P-38 (with suitcase of course) and I will definitely remember you when you are dead. And you would be dead because Mary would KILL YOU if you did that!!!! :rolf2:

 

I aint California folks anymore but am posed to be in Cali. by October. If i can get my 2 wheeler up and running by then i will join you. Or if you think you can ride fast enough to keep up with a trike..
I'll make you a deal i'll run up to the delta to ride the American river with you and you can hop down and ride the ( crap i jez fogot the name ). But it runs about 40 miles or so from the foothills to the beach. All paved and they run a street sweeper down it regularly.Several high speed bents down their as well...

 

Hi Gene,

Are you thinking about the Santa Ana River Trail? I've ridden parts of it, and although I haven't seen other bent riders while I was riding, I've heard there are a number of them using the trail. Its one of the best trails I've ridden, almost park like settings for a fair amount of it.

The other trail (the one I tend to ride because it takes me to one of the locations from which I work) is the San Gabriel River Trail, its OK, but not nearly as nice as the Santa Ana River Trail. Its also only about 30 miles, where the Santa Ana is somewhere between 40 and 50.

If you're going to be down this way, let me know. You'll probably need to ride a little slower so I can keep up.

Curtis

 

That would be great. I have a very short window to be able to do this (Friday, October 2nd) because I fly in the day before then have an all day business business the day after and the next day I fly out early morning.

I am bummed. I can't find any recumbent bicycle rental dealer in Sacramento or Davis (the supposed Bicycle capitol of America). I do have the line on regular bike rentals (YUCK!!!!) which I may have to resort to. But boy is that a bummer!!!!!

Here is the place I am looking. Any other suggestions would be appreciated!!!

http://onlinecycling.com/page.cfm?pageID=78

Hmmm. Buddy's suggestion is sounding better all the time. Now if it didn't require lots of money....

 

I will do that Curtis. We tried to get together last time but i kept running into old friends i had not seen in years, and on the trike i just couldn't cover enough landscape fast enough. But this time i will be in one place awhile and have vehicular transportation to visit with.

 

Sounds Good Gene! When you head this way, send me an e-mail and I'll get my cell number to you.

Curtis
myerscw*Hotmail.com

 

Well Jon, doesn't look like i will make the October 2nd.deadline.My sister wants me to take her Vette back to my brothers place in Dandridge and make some repairs on it for her. Probably be a couple weeks with his limited time as well as mine.

And Curtiss, I'll give you a shout as i get closer to the border.

 

Too bad. I am still having troubles locating a bent to rent. Looks like I will have to ride a hybrid or comfort bike.

 

I can certainly understand you dissapointment there. I just rode to Wapak, Ohio with my sister and had to take her sons MTB. I coudn't stand up after we got back. Only 22 or so miles too.....

 

OK, don't kill me.

I am in Sacramento California today. Flew in from Knoxville Tennessee. I rented a car and drove to Folsom CA which is one end of the American River Parkway Trail. Went to Bicycle Plus Rental and found it with my GPS. They rent Trek bikes. So tomorrow I will be riding either a road bike or hybrid. I brought my bike clothes, shoes and an extra set of pedals to put on the bike.

I asked the store mechanic about the trail. He said it was flat and easy. The trail starts in Folsom and ends in Sacramento. It is 32 miles one way.

So I brought my GPS and will put it on the bike and record the trip. (I will post that later.) I brought my camera, but since I don't have a bike trunk (and don't know if I can rent one) I may only be able to take cell phone pictures tomorrow.

I will let you know how I do. The weather is perfect tomorrow. (Lows in the mid 50s and highs in the mid 70s. Sunny!) The bike mechanic said there was plenty of places to get water but not a lot of places to get food. So I am packing 4 protein bars which I can stuff in my shirt back pockets and buy one of their water bottles and hit the trail. I already know I will have a very sore butt!!!! I am taking 1,000 ibuprophen pills to numb the butt, shoulder and wrist pain. I am sure this will AGAIN convince me why I ride a recumbent.

Stay tune for details of my ordeal tomorrow. (If I have the energy to write it tomorrow!!!)

 

Don't try to be a hero. Turn that pain machine around in 10
miles. Plenty long enough to be on it even with padded drawers.

I'm riding in comfort in Sequatchie Valley TN with my Lompoc Ca
built Lightning P-38. When in Lompoc say "Lom-Poke" and Tim
will think you are a lot smarter than you really are. Just drive
up Highway 1. You'll be happy twice and both for the ride.

I lived in Lompoc 1961-1964 while stationed at Vandenburg AFB.
Would like to go back one day. Oh well, enjoy CA.