My Most Recent Ride 2013 (Part VI in a series)

Ferndale

It was my favorite city for a while, but I did not have a reason to go there for several years. Now I live closer to it, so I rode there. Most of the businesses I remember are gone. The business district seems more crowded and upscale (fashionable and expensive). There are more food stores that stock what I like to eat on rides, and I saw lots of bike racks, but between the moving cars, parked cars, and the sidewalk cafes there's not much space left for bikes on 9 Mile Road. That was my first experience of such crowded urban riding on a bent.

 

Didn't have long so I went out looking for a hard fast ride. 22 miles with 1500 feet of climbing sounded like the ticket. There also was a segment on Strava that I felt I could put a good time on...and I did.

http://app.strava.com/activities/53330206

 

FINALLY got to ride. Not sick. Not raining. Swamped at work so only rode 13.4 miles. Trying to get some leg strength before the SMRR this weekend!!! I am soooo out of shape!!!

 

Got the trike back and was expecting a smooth ride. Nope. They completely fouled up the gears! Granted it's still better than I could do, but shockingly pathetic after the great work they've always done in the past!

I so don't want to lose the trike for another week and spend another 8 hours winding my way through Stockholm. (That's assuming 2 round trips)

Terii

 

I called the shop and got to speak to the head mechanic. Really nice guy who might be 20 years old. He said he would take care of it right away when I could bring it in and was very apologetic. I wasn't sure I could make it because traffic in Stockholm has been a nightmare with all the road reconstruction, but I decided to try. It went much better than yesterday.

It took Eddie less than 10 minutes and he gave me tubes for my tires along with many more verbal apologies.

Terii

 

Sounds like good customer service.

 

Yep, they do try. The only shop I've found that will not only work on a recumbent trike, but also do it with a smile and cheery disposition which makes the long drive a bit more bearable.

All the cycle shops around here are operated by grouches who sneer at 'bents.

Terii

 

After a TWO month riding hiatus (due to rain, bronchitis, vacation, too much work at work, etc) I finally got out my V Rex and decided to do a greenway with hills.

What a mistake!!! :wideeyed: Rode 16.4 miles into a strong wind and up and down hills. It wiped me out. I was getting faint at the end of the ride.

So in two short days I will be riding at the back of the pack for the SMRR ride. This is NOT what I was planning on.

 

16 miles today. The trike worked flawlessly.

It was a hard slog most of the way. Started with going up and up and up... then it somewhat flattened, but it turned into gravel and more gravel. Then the maps were completely wrong.

A road turned into a sort of grassy track in between trees for about 100 yards. With a slight curve, I couldn't see the end of it, but a man came up from the glider plane complex and runway. He warned me the way was blocked by a huge gravel pile and suggested I walk down to look before committing to it.

I did and there was no way. Steep, deep ditches to either side and a mound of rocks 2 - 4 inches in diameter from side to side and almost 9 feet high.

When I got back to the trike, he looked at my maps and pointed back the way I came. When I made a face and muttered that I'd just come from there and didn't want to add 10 km, he grinned. Then he glanced across the grass runway and nearby pasture. He said he thought the pasture fence might be open at the far end and maybe I could get there via the runway. Nice, flat and short grass. He offered to drive over it and didn't mind if Loke rode with.

I took him up on it. It was doable. The runway was good. The pasture had deeper grass, naturally and not as packed down, but manageable. When he dropped me off back at my trike, I thanked him profusely before heading out.

It was about .25 mile distance and a lot of work. That was immediately followed by a brutal gravel road. Huge stones. A few miles at least which just sucked the last of the strength from my legs. Finally I reached the next church.

While I was searching for runestones, the clouds rolled away into clear skies and the wind kicked up insanely... from the direction I needed to go naturally. I was spent. I called Jens.

Still a very good day. Beautiful, soft yellow-greens of spring, flowers. Was nice to be back in the saddle.

Terii

 

May 15th ride posted on the blog. Long rambling tale of the day with pictures of pretty scenery, churches, runestones and other old buildings.

http://terii.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/slow-start-to-may/

Terii

 

Another ride. Just 13-ish very slow miles. 77 F and utterly clear skies at the start which was hard on Loke so we took it easy with lots of water and shade stops. I kept Loke's ears wet. I might have preferred it a little cooler, say around 72-74 F, as I was a touch warmer than I like. Not quite over the line into 'discomfort', but I'm more comfortable when I'm cool rather than warm.

After about 45 minutes some clouds moved in which helped us pick up the speed a little with the SUN thinned or blocked. We even had a couple light rain showers. Just enough to briefly dampen clothes and fur, but not make wet. It felt heavenly.

I'm not going to bother making a post just for the ride as it was just one of my common loops and very little happened. Now if I'd gotten hit by a deer or something weird/unexpected, but not for 'rode 13 slow miles'.

Terii

 

My most recent ride was yesterday at the Smoky Mountain Recumbent Rally. We had 35 people show up for the ride. Turned out I became the ride leader. We went from the shop to Coulter Bridge and back. Then went to Tremont and back. Total 34 miles. Everyone had fun. Along the way ran into Don and Teri. I haven't seen them in a year!

We also had FOUR speakers in the afternoon talking about recumbent bikes, etc. Great afternoon.

Today (Sunday) was supposed to be Cades Cove but the rain is keeping me from going.



I will post pictures when I get back to the office on Monday.

 

Sounds great! Can't wait to see the photos!

Terii

 

8+ miles again today. A bit on the warm side at 72 F, muggy. It was sorta sunny while I was getting the trike ready, but by the time we rolled out the sky was covered in variegated shades of gray. I didn't mind as it kept things from getting unbearably warm for Loke and uncomfortably so for me. A brisk, gusty breeze helped.

Just did the River Loop and a little extra for exercise and adding a few miles to the month. I passed May 2012's total and inched closer to 400 miles for the year which will have me roughly halfway to last years total.

While I was putting the trike back in the car, the clouds began breaking up and it looks like the sun is returning. Perfect time as far as I'm concerned. If it's going to be this humid, I'd rather have clouds than broiling under a blue sky.

Met a guy on a non-recumbent trike, the sort that has a cargo space in front of the handlebars. He had 3 kids piled in it. They got to pat Loke while he admired my trike, showed me pictures of a web site for his cycling group and invited me to come to some function in July. Also told me they have workshops on Tuesday and Thursday somewhere in Uppsala. Gave me his business card before pedaling on with his little ones yelling bye to Loke.

Terii

 

I would like to thank you for leading that ride out of the recumbent shop yesterday Jon. If you haven't guessed yet its Silviobent from Schaumburg. I too did not make the park ride, there is always next year. Good riding, safe riding.