My Most Recent Ride 2015 (Part VIII in a series)

This is by far our most popular thread. We are now on our 8th year of this thread. We always start over and want to hear all about your recumbent rides.

So don't be bashful!!! When and where are you riding????

Note: If you enjoy this thread and would like to read of similar travels, check out
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My Most Recent Ride 2014 ( Part VII of the series! )​

 

Just the River Loop, but it was us out the door for the first time in over 2 weeks (I think).

It's just been hard for me to go out for rides when every sort of exertion triggers muscle pain. It turns out to be related to one of my BP medications that lowers adrenaline levels to bring down the diastolic pressure.

Then (miracles of miracles) we had proper winter temperatures. I didn't feel capable of wrestling around with rear tire to swap to studs. Then Murphy had his laughs by making it too cold for me to ride in even with studded tires.

Now we've just had our 3rd day with above freezings temps (highs and lows) and all the snow and ice disappeared. This morning's rain finished it off and voila! I was able to go out for a ride without studs! I did have to change the tube on one of my front tires though. In spite of having been fine even days after I last parked the trike, it spontaneously went flat. Seemed to be some issue around the valve stem.

It was very windy when Jens drove us to the garage, but that just helped clear the clouds away and Loke and I got to ride in a little bit of sunshine! That made me smile, especially knowing that the days are getting longer again! I think Loke enjoyed the leisurely outing in spite of being under the weather himself. He's been having issues that have baffled the vet. With that in mind, I kept this to a rolling walk which benefited us both.

So, here's to what I hope will be a better year all around. I've started it with 4.3 miles under the tires on a sunny, blustery January 2nd afternoon with 44 F temps and windchill of 36.

Terii

 

The weather has been cold and damp here in middle TN for about 6 weeks now.
But I was resolved to ride on New Years Day! I got out and rode a little over a mile.
A great way to start a new year!

 

Sorry to dig up the past, but was Hoping [ or Hopping ] to get some feedback on my previous post so here is link
http://www.recumbentriders.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12054&page=35

From Post 521 Down. near the bottom of page.

 

GT1

This was my ride 1-11-2015. First trike ride in several months. Had forgotten the fun of a trike. It turns in about 9' feet compared to up to 20' for my other trikes. Climbs OK, but needs 10/34 or a 24T chainring to make the bad knee happy. There are some serious hills, not long, but steep. BTW, I'm #3 on BikeJournal for this group this year. Riding my 10-15 miles most days.

 

good work Buddy on the milage. I ride a Trike every day [ well most days ] but that GT looks fun even compared to mine.
If I could suggest that trike with electric assist just for hill climbing, reckon that would be the Ticket

 

NICE, NICE, NICE Buddy.....

 

Excellent idea Glenn. Electric assist is a nice way to level these TN hills.

This one is on the back burner. I have everything to do an electric GT1, but will need to have a Currie hub laced into a 16" wheel. I have the spokes, hub and rim, but I've never built a wheel. Mark at Poweron may do it. He laced one of these into a 20" rim, I may get him to do a 16". Right now I'm waiting for parts to complete the 20" project that can go trike or Cycle Genius Sparrow.

Do you have ride reports and pictures of your rides or are your miles all commuting to work? You are the pace setter. Good job.

 

We live in a totally Hilly, Mountainous Area of Tennessee. Gets tough on "Legs-n-Lungs".....

 

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Pretty soon you will be going iver those mtns & hills so good you will be like what hills.

 

Yep....it's coming.....

 

Wow, had a three day weekend with highs in the 60's and sunny though a bit breezy here in Arkansas. I rode all three days. Do not get many of these days in January.

 

Betsy Ligon Park Trail in Erin, Tennessee

Erin is a small town west of Nashville. It features a Rails-To-Trails ride named after a former mayor. I rode it today. It's a short ride, only five miles round trip, but it's a pretty ride. It goes beside a meandering creek, and past an old railroad museum. I enjoyed it. They plan to extend it even farther in the future.

 

Trails in Clarksville, TN

I believe Rails-to-Trails ought to put me on the payroll. I've ridden three of their trails in two days!

Today I drove to Clarksville and rode their two famous trails. First was the Clarksville Greenway. Folks, if you haven't ridden it, you really ought to. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. You ride high up on a ridge, with a full panoramic view of the valley below. In one stretch you can look down and see the Red River meandering below. The scenery is spectacular, it's God's creation, and the trail is well-maintained.

Then I drove down to the Clarksville Marina on the Cumberland River and rode the Riverfront Trail. It's very pretty as well, and well populated. It's about a three-mile ride.

After I rode the Riverfront, a young man drove up as I was loading my RANS and asked me, "Do you know anyone who would be interested in buying a recumbent I have? I inherited it when my father passed away. I ride an upright bike." I told him to give me a description and I would put the word out on it. He'll be getting that info to me.

So, it was a great day for two great rides.

 

Another ride! #2 of the year.

Took me 3 hours over 2 days, but I got the tires swapped to studded on the trike. Since the beginning of January, winter has made it's appearance and has been sticking around enough that studs have been necessary to even think about riding.

Laundry was today with my lovely MIL to help. I think I must cramp her style because before doing the last load, she insisted on going solo for it. Sweetly, but insistent.

I finally relented and got dressed to go out for the first True snow ride of the year. The fluffy white was even falling from the sky.

It was a good ride. Just 3.33 miles, but with snow and big knobby tires after so long with just walking, a nice start. Felt relatively pain free. Was a bigger and more uncomfortable chore to wrestle on the clothes than the ride itself.

Even better? My combat with the rear wheel on and off the trike did not foul up my gears for once! They worked perfectly! Nor did the cables freeze the slightest in spite of the -3 C wind chill.

We just took the short route to downtown to pop into the American Food Store. Charles was there. Been 3 or more months since the last time we both managed to be in the shop at the same time. Wearing my puffy wool and he still complimented me on looking great and clearly having lost weight. That was great to hear!

Though short, it was a really great ride and buoyed my spirits.

Terii