My Most Recent Ride 2008 (Part I of series)

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Dennis, tell us about some HPV's that could be converted.

Is it colder there than In Alaska? I'm awful dumb to be a world
traveler. The Air Force kept me south, south Korea, Southern CA,
etc. I did a spring at Alpina and it was like January in TN.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

I thought he came up with the idea while stalking Sara? er ..i mean watching Sara's husband and dogs......

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

No dogs. Todd is the world champion snow machine racer.
He just happened to be married to Sarah. Now don't be
showing disrespect to the most beautiful woman in the
world by spelling her name wrong like that. I'll have to
come out there and stomp your puny little skinny a
double ss. If your body matches your face, I think I
could do that. If it's not a match, just forget it, and
move on. You better watch, I'll quit praying for you boy.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Gene, yes, I am crewing again this year in RAAM. Can't tell you yet much about the details as they haven't yet been made public, but can tell you I will be crewing for a 4-man team headed by Tim Woudenburg and Glenn Druery, the two guys I crewed for in 2007. Great guys!

Logistics haven't yet been worked out but I will probably be doing much the same as 2007. That is, I'll fly to San Francisco, where Tim lives. Most of the team will gather there but some will fly to San Diego and be picked up and driven to Oceanside.

The following day we'll pick up rental vehicles and my part will be the RV. The rest of that day is spent getting the vehicles ready for the trip, getting to know the rest of the crew and racers, possibly a training ride to practice handoffs and switching riders. We might even tip a few.

Then is the long drive down to Oceanside. The next day is spent finalizing the vehicles. Lots of signage to install there. Then there is vehicle (including bikes) inspections and usually a meeting involving all crew and all riders for all teams.

RAAM Race dates are:

• Solo Women’s start: Tuesday, June 16th, 2009, 12 noon
• 60+ Men’s Solo start: Tuesday, June 16th, 2009, 12 noon
• Solo RAAM Men’s start: Wednesday, June 17th, 2009, 12 noon
• Team RAAM start: Saturday, June 20th, 2009, 2 pm

All divisions of the Race Across the West, RAW, will start in Oceanside, California on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 12 noon with the Solo Men’s start of RAAM.


As you can see, the teams start on Saturday, June 20. Before, we got to see the start of the men's solo but probably won't this year.



With the starting dates, I'll probably fly into San Francisco on Tuesday and drive to Oceanside on Thursday. Others will probably arrive on Friday in San Diego. Because we start on Saturday, I'm just going to figure on flying back home on the following Sunday or Monday. Yes, it will be a fast crossing. Could be under 6 days for sure.



All expenses are paid for the trip. No special skills are needed but bike mechanic is a big plus. Naturally lots of driving is involved and I'll be in the RV full time no doubt. That doesn't allow me to be too close to the race but we stay as close as possible and we do get cheer the riders on many times.


Naturally, it is close quarters and the schedules are tight. I'd surely hate to see a hothead on the crew! We need people who can get along together for sure. We have at least one other person on this forum who is probably going to be crewing with me! Hopefully two.

We try to make things as good as possible for the crew. We try to get things they like to eat, get showers in motels as much as possible and do try to be quiet when others are sleeping. Yes, with the size of crew, there will always be several sleeping in the RV. So I try to drive reasonable and park as much as possible so they can sleep as decently as possible. We also run the air conditioner except in the mountains! There, we run the heater.

The RAAM experience can be either good or bad and I've had both. I highly doubt anyone could crew for a better team than what we have this year. I'm really looking forward to it.

If you or anyone else is interested, please send me a PM or email and I will contact the right people who will then get in touch with you direct.

Above all, we do try to have some fun. Gee, last year we even kept a road kill count.... A contest even...

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Buddy, it does get colder here than parts of Alaska, but nothing like Fairbanks for sure. I also do not live in a deep snow area but there are plenty of those in Michigan. For example, Herman gets about 300 inches of snow per winter. When we lived at Gaylord, our lowest winter snowfall was 202 inches, so we do know what snow is. Last year, here, we had somewhere between 80 and 90 inches.

Now just because places get that much snow, do not think for a moment that the snow gets that deep! Snow packs a lot and I've seen a 12 inch snowfall reduce to 4 or 5 inches in just a few days. Also, for the uninitiated, there is a big difference in snow. Some has lots of moisture and some is as light as a feather. They pack differently; a lot differently and also take different waxes on the skis.

As for HPV's that can be converted, most trikes can be converted into great vehicles for winter time use. One Andy Sinak, who lives in Alaska, rides his to work every day throughout the winter! I can get more info on what he rides if you wish. There was even a great writeup in a newspaper about him recently. Maybe I'll look that up and post about it later.

btw, the temperature this morning was around 10 degrees. It is forecasted to reach 28 this afternoon. We are getting snow flurries but nothing that will pile up. It is extremely nice sitting here by the wood stove! We have a Woodstock soapstone stove, and love it!

How about coming up for a visit?! January 20 is a great time of the year here! lol

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

As for me, you can't take the boy out of the South, esp. in winter. Snow flurries here in East TN today. I haven't been on the bike now in nearly two weeks. Some tennis in long clothes, but hard to move around in all that fabric. It's been cold here, and I don't care what anybody says, 25-30 degrees is COLD! Wish I had some relatives on the Gulf Coast to visit. Guess I'll have to be satisfied that we're going to Augusta, GA for Thanksgiving with daughter Whitney in the US Navy there. Temps there are often 10-15 deg. warmer than here. Maybe get out Sunday when temps will get 50+.

Dave "The Breeze" (so long as air temperature is above 45 deg.)

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Thanks for the invitation. Now if Dave and Don will drive me
up there, I'll furnish the van, the camper and half the gas.

I walked this morning at 27 degrees. Not bad. Would have ridden
today, but Mary had other plans. I'll ride tomorrow if it's not
raining or if the roads are not slick. I've busted both hips on slick,
and don't want to hurt that bad if I can get out of it. Both
times were caused by dogs. I hit a dog (one of a pack) in Jan.
2006. That was January 3. Had three layers of cloths on and
that saved a few more abrasions. I'm a tuff old dude, but
don't ever want to hit another dog on a cold winter day or any
other day.

Yes I would like to know about commuting in winter on a trike.
I ride when the temperature is in the 20's. May see what I can
do now that I have the face shield.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

My rain gear worked really well the times I used it. Me and Keila came
out of the Smokies in a thunderstorm and a real gully warsher. Rode the
Katy for a week with Dave, Jon, and Don. Used the rain gear about
three times. Rode with AD and Jo in and around Townsend in a bad
rain storm. What I'm trying to say is, I like and trust my rain gear.

My rain gear: "Stearns" hooded top. Both top and bottom have
the wicking material. The hood goes under the helmet very nicely.
Even at that I put a shower cap on the helmet. I got it back in
sporting goods at Wal-Mart. Works well for me.

Try rain-x on the shield. Rain really stung my face with just the
fairing.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

I echo what Buddy said. I also bought Stearns top and bottom rain gear for like $40 and it works great for biking or anything else. I also have Goretex, but the Stearns seems to stand up just as well at 20% the cost.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Buddy, here's a link to an article that was recently in the Anchorage Daily News. http://www.adn.com/front/story/572433.html

You'll have to scroll down a bit and then after the little picture, scroll down some more.

Andy wrote: Overall I’m pleased with the write-up. They did misquote me on the part about falling over on icy roads. I’ve never tipped my velo; that was on my 2 wheeled recumbents. Icy road crash avoidance was a substantial factor in my decision to get the velomobile. That and the fact that my Aero would be worthless on ice, and I’d never subject it to that anyway.

I'll try to find a couple more articles. Ward probably knows Andy too as he has rode in Sebring. You can also find his posts over on the Bacchetta forum where he does go by andysinak, even though his last name is different.

EDIT: Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feuqqnD5Y1w

Hope this helps.

Keep smiling!
Dennis

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Nice Dennis, and thank you verry much. I could get into
that. Nice article. You need one up there in Michigan. I
could use one right here in TN.

I rode today. Started out at 27 degrees. I was overdressed.
The faceshield does a great job. It is better than a fairing
for cold weather. I got hot and had to cut my ride short
and get home and get dried off. I had a tobogan on my head
under the hood and the helmet on top. Scarf around neck
and two sub-layers. Hot, hot for low 30's. I'll start out like
that in the 20's and be ready to start shedding cloths, and
stuff them in the bike bag. Even my hands and feet stayed
warm. Yippee. Got it up to 29 and started looking for the
down hills. Have always dreaded them in past winters. Now
let's all go ride.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

My last ride was on the _side_ of a bike. Walking home from downtown and was coming up out of an pedestrian/bike underpass. Very icy. At the top, there was someone on a bike and his wheels shot out from under him. The bike caught me across the shins, my feet shot out from under me and down I went on the bike. Managed to miss the pedals. The next thing I knew, all three of us (me, him and bike) were doing a rather ungraceful slide down the slope to the bottom of the underpass.

Since then we've gotten about 18 inches of snow on top of that lovely ice. That much snow and a chain just 2 inches (being generous) off the ground don't really mix.

Hopefully it will melt in the next week or so and I can squeeze another ride or three in before the next assault of the white stuff.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Not good. Hate to hear that. Walking is not crowded and is
absolutely the best exercise according to all my doctors and
I've got a bunch. Everyday my diabetic activities include
walking. The best time to walk is immediately after each meal.
Takes as little as 10 minutes. BTW, the same things that
are good for diabetics are good for cholesterol poisining.
Just had breakfast and walking now at 25 degrees.

 

Re: My Most Recent Ride

Maybe I should try walking after every meal. Would make the dog happy and help keep me a tiny bit more fit during the cycling hiatus forced on me by snow.

Who knows, maybe it will help keep my hypoglycemia in check as well.