A Unique Day at My LBS

Saturday April 25 I took a trip back down to Bentley Cycle to check out the new Catrike 700 that Grant Patton, the owner was all excited about. Grant and I have become friends as we are both real recumbent enthusiasts, he either phones or calls me when he gets some new bent or cool accessory in. Plus, he had asked me to pick up a couple of things my local Canadian Tire had but his didn't; so off 110 km to Bentley I went with my son Brian in tow.

When I get there I see this bent parked in front of his store:I get all excited as it is a vintage Rans Nimbus, complete with the old "bucket seat" copy of a plastic chair. Rans just had an article on their site about the history and evolution of their seats, so I was excited to see some recumbent history. Grant got it on trade earlier this winter; he even got an original Rans brochure with the trade. Cool!

Then as I was gaping at the Rans, Grant came out and with his helmet to test ride a bike some one had brought to the store that day to trade on a Catrike expedition. To my amazement I realized that it was a vintage Lightning P38. Wow, I knew more about it than Grant or the owner did!

I had just had to try it out. It was a tight fit and I realize it is too closed a riding position; my areo belly didn't like it. My son Brian took it for a spin and thought it was a cool ride and real easy to ride up the hill that Grants shop resides on. Well now I can add a P38 to my list of 'bents I have test rode!

So needless to say I spent the afternoon riding vintage bikes, testing and comparing a new Catrike Expedition and 700; talking with the owner of the P38; getting him to test ride both trikes and an Easy Racer Tour Easy. I was there for 4 hours but it felt like 20 minutes. What a fantastic way to spend a cold, drizzly, Saturday afternoon!

Its interesting to see a shop like Grants getting more bents while larger, busier bike shops are getting out of the recumbent segment. I guess they just don't get it ......

If you need a new 'bent, trike or a good used recumbent, check out Bentley Cycle, Grant is getting a greater variety of new and used stock all the time.

Keeping your seat Dry

I have tried several ways to keep my recumbent seat dry over the last couple of years. From garbage bags to sewing part of a blue tarp to fit. Some successful some not, the blue tarp one was a step in the right direction but was bulky. Lately I thought of redoing the tarp one in a lighter material, but to find the right material was a challenge. Then I remembered back to my hiking days and remembered that I had a rain cover for my JanSport frame pack that worked really well. Hmmm, maybe I could buy one at MEC and cut it up to make one for my seat!

So I headed over to MEC and picked up three items: one Red Zepplin CO2 Inflator with 2-16 oz. cartridges: so I have a pump back up. (hopefully now I'll avoid another escapade like last weekends)A tube of WildBerry Nuun electrolyte drink tablets. It uses a sort of carbonation tablet, so I was surprised when I took my first sip and it shot out like it was under a bit of CO2 pressure.

And I picked up 2 yellow XS Raincovers made of waterproof coated nylon to mangle into shape for seat covers. For only $6 cdn each; they come with a drawstring to snug it down in either black or yellow and a small stuff sack to store it in.

When I got home I wanted to see if they would fit out of curiosity. Well sure enough they fit really good over and under the seat well enough that I will not have to get Alice to chop them up at all. So If you want a cheap seat cover for you recumbent look into xtra small pack rain covers at your Local MEC, REI or camping supply store!

AN Easter Ride to Remember

Ever have one of those rides when you wish you had never started?

For me My ride home from Church today was one. A little windy, but sunny. I thought it would be great to burn some calories before the big family dinner. So I loaded up the 'bent on the back of the van and went to church. After the service I got changed, got me bike ready and started off on my 17km trip home from Leduc to Calmar west on highway 39. I just got out of town when I heard a pssssst. No problem. My wife should be by any minute, I'll just be lazy and throw the bike on the van and fix it later at home.

15 min later no wife no van. Hmmm, better start fixing the flat. Some one honks their horn - I look up, its my kids, GREAT I am rescued; I wave, they wave, they keep on going.... Did I mention I left my cell phone in the van with my sunglasses. Sigh -

So I start fixing my bike and low and behold Sandy and Murray Greer from Church stop and see if I need help. Naw, I have a patch kit and a PUMP. I got it handled. Start pumping up the tire and for some reason the head keeps popping off the presta head. but I get the air in. So Off they go. Hmm where is Alice? I bet she already went by when I went down a side street to get to the highway. No problem. I got the flat fixed and head off into a nice stiff head wind. Rode about 9 km up the road, just get over the major hill an this route and so I stop for a sip from my Camelback. Okay I am slower than usual for averages but its a nice day.

PSSSSSSSSSSSt - aw no, the same tire went flat.

So I get off the bike, take off the tire and a lady on a bike pulls up and asks if I need help. Nope I got time and the tools I should be okay. So off she goes to Calmar. I get the tube out of the tire, find out I did not set the patch right and so I fixes that. Start to inflate the tube, no air with alot of pumping, what gives? Aaah, the pin holding the lever is out , I pop it back in, and start to pump ... no air, sigh, pin out, put it back; I do do this several times, getting a wee bit frustrated, I might say! Finally I look at the lever on the pump head, what! its cracked, so I flick it with a finger nail and the whole side comes off. No wonder I can't get any pressure, the lever can not hold the valve head open.

Well I wanted to do some cross training this year. I guess circumstances says it will be now. So I put every thing back together and start walking the remaining 8km home.

You figure that someone would have stopped and wondered why a fat cyclist would be walking down the highway pushing his bike, right? NO. I walked 5 km before I stop a fellow coming on to the highway from a side road. Asked to use his cell and called Alice to come pick me up.

By then I was tired grumpy and hungry, and oh yeah 2 hrs past my usual ride time.

So what did I learn?

1) Carry a cell phone on the Highway

2) Carry and extra tube - on the highway

3) Have working pump and a emergency O2 cartridge and inflator as a back up on the highway

4) If you are moving nobody will stop on the highway to ask if you need help

5) Get the wife to come and find me if I am over an hour late , especially If I forget the other 4 items

I hope you had a memorable Easter I did.

Related Info

Hi Again,

Well my riding season is well under way and so far I am on par with last years km or even a bit ahead. I have decided to ride home fro work at least 2 times a week. I've been able to do that since mid March.

I have been impressed with other bloggers adding in more links and articles to their blogs; so I am going to do the same.

I started this blog to help chronicle my endeavors to ride and lose some weight. I started and continue to help run a local cycling group to promote fun, fitness and fellowship into our community. we have seen alot of people start into riding because of this.

Because alot are "new" to riding I found this web/blog site that will really help those who are just getting into this cycling thing anew http://biketoledo.net/index.html

Check it out, it has alot of info from chosing a bike to outfitting for a tour and everything in between. I will add this to the side bar for future reference. So stay tuned for more great info taht will encourage you to ride more!

Larry