That time of Year Again

Its that time of year again, Time when everything needs to be pulled in. The important things come to mind. Hands,toes,nose. Frost bite Doctors know one more.
Winter cycling in New England is not fun. Point to Point "destanition" riding works, but unless you find something else yo do out of the ordinary to occupy your outdoor fun, Its not good.
Salt and sand will come soon. Never ride anything that you cant afford to throw out. Someone said that to me years ago. Hey, It was me! Or Cooper.
Take a look around. What did you miss. Where did you want to be when the weather was nice and not important to keep warm or your bike salt free. Look around. The Cold is Coming and its coming Soon!

60 Degrees

Who could ask for more. The beauty of the Southern New England roads and short sleeve riding.

Now with most of the leaves down, bigger sky and better lighting give a whole new feel to the place we call home.
Stopping and viewing has a spectator seeing things maybe never otherwise noticed.
Get out and enjoy the day of what may be one of our last warm days this year.

The Colder Days Are Coming!

Last night assured me that winter is not long off. The freak snow of last October was assurance enough that New England has not changed with its surprises of of temperature drop in a 24 hour period, but last night did it for me. Although there was no ice, heading out and really seeing my breath was.
Over the past week we have seen mild enough days for riding without jacket or glove. More like September, we enjoyed wind free riding on Wednesday only to have Thursday turn into what I would call "a classic New England November day." Just like I remember as a child riding home from school, caught without gloves, hands red as a cooked lobster claws.
Its never been easier to stay warm. Most of the sales at the shop today will be clothing. Did you know that you can spend $75.00 on a undershirt? How about $500.00 on a Jacket?
Layering still remains to be the best way to deal. You most likely have what you need to stay warm and comfortable if you are reading this right now. Just not this years fashion.
Colder days have us again dreaming of rides like the one pictured above. Days when only shirt and shorts will be needed to stay comfortable and enjoy riding. Just like last Wednesday!

To See and Be Seen

The worry for new shoppers of recumbent bicycles is if while riding on roads, "Can you be seen?"
The question with today's drivers is , Are they watching the road?
Cell phones and now texting has drivers looking less at the roads for anything else then a car. The chance of getting hit and hurt by another car has divers more aware of automobiles then pedestrians and cyclists alike.
Bicycles for the most part slow traffic down. Cars when aware take their time passing and in most cases pass at a safe distance. Once in a while I have been passed too close for comfort. I'm never sure if the driver ever saw me or they were passing at a distance that they felt safe at.
Oddity's on the road have drivers watching. Not sure of what there looking at, has drivers at times not wanting to pass. You see them in your rear view mirror causing other drivers to stack up in back of them. Somewhat awkward, I wave them on letting them know that I can see them fine and it is safe to pass. Always afterwards, I see their eyes in their rear view mirror. I love to wave and then have them wave back.
Its hard to notice how much you are acutely seen and if drivers are letting you pass by being polite. Its not until I find myself back on an upright style bike that I get cut off, sometimes as much as 3 times a ride, and realize that while on a recumbent, drivers not sure of what their seeing, will wait and not come out in front of you.
With a rear view mirror and the "Heads Up" style of riding, on a recumbent, you see everything!

When the New Bikes Become Old

Just the other day, Bosrug rider and blog follower, Doug wrote and told me about discovering that the seat frame on his ATP, Vision R40 was broken.
How long this had been so was not part of the email or him noticing while riding, but because of a "Winter Mod" he had done, noticed it.
In most cases, when a seat breaks, you go to the bike shop and buy a new one. End of story. Well not quite.
Because over the past 10 years of, "Oh my God!, If I ride a bike with a skinny seat, I may never have kids!" OK, That's cool, but the biggest problem is , what seat to buy.
We at the bike shop have at least 50 different seats to choose from. One actually looks like a boot jack, so at all costs, men should wear some kind of covering while riding this seat, Shorts come to mind.
A "safe" seat can run you as much as $300.00!

Then there is Brooks Saddles. People love Brooks, Go on their website and see!

http://www.brooksengland.com/curiosities-and-friends/stories-and-photos/more-stories/091208_153927_86/

Sorry Doug, no seat for you. Why? Well, can you say "Standardization?" Sure you can!
In the lack of our favorite style of heads up bicycle riding, because designers are from aeronautics and not bicycles or light bulbs, all recumbent seats are different.
We laugh as to exactly how you ride a recumbent home if your seat gets stolen, but when it breaks, its a whole other story.
A whole other story to follow.

Two Years and Still Blogging!

Today is the two year anniversary of the Boston Recumbent Users Group Blog, known as "BOSRUG"
I have skipped days and even weeks recently but know that it has been only because the riding has been more important than the writing.
As time goes on, please check back for writings of ramblings and rides. I will do my best to keep you informed of any Recumbent events and adventures worth reading about and or attending.
Thank You for your comments and being the most important part of this blog, the reader. Happy Anniversary!

So What Do You Want?

I was listening to an interview with Bicycle Historian John Pinkerton after he learned that he had lung cancer and possibly did not have much longer to live.
One of the things that stood out with me in the interview was how he was sorry that it took him so long to learn how to cycle for pleasure.
It seemed as if he was referring to his past rides were to prove something to himself and to others, how fast, how far, How steep and how hard.
Cyclists for the most part enjoy what their doing, or so it seems to me. Possibly when their finished, but cycling for pleasure takes a little more then going as fast and as hard as possible.
I have talked to customers that have told be that they will never own a GPS because they always ride in the same place. Head down, trying to break yesterdays record and unless they do, it just not right.
Yesterday on our ride, we found a beautiful spot in the sun and just stopped to enjoy. Over the 20 minuets we were there we were passed by 3 riders that couldn't say hello. It looked as if we made them uncomfortable by sitting back and relaxing in plain view.
It is getting to the point that when you say "Cyclist" your not exactly talking about the same group of people.
People are different and Different is Good is something my close friend has as a family saying.
There is a talk show host in Boston that refers to cyclists as a group. The way he talks its as if he thinks its all the same club, The drivers and the cyclists. Two distant groups. He backs up his thoughts by screening his callers that want to add to his show. A maximum of 5 an hour because of adds and what he calls a "break"
His idea of that cyclists are using car roads and the bicycles don't pay tax. I would like that, how about you!
Its sometimes feels like there is just no pleasing anybody.
Riding for pleasure could be dressing up and achieving ones personal best, but after that passes one would hope that a thinking person might want to take the time to see the beauty they passed by. Assume no one cares how fast or how far you rode. Its true.
I remember at the store one day a customer looking across the sales floor at another customer dressed head to toe in his brand new USPS team uniform. His comment to us was, "Who the hell does he think he is?" The answer was, "That's Tyler Hamilton!"
The customer said "Who?"
As for me, I'm going for a ride.