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.

And So it Goes

It snowed here last night. Not enough to shovel, but enough to assure me that Winter is coming. Long cold nights, fires in the fireplace. All the comfort food in the world will not have me looking forward to whats ahead.

Here's hoping a few things:
Lets hope for less snow on the roads then last year.
Lets hope for less sand and salt too.
Lets hope for surprise warm days, the gift we all love.
Lets hope for as short of a Winter as what the Summer seemed to be!

I never wanted BOSRUG to becone a rant. The type of things you read all the time. I always wanted to remain a positive collection of inspiration for its readers to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Riding walking or just being.

With a little shift in our outdoor fun and happy get togethers with friends and family, Maybe we could learn to love the cold snowy weather and the short winter days.

But then again, Maybe not.

Lasting Fun

There is nothing like a bike ride. Not easy to forget, I recall rides years later about things seen and things found.
As I have become older, I tend to just want to "Ride my Horse" and not "Ride my horse into battle."
I have been told that no one rides like I ride. Not for speed but for fun. On road with a off road bike or off road with a road bike, it really doesn't matter. It all about the adventure and as a result,the memories. When it gets hard, the stories get good.
The stories always start out,"There was one time" or "Did I ever tell you about that ride that Me and (fill in the blank) did when we got caught in the rain, in the dark at the 102 mile mark?"
Lasting memories are good enough reason to wear a helmet or to at least write them down.
When things get tough during normal, off the bike, times, its nice to go back in my head and remember better moments when we had the best time anybody could ever imagine on a bicycle. Its what I know as "Lasting Fun"

Indian Summer

Here comes the cold. It won't be long now that we will be bring out the gloves and the boots to stay comfortable while enjoying the comfort sport of Recumbent Cycling.
Never before has it been so easy to stay warm. Just the other day I heard of heated grips that will fit your bike. Something new everyday and another way to indirectly use fossil fuel. Count the number of battery's one carry's on their bike ride and you may be surprised.
As we get closer to the Winter months, lets enjoy the cooler temperatures while we can! Lets Ride!