Month: June 2023

A LOOK AT THE BAFANG DIGITAL DISPLAY CONSOLES

I am about to get a Bafang crankdrive e-motor so I am looking at them online trying to learn some things about them before I actually get it. I have had a Tonsheng e-motor so I have experience with it. Of course, all e-motor systems are similiar and I have had several different ones in the past. One of the e-motors I had, an eZee, showed the battery power level in voltage which I really liked at it was far more accurate than the typical graphs most e-motors come with. They are  very inaccurate but the voltage display is very accurate. The Bafang has the option to display the battery power level in percentage or voltage. I like that.

Never having a Bafang e-motor system before I know next to nothing about them at this point in time. I see that they have more than one digital display consoles. I have no idea which one is on the trike I am getting. Looking at the variety of digital displays Bafang has is like looking at a list of Sears Craftsman lawnmower models. The question that comes to my mind is … “WHY?” Why do they have so many? It is ridiculous!

I have no idea if I have covered all of their different digital display consoles. Anyway, this is a good start. I think I have some idea what to do when I get the trike. Of course, the first thing I need to do is get a battery mounted. Without a battery I won’t get anywhere with the digital display console. Here is a picture showing  the Bafang controls on my new trike …

I am sure looking forward to my first ride on it. I sure hope this nasty air from the Canadian wildfires is gone by then. Yesterday was the first time we have experienced it here in northern Indiana. Just a walk outside from the house and it is immediately noticeable. Yesterday we were at 198 on the air quality index. Milwaukee was 268. Right now (Wed. 6-28) it is 203 here in Fort Wayne.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

WHAT HAS 6 SATURDAYS & 1 SUNDAY EVERY WEEK?

What has 6 Saturdays and 1 Sunday every week? If you are already a part of the retired crowd this should come easy for you. It’s RETIREMENT! When I think of retirement I can’t help but think about the episode of the Andy Griffith TV Show where Howard quits his boring job as county clerk and becomes a Caribbean island beachcomber and was soon so bored he was going crazy as did all that came before him. Here is a short clip of that episode …

I can identify with that as when I got married I suggested that my new bride and I go to a lovely small quiet island in the Philippines to spend our honeymoon. It was where my wife was originally from. Her family still had a house there which no one lived in. It was all closed up still with most home furnishings inside which we could use to make the place livable. It was really nice for about 2 or 3 days but then boredom set in as we had already done about all there was to do on that small island and I wanted to go back to a place where more was going on so we packed up and returned to a more populous place … a city. All my life I had heard talk of beautiful Pacific paradise places and seen pictures and videos of such. Here is a picture of one of the beautiful white sand beaches of that island. where we spent part of our honeymoon.

I retired in 2009 after buying my Catrike Trail. I already had a plan. I was retiring from one job and going full time to another job … riding my trike. I continued to do that until two weeks ago today when my trike failed me. Needless to say, I really miss my job in retirement … riding my trike.

One thing I quickly observed in retirement is that every week I had 6 Saturdays and 1 Sunday. It was nice as long as I had something to do … especially something I enjoyed doing.  It seems that a whole lot of people can’t handle retirement and don’t last much past their start of retirement. I am glad I did not experience that. I have worked with guys who retired and were dead within 2 years. Many who retire end up going back to work … either back at their previous job or as a Walmart Greeter, stocking shelves in a grocery store, working at Taco Bell or similiar menial job. That’s okay I guess, but I much prefer my job in retirement. It doesn’t make me any money. In fact, it costs me a considerable amount of money just to do it. That’s okay. I can’t take it with me so I might as well use it enjoying myself. By the way, for many retirement is 7 Saturdays sd they have no Sundays. Christmas and Thanksgiving use to be the two most popular holidays in the United States, but no more. Now the two most popular are Halloween and Super Bowl Sunday. That is a sad testimony in our nation.

I don’t need a retirement calendar. A friend once was showing me his new toy … an electronic appointment book. His life was so busy and hectic he said he needed it and it was a god-send for him. He was trying to sell me on them thinking I really needed to get one. I chuckled saying that my life is quite simple … just the way I like it. I have no use for something like that. That was over 25 years ago long before I retired. Nothing has changed and that’s the way I like it.

When I was in the Navy I had a shorttimer’s calendar when I got within about 3 months of my discharge date. I enjoyed marking off each day as I got closer and closer to getting out of the Navy. There were people who teased and taunted me saying it will never happen … that I will reenlist and stay in the Navy. But I knew better than that. Some of those same people ended up reenlisting themselves and making a career out of the Navy. And a few of them surprised me.

As a civilian as I got closer to retirement I had a countdown calendar and marked off the days. I think I wanted to retire from my civilian job I had at the time  more than I wanted out of the Navy. I am sure that is because the last five and a half years I worked at a job I absolutely hated doing. Prior to that I worked at something I loved doing. I was self employed in my own welding business.

I want to apologize to you the reader for this post as obviously it has very little to do with tadpole trikes. The only connection I can make is riding during retirement. Now that I don’t have a trike to ride and have been taken away from the “trike scene” for over two weeks it has had a serious effect on me. Hopefully this won’t last long although it is obvious Utah Trikes is not as anxious to ship my new (to me) trike out to me as I am to get it.

16 days without a trike and I am already identifying with Howard …

OH ME! OH MY! OH YOU!

Whatever shall I do? I’d certainly like to know how long before my trike arrives. You see, I want to create a countdown calendar. Oh well, I reckon I will survive. Besides as is said … patience is a virtue and perseverance builds character. I gotta go get me some bongo drums.

UPDATE – –  I JUST FOUND OUT MONDAY 6-26 THAT MY TRIKE WILL SHIP OUT TUESDAY 6-27 AND I SHOULD RECEIVE IT IN 4 DAYS … SATURDAY OR MONDAY. NOW I KNOW BUT I DON’T KNOW IF IT HELPS KNOWING. I AM JUST PLAIN EXCITED!

UPDATE — 6-29, THEY LIED! I JUST RECEIVED AN EMAIL INFORMING ME THAT THE EXPECTED DELIVERY DATE IS THURSDAY JULY 6TH. THAT IS NEARLY A WEEK LONGER THAN THEY FIRST TOLD ME! HMMM, MAYBE MY CHARACTER NEEDS WORK ON IT.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

 

WILL RIDING A TADPOLE TRIKE HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

 

The answer to that is  maybe … perhaps … it all depends. Exercise is a good thing. We all need it, but exercise alone is no guarantee that we will lose excess weight. It still comes down to the age old formula … calories in vs calories out. I am a prime example of riding … lots of riding and still not losing excess weight. Unhealthy eating habits … eating too much and eating the wrong things can easily out weigh our best efforts in exercise. I have talked to other cyclists and they said the same thing. They ride a lot but don’t lose weight. We like to think that just getting exercise will work and we will lose weight. So sorry Charlie. It just don’t work that way. Calories in vs calories out … that is how it works. Riding ten miles and stopping for a hot fudge sundae is not going to work. I like the sundae as well as the next person but I also know it is a no no. BTW, do you know that sugar feeds cancer cells?

Spandex is not for everyone … at least it shouldn’t be.

I personally have a long way to go to get down to my desired weight of 140 pounds which is what I weighed when I graduated from high school,  but I am making an effort involving mucho self discipline and it is coming off even without any exercise. I am losing one pound a day which is ideal. I hope to reach my goal before the year is out. Cutting out sugar is hard but I have to do it. Once I am back riding a trike the exercise should help even more. I am going to miss stopping for a Frosty or hot fudge sundae or a blizzard not to mention candy bars, etc. I would like to think that if someone were to set one down right in front of me I could simply say no, thanks and leave it sit there. We really need to watch those calories … it’s calories in vs calories out you know. We also need to watch those p’s and q’s …

No, I could not even be tempted by this …

Now that the U.S. has voted to allow the sale of lab created chicken I’ll just eat more chicken, but I wiil try to stay away from that which man created in a lab. Just getting so much stuff which comes from China is risky enough. I know … I will buy a chicken then I will know what I have.

Well, I guess that isn’t going to work either. I know what I will do … once I am back to riding I can stop by a friend’s house and get some of his tomatoes. They say green tomatoes are the healthiest to eat. Now I have lost my appetite. Let’s get back to the hot fudge sundaes. Hey, I am out of here. Just remember … it’s calories in vs calories out.  (and Big Pharma is not your friend!)

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

IT IS QUITE DIFFICULT BEING WITHOUT A TRIKE

I did not get over 107,000 miles of riding my Catrike Trail by sitting around at home. I was out most days riding it and truly enjoying myself.  However since Monday June 12th everything has changed. I no longer have a trike to ride so now I am sitting around at home. And it is hard! Thankfully it is only temporary. There is light at the end of the tunnel! This very day a trike with my name on it is headed to Utah Trikes to be boxed up for shipment to me. Yes, I am excited … very excited! And I am so grateful to fellow triker, Bert Fox, who is giving me this trike. He is out in Nevada so no where near me.

God has been so good to me over the years.  Before I retired He enabled me to build my first tadpole trike in 2007 which I rode for a little over 2000 miles before He enabled me to buy my 2009 Catrike Trail. That was only possible by getting two months of Social Securty payments while I was still working at my job I retired from. It was truly extra money that I never expected. I never could have got a trike otherwise. I think the list price of of my 2009 Catrike Trail was about $1675.

I am here to tell ya … riding thru the years has not been cheap. I have spent many thousands of dollars on tires, tubes, wheels, component upgrades, accessories, repairs, etc.

Hopefully I already have pretty much everything I will need to equip this new (to me) trike when I get it. I know I will have to make the canopy mount for it but I already have a plan on how to do that. On the Greenspeed Magnum I will probably have to use the rear rack to mount the canopy to.

I will also have to fabricate my own e-motor battery mount something like this one in the picture below. It will be so nice to have the battery mounted down so low  as well as in the center of the trike right in front of the rear wheel. That is the ideal location for it.

I am missing out on my daily exercise. I just hope it is not going to be a struggle restarting and coming back up to the level I was at prior to June 12th.

 

I knew one guy who if he missed out on just a couple of days it would take him a couple of weeks or more  to get back to where he was. He smoked a lot of cigarettes and was not all that healthy. Then he had to stop riding due to poor circulation in one of his feet. Then he got the Covid “death jab” which I warned him about. Now he is dead. He had just inherited quite a lot of money from his mother’s estate. He didn’t get to spend any of it. I wonder who will get it now … probably the government. Anyway, we used to ride together almost daily up until he stopped to take care of his mother who slowly went down hill in her mid 90s. I remained his connection to the trail riding he missed as we emailed each other regularly and often. He was living vicariously thru me. I encouraged him to restart riding even if it meant getting a tadpole trike with e-assist and a hand throttle so at least he could get out doors in the fresh air and enjoy what he was missing. The e-motor could do all the work for him. He would not have to pedal any if he wasn’t able to. But he refused and just went downhill. He had just bought a $5000 Trek e-bike a couple of years before he quit riding . In the picture of him above is the aftermath of one of several wrecks he had with his DF bikes. We kept trying to talk him into getting a tadpole trike but he stubbornly resisted and remained with his “accident waiting to happen” bikes. And he sure had a bunch of them. He was fortunate he didn’t get more seriously injured than he did. At least twice he was taken out of the “riding season” as a result of bad accidents.

He was the guy I witnessed experience leg suck the first time he tried riding a friend’s ICE tadpole trike. We had warned him about it and a pair of SPD shoes were provided to him to wear but he chose not to wear them. I think there were 4 of us riding together when he took off pedaling in front of me. He must have made it at least 25 feet or so before his foot slipped off of the pedal and onto the ground. Yep, he ran over his bent under leg experiencing the pain. He was mighty lucky he didn’t  fair worse. It hurt, but the pain relinquished considerably and he was able to continue riding. Ya know, I don’t remember if he used the SPD shoes for the rest of the ride. He was very tall and very skinny … a walking skeleton … a skeleton with skin on it …. quite literally.

He was afraid to gain any weight but he sure needed to. He ate like a bird. I saw him throw away 75 % of the food he would buy when we stopped for lunch while out riding. He would hibernate at least 7 months of each year rather than ride claiming it was too cold for him. I called him a wimp. I could go on about him, but he is not here to defend himself so I better stop talking about him.

Since I first got an e-motor on my trike I have almost always had a rear hub drive with a hand throttle so this Greenspeed Magnum is going to require me getting use to it with the crank drive Bafang e-motor. I am losing weight so it should get easier and easier to ride it. I have not had any type of working PAS since my BionX systems. The Bafang does have a hand throttle, but it also has a working PAS so I will be able to pedal and have e-motor assistance meaning that I will have to learn to leave the hand throttle alone unless I need it.

Well, right about now (1 PM EST) as I compose this the Greenspeed Magnum should be arriving at Utah Trikes. If you buy a trike from them they don’t charge anything for boxing it up for shipping to the customer. But this is not the case with this trike so I imagine they will charge quite a bit for boxing it up. And hopefully soon I can say “See ya out there!” That only applies to a very few of you and rarely when I see other tadpole riders on the Fort Wayne Trails do thy ever mention that they recognize me thru this website and/or the TadpoleRider FB Group.

I have placed my two TadpoleRider.com license plates on my trike so others can see them and perhaps identify me out there. So if you do see me out there please let me know that you read the website and/or FB group. It will make my day. I have never had that happen. As long as TadpoleRider.com has been around nearly every tadpole rider I have met up with and talked to have never heard of it. Boo Hoo!

UPDATE –  – I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH UTAH TRIKES AND FOUND OUT THAT MY TRIKE WILL SHIP OUT  TUESDAY 6-27 AND SHOULD ARRIVE IN 4 DAYS … SATURDAY 7-1 OR MONDAY 7-3. ASK ME IF I AM EXCITED.

UPDATE – – NOW I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE TRIKE WON’T BE DELIVERED UNTI THUR., JULY 6TH. WOE IS ME!

I have a countdown calendar …

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

GREENSPEED MAGNUM … A TRIKE MADE FOR AMERICANS

I admit it … I have never paid much attention to Greenspeed Trikes before. I have known of them from the git go of my tadpole trike experience. Greenspeed currently offers eight different models. One model that we hear about often lately is the Magnum. There is a reason for that. It is a heavy duty trike capable of handling 400 pounds. Greenspeed even offers a Magnum XL which is rated at 450 pounds.

The late Iam Simms, founder and designer/builder of the Greenspeed trikes and the company came to the United States from Australia to look into what the American market wanted in a tadpole trike. He then returned to Australia and designed the Magnum … a trike for fat people.  Sorry, I could not resist. I R 1. I just looked it up. The average weight for males in America is 200 pounds. The Magnum was first introduced in 2012. It does have some neat features. The main frame is rectangular not round making it super strong and just plain nice looking.

And the crossmember is V shaped allowing the rider to more easily be seated as well as get back up out of the seat. It also has a nice lumbar support built into it. The seat is very comfortable and adjustable both in height (14 to 17 inches) and angle (30 to 48 degrees) and is easy to remove which is needed to fold the trike.  My seat on my Catrike Trail has always been 9 inches high and an a seat back angle of 45 degrees. The Magnum has oversize hub type brakes instead of disc brakes like most trikes have. I really like that. The Magnum seats are 16” wide (I really like that as standard width on most tadpole trikes is only 14 inches and just not wide enough for this fat Americano) and easily adjust from 14” high to 17” high. 17″ is the low setting of an office chair which makes it one of the easiest trikes to get in and out of. I am now 76 and 1/2 years old so having a seat that I can adjust upward will be nice for this aging body. The front wheels have Greenspeed’s patented push button quick release making it very fast and easy to remove and reinstall the front wheels (I like that). The handlebars have quick releases and adjust forward to back and in and out. A nice looking headrest is avaialble. I am sure it is not nearly as comfortable as my homemade one on my Catrike.

Wizwheelz came out with a safety recaull in 2022 for the quick release wheels. It is a very serious matter so don’t ignore it if it applies to you.  It seems somebody goofed up during the assembly process and the wheels can literally come apart resulting in tragedy. Serial numbers P21276160 through P21460262 are included in this recall. The recalled trikes are orange, blue or charcoal in color with a black seat.

Quick release mechanisms are used thruout the trike making it fast and easy to fold and unfold. The standard SD model has 20 inch wheels all around. Greenspeed offers a Magnum BW(Big Wheel) model which has a 26 inch rear wheel. Indirect steering is offered incorporating their crossover design. The Magnum comes equipped with 20 x 2 inch Schwalbe Big Apple tires. This model is designed for both on and off road riding. The Magnum has a massive 5″ of ground clearance, yet with the seat low, and the cambered wheels it has outstanding road holding. Plus the 11-32 cassette combined with the 52/42/30 triple crankset gives a wide range of gears, from 19″ to 91″ – a range of 479%! So you can easily go fast or slow. The trike is equipped with bar end shifters. And it comes with a rear fender installed. The overall length of the trike is 76 inches … 3 inches longer than my Catrike Trail. I hope it fits inside the bed of my truck. My Catrike barely does.

The Magnum is also available in a hand crank model for those in need of this.

For those who don’t know the recent history of Greenspeed Iam Simms died a few years ago and America’s Wizwheel Company, makers of TerraTrike tadpole trikes, bought out the Austrailian Company.

Ian Simms has been legendary in tadpole trike designing. His name is about as respected as can be in this industry.

In my experiecne of tadpole trike riding I have ridden various trike brands (Sun, TerraTrike, ICE, HP Velotecknik, and Catrike) but I personally have only owned two … my homemade trike and my Catrike Trail. My Catrike Trail served me well for over 107,000 miles so I sure can’t complain. But, alas, the frame broke and it will no longer hold the rear wheel in what is left of the rear dropouts. So it is no longer rideable. A brother in Christ is giving me a Greenspeed Magnum and that is why I am writing about them now. Needless to say I am very excited about it and very greatful to him for such kindness and generosity. I hope to have it in less than two weeks. It will be shipped thru Utah Trikes. Here are some pictures of it. It has a Bafang crank drive e-motor installed on it. Although I have not been a fan of crank drive e-motors I am going to give this one a try. I can always install one of my rear hub motors on it if I want to switch from crank drive.

It is rather ironic. I have been riding a Catrike Trail since 2009. It is rated at 275 pounds. I use to weigh 297 pounds. Now I am at 251 pounds and continuing to lose weight. Just as I am losing weight I get a trike designed for excessive weight. I keep going I will physically qualify for a Catrike Pocket. And it has the BELOVED space frame!

The Tongsheng crank drive e-motor I did have installed destroyed my drive train which was an expensive repair. My local Catrike dealer says that they have dealt with a lot of drive train damage due to crank drive e-motors.

Right now I am without a trike to ride but hopefully soon I will be able to …

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

DON’T EVER DO THAT!

Don’t ever do that! I am talking about doing a Fred Flintstone putting your feet down onto the ground while the trike is moving forward. In reality it didn’t even work for ol’ Fred.

Concerning a tadpole trike it is a very dangerous and foolish thing to do. Many people have found out the hard way. The outcome can be very painful and cause extremely serious injury referred to as “leg suck”.

I have written articles about it before but it is such an important topic that I am writing about it again … only I am not going to write about it again … just provide links to what I have already written.

NOT A PRETTY SIGHT

DANGERS OF RIDING A RECUMBENT TADPOLE TRIKE

CLIPPING IN … YOUR CHOICE

FLINTSTONE BRAKES & YOU

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

1ST ATTEMPT AT RIDING MY TRIKE SINCE KNEE JOINT REPLACEMENT

HEEL SLINGS GET MY VOTE

WHOA NELLIE!

And there are even a few more. Like I said, it is a very important subject that ALL tadpole riders need to know upfront. Be safe while riding. Don’t ever do that!

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

TRAIL RIDERS INTERNATIONAL

There is a new Facebook Group … Trail Riders International … which I invite you to visit and join. 

As the name implies it is for those who like riding their trikes and bikes on trails. And again as the name implies I am talking about trails anywhere and everywhere. So far there are only 9 members counting myself … so I would love to see the membership grow.

Right now it is an OPEN group and I hope to keep it that way as long as possible. I have made all the other groups I have PRIVATE in order to keep control of them. I fully expect to have to do the same with this group eventually. Facebook users are constantly posting about and asking about trails they ride or want information about. They do this on several other existing groups. Why not have and use a group designed for trails and information concerning them? It makes sense to me. I hope you agree and will use it. So long as the group remains OPEN it won’t be necessary to join the group in order to view it or even  post or comment on it. But I sure hope you do decide to join it. If ever I have to change it to a PRIVATE group only members will be able to view it and post and comment on it.

Trail Riders Intnl. is a group for those who ride a pedal powered cycle on trails. Its purpose is to share with others concerning existing and future trails. Please be sure to mention the name and location of trails. Other information such as how long the trail is, what its surface is, whether it is a rail trail or not, whether it is maintained or not, how busy the trail is, whether it connects to other trails, whether e-motors are allowed or not, etc. would be helpful and appreciated. Posts must be about bike trails. Selling of merchandise is not permitted. Pictures, videos and links about trails are also greatly appreciated.

Please note — this group is not for motorcyclists, horse riders, etc. It is strictly for pedal powered bikes and trikes. They can be with e-motor assist.

I think this FB Group could be a valuable resource to all of us but it will take our participation in it to make it that. I am doing all I know to do on my part to make it successful and will continue to do so.

Here are a few links to handy websites concerning trails:

https://www.traillink.com/

https://www.alltrails.com/

https://www.health.com/fitness/best-bike-rides

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

A MAJOR BREAKDOWN HAS PUT ME OUT OF ACTION

Ten years have passed since I got my 2013 frame from Catrike to replace under warranty my 2009 frame. Over the years I have had seven e-motors installed on it. Six os them have been rear hub motors meaning that the rear dropouts have had extra stress on them. I never have been impressed with this new style frame. I much preferred the space frame my 2009 trike had. One thing I noticed right off is the rear dropouts. They just are not as strong as those on the space frame. I love Catrikes but I think this is an area which Catrike could and should improve upon.

 Two days ago while pulling up into my driveway from the street I heard something break  and knew I had a major failure as I couldn’t go anywhere. Yep, it was those rear dropouts. Now I am or at least was a very highly skilled weldor and my specialty was repair welding. I knew right away that repair welding this was out of the question regardless how much some want to disagree. So immediately my only thought was to replace the frame … which, of course, would cost a lot of money. And I would still be back to what I consider a problematic rear dropout design which would probably just fail again at some point in time. This was a major failure and I was so blessed that it happened here at home instead of out miles away on a ride.

I looked online for used Catrikes and found some really great deals but none were near me.. Besides truthfully I just don’t have the money at this time. I checked thru my local Catrike dealer on the cost of a replacemejnt frame. It was less than I expected but I could still find a used trike for less. But like I said, that is not an option at this time nor anytime soon. So what is a guy to do?

Fortunately for me I inherited my dad’s genes and am gifted when it comes to working with my hands and doing lots of things. I am innovative. I spent a lifetime fabricating things and doing lots of repair projects. So I started thinking about this challenge and it did not take long before I came up with an idea. I went to work this morning working with paper templates at first trying to see if my idea was feasible. It was! So I went to work. I had a DF mtn. bike hanging from the joists out in the garage. It is steel and the rear dropouts are hardened steel. I knew I would never use the bike again so those rear dropouts were the ticket. I cut them off of the bike frame and modified them as needed to use them on my Catrike. I have the right side done with the exception of bolting it on. The image on the left side is of the broken Catrike rear dropout. The image on the right side is the steel bike rear dropout all fitted in place.

I have part of the left side done and tomorrow  (June 14th as this is posted) I will finish it and start putting everything back together. These should be very strong and certainly they are an extremely inexpensive repair … only costing me a couple of 3/8 bolts, washers and nuts … hopefully less than $5. The bicycle rear dropout has the rear derailleur mount built in it so I don’t have to deal with using the aluminum hanger Catrike used. I am pretty sure this will be stronger than the original Catrike rear dropouts Hopefully I will never encounter this problem again. If everything goes as I think it will I can soon be singing …

HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!

…and saved myself some $2000 or more by repairing it myself…

UPDATE:  Murphy’s Law caught up with me. I got it all done but I am leary of it. I don’t trust it. I made the left rear dropout identical to the right side assuming both side were the same. Who would have thought they would be made different from one another?.I am quite concerned that the rear wheel wll slip out of thedropouts and leave me broke down with no way to fix it. I hope it makes a liar out of me.

UPDATE — I am no longer a tadpole trike rider … at least not until I can resolve this situation. I rolled my trike backwards out of the garage to go for a ride and when I attempted to go forward the rear wheel came right out of the rear dropouts. So I loaded my trike into the back of my pickup truck where I keep it and came back into the house. After 4 days of working on it I just don’t feel like working on it anymore. Besides I don’t know what more to do at this point in time. Woe is me! Me is woe!

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

FORT WAYNE’S TOWPATH TRAIL

I have mentioned the Towpath Trail a few times in past articles but I have never featured it before. The Towpath Trail is one of the Canal Trails … trails built where Canal Routes used to be. It is all past history in our nation but it was significant at the time. The Towpath Trail is an asphalt paved 8.5 miles long running from Rockhill Park to the entrance to Lutheran Hospital along West Jefferson Blvd. on the southwest side of Fort Wayne.

 

It is all fairly rural so it is a joy to ride on as it gets one “out of the city”. There is a nice restroom in Rockhill Park which is the north end of the Towpath Trail. Parking is available at Rockhill Park if  one wants to start there.

Actually and technically the proper name of the trail is the Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

There is another trailhead with parking  along  Glendale Rd. at Smith Rd.. A third trailhead exists along Engle Rd. at Statesman Way. There is a portable toilet there.

One can access the Aboite Trails from the Towpath Trail. I have a hard time calling Aboite Trails trails. All they are are what I call “glorified sidewalks” … extra wide sidewalks running right alongside of roads. Most of them don’t even connect together. To get to Aboite Trails just continue along the Towpath trail along Engle Rd. and cross W. Jefferson Blvd. continuing west along Aboite Center Rd. going over I-69. Or another way is to take the Towpath Trail to its end and cross W. Jefferson Blvd. into the Lutheran Hospital campus. Stay on the hospital’s paved trail and take it north over to Aboite Center Rd. turning west on it and going over I-69.

In the image above the Towpath Trail is shown in blue. The red line is a dirt trail.  Supposedly the Towpath Trail follows along the canal route but very little of the former canal can be seen along the trail. I rode along the trail for several years without ever seeing what little still exists. There is an elevated  enbankment separating the trail from the canal remains so it can’t be seen unless one goes up off of the trail. Even once I went up over the elevated land I could not really tell where the canal used to be. Some of the property up there is privately owned.

The Towpath Trail goes thru part of Eagle Marsh … a wetland area. A long boardwalk is built over it.

If you want to ride your bike/trike to the Towpath Trail it is one of Fort Wayne’s connected trails. Just take the Yarnell Trail from W. Sweeney Park to Rockhill Park where the Towpath Trail starts. The Yarnell Trail is not well known by name but it is the wide sidewalk which goes along W. Jefferson Blvd crossing under the railroad tracks and crosses W. Jefferson Blvd. at the traffic light. One needs to be very careful riding along there as the motor vehicle traffic is dangerous.

My last word on riding the Yarnelle and Towpath Trails is to forewarn you that portions of these trails are rather poorly marked and can be quite confusing to those unfamiliar with them.  Paper Trail maps are available at many locations along the trails (at the kioks) as well as local bike shops and other bike friendly businesses.  Online maps are also available. I am always willing to ride along with anyone and help them in learning any of our trails. I am always willing but that doesn’t mean I am always available. It is best to contact me ahead of time so arrangements can be made. Just email me at tadpolerider2 at gmail dot com. With over 120,000 miles of riding the Fort Wayne Trails I know them all pretty well. I don’t think anybody could get me lost on our trails.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

36 w/ 72 @ 76

I recently bought and installed a new e-motor battery on my trike. I went from 48 volts to 72 volts. What a difference I am here to tell ya! I went from a top speed of 24 mph to 36 mph. It is exhilirating for sure!  Yep, 36 with 72  at 76 … 36 mph with a 72 volt battery at 76 years old. Quite frankly it is a little scary.  I know many of you have gone faster downhill but for me 29 mph is the fastest I have ever had my trike up before. And this is only a 2000 watt motor. Definitely one needs to respect what it is capable of. There are bikes and trikes out there with 20,000 watt motors. They can out accelerate just about anything out there.  36 72 76 HIKE … sorry I couldn’t resist.

At 18 years old I rode a 650 BSA motorcycle down a gravel road at 120 mph. That was nuts! And it wasn’t my motorcycle nor did I have the owner’s permission to ride it. I snuck it out. My dad was keeping it in our garage for the owner who had gone into the Army.  Shame on me! But I was young and did foolish irresponsible things I should not have done. Fortunately nothing happened that a trip to the car wash could not remedy. Yes, I was found out and I got in big trouble … moreso with my dad than with the owner.

Well, this is my trike and I can’t get in trouble with anyone other than my wife. I don’t make a habit of riding at top speed. Even when I do I only stay there for a very short time and start slowing right back down. With both age and personal experience I am aware that things could go terribly wrong very fast while riding fast. Just hitting a bad bump at high speed could put me into orbit.

I have never had a broken bone other than my nose and the nose is cartilage not bone. I have experienced bruising, road rash and friction burns. I was much younger then. Of course, none of it was fun. I don’t care to go thru any more of it now in my old age. So if you see me flashing by you you have my permission to yell out “HEY STUPID!” You won’t have that opportunity however as I don’t and would not ride fast like this if there were anybody else around. I am always very careful around other trail users.

Also there are not that many places where one could safely ride fast. One thing about having this 72 volt battery is it is great when passing someone. It is like the 1400 cc Suzuki Intruder motorcycle I had. Just a twist of the throttle and I shot around a vehicle I was passing. No need to down shift as there was so much torque available it was not necessary to shift gears. I like being able to shoot around someone and get back over to the right side quickly. Many times it has helped being able to make a safe pass which I could not have done if I did not have such acceleration available Whether you are 16 or 96 be careful out there. At 76 I am trying to be, but a guy has to have some fun. It helps keep me young. I am just glad I don’t have any gravel roads I ride on. For what it is worth, most of the time I have my power assist turned down to level 2 (out of 5) and ride along about 12 to 14 mph which is top speed at that assist level.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

SYLVIA DECIDES TO END HER JOURNEY

Sylvia Halpern after riding west to east across the U.S. and starting back west has made the decision to discontinue her long ride. In this video she explains why …

I certainly am in no position to judge her or criticize her decision. I am proud of her accomplishment. She did remarkable. I truly enjoyed following her on her daily rides along the way as she travelled on her long journey. I imagine she will attempt more trike journeys in the future as long as she is able to do so. May the good Lord Who created her give her health and strength and His blessing. I don’t get tired of hearing “Let’s go, Myrtle!”

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

 

SNOW IN JUNE IN INDIANA

Snow in June in Indiana? Yep, it happens every year … that nasty white stuff is falling to the ground thru the air. Now the temperature is not cold so it is not miserable out there like it is in January.. However, that white stuff is coming down and it is nasty to deal with. Don’t believe me? Here is proof …

See all that white stuff alongside of the trail? That’s what I am talking about. Yep, every year at about this same time it shows up like clockwork.

Of course, I am not talking about real snow. I am talking about cottonwood trees which are considered undesirable by most people. Those cottonwood seeds are quite messy and a real nuisance. And have you ever had the displeasure of having them go up your nose, in your eye or into your mouth? Swallowing one is a dreadful experience. I really need to wear a bandana over my nose and mouth to keep those nasty cottonwood seeds from going places I don’t want them to.

Cottonwood trees are quite common along rivers which is where many trails are built. Consequently dealing with this annual event can’t be avoided many places. It is just a fact of life. Of course, one could ride where there are no trees but I much prefer the shade they provide.

 

One could try to take their own shade tree along with them but it is just not that practical nor is it the same. I enjoy the considerable temperature drop in hot weather that  a well shaded trail offers.

A canopy helps keep some of the sun off of the rider but doesn’t do much to lower the temperature. It helps provide some relief but it is not the same as a well shaded area to ride thru.

Well, the good news is this snow in June only lasts about 3 or 4 weeks. I am pretty sure I will survive it. I just need to keep my mouth shut. Keeping my eyes closed is not an option, however. How about you?

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

 

 

FISH(ING) LINE TRAIL IN NE INDIANA

 

I just discovered a new trail part of which is already in existence. It will eventuallly come to my area … Fort Wayne, Indiana. Right now what exists starts in the northwest side of Kendallville , IN. and goes northwest to near Sylvan Lake near Rome City, IN. There is a one mile long portion of this trail which has been built here in Fort Wayne. I rode it a couple of days ago.

BTW, if you aren’t already a member of TrailLink.com I highly recommend them as a great resource concerning trails. It may very well be the best I have found. There is no cost to join TrailLink.

Here is the start of the trail in NW Kendallville …

I have been on North Angling Road many times when I was younger. There use to be a gravel pit just off of this road I went  to along with a couple of friends where we would ride our motorcycles back in there. We had a blast until they closed it off to the public. These many years later I just took a look on Google satellite image of the area and I can’t even see any evidence of a gravel pit ever being there. But back to the Fish Line Trail … most of the trail utilizes the historic railroad corridor that once carried trains for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. The trail is just over 18 miles long at this time. It is my understanding that it will eventually be built south to Fort Wayne as we as further north. Trail Link reports that the trail’s current northern end lies in Rome City on Lions Drive, just at the edge of the open space of Gaff Park.  The trail requires another brief on-road connection via County Roads 450 E and 800 N, before resuming southeast on the former railroad corridor all the way into the outskirts of Kendallville.  The Fishing Line Trail, located in Northwest Fort Wayne, is named for its history as a railroad corridor. Formerly the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, residents in Fort Wayne used to hop on the trains and head north to Michigan to fish. So now you know … that is where the name comes from.

Right now the Fort Wayne portion of the Fish Line Trail runs for only one mile in between Washington Center Road and Cook Road (red line in image below). This is west of Lima Road. Eventually it should connect to the existing trail in NW Kendallville. Of course Allen County will only take the trail north to the county line and Noble County will bring the trail south to the county line where the two will meet up. I rode Fort Wayne’s section today. It is a nice trail. Our city’s Trail Manager told me that the Fish Line Trail is a “regional trail” which will eventually go north to Grand Rapids, Michigan. That would be a long ride. In other words, it won’t stop in Wolcottville. The trail manager said that Fort Wayne may have some problems trying to take the Fish Line Trail north of Dupont Road as much of the area is already developed and privately owned. She said that they may have to use some other trails to get further north before they can take it to meet up with Noble County’s trail. By the way, she also said that she thinks Noble County has built about 12 miles of the Fish Line Trail so far, but some cyclists show it is just over 18 miles long. Here is a map of the one mile of the Fort Wayne Fish Line Trail that has been built thus far …

That reminds me of some humor I came across as a teenager. When the railroad was being built across the United States the eastern portion was to meet up with the western portion. A golden spike was to be used to connect the rails together. Here is the humor in how the tracks met up together at Promontory Point …

The existing trail in Noble County is well maintained by volunteers but it isn’t plowed off in the winter time. The trail is almost all asphalt paved with the exception of the very northernmost section … from the area of the Gene Stratton Porter Memorial Home to Kendallville. Of course, it is possible that by now it is all paved.

There is a Facebook page for Fishing Line Trail.

The next 3 pictures are all taken on Fort Wayne’s one mile section of trail …

Crossing Ludwig Road …

North end of trail at Cook Road …

Noble County Trails has plans to expand Fish Line Trail north to Wolcottville, IN and south to Avilla, Ind. Avilla is getting closer to me but it is still quite a distance from the Allen County line where I am at. I would be very surprised if much of anything happens in Allen County as far as Fish Line Trail expansion to the county line. It is not even listed among the many trail development projects which I receive monthly updates on. I doubt if it will ever get done in my lifetime or at least in the time I have left I will continue to ride. It would be great if it all got built fairly soon as it would make for a great trail to hop on and ride some distance.

Lagrange County Trails (the next county north of Noble County) also has trail building plans.  I don’t think they have any immediate plans to continue the Fish Line Trail further north. Instead I think their future trail will have another name but may connect to the Fish Line Trail. The proposed 17 mile Hawpatch Trail, which will stretch west to east from Millersburg to Topeka, and from Topeka to Wolcottville is getting closer to its beginning. As I stated above Noble County is suppose to extend the Fish Line Trail further north to Wolcottville. The image below shows the approximate route of the Hawpatch Trail.

This is a poor quality video for sure, but it is the first and only one I could find  when I first looked …

Definitely parts of it look like a fun ride with several sharp turns. As you can see in the video there are at least two times the trail incorporates the use of county roads as part of the trail.

Noble County Trails shows on their website — Benefits of Trails:  When a trail is constructed, people use the path for many purposes. The multiple uses are one reason why trails are so successful and appeal to so many people. Trail benefits include: Improved Health  … the Indiana Trails Study, which surveyed trail users on six different trails in Indiana, found that in all locations, over 70 percent of trail users reported that they were getting more exercise as a direct result of the trail. (Indiana Trails Study, Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands, Indiana University, November 2011), Safe Transportation, Economic Boost … The bicycle industry is estimated to support 1.1 million jobs, generate nearly $18 billion in federal, state, and local taxes, and contribute $133 billion annually to the U.S. economy. (The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy … by the Outdoor Industry Foundation, 2006), and Better Quality of Life.

I can’t argue against any of that! I am an avid trail supporter and trail user. I love riding on trails. Hey, ENJOY THE RIDE!

HERE is an online map showing existing, planned and proposed trails in Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

You are invited to come join the Tadpole Rider Facebook Group. Please note that in order to join you must first answer the three membership vetting questions.

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!