Yikes! Definitely not my cup of tea. Alligators, bears, mountain lions, and deadly poisonous snakes and other dangerous critters I much prefer to see on a tv screen or computer monitor. not in person especially up close like this. I wonder if the camera was shaking when this next image was taken seeing how it is rather blurred.
This picture below is not from this rider’s encounter with the rattlesnake. It is just a picture I found online I am posting here. I hope this cyclist is using a puncture resistant tire.
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As many of you already know WizWheelz (parent company of TerraTrike) bought out Greenspeed and the trikes are no longer manufactured in Australia, but in Taiwan I think. That is where most TerraTrike models are manufactured. WizWheelz Recalls GreenSpeed Magnum Recumbent Trikes with Quick Release Axles Due to Crash and Injury Hazards.
The recalled recumbent trikes front axles were improperly assembled during manufacturing. The axles can come loose during use, causing the rider to lose control, posing crash and injury hazards. The recall was May 05, 2022 and applies to about 340 units. The recalled trikes are orange, blue or charcoal in color. Serial numbers P21276160 through P21460262 are included in this recall. Consumers can check their serial numbers HERE.
As you can see in the picture above there is very little to the quick release axle. Only those small steel balls on the far right hold the axle in place and keep it from coming out. That does not impress me as far as being a proper safe design.
I have a Greenspeed Magnum and on a few occasions a front wheel has nearly come off while riding as the quick release axle somehow would get released and the axle would start working its way out. So far I have always caught it before it got too far out, but it is rather scary. If it were to come all the way out it could be disastrous. My trike is not part of the safety recall however. I almost wish it was.
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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One (Jesus) Who created them?
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Everything is relative and it is only fair to compare. A trike is not a bike and I hate it when people call a trike a bike. When comparing a trike what else can one compare it to but a bike? Can things go wrong riding a trike? Of course, they can. But then you can get hurt falling out of bed. Here is a video about the subject …
I have written about trike tip over before. I had a friend who was turning a corner on a boardwalk when his left front wheel made contact with the boards along the side and the tire quickly climbed the wooden boards flipping him over slamming him down hard onto the boardwalk. It injured his back and caused him a fair amount of pain for a few weeks. He also ran his pedals into boards on a boardwalk and broke his ankle. Of course, both of these accidents were his fault and can’t be blamed on the trike.
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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One (Jesus) Who created them?
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Now I ask ya … how fast is too fast? Some have ridden their tadpole trikes in excess of 70 mph … yes, downhill. That is pretty fast. A very few have ridden even faster with the aid of a high powered motor added into the equation. For most, 30 to 45 mph is their top speed. Some scream for mercy when going 3 mph … frightened out of their wits. Don’t laugh … I have seen it.
So what is the answer to my question? Well, like usual … it all depends. No, that is not a cop out. It is simply a statement of fact. There are many factors that enter into things. Not every trike is capable of safely going at these faster speeds. Not every rider is capable of safely riding at higher speeds. Like I said, some can’t handle 3 mph without screaming in real fear.
I bring up this subject for a reason. Even if the trike and rider can easily handle high speeds does not mean that it should be undertaken. This is especially true when riding on multi-use trails where other trail users are present. Respect and concern for others’ safety should always determine our behavior out there.
Then there are always the matter of something going wrong and paying a high price for it. Remember the old saying … “Speed Kills”? Well, that hasn’t changed. And there is a time and place for everything. I personally don’t have a problem of a bike or trike speeding along on a trail as long as they don’t do it around other trail users. That being said be aware of the possibility of someone entering the trail suddenly from off at the side. Often times they don’t look to see if it is safe to step out onto the trail. That could be disastrous.
I caution riders to use common sense so they don’t end up wrapping themselves around a tree or launching themselves into space. Hey, it could happen all to easily.
Some of us might do well to employ a “drag chute” to slow us down.
If a person is going to ride fast it should only be done in straight areas where one can see the trail ahead of them. Speeding around blind curves is foolish and irresponsible. Even in the best of circumstances an animal could quickly dart out in front of you and totally ruin his day and yours.
So how fast is too fast? We must all answer that question and hopefully get it right. I hope by now that person who screamed at going 3 mph has learned to ride their trike and got beyond that scenario. Be safe out there so you can …
KEEP ON TRIKIN’
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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One (Jesus) Who created them?
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!
One might be able to soar thru the air but I can pretty much guarantee you that tadpole trikes don’t land gracefully. One should never try jumping with a tadpole trike as most likely the result will be serious damage to the trike and also to the rider unless he has “angels watching over him”. Among the many videos Utah Trikes has produced one which chronicles this very subject as the rider attempts to jump a KMX trike over a small hill. He is fortunate that he did not get injured and walked away from it.
I know better than to attempt something like that but never the less I have had lessor incidents where I tempted fate. I never did so intentionally. It was always a matter of accidentally happening. The outcome was never one I would wish on anyone. A guy could get seriously injured or even killed doing stuff like this. I once wrote an article on this blog entitled “I do all my own stunts“. In it I tell about some of the things I have done resulting in mishaps or close calls. Fortunately I am still here to tell about it. Most definitely I do all of my own stunts.
Please take my word for it and don’t try jumping your trike. Use somebody else’s! Did I really say that? I am a bad boy! Our trikes cost too much money to be treated like that. And these bodies should not be exposed such peril. A very high price was paid for everyone of us. You can read about it HERE. Yes, Someone paid a price (a debt) for you that They did not owe. And we owed a debt we could not pay ourselves. We were in desperate need and without any hope. That has not changed. The price paid for you and I has not changed. But for everyone of us the sand in the hourglass is running out and when it ends … well, so does the opportunity we have of accepting the offer of the FREE GIFT being offered to us. A reminder … today if you hear His voice do not harden your heart and miss out on what is being offered to you. It is not likely you will get another chance.
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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One (Jesus) Who created them?
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!
I know that there is a modern movie by that title … one which I have never seen … one I expect I never will see. I know it is about cars. This post is not about cars however. It is about tadpole trikes. I have heard others claim they have ridden their trikes at speeds up to 60 mph and even faster. I think the fastest I have ever ridden my trike is about 37 mph. That is plenty fast for me. There are no hills near me that I could go down and obtain much speed. I think 28 mph is the fastest I have ever obtained on a hill.
Even when I was younger my experience with speed was the same as it is now. Upon slowing up I start thinking about the danger … how things could go terribly wrong. 37 mph is not terribly fast. I mean I have gone faster than that on navy destroyers. I have gone over 140 mph on a motorcycle. I have gone over 157 mph in a 68 Dodge Charger R/T with a 426 Hemi engine. I was much much younger at those times. Now at nearly 77 years old 37 mph seems plenty fast. And truly I do think about what could go wrong travelling at that speed.
DANGER … DANGER … DANGER … to quote the late Steve Irwin. While in the navy I had a 327 fuel injected 365 hp Corvette . While stationed in San Diego, CA I use to drive south toward the Mexican border where there were roads which wound around and had cliffs along the sides. I use to go fast and slide around the curves with those cliffs oh so close. I could have easily slid off the pavement and plummeted below … probably to my death. There were no guard rails to help keep a vehicle from going over off of the road. In youth many of us take foolish chances.
I once rode a 650 cc BSA Super Rocket motorcycle down a gravel road at 120 mph. Both the bike and I survived it, but again it would be oh so easy for things to go terribly wrong.
When I was a teenager I read a book about a young man who had a hotrod car he had built himself. He held a firm belief that speed could get him out of dangerous situations vs. going slow, slowing up which was the norm. I wrote a book report on it in high school. But it was just a book and I don’t think I ever bought into it. I remember hearing “Speed Kills!” and I tended to believe that instead.
Speed can be addictive. Even at 76 years old I still enjoy going fast, but 60 plus mph is not for me. Perhaps when I was younger and more foolish taking chances and risks, but not now at my present age. They say that with age comes wisdom. Hopefully that is true and we all gain from it.
With my present set up I don’t need a hill to go down to go fast. My e-motor is quite capable to doing the job. When my friend tops off at 20 mph that is just a “fast idle” for me. I can easily cruise along at 20 mph and not begin to tax my battery or motor. So when I am all alone out there I often ride along at 17 to 25 mph enjoying myself. I rarely go much faster … at least not for very long … as I just don’t feel safe doing so. Both our trails and streets are quite rough so I get bounced around a lot which can be unnerving. It is really hard on my trike. When riding out on the streets taking the lane it is nice to be able to ride the speed limit (30 or 35 mph) and being able to keep up with cars. Of course, there are always motorists who just have to pass me even though I am going the speed limit. Often they pass me only to have to brake hard to stop with me right behind them. They really gained a lot. But like I said, they just had to pass me.
The motor I have now is advertised as being able to achieve 44 mph on a bicycle. A tadpole trike weighs considerably more and with 3 wheels there is more rolling resistance. And then there is my weight factor. Even though I have lost 50 pounds I still have twice that much I need to lose.
I don’t have a 4 speed close ratio transmission and 365 horsepower nor a 555 hp 426 c.i. Dodge Hemi like I use to have, but I am quite satisfied with my Catrike Trail. It gets me around just fine. Well, it is time to stop writing about it and actually go out there and do it. I might be getting old but I still enjoy my time machine that transforms me into a youngster every time I am seated on it. My trike is indeed a wondrous time machine.
I can’t end this without including some beloved songs by the Beach Boys. I gotta admit … it is all about cars … fast cars.
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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One (Jesus) Who created them?
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!
The picture above is definitely out of focus. I am thankful that my current vision is not this bad, but only a few years ago it was this bad if not worse. That was before cataract surgery. So I know what it is like to ride with poor eyesight. It certainly can be quite dangerous. I have had serious vision problems for quite a few years now. It runs in my family (my mother’s side). Her mother went blind and my mother nearly went blind toward the end of her life. And I am totally blind in my left eye for several years now. I go to a specialist eye doctor frequently to get an injection of medicine in my right eyeball to help retain what sight I have left in it. I usually have 20/30 vision in my right eye when reading the eye chart but sometimes it in 20/40 or worse. It makes for interesting trike riding. My eye plays tricks on me. I see something off in the distance which I think is a person on the trail. As I get closer I see it better and realize it is not what I thought it was.
Dealing with this problem brings to mind a bible verse where Jesus heals a blind man … Mark 8:24-38 New American Bible (Revised Edition)
24 Looking up he replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” 25 Then He (Jesus) laid hands on his eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.”
When I think of this subject of riding with poor vision I think of the late David Goldman who is well known for his many YouTube videos … David Rides a Trike. He had poor vision and mentioned it sometimes. I could identify with what he shared and described.
I already had poor vision but it was made worse by a cataract. It was really bad then. Once I was crossing a busy 6 lane highway. I thought there was a break in the traffic and I could safely cross so I took off. I got about half way across when suddenly a car sped by me just inches away. I braked hard and avoided getting hit, but it was all too close and scary. I almost ran off of trails a couple of times when I could not see it well enough. Fortunately at the last second I realized my situation and managed to stay on the trail. One time I was riding along a highway when it was raining and I had rainwater in my eyes when the berm I was riding on suddenly ended. I did not see it in time to avoid riding on into the grass and hitting a bit of a hill launching me up into the air and landing on the left side in a grass filled ditch full of water. A McDonald’s restaurant was right across the street and surely someone saw it happen but no one came to see if I was alright and see if I needed help. I didn’t get hurt, but it sure was embarrassing. I had cataract surgery and can see much better now.
I still have good and bad days where my vision comes and goes, but it never gets any where near being good like it used to be. At least I can see well enough to be safe when I ride.
Poor vision is a problem for me when I try to do mechanical work however. It is a real struggle trying to work on my trike. At least 3 times I have cut wires in two when I thought I was cutting a plastic cable tie. And many jobs I do take me several times longer than it would have taken back when I had good eyesight. Sometimes I have to do the job over 2 or 3 times as I discover I messed up not being able to see well enough as I did it.
In this life on earth I think it is safe to say that my best days are behind me. I am very thankful that I had really good vision for many years.
I was a weldor and welding requires good eyesight. My first experience of vision problems happened when I was out on a portable welding job. I was inside a building welding. It was fairly dark inside as it was a building under construction and there were no lights. I was welding when I noticed that suddenly things appeared slightly different. I stopped welding and raised my welding helmet up. It was then that I noticed my vison was very blurred in my left eye. I had no idea what had happened to cause it, but upon going to my eye doctor I was told that I had a vein inclusion and had bleeding going on in my eye. Basically I had a stroke in my eye. Later I found out that this is what happened in my mom’s and her mom’s eyes. When this happened to me there was no treatment available for it. The prognosis was not good. I was told that this seldom improves and is likely to worsen as time passes. And that is exactly what happened. My vision in my left eye got worse until I was totally blind in that eye. I found out about a year later from my initial vein inclusion that they now have a treatment … a medicine that is injected into the eyeball.
Life went on and I just had to adjust to my new norm in my eyesight. That meant depending upon my only good eye. Manual arc welding involves having good depth perception as the weldor must maintain a proper distance of the welding electrode (rod) as it is fed into the molten puddle and arc. Depth perception involves the use of both eyes so welding with only one eye is challenging. I learned to do it and still was able to do good welding for awhile. But as the years passed by it became more challenging.
About ten years after my left eye had the vein inclusion the same thing happened to my right eye. Fortunately the treatment I mentioned is available so eye doctors have been able to treat it and so far save what vision I have left. Slowly my vison in my right eye improved. I have had several eye surgeries over the years … mostly trying to reduce the pressure in my eyes. Yes, I have glaucoma as did my mom and her mom. I also have had cataract surgery in my right eye which brought vision in that eye back to 20/30 on my good days. As I said previously, I have good days and bad days with my vison. I think a lot of it has to do with blood sugar levels as I am type 2 diabetic. Both of my parents were as well. I have been getting injections in my right eyeball for many many years now and slowly things have improved. The bleeding has finally stopped and the eye doctor gives me a good report every time I go there. He says it is likely I will have to continue to get the injections for the rest of my life. I know it sounds absolutely horrible to get an injection in the eyeball. The first time I heard the doctor say it I cringed. However, after getting my very first shot I was quite surprised and relieved. There was nothing to it. It was not as bad as an injection in the arm. It is a small price to pay for saving my vision. I would be totally blind without this treatment. The medicine is very expensive … over $2000 per injection. Thankfully help is available and I only have to pay $10 for the medicine per injection.
Well, I may not have the vision I once had but while I have what vision I do have I am heading out the door to go for a trike ride. Hey, maybe I will see one or more of you out there. Take care and …
KEEP ON TRIKIN’
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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the One (Jesus) Who created them?
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!
I just returned one of these batteries for a refund yesterday as it was faulty and did not perform as it should have. Now I run across this video which makes me glad I did return it.
I defintely was not impressed with this battery and never would buy another one from them.
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!
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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.
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!
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!
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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.
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
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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?
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
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Now I ask ya … WHAT’S WITH MOTORISTS ANYWAY? Some just don’t give me any respect at all. They take the right of way when they don’t have it. I mean … what’s with motorists at 4 way stops? I clearly was stopped first while they are still approaching the stop sign. They were still rolling forward . I have been stopped. I have the legal right of way according to how 4 way stops work, but they take off cutting me off. I guess since I am on my trike I don’t count.They are a lot bigger than I am so might makes right. What’s with motorists anyway?
What’s with motorists at traffic lights? We are facing each other stopped at a traffic light. They are going to turn left. The law clearly stipulates the vehicle going straight thru the intersection has the legal right of way and vehicles which are turning are to wait until the vehicles going straight have already gone thru the intersection. But I am on a trike and I don’t count. The motorist is confident that he will accelerate fast enough to make his turn before I hardly am started. That being the case he takes off cutting me off. Sometimes he gets a surprise as I accelerate much faster than he expects and I block his path making the turn and he is forced to stop. He usually gets mad … obviously has an attitude problem. Afterall, he was in the wrong in what he tried to do. What’s with motorists anyway?
Then the other day I almost witnessed instant karma. A car ran the red light and the car pulling out making the left turn nearly got hit. Fortunately for him he saw the car speeding thru the red light and managed to stop before they would have collided. It was fortunate for me too as I probably would have had both of them come right into me. I was watching the turning car so I did not see the car running the red light. I am coming thru the intersection and see the turning car suddenly stop out in front of me forcing me to go left of him. The speeding car running the red light just barely missed me. Angels watching over me! And I am the only one obeying the law. What’s with motorists anyway?
TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
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A few days ago on one of the days when it was raining all day long I brought my tadpole trike into the garage to work on it. I was sitting on a mechanics chair on castors when I started to move the chair back away from my trike. One of the wheels went down into a depression in the concrete floor of the garage and the chair caught and quickly tipped over all so easily dumping me off of it and down onto the floor. I lit right on my tailbone and I am here to tell you it hurt. And days later it still hurts. I am glad to say that it doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as it did. And at 76 years old this old body does not deal with such things as well as it did many years ago. Nope, it didn’t exactly tickle.
I asked a few different people to pray for me that the pain would subside and I would heal quickly. I am happy to say God is answering those prayers. I can still feel it but there is very little pain and discomfort now. It still is not tickling. That’s okay, I can do without tickling. It was bothering me a little bit sitting on my trike seat, but now it feels fairly normal.
The mechanics chair is a combination mechanics creeper and chair … a handy gadget. However, I would have to say that it tipped over too easily. I don’t know if that means there is a flaw in its design or what. I sure do like to be able to sit down while working on my trike. This old body appreciates it. It just doesn’t appreciate getting dumped over and falling onto that hard concrete floor. Well, I learned how easily and quickly it can happen so hopefully I will be more careful when moving it around in the future. I don’t think I will soon forget the matter. Nope, it wasn’t a ticklish matter.
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Some of us live and ride in areas where we see several different species of wildlife. I always enjoy seeing animals although admitedly there are some I would prefer to see in videos and not in person. Here where I am at in northern Indiana I am somewhat limited in the number of different species. Other than deer and horses I don’t see any sizeable animals like bear, elk or moose. And I don’t think I want to either. On rare ocassion I may see a garter snake but I can’t recall ever seeing any other kind of snake while out riding. Of course, I have seen squirrels, raccoons, ground hogs, rabbits, oppossums and on rare occasion foxes, skunks, wolves, a large weesel looking critter, large snapping turtles, one large painted turtle and many different birds including hawks, buzzards, eagles, pheasants, turkeys and various water birds. And, of course, I have seen lots of different insects. A few of them saw me from the inside as I had managed to swallow them.
Once when riding along with some friends we were going around a curve on the Towpath Trail when the guy in the front suddenly stopped and yelled for us to stop as he spotted an animal over in a field off to the right side. If my memory serves me correctly I think it was a deer, but I could be mistaken. It was at the same time period we had been seeing wolves and eagles. The second guy had just got around the curve when he slammed on his brakes right in front of me. I was still turning thru the curve so slamming on the brakes to avoid running into him resulted in my trike tipping over spilling me out onto the asphalt pavement and me losing some skin as in OUCH! That is one time I would just of soon not seen the animal. I was sore for a few days following that.
A few days ago I was riding along on the Towpath Trail when I saw an animal on the trail ahead of me. As I got closer it did not move which was rather unusual. As I got much closer I could see it was a raccoon but not of the normal appearance. This guy was a light gray color and just looked quite old to me. He just laid there as I rode past him. I knew enough not to mess with him as he could be very dangerous. I rode on past him and then turned around to go back toward him. As I got closer to him he slowly got up and walked off of the trail over to the side. My thought was he was probably nearing death. He just stayed right there watching me watch him. I turned back around and continued my ride leaving him alone which I am sure he appreciated.
Recently I came upon the first snake I have seen in several years. I don’t know what kind of snake it was. It looked silver and still quite young as it was skinny and only about 14 inches long. Usually I only see garter snakes.
Certainly encountering wild life can greatly enhance our ride. Just remember that there is a reason they are called WILD. Enjoy them but don’t mess with them. They could wreck your day and then some. And never mistreat or harm them. God is still keeping the books and those who mistreat wild life will answer to Him for doing so. Enjoy the ride and …
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Flooded over trails is something that happens all too often. All it takes is one day of rain and some of our local trails close for weeks sometimes. This is something I have written about several times before so I won’t repeat myself here. I will simply provide a link to a past article I wrote about it.
I am amazed that one of our local rivers rarely ever rises up under a major highway flooding over the trail which goes under the highway. Looking at the river here one would think it would readily flood over. Yet I have only seen it flooded over a couple of times. And this river has flooded over elsewhere at other locations and doesn’t even rise any here oftentimes.
It is a mystery to me, but I am glad about it as I can still ride this trail when others are closed due to flooding. I may have to take alternate detours elsewhere but most of the trail is rideable when others are not.
Dealing with all too frequent flooding and trail closures gets old quick. Never the less, I am thankful I still have other trails to ride that usually don’t flood. And if worse comes to worse there are always streets and roads to ride … as hellacious as they are. I am talking about pot holes. I don’t know how many thousands of dollars I have spent repairing my trike from damage Fort Wayne streets have caused. The heavier duty BMX wheels I have now are holding up much better than the stock Catrike wheels did. Still I hate hitting pot holes and there are lots of them and I can’t usually avoid them. With the Catrike wheels I was constantly breaking spokes … I mean dozens of them. I think I have had only one broken spoke since I got the BMX wheels. I have put a lot of money into my trike over the years, but it is serving me well and holding up well with the components I now have on it. I just wish I had made the changes sooner rather than keeping it stock for so long.
In addition to the trail closures due to flooding there are also several utility, construction, tree removal, and bridge closures all going on at the same time in many different locations. As they say “when it rains it pours”. And as they say … “you’ll have that!” And I can vouch for it … we got it.
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Personally I have never been a fan of bike lanes. I think they are dangerous for cyclists to use. I would rather take the lane than risk those dangers and concerns. With motorists not paying attention and respecting bike lanes and cyclists using them to vehicles parking and driving in bike lanes to car doors opening out into bike lanes it is challenging. This Canadian cyclist shares some other concerns … all of which I find myself in agreement with. Most of us have probably heard all of this before. I know I have.
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It feels like rain drops … so many rain drops … it feels like rain drops falling on my head. So go the words to a popular song from my teen years. Personally I try not to ride in the rain but I know some cyclists choose to go and ride boldly ride in inclement weather.
I used to carry rain gear with me on my trike but I have not now for several years. I don’t even know if I still have any. I never have had any “quality rain gear”. I know it is expensive. The one above is $450 and that is just for the jacket. I think that is an outrageous price … about 4 1/2 times more than it should cost. I find that the rider’s seat position on a tadpole trike makes it difficult to get proper effective protection compared to what the rider of a bicycle has. This is mostly the lower part of the body I am talking about. If I were a rich man I would have quality rain gear and the means of carrying it along with me on my trike. Maybe someday, but I am not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
Here is a pair of $190 rainproof pants …
Being a big person (I am talking about FAT) it is quite challenging and difficult to get in and out of rain gear, especially the pants. It is hard enough to put them on at home but when I am already out riding it is extremely difficult to do.
What about canopies, you ask? They are great for providing shade but they don’t help much when it comes to rain, especially when the rain is coming down on an angle and wind is blowing it about. At best they might keep the face, head and neck dry. But if the wind is blowing the rain much … huh uh! I speak from experience. And most canopies offer no protection for the feet and lower legs.
There are canopies which offer more protection … on the sides and the front. Of course, they cost more.
And then there are velomobiles which offer great protection. The one shown above even has a windshield wiper.
I know I don’t like riding in the rain. I have done so many times out of necessity … I got caught out in it … and I got quite soaked just like I had been in swimming with my clothes on.
Lastly, there is always the concern of getting electronics wet. Water and electricity still don’t mix. Cell phones, GPS devices, etc. must be protected. Many of us have electic motors on our trikes. The motors themselves are water resistant but wiring, batteries, switches, connections, and display consoles can be a concern. I have had moisture get inside of my computer and my display console. Both took days to dry back out. I had a perfectly good battery get destroyed by getting wet inside. That was a costly mistake.
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– 38 degrees … Hey, that will wake you up … or if exposed to it too long might put you to sleep … permanently. It is Dec. 24th as I sit here in comfort typing this. It is warmer today than it was yesterday but the wind is still blowing hard resulting in blizzard conditions (white out). It is nasty out there! And it is not just here in the northern states. Atlanta, GA has nearly identical weather. It is below freezing in Floral City, Florida. I need to explain — the – 38 was the “feels like” temperature yeasterday morning … not the actual temperature. The actual temperature was about -8 degrees.
The wind was blowing hard all night Thursday, all day Friday, all night again Friday … and still blowing hard this morning (Saturday). It is my understanding that much of the United States is experiencing this same weather. It is amazing to me how this can happen. We went from temperatures in the 40s and 50s to this frigid weather.
Next Thursday the temperature is forecasted to be back up into the low 50s for 3 days. Crazy man, crazy! I will take it though. Of course, it is also suppose to rain or snow nearly everyday for more than a week. So it doesn’t look like I will be going out riding when it warms back up. It seems it almost always happens this way in northern Indiana.
This has long been one of my favorite trike videos …
I can remember as a kid growing up I would be sitting in the classroom at school looking out the window at the great weather we were having and really looking forward to the weekend so I could enjoy the nice weather. And almost every weekend it would rain. Such is life! But I still want to …
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In the 3rd chapter of Genesis we read that because of sin (disobedient rebellion against God) the earth was cursed. God did not originally create the earth with all the bad elements man deals with. Thorns were unheard of prior to this curse. Where I live we don’t have goat heads so I have never had to deal with them. I sure have heard and read others talk about them. They definitely are a real menace. Here is a picture of the plant that these rascals are found on.
We have other kinds of thorns where I live but rarely are they found on a bike trail.
Those who walk where these thorns exist also deal with them.
Unfortunately there are a lot of cyclists who do have to deal with these thorns.
Without proper and adaquate protection the result is lots of flats. That is never a welcome thing. So what is a person to do? It would be nice if this threat were simply removed but I am sure that is not practical. That means that the cyclist must do whatever it takes to prevent getting flats. There are options available. There are tires which are flat resistant. There are tire liners. And there are sealants that can be used. Some claim that flat resistant tires alone suffice for them while others say they still get flats with them and need something more. Since I have never had to deal with goat head thorns I am not in a position to advise anyone.
From what I have seen and heard these goat head thorns not only are a threat to the bottom of a tire but they also are found sticking into the sidewalls. Sidewalls of tires don’t offer hardly any protection in comparison to the bottoms. In the picture above the longest most threatening part of the thorn is not what is sticking into the tire’s sidewall. Some sidewalls are more vulnerable than others. Some are quite soft and thin making them easy to penetrate.
In all the years and hundreds of posts on this blog I have never done one about goat head thorns. I know I have mentioned them in past articles but that is all. Probably because I don’t have to deal with them I have never written much about them. It is sort of “out of sight, out of mind”. Here in the United States they are found mostly in the southwest as I understand. I am in northeastern Indiana so I am far away from anyplace they are found … for which I am thankful.
From what I have read this plant was not native to the U.S. but was “unintentionally introduced here”. I am not sure what that means. I wonder how one would unintentionally turn loose this menace.
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E-motor systems on bikes and trikes have become so very popular. It seems like everybody and their cousins are manufacturing and selling them or components such as batteries. As with anything one could talk about … “they are not all created equal”. We all like a bargain … buying things at a low cost … saving money. BUT, is it safe when it comes to E-motor batteries? Most of us have probably seen at least one video of a battery fire. Definitely these fires look quite scary. I was a Navy firefighter with training dealing with special kinds of fires which have to be handled differently. In the video you can see that dealing with a battery fire qualifies as a special fire hazard and extinguishing it involves a different method than a normal fire. If you don’t know what you are doing you can a bad situation even worse and endanger your own life or any other people around the area. Definitely other people need to stay far away from the fire. Fireballs can come shooting out from the battery.
For what it is worth I believe it is possible to buy quality batteries from Amazon and Ebay. All my batteries I have bought from them have been good quality batteries. I don’t know about Aliexpress so I can’t comment. I mention this because in the next video this subject is addressed and he advises against buying from these sources. I have heard this from others as well. Batteries are expensive and I have limited funds. Quite frankly I can’t afford buying a $1000 plus battery from sources this guy gets his from. I have bought about 5 batteries thus far and they have all been well made in my opinion. I do look for things like UL rated and the European equivalent.
About the only thing I do special in caring for my batteries is making sure I never charge them at or below freezing temperatures. I leave them outside in freezing weather and have never had any problems. They continue to function normal other than lesser performance in cold weather. That is a well known fact about these batteries. They perform better in warm weather. I live and ride in northern Indiana so I deal with winter weather.
I have everything mounted on my trike. My two batteries and their two chargers are always ready to be used no matter where I go. I almost always charge my batteries on my trike. I keep my trike in the bed of my pick up truck so the charging goes on while the trike is in the bed of my truck. It always has worked out well and I have a full charge in both batteries when I go out for a ride the next time. Some times I plug the chargers in when I stop somewhere and put some charge back into the batteries while I am out with my trike. I use the chargers that come with the batteries. It is hard on batteries to use a charger that charges at a higher rate. I have one 5 amp charger but I rarely use it. That is the maximum size of charger I can use without concern of damaging the batteries. Even so 2 or 3 amps is best and healthiest for the batteries. It takes longer but that is okay. I am usually done riding for the day when I am charging.
Well, that is about all I have to say about this subject. Now it is time to go ride. I am doing my best to …
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Tadpole Rider 