Category: videos

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 used to be a gravel pit just off of this road I used to go 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 making it private. 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 7 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 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.

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.

Here is a map of the Fort Wayne Fish Line Trail that has been built thus far …

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 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 although I don’t think their trail plans include a trail by the name of Fish Line. 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.

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.

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THE PUMPKINVINE NATURE TRAIL

 

The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail is a rail trail between Goshen and Shipshewana, Indiana.  It is about 17.6 miles long. It has a 15 mph speed limit on it. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on it. Class 3 are not allowed. I have ridden it about 3 times. I didn’t care much for the section between Goshen and Middlebury. I found it rather boring as many rail trails are. It was pretty straight and no shade. I much preferred the section between Middlebury and Shipshewana.

There is a nice bicycle shop in Middlebury quite close to the trail. They also sell and service tadpole trikes. It is called Pumpkinvine Cyclery. They sell Catrike, Trident and Azub recumbent tadpole trikes. In the image below taken from the trail you can see the bike shop just straight across the highway.

Pumpkinvine Cyclery is right across Indiana Highway 13 from the trail. There is a sidewalk all along the highway on the west side so one could exit the trail at York Drive onto the sidewalk and ride to the shop without having to cross the highway in front of the store … which would be a little safer. On the map below the side walk is shown in black.

 

The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail also connects to the MapleHeart Trail which runs alongside of a highway going from Goshen to Elkhart, Indiana … a 5 mile distance.

There is a great FACEBOOK page for the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

A one minute video featuring nature’s sounds along the trail … https://www.facebook.com/reel/139020442486072

BTW, I have failed to mention that this trail is in Amish country so expect to see Amish people out and about. Be careful around their buggies, wagons and  horse pulled farm equipment. Horses spook easily. The sound of flapping flags can spook them. It is best to slow way down or even stop and allow them to pass you. There are often Amish people bicycling on the trail. Shipshewana is definitely a rather unique town with various Amish stores, restaurants and a flea market. The trail used to stop a short distance outside of Shipshewana, but I understand that since the last time I was there riding the trail they have extended it on into town.

1.75 miles of the trail north of Goshen is packed crushed limestone. The rest is all paved with asphalt. 1/2 mile of the trail utilizes a county road as part of the trail.  That is east of Middlebury if my memory serves me right. It is low traffic so there should not be any concern. The local motorists are quite accustomed to sharing the road with trail users.

I just found this website Bike Trails in Northern Indiana which has these trails plus some others in northern Indiana.

Hey, ENJOY THE RIDE and …

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.

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THE POKA-BACHE STATE VISIONARY TRAIL

This north east Indiana multi-purpose trail is slowly being built. The Poka-Bache State Visionary Trail is 81 miles long running north and south from Ouabache State Park near Blufton  to Pokagon State Park north of Angola near the Michigan State Line. On the map above you can see the red which indicates the existing trail and the yellow which indicates the portions still needing to be built. I have ridden all of it in the top 3 counties. I have not ridden any of it in the 4th county in the south. When I rode the trail in Angola it was only in Angola. I see that they have extended it on further north to Pokagon State Park. I was not aware of that.

The map shown above is not truthful. They show the trail in Allen County where I live as being built all the way up to the county line. That is not true. They just started working on it this Spring. They are still clearing the land getting it ready to place a gravel surface on it before they pave it with asphalt. Right now the trail ends just a little way north of Carroll Road. The trail here in Allen County is built on an old railroad corridor and is named the Pufferbelly Trail.

It is named Pufferbelly after the steam locomotives that used to operate on the railroad that used to be there. The other three counties involved are dragging their feet on trail building. I am so glad Allen County is working at it and making progress. The trail is scheduled to be completed next year (2024). The next county north may not have their section built but at least I will be able to ride to the county line … another 4 miles further north than I can now. The Pufferbelly Trail has become one of my favorite local trails. Much of it is well shaded and there is enough curves in it to break up the normal boredom I find with many rail trails.

It surely is a very slow process … commitees meeting monthly … but very little seems to be happening.

Next up is a video of the groundbreaking ceremony for completing the trail up to the north county line …

INDIANA, CYCLIST PARADISE?

Fellow tadpole rider Sylvia Halpern on her 9000 miile trike journey stated while riding in my State, Indiana “Indiana is a cycling dream state. I took small and quiet farm roads that had great scenery. It also helped that the weather improved. I loved every day cycling in Indiana.” My response to that is “wait, are we talking about the same state?” It is not the first time I have encountered people whose thinking is much different than my own. My wife and I moved down to the Atlanta, GA area for ten years and thought that it was much more beautiful down there than up here in the north. I came back up here with a friend from down there and he commented that he thought it was much prettier up here. I thought he had slipped a gear or something. Different strokes as they say. Hey, Sylvia’s most recent video is of her riding in Indiana. Indiana, my home sweet home!

Moving right along … which she sure seems to be … 37 days to reach central Indiana and she has had some rain/storm days she didn’t ride … I think she is making very good progress on her journey. My wife and I were just down to Bedford area  just before Christmas in 2021. We drove down there to get a puppy we learned of. Bedford is a very hilly area and rather pretty … much different than where I live in northeastern Indiana. Sylvia reports “38 miles with 2600 ft of climbing”. I can believe that from what I saw of the area.

I wish she was riding thru Indiana further north than she is. I would love to be able to meet up with her and ride a ways along with her. But her route is too far south for me to do so. She has been changing her route since she got into Illinois and Indiana. She has been using Google Bicycle Routes taking their suggested roads and so very glad she did. She reports that she is thoroughly enjoying these alternate roads thru the countryside. I can tell she is in southern Indiana and not northern as she mentions more than once how incredibly smooth the roads are. Our roads up here in the north  are not smooth at all. Well, I guess I would not wish that on her. I am enjoying watching her videos and following her progress. God speed, Ms Sylvia! Be safe out there and enjoy the ride.

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VELOCHAIR … GETS MY VOTE

Hey, I really like this. I am not in need of it but if I were I sure am glad that it is being offered. It is called Velochair. It is an upstart company which I would think will be successful as surely there are lots of folks who could put this to good use in everyday life. They call it a recumbent wheelchair hybrid. At first glance I assumed it was electric motor assist. I was wrong. It is strictly pedal powered.

Velochair’s YouTube Video Channel

Contact Velochair

Here is the About Velochair writeup …

“The Velochair was developed by founder Kenneth Simons after he was diagnosed with Ossification Posterior Longitudinal Ligament, or OPLL, in his early 50s.

A lifelong runner and downhill skier, Simons could no longer bear weight on his legs for an extended period of time .

He found that most current mobility devices did not promote his activity, which prompted him to create the Velochair and restore his sense of independence.

This innovative solution can be operated by people with a variety of mobility challenges, providing indoor and outdoor flexibility to those who struggle with balance, strength, or walking.

The Velochair is a fun and safe way to exercise muscular, cardiovascular, and neuro systems.”

It looks to be well engineered which impresses me.

No doubt there will be many who will “cheat” using this when they don’t really need to.

The Velochair can be operated by only one hand.

As you can see the rear wheels do the turning/steering.
A word of caution … with a short wheelbase and rear end steering … definitely do not try to turn sharp at too fast of a speed as you will likely tip over.

Built for the Future

Designed and Manufactured in the U.S, the Velochair is built out of custom handmade printed carbon fibre components. Weighing around 42 pounds, the Velochair can be folded for easy transport and is light enough to be lifted into the back of a standard SUV or hatchback for transportation. The chair is also entirely customizable and adjustable to each user’s specific needs.

It’s All In The Details

1 2 3 4 5 6
1 – Steering
Steering tillers are what guide the Velochair directionally left and right. Tillers control the rear wheel steering allowing for tight turns increasing maneuverability. The Velochair can be steered with one or both tillers allowing for left or right hand operation. There is a quick release to remove either tiller to provide side transfer, if desired.
2 – Pedals
The Velochair comes with comfortable platform pedals that can be modified with the addition of different straps and leg supports as needed.
3 – Boom
The Velochair boom is adjustable in length and angle to provide the user with the optimum pedaling position.
4 – Seatback
The Velochair seatback folds for transport and locks in place during use. The seatback is adjustable to help the user find the optimal angle for their comfort.
5 – Brakes
The brake levers are located on the steering tillers. Either side lever will control the brake. Brake levers lock to park the Velochair in place and are also used to control speed while going downhill.
6 – Seat
The Velochair comes with ergonomically designed seat cushions that provide comfortable support.

This innovative product can be operated by people with a variety of mobility challenges, providing indoor and outdoor flexibility to those who struggle with balance, strength, or walking. The Velochair is a fun and safe way to exercise muscular, cardiovascular, and neurological systems.

$5,499 price includes shipping costs to lower 48 states.

Right now their Velochair is constructed of carbon fiber and titanium … both are expensive materials. They are looking/wanting to migrate to aluminum which should lessen the production cost.I hope they can bring the price down as $5500 is quite a lot for a wheelchair.I think this would sell but it would sell even better at a lower cost. That would be good for them and for the customer. BTW, they are looking for a Designer and a Fabricator.

**********

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—
“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

 

MYRTLE RIDING THE KATY TRAIL

Syllvia Halpern has completed riding on the Katy trail on her current 9000 mile 10 month long journey across the U.S. and back to the West coast. She has a blog among her various media resources. HERE is her writeup with pictures of riding on the Katy Trail.

HERE is an article with the details of her 9000 mile 10 month long journey. HERE is Sylvia’s YouTube Channel. I noticed that at the time I composed this her videos are not up to date. She is now in Illinois but her most recent video has har just entering Oklahoma. I guess more recent videos are published but they are not yet listed for some reason. Here is one of riding to the Katy Trail …

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DO YOU HAVE CAT’S EARS?

Now I ask ya … do you have cat’s ears when you ride? If you wear a helmet you are all set. You could have cat’s ears. Have you ever studied about cat ears? I wrote an article about it once before. We all know that many different animals hear much better than we humans. Animals which are outside have to deal with the wind. Jesus Who created everything that exists was on top of things as He is the master designer and engineer. We know that when we are riding along air passing by us is noisy. The faster we ride the louder it gets. Also if it is windy it adds to the noise we are producing. Perhaps you have held your hand up in front of your ear and noticed the huge difference it makes when the air moving past your ears is blocked or deflected away. We**don’t have ears like cats and dogs with hair growing out of them which greatly blocks and/or reduces the wind and helps them hear better.

** Well, most of us don’t anyway.

I already mentioned “if you wear a helmet you are all set”. More than one manufacturer makes a product which attaches to the straps of a bike helmet for the purpose of blocking the wind from going past your ears. It is my understanding that some work better than others.

If you don’t wear a helmet as far as I know you’re out of luck. You could do as I did and make your own. I made mine attach to my eye glasses. They worked fine, but I stopped using them as I looked like an idiot wearing them.

One thing is for sure … it is great not having all that wind noise to deal with.

I just had a thought … maybe a person could buy this product and then figure out someway to use it with glasses.

HERE is one manufacturer’s website.

I don’t wear a helmet when I ride my trike so I am out of luck. Of course I guess I could resort to my homemade DIY ones and look like an idiot. It would be nice if someone would come up with something that does not require wearing a helmet.

HERE is their Amazon store. They have 4 different versions ranging from $12.95 to $14.95 so you won’t need to be on good terms with your banker to buy these.

They may offer 4 different versions but I bet they don’t have any that will help this fellow …

Hey, seriously … this is one product I think is very practical. It greatly reduces wind noise enabling the person to hear much better … greatly enhancing conversations with others as they ride along together. You would actually be able to hear each other instead of just wind noise. Yes, you too could have cat ears. Personally I like cat ears, but then I love cats.

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UTAH TRIKE BUILD

Utah Trikes has produced lots of great videos. Here is one about a trike build for a customer. They are adding e-motor assist to it. I found it interesting although I sure can’t agree with their calling this trike FIRE RED. It looks ORANGE to me.

I have a 1000 watt e-motor which runs 30 mph on a fully charged battery. I am no longer using it as  the gear\clutch assembly inside needs to be replaced. My current 2000 watt  motor is only good for about 24 mph with a fully charged battery but I am only running it on 48 volts instead of 72 which is what it is rated at. It is suppose to be capable of about 44 mph on 72 volts. Anyway, it drops off to about 20 mph top speed as the battery charge drops off considerably. Definitely it is the most powerful e-motor I have had so far. I am so thankful for e-motor assist as I truly need it as I am aging. It enables me to …

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TERRATRIKE CHARGE

TerraTrike has a model being offered with an electric motor at a lower price than their previous offerings. They named it CHARGE. This time they went with a small rear hub motor. It is only 250 watts of power .

It has an 8 speed drive train and the trike weighs a hefty 57 pounds (26 kg). The price is $3249. It comes with a  374 Wh battery and no hand throttle. This model comes with direct steering.

Quite frankly one could do better just buying an e-motor conversion kit. It can be installed on any trike and for $700 to $1000 or even more  … mainly depending upon the battery purchased … one could have a much better e-motor system and a lot more power. And a hand throttle would be provided. I have had several e-motors on my trike ranging from 350 watts to 2000 watts. And I have always had a hand throttle … something I would not want to be without. The e-motor I have now is the lowest cost but the most powerful and I really like it.

Here is a video of an e-motor  conversion kit added onto a TT Rambler. As you can see it has more to offer than the factory installed system.

HERE is an article on the TT Charge.

There is only one positive thing I can say about this model. Buying a trike from the manufacturer with an e-motor system installed on it means the manufacturer stands behind it. If one installs an e-motor conversion kit they are pretty much on their own. That’s ok by me however. I have been doing fine for years all on my own. My system has been quite reliable and I have been able to …

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GETTING HER KICKS ALONG ROUTE 66

Sylvia is indeed getting her kicks on route 66. Just over two weeks into her 9000 mile trike journey in the United States she is now in Oklahoma and doing OK. She set up her tent for the first time on this journey at a nearly deserted KOA campground. The video covers this.

Sylvia got to see the Roger Miller mural painted on the side of a building as she rode along thru one small town. Sylvia reports that riding her trike along U.S. 66 is about like riding on a bike path as she has had so little traffic to deal with.

https://youtube.com/shorts/G_Kdvlt_VKc?feature

I vaguely remember watching the tv show “Route 66”. I know it starred Officer Pete Malloy of Adam 12 … Martin Milner. I had forgotten who it co-starred so I had to look up the program online to find out … George Maharis. I watched a short video of the opening and closing of the program where they are driving the Corvette down a very dusty road and it looks horrible “as in”…  badly in need of a bath.

BTW, the very dusty road was Route 66 before it was all paved. Sylvia can be thankful she didn’t have to deal with that scenario. It is somewhat funny that I can’t remember anything from that tv show. I know they travelled the route picking up work here and there to support themselves but that is all I can remember about it. It was like Then Came Bronson but with a Corvette rather than a Harley Davidson.

Hopefully Sylvia will be able to …

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NO SENSE CRYING OVER A LOST TAIL LIGHT

I had two of these BV taillights mounted on the rear of my trike. Yesterday at some point during my ride one of them fell off (unlees someone stole one while I was eating lunch). I didn’t discover it until half way thru my ride. I watched carefully for it as I backtracked my route but someone must have found it and got a nice taillight out of the deal. These are only sold along with their headlight as a set so I can’t just order the taillight. I don’t need another of their headlights as I already have three. It sickens me when I lose a headlight or taillight. Actually I hate losing anything off of my trike. I think I will just stay home and stay in bed. No, that won’t work either. Actually I have extra taillights I can use and already am. This one I lost is only rated at 35 lumen although it seems much brighter than that … closer to 100. This morning I replaced it with a set of 150 lumen  lights I had. The battery charge lasts a lot longer in them anyway so they are probably what I should have been using all along.

Mounted in between these two I have a 350 lumen version of this taillight I can use. It is almost blinding so I rarely use it.

One thing I have noticed is that taking still pictures or videoing bike lights doesn’t do them justice. I videod both of the head lights and the tail lights earlier today and  neither one appear like they do to my eyes. This video of my headlights illustrates my point quite well. I have two BV 300 lumen headlights on flash mode and right below them is a BV tail light. With my eyes this combination is very noticeable. The red really catches one’s attention. However in the video you can barely see the red tail light flashing.

And the tail lights  are very bright, especially the center one. But in the video they don’t appear anything at all the same. One would not even think that they are the same lights.

It is like when I was in the navy out at sea. I used to see some of the most beautiful sun rises and sun sets but when I would take pictures of them they didn’t look anything like what I saw with my eyes. I was always so disappointed in the pictures.

I just bought a taillight with an automatic brake light. I will install it tomorrow and see how that works. Hopefully it is not a waste of money. My biggest concern is the automatic brake light will be too sensitive coming on all the time when I don’t want it to.

I got the brake light mounted today ready to try out. I also mounted my new battery mount. My previous one broke in two and my battery spilled out onto the roadway as I was riding along. So now I have one of my two batteries mounted down low under the seat moving its weight forward. Previously I had both of my batteries mounted on my rear rack which is a lot of weight back there. Now when I lift up my trike to load and unload it from my truck it is much heavier toward the front and noticeably lighter toward the back. It makes it considerably harder to load and unload.

I bought a tail light with turn signals awhile back. They work but the control switch is too dim to see out in daylight so I was never able to use it. The tail light itself along with the turn signals is also too dim to be much good. It would be fine at night but I ride in the day light.

While working on my trike today I discovered that one of my two bike alarms is missing. They were attached to the bottom of the frame (out of sight) using plastic zip ties. I have only been using one of them and so I have not been carrying the other remote control with me. Since I haven’t been using it I haven’t heard the other alarm chirping letting me know it is still there. Oh well, what’s money?

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REPLACEABLE BATTERIES VS RECHARGEABLE LIGHTS

We have a choice between lights which use throwaway batteries or rechargeable batteries. Of course, most lights have “built in” rechargeable batteries. But even if our lights use AA or AAA alkaline batteries we can use rechargeable cells like pictured above. Just be sure you don’t throw the rechargeable batteries away as they are a bit more expensive than those made to throw away. I use to use rechargeable cells but now my lights are all built in rechargeable batteries. I like the rechargeable lights with one exception … they don’t last long enough. That being said … some last longer than others. If you ride several hours a day you might run into trouble with your rechargeable lights not lasting long enough for the entire ride.

My headlights and tail lights are the same brand but the headlights’ charge lasts a lot longer than the tail lights do. So I have additional tail lights I can use if this happens. The problem is I don’t have any way of knowing if and when the tail lights shut off while I am riding. I don’t like that but that is just the way it is. Since I can’t see my tail lights without stopping, getting off and walking around behind my trike I sometimes ask someone if my tail lights are still on and flashing. My headlights’ charge lasts me 2 to 3  days. I have had rechargeable headlights that don’t last long enough for one day of riding. That problem resolved itself as the lights themselves did not last. I ended up throwing them away. I am well pleased with the headlights I have now. The price has come up since I bought mine, but it is still a relatively inexpensive light set to buy at $15.99 thru Amazon.com. The shipping is free for Prime customers. I highly recommend this headlight. It is extremely bright on flash mode and definitely gets attention.  https://tinyurl.com/2cndfvts

The tail lights in the video above are not the ones use daily that I have written about here. The ones I use daily I write of can be seen in the video below. They are the middle set.

I have changed my lighting around several times over the years. The setup I have now is much different than what is shown in this video. I don’t have the top ones at all anymore.

All my tail lights are mounted on the same bar. I have my BV tail lights on the outside ends. A 350 lumen rechargeable tail light is in the center and a AA alkaline battery powered tail light is mounted beside of it. I keep it there just in case my rechargeable tail lights fail me.

I have a free source of AA alkaline batteries from my wife’s employer but I had her stop bringing them home as I had way too many … far beyond what I could possibly use.  I still have quite a few of them left. And I still have rechargeable AA and AAA cells but I haven’t used them for years. When I still used them they lasted longer than the throwaway alkaline cells. So I am saying that I do recommend the rechargeable cells to anyone using removable AA and AAA batteries. They outperform regular alkaline cells.

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DIGGING IN THE ARCHIVES

I have shared postings about various things in the archives. Here is one that isn’t even part of this website. It is from another one of my blogs I shared various topics on including tadpole trikes. The blog is entitled “Steve’s Mixed Bag”. Here is an article on Catrikes … which happens to be my favorite trike manufacturer. This was first posted April 15, 2015.

CATRIKES IN FLORIDA

I discovered that I had first posted this on this website almost a year earlier … https://tadpolerider.com/2014/05/10/catrikes-in-florida/

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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A WONDROUS TIME MACHINE

To the best of my knowledge time machines don’t really exist. They are only found in science fiction stories and movies such as the infamous H.G. Wells “The Time Machine” produced in movie format in 1960. That being said I read this on the Catrike Owners Group on FB and really like it as it is ‘right on’. Of course, it is true of any brand of tadpole trike …

“So we concluded that Catrike is actually a time machine. You sit in it and it transports you back in time and gives you the feeling you had as a 12 year old boy.”
I don’t know about the 12 year old part as I think it could be even younger. And it certainly is not limited to boys (males). Never the less, it does seem to really work like that. I am now 76 years old and I can truthfully say riding my Catrike really does transport me back in time to where I feel like a young kid again. And I love it. It is a great feeling and it seems as though it does help dealing with aging.
Of course, a true time machine would be capable of going ahead in time as well as going back. I am not so sure I would want to go forward knowing from God’s Word what the future holds.  I am so elated that I am not going to be here to go thru it. For God has warned us that He will pour His wrath out on this Christ rejecting world. It’s going to get ugly folks! … real ugly!!
Here is another version of The Time Machine … https://tinyurl.com/yck6ebbv
I was involved in a Bible Study back in 1977 which was fascinating. It explained how God can be everywhere at the same time and that with God all time is now.. He is an awesome God indeed!

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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MYRTLE’S UNDERWAY ON THE USA TOUR

Sylvia Halpern has started her latest trike journey here in the U.S. She has planned a 9000 mile long journey on her tadpole trike. Here are videos of day one and day two.  I would love to take such a journey, but alas it ain’t happening.

I have several articles on Sylvia I have posted previously.

Sylvia’s YouTube channel

Sylvia’s Facebook page

Details and Maps of my 9,000 mile USA Tour

Sylvia’s Tour Progress

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Banking While Cycle Touring

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Concerns, Worries and Fears

Contact Sylvia …  not working as number of allowed emails has been exceeded for March

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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BHTR — GROWING SLOWLY EACH YEAR

As this article is posted Feb, 22 the Big Honkin Trike Rally is going on in Inverness, FL.  It is the 4th day into a 7 day long event. I don’t have the statistics for each year but I understand last year, 2022, there were about 103 riders that showed up. This year I understand the number is up to about 157. That is encouraging. I plan on going next year. Maybe the number will be over 200 in 2024. That would be great!

Here is a video of the 2020 rally …

Here is a video from what I think is the 2021 rally …

Here is a video from the 2022 rally …

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AM I VISIBLE TO OTHERS?

Nobody in their right mind wants to get hit by a car, truck, bus, etc. Yet some trike riders do very little to help themselves be seen. They make silly excuses objecting to safety flags like “it will slow me down” or “they make noise flapping around back there and I don’t like to hear it”.  I am pretty sure that laying in a hospital bed or a morgue will slow you down even more. I don’t know how many times I did not see a fellow triker or even a bicyclist until the last possible second because  they were riding along in a shady area and had no lights or flags to help others see them. I am talking about riding on trails where some think they don’t need lights or flags. Others see me as I always have a flashing headlight and flashing taillight(s) plus two high visibility safety flags which by them selves can be seen far away. Many times I have had people tell me that they saw my flags from half a mile distance or more.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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WHY MAKE THE SWITCH FROM A BIKE TO A TRIKE?

Certainly I can’t make the claim that everybody is doing it, but there is no denying a whole lot of people are switching over to recumbent trikes. And most have pretty much the same testimony. Here is a video about the subject.

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FREEWHEEL OR CASSETTE … HEY HEY HEY … WHATCHA GOT?

Most rear sprocket clusters nowadays are cassette type … not freewheel type. That is because freewheels came along first and were replaced later by cassettes. They don’t look much different from one another so how can you tell which one you have? This video answers that question plus helps you to determine what tool you will need to remove it if you do the work on it yourself like I do.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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RIDE TO ARRIVE — A PARODY

If you are looking for something a bit different … you have found it. Or maybe I should say I found it and am posting it here. I don’t follow what this man is making a parody of so I can’t really identify with this video. However, it is different. It appears to be well done so hopefully you will enjoy it. I like the “three finger greeting” at the end. I think we ought to start greeting one another like that. Who knows … maybe it would catch on all over the world among tadpole riders.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

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