My Recumbent Days

T he weather here has been very cold, and I picked up a Streptococcus infection in my Sinus and Nasal canals.  I have been on one Antibiotic for 6 days then the doctor took a culture of my nasal passage.  The results were so bad I am on Clarithromycin for the next 14 days, then another one for another ten days.  I am sick of a dog not because of the strep but the medicine. T he seat is now mounted and so are the water bottles and new headlight. There is a new horn on the way, not sure how I will mount it, but I will figure it out.  ZI will post photos when finished.

I went out after lunch for my ride as the temperature was warmer.  I had a great start to the ride but the wind started to pick up drastically. I pushed on to finish my usual route, but I have to say I am tired.  The tweaks to the seat and the location of the water bottle cages seems fine.  I also made a modification to the flag mount as it was whacking me in the helmet. It works to an extent, but needs some more tweaking.

T oday I started out after lunch to test my new seat and the modifications I made.  The seat works fine, but other things need some attention.  The neckrest does not come far enough forward, so that is going to be a project.  The water bottle cages are parallel so the bottles can fall out which one did I am working on a fix for that.  Otherwise all is fine, but I am sure I will find some other things, that need adjustment.  

I received a response from Novsport regarding seats. He recommended two seats, not sure which would fit my trike better.  My Trike above:  Recumbent Seat  Trike Seat

I rode my usual route today and the average temperature was 32.7ºf.  Garmin Connect is down for maintenance so I will add the ride maps later.  I spent a while cleaning up the trike and polishing it using Turtle Wax "Black Detailer", the stuff brought the shine back to the trike giving it a new trike look.  I am still on the hunt for a replacement hard-shell seat and pad.  A neckrest will also be important. After the New Year I will make some calls to get prices and options.

F or a a long while I have used Lemon Pledge to keep the frame shinning.  I have noticed that the frame looked dull as if there was a cloudy film on the black paint. I tried my black auto wax with no joy.  I asked around and came up with a few suggestions.  I went to my local auto parts store and ran into my bike mechanic and he said he uses "Black Detailer" by Turtle Wax on all the black frames he sells.  I decided I would give it a try. It took no time to get my frame looking like new. It took a total of 10 minutes.  So if you have a dull black frame this is the way to go.

T oday's ride was nothing short of a challenge for me.  The wind and the temperature combined made my hands numb and really put a damper on my overall performance.  It might have been hard, but in the end I felt I did well.  I know I complain, but that is my nature, but I do get a lot out of the ride. Next year I will have to look into some real good bike gloves, as the Fox gloves and glove liners did nothing to prevent the cold from cutting through. T he new headlight seems to be working real well, actually better than expected.  The flashers are so bright I can be seen a very long distance off.  The brake lights seem to work well as do the Mars Click markers.

I had planned to ride this morning, and the weather looked good. The time I had breakfast and got my gear together the weather turned for the worst. The clouds turned very dark and the wind started to blow wildly. I decided to wait a little to see if the weather would improve, but it didn't.  I needed to buy the Nob computer mount, but my local LBS had to order one and it won't be there until after the new year.  I had only one choice, and that was to build my own.  I had an old dual mount which I took the Dremel tool to and shaped it to my needs, it looks real good.  I might make a few improvements to it but I will ride and see if it is positioned as I need it. L ast week I ordered a new headlight which is 1200 Lumen and has a 4400Mah rechargeable pack. W hile I was at the light upgrades I added two Blackburn Mars Click Red rear Taillights one to each handlebar upright for additional 180º protection. I have also added an additional Brake light called t...

T his mornings ride was more challenging than normal. I haven't rode for a number of days do to a Sinus Infection and bad weather.  Today was my fifth day on Antibiotics and I am feeling just a bit under the weather.  The temperature wasn't bad, but the wind was extremely strong. I didn't wear a mask today as my chest felt congested and breathing through the mask was very hard and just tired me out. Even under these conditions I managed to average 13.2 mph.

T his morning was the coldest ride I have ever done! I truly worked up a sweat fighting the wind. My face mask was all frosty and I looked a sight. All in all I enjoyed the challenge. I don't know how many more rides I will do this season, but I will try my best to continue.  

I had a cold and windy ride, but it was still a joyous ride.  I couldn't wait to hit the road even with the low temperature.  I didn't ride yesterday and I am not sure when I will ride again as the weather does not look promising.  The roads are still in horrible shape, so I doubt they will get cleaned until spring. Well I really didn't expect them to get to it.

I t rained last night so the roads are very wet and lots of standing water.  The construction crews were out early this morning so along with the water I have mud all over the place.  I am covered head to toe in mud and gunk.  I will launder the riding cloths and hit the shower. I thought by this time I would have a better handle on the speed of the new tires, but I don't think I will be able to judge it fairly.  The reason I say this is the conditions of the roads after Sandy and the amount of winds as it is coming into winter is throwing my average speeds out the window. So maybe next season I will know more.

I rode my usual course and enjoyed the ride a huge amount.  I didn't use my face mask today as I wanted to see if I could handle the cold.  Well I didn't do so bad, and I will try it again.  I ordered three pair of Drymax cycling socks to replace my worn ones.  I hope they are good as I have never used this brand before.  My Toe Covers will be here Monday. They should help my frozen toes, and they need help.

T oday I rode with my face mask for the second time, and things went a little better.  I was not hyperventilating as my first time.  The weather was very cool, but I made myself push along.  I am not sure how long I can continue, but that will depend on the weather. I ordered toe covers to prevent my toes from getting frost bite. The GS/Pro cycling tights are working out fine.  I was cold for the first five or so minutes, but then I warmed up.

T oday I rode with my new face mask and found it causes me to hyperventilate.  I guess with a little practice I will get better.  The Garmin temperature sensor is so far off it is surprising how far off.  The Garmin reported 44 degrees and it is actually 39 degrees. I guess it is the way the sensor is mounted.  I rode my usual route, but at a reduced speed. I am wearing a lot of extra weight in clothing from the warmer days. so I lost about 1 mph. I am satisfied.

T his mornings ride was a nightmare, the winds were so strong keeping a straight line was very hard.  The junk flying in my face made riding just near impossible.  I rode as far as I was able without getting hurt. Maybe tomorrow will be better.  The wind gusts were clocked above 20 mph, and they seemed to come from every direction.

I haven't ridden since the 17th as I had other obligations.  So the day after Thanksgiving was my first ride, and it was hard.  I rode 10.23 miles, but my Garmin didn't register the file properly so it was zero bytes.  I hate when that happens, but once in a while it does.  I rode my usual route and my average speed was 14.1 mph. My top speed was 23.9 mph. I ordered another base layer top and a new set of tights, as I hope to continue my riding season.  We will see how the weather holds up.

I rode my usual route today, and the road conditions were horrible.  There was broken branches and gravel all over the roads, and in some places broken glass from destroyed street lights.  The wind was blowing from the ENE at 10-18 mph. The garbage was blowing in my face, and hard to keep up a good speed.  I was zigging and zagging all over to keep out of the junk.

T he wind was strong and the chill just tore through me like a hot knife in butter.  I truly wondered why I went out today! But I know my back needed the Endorphins and in my mind I knew I could push through the pain.  I rode my usual route but it was harder by the mile as I was getting really cold, and my arms were numb. My tires were inflated to 70lbs but I couldn't judge speed do to strong winds. I guess I might not know until next spring.

T he day before yesterday I pulled my Lumbar out of align and wasn't able to ride yesterday.  I am in a huge amount of pain, but I actually felt better while riding. I assume it is the position of the seat and the endorphins produced while riding. Any way I made it home, and the pain has returned, but I will work through it as I always do.  My Lumbar should pop back in in a few days. My ride stats are below.