Vibration Sensor Alarm

Locking up a trike is usually more involved than locking up a traditional bike. And sometimes there is nothing to lock it to. I'm almost always in earshot of my trike so I added a vibration sensor alarm to my trike.

I'm not endorsing any particular product. I like the peace of mind a vibration sensor alarm gives me. When going into a store, taking a short walk on a trail and going to a restroom I set the alarm. 

Mounted behind my seat

WSDCAM vibration alarm $25.00
I haven't had it long enough to make
any comment about quality.

My Personal Ride Log Summary

I started riding trikes in 2009. I started keeping riding Logs in 2013 when it became clear that I was hooked for the long term. I like having the information a Log provides. I just turned 68 and a Log helps me to understand how well or shitty I'm doing as the years pile on. 

Between 2009 and 2012, before I started my Log keeping, I figure I rode a total of about 4,000 miles. Most of those miles involved climbing similar to 2013 and most rides included towing all 50 lbs of my dog Betzi. So it seems like my total gain for those years would about 300,000.

Tire Speed

Tire Speed and Weight (Updated January 2022)

With the tires I have laying around, and a some new ones I decided to figure out which tire combination is the fasted. Over the course of a few rides I came up with the results. 

No science involved here, just going downhill and keeping track of the downhill speeds when weather and road conditions seemed to be about same for each ride I measured. 

Max speed measured on ICE Sprint FS E8000 with max pressure in tires, no breeze and Panniers. Fastest and slowest speed have been eliminated. 

It seems like the Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 42/559 (26 x 1.60) on the rear makes the difference between fast and not so fast. It's too bad Schwalbe no longer makes a 406 (20") tire. The Supreme is an expensive tire but I feel it is one of their best tires.

Note; I posted on this subject back in January and July. This post is inclusive of those two posts.The last tire addition is a Schwalbe Big Ben 55/559 at the bottom of the list.

Note; I currently use the standard mesh seat
not the Ergo-Luxe you see in the picture.

Front tires and Back Tire

Schwalbe 406 Marathon Green Guard  and  Schwalbe 559 Marathon Supreme

40/406 - 530g   1.16 lbs

40/406 - 530g   1.16 lbs

42/559 - 440g   0.93 lbs

Total    1,500g  3.25lbs

Speed Average: 38.8

Speeds: 38.9, 38.5, 40.8, 38.1, 39.9, 38.1

___________________________________

Schwalbe 406 Marathon Racer  and  Schwalbe 559 Marathon Supreme

40/406 - 340g   0.75 lbs

40/406 - 340g   0.75 lbs

42/559 - 440g   0.93 lbs

Total    1,120g  2.43lbs

Speed Average: 38.6 mph

Speeds: 40.8, 38.1, 38.5, 38.5, 38.1, 39.4

___________________________________

Continental 406 Contact (E25)  and  Schwalbe 559 Marathon Supreme

37/406 - 420g   0.93 lbs

37/406 - 420g   0.93 lbs

42/559 - 440g   0.97 lbs

Total     1,280g  2.83 lbs

Speed Average: 38.2 mph

Speeds: 36.5, 38.2, 39.4, 38.7, 37.8, 38.0

__________________________________

Schwalbe 406 Marathon Plus  and  Schwalbe 559 Marathon Plus

35/406 - 560g   1.23 lbs

35/406 - 560g   1.23 lbs

40/559 - 870g   1.90 lbs 

Total    1,990g  4.36 lbs

Speed Average: 36.5 mph

Speeds: 37.1, 35.8, 36.8, 36.5, 37.8

___________________________________

Schwalbe 406 Marathon Green Guard  and  Schwalbe 559 Big Ben (added December 2021)

40/406 - 530g   1.16 lbs

40/406 - 530g   1.16 lbs

55/559 - 760g   1.68 lbs  (Race Guard)

Total    1,820g  4.00lbs

Speed Average: 35.5 mph

Speeds: 35.7, 35.3, 34.9, 36.0, 35.5, 35.3

___________________________________

Schwalbe 406 Marathon Green Guard  and  Schwalbe 559 Marathon Green Guard 

40/406 - 530g   1.16 lbs

40/406 - 530g   1.16 lbs

47/559 - 875g   1.93 lbs

Total    1,935g  4.25lbs

Speed Average: 35.3 mph (Only one ride so far) 

Speeds: 35.3

___________________________________

Bike Index

My trike and batteries and their serial numbers are now all registered on Bike Index. It's free except for optional stickers with a unique code linked to my trike and batteries.

 

People For Bikes

People For Bikes

I recently noticed that People For Bikes inclusivity program neglected forms of cycling other than traditional bikes and abled cyclists. I brought this to their attention and I was pleasantly surprised that after only a couple of days from the time I sent a comment to them they responded to me. And it was not a simple boiler plate letter that I usually get when sending comments to organizations.

I will include People for Bikes on my list of organizations I support.

Here's their response;

______________________________________________________

Hi Mark - 

Thanks so much for your generous donation to PeopleForBikes and for taking the time to write to us about the need to include people who ride recumbents, trikes, handcycles or other types of cycles in our advocacy work.

Your comment was both timely and absolutely correct. Telling the stories of, advocating for, and sharing images of people who are disabled has been a gap for us. It is one we are working to fix. 

A few current or upcoming examples:

- PeopleForBikes hosts the Bicycle Leadership Conference for members of the bike industry every year. The virtual event in November will feature two keynote speakers who participated in this year's Paralympics in Tokyo; https://www.bicycleleadershipconference.org/

- We are publishing two blogs in October that feature these stories. One from an adaptive rider who is documenting all the trails in his hometown for how they accommodate him and others like him, and one from a Seattle planner who is disabled and speaks to her experience and the need for more people who are differently abled in the transportation field. 

- Our imagery does not reflect the diversity of people who ride cycles and we are working to change that. In the short term, we will use more stock imagery (as available), and in 2022 we will host our own photo shoots to ensure the diversity we are looking for. 

Finally, since I manage our Community Grants program, I'll add that I am seeing more proposals for infrastructure projects that accommodate handcycles and trikes. We have helped fund a few and hope to support more.

Thanks again, Mark, for reinforcing that our path is the right one and that we need to move faster. If you have specific ideas or suggestions, please don't hesitate to share.

Best,

Zoe

Cane

I keep a carbon fiber cane in my pannier. 

Watching the Tokyo Paralympics gave me a WTF reality check. So I need a cane to stabilize my wonky legs. So what? Is that all I have to complain about? Up until now I was embarrassed to pull the cane out of my pannier and have to use it. I don't give a shit anymore. I'm just being my best and enjoying life.  

So what gives?

I have nerve damage to my lower legs and feet caused by either years of back problems and back surgeries but more likely from bi-lateral hip replacements. The timeline suggests the butcher job the surgeon did on my hips not only caused nerve damage but also left me with a scared and chronically inflamed Piriformis muscles and sciatic nerve entanglement in the scar tissue. Also Heterotopic Ossification in my right hip (more here) and an uneven pelvis. 

Slowly over the years, after my hip replacements, my calves muscles (particularly the Gastrocnemius) have weaken to the point where I can't stand on my toes, My right leg is worse. The medial head of the  Gastrocnemius has totally atrophied. Try getting around with weak calve muscles. I feel like a drunken cow if I'm not using a cane. I would not pass a sobriety test walking a straight line. So I use a cane to stabilize my walking because my calves aren't helping much. 

When riding my trike clipping into my pedals helps to stabilize my calves but then I have to deal with lower leg numbness which starts in my feet. When I ride the more I climb and the longer I ride pressure builds on the small compromised Piriformis muscles that are adjacent to the sciatic nerve. And the lower leg numbness sets in and I have to take a short break and stretch. 

And I have some other minor nerve damage issues to my legs that are not worth complaining about. 

And to top it all off the weakness in my legs makes me prone to uncomfortable muscle tightening and occasional full blown cramps. A couple of small muscles in my right leg, the Gracilis (inner thigh) and the Tibialis (shin), are forced in some way to compensate for my wonky calves and they'll cramp if I get off the trike to fast or make sudden cycling movements after I've been riding for awhile. I just have to be aware of this and be careful. I can go for months without a cramp and then I eventually do something stupid like hurry off the trike after a long ride. 

I've kept my upper body strong so maybe time to add a handcycle to my cycling routine.

I'm done...time to look forward.

 

Why E-Assist?

This is why I have e-assist, averaging 70 feet of gain per mile last month with my dysfunctional legs. So far this year I’ve pushed pedals up 132,000 feet of hills while averaging 72 feet of gain per mile. Nothing but hills where I live in So Cal. No way I could do it without e-assist. I have my 250 watt Shimano E8000 on my ICE Sprint and it makes all the difference in the world in keeping me moving.

New Window Decal

Custom decal from Flaming Eyeball Graphics.

Go to Flaming Eyeball Graphics

Bike Lanes Becoming Pedestrian Lanes

Give me a break. In the age of COVID 19 if you gotta give another pedestrian a little space by moving into the bicycle...fine. And there are a lot more pedestrians out. Most pedestrians move back onto the sidewalk or out of the way when a cyclist comes along. But there are the newbie exercise walkers and runners that have discovered the great outdoors thanks to COVID who are clueless and just hold their ground in the bicycle lane, some with strollers, some staring at their phones and some just being whatever, forcing cyclists to move into traffic to get past them. 

I'm happy people are getting outdoors and exercising but use common sense. Especially on a downhill blind curve, what do you expect when I almost plow through you.

It's time that city planners start designing public spaces with pedestrian needs in mind. Token sidewalks just don't cut it anymore.

This pic is on a less traveled road going uphill and in so big deal. But pedestrians

 in the bike lane on busier roads are common.

2019 - Looking Back

January

Preparing to move back to Thousand Oaks after nearly three years on the Central Coast.

No time to ride. Just some spinning in the garage surrounded by packed moving boxes.

Click here for post

February

No posts. Too busy of a month driving back and forth from the Central Coast to our new house in Newbury Park (Thousand Oaks) preparing it for move in.

March

Riding in Thousand Oaks along the Santa Monica Mountains after moving back from three years living on the Central Coast of California

Click here for post

April

Ordered my ICE Sprint FS E8000 (e-Trike)

Click here for post

May

Picking up my ICE Sprint FS E8000

Click here for post

June

Getting the feel for climbing with the E8000

Click here for post

July

I sold my Catrike 700. After 10 years of owning Catrikes I no longer have a Catrike in my garage after opting for the ICE Sprint FS E8000. 

Click here for post

August

Another post about about climbing with the E8000 after about 500 miles and 36,000 feet of gain.

Click for post

September

Lighthouse Century sponsored by the recumbent friendly and now e-bike friendly San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club on the Central Coast. Even though I now live 3 hours from the Central Coast I maintain a membership with the club in support of their good work and acceptance of all biking styles. 

Click here for post

October

Still learning how to customize the E8000 with a little help from Neil at ICE Trikes.

Click here for post

November

Now the National Park Service allows e-bikes (and trikes) I'm thinking about an off road e-trike. Not wanting a full fat the first trike that came to mind was the HP Enduro. But I'm considering equipping my ICE Sprint FS E8000 with mountain bike tires and give it a try on the unpaved fire roads. No decisions made yet.

Click here for post

December

More information on E-Bikes and E-Trikes in the National Parks - Santa Monica Mountains

Click here for post

Next Trike? HP Enduro?

Update 1/8/20

I've decided that before blowing money on a dedicated off rode trike I'll simply put a set on MTB tires on my ICE Sprint FS E8000 and give it a try on the unpaved fire roads and maintained trails. With the minimalist suspension of the Sprint coupled with low pressure 57mm or 60mm MTB tires I just might accomplish what I'm looking for...getting me off the roads for awhile. Besides the big cost savings...I really like riding my ICE Sprint. Now to just do it.

_________________

Is this going to be my next trike?

HP Velotechnik FS 26 Enduro

with a Shimano Steps E8000 (not pictured here)

Since moving back to Thousand Oaks, CA with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area at my backdoor I've missed hiking into the hills. The problem is, since my 2013 hip replacements and ensuing Piriforis Syndrome, my hiking legs are gone but not my desire to get off the road and into the mountains. As of October the National Park Service (NPS), which makes up part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, along with State and other public land holders, now allows e-bikes on the trails where regular bikes are permitted. The other public land holders generally follow the lead of the NPS. I even went so far as to confirm with my contacts at the NPS that e-trikes are cool on the trails. And yes they are as long as you have too pedal to move, no throttle.

After the Thanksgiving holiday I'll be checking in with Dana at Bent Up Cycles to test ride an HP Velotechnik Enduro.

____________________________________________________________

My Hiking Days

Last real hike in 2013 before hip replacements. The arthroscopic surgery on my hips prior to the full hip replacements gave me a short window of being able to hike. 

Now that I'm 65 and on Medicare I can afford to put forth the effort to hopefully figure out how to mediate the Piriformis Syndrome that is a nuisance when walking or standing to long. In the future I hope to have more pictures of me hiking on the trail.

Cheeseboro Canyon where I  Volunteer for the National Park Service

I've been volunteering since 2000 with a three break (2016-2018) while living on the Central Coast.

My son Byron volunteered in 2013 for High School credit.

Trike Stand by TRIKE TIGHT

With the extra weight of the E Assist on my new ICE Sprint FS E8000 I decided to replace my old Park Tool bike work stand with a dedicated trike stand. The old Park Tool stand worked well enough for my lighter trikes but it was always a little awkward to use. I wanted something solid that would hold up to regular use. I looked at DIY options but decided that a custom  TRIKE TIGHT stand was worth the investment. And yes... it is.

The TRIKE TIGHT stand is an aluminum stand that was easy to assemble.  The stand is light but solid. It also folds up by lifting a single pin. Unlike most of the plans for DIY stands the TRIKE TIGHT has large heavy duty locking wheels that allow me to easily roll the stand around. Not only do all three wheels lock but the swivel locks as well so the stand stays exactly where I want it to stay. And finally, I can move the trike around to work on it without having to move or get up from my stool.

The TRIKE TIGHT stand is a stiff well made stand made with heavy gauge aluminum tubing that should last longer then me. And it has a cool logo.

Sorry Catrike..it's ICE Time

My thread on BentRider posted 4/17/19. Go to BentRider for comments.

Sorry Catrike..it’s ICE Time

Catrike is missing the boat. The market for electric assist is growing and Catrike tells me they have no plans to enter the electric assist market at this time. The only option is an after market add on to a Catrike. The E-assist add ons don’t thrill me. In addition an after market add on will void the Catrike warranty.

Over the last ten years I’ve purchased seven Catrikes but my loyalty will now be divided between Catrike and ICE. I ordered an ICE Sprint FS E8000. It’ll replace my Catrike Expedition while I keep my Catrike 700 for shorter fast rides.

After driving over to Bent Up Cycles and taking a spin on an ICE Adventure equipped with Shimano’s Steps E8000 I was hooked. With no second thought I had Dana order me the Sprint FS with the E8000.

Over the years Catrike has had a tendency to follow market trends for awhile before making a commitment to produce what customers want. Their late entry into the suspension market stands as an example of this “wait and see” philosophy. It also seems to me that with their recent introduction of the Catrike Eola that Catrike is focusing more on affordability and leaving the high end and E-assist market to manufacturers like ICE.

ICE trikes are definitely more expensive but they are beautiful machines. I didn’t want to “wait” for Catrike to determine the viability of the E-assist market so I will soon take possession of an ICE Sprint FS E8000.

New Records from Battle Mountain 2018

IHPVA Arm Powered World Speed Record 2018-University of Liverpool's Arion 4
 Ken Talbot - Men's Arm Powered 51.58mph (83.02kph)

Karen Darke - Women's Arm Powered 46.54mph (74.91kph)

IHPVA Junior Multi-Track World Speed Record 2018 - 60.94mph (98.08kph)

Ishtey Amminger

All WHPSC results from Battle Mountain here.

PicNick App

I like to bring lunch with me on a ride rather then rely on restaurant food. The new PicNick app is a picnic table locating tool which requires input from users. Yesterday I marked three picnic areas along the Central Coast in the area of Cambria and San Simeon. With more input from users PicNick may become a useful app for picnickers like me.

Marked picnic location at San Simeon Pier.

Moving

Moving to a new home takes time and effort. In addition we're getting work done on the new house before moving in. No time right now for trike'n. Hopefully in a couple weeks we'll be settled in to our new home and I can get back out on the road.

It's a short move from the coast of the Central Coast to the Central Coast wine country. But it's a whole new world of riding opportunities.

Can't wait to get this over with.

My Thoughts on Suspended Trikes

A suspended trike and it's added weight does not move on it's own. To varying degrees depending on the trike model a suspension system absorbs some of the riders energy output. Suspended trikes are heavier. Some of the heavier suspended trikes can weight up to 20% more then their comparable counterparts. The trike rider is the engine. You're simply going to have to burn more calories per mile for that engine to move the trike.

Suspended trikes definitely serve a purpose and there are a number of reasons to own one. However if you're riding paved roads and you want to maximize your energy output then a suspended trike is the wrong choice. 

A suspended trike robs power from the engine, your body. I tried it on a minimally suspended ICE Sprint 26fs for nearly a year and based on the log I keep I figure it takes 10 to 15 percent more energy to get from point A to point B. Is it worth it? Not for me. And it's not always about speed. It's more about making efficient use of the energy I manage to coax out of my old muscles. I've come to the conclusion that paved roads are generally not in bad enough condition to warrant putting out the extra energy required by a suspended trike. I've found seating position, tires and mesh seats are the way to go to accommodate for road conditions. Even when riding chip seal for seemingly endless miles.

I would only consider a suspended trike if it included E-assit. But I''m not ready to add it to my stable. For now I want to ride under my own power for as long and as far as my 64 year old legs will take me. I've learned that a suspended trike is not a part of that equation.

HWY 1 is NOT Flat

Nothing better then a easy ride along the Central Coast. Beautiful ride yes, but not as easy as some are expecting. Many first time visitors who come to the Central Coast to take a casual ride along the coast line are generally not prepared for the rollers and occasional long climb. A 1,309 foot overall gain awaits them on the 33 mile one way ride from Morro Bay to the Piedras Blancas lighthouse. Nothing to brag about but for those not prepared for climbing it can put a damper on their ride. Add another 1,253 feet of gain if you want to return to Morro Bay. 

If you keep going North from the Piedras Blancas lighthouse you soon enter the Monterey District of the Los Padres National Forrest and eventually into Big Sur. That's where the real climbing begins. If you keep going North ** another 57 miles to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park you can expect another 5.537 feet of gain.

** Hwy 1 is closed South of Gorda about 19 miles North of the Lighthouse and is expected to open late summer of 2018. In May of 2017 five million cubic yards of hillside went sliding down into the ocean at Mud Creek.

Thoughts On Seat Angle, Suspension and Tires

Picture from a few years ago on HWY 1

My motivation for adding a suspended ICE Sprint FS to accompany my Catrike 700 in my garage was the many miles of chip seal I have to ride when venturing North of Cambria on HWY 1. Which is usually once a week. I've now  had plenty of time to experiment with tire selection and pressure, suspension vs non-suspension and seat angle. I've come to the conclusion that seat angle plays the biggest role in determining the level of comfort when riding the many miles of chip sealed roads. For me a seat angle of 37 degrees to 40 degrees is the most comfortable position on these roads and still allows for good power transfer to the pedals. 

I've been trying to negotiate a compromise between comfort and speed. So I went with the minimalist suspension of the ICE Sprint with 28mm Durano tires. But I found that my Catrike 700 with 35mm Kojaks do nearly as good a job as the elastomer suspension system of the Sprint in isolating the constant vibration of the chip seal.

The Sprint elastomer suspension works nicely on the occasional rut, road seam and the minor road imperfections.  And it's probably great for trail riding. But it's the chip seal I'm trying to tame without sacrificing too much speed.

With my titanium hips I may be a slow dog on hills but when the road levels out I like to feel the speed. Especially down hills. And on those days when I choose to cruise the coast loaded with creature comforts I don't want to push extra weight that's not benefiting me in any meaningful way.

I'm tending to think that the whole suspension craze is overrated. There is a definite need for a suspended ride but you have to remember it comes at the cost of a heavier and mushier trike  that requires more calories to per mile.

Now that I've figured out that seat angle makes the biggest difference on rough roads, it's time to re-examine the non-suspended option that I was considering earlier, the Catrike Expedition with it's 37 degree seat angle. I feel it's the best and most versatile trike on the market. Also it won't empty your bank account.

My old Catrike Expedition from back in the day when I use to pull ma doggie
and load up with every possible creature comfort. Of course that was pre-hip replacement
days. Now I prefer to ride a little lighter. 

The Difference a Mile Makes

Riding on the Central Coast

About one mile inland