My Last Post but NOT Done Pedaling

I started my blog in July 2009 and I'm ending it today.

 I'll still keep the pages on the title bar up to date.

I'm NOT done pushing pedals by any means. I'll continue with social media. 

I'll keep the links on the side bar and the above Page links up to date. 

My Instagram - Crazy_On_Three

Instagram is my primary source for sharing. 

My Facebook - Mark T Rackow

Generally my Facebook posts are automatic uploads from Instagram. But sometimes I'll post directly to my Facebook

My Other Instagram - M_Tracy_Rackow  

This is the Instagram account where I post my art, photography and poetry.

Adventure Cycling Association - Sylvia Halpern

In emails to the Adventure Cycling Association I have expressed my disappointment with their lack of attention to senior, alternative and adaptive adventure cyclists. The Adventure Cycling Association has always focused on the abled and younger riders with an occasional shoutout to us senior cyclists but yet has no problem asking us seniors to part with our income through their estate gifting program.  

A ray of hope or a one time shoutout? Following an email I sent to ACA on March 7th regarding Sylvia Halpern's latest adventure (Travels by Trike on Facebook), ACA posted about Sylvia on its Facebook (ACA,s Facebook) on March 15th.. Whether my email brought awareness or it's just a coincidence is unimportant. But at least ACA saw fit to recognize Sylvia on their Facebook. She deserves much more recognition for her global adventures. Is it a start? If the past is a teacher probably not.

It seems to me that ACA could easily reach out to the forgotten demographic of senior, alternative and adaptive adventure cyclists through social media. This demographic is out there but unseen my the general cycling community and especially ACA. Such an outreach  would take minimal effort and cost and would not take up expensive space in their Adventure Cyclist magazine. 

I believe in ACA's underlying mission to encourage people to get out and adventure on bicycles but they fall short in reaching out to all cyclists. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to continue my membership with ACA. If ACA shows signs of being more inclusive of seniors and non-traditional cyclists then I'll continue my membership. For now I'll continue to up by financial support to Rails to Trails. Their program includes all colors, ages, abilities and modes of human travel.

Sylvia's global adventures outshine many younger adventure cyclists and is worthy of much more than a one time post on the ACA Facebook. I sincerely hope she gets the attention she deserves. Here's ACA's website if you have something to say to them.

My email to Adventure Cycling Association, March 7th;

Just as ACA has motivated younger riders to take cycling adventures you now have an exceptional opportunity to motivate senior cyclists and alternative cyclists to become ACA members. 

Sylvia Halpern, a senior recumbent trike adventure cyclist, is now starting on a new adventure. She is cycling 9,000 miles on a cross country and back tour. Her YouTube link is (https://www.youtube.com/@TravelsByTrike). Her Facebook goes by the same name Travels By Trike. Her earlier international and national adventures are on her blog travelsbytrike.com.

At least a feature in your e-newsletter would be a positive step towards recognizing senior and alternative cyclists. We do exist.

I’ve expressed my concerns about ACA focusing on the abled bodied and younger traditional cyclists with only an occasional shoutout to us senior, alternative and adaptive cyclists. Hopefully Sylvia will get your attention.

BTW, Sylvia uses ACA maps and has promoted ACA on her YouTube.

Back On the Road with Schwalbe GT 365

Now that I'm starting to get back out on the road after my crash I've decided to try and spend a little more time off road and less time on the pavement.

I’ve been trying Schwalbe GT 365 tires. They make a good choice for when a ride includes both dirt and pavement. They’ve made my ICE Sprint FS E8000 a worthy gravel and dirt road trike.

GT 365 - 55/559 (26" x 2.15") rear.

GT 365 - 40/406 (20" x 1.5") front

Me a Road Hog? Lets Get Real

Occasionally, but rarely, an upright cyclist somehow will show their discontent with having to share the road with what they see as an outrageously oversized obstacle (me) in the road that impedes their Strava record attempt. The overwhelming majority of cyclists are totally cool although curious at times. But non the less let's get real about size.

Some facts

The handle bar width on a traditional road bike is 15" to 18" (380mm to 460mm). 

On a mountain bike or a bike with straight bars the width is 27" to 31" (680mm to 800mm). 

Note: the average adult male is 16.1" (409 mm) from shoulder to shoulder. For a female it's 14.4" (366mm).

The width of my trike and most trikes for that matter at the front wheels is 32" (812mm).

Now my not so serious opinionated thoughts 

So why do handful of people in the cycling community complain about trikes taking up too much room? Maybe some are just prejudiced against anything that is not two wheels and upright (thanks UCI). Others probably mean well but still think we take up more space than we actually do. 

Yes a trike is heavier, bulkier and a few inches or millimeters wider but how much of the road do we actually require?

Now let's get real, the casual traditional cyclist is not going to be able to maintain a straight line for any significant amount of time, especially on a rough road. They "wobble". So when figuring out how much space they actually need consider how the rider is going to wobble around (the "wobble factor" for lack of a better term). 

With my e-assist I can easily pass the average cyclist going up a hill and also going down because I'm pushing less air. So I'm doing a of lot passing. By the time I'm up to passing an upright cyclist I've already made a judgment about how much room I need to allow for a rider and their wobble. It's pretty easy to make out an experienced rider who is not going to wobble into you. If they're fit and wearing the proper "I want to be in the Tour de France" couture and maintaining reasonable control of their ride then I can pretty much be confident in their anti-wobble skills. For the less than experienced wobbly rider I'll give up to three feet of extra space when passing. 

Now for my anti-wobble skills (other trikes as well) I know I present a straight and smooth track to riders, traditional or whatever, coming up from behind. If you're wobbling on three wheels you're probably drunk and should get off the road but otherwise three wheels on the ground is a no brainer for not wobbling. It's common for experienced riders (the ones with the well developed tanned calves) to pass close, very close, to me. They obviously see that I can maintain a straight line and it doesn't hurt that I acknowledge their intention to pass with a wave.

Again...the overwhelming majority of cyclists on the road are totally cool and we wave to each other while riding and usually start up a conversation while taking a break. There are a lot cyclists on my regular routes so I have the opportunity to know them in passing. But it's that 1/100 traditional cyclist who gives me a "get out of my way glare or gesture" that makes you want to scratch your head and say "what the hey". But I don't let it cloud my positive attitude to cyclists in general no matter what they ride or wear.

................................

Now I know there are other factors that determine how much room is needed on a recumbent trike vs a traditional bike. I've heard "a real bike can ride closer to the curb". No experienced two wheeler is going to ride the curb but a trike can dip an inside wheel towards the curb with no harm to self when the situation calls for it and so on and so forth. 

Riding on Multi Use Paths (MUPs) is a whole topic onto itself. And sense I do very little trail riding I'll leave that topic alone.

That's all for my little light hearted treatise on the subject. Just stay save, wave and be aware.

12 Years of Trikes

_____________________________

My current ride ICE Sprint FS E8000 as of 2019. When we moved back to Thousand Oaks after screwing around with living on the Central Coast for three years and I was quickly reminded of all the hills to climb. For the last year I've averaged 71 feet of gain per mile. E-assist had come a long way so I bought a new ICE Sprint FS E8000 but the mesh seat is from an ICE Adventure (click here for info).
Love it!

Staying strong…kinda. I love riding bent trikes. I’ve been riding recumbent trikes since 2009. They’ve kept me moving with little pause through three back repairs, two new hips, carpel tunnel release to both wrists, heart attack 10 years ago while pushing my old bones too hard riding my Catrike 700, nerve damage to my right leg from a shitty hip replacement and now a pandemic that is screwing with all of us. I’ve lived a physical life and doing nothing is not option I can live with. So when the hills started to feel longer and steeper I added an e-assist trike from ICE trikes to my stable and I just kept on going.

The biggest problem people seem to have with a recumbent trike, is that it’s not “normal”. But normal is boring. Most people have a problem with “different”. I get it, you have to be comfortable with people staring at you when you ride a recumbent trike. People staring at you while they’re driving is actually a good thing. 

2013 to 2019 Catrike 700 with 20" front wheels.
Fun fun trike. But after about 20 to 30 miles it
 starts to feel a little too laid back. 

In time maybe more people will consider a recumbent trike. Whether a fast road trike, touring trike, off road trike or an adaptive trike, it’s all good. Plus it’s really hard to fall off a trike. Every now and then I’ll see somebody on a new standard bike and they look so uncomfortable and I can just bet that their bike will probably be on Craigslist soon and they’ll give up cycling. Doesn’t have to be.

2016 to 2018 Catrike Expedition. Sense the Sprint
wasn't working out for me at the time I went back
to a Catrike Expedition for awhile. Always a 
reliable ride. I still feel that the Expedition is one
of the best all around trikes at a reasonable
price for a solid well built trike.
 

The UCI won’t allow recumbents in UCI sanctioned races, yet world speed and distant records are on recumbents bikes and trikes (the 24 hour distance record is on a velomobile trike). Knowing what I know now, if I were young again and all my parts were still working I would still only ride a recumbent trike. I would never go 50mph down a hill on two wheels at any age. I’d probably break my face. At 67 it’s always partypace, except when coming down a steep hill. Old guys need an adrenaline fix every now and then.

2015 to 2018 ICE Sprint FS with Carbon Seat

Same ICE Sprint FS as above but with a mesh seat.
The carbon seat was a killer on my Piriformis.
But eventually I parted with this trike because of the
seat. The mesh seat felt too short for my 6'1" frame. 
I felt like I was constantly on the edge of the
seat and it was a uncomfortable feeling. I tried making
adjustments that helped but in the end it just didn't
work for me.

t

2014 to 2015 my "Red" Catrike 700. This was a
bit of an experiment to see if I could set up a 700
for longer rides and maybe even short tours I had
planned at the time. It didn't meet my expectations

2011 to 2012 Catrike 700 with 16" front wheels.
An old classic long ago discontinued in favor
of 20" front wheels. The lower profile of this
700 gave it a low center of gravity and was 
awesome for taking tight turns at speed. The
new 700s are good too but the old 700 beats
it on the turns.

2009 to 2014 Catrike Expedition, my first trike. A really
fun ride and a great first trike for breaking into the world 
of trikes and for touring. With proper tire selection the lack
of suspension is not missed.

Suburbia and Parks

For a year now my rides have taken me to many local suburban parks to escape the suburban streets for a few minutes and down some trail mix. 

A second vaccine dose will be in my arm March 11th and two weeks after that I'm good to get out of here. First stop for Carrie and me the Central Coast and back riding Hwy 1. 

 

Trikertude

Trikertude is not backed up by science. Trikertude is not backed up by any facts whatsoever. Just having fun here.

The following is my highly biased take on recumbent triking in a world dominated by motorized transportation and socially acceptable two wheeled human transportation also know as the diamond framed bicycle. 

__________________________________

Trik-er-tude-wherein the intrepid triker finds enlightenment. To discover enlightenment the triker must first successfully pass through Phase 1 - Fear and Uncertainty followed by Phase 2 - Acceptance and then onto Phase 3 - Trikertude.

Phase 1 - Fear and Uncertainty

Our intrepid newbie triker  has been lurking on the Bent Rider forum for some time now desperately wanting to be active again. Our triker loves the idea of riding a tadpole recumbent trike (or maybe a Delta trike). but is dealing with the fear that overwhelms newbies to the triking world. On the practical side our triker asks, "Is it safe? Can drivers see me? Is it okay to ride in the streets?".  And then there is the social fear that every new triker deals with, the dreaded "everyone one will be staring at me, I'll look like an idiot", kinda fear.

With fear in check (thanks to Bent Rider forum members) our triker now boldly enters a recumbent dealer in (the City of your choice) and marvels at the site of all the recumbent trikes and immediately feels a sense of rightness. After hours (maybe days) of checking out all the shiny new trikes our triker walks out of the recumbent shop and loads the new trike into the awaiting mini-van (or whatever works) and heads home.

It's now time for the first ride. So many decisions. ""Do I ride on the road where every driver will be looking at me and trying to run me over or on the bicycle trail? But the trail has street crossings, what do I do then?" FLAGS AND LIGHTS!! "Yes that's it I'll look like a float in a parade with flags waving and lights flashing". Oh, but now the weird factor just got amped up. What to do? Ah "Grasshopper", every triker must find the path that is right for them. There is no wrong path.

After a few rides our triker is settling into a zone where the desire to ride is overcoming the fear. Our triker is now ready for Phase 2.

Phase 2 - Acceptance

Without wasting time our triker is putting on the miles and the transition into Phase-2 has come quickly. Our triker has moved past  fear and has accepted that drivers are not out to run him or her down. Quite the opposite. Drivers are giving more room to our triker and surprise, surprise, trikers are actually more visible simply because they look "different". Our triker has also accepted that drivers are staring, and some are probably making ignorant comments from within the protection of their tinted high horse powered cocoon. But  to our triker's delight comments made by fellow cyclists and those who travel on foot are generally positive.

Our triker now regularly cruises the roads and trials. With a good understanding of the rules of the road and an appreciation of cycling etiquette our triker has now accepted that he or she is part of the cycling world and expects to be treated as a cyclist.

With complete acceptance our triker has mastered Phase 2 and soon moves on to Phase 3-Trikertude.

Phase 3 - Trikertude

YES...our triker has reached Trikertude and with that enlightenment. Every road and path is open. You have gone beyond the acceptance of yourself as a mere cyclist and now see yourself as a pioneer who has broke free of expectations and social norms. You exude confidence. So many are the cyclists for whom a traditional bicycle no longer suits them. Even though their body cries out for something better and smarter to ride they continue to ride what is expected of them. Others simply give up cycling. 

Trikertude is a state in which a triker has moved beyond the expectations of others and has developed a sense of self worth that acknowledges the right of an individual to enjoy their life in whatever manner they so please as long as their actions don't negatively impact others. To the contrary, Trikertude is further defined as a willingness to help others in a positive way by helping them to discover the joy of life again. 

Get out and ride a Trike!

Two Reasons I Ride a Recumbent Trike

Two of many reasons...

REASON NUMBER 1

It's just  a lot of fun.  Many humans ignore the fun factor in order to live up to the expectation of others who want you to be "normal". Especially now with the explosion in bike sales due to the pandemic I see many riders, young and and older, who simply do not seem comfortable riding their new steed.

If I were younger and armed with the knowledge and legs (and $$) I would care less about the expectations of others and I be riding the roads on a VTX or Catrike 700 (depending on budget). But I see the day coming when recumbents are more common place.

REASON NUMBER 2

Round two...left wrist CT release. 

Physical setbacks haven't slowed me down. Well...maybe sometimes but in comparison to a traditional diamond frame there is very little to stop me on a recumbent trike. Much of my post op physical therapy and mental therapy was done riding a trike.

My Repair List 

Knee right arthroscopic 

Knee right arthroscopic

2008 Shoulder right rotator cuff repair

2009 Back L4, L5 - Foraminotomy

2009 Back T5,T6 - Foraminotomy

2011 Heart 2 stents LAD

2012 Hip left arthroscopic

2012 Hip right arthroscopic 

2013 Hip right replaced

2013 Hip left replaced

2020 Back  L1 to L5 and S1 - Foraminotomy, partial  

         laminectomy, Discectomy, Coflex clip L4,L5.

2020 Wrist right - carpal tunnel release

2020 Wrist left - carpel tunnel release

I waited until I went I  Medicare in 2019 for the 2020 surgeries. Co-Pays and deductibles were killing me. 

No more surgeries on my 'To Do" list!! 

Staying Healthy Takes Work

When I recently went in for my Carpal Tunnel surgery the pre-op nurse asked me a bunch of the usual questions. When she asked if I have had any previous surgeries I started laughing. It hit me at that moment that I have had a bunch of surgeries. And they just keep adding up. Yay for medicare and medicare supplement as of last year. No more $10,000 deductible and co-pays. No more waiting to get my body repaired due to cost or timing a surgery around the start of a new annual deductible. 

I've lived a physical life and leverage and gravity conspire to break down my 6'1" frame. However I am very fortunate that nothing has been life threatening  (except for a little heart attack in 2011). I think of those unfortunate souls who are dealing with serious life threatening and quality of life issue conditions and it helps me put my issues in perspective. I realize that at 66 shit is going to happen and I'm thankful it's shit that I can manage. I may be paying the price for lifting too many stones in my younger days and poor genetics but I wouldn't change anything. Well maybe a better diet in my younger years could have helped me avoid a heart attach. But the plumbing seems to be in good order now.

I hate going to doctor offices but I've learned to accept at 66 years old it's a reality of my life. It plays havoc with my "white coat" hypertension. I keep a record of my "at home" blood pressure readings so I don't have to listen to the high pressure lecture when I visit a doctors office. 

Don't need a fancy gym.

Staying active and maintaining my quality of life doesn't come easy for me. Exercise is a daily routine. I'm not genetically blessed, more like cursed. I work hard at keeping myself moving so I can enjoy life and family. Cycling 200 to 350 miles a month, regular exercise with weights, and a lot of stretching. Old muscles tighten up fast. Also a healthy vegetarian diet (really more like a sushitarian diet, I enjoy Sushi but no other fish). The most I ever weighed was 227 some 30 years ago.  In the last 15 or so years I've kept my weight between 185 and 190.

A life well lived is better than a life long lived.

I have 15 reasons to stay healthy...

9 grandkids,

5 grown kids, 

and waking up next to my beautiful wife every morning.

_________________________________________

Haha...this is what it has come down to, a list of surgeries so I don't have to stress my brain when filling out a new patient form. I'll be adding my left Wrist Carpal Tunnel release to the list in a couple of months. 

Surgeries - Mark Rackow

Knee right arthroscopic 

Knee right arthroscopic...again

2008 Shoulder right rotator cuff repair

2009 Back L4, L5 - Foraminotomy

2009 Back T5, T6 - Foraminotomy

2011 Heart 2 stents LAD

2012 Hip left arthroscopic

2012 Hip right arthroscopic 

2013 Hip left replaced

2013 Hip right replaced

2020 Back  L1 to L5 and S1 - Foraminotomy, partial  

         laminectomy, Discectomy, Coflex clip L4,L5

2020 Wrist right - carpal tunnel release

2020 Wrist left - Carpal tunnel release

Puppy and The Ballerina

Who doesn't like puppy pics. My daughter's puppy chill'n on my ICE Sprint FS E8000. 

My daughter is a dancer with the San Fransisco Ballet and while Covid has put everything on hold she came home with her puppy. Lucky me I get to help her raise her pup. Ummm...maybe that's why I'm more tired than usual.

The Puppy

Leili's mini-aussie pup Barley

 __________________________________________________

The Ballerina

Leili

The Puppy and The Ballerina

Why ICE Sprint FS E8000

I've forgotten what's it's like to get out of bed in the morning without pain. Of course some mornings are better then others. It all depends on how much I pushed myself the day before. My chronically sore hip muscles (from the screwed up hip replacements in 2013) protest in the morning and more recently my wrists, from carpal tunnel (soon to be dealt with), are joining in the protest. A few cups of tea while waiting for the Ibuprofen to soften the aches and pains and I'm soon ready to start the day.

Recently our move to a new home took away the time and desire to ride until just a few weeks ago. Now that we're settled in I'm back to riding again. But during the last few months of packing, moving, unpacking and fixing up the new house my body was screaming at me to take it easy. Even with my beautiful wife telling me to not do so much it's in my nature to be physical. I just like to get things done. Indeed the last few months were rough on my old body and mind. But I've been through much worse so I knew this would be a temporary mind game.

Soon after getting the new house set up I finally took my first ride in four months on my Catrike 700. A short, very short 8 miles and 515 feet of gain later I was back home feeling soooo old. It hit me that even when I was at my best (which I will be soon again) over the last few years 30 miles or 1,000 feet of gain, whichever came first, was pretty much the limit of my comfort level when riding. In that moment I accepted that I do have limits. How can I extend those limits? Easy...let common sense prevail where ego once ruled. Not every ride has to be 100% under my own power. Let the MAMILs struggling along on poorly geared upright carbon bikes serve there ego. My ego will be just fine without having to push myself to hard. I want to keep enjoying life and to so I'm calling on Zeus to give me a little assist to go farther and higher.

In about five weeks I'll have my new ICE Sprint FS E8000 to take me on those elusive longer rides. No more wasting my hips going up hills. And longer rides. With the help of Shimano's E8000 pedal assist I can go beyond my limits. And when my ego needs servicing I'll take a short fast spin on my 700.

Finally...Moving

Moving just in time to be ready for Spring riding. 

Next post will get back to triking. FINALLY

Moving Soon but Not Soon Enough

Moving in early March. Then I can start riding again. Can't wait but I have to. Until then I'll keep spinning to try and maintain my 65 year old legs. Ugh!

I'm getting squeezed by boxes of stuff

Spinning in the garage since November 

Just enough room to do my workouts.

Where to Live and Ride?

I've always considered the proximity to quality roads that inspire me to ride to be an important factor in choosing a place to live. I've come to realize that it's the most important factor along with family. Who am I kidding, no matter where I live in California I'll always be able to drive or fly to be with family. Riding my trike is what keeps me alive. I ride not to live long but to live strong. After all what good are you to family if you live a long life as a couch potato slowly fading away. Triking comes first. It's better to burn out giving it your all then to fade away.

Carrie and I have been empty nesters for more then three years now. This has given us the opportunity to explore different places to live in California. Our long time home near Los Angeles where we raised our kids had many wide streets with good shoulders and bike lanes. Although not picturesque there were plenty of parks and public open spaces to stop at and take a break. Just over a couple of years ago, being only the two of us, we moved to the Central Coast of California and lived for two years in a beach town along HWY 1. The local routes were limited but my rides along the Pacific coast never grew old. Then we decided to move into a smaller home a bit inland from the coast. 

We stayed in the Central Coast area but this time we moved inland to the wine country. This is where my riding hits a snag. There are few parks and virtually no public open space. In general the roads are not bike friendly around town. So I turn to the wineries for places to explore. The wineries are fun to explore...when open. On weekends it's best to stay off the wine country roads during the tourist season which is most of the year. Even on weekdays it's best to be extra alert to the occasional car or truck. Other than the surrounding wine country overall I am uninspired by the local routes around town. I've started to haul my trike over the hills to ride along coast where the air is cool, the shoulders wide and the scenery is breathtaking. 

My time on the trike has taken a hit. I'm just not inspired to ride. I ride but not nearly as much as I would normally ride and in turn not having as much to blog about. Maybe it's time to move again. I'll give it a year to search out routes and then decide if it's time to find another home. Although moving is a pain it's fun to have the freedom to move around and check out new areas to live. Maybe we'll even look at our old home town in a different light. Regardless of where we end up we'll always stay in California close to family.

The coastline of California's Central Coast

The wine country of the Central Coast

Keeping It Real

If an old falling apart guy like me can stay fit and enjoy life then just about anyone can do it. I'm 64 and I have no plans to watch life from the sideline. I'm not one of those fortunate few who has been genetically engineered by nature to stay fit without trying. I have to work hard at it. I've worked out in enough rusty old gyms to know you don't need fancy equipment and name brand sweats. Now I spend my workout days in my garage which passes for a gym and it's all I need along with a little classical rock. Working out and cycling not only makes me feel alive it also helps tremendously with the muscle pain in my hip area and a atrophied right medial gastrocnemius calf muscle (that's a mouthful to say) all thanks to my hip replacements. 

I don't mind growing old. I've got a beautiful wife (who I met in a gym), five kids and nine grandkids that make me feel young. 

2017 on the Central Coast

January

First Ride of the New Year

2017 was a good year for riding. Busy with work on the new house I only managed 39 rides during 2016.  I looked forward to 2017 as the year to reboot by riding and get some quality miles in. 

February

Central Coast Sunshine

A few days of sunshine during February. But February was a rainy month.

March

Kojak and Chip Seal

It seemed like most of 2017 was spent trying to figure out how to best prepare for the varied road conditions along the Central Coast.

April

Down to One Car

My old Ford Escape was sitting collecting dust and the battery kept dying from non-use. So I sold it and we became a one car household. First I made sure our Ford C-max would hold the 700 inside. It did. 

May

Thule Roof Rack, Seasucker and Trike

Now with only one small car I needed a backup plan for carrying the trike on top of the car when there's no room inside.

June

W R Hearst State Beach

Getting familiar with the Central Coast and getting to know my favorite spots to take a break.

July

Nerve Damage from Hip Replacement

I'm getting use to not having the use of part of my right calf muscle.

August

ICE Sprint 26fs Back in the Stable

The ICE Sprint 26fs I purchased late in 2016 spent some time at Bent Up Cycles after I returned it. The carbon seat heard my hips. In August I decided to pick it up and give it another try with a new mesh seat instead of the carbon fiber seat.

September

I'm Keeping Both Trikes

 In September I decided to keep both my 700 and the ICE Sprint. I really wanted the Sprint to work for me but I was still spending more time riding my 700.

October

October On the Central Coast

My 700 is still getting more ride time then the Sprint.

November

ICE Sprint Mesh Seat - All is Good

I turned my focus back to the Sprint. I played around with the mesh seat until it was comfortable. At least comfortable enough.

December

Parting Shot - ICE Sprint 26fs

Who am I fooling? I can't make the ICE Sprint work for me. I gave it a good try. I traded it in for a Catrike Expedition!! I know the Expedition well. It was my first trike. I still feel it's the best and most versatile rike around. It's on order and will be here in January. With the right tires and it's more upright seat position it will be my go to trike for longer rides and rides on rough roads.