Recumbents: Ultimate Shopping/Commuting Vehicles

 Thursday Wandering GPS Route

Thursday, 19 Nov, was another beautiful sunny and relatively warm (60F-something).  A perfect Day for a Leisurely Trike Ride.

We had visitors in the morning, including a lively young lad who shall remain nameless in this weird world we now inhabit.  He is a ball of fire, and I often have tried to think of any way I might be able to take him with me for a trike ride to see if he wouldn't enjoy it.
There's no practical way I know of to carry him ON the trike with me, either in front or in back, since it's a short chassis with no room on the back.
Thus the B.O.B. trailer comes to mind, of course, since B.O.B. originally stood for Baby On Board.  This young feller is no baby, but whatever.  I searched online for child carriers for bikes & trikes and could find nothing satisfactory.  PLUS such gadgets are super EXPENSIVE.  Mercy.
Looking at child car seat prices proved marginally less expensive. 
Online sales prices, new or used..... BAH.
We have a Thrift Store just a few blocks away that I've often donated to but never entered as a customer, so I thought I should check there for a used unit.
What would you think but they had ONE car seat on display, lightly used and mostly clean, for the shocking price of $5.00.  I took it off their hands and loaded it on to my B.O.B. trailer with glee.  

Then - as I was saddling up to wander around town a bit for the fresh air and exercise - Jacque buzzed me on the cell phone, informing me she was at her nail salon but had forgotten  her wallet somewhere in the house.  Since I'm always in the mood for running errands or whatever on the trike, I assured her I would be along within 20 or 30 minutes, more than enough time for her pedicure to proceed. 
Made it fine, then went shopping around a bit.  The B.O.B. trailer was now loaded a bit heavy and I found myself huffing and puffing a bit more as I went up & down the slight grades on the way home.

Ride Started: 12:12 PM           Ride Ended: 2:16 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Battery Voltage:  13.0
Lowest Temp: 62 F Highest Temp: 67 F
Beginning Blood Glucose: 180    Ending BG: 53
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 6.19
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
3.0 MPH                              5.6 MPH            25.9 MPH
Total Trip Time                    Moving Time      Stopped Time
 2 hrs 5  minutes                 1 hour 5 mins       59 minutes

 

Cold but Sunny and Clear

Today's Spotty GPS/Radio Tracking

I got out and rode today a little earlier than recent trips:  The sun gets low and it's almost dark around
five-ish.
Which means it gets pretty cool this time of year.  This day, Tuesday, was nice and sunny all day,  The temperature got to almost 60, and I didn't wear an outer shirt or jacket when I took off.
Riding through a couple of shady streets convinced me I had erred, and I stopped and pulled my light windbreaker out of the rear pannier and it helped mighty well.
I had wanted to extend my mileage by exploring another route on the west end of town, but I wanted to get something useful done before sundown, so I rode pretty much a usual route.
My diabetic bad feet makes fellow sufferers wonder how I tolerate cycling, with the pressure it puts on the sore feet.
For one thing, my feet get tired while riding, as does the rest of me.  BUT, unlike walking, I notice cycling allows pressure to be alternated between the legs and feet:  On the left pedal-stroke, my right foot feels little pressure, and likewise for the other stroke.

I got home about half an hour before actual sundown and was able to re-wire Jacque's treetop cable pulley clothesline.   I had erected it a couple weeks ago, using synthetic clothesline, and it kept stretching and
often allowing wet clothes to touch the ground underneath.  I had to order it online, but I found some 1/8" braided stainless steel cable to replace the synthetic stretchy stuff.  After some struggle I got it succesfully up in the air.  Now all we have to do is see how it does with heavy soggy clothes draped on it.

Ride Started: 3:10 PM           Ride Ended: 4:05 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 12.9   Ending Battery Voltage: 12.9 Lowest Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp: 57 F Highest Temp: 67 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  115   Ending BG: 103
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles:   5.37
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
   6.7 MPH                           8.0 MPH            20.0 MPH
Total Trip Time                    Moving Time      Stopped Time
  48 minutes                       40 minutes          8 minutes

Exercise is Good for Me ?

Friday Evening Ride Route 

I've been busy doing all sorts of strenuous activities.....

Like cutting trees down to make room for Jacque's upcoming Sewing Room Addition, like cutting those monsters into stove lengths for  splitting into firewood for the garage stove, splitting same with the big heavy wedge maul....
Raking leaves, building and burning piles of trash wood and leaves, yada yada...
Almost everything BUT cycling.  Now, much of this other activity is strenuous - but not really aerobic.  

 

I'm also getting into the age 70+ range of ailments and weaknesses.
One of these is prostate trouble.  The pills prescribed to me by the doctor (tamsulosin) are pretty awful for "side effects".  I seem to suffer more side effects than benefits from such pills.  I was researching prostate problems a couple days ago, and one of the things I read that was supposed to help was.... "Exercise".
Well, POO.  I seem to get a lot of exercise that aggravates my back and feet, but I realized I have fallen way behind in my goal of trike riding "at least a few miles a day".  So yesterday, Friday 13th,  I waited almost all day before I finally dragged the trike out of the garage and took off.
It was just a bit after 4:00 PM and I had theoretically an hour or so for daylight,
but the sun was already low on the horizon.
I rode up the hill past one of our Church friends lives, then out west on Clouse which turns into Wheeler Arch Road which eventually leads to the Mountain Grove International Airport, inhabited mostly by crop dusters.
I got within a quarter mile of the airport, where I had planned to turn around, and decided I would turn around early and get home without needing the help of my headlamp.
I wore my cold weather mittens along with an extra shirt and my reflective yellow light cycling jacket.  I did NOT get overheated.
Of course I didn't notice any immediate benefits from the ride other than the enjoyment.  But I DID sleep much better than I've done lately.
Then today, Saturday, it rained and poured all day and I wasn't brave enough to ride in the slop.  Hopefully I can get re-motivated and make almost - daily cycling a habit again.

Ride Started: 4:02 PM           Ride Ended: 4:46 PM
Beginning Battery Voltage: 13.5 Ending Battery Voltage: 12.9 Lowest Voltage: 12.9
Lowest Temp: 52 F Highest Temp: 59 F
Beginning Blood Glucose:  145   Ending BG: 103
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 4.82
Overall Average Speed      Moving Avg       Max Speed
   6.1 MPH                          7.1 MPH            18.2 MPH
Total Trip Time                    Moving Time      Stopped Time
  48 minutes                       41 minutes          7 minutes