FRRTBG Group Ride, December 23rd. 2018

This ride was on a Sunday, on Saturday we had a 2 hr. "snow blizzard" hit but lucky for me with the ground being warmish, it mostly melted by very late afternoon. Sunday started out at 19F but it was up to 33F by the time of the ride! I loaded the trike in the van and got to Nancy Lewis Park at 10:00 am. got changed and the trike set up and well, nobody wanted to ride today so I started out myself! I used the Templeton Gap Rd. Bike Lane and a back street to a easement behind the sound wall of Union Blvd up to the Templeton Gap Trail and headed west to pick up the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail. Had a pit stop at Criterium Bicycles (right on the trail) picked up some Jelly Belly Sport Beans ate a Lemon Luna Bar and then headed north to pick up the Cottonwood Trail up to Vincent St. and the trail that follows the access road along Nevada Ave then under Nevada Ave. to the University Shopping Center to again pick up the Pikes Peak Greenway and head south. Turned on the Templeton Gap Trail back to the park and the van. 39F, very little wind and cloud filtered sunshine. 15.6 mile RT total. I did have to traverse about 6 places along the trails that had 1" of snow and ice" on it but never lost traction a good ride for late December! :)

FRRTBG Group Ride, December 15th. 2018

Well the day was cloudy with only peak of the sun now and then, 50F with a light wind so we got to the ride start point and waited. No one else showed up so we headed off to ride up the Vincent St. Tunnel on the Cottonwood Trail, via the Pikes Peak Greenway. The Cottonwood Trail has been "closed" at the tunnel for months but to our surprise we found the barriers moved away so I got to show my wife, JoLynn the new section of the trail up to where the "concrete" ends. It's in a nice little canyon and there's several little bridges criss-crossing Cottonwood Creek! We turned around back to the tunnel then picked up the "bike lane" on Vincent St. and headed toward the "access road trail" as I call it, (no name as far as I know), it's a nice wide concrete trail heading south so we could get back to the University Shopping Center and pick up the Pikes Peak Greenway, heading south. Note: by late Spring 2019, the Cottonwood Trail will be finished, now it's awaiting a new 6 lane bridge over Academy Blvd. it will have trail access underneath and will make a excellent longer RIDE!

Front Range Recumbent Trikes & Bikes Group Ride

The local weather has been iffy at best, cold, light snow or freezing drizzle but Saturday Dec. 1st. turned out to be good enough to have a FRRTBG Group Ride. Mid. 40f's sunny but will a chilly breeze so I was bundled up with 3 layers of clothes! I got to the start point at the Fontenaro St. Trail Head of the Legacy Loop in Colorado Springs, the ride left at 11 AM, with just "ME" as the group, LOL. Headed south on the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail to America the Beautiful Park in down town Co. Springs. I stopped to use a porta-potty and ran into another member, Rodger, who'd been on the "Chasing Santa 15K bicycle ride" that ended in the park so he decided to come along on the group ride with me. We headed out going west on the Midland Trail towards Manitou Springs but had to turn around at Ridge Road as the trail is blocked off due to trail/road construction. Some dark clouds were starting to appear so we rode back to the park where I left Rodger and I rode north to the Trail Head and packed the trike back in the van to head home. 12+ miles RT., not bad for a December day in CO. :)

Rodger and his trike and trailer rigged up for the Holiday's! :)

A "New To ME" trike for BJ!

Sunseeker EZ-Tad SX I bought "New to ME" in November 2018!

Although I've really enjoyed my Sunseeker Eco-Tad SX Trike, especially after updating it from a 7 speed freewheel to a 9 speed cassette set up, I'll admit that I've wanted a trike with bit more "sport" in it and the non-tiller type handlebars. Well I was at my local recumbent shop, here in Colorado Springs, CO. and found a used Sunseeker EZ-Tad SX, 24 speed that needed a good home. ;)  Lucky for me, Angletech has a program for us "cash strapped" recumbent riders so with a small down payment, I put it on "Layaway"!  I picked it up last week, added new tires and had the "chain wheel set", changed from the stock, 30/40/52 to a 22/32/44 set so I could more easily climb all our local HILLS!! :)  The EZ-Tad SX feels like a "Sports Car" compared to the Eco-Tad SX so it was a good change for me.  I know that "Sunseeker" is NOT the highest rated of recumbent trikes but I've owned both Sunseeker recumbent "bikes and trikes" and for me and my style/pace of riding, they work well! :)

Sunseeker Eco-Tad SX I bought "NEW" in Jan. 2018

2nd time riding the "River Trail" at Lake Pueblo State Park, Pueblo, CO.

We set up a Nov 10. ride on the "River Trail" at Lake Pueblo State Park, Pueblo, CO. This is a older, part urban and part "State Park" trail, it's about 21 miles long but we only rode 13 miles due to being late in the year, sunshine wise! We started at the Wildlife Discovery Center/Coyote Grill/Café, which is on the trail itself. This was a "Slow & Easy Trike Riders of the Pikes Peak Region", group ride but only myself and my wife JoLynn showed up to RIDE! This is a mostly concrete trail and most of it is in good shape so it's quite enjoyable and from East/West directions it follows the Arkansas River. It's a older 8ft. wide trail but it's got good views and only a few hills/inclines over the whole trail! The day was a perfect late fall day, Sunny, 60F, just a breeze. We rode out to the "Confluence Trail Head' and back to the Coyote Grill for a great lunch! LOL, BTW, this was Saturday, on Sunday it SNOWED 6+ inches in Pueblo and Colorado Springs so our timing was PERFECT! ;)

At the Wildlife Discovery Center/Coyote Grill to start the ride

Heading East on the trail, can you spot the guy who's Fly Fishing in the River?

The Man made "Kayak Area" on the Arkansas River, just south of down town Pueblo, CO. 

Runyon Lake, a fishing spot

Heading back, with the Arkansas River, "glistening" in the November Sunshine

Getting LUNCH at the Coyote Grill after a FUN ride :)

Catching up!

Been a bit since I've updated the blog, since the last post my wife and I have started a local recumbent trike group, called the "Slow & Easy Trike Riders of the Pikes Peak Region", we've put on 3 or 4 rides and gained 7 members since October! Doing mostly area rides around Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas, we are a "very mellow paced" riding group, if you want to go FAST, this ain't your group!! Myself and one other member rode in the Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 3rd.

The Parade Ride

The wife and I, rode the trikes to find a good sport to sit and check out the local, Community Parade, here in Security/Widefield, CO. where we live. We rode down to the starting point before the parade got going then found a good spot just past the first turn. Lot's of kids and few floats on a beautiful and sunny morning, 80F with little breeze. At the end of the parade we decided to just follow it back up the road but a El Paso County Mountie told us to go a head and get behind the last float so we got to be a part of the parade, LOL!! :)  We threw candy to the kids lining the streets, it was FUN! Sept. 22nd., 2018.