March 30, 2023-Spring is trying but the WINDS are flying!!

 The winds have been wild and wooly, lately here in So. CO. guts as high as 60 mph! The temps have slowly been getting better, it was 65 F but with the chilly wind it didn't feel that warm unless it backed off for a minute or two! The morning wasn't bad but by Noon it was flying, we kept our ride on trails and back streets that gave us the best protection from the winds. We headed south on Shooks Run then west on Midland Trail over to 31st. and Colorado Ave. to get a unsweet iced tea at Starbuck's to go with our brown bag lunch, LOL, had to hold on to the bags, etc. but we ate and then talked with a lady, who was very interested in our trikes! :) 

We thought about cutting the ride short but as we headed east back on the Midland Trail, we decided even with the WIND we wanted to stay out longer! Picked up the Mesa Springs Greenway via the Walnut St. bike lanes. Heading north we got back on the Pikes Peak Greenway and rode up to the Panera Bread at the University Village Colorado Center for another iced tea to go with our homemade energy bars! As it was starting to get late in the Afternoon we decided it was time to head to the storage unit, tuck in the trikes and walk our 1.2 miles back to the apartment, still fighting the WIND! Sunny, 65 F, WINDY but any ride is a good one, 27+ miles for the day, not bad for early Spring! :)

March 23, 2023-It's the windy bi-polar weather time of the year, Spring is very unpredictable here in So. CO.

 It seems all we do is "dodge storms" this time of year here in So. Colorado! It's been mostly quick rides or food runs, etc., the winds can be really strong and yesterday, we did a food run and got sprinkled on here and there all the way back to the apt. to unload the food stuffs. We couldn't decide weither to head for the storage unit or ride out and get an unsweet iced tea with our usual brown bag lunch. LOL, we decided to "damn the torpedo's" and head up to the University Village Colorado Center and head to Starbuck's. The dark clouds were looming over the foothills but it stayed clear so we could eat our lunch although the breeze was getting stronger. 

We thought about riding up to Criterium Bike Shop but saw the clouds were now "creeping" lowly over the foothills and the sprinkles were getting larger!! We put on our rain gear tops and headed back to the Pikes Peak Greenway and south to the storage unit. The winds came up but a slight clearing appeared overhead so we got the trikes put away and walked back to the apartment. Thursday's weather is looking like, "more of the same" and later Friday thru Sunday, they are talking about lite SNOW possible and much colder temps. so it's not looking good for riding for several days, BUMMER!!  Here is a photo from our ride on the 19th., the last nice day of riding looks like it could be next week before we get out and about on the recumbents again! 

March 15, 2023-Food, Lunch and Lumber Ride

With temps in the low 30 F and snow showers or rain coming on Thursday, sadly, we had to use a very nice day to go and get the weeks FOOD! Got up and walked to the storage unit hand pulling both the battery and gear cart and the cargo trailer. Hooked up the cargo trailer and off to the Walmart Neighborhood Market Place. Did the shopping, loaded up the trailer and Jo's panniners and headed back to the apartment via side roads as part of the Rock Island Trail is blocked off as they are finally, starting to build the "Rock Island Connector" which will hook both Rock Island and Shooks Run into the Pikes Peak Greenway!! For us it will mean not having to use the back streets to get to the store, etc. Can't wait till it's up and working! :)

Food unloaded we kept the trailer on my trike and headed north on the Pikes Peak Greenway up to the Starbuck's at Colorado University Village Center for unsweetened iced tea and to eat our brown bag lunch. Then headed over to Lowes and got a 1x8x4 board so I can make a 2nd. shelf in out homemade shelf unit in the storage unit. Strapped the board to the top of the trailer and then decided to use the detour trail up to Criterium Bike Shop and then head south on the PPGW back to the storage unit to tuck in the trikes. Walked the battery cart and the cargo trailer home to apt., not enough room in a 5x10 unit for both trikes and cargo trailer. We hope to one day be able to afford to rent a 10x10 unit that could hold both trikes and trailer. The afternoon got cloudy and brought on stronger winds but the temps held up nicely on our walk home. 1.2 miles each way from the apt. to the unit so we got in a 16 mile ride and a 2.4 mile walk! Wet, cold, snow or rain tomorrow on Thursday and cold cloudy temps thru Saturday, RATS! Winter needs to leave and bring on Spring!! 

March 14, 2023-A NICE day for a ride

 Lot's of messy weather lately but Tuesday turned the tide for a couple of days. Sunny, high 50 F temperatures and of course wind but not as strong! We headed south on the Cascade St. Bike Lane to down town to cast our votes for the local area elections for Mayor and Council Member seats! From there, we headed over to America the Beautiful park to pick up the Midland Trail towards Manitou Springs. Stopped off at the Co. Ave. and 31st. St. Starbuck's and got a unsweet iced tea to go with our bag lunch. Decided to head up the 31st. Bike Lane to pick up the Foothills trail past Garden of the Gods over to Garden of the Gods Road and down the Sinton trail over to Angletech www.cycledifferent.com stopped and talke to Kirk the main tech about getting "new disc brakes for Jo's ICE Trice T. Ate our snack at the shop then headed down Sinton trail to the Pikes Peak Greenway and back to the storage unit. It stayed sunny and nice all day although the winds got stronger in the afternoon. Around 20 miles total and a excellent day to RIDE! 

March 1, 2023-Just some updates!

 LOL, well we've been mostly getting in transportation type rides lately, having to get in errands between Cold Fronts and Snow storms! :( A little good news is that I picked up my "new to me" ICE trike, now the odd thing is that, Angletech, listed this trike as a Trice Q but on the frame the decals say: Sprint 2? I sent a information request to ICE Corp. customer service and got told that even though I have the "older style" "Trice" rear fork and boom, this trike may be a bit of a 1st. of the Sprint series hybrid or due to a last production run frame problem with the ICE Trice Q trikes, it may have received a "new series" ICE Sprint frame set?? I have to get the serial number and send it to Patrick at ICE Customer Service to answer this mystery! ;) 

When ICE stopped production on the "Trice series" and switched to the new, "Adventure/Sprint series", that replaced the Trice. The Trice T became the ICE Adventure, the Trice Q became the ICE Sprint models. ICE trikes have STEEL frames with Aluminum rear fork (swingarm) and boom. It's looking like I have a Sprint 2 (rear suspension) steel frameset with a Trice Q aluminum rear fork and boom! LOL, yep, that's what I call a hybrid!! I will add a photo of the trike later to this blog post. To finish, on Feb. 28 I picked up the ICE trike. 

I dropped off the Terra Trike Tour for some minor adjustments so now I have the TT Tour up for sale on Facebook Market Place and Colorado Springs and Denver Craigslistings! Asking, $700 with deluxe seat pad cushion or $600 with stock, Mesh seat only!! It's a really good price and a great med. level recumbent trike, jmho. 

LOL, on March 1st. I had to do the long walk to the city bus stop to pick up the #14 and head over to Angletech to pick up the TT Tour. Of course it's grey, windy and COLD!! As I was arriving at the shop, the snow started falling, RATS! Oh well, I just got the trike and rode it back to the apartment in the falling snow, a very cold ride!! ;) Hopefully we can get out for a recreation ride by Sunday, it's supposed to be 60F and sunny although with a fairly heavy breeze it won't feel quite that warm! That's it for now, winter time is a RPITA for us but we just have to grin and bear it! Get out and RIDE if you can! :)