Is it possible, it's JULY already??

 Not a lot of riding due to the SMOKE from Wildfires and 90 F temps! Hoping that July will bring a bit of rain to help put out the fires and we can get back to riding again!

July 4- Being lucky, a cold front came through and changed the wind direction to take a lot of smoke in the air away! We normally, ride with the kids in the local area 4th. of July children's Parade! Just down the block at Boddington Soccer Field along Wood Ave., the Parade's starting point. They had an excellent turnout for the parade this year, kids on bikes, scooters, striders and family pushing strollers or pulling wagons all decorated in Red/White/Blue colors!

We decorated our trikes a bit and then joined in the fun, the route is short, 5-6 blocks but winds around the neighborhood and back to the Soccer Field where tables are set up with snacks and drinks, etc. We left the parade and headed over to pick up the PP Greenway (westside) trail and then north along the trail to Criterium Bike Shop to turn around and come back to get on the Rock Island (east) and Shooks Run (south) over to the Tasty Freeze Drive Inn for a grilled hot dog and crispy French fries with what else, unsweet iced tea! Back on the Rock Island (east), we headed up to the Academy Blvd Path and over to Mavrick Station Store/Cafe for more iced tea and our Atkins Bar snack. 

The HEAT really jumped up by 1 PM. so we rode back down the Rock Island then back to the apartment, to get out of the sun and into some AC! Fun day, totally different kinda ride so it made our Independence Day a bit special!

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July 6- Food Run and Lunch Ride

Had to get out and head to the Walmart Market on Union Blvd to get FOOD! Between HEAT & WIND, it's been tough to find a decent day to do the bi-weekly shopping. As usual, heading east on the Rock Island Trail over to Union Blvd. then south using the sidewalk nobody actually walks on down to the entryway to the store. Jo played Guard Dog and stayed out in the shade with the trikes, and I went in and did the shopping. Loaded up the cargo trailer and even Jo's panniers with provisions for the next 1.5 weeks. 

Headed back on the RIT to the apartment and unloaded food and supplies, then decided to head north on the PP Greenway to the UVC Center and get a good burger at Smashburger, YUM. After that we headed up the Nevada Ave Access Path to the Vincent Street Bridge and then west on the Cottonwood Creek Trail back to the PP Greenway and headed home! I made up a "Music Video" so kick back and enjoy!

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Tuesday, was our day at the PACE Explorer Center and afternoon Tai-Chi Class, Wednesday was HOT, SMOKEY then on and off quick ending rains! Today, Jo has a dental appointment so we did a walk and then came back and pulled the trikes to the shady spot in the back of the apartment complex to clean and lube the chains and do a full trike lubrication of all the moving parts before she got picked up for her appointment. Me, well I'm updating the BLOG as the gray clouds have taken away the sunshine and the "Thunder Rolls" outside the window of the front room. Happy Trails, the weekend is looking hot and dry, LET'S RIDE!

Last ride in June 2026-90F+ temps, WIND and smoke from wildfires has caused us not to ride so far in July!!

 Hello again, well I'll be posting the last ride we did for June 2026. July has been extremely HOT, WINDY and Smokey due to wildfires burning all around the State of Colorado! :( The smoke makes it much harder to breathe easily while riding and irritates the eyes! So, no July rides as of yet, hopefully by the 4th. (Independence Day) so, on with the last ride in June!

June 28- The TRAIL that TIME (and the city) FORGOT

We headed up to do a video of a couple of standalone portions of the Sand Creek Trail. This ride starts on the Rock Island, then taking the Homestead Trail South to Galley Rd. From there, it's going thru parking lots, sidewalks and finally an "access road" Over to Wooten Rd and a stop at a Mavrick Station Store/Cafe for iced tea and the brown bag special. Taking the Wooten Rd bike lane back up to Galley Rd. and then sidewalk heading East almost to Powers Blvd.

We pick up the 2-sections of the Sand Creek Trail, 1. goes under Galley Rd but dead ends in 100ft. Turning south, 2. the second section heads south and under the Platte Ave/Hwy 25 Bridge and then goes 200 ft and dead ends. Someday, the north section will hook up with the Rock Island Trail, the south section will hook up to the rest of the Sand Creek Trail as it heads back to its ending point at Las Vegas St., it will be a 30-mile trail, when and IF ever completed! We headed back having to use the sidewalk along Galley Rd. due to heavy street construction adding new massive water pipes.

Now, heading north on the Homestead South Trail back to the Rock Island Trail and over to the Academy Blvd Path heading north. LOL, headed to a different Mavrick Station Store/Cafe for, yep, more Iced tea and snack, 90F+ temps and quite windy conditions but still a good ride and day of exploring! Back on the Rock Island and then to the apartment to put the trikes away and get out of the HEAT!

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Well, we have gotten through June already, the summer goes by so fast! It's a PITA when wildfires cause you to miss beautiful but HOT days of summer riding but that's the "way the cookie crumbles", LOL! Hopefully we will be riding in the "historic old Northend" 4th. of July (Independence Day) Parade on Saturday, Happy 250th. USA Independence Day to all of YOU! HAPPY TRAILS. :)

June 2026- Trike Broke!!

 Saturday afternoon, while putting the trikes back under the inside stairs in our apartment complex, I heard a strange noise, sounded like the chain jumped off the cassette so I checked it out. BUMMER, somehow the rear derailleur WIRE pulled out of it's holder so the chain was pulled from the 2nd to the 9th COG!! I had to grip the derailleur to get enough slack in the chain to put it back on the top little wheel of the derailleur cage, the whole derailleur was loose.

Tighten the derailleur to the frame and went to re-hookup the wire. Noticed that the actual tiny square shaped wire hold fell out of the upper derailleur arm?? New Shimano CUES type derailleur so I had NO IDEA on how it fit back in, tried several ways but it wouldn't fit back into the derailleur arm. Gave up and went and cleaned up from the ride. Tried to get Angletech to come pick up the trike but they are SUPER busy, said they would try to get to me if it slowed down any. They are closed Sun and Mon, Tuesday came and went, no pickup, RATS!

I decided to give it "one more try" and finally figured that you turned the wire holder and bolt "backwards and put it into the ARM, backwards to"!! Got the wire attached and tighten down, the shifter now is working but it's a bit off for some reason. Called on Wednesday, asked if I could ride it up on Thursday morning, could they check the little bit of chain skip and make sure I "Routed the Cable" to specs, they said yes, YEA! 

June 25- Angletech-Sinton Pond-Home before the afternoon thunderstorms

Headed up to Angletech to get there before they opened, Joshia came out early and checked out what I did and LOL, well I was at least close on the proper cable mounting. He did a fine tuning and WALA I was back in the saddle again! The heavy black clouds were coming in fast, so I just headed home via the Sinton Trail and PP Greenway! 

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Friday is supposed to have more chance of Thunderstorms so we won't ride but Saturday and Sunday look awesome so we will now be able to get back out and RIDE! There is nothing sadder than a "Broke Trike"! Until we come together again My Friends, HAPPY TRAILS!

June 2026 Continued

 As usual lots of personal stuff and some REALLY HOT weather made getting in a ride a bit tough since last blog entry! So, I will get you up to date, and away we go!

June 18- Food Run and Lunch Ride

We really needed to get in a Food Run as supplies were getting to a real low point, headed out via the Rock Island over to the Walmart Market off Union Blvd. 

Once all the stuff was put away, we headed over to the Pikes Peak Greenway and got in a lunch ride. Rode up to the University Village Colorado Center Panera Bread for iced tea and our brown bag lunch. We did get a new trike accessory, Trike Name Plates! You can order yours from North Texas Recumbentz.Com   It's a new AZUB recumbent dealership and Mike makes these Name Plates if you're interested! 

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We headed up to the Vincent St. Loop and onto the Cottonwood Creek Trail south back to the Pikes Peak Greenway south and slowly made our way home!

June 20- The June, PPRRN Meet and Eat Ride

It was time for a monthly PPRRN Meet and Eat Ride, I decided to go to a new place, it's called Codswhopple and it's a British Style Fish & Chips place on the Westside of Colorado Springs! The meet is set up so we met at 12:00 Noon at the shop or you could ride in with myself and Jo at the Julie Penrose Fountain, in America the Beautiful Park at 11:20 AM and ride in on the Midland Trail.

We had 5 recumbent trikes and 1 recumbent bike, two new PPRRN members came, and we headed off down the trail heading west to 30th. Street. Had to use a little bit of sidewalk to get to the restaurant safely but the fish (we had Cod) and fries were great! The only thing was it was another really HOT day 95F and with our group size we at outside, but the company was great.

As one of the new members lives a bit out east of Colorado Springs, we decided to head back to her truck the reverse way and said our good bye's at the Fountain. Fun folks, good food and a ride, made for a really good day! Jo and I headed over to pick up Shooks Run Trail and get herbal-berry iced tea and eat an Atkins bar to cool down in the shade and then headed home!

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Sadly, after we got back home and I added a second taillight on Jo's trike, as we put the trikes away, I heard a noise when backing up my trike! I thought the chain had slipped off the rear cog but somehow the "wire" pulled out of the rear derailleur! Then a small squarish metal holder fell out of the derailleur arm itself? Couldn't get it to fit back in and that piece helps hold the cable, bummer! Have to wait for Tuesday, when Angletech opens and have them come pick up the trike and fix it so no ride on Monday. Till we come together next time, HAPPY TRAILS.  

Welcome back my Friends, to the show that Never ENDS! More June 2026

 June 7- A rather HOT Ride on the T-Gap Trail

It was hot, 90 degrees out and lots of sunshine, been a bit since we've ridden the Templeton Gap or T-Gap Trail. Heading east past Portal Park to the trail underpass at Union Blvd. We rode the right fork down into the trail along the canal and then north to its ending at Ranch Drive. Turned around, heading south to the Flintridge Rd canal bridge and the bike lane up to Academy Blvd and Starbucks for iced tea and brown bag special. 

Back down to the T-Gap and headed on a couple of different trails to work our way to get a 2nd. iced tea and eat our Atkins Bar in the shade on this hot afternoon. PP Greenway back to the Apartment. A hot but still enjoyable late Spring day, reminding us SUMMER is on it's way, YEA! 

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June 11- The Never-Ending Search for More YARN!!

Headed out to do an Errand Ride, heading up to the Walmart Super Center on Platte Ave, via the Rock Island Trail over to pick up the Celton Rd. bike lane to Platte Ave, then a bit of sidewalk (Cleton and Platte intersection is NOT trike friendly), and up to the Walmart to get Jo her monthly load of YARN! 

She is making baby blankets and bennies (hats) for newborns at the city Children's Hospital! Found our shady spot and Jo got her yarn, loaded up her saddle bags to the max!! We headed back up the Chelton Rd. bike lane up a hill with a 16% grade, e-assist is really handy on this monster! Back to the Rock Island and to the Academy Blvd Path over to the Mavrick Station Cafe for, what else, iced tea and the brown bag special! Decided to head back and take Sinton trail up to the Starbuck's on Garden of the Gods Rd. for our late afternoon iced tea and snack bar. Flying back down Sinton to the PP Greenway and home!

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June 13- MUSIC VIDEO #5- Angletech, Lunch, Loop Trail Route

Jo's trike has had a real show leak on the rear tire for a while, decided to have Angletech repair it so they could add Orange Sealant to the new tube. We also picked up our new Angletech T-shirts from Jackie! Then headed to the Mavrick Station Cafe for a pizza slice and iced tea lunch. Using the GoG Rd. double wide sidewalk as a trail up to 30th. St. and get on the Foothills trail. 

Next, the 31st. bike lane to jump on the Midland Trail heading west to America the Beautiful Park, back streets and bike lanes to pick up Shooks Run Trail to Good Neighbors Meeting House for herbal berry iced tea and snack bar. The heavy clouds were coming in so we got back on Shooks Run to Rock Island Trail and back to the apartment.

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The 6/13 videos will be on YouTube at 5 PM and 5:15 PM tonight (Sunday) Mountain Standard Time. Thanks for checking in at the Blog, it's greatly appreciated! I know most are into videos, but I still enjoy doing this written blog and just adding the video's as "icing on the cake", LOL! Till we come together, next time My FRIENDS, Happy Trails to YOU! All the best, Get off the Couch and go RIDE! 

Ending of May and full blast into June!

 May 30- Gett'in Dirty on the Pike Peak Greenway south and heading home via the Sandcreek Trail

LOL, well you all know that we don't do a lot of gravel (dirt) but since the trikes needed a good cleaning we headed out on the dirty part of the PPGW to check out the new path under the newly updated Circle Drive Bridges. The detour they have had for almost 2 years was really rough, but the newly graded path is much better! Headed down the Weber St. bike lane to the Tejon St. under pass onto the PPGW. Heading south, past the low bridge it turns to gravel all the way to it's current end, at the Fountain Nature Center. 

Well, we ran into a PROBLEM, while installing a new water culvert, we had to use a detour and the open space in the fence isn't WIDE ENOUGH for a trike!! :( With a lot of extra movement, we got the trikes thru it, "barely" and back on the trail. It's a short jaunt to the turn off for the Sand Creek Trail heading north. Taking the Las Vegas St underpass, we made our way to trail, over Hancock Expressway. At Airport Road, we picked up the bike lane to get to Murry Blvd. and head to Starbuck's. RATS, the whole road and sidewalks were blocked off for paving!!!!! 

Ok, Jo knew a side street that would get us over to Bijou St. bike lane and over to the Hwy. 24 and Murry Blvd. Starbucks. Man, that green iced tea tasted great, along with the infamous Brown Bag Lunch! ;) Have to use the sidewalk on Murry Blvd., to get over to the Homestead Trail South, heading north to the Rock Island Trail, turning West, heading for home a almost 30 mile ride on a beautiful and sunny day, hard to beat that! 

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May 31- A "Kickback" Day to ride "To and Thru" Manitou Springs

We headed down the PPGW-westside trail to get to America the Beautiful Park and the Midland Trail. Heading to Manitou Springs and the Creek Walk Trail, we followed the trail to it's end point and then picked up Lover's Lane and a back street to do a "tour" of downtown Manitou Springs, before getting back to the Creek Walk and Midland Trail. Fun ride and then headed home.

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June 4- To Angletech for "New Shifter System Install" on my trike, then headed to the Creekside Coffee House

A couple of months ago, we had the "Trigger Shifter" (Rapid), upgraded to a 9 speed from an older 7 speed, friction shifter system. She has been very happy with the change, so we decided to get it done to my trike to! Headed up the Sinton Trail and over to Angletech. The only bummer is the shifter unit they had wouldn't work with my old rear derailleur, so we had to also add a new rear derailleur, oh well, the other was over 10 years old!  We walked over to the Mavrick Station Store for iced tea and the brown bag lunch then back to the shop and it was done!! 

The job was done by the newest recumbent tech, Craig and it works really well, much quicker and easier shifting over the whole gear range!! To test it out we head back down Sinton to the PPGW and picked up the Cottonwood Creek trail to have afternoon tea and snack bar at the Creekside Coffee House. After that, it was late afternoon, so we just headed back the same way and headed for home. 

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June 6- Food Run and Lunch Ride

It's one of those things you NEVER get away from, so we headed up the Rock Island Trail to the Walmart Market on Union Blvd to get "FOOD"! Hooked up the cargo trailer, got to the Market, filled the trailer and pannier's and headed back to the apartment. Unloaded and headed out north on the PPGW, then north on Mark Dabling Blvd over to Garden of the Gods Road up to the McDonald's. 

This one has shading over the outdoor patio tables so even though it was a HOT (90F) day but the double hamburger, BBQ chips and a large iced tea made the PITA of shopping into a fun ride. We then headed down to Monument Valley Park, then back over the I-25 Ped Bridge over to the Mesa Springs Greenway and PPGW back home before the early evening rain! 

Well, this gets us into June, so stay tuned for more excellent riding adventures from BJ and Jo Ondo, Out and About on the Recumbents! HAPPY TRAILS! 

Lot's More MAY rides

 May 16- Supplies Run and Lunch Ride

Got a decent day to ride to the local Walmart, to get yarn and misc. items.  Added a ride to lunch and then headed home.

May 23- Food Run and Lunch Ride

We've had several days of gray, cloudy and chilly weather! Finally got a decent enough morning to get to the Walmart Market for FOOD! The weather held after we unloaded the food, etc. so we headed out to "do Lunch"!

May 24-Errand Run and Lunch Ride on a Sunny day

Jo likes to make up plastic flower bundles for laying at the small monuments during the Memorial Day Service at the Veteran's Memorial in Memorial Park. We headed out to the local Dollar Tree Store for flowers and ribbon. It was a really nice day so we did another lunch run. 

May 25-Memorial Day-Ride to Memorial Park and the Veteran's Memorial for the "Memorial Day Service, hosted by the local Special Ops Group

We always try to find a "Memorial Day Service", wherever we may be on Memorial Day! Our favorite local service is hosted by the Special Ops Group and Motorcycle Club here in Colorado Springs. The Military is important to us; we have 5 Military Installations here! 

The day started sunny and warm, so we headed down the Shooks Run Trail over to High Street to the Hancock Ave bike lane and over to Memorial Park. The service starts at 11:15 AM, every Memorial Day. We arrived early enough to take some video and photos of the event, it has many local speakers including the mayor, etc. Wreathes are placed by several different organizations at the specific small monuments around the Veterans Plaza. After it was over, we headed down Union Blvd to the Fountain Rd. bike lane over to the Evergreen Cemetery, to put a flower bundle at my Step-Grandpa's stone in the American Legion Plot.

The weather turned gray and cloudy with a lite sprinkle of rain at times, but it wasn't a problem. We were going to ride to the Westside of town to Rudy's BBQ but the heavy clouds and THUNDER we decided to go to the Good Neighbors Meeting House and get a pulled pork and grilled cheese sandwich instead, it was good and the Herbal Berry iced tea really hit the spot! LOL, the Thunder got Louder, so we headed home by Shooks Run and Rock Island Trails. Always, "REMEMBER" to "HONOR" those that Gave All before you join in the other Memorial Day Gatherings! 

 

Well, that catches us up my friends. Soon we will be heading into SUMMERTIME, Yea! Hopefully the rains will dry up, and we can get in some longer rides soon. Until we meet again. HAPPY TRAILS!