The Multi-Trail Ride, Oct. 13, 2019

We were set up to lead a local recumbent network ride up the Templeton Gap and Rock Island Trails with a lunch stop at a Subways but when we were ready to leave the staring point at the Goose Gossage Skate Park/BMX track no one else showed up. We rode the tandem trike up the T-Gap trail but decided to take back roads and bike lanes over to the RI Trail and head SOUTH instead of north and have lunch at STIR'S Coffee and Cocktails in the old Bonn Shopping Center.

We had a great pressed sandwich called the Colorado Club, then decided to head South again but on the Shooks Run Trail over to the Pikes Peak Ave. bike lane and into down town Colorado Springs. We then headed down the Colorado Ave. bike lane over to the Walnut St. bike lane and up to the westside of the Monument Valley Trail/Pikes Peak Green Way via a overhead bridge that crosses all 6 lanes of I-25 over to Monument Valley Park and then back streets over to the Fontenaro St. Trail Head parking area and back on the Pikes Peak Green Way trail heading north up to Criterium Bicycle Shop.

Had a nice chat with a lady on her fancy Catrike with E-assist, then headed back down the Green Way and to the parking lot were we left the old pick up truck. Loaded up and headed south via I-25 to our storage unit and tucked the tandem trike away! A beautiful FALL day in Southern CO. 65F, a bit of breeze and SUNNY! 20 miles RT. and great way to spend a Sunday together! :)

Here is a Video of our Multi-Trail Ride:

October 6th. 2019, Motor Less Mornings Ride, Garden of the Gods, Co. Springs, CO.

We headed out from our staging point at the Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort, between Co. Springs and Manitou Springs after a good "all you can eat" for $5 breakfast on the tandem trike to ride in the "Motor Less Mornings" event in the Garden of the Gods Park! It started out CHILLY, loading up the tandem at our storage unit it was 32F with winds gusting to over 40 MPH!!!! It started warming up SLOWLY as we unloaded and ate breakfast.

Ready to start the days ride!

We found a new and much less HILLY entry way into the GoG which started at the GoG Trading Post Store and Cafe, sweet! We joined the other bicycles, skaters, skateboarders, hikers, etc. really enjoying the great views and having the park with "NO CAR" traffic! The new 10 speed gearing made a BIG difference in our ability to climb the several steep grades and hills in the Park and made the ride even better. Here's a You Tube Video of the ride, enjoy! 

Major upgrade to the tandem trike!

Sunday Sept. 22nd. 2019. Although we really like the way the NuVinci N330 CVT Internal Gear Hub on the rear end works, it's pretty limited "gearing wise" especially for "HILLS"! We'd hoped to be able to afford adding a E-assist motor system but a set up heavy duty enough for our tandem trike is $2800.00 or more!!! :O We decided to try changing it to a "Rear derailleur/Cassette set up", the cassette is a 10 speed with 11x42 tooth cogs! Yes, it was worth the $750 price tag (parts and labor) as it is now easier to make the tandem climb hills and uphill grades, YEA!!!

LOL, NO it won't make us a bit faster on the flats so we still won't be able to do any "Group Rides", unless the fellow riders don't mind us taking up the rear of the pack and coming in at our own pace!! Still we are both 64 years old with some medical problems so ANYTHING that makes it physically easier for us to climb hills is a real blessing!! Our new drive train is: (front) Efneo 3 speed, Internal Gear drive unit, equal to a "triple chain wheel set" of 28/40/52 with the 11x42 rear cassette. We took it for a test run on some of the more HILLY parts of three of our local urban trails, "Sinton, Foothills and Mesa" Trails here in Colorado Springs, CO. It was a lot easier to get up the grades than before so we are quite happy!! The first photo is on the Foothills Trail, just outside of the Garden of the Gods, the second photo is at the Mesa Rd. Overlook just off the Mesa Trail! :)