Well I have over 100 miles on the trike here in Kandahar, and not the first hint of a problem with this trike! Now, I have finally gotten the bicycle computer mounted, and can track my speed and distance. It's in Kilometers, but that's ok, because the base has it's speed limit in Kilometers as well. The speed limit for where I'm riding is 20 KPH, the max speed registered on my bicycle computer is 21 KPH. Thats not too bad, when you remember I have the three speed version of the Rover trike. Yep, I broke the speed limit! I'm going to shatter it when I get my 8 speed hub laced into a new wheel and sent down here.
I'm working on an inexpensive way to play my mp3 player over speakers while I ride. I will talk more about that once I'm done. I'm also thinking of adding ground effects lighting underneath my trike. More lights means more likely to see me on the road, right?
I plan on becoming more active again with my blog, I'm afraid a bout of food poisening took me down hard for a little while. The next question for my blog is, do I go with a web page? I would like to post pictures of where I ride and of how I customize the Rover. We will have to see.
Now I'm off, gotta go ride some more.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Dirty Truth
I arrived in Afghanistan and three days later the Rover got here! I couldn't believe it got here so fast. So, instead of blogging that it arrived and I assembled it, I've been riding it. Really it isn't my fault. The rover is just too much fun to ride.
Assembly (of course) was quite easy. I just followed the directions. I had it assembled and was riding it the afternoon it arrived.
The Rover has handled the terrain here better then I had hoped for. I have decided to order knobby off-road tires for the trike. Only about a third of the roads I ride on are paved and I think it would be kinder to the rims to give them a little more rubber between the rocks and the metal. I have to admit a get a lot of comments and questions about the Rover. People like it. I have let co-workers ride it and everyone of them comes back smiling like a little kid.
Riding at night: The bicycle flag doesn't make it. I'm sharing the road with army tactical vehicles that make dump trucks look wimpy. I needed a way to get a light up higher the normal vehicles (SUVs and Pick-ups). I settled for driver height for those vehicles and hoped it would get the attention of the military vehicles. My plan of action was easy. I got a broom handle, drilled two holes at the bottom about 8 inches apart and then drilled 4 holes near the top of the handle each about 4 inches from the next. The bottom two holes got tie-wrapped to the seat frame. The four holes at the top each received one fourth of a lime green reflective belt I cut up and tie wrapped to the pole. Just below the last piece of reflective belt is a very bright red LED tail light for bikes, that strobes in a very fast pattern. Then to the front of the left handle bar below the brake and angled upward to hopefully catch the eyes of really big oncoming vehicles is a bicycle headlamp set to strobe. The final piece is the headlamp I slip over my bicycle helmet. This one is fairly bright and I use it to actually see by.
How as it worked? Very good, even the largest vehicles not only move over as they pass, but actually slow down trying to figure out what they are seeing. Someone remarked that I looked like a UFO making a very low level flight. Hey, as long as I'm seen, I'll take it. Of course, no matter how well I think I'm lit up, I still pretend I'm invisible. It works for me on motorcycles so I might as well apply it here.
Pictures… will be coming. My next blog will be after I have tortured the Rover on these roads for about a week. I am doing daily checks of the hardware so I don't lose anymore. I lost the front reflector on my second day of riding. Completely my fault, I never tightened it even when I pulled it out of the box in El Paso, Texas for a test ride. Small price to pay for a big lesson, check your hardware before you ride.
Gotta go ride,
El Paso Bob
Assembly (of course) was quite easy. I just followed the directions. I had it assembled and was riding it the afternoon it arrived.
The Rover has handled the terrain here better then I had hoped for. I have decided to order knobby off-road tires for the trike. Only about a third of the roads I ride on are paved and I think it would be kinder to the rims to give them a little more rubber between the rocks and the metal. I have to admit a get a lot of comments and questions about the Rover. People like it. I have let co-workers ride it and everyone of them comes back smiling like a little kid.
Riding at night: The bicycle flag doesn't make it. I'm sharing the road with army tactical vehicles that make dump trucks look wimpy. I needed a way to get a light up higher the normal vehicles (SUVs and Pick-ups). I settled for driver height for those vehicles and hoped it would get the attention of the military vehicles. My plan of action was easy. I got a broom handle, drilled two holes at the bottom about 8 inches apart and then drilled 4 holes near the top of the handle each about 4 inches from the next. The bottom two holes got tie-wrapped to the seat frame. The four holes at the top each received one fourth of a lime green reflective belt I cut up and tie wrapped to the pole. Just below the last piece of reflective belt is a very bright red LED tail light for bikes, that strobes in a very fast pattern. Then to the front of the left handle bar below the brake and angled upward to hopefully catch the eyes of really big oncoming vehicles is a bicycle headlamp set to strobe. The final piece is the headlamp I slip over my bicycle helmet. This one is fairly bright and I use it to actually see by.
How as it worked? Very good, even the largest vehicles not only move over as they pass, but actually slow down trying to figure out what they are seeing. Someone remarked that I looked like a UFO making a very low level flight. Hey, as long as I'm seen, I'll take it. Of course, no matter how well I think I'm lit up, I still pretend I'm invisible. It works for me on motorcycles so I might as well apply it here.
Pictures… will be coming. My next blog will be after I have tortured the Rover on these roads for about a week. I am doing daily checks of the hardware so I don't lose anymore. I lost the front reflector on my second day of riding. Completely my fault, I never tightened it even when I pulled it out of the box in El Paso, Texas for a test ride. Small price to pay for a big lesson, check your hardware before you ride.
Gotta go ride,
El Paso Bob
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The bike is in the mail!
So, Dropped the TerraTrike Rover of at a local "Postal Annex" after breaking it down for shipping. I had them box it up for me. It was mailed out today with an expected delivery of 8 to 9 days. Which of course means nothing, since once it gets to New York, it is in the hands of the U.S. Military Postal System. However, the real point is, you can get a Rover recumbent trike in the mail. It had to be broken down into two seperate boxes.
So next up, delivery of bike to Afghanistan and learn how well this trike can handle the extremes of that environment.
So next up, delivery of bike to Afghanistan and learn how well this trike can handle the extremes of that environment.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Rover Has Landed!
Well the TerraTrike Rover arrived today. It arrived boxed, but I was surprised to see, fully assembled. I checked air-pressure on the tires, added some air to them, read the warning read me before you ride paper, and I was gone! Even as a three speed, it was well worth the wait. I felt like a kid again, pedaling up the hill and then coasting back down. It was everything I expected and more. OK, let me be a bit more concrete.
Steering - Very responsive but not what I would call squirrelly.
Brakes - More than sufficient. You will have to get used to providing the same pressure on both brakes at the same time in order to stop in a straight line. You will pick this up quickly. Or you can just grab one side hard for some brake steering. Don't do this until you have had a lot of practice at very low speeds. Do this wrong and you are getting thrown off the trike. Also, for braking, don't just grab both brakes and squeeze as hard as you can. The brakes have enough stopping power to stop the trike in situations where you are going fast enough you won't be stopping with the trike. You will get launched from the bike. The coolest part about that is that after being launched from the trike you will no longer be holding on to the brakes. Which means if you were going down hill, you have the possibility of running over yourself with your own trike... Again, start off slow, and as you get used to your trike, brakes will be easy.
Pedaling - I live in a very hilly area. The three speed will have no problem climbing most hills. I haven't had any problems yet, but am shooting for even hillier areas tomorrow. However, the three speed will run out of top end well before you do. Pedaling uphill in third speed, I could have shifted up another gear and been very happy to have more speed. I strongly suggest ordering the eight speed. If you can't get an eight speed because they are all sold out, when you buy the three speed get ready to sling some money into a shimano 8 speed hub, a new 8 speed shifter, and paying the local bike shop mechanic to re-lace your rear wheel (quite possibly paying for new spokes as well). If you think you may go that route, check back in on my blog, as I will be having that done to my trike in just a few days. I will be posting about the difference in handling right after I get the trike back.
Safety - Yeah, I know, this should have been first. But here goes. Here is what you will need to add to your trike. A Helmet, so yeah, it goes on your head. But this trike is faster then the bike you had when you where a kid, and handles differently. Get a helmet. Flags - you are sitting lower then cars and you need them to see you. Add a pair of bicycle flags at eye level to a sedan. I bought regular bicycle flags, and used a hobby miter hand saw to shorten them to the right length. Lights - You will need at least one head light (but two look cool if you put one on each handlebar) and one tail light. Reflective tape - put it every where, getting seen equals a less chance of being run over. I bicycle bell - you could just scream as you pass others, but then they might catch you later. A bell is a kinder way to say "Excuse me, coming through".
Customizing - of course I am. Aren't you?! Stay tuned, I will be posting pictures.
Summary - This trike is everything I dreamed it would be, as far as the ride goes. Don't lose track of the fact that I intend on breaking the trike down to separate smaller packages, and mailing to myself in Afghanistan. But for now, I'm a kid again. The best way I can describe the Rover experience (and my wife agreed after she took it for a test spin) is it handles kind of like a go-cart. It feels like you are going even faster then you are, because you are so close to the ground. Still you aren't as low to the ground as most other trikes, which makes it easy to just stand up when you're done pedaling. I would strongly recommend buying one for commuting, riding around a college campus, getting back into shape (that's me) or for just plain fun. It is worth saying again, buy the eight speed model.
I would write more, but I need to go out to the garage and take my trike for a spin one more time tonight. I do understand why there are so few posts by people who have bought one of these. They are too busy pedaling!
Oh, and the guys at the El Paso Bike Shop loved it! Just sitting still it says, "Ride me, we will go fast and have fun!"
Steering - Very responsive but not what I would call squirrelly.
Brakes - More than sufficient. You will have to get used to providing the same pressure on both brakes at the same time in order to stop in a straight line. You will pick this up quickly. Or you can just grab one side hard for some brake steering. Don't do this until you have had a lot of practice at very low speeds. Do this wrong and you are getting thrown off the trike. Also, for braking, don't just grab both brakes and squeeze as hard as you can. The brakes have enough stopping power to stop the trike in situations where you are going fast enough you won't be stopping with the trike. You will get launched from the bike. The coolest part about that is that after being launched from the trike you will no longer be holding on to the brakes. Which means if you were going down hill, you have the possibility of running over yourself with your own trike... Again, start off slow, and as you get used to your trike, brakes will be easy.
Pedaling - I live in a very hilly area. The three speed will have no problem climbing most hills. I haven't had any problems yet, but am shooting for even hillier areas tomorrow. However, the three speed will run out of top end well before you do. Pedaling uphill in third speed, I could have shifted up another gear and been very happy to have more speed. I strongly suggest ordering the eight speed. If you can't get an eight speed because they are all sold out, when you buy the three speed get ready to sling some money into a shimano 8 speed hub, a new 8 speed shifter, and paying the local bike shop mechanic to re-lace your rear wheel (quite possibly paying for new spokes as well). If you think you may go that route, check back in on my blog, as I will be having that done to my trike in just a few days. I will be posting about the difference in handling right after I get the trike back.
Safety - Yeah, I know, this should have been first. But here goes. Here is what you will need to add to your trike. A Helmet, so yeah, it goes on your head. But this trike is faster then the bike you had when you where a kid, and handles differently. Get a helmet. Flags - you are sitting lower then cars and you need them to see you. Add a pair of bicycle flags at eye level to a sedan. I bought regular bicycle flags, and used a hobby miter hand saw to shorten them to the right length. Lights - You will need at least one head light (but two look cool if you put one on each handlebar) and one tail light. Reflective tape - put it every where, getting seen equals a less chance of being run over. I bicycle bell - you could just scream as you pass others, but then they might catch you later. A bell is a kinder way to say "Excuse me, coming through".
Customizing - of course I am. Aren't you?! Stay tuned, I will be posting pictures.
Summary - This trike is everything I dreamed it would be, as far as the ride goes. Don't lose track of the fact that I intend on breaking the trike down to separate smaller packages, and mailing to myself in Afghanistan. But for now, I'm a kid again. The best way I can describe the Rover experience (and my wife agreed after she took it for a test spin) is it handles kind of like a go-cart. It feels like you are going even faster then you are, because you are so close to the ground. Still you aren't as low to the ground as most other trikes, which makes it easy to just stand up when you're done pedaling. I would strongly recommend buying one for commuting, riding around a college campus, getting back into shape (that's me) or for just plain fun. It is worth saying again, buy the eight speed model.
I would write more, but I need to go out to the garage and take my trike for a spin one more time tonight. I do understand why there are so few posts by people who have bought one of these. They are too busy pedaling!
Oh, and the guys at the El Paso Bike Shop loved it! Just sitting still it says, "Ride me, we will go fast and have fun!"
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Second Phone Call
Yep, I got another phone call today. This one was from the friendly folks at UPS. They wanted to make sure the delivery was to a residence, and then to set up a delivery time. OK, so the delivery time was between 12:00 and 16:00. Try nailing down the cable company to that kind of schedule! So the Rover arrives on Tuesday.
There will be pictures and video of the Rover being assembled by a non-professional (me). However, I have prepared. I have watched the Youtube video from TerraTrike several times on how to assemble the Rover. Having never assembled one before, I still expect it to go rather quickly. It just doesn't look very difficult.
Tuesday, hmm, today is Friday, but it's in the evening, so I won't count it. That leaves Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I won't count Tuesday because I will actually receive the Rover on Tuesday. So by my count, I have three days to wait... Maybe I will go to the bike store and pick up a flag and a few other accessories on Saturday. Get the tools set up for the arrival. That way I'n not really waiting on Saturday, I'm preparing.
I hate waiting...
There will be pictures and video of the Rover being assembled by a non-professional (me). However, I have prepared. I have watched the Youtube video from TerraTrike several times on how to assemble the Rover. Having never assembled one before, I still expect it to go rather quickly. It just doesn't look very difficult.
Tuesday, hmm, today is Friday, but it's in the evening, so I won't count it. That leaves Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I won't count Tuesday because I will actually receive the Rover on Tuesday. So by my count, I have three days to wait... Maybe I will go to the bike store and pick up a flag and a few other accessories on Saturday. Get the tools set up for the arrival. That way I'n not really waiting on Saturday, I'm preparing.
I hate waiting...
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Phone Call
I had been expecting an email from TerraTrike telling me that my Rover had been shipped. I got a phone call today instead. They wanted to know what color I wanted the stickers on my trike to be (purple of course). Oh, and by the way, the Rover won't ship until next week now. I didn't even bother to complain. I don't think most people would even care that I'm going back to Afghanistan in less then 30 days. Or that I need time to custom build plywood shipping containers for each part so it can be sent via USPS to my base.
Now don't get me wrong. I think the Rover is a great solution to my needs, and well worth waiting for. But that phone call seemed a little silly. What kind of question was that?! Of course I would want the details to be purple. Purple is a cool color. I'm a cool guy. The question should never have been needed to be asked. Maybe they've never seen a picture of me?
On the other hand, I unpacked my welding equipment. I have some stock square tubing lying around. If I can only find a donor bike laying around, I may whip up a recumbent two wheeler to help pass the time...
I would spend more time being witty, but I have this strange urge to go find a cheap used bike. I got the welding equipment, a chop saw, a grinder, and I'm feeling just a little bit wild.
Now don't get me wrong. I think the Rover is a great solution to my needs, and well worth waiting for. But that phone call seemed a little silly. What kind of question was that?! Of course I would want the details to be purple. Purple is a cool color. I'm a cool guy. The question should never have been needed to be asked. Maybe they've never seen a picture of me?
On the other hand, I unpacked my welding equipment. I have some stock square tubing lying around. If I can only find a donor bike laying around, I may whip up a recumbent two wheeler to help pass the time...
I would spend more time being witty, but I have this strange urge to go find a cheap used bike. I got the welding equipment, a chop saw, a grinder, and I'm feeling just a little bit wild.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Why I Ordered from the Manufacturer
I hadn't mentioned that I had ordered direct from the manufacturer. I did look into making the purchase locally, but no one carried, much less had in stock, a TerraTrike of any model, much less the Rover.
I see no point in ordering something through a bike shop if I can get it faster by having it delivered to my door. Anyway, the Rover is advertised as being very easy to break down and re-assemble. How hard could it be to put it together myself when it arrives?! For a fee, you could have the Rover delivered quicker, so of course I paid up in hopes of having more time to test ride it before I ship it to Afghanistan.
The lady I spoke with while ordering the Rover from TerraTrike was very helpful. So far, I would give the company an A+ for the purchasing experience.
So now I wait, thinking happy thoughts of pedaling my very own Rover. Wondering as I wait, where are all the cool videos on youtube of other new owners riding, assembling, customizing and enjoying their Rovers? Never fear gentle readers, for I shall address those inadequacies as well!
I see no point in ordering something through a bike shop if I can get it faster by having it delivered to my door. Anyway, the Rover is advertised as being very easy to break down and re-assemble. How hard could it be to put it together myself when it arrives?! For a fee, you could have the Rover delivered quicker, so of course I paid up in hopes of having more time to test ride it before I ship it to Afghanistan.
The lady I spoke with while ordering the Rover from TerraTrike was very helpful. So far, I would give the company an A+ for the purchasing experience.
So now I wait, thinking happy thoughts of pedaling my very own Rover. Wondering as I wait, where are all the cool videos on youtube of other new owners riding, assembling, customizing and enjoying their Rovers? Never fear gentle readers, for I shall address those inadequacies as well!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
The Bike is Ordered!
The Rover has been ordered. I could not get the 8 speed I wanted, they are sold out. So, I ordered a three speed. But I will have an 8 speed. I went to the bike shop and had a Shimano 8 speed hub ordered. They will lace it into my rear wheel when the trike arrives. The shimano part will be here by Wednesday, my trike by Friday. I have to have the Rover ASAP, because I will need to build plywood shipping containers for the different pieces, so I can mail them. I will assemble it myself when the trike arrives, test ride it as a three speed, and then take it in for the shimano upgrade.
The Shimano 8 speed hub has the same dimensions as the original Sturmey Archer hub, so there should be no problem having the hubs swapped.
Are we there yet?
So What's This About?
I have ordered a TerraTrike Rover. After digging through the internet, I have found over 90% of articles available are just copy and pastes from the manufacturer news releases. The other 10% seem to be from folks who have spent a lot of time on the recumbent or bike scene and are what I would consider professionals.
Not the information I was looking for. So here it is, my fix for the rest of you and a way to track my adventures for me.
So, why did I choose a Rover? I need something that can handle my weight (265 pounds) and can be broken down small enough that I can mail the pieces through United States Postal Service. I also wanted the sealed hub for gears, because of the flour consistency of the sand in the area I will be riding. Do some of those requirements sound a little odd? Well, here's why.
I spend a lot of time on a base in Afghanistan. I need a way to work out, but don't have any time, as I work 12+ hours a day seven days a week. The speed limit is 12.5 miles an hour, my place of work is a little over 6 miles from my tent. I hope to pedal fast enough that I can get a workout en-route to the office (a shipping container) without losing any time I usually spend productive in my workplace. I can bypass customs by using the U.S. Mail System. Otherwise, I have no idea how I could get a trike through Afghanistan customs. Mail call.
Before this I had purchased a mountain bike from the Post Exchange. How can I say this? It didn't work out. I was too heavy for the bike, the tiny little seat was painful. But I knew I needed to pedal my way to a healthier me. I started looking at recumbents, but could find nothing that I could mail to myself. Then I found the Rover. So, here goes my adventure!
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