It has been a long two years since my last posts My wife Norma, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in early 2019. Chemo therapy and isolating to protect her immune system brought remission by late 2019 and we looked forward to expanding our social circle back to normal. Then Covid 19 reared its ugly head so once more we hunkered down to wait it out. Then in mid 2020 the multiple myeloma came back with avengeance. On September 19, 2020, Norma, my Pearl of the Orient peacefully slipped away from me. It has left an awesome pothole in my life.
When I discovered recumbent trikes in late 2015 Norma was my greatest skeptic. "You're going to kill yourself on that stupid thing!" was her often repeated remark. But as she saw my enthusiasm gain, my health improve, and no more of the scrapes and road rash I suffered with my old mountain bike fade into obscurity, she became my biggest Bent on a Budget fan.
"Maybe you should get a better carrier? How about some better lights and a neon yellow hoodie? Why don't you put your trike in the living room, so it's safe?" were offered and never a suggestion anything was too extravagant. No longer had to worry if the Budget might be Bent.
With Norma gone.... but Covid 19 still having me nailed down, my faithful old Rover II still has me wheeling up and down the road. Border closings have removed virtually all the tourist traffic from our #11 Hwy so I am pretty free to roll. Winter is now upon us, but the weather has been unseasonally mild... so far... so here I am on January 13, 2021. just back from a brilliant winter ride with the temperature up to the freezing mark, dazzling sunshine, and no wind. Rover II with it's winter Windwrap Fairing, flashing Cygo lights, and Bafang BBSO2B e-assist is functioning beautifully. But it probably will need some neglected seasonal maintenance soon.
Tomorrow threatens a major storm with wind, freezing rain, and snow. That Arctic Vortex may come rushing in from Siberia and outdoor riding may be over for a month or two. But that's OK. The used Terra Trike Tour II I picked up in 2019 with plans to turn into a velomobile is sitting on a Sprortscrafters Roller in front of the TV. It makes a perfect seat for watching the news and peddling along. The Wahoo sensors I installed show me my cadence and speed, letting me get an hour or two of leg exercise. I tried syncing it with a couple cycle training programs from Zwift and Rouvy but found those programs more suited to racers not old fuddy-duddies like me that are just interested in casually enjoying their ride and the scenery. Something for the winter while Covid has me tied down
But I do have other plans for the spring. I am building up another trike, Perhaps you've heard of the "Lost Recumbemt". It is a leaning trike invented and perfected by Dave Ashenbrenner some 40 years ago. Dave in retirement in Florida decided to revive his dream and is fabricating a few complete units and also frame kits for the AR3 Kazebike. Google it. I will be cannibalizing parts from my Tour II to assmble the unit.
It will be e-assist, and although the Bafang BBSO2B has served me very well, I have ordered a Tongsheng TSDZ2 Unit. This has torque rather than cadence assist and at 500watt rating is 'legal' in Canada while the BBSO2B and 750watt setting bends the rules. I had considered the TSDZ back in 2016 but at that time there were reliability and distribution concerns. So I will have some new experiences in triking.
I also have a couple of mods I made on my Rover II now at well over 35,000km I will detail in coming posts.
How about the theme of Bent on a Budget. I have changed my outlook.
Rememder this, "You will run out of time before you run out of money"
