Some more of PCB

More of PCB

The last 3 days have seen brilliant sunshine here in PCB but cold -brrr!- Mornings. With frost sparkling off the roofs and grass I have been bundled up and out there. With highs only around 60F, I am usually back from my ride before I have to start peeling any layers off. Been covering my usual route but exploring a little further afield. Tuesday I ventured down to St Andrews Park at the extreme SE end of PCB. St Thomas Dr S& E has some pretty rough pavement so I’ll avoid it in future. But N Lagoon Dr. is smoother and has some nice bike lanes and a good bike path along a chunk. Always looking for a hill and found one I could zoom down over the Lagoon at St Andrews Marina. Again traffic was modest to light and no problems or close encounters of the bumper kind.

Today, Wednesday, I ventured all the way down Front Beach using the sidewalks on the last part that has no bike lanes. There I cross #98 and via the sidewalk – nice and wide- headed up over Hathaway Bridge- our biggest and bestest hill (granddaughters vernacular). I left the chain on the 48T ring and made it but was wishing I had geared down before starting the climb. Took some great photos and then zoomed down the other side. Very few pedestrians so I pretty much had a clear shot but kept the speed down to 30 kph to be safe.

On the other side I cruised around the Gulfcoast College Campus and a ways down 23^rd St before heading back to the bridge. I dropped the chain into the 38T ring and headed up. I found I could do it fine in 3^rd gear and just loafed along when in 2^nd, but by the top I was well warmed up so I stopped and took off a layer before my downhill run. Again I kept I around 30 kph and felt completely comfortable and in control. But what a blast for this flat country excursion.

The triple chainring is working out fine and I find I can change with the heel of my shoe at low speed with little tension the drive. 

Did quite a bit of visiting along the way and had lots of questions about the Rover. Sticker shock is still a factor, but both ways. I had several people guess the Rover was around $3000. The little business/promo cards Terra Trike sent with the unit have been in demand as my supply is just about used up.

I have added a few items to the budget. A Schloss cell phone mount- $15 at Target- is now on the left handle bar, but I need another accessory bar as that bar is a little crowded. It works just OK, but I often put my phone inside my jacket pocket instead of mounting it.

Needed another bottle of chainlube $5.86 from my lbs, Beach Bicycles. Everett doesn’t handle recumbents “Too much money” and for his clientele maybe so. But he is a cracker of a bike mechanic with great service and very reasonable prices.

I have a little Bell tire pump with a built in gauge in my kit, but it is slow. I was having trouble with a slow leak in the right front tire that needed airing every day. I have a spare tube (HD $6 at Walmart) but rather than change it or try to find the leak I decided to Slime it ($7 at Walmart) plus a higher volume foot pump ($14 at Walmart) but I leave it in the car. The slime did the job- so far, but the plastic top valve stem remover is pretty flimsy. Have to see if I can find a valve stem with a metal one.

I’ve included a few picts, but video clips of the Conservation Area still not edited.

Revenge is sweet when the yahoo drove his p/u a few miles down the bike path and got stuck turning around when it would not fit through the gates. "No motorized vehicles allowed" Means what?