Just one more from FaceBook (for awhile):

“Not going to bore you with each of my days, but here is another busy summary. Took Kurt to Walmart for new shoes (stopped at Taco Bell on the way but the line was too long), to Sam’s for groceries, to McDonalds for Kurt food, to home to drop Kurt, to a friend’s (who can’t drive) to pickup documents to get copied, to Fed Ex for copying, home to take Kurt to his group meeting, to pick up one passenger (same friend), to Wendy’s for 12 burgers for the group, dropping all at the meeting, to the Post Office to mail the documents and a package for Jeanne, to the bank to cash a check for Kurt, home for an hour to myself, to the meeting to pick up Kurt and friend, to friend’s house for drop off, and then home to eat some of the spaghetti the friend provided us all. Finally, tonight, 2 hours in the shop piddling, e.g. cleaning a bike, unpacking ride supplies (energy drinks), touching stuff, and then in to hug on Jeanne a bit before she goes to bed (still not feeling good).”

If I don’t ride soon you all are going to go crazy reading this junk.

As I explained on FaceBook.

“Was going to ride today with an out of state friend but it rained. Instead: took kurt shopping at Target’s, grabed Jeanne some lunch at Dickie’s BBQ (She’s not feeling so good), stopped by the grocery store on the way home for this-and-thats and got a cheese cake for my sweety, hung a wall hanging and a painting, and leveled Jeanne’s new clothes washer. If I’m not careful she will start praying for rain.”

As opposed to the last ride day which was a beautiful day in the “it’s raining” and “getting wet” sense.

A beautiful day.

As I went by a Mexican restaurant there was a guy in a big burrito suit that shouted “I love you”. It must have been directed to someone in the other lane since when I replied “I love you too” he laughed. I could hear him laughing as I went up the hill.

Here is a followup post I made on the greenbuildingtalk.com forum where I had discussed my shop out-gassing problem. If you’ve read my old posts on this blog you know that I was very depressed because just a few minutes in the new building and I would start to itch, so much so that I would have to leave. I must be allergic to the formaldehyde used in the OSB. So, some of the following is repetitive but you might still enjoy it (photos added for here):

The out-gassing no longer bothers me. I started by ventilating the shop well. I had had my home AC totally replaced and ended up with the blower unit. I placed this in one door and opened the others. It moved a lot of air. Then I would shut the shop up and turn the heat way up, thinking this would encourage the out gassing. After a few hours I’d draw fresh air through the shop again. I don’t know how long it took as I did not take notes but it was longer than 3 months. The problem got better and better. Now I can stay in the shop all day.

The shop is a blessing to my retirement. It is 800 square feet divided into 3 parts. My part is 17×20. I have my bikes hanging on the long wall. I have 3 six foot work benches and have plenty of room to work on the bikes, dabble in electronics, program microcontrollers, a little wood work (although I usually move the machines outside through the garage door because of the sawdust). I’ll be setting up a small metal lathe and milling machine I already have (may have to buy another work bench). The point being that the shop is now the center of most of my activities. I can even watch TV from the web or movies from DVD while I work/play. I spend a lot of time out there; although I’m writing this from the computer room in the house where I also play my computer games, e.g. Battlefield 2, and do most of my internet work (I have a server in Texas where I host a number of sites - I use to design web sites as a midnight engineer but now just for fun).

I am really enjoying my retirement and seem to be in good health. Part of that is due to riding recumbent bikes which I have been doing for 3 summers. I wish I had know about them before then. A few words now so that you will know about them sooner than I did in my path to retirement.

Lining up for the start of a recent Withlacooche Trail ride.

You can ride a recumbent a long ways without any pain or discomfort. They are great for people with bad legs, knees, back, etc. I could not ride a lean-over-the-handlebar bike, not very far, but on recumbents I rode over 4,000 miles last year. My longest ride in one day was for 122 miles. It took 10 hours, including stops. Then I got off the bike and took my wife out to dinner. I was tired, as you would be with a 10 hour car ride; actually not as seat-tired since I had a range of motion. I typically ride 32 miles 2 or 3 times a week and then 60 miles on one of the weekend days. In addition I may take short rides with the family. I am 67 years old, I am not slow on the bikes but not real fast either. I’m getting faster, but it is not about speed. (I have averaged about 18 mph for a distance of 15 miles).

We have a great place to ride, i.e. the 40 mile long “Long Leaf Trace”. We travel to ride too; last year we had 3 riding vacations which were social events with other riders. There are also special events on the Long Leaf Trace. I rode two there last year, i.e. the Ridesouth Signature ride (where I rode 122 miles from Jackson to Hattiesburg) and the Birthday Challenge. Here is a photo of Butch at the Bassfield rest station during last year’s Birthday Challenge. If you think you might be interested take a look at my web site: http://bentrider.info

The temperature is up to 48 degrees; warm enough. Off I go behind a fairing with a Stratus XP attached. Right now.

And for comparison, here is the 2008 summary:

So, in 2009 I rode a little less often but for longer distances. And, my average speed was up by about 1 mph. Actually my cruise speed is up by several mph’s but I often rode at social speeds. It is interesting, maybe only to me, that I rode close to the same number of hours each year.

… Uh, well, it could have been a bike.

Maybe I should talk to her about a new bike for me, or a major mod, something like a PowerTap; heck, two PowerTaps. Oh, she has already said I could buy whatever I want. In any event, she is happy with her selection, to not be a materi…alistic kind of person. I didn’t believe the salesman when he said people would just stand and watch them as if they were the TV. Now to mess up some clothes. I think Jeanne is stripping the bed now.

The above is as it appeared on my Facebook.

Actually, what I want costs a lot more than a washer/dryer bike, i.e. I want a titanium Stratus XP; maybe. A titanium something. This requires a lot of thought; maybe more research. After all, I haven’t ridden a low-racer yet, such as the Optima Baron.

I called RideSouth yesterday to talk to Jim about the Optima Baron he has on the floor. He has a good price on it but doesn’t think I’d like it. Maybe I should buy a previously ridden one just in case I only kinda like it.

Of course I just read a discussion thread about an F-40, i.e. a faired, body-socked P-38. Supposedly you can hit 30 on the flats with very little effort. I’ve done that but not with very little effort. (Speaking of the P-38, here’s Dudley with his new one.)

Dudley sold me his old one, missed it so much he bought a new one.

Maybe carbon, not titanium. You can tell that I’m still on the quest for the “Big Boss Bike”. Too many bikes, too little time. No, that’s not right, not “Too many bikes”. After all, I still have wall space.

Someone reading my blog just asked if my new XStream is my main bike?.

The short answer is “No, but it is still a bike I will ride a lot, and it has the potential to become my “main” and my eventual “Big Boss Bike”.

So, this got me to thinking about why my favorite bike is my main ride, what my next purchase will be, and my future “Big Boss Bike”. For me it is possible to have more than one “main” bike; as I seem to prefer different bikes for different rides. But, in order to pick a main bike among main bikes I considered the following talking-points that are of particular interest to me:

Rough-road comfort
flexible frame
ability to mount larger tires
Basic seat comfort
tailbone, back, and neck issues
Rider position
upright angle for visibility
handlebar position for good arm circulation and comfort
low BB for good lower body circulation and feet comfort
seat height for ease of putting feet down at stops
Speed
safe at speed
availability of aerodynamic tail boxes and fairings and ease of attachment
ability to chase wabbits
Environmental
cold and wet weather readiness: e.g. good fairing fit and ability to mount fenders
Weight handling
suitable for a heavy rider and a heavy load
easy to balance, whether stopped or moving
easy to attach storage
Distance
last mile as good as the first.
Ever eat something where the first bite was heaven but the last not so good?
Just plain fun

When I consider all that, but not so much “low-speed stability” or “bike weight”, then the answer is clear, at least for me for the time being. My main bike is the Stratus XP. Its lead over the other bikes I own is so great that I’m now thinking my “Big Boss Bike” will be a new a Ti-Stratus XP. However, before that happens I still need to ride/experience other bikes, especially a lowracer. I also need to continue riding and tuning bikes I currently own that are still in the competition, i.e. Xstream, P-38 (which I have not ridden at all due to its weight limit), and the Rocket (the upgrade would be a VRex or Ti VRex, assuming a similar ride as the Rocket). A Tour Easy (like my wife’s), or one of its siblings, would be in the running if I owned one. But I’m thinking they are too much like the Stratus XP to purchase or differentiate (Your comments are welcome). Of course, Jeanne might let me ride her Tour Easy … maybe when she is out of town.

Here are a couple examples of my other “main bikes for different rides”:

I have already decided that I am not a highracer kind of guy; it’s a personal thing. However, I expect to keep riding my Strada which is the best looking bike I own, mostly because of the color coordinated, red aerospoke wheels. It even has red valve-stem covers and red bottle holders. When I want to look especially sharp, my Strada is my main spiffy bike.

I like my Greenspeed GT3 and look forward to many miles on it. I adjusted the seat-web tightness which addresses the only problem I had with it, i.e. sore tail bone. However, 3 wheels do make it a little wide and slow for some rides, e.g. it is a little hard to navigate around trail or road trash. However, the GT3 is and will probably remain my main social and trip machine. It folds for easy transport and is an easy perch for parking lot socializing. And, of course, when riding with other trikers it is a party on wheels.

So, I’m consolidating my thoughts, reviewing my experiences (it’s a winter thing) and planning next year’s rides, bikes, and modifications. I’m also especially contemplative about my eventually “Big Boss Bike”. Your thoughts are welcome.

(This is a long post and it will take me awhile to get the grammar, e.g. verb tense/flow, worked out. I’ve worked on it here and there all week and it seems that one day I am present and another I am past.)

It was a beautiful day, the last warm one this week; it was last Sunday. I rode the X-Stream, taking the opportunity to play with the seat angle, still trying to find that magic position. If I adjusted it upright my butt hurt, as a result of more weight on it. The narrow seat did not help. If I laid it back a lot then my butt was OK but my neck hurt, as a result of holding my head at an angle I was not use to. When I got it just right, somewhere in between the extremes, then my butt hurt and my neck hurt. But all that adjustment was yet to come.

When I started out I felt like it was going to be a fast day. It wasn’t. Even after warming up I found it difficulty to hold 16 where I normally would be at 18 mph. I don’t mean it was difficulty to hold 16, I mean that at 16 my heart rate was high, i.e. greater than 85% of max. I have been trying to hold to 85% or as low as 75%, trying to stay in that could-ride-all-day zone. There are three conditions I allow myself to exceed that effort, i.e. 1: climbing hills, 2: when someone is coming up on me from behind, or 3: when I spot a fast rider ahead, i.e. a rabbit. I realize that “2:” and “3:” may be a little childish, but hopefully I just like to demonstrate that recumbents aren’t necessarily slow.

So, I start my ride from home, as I usually do, and ride across campus to the trail head. There is very little traffic as is typical of most Sunday rides. It is only about 1.4 miles to the trail, not nearly enough to get warmed up. As I go through the dedicated parking for trail users I see Joon’s truck, so, I figured I’d see him and his wife within the first 15 miles as they rarely go past Sumrall. I knew how it would happen. First I’d see her coming toward me, recognizing her by her Sun trike. I would wave well before we meet, giving her plenty of time to recognize me before speaking as we pass. She would not slow, nor change her path, nor converse beyond a simple greeting. I always have the feeling that there is somewhere she has got to get to, just like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. Joon will most likely not be right behind her, only on occasion, not within sight even; “how far back” being the only variable. Joon especially likes to stop at the Beaver Pond and observe nature. He likes to talk to other riders. He gets behind. She does not slow, nor wait. At least once she did not even wait at the truck but just keep on riding, all the way home. Joon and I often refer to her as the energizer bunny. He loves her very much. That’s exactly how it happened Sunday. I found Joon at the Beaver Pond. I first saw his bike, a Rans Stratus that he bought from a co-worker. Then there was Joon returning from the water’s edge. He told me that he was just talking to a couple with two kids who came up from Louisiana to ride the Long Leaf Trace for the first time. He said I would probably catch up to them just ahead. We had a nice visit, and a hug. I had not seen him in a while, a very nice guy.

Up an incline, around a curve, and just ahead from Beaver Pond is Epley station. I was looking for a couple with two kids and there they were. I came to a stop, my bike getting their attention. I asked if they were from Louisiana and he replied yes, but with an expression that asked how I knew, or maybe it was why I was looking for them. I could help my self, I said something like “I just received a phone call to be careful, that there were some people from Louisiana on the trail”. I didn’t give them more than 5 seconds before I told them I was just kidding. Then I got some smiles. I also told them of my conversation with Joon about them being on the trace. As it turned out they were deciding whether to turn at Epley or go further, and where to eat lunch, it being lunch time. I told them that Sumrall was less than 4 miles further on and there were at least three eating opportunities there, i.e. Ward’s, Subway, and Lau Tori’s. I added that Lau Tori’s had a nice catfish sandwich that was just right for a mid-ride lunch. He asked about securing their bikes. I told him of the bike rack and that they may be able to get a table by a window to keep an eye on them. I later found out that she had the fish sandwich but he had something else (don’t remember what) along with a desert he had not run across at home, a pineapple strudel (maybe). I headed on to Sumrall, stopped briefly for a water refill but was gone before they arrived.

Leaving Sumrall I was a little slow and not particularly comfortable. So, I got to thinking that I might as well take the time to “tune” the bike, the seat angle anyway. I stopped at what we call Llama Station or Emu Station, about 5.5 miles from Sumrall. (It is a rest stop just feet from a farm with, you guessed it, alpacas and emus). In order to lower the seat I loosen the seat slide clamp, loosen too bolts/screws, and pull too pins; reversing the steps after changing the angle. Loosening the clamp prevents a little wear as I rotate the seat and is necessary to move the seat forward/backwards after the incline is changed. Changing the incline seems to change the effective distance to the petals; go figure. The two bolts hold the seat braces to the rear wheel drop outs. These braces are round but are flattened where they screw to the drop outs. On the X-Stream the flat parts are too short. As a result the round parts conflict with other support members and, thus, the bolts must be loosened to allow the small amount of rotation involved at the drop out. Or maybe my seat braces are screwed to the wrong holes on the drop outs. In any event, the screws are too short. When I loosened one the nut fell off. I didn’t notice until after making the seat adjustment. At this rest stop someone put down gravel that is about the same color as metal. I couldn’t find the nut.

I’m looking for this nut, feeling like a nut, when a car pulls up. A couple about my age gets out along with a young girl, perhaps their grand daughter. The girl then rode a small bike on the trail, back and forth but not out of sight, as I talked to her escort. They sat on the second of the two benches. We had a most enjoyable conversation as I took a break from the bike. I learned that they often walk on the trail but don’t ride on it, don’t even own bikes. Very, very friendly. After a while I started looking for the nut again; he asks and I explain what happened. He says “I may have something” and goes to the car. I’m thinking that he is going to bring back a selection screws and nuts, but, instead, he brings back one of those magnets-on-a-rod thingies. He starts scanning the ground and finds the nut, but not with the magnet. The magnet does not attract the nut. It feels very light weight, must be something like Titanium. Soon after I got on my way to Bassfield, the turnaround for my 60 mile ride. As I ride off, the young girl tells me that when she grows up she wants a bike just like mine.

On the way to Bassfield I come to the conclusion that the new seat angle is not for me, not at this time. My neck is at an angle I’m uncomfortable holding. However, it might be OK after building a whole new set of neck muscles. Or, after installing a neck rest.

At Bassfield I find an attractive woman resting on one of the station benches. She and her husband came down from Atlanta for the weekend; to ride the LLT. They had recently retired and sold their bike store near Atlanta. On Saturday they rode out of Hattiesburg and that day, i.e. Sunday, drove to Prentiss and rode from there; but after 11 miles she was exhausted. Her husband had gone back to Prentiss for the car. She asked for eating suggestions. Garraway’s store for the day, as was Ward’s, and most likely the Trace Café. She said she understood there was a grocery store a little ways down the road, but I recommended the Texaco service station about 2 blocks away, especially recommending their fried chicken. She said she was a vegetarian and I added that their vegetables were well prepared and that sometimes I only had the vegetables. She asked if I was going to eat their; I said no but I would be happy to guide her. She indicated that would not be necessary but did ask if there was ever any trouble. I told that I had never seen anything to be concerned about and that they were very friendly at the service station. She got on her bike and I watched to make sure she made the right turn. I then ate my banana and has a gel pack, second guessing my lunch choice.

Just outside Bassfield on my return I met two riders, a man and a woman. I recognized the woman. She works at a local bike store and organizes a number of weekly rides. I like her and the owner/mechanic of the LBS, despite a bit of possible bike prejudice. In her recent ride announcements she has specified “road bikes only”, which in and of itself is not an indication of a negative bias. However, there have been a few little things. For example: I think the owner is probably the best mechanic in town. He has been very helpful to me with advice and giving me a missing screw here or there. I’ve bought a few little things from them such as bottle cages and gel packs. He’s given me good service and I’ve wanted to give him some business, maybe let him tune the front wheel on the XP; it has a little wobble to it, not a large amount. So, I told that I’d like to give him more business and asked him what kind of work he liked to do. He didn’t say but he did say that he did not like to work on “Walmart bikes”. I don’t know if he meant it personally or not, if he was even referring to the bikes I ride or not, but I live by a guiding principle that says “don’t get angry at a good mechanic”. So, I will still try to give him some business, as soon as I figure out some business he wants. In any event I’ve been looking for her and her group on the trail in order to demonstrate the value of the bikes I ride. Unfortunately, so far, I’ve always been going in the opposite direction. Speaking of her group, where were they. I discovered the paceline a little further along as they crossed on one of the county roads that shadows the trail in a criss-cross fashion. I’ve noticed before that road bike riders often prefer riding on the road.

Now, this is where much of the above comes together.

I’m away from Bassfield and approaching the llama station when I decide that if I don’t want a cramp in my neck then I’m going to have to raise the seat. I pull over, reminding myself to be careful not to drop a nut. I loosen the seat clamp, loosen the two seat support screws, pull the pins, raise the seat, and … the two road bike riders go flying by. They had been to Bassfield, turned, and caught me. This is the chance I’ve been waiting for. They need to be a little ahead of me, but not too far. Out of sight would be good, so that I appear to come form out of nowhere and zoom past on my Walmart bike (not). By the time I tighten up it will be about the right time. I push the pins in … No I don’t. The one on the left side will not go in. When I raised the seat it rotated the seat braces forward just enough for more conflict between the round part of the seat brace and the round part of the drop out. The left brace twisted so that the holes do not align. Darn. Shucks. I had to loosen the left nut just a bit, not too much. There, the pin when in. The nut fell off. Shuckie pooh. I had previously removed the leaves and other debris from under the wheel and found the nut in no time. Obviously that screw is too short. By the time I got the nut on they had much too much of a head start. I was thinking “By the time I catch them I will not have a lot of bling left.” (“Passing with bling”: It is not enough to just pass, you must pass with a significantly higher speed and with no noticeable effort. When you speak you must not be out of breath and must speak in a cheerful, “isn’t this a nice ride” voice.) I jumped on the bike and was off to a flying start. Week or strong, it was all down hill to Sumrall and I should be able to stay close to 20 mph. Of course they will be taking advantage of the down slope also. I kept thinking that around each curve I’d see them just ahead. Didn’t happen.

Then there was Sumrall. If they had been there I would have passed and played the other game, i.e. the “last you will see of me game”. They were not there and I didn’t need no stinking rest stop. I should have eaten more gel, or maybe a Boost drink. I was too week to do more than 10-to-12 up the slope going east out of Sumrall. Then it occurred to me, they may rest at Epley, especially if one of them was having a slow day and, maybe, that was the reason they were not with the paceline. Getting up to 17 or 18 in places but mostly grind, grind, grind. As I come to the crossing just before Epley I slow down to get my breathing under control, and there they are, about to get back on their bikes. I go on by, waving without taking my hands off the handlebars, most likely giving a slight nod as I commonly do. I think she recognized me. So, game type two was on. In this version “bling” is not important, but you’d better not let them catch you, for the rest of the entire ride. I though to myself “this is going to hurt”. It is down hill all the way from Epley to Beaver Pond. My fastest average for the 11 miles from Epley to USM is probably close to 20, not sure. I know it is 18+ from Sumrall and that includes the slow climb. In any event I am gone; even with a week rider recumbents are fast down hill. After Beaver Pond I drop back to 16-to-17 mph. My heart rate was running well over 85%.

Just before Jackson station (about 7 miles from Epley) I slowed down a bit because of walkers and casual riders. Then I saw him, well back, in my mirror. I couldn’t tell if she was tucked in behind him or not but I recognized his jersey; also there were not many road bike riders on the trail at the time. I crossed the road at Jackson station and took off. This was a section that I normally did an interval on and normally at about 20. However, I held it to about 18 to kept my heart rate down. I figured that was good enough; I had already estimated their speed to be 16+, not counting the burst coming into Jackson station. I wondered if that was an effort to catch me. If so, too little too late.

I continued my pace until I hit the Hwy 59 bridge. There they were. Not the road bikers, the Louisiana family. She was at the bridge waiting for the kids to catch up; he was riding slowly ahead. I pulled up beside him to talk. I was a little apprehensive but didn’t want to blow by them. This is when I found out where they went for lunch and what they had to eat. A nice guy. I also liked talked to her at Epley, especially liked it, but tried not to be obvious about it. After a bit he said he should wait up and I said I should go on. I was thinking, “where are those guys”, “could they have passed me and I didn’t notice”, “Nah”. I pulled into USM, averaging close to 16 mph for the 60+ miles, not my best.

From the USM station I usually cross directly over to the campus but the traffic was light so I rode west on 4th street and then turned into campus. At the bottom of the hill, there they were, getting back own their bikes after pushing them across the road (it appeared). She and I exchanged verbal Hi’s, almost face to face. How did they do that? Did they turn off the trail early? A number of possibilities, e.g. some people stop short of USM these days because of the construction there. At least she knew they didn’t leave me in the dust; that I didn’t ride a Walmart bike.

Note: Walmart, I think your bikes are great entry level bikes. No offense intended.

As I wrote on Facebook:

Founiras Bros. Pensacola Fla.

We returned from Florida [Monday] night. Great time, beautiful weather. Well, I think they, i.e. Jeanne, Millie (Jeanne’s sister), Kurt, all had a great time, I had a blast. There were about 56 riders on the gathering and some of us rode a little over 70 miles for the two days (which is not all that much for two days) but we socialized a lot, while riding and while not.

On the way down we stopped at Pensacola for the night and ate at Founiras Bros. Greek restaurant. Kurt had the small pizza and couldn’t finish it. I couldn’t believe he didn’t but it was a large small pizza, and very good.

Looking back over the month of October I see that there were several rides I had not posted about. Here is a little catch-up on some of them, principally those with photo opportunities.

	Oct 4, Sunday: Birthday Ride, Carlson and back 70.25 miles, 15.5 mph avg, 134 bpm avg
On your birthday, or on the day of its celebration, it is biking custom to ride your age in miles or kilometers. On the 4th I turned 67 years old and rode 70 miles (round trip). Riding exactly 67 miles  would have meant turning between two rest stations, i.e. Bassfield and Carlson in this case, so I rode a little further and turned at Carlson. Took a little breather there and noticed that a group of scouts had camped in the camping area and were holding Sunday service in their uniforms (the photo is dark because of the trees and my distance from the scene - it was  really a bright and sunny day). I often run into people returning from an overnight camp but they usually stay at the Jeff Davis Lake near Prentiss. You can see some photos of the lake at the Long Leaf Trace Site. After the short pause at Carlson  I headed on back to Bassfield for a more substantial lunch break. The small store where I usually buy chocolate milk and a banana is closed on Sunday, so I looked around. Actually, I’d previously been told there was food available at the Texaco station just one block south of the trace.  Surprise, surprise! The chicken was delicious and the vegetables were expertly prepared. The tea was strong and sweet, good southern tea.  Afterwards, I was too full to ride, so I sat out front with John and talked for awhile. He was there, in the same spot, when I first arrived. We greeted each other briefly then but had a somewhat lengthy discussion after my meal. John said that he had lived in Bassfield all his life; I said "Not yet". He then gave me a hearty, polite laugh and we talked about how things had changed. He had questions about my bike which I’m always glad to discuss. The ride home was just as pleasant as the ride out. I was a little slower at first despite my aero belly being a little more aero, or maybe because of it.

Oct 8, Thursday: Sumrall and back 32.54 miles, 13.9/17 mph avg, 133 bpm avg

Nice day, a good ride on the X-Stream. Ran into Ronald at Sumrall and rode about 9 miles back with him, to his turn off. He has a nice looking metal leg, a replacement for the one he lost when a train jumped the track (he worked for the railroad). He does well on a bike, especially considering he pedals with just one leg, very little help from the other. We rode a little slower and enjoyed more details of the view. I’ve said before, "Ride faster, go further, and see more, or ride slower and see more of it." My average for just the solo-miles on the trace was about 17 mph.

After the previous post I received an email extending the discussion. The first quote below is my reply with my comments interspaced between his. The second quote is from his followup email.

[Quote]

My Strada

Him: Gary, The Strada looks cool. I’d keep it just for that reason. I sold my Strada (too high) and baron (too low) and looking at the LWB’s bikes.

Optima Baron

Me: Looks like our feelings concerning the Strada are similar. I’ve wondered about a baron and how I would do on one. I may yet buy a used one just to try, especially if I can get a good enough price to pass it along without too much of a loss (in case I don’t care to ride it).

Him: I’m a tall guy, so I need the Xstream XL that does not exist yet.

X-Stream

Stratus XP

Me: I like my X-Stream.

Me: On the SXP it is much easier when stopping, you just put your feet down, and it’s an easy reach. On the X-Stream you have to rotate your upper body to an upright position or if you stay laid back it is an awkward angle for your legs. [But] Not a big deal for such a nicely designed bike.

Velocity2 (V2) 20″ F-wheel ver.

Him: I was going to get the HS RANS V2 26 special edition. A bike dealer buddy, … rarely sees an SXP owner sell their bike. [Here’s a BROL article about the V2, 26″ version.]

Me: I’ll not be selling mine [i.e. Stratus XP]. The only slightly negative comment I have is that it is heavier than some bikes and that low speeds can be a little floppy. But, as the doctor said, don’t go slow. I don’t know anything about the V2.

Him: With that said, I’m a middle aged guy that can stand to lose some weight. The Xstream seems a tad faster than the V2, but I’ve never ridden a SXP. How would you compare the ride and speed difference between your Xstream and SXP.

Me: Let’s see: The SXP is like a comfortable over sized stuffed chair that you can nap on (I’ve done it, leaning against a tree - see the marquee photo above) and the X-Stream is like a hammock strung between two trees, i.e. comfortable but takes a little more attention getting on-to and off-of. Not really, but you get the idea. The X-Steam accelerates better, i.e. comes up to speed quicker. Even at the top of a down-hill I am at 20 earlier than on the SXP. Add a fairing/tail box/Q-rings to the SXP and you may have the speed of the X-Stream, but not the acceleration.

Him: Would the SXP be a good “ride with some roadie friends”, brevet and long ride sort of bike that you would consider reasonably speedy? Thanks for any feedback.

Me: Depends on their speed and how vigorously they attack the hills. Last week on the SXP I shadowed a somewhat fast rider at 19 to 20[+] mph, for 11 miles. We met and talked at Sumrall where he was turning and I was already on a return from a longer ride (I was at mile 45 on my 60 mile ride, he at mile 11 on his 22 miler). I left Sumrall after he was out of sight, caught him but did not pass even though there were down-slopes where I could have. He did not seem to know I was behind him for when he turned off after 11 miles he looked back, then forward, then quickly back at me, i.e. a double-take. However, I did have to let my hear rate run up more than usual, more than 85% max, on some of the [up-slopes]. This was on the Long Leaf Trace (a rails-to-trail project). Any more speed or, especially, any more climbing and I would have needed the X-Stream.

Me: I consider my SXP, especially the way I have it configured, a very good bike for brevets and long rides; although the longest I’ve ridden it in one day was 122 miles. On that ride I had it loaded with food, water, and the solution to every potential emergency I could think of. There were lots of real hills. I still averaged 13.1 mph, moving. That was at the beginning of the season; I’m in much better shape now. After the ride I felt great, just a little tired of being in a seat, same as I’d feel after a long car ride. When I got home I took my wife out to dinner.
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View from the Stratus XP’s cockpit. Of course I normally look over the top.

And here is some of his followup in a second email

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I’m pretty sure that I will not wait to see if an XL Xstream appears. That leaves me with the V2 26 and SXP XXL as choices. They are almost identical in weight. The V2 has the higher BB, thus should be a better climber. The SXP seems to have almost a cult following in terms of how much owners love it. I have mostly ridden high BB bikes over the past 10-15 years, so my only concern is the loss of climbing ability with the lower BB on the SXP. There is a 2008 SXP used in Kansas for a decent price. The V2 would be new and from the Hostel Shoppe. I am thinking I would get the Sling mesh seat for either bike.

The baron was a very cool bike. I hated to sell it but it was lower than a trike and frankly, always had shifting issues. I did RAIN on it. 161 miles in a day. It was very comfy, but the hamster bar caused to to not be able to straighten my arms after 161 miles. With that said, nothing else hurt. Very cool bike if you like it low.
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(The comment about higher bottom-brackets (pedals) giving better climbing performance than lower BBs is very interesting.)

From a BROL thread.

First, a word about cars:
If I could have only one auto it would have to be a van, for practical reasons, but I have had sportier vehicles that were much more fun to drive. So, Im saying that I lean toward the practical. Therefore:

(I know the thumbnails are too small to see, but I don’t want to bore you with the same photographs I’ve used many times. If you can’t help yourself, please click on them for a larger view. I’ll take more photos)

If I could have only one bike it would have to be my Stratus XP (versatile, comfortable, setup for speed with fairing/tail box/Q-rings - see me resting on mine in the marquee photo).

When I get really old that one bike might have to be a trike, such as my Greenspeed GT3.

If I could have a second bike it would be my X-Stream, the lightest and fastest I currently have. The laid back position is just not as convenient in some circumstances as the more upright position of my XP, e.g. when riding/talking with others and when resting on the bike.

If I were to sell a bike I don’t know which. Maybe the Strada. I’m slowly coming to think that the “up-high” ride is not for me. Although, when I rode it last week with the re-curve seat it felt good, a nice ride. I’m just a little shaky/ill-at-ease on it, especially if the road is a little wet/slick and the rear wheel drifts a bit. Probably just me. But, my Strada looks really good. Now that I look at it I don’t think I can let it go. I love it. See the photo below; see what I mean. Don’t you just want to walk up to that bike and get on it.

I love them all, but in different ways and for different rides.