Yea.... Grinning Again!

Thanks for this site!
Hard to believe I never bumped into it before, guess this new pathway I am on made it happen...

First actual conversation re:recumbents happened in West Hartford, CT. Coming home from an errand I pulled up, while driving my car - had given up riding a while ago from body now saying NO to riding K's of miles for decades - behind a guy on a recumbent waiting on a red light.

Wow! A real sit down machine. Never encountered on before, I had to follow this dude to his next stop.

Light turned green, he pulled out smartly crossing the intersection an much to my surprise peddled down about half a mile and TOOK A RIGHT ON TO MY STREET!

Stunned and fascinated, I pulled into HIS driveway right behind him. He was my neighbor, yet we had never met before. I lived down the street, opposite side, at the top of the descending hill; thus, he never came home from that direction, preferring the way we had just came in. I had never seen the bike on my street.

Great guy, friendly, enthusiastically offering his story on his recumbent. Turns out he had always ridden one and was one of the founding riders of RAGBRAI, Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and held a reserved spot to ride for all time.

He invited me to join him that day. Now I began to have hope that I might ride a bike again. I really had been missing it for nearly a decade. Now... it's possible?

Well, life took over and I ended up where I am today, North Carolina and it's another decade past.

Longingly thinking how I would love to be cycling, I remembered West Hartford and the joy of recumbent possibilities. Bingo, one look on Craigslist made that a reality. Bought an ActionBent that same day.

I have "agent orange legs", my naming of the condition from my VA Neurologist diagnosis of polyneuropathy. Balance was becoming more and more of a Challenge. So my first attempt with the ActionBent proved hard and I learned that I could only get on it and move if I was on a hill. Smiles resulted anyway, even though when I got to a flat, I was not able to keep enough momentum to be in balance, and my legs were to weak also. Ugh...

18 months later, today, my strategy has become: electrify the 'Bent. With the motor I would always "be on a hill" so getting it going would no longer be an issue, and now I think my legs shall be able to gain strength over time and I SHALL BE RIDING AGAIN!

I am nearly done with the conversion, it has been so enjoyable thinking about the humming of the spokes along a sweet back road again.l

TMI, probably, but that's my story and I am sticking to it!

Looking forward to be active on this site and inspire me to pursue a blogging one day.

 

Glad you found our site and glad you found recumbents. I am in my 70s and I rode my recumbent bike 18 miles yesterday. Still love it. I didn't ride today because the winds were 12 MPH and I am on Santa Rosa Island so there is no hiding the wind. Riding into a 12 MPH wind is just no fun anymore but as a tailwind it is a blast. I only ride because it is still fun.

Let us know about your riding and how you are able to convert from a diamond from the a recumbent.

 

I'm back on my *** hatchet bike. I couldn't talk the trike people into anything besides the greenway and couldn't keep up with even my slow roadie friends. The 559 is seeing very few miles and I'm considering my next 10 yr 2-wheeled bike. Thinking I'll go with a ti frame hoping to get at least 10 yrs out of it. My 83 yr old friend waited until his 80th bday to upgrade and could really use an ebike to stay in the pack. He's a good role model and I'll get what may be my last bike at 70. Strange considering that anything may be my last except perhaps the new roof that the cabin needs.

 

I just gave a talk to my mens group about recumbent bicycles. I am one of the youngest at 70. Only 1 out of the 25 people are still riding a bicycle. I plan to keep riding until balancing becomes an issue. I ride by myself, so I have no trouble keeping up with me>

 

My conversion hit a snag... my bad.

Got it all running fine on the bike lift then decided to change the battery mount to get a better center of gravity situation.

Ugh... dropped the LI battery pack, now not functioning.

Haven't had time to disassemble it and troubleshoot it. Fall has come to town and I hope I get to try it on the road soon.

Working on something for Election Day for a friend of mine. Aaron Swartz, https://tiny.one/AaronsStory a hero of mine. Way different age cohort.

 

Look us up if you ever come to Murfreesboro. We have at least 1 scheduled ride 6 days /week April thru Oct. Then we go to whenever someone feels like posting.
The hills are there but tamer than where you live - at least shorter and few above 10%.

 

Wow, on the fires!
I have done a ton of research on LI and who makes them. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435120302798 is great on dendrite formation.

Your suggestion for timer is unique to me, never have run across it. It's good because the damage a malfunctioning BMS circuit over time is what would also be the source of battery trouble. I shall start thinking about how I shall incorporate timers for my bike and my stealth camping van too, thx

Hope I can get to one of your rides next season.