Seersucker Style Today

Has it really been seven months since I posted anything here? Time flies whether you're having fun or not. Speaking of having fun, today is the second annual Seersucker Social ride, lawn party and after-party. I'm going. Perhaps, the thought arises unbidden, I ought to be working. So I'll give out business cards and claim it was some kind of work.

Last year I rode my Raleigh DL-1 Roadster that had also been my steed on the first Tweed Ride. However, that bike went to its new owner last week. While I really liked the Roadster, it was a favorite bike that I rode only about three times a year. So this year I will ride my recently-acquired Dahon. This has the advantages of plenty of gear range (something the roadster definitely did not have), and easy portability to get to and from the venue (which since I sold my Volvo wagon last year, the roadster also did not have). I have a morning event to go to at Landmark Education, so I'll take the bike in the car, park by a Metro, and take Metro to the starting point.

As the Dahon lacks the full gear case of the Roadster, style will be compromised somewhat with practicality--which means I'll wear shorts instead of trousers. But they will be seersucker!

Seersucker, by the way, has nothing to do with Sears (as I once thought). It is an Anglicization of Farsi words meaning "coffee and sugar" and referring to the alternation of dark and light colors and different textures in the fabric. It probably originated in India and first came to the attention of Europeans through the Middle East centuries ago. Its coolness and style have long been appreciated in warm weather. While today's forecast is not as warm as last year's (which was like cycling in a sauna), it will still be a pleasure to stay cool and look good at the same time.

The Dandies and Quaintrelles, organizers of the ride, have as their motto, "Redemption Through Style." Put your trust in seersucker, my children, and ye shall be redeemed!

Tweed Ride Coverage on Russian TV!

There was a camera crew filming the Tweed Ride on November 14th, and while we were in front of the White House I noticed them filming me. One of them spoke to me with what sounded like a British accent. Next day this clip was on the Dandies and Quaintrelles web site. I'm in the clip, near the end. As the only recumbent and only trike on the ride, I got more attention than I got last year riding my Raleigh Roadster, which was theoretically more in keeping with the event.

Time Flies Like an Arrow

It seems like no time has passed since the Seersucker Social in June. The 2010 Tweed Ride is tomorrow. I've been so preoccupied with working that I hardly paid this any attention.

I was the last rider on the Seersucker Social. I'd had some mechanical difficulties with the Roadster. The gear case, installed for the Tweed Ride, had come loose and needed to be secured. I did this, then set off with the bike in my Volvo 240 wagon, intending to take Metro part of the way. When I got the bike out of the car, it was clear that something was wrong--the chain had come off the chainring and was jammed inside the gear case. There was nothing for it but to return home and sort it out. By then my margin of time had disappeared. I got to the start after everyone had left and followed the route by myself. I arrived just in time for the last of the drinks.

It was growing dark by the time I left, and I was glad of the dynamo lights on the Roadster. Next day the Roadster's back tire was flat. Four months later I still haven't fixed it. Gear cases are great for keeping your clothes clean, but terrible for removing wheels!

Now the 2010 Tweed Ride is tomorrow, I still hadn't fixed the tire, and I hadn't even really committed to going--I told myself that my business took precedence, and booked an appointment for 4 p.m. in Alexandria. Then tonight I asked myself if I could do both. The answer is yes, if I do two things that run contrary to form: get an early start and leave before the party is over. I can ride the Trice, which goes well with tweed and handles long rides and hills better than the Roadster does.

Seersucker Social June 12 in DC

I've been neglecting my blog for a few months while dealing with health, weather, and business, and I've had a nasty cold for the past week, so here this is, almost last minute. 

The Dandies and Quaintrelles, who brought us the wonderful and wildly successful DC Tweed Ride last November 15, are having their second event, the Seersucker Social, on Saturday, June 12, starting at 3:30 pm, with a reception afterwards at the ride destination Hillwood Estate. More than 450 people attended the Tweed Ride. Registration is free for the ride itself and $20 for the after-ride party--including food and drink. Having spent the week resting up and recovering, I plan to be there with my Raleigh Roadster. 

A VASA Difference

Time flies whether you're having fun or not. So it's been weeks since this event that I'm only writing up now. The Embassy of Sweden hosted a ride on March 7th, in celebration of a famous Swedish ski race and festival, Vasaloppet. How could a Volvo-driving, IKEA-shopping cycling nut like me resist? Only thing was, the start time for the first ride was (ugh) 7:30 a.m. I planned on going on the second ride at 8:30, and set my alarm for 5.

Three rides were offered: 56-mile out into Montgomery County, 31-mile along the Potomac shore, and 15-mile through downtown DC. I thought the 31-mile ride looked both interesting and manageable for my state of tune. However, while I did indeed get up and get ready, I got halfway to the start and realised I'd left my wallet at home. Then I realized I needed a layer to keep out the wind. So it took me three starts to get there and it was 8:45 when I arrived. 

I had signed up for this with no real idea of what the turnout would be--and this is only about my fifth time on a group ride of any kind. A solid wall of bicycles greeted me at the start. I heard later that there were 650 people on this ride, and most of them seemed to have opted for the DC route. At the sign-in table, they told me I was welcome to ride the 31-mile route, but I'd be following the group. I figured that I could always ride by myself, and I'd ride the 15-miler with the group that was there. I had thought, looking at the route map, that it would be too much like my recent urban rides around Arlington, and not enough of a workout. However, it was an interesting route, and it was enough of a ride for the shape I was in, especially when I added on getting to the start and home, which was another 15 miles or more.

At the end, the Embassy served us warm blueberry soup. It was a perfect after-ride refreshment for a chilly morning. I took a few pictures; they show a lot fewer people than were there because I took them late in the day when many riders had already left. 

While the majority of the riders were on upright bikes, there were several recumbents and one or two other trikes (I know a Catrike was on the ride and I saw a Greenspeed afterwards). In conversation with one of the recumbent bike riders, I mentioned this blog and gave him the URL--and found out he reads it. I'd never met him before. It was a great moment. Sometimes I have no idea whether anyone's really out there. Nice to find out someone is. 

After the Blizzard, A Trike Ride

The region has just had a blizzard even bigger than the one in December. It snowed here from Friday midmorning to Saturday late afternoon, with reports of more than 30 inches in some places. Having been indoors for about 24 hours, I ventured out for a look around this evening. My intention was merely to get outside in the fresh air and see the snow from closer than my third-floor windows. I had no intention of riding. Then I had a look at my car, barely recognizable under the snow. Then back to the garage. A lane had been plowed through the parking area, leaving a layer of snow and ice where the plow had been, and a snow dam about three feet across and knee deep in front of the garage doors. I opened the door. I looked at the Trice. I looked at the snow. I kicked snow out of the way in a path just 30 inches across (the width of the Trice QNT) and rolled it out. Put up the flag, light the lights and set off down the parking lot. One trip down and back was enough to put a grin on my face and to show that while it was possible to ride on this stuff, it didn't take much for the rear wheel to lose traction. It was time to try out an idea I'd had during the previous snow rides. Tire chains for bikes have been made from time to time, but they were never a complete success and none are currently available. I'd had a simpler idea: a length of cotton clothesline, wrapped spirally around the tire and rim, ought to give sufficient extra traction. A few minutes later I was trying it out. It made a huge difference. I was limited now only by the depth of snow not exceeding the trike's 3-inch ground clearance. The thin layer that remained after plowing was no problem. The slipping and sliding just added to the fun; it was always under control. What was a problem was the 27-degree temperature and my lack of adequate head and face protection. I rode around until my face got too cold and came back in. My camera batteries were charging so I didn't have any pictures. I'll try this again tomorrow and take some. Trikes rule!

Trice on Ice

I've heard a lot about trikes being fun to ride on ice and snow. I've seen blog posts from a guy in Minneapolis who commutes year round on his, with a studded rear tire for the winter. I was wishing for some snow to try mine out in. A few weeks ago we had a little snow that melted off the paved surfaces almost immediately. I felt disappointed. Last weekend we had the largest snowfall I have ever seen in 22 years of living in this area, and reportedly the third largest in this area since records have been kept. In my neighborhood, it was up to two feet deep, though the actual amount that fell was probably less, as there was a lot of wind, producing snowdrifts. This seemed to be in the category of being careful what you wish for. I only wished for a little snow. Next I'm wishing for only a little money.

Anyway, even before I started to dig my car out, I had the Trice out of the garage. There was a snow dam about 18" high and wide in front of the garage door--the snowplow passing through the parking lot having taken out the rest. I lifted the trike over that and placed it in the plowed area. As this was only about a car wide, I had to move the trike to allow cars to pass. I sat down and began to pedal. What I found was that on an icy surface or in thin snow or slush, it would get traction and move. More than a couple of inches, and the wheel would just spin. With the standard Schwalbe Marathon Racer tire on the back, this was about what I expected. I would need a treadier tire if I did this regularly. Also, Trice recommends moving the seat toward the rear to increase the weight over the back tire for riding off-road and this would be much the same. However, I was riding back and forth in the plowed section. When it slid sideways, it was easy to correct and added to the fun. The Trice Q series have only a 3.2" ground clearance, and the rear derailleur on any 20"-wheel Trice is very close to the ground, so I got stuck in the unplowed snow.

I made my way from the parking lot around to the street. Bad idea. There was only one plowed lane and it was full of moving cars. There was no way to reverse course to get out of there. It was forward or nothing. I continued around the block and found that the side street was even worse. It was covered in enough slush to bog down in, and there were enough cars trying to use it that I had to stand up and move the trike out of their way several times. I was able to ride it short distances, then it would get stuck and before I could get moving again, along would come another car. I walked along pushing it through the worst, then was able to ride the last part and into the lot again. If I had some momentum, I could blast through places where I would not have been able to start from stopped.

After a couple more passes up and down the parking lot, I considered my point proved and put the Trice away. If I were going to ride in snowy conditions regularly, I might perhaps want a Trice T 26 for its higher clearance, with some knobby or studded tires on it. However, the QNT proved that it could be ridden on moderate surfaces, and in conditions where I would be a lot less confident on a bicycle, and it was a lot of fun to ride. I plan to do this again, preferably in better locations to do it in than one full of motorized traffic.

Yes, I do get to commute on it occasionally

Last Monday it was six months since the bicycling accident in which I broke my elbow while attempting to ride to my office (June 14, 2009). The following day, December 15, I rode my Trice recumbent trike to the office. It was actually the second time I had ridden the trike to the office, having completed a full round trip on September 16. I don't often ride to the office, because in my business I usually have to be prepared to go out and show houses and I need to have a car with me. On this most recent occasion I was actually retrieving a car I had left at the office. I had been playing musical cars getting them into and out of the tire store before Thanksgiving, and had left the Volvo 240 wagon at the office for about a week. This meant that if I did get one of those emergency calls, I could drive there. I had a change of clothes with me and I was able to look presentable for our semi-monthly sales meeting. Tuesday was a good day to ride in because on the day of sales meetings we always have breakfast there. Plus I have to admit it was fun to show the Trice off to my colleagues.