I started the day at work but I couldn't concentrate on being productive, the weather was just too perfect. I had to go for a ride. I took off early, aired up my tires and hit the road. Like the majority of my rides lately, I had no destination in mind. My goal was to just get out and ride.
I made a quick stop at a church across from the TCU soccer fields. I like the stone construction.
Art truck. I usually run across this vehicle parked in the Fairmont area. I eyed all the trail users as I rode trying to figure out who might be the owner.
Art truck has some new competition. I found this truck while working on the east side the other day. It's a terrible photo but what you're looking at is a large collection of Mexican figurines mounted all over this vehicle. Awesome!
I rode onto the Trinity Trails intending to head towards home when I remembered the heavy rains the other night and realized that the only crossing would be flooded. I turned around and rode the quiet neighborhood streets back home.
I don't take too many of these shots but I wanted to announce that I am making one last attempt in my life at growing a real beard. Every other attempt has seen me shave in disgust after a couple of weeks. I don't think I have the best genetics for beard growing but I have this stupid urge to try again. This will get ugly in more ways than one.
This has nothing at all to do with anything else in this post. I just thought my loyal readers might enjoy it. I found this photo on Fuzzytnth3's photostream.
Trike racing can be crazy. You have to almost relearn how to ride a bike as they corner nothing at all like a two-wheeler.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of two-wheelers, what is your bike in the first photo? I'm not familiar with that name. I know, I know.. philistine.
I've never heard of trike racing before. I'll have to go look it up now. I thought that was an interesting picture.
ReplyDeleteThe bike in the photo is an early 80's Takara Overland touring bike. I bought it on Craigslist not too long ago.
Good to hear you made it out today. I was hoping I might get lost on my way back to work from lunch. Unfortunately, I just went across the street, and was hard to ignore the building standing there staring at me.
ReplyDeleteChris-Work is highly overrated. You should have made a run for it.
ReplyDeletemyles,
ReplyDeletejust let it grow and soon you will be sporting a nice beard.
btw, i trimmed mine down tonight!
peace :)
I had to ride over to the west side after work today and planned on crossing the Trinity at the low water crossing near Bellaire & 183. I was greeted with pretty much the same view as in your fourth picture. So it was back to Bryant Irvin and over the bridge to get to the other side.
ReplyDeleteI met my wife at a meeting. I pre-positioned my bike rack in her car and sagged home with her. Slug that I am.
I love art cars!I have had a few over the years,but my favorites by far were my friend Doug's chalkboard vans;painted flat black with boxes of chalk bolted all around.Mostly the artwork was crap,but sometimes you got really beautiful quality work,he always said it sucked when you wanted to get gas and go but someone else wanted to draw a Piccasso on your van for an hr and a half.LOL!
ReplyDeleteI too have tried to grow a respectable beard several times but it always ends up looking spotty and ratty;and never gets thick.Oh well.
Maybe the BABBLE group should organize a trike race,I think it would be fun.Anything with three wheels,and thet ALL need aero bars and a helmet cover like the pic.Priceless!
Yesterday was gorgeous in the Fort! I got out with my dogs and trekked down Hidden Road, one of my favorite spots in town. If only that weather would last forever...
ReplyDeleteChandra-It will grow, but I don't know if will fill in right. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteDoohickie-There's no shame in catching a ride with the wife. Especially considering the weather you've commuted through recently. We still respect you.
There need to be signs at the trail heads indicating that the crossings are underwater. It takes a while to ride to the crossing at Bellaire near Hulen only to discover that you're out of luck.
frankenbiker-I imagine the chalk thing could get out of hand in many ways.
I've never seen a road bike converted to a trike. I wonder if it was a 70's thing. Don't they do a kids tricycle race at Muddy Buddy or something. I'd like to see 6'13" tall Doohickie fit on a kids tricycle.
Ashley-It was perfect. I'm glad I took some time off because now it looks like we've got more heavy rain coming.
I bet your dogs love the cooler weather.
Yeah, and I use out of hand loosely; if you catch that meaning.
ReplyDeleteHi I am Fuzzytnth3 aka Graeme the guy in the photo.
ReplyDeleteTrike racing and just riding trikes actually started in the late 1800s. Royalty and upper crust types tended to ride trikes as they were considered more respectable than High or Safety bicycles.
Trikes only seem to have been ridden pretty much in the UK mostly I suppose there are a number of Frame Builders in the UK who know how to build one.
The French do get very excited when they see you on a trike and even in the UK they aren't very common so they tend to provoke a reaction.
The Tricycle Association organise various time trials for their Best All Rounder competition and they even organise a tricycle criterium which I would love to do one day.
All the best keep up the good work I've had a nice wee read of some of the stuff you have posted.
Slainte
Fuzzy-That is a fantastic and quite unique photo. I'd like to see a detailed photo of the back end of that bike. Thanks for the background information on Trike racing.
ReplyDeleteI will see what I can find and post a link. The rear end has seat ad chain stays as a bike except the seat stays rake across from the seat pin area to near the ends of the axles. The chain stays are the same as a bikes but they curve where they meet the cassette cluster.
ReplyDeleteMy trike is a one wheel drive axle so only the left wheel drives the right wheel just "freewheels". Most two wheel drive trikes use the setup that George Longstaff trikes use which is a cassette that drives the left wheel with just a free-wheel without sprockets mounted on the right wheel axle that only becomes the drive wheel when the left wheel is free-wheeling.
Main advantage of a two wheel drive is it's much easier to ride in foriegn countries where they drive on the wrong side of the road :) Another advantage is that two wheel drives make it easier to "honk" ie get out of the saddle when climbing. With a one wheel drive climbing out of the saddle requires you to not lean to much to the right or the left drive wheel will slip and in my case on my first attempt by the end of the climb I had stripped the tread from the tyre!
If you like a challenge and the odd hairy moment power drifting round corners then a trike is for you!