The third heat wave finally ended and was followed by a day of heavy rain. Me, being a bear of little brain, did a 36-mile ride on The Tank. For about 20 miles I was dry. For the rest, not so much. The rain, as it often does, caused a stinging sensation in my eyes. So there I was pedaling along without being able to see in a driving rain. I survived. It was actually pretty comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts.
Today, I took Big Nellie out for its final ride in a while. The whole point of riding a recumbent, at least for most people, is to avoid pain in the neck and back. Alas, my stupid spinal stenosis makes riding Big Nellie somewhat uncomfortable. When I get off, my lower back aches. Life isn’t fair. I’m old. Yeah, well. Just for the heck of it, I installed my underseat rack. I don’t know if I will ever use it.
After my bike tour, I used some REI gear tape to cover the holes in my panniers. About half the repairs failed.
I must say that Big Nellie has been getting a ton of attention from bystanders recently. Ten years ago, before the days of e-bikes and scooters, recumbents were more common. Not anymore. So I get a lot of “Cool bike!” remarks as I spin my way through the local streets.
Oddly, a few days ago, I was riding Big Nellie about a mile and a half from home when someone yelled. “Hi, John.” I learned long ago to ignore anyone who calls my name out in a public space. John is such a common name that “Hey John” is nearly synonymous with “Hey you.”
Uncharacteristically, I did a u-turn to find out who called my name. It was a 30-something young man walking a dog to the front door of a house. He was wearing camo shorts and a short sleeved shirt that showed off a big tattoo on the upper half of his left arm. He had close cropped dark brown hair with a similarly close cropped mustache and beard. I didn’t recognize him so I asked, “Do I know you?” He responded, “I see you riding your bike all the time.” Not really an answer. How did he know my name? I asked him his name. “Art.”
I don’t know anyone named Art. I didn’t recognize him. I know I have my problems with name/face recognition, but this encounter was unsettling. I bid him good day and pedaled off. File this encounter under “Gives me the creeps.”
My fall riding schedule is starting to come together. I have signed up for my 16th 50 States Ride. The posse count is already up to nine or ten people with Chris, Michael, Kevin, Sara, Domitille, and, perhaps, Timothee in the fold. A few rookies are also coming. What fools these mortals be.
I am considering signing up for an Adventure Cycling van supported ride on the Natchez Trace in October. The price (over $3,300) and the camping-only aspect are off-putting, so I am hemming and hawing.
Meanwhile my bikes, The Mule and Little Nellie, are in need of some TLC. Big Nellie seems to be bullet proof. It has a chain that will not die. I am still on the fence about what to do with The Tank. Sell it? Re-configure it as a flat-handlebar bike?
I entered three bike giveaways this year. I lost all three. Scar was right. Life’s not fair, is it?
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
I’ve biked the Natchez Trace a number of years ago. It’s ok. I did it in the month of April, but it was still cold. Maybe October is better. Lots of historic signs along the way to read. Not too much else tho. We stayed in hotels/motels along the way (someone drove the sag vehicle). No food along the way unless you go off route (guess it’s like the Blue Ridge Parkway in that respect). Adventure Cycling would be the camping/cooking deal (everyone carries cooking gear and shops for/makes meals for the entire group — not my thing!! But maybe you would like that. Kinda expensive tho!
I’ve biked the Natchez Trace a number of years ago. It’s ok. I did it in the month of April, but it was still cold. Maybe October is better. Lots of historic signs along the way to read. Not too much else tho. We stayed in hotels/motels along the way (someone drove the sag vehicle). No food along the way unless you go off route (guess it’s like the Blue Ridge Parkway in that respect). Adventure Cycling would be the camping/cooking deal (everyone carries cooking gear and shops for/makes meals for the entire group — not my thing!! But maybe you would like that. Kinda expensive tho!
Bummer that Big Nellie still causes her own type of pain. I think it’s funny when people are surprised to see her. I see people on recumbent bikes at least 3x a year and while they’re not common, they’re certainly not out of left field.
I look forward to reading what you decide about the bike adventure. Hopefully Art isn’t there. Then you’ll know you’ve got a stalker.
Ah, the price of fame (or blogging?) … kind of odd though for sure.