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  1. #1
    Senior Member E.A.Y.'s Avatar
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    Flapping Nostrils

    An overnight hammock/recumbent trike expedition. November 2011

    Link to YouTube video (in HD, no less!)

    Gear list is at the end of the written report.

    --------

    Why did I do this little trip? I've always wanted to tour by bicycle and now I am the proud owner of a luscious orange (color is important) German-made recumbent tadpole tricycle.



    Beals Point campground (Folsom Lake SRA) is about 13 miles from my house, quite useful for my first human-powered-vehicle overnight.

    It took me an hour and a half to get to the campground and two and a half to get back. My average on the way out was 9 mph, and back was just over 5 mph. Yes, you saw that right. 5.2 mph. Oy.

    Take a look at this little diagram for part of the reason:



    RidewithGPS gives these stats for my outbound leg
    Elevation: + 1089 / - 1814 ft
    Start Elevation: 1189 ft
    End Elevation: 486 ft
    Minimum Elevation: 126 ft
    Maximum Elevation: 1334 ft

    and this for my return trip
    Elevation: + 1783 / - 1070 ft

    The other reason for my lethargic pace is that I'm pudgy and middle aged.

    At noon I rolled out of the garage, down the driveway, shifted to my most grannyiest gear, and slogged up the STUPID hill in front of the house. Every from-the-door-tour will start this way so I ought to get used to it.

    Then I got to fly down the first hill on the main road and attained 37.3 mph! That's the fastest yet I've coasted on this bike. Or any bike. Ever.
    My nostrils flapped in the wind. Weird feeling.

    I traveled primarily on roads (usually no bike lane but with a shoulder of varying quality) but used a bikepath over Folsom Crossing (the road/bridge replacing the old dam road across the American River just below Folsom Lake).

    There are multiple construction projects all around Folsom Lake.



    Sometimes Folsom Crossing is closed around noon for blasting or other exciting things. I timed it just right to have a nice break in the shade of the construction company's office parking lot (not that I was trying, but it worked out fine). No blasting was audible.



    After Folsom Crossing, although I could have continued on the bike path to the campground, I chose instead to take Folsom Auburn Road, since I needed to pay my camping fee at the kiosk.
    $25 for the off season, no biker discount.

    I chose Site #1 since I was tired and wanted to set up camp and there were two trees Right There and I'd have plenty of 'campground TV' to watch since I was right off the main drag.



    While I was setting up, I realized that I had packed neither climbing carabiners nor Dutch Clips for my hammock. No matter. I made it work anyway.
    Unthreaded the straps from the hammock, wrapped them around the trees by threading one end through the other end's sewn loop, rethreaded hammock.
    And I even remembered to take them off the trees the next morning!

    I loafed around and read and people-watched. Had some tea.

    I critter-watched (turkeys, squirrels, bicyclists)

    Loafed some more and ate dinner (sandwich from the deli I'd stopped at on my way through Folsom).

    Gathered some HUGE pinecones (sorry, forgot a pic of those) which helped my twig and small branch fire look Much Bigger than it was.



    Finally crawled into my hammock (I had my Crowsnest 3/4 underquilt and Burrow top quilt) and read or listened to some podcasts.

    Got up multiple times in the night (why did I have two cups of tea with dinner? I KNOW better!) Smelled a skunk one time.

    Woke up for good at 6:30am and wandered around the lake shore for a while, then packed up and headed back.



    Back over Folsom Crossing, then up all the hills I'd gleefully sailed down less than 24 hours before.

    I whined a lot climbing up the hills, but I also had a chance to stop and admire the landscape. In a car I fly by at 55mph so I miss a lot.



    Remember the 37.3 mph hill? Well, I had to go back up that. Ugh.

    Arrived home 23 hours after I'd left, with way too many pics and video to process.

    Gear thoughts:
    I wore exercise shorts and a short sleeved golf shirt (wicking and very comfortable) on the way out, and lightweight wool (long sleeves and long pants) on the way back. Temps were in the mid to upper 60s on the way out and about 10 degrees cooler with more wind and not much sun on the way back.
    If I had been riding into the afternoon on the way back, I would have stopped and switched back to the lighter clothes.

    I tossed the Primaloft jacket in the bag on a whim, and I'm glad I had it along. I did not use the wool zipneck jersey or the booties or the fleece gloves. Or the rain pants.

    It was nice and cool but not too cold at night: perfect for snuggling in the Burrow and also for having the tarp fairly high up. I'm glad I put the doors on the south west end, since that's where the early evening and early morning breezes were coming from.

    My trike weighs 40 pounds (not something I can change) and my total gear weight (bags, food, water) was 29 pounds. 8 pounds of that was bike tools.

    HP Velotechnik Scorpion full suspension trike.
    9-32 semi custom cassette, 26-42-52 front, 155mm cranks, 20" wheels all around.

    OES tarp with guy lines and 1 set doors, stakes
    WBBB hammock
    Burrow topquilt, Crowsnest underquilt, Gossamer Gear pad

    Caldera cone w/ esbit stove, Ti pot/mug/spoon

    Tea bags, milk, sugar
    Food bars
    Some sandwich from the grocery store along the way
    Oatmeal packet
    Couple of bananas

    One pair exercise shorts and golf shirt, sports bra, socks, bike shoes
    Helmet and ball cap
    Wool zipneck jersey
    Wool long underwear set and hat and fleece balaclava for sleeping. Booties.
    Fleece gloves and wool socks
    Homemade primaloft pullover
    Rainpants, lightweight, for windblocking or light rain
    Windbreaker, high viz

    Pliers, allen wrenches and one Torx
    Pocketknife
    Master links and some spare chain, chain tool
    3 tubes and mini pump w/ gauge
    Tire levers, patch kit, boot
    Gorilla tape and zip ties
    Bike lock

    Sunscreen, lipbalm
    Toothpaste, brush, floss
    1/4 bar of soap, deodorant
    Toilet paper, hand sanitizer
    Collapsible bucket
    First aid kit
    Bandana

    Wallet
    Notepad + pencil
    Celphone and charger
    Camera and spare batteries
    Small tripod
    Paperback and headlight and ipod

    Water bottles
    flag(s)
    Arkel tailrider bag
    Arkel RT-40 panniers, one lined w/ trashbag for clothes and hammock
    Sea to Summit dry bag lined with trashbag for quilts
    Boom pouch for camera, phone
    Last edited by E.A.Y.; 11-04-2011 at 19:19. Reason: date
    -Liz -

  2. #2
    Senior Member Les Rust's Avatar
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    Cool report, Liz. Sounds like you had a good time. You sure are thorough--gear list--including gears! Looking forward to more recumbent adventures.

  3. #3
    Senior Member Jsaults's Avatar
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    Great trip report!

    I am a lapsed rider, road & mountain, and have not done a tour in over ten years. This makes me think about getting on my bike again!

    I tried a long wheelbase recumbent this summer, and I have to say I am interested. Maybe next spring...........

    Jim

  4. #4
    Senior Member peanuts's Avatar
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    loved the video.....recumbent bikes look cool...
    Peanuts

    "A womans place is on the trail"

  5. #5
    Senior Member E.A.Y.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Les Rust View Post
    Looking forward to more recumbent adventures.
    Me too! Amador county in the spring, maybe.

    Quote Originally Posted by Hawk-eye View Post
    I enjoyed the video a lot!
    Thank you. Was fun putting it together.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jsaults View Post
    I tried a long wheelbase recumbent this summer, and I have to say I am interested.
    A recumbent will make your old bike very very very uncomfortable. It like a magic superpower.

    Quote Originally Posted by peanuts View Post
    loved the video.....recumbent bikes look cool...
    I could not ride if I did not have a recumbent. So glad I can share the fun!
    -Liz -

  6. #6
    Senior Member Hawk-eye's Avatar
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    I'm impressed ... and that's one nice rig you have. I enjoyed the video a lot!

    WARNING: Will discuss Rhurbarb Strawberry Pie and Livermush at random.


    "A democracy is two wolves and a small lamb voting on what to have for dinner.
    Freedom under a constitutional republic is a well armed lamb contesting the vote." ... B.Franklin


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  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    E.A.Y. -
    That was a great video of a great trip. Thanks for sharing it with us. I liked the tarp outtake at the end!

  8. #8
    Senior Member millarky's Avatar
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    Great video as always!

    One thing I love about my recumbent is there is always room for a camelback behind you. Drinking from a tube is easier than messing with bottles.

    Hate hills too. Way tougher on a bent bike.
    The gene pool needs a life guard.

  9. #9
    Senior Member mbiraman's Avatar
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    Nice vid,,,,,,,and the rolls royce of trikes,,very cool. I think i remember a video of a couple of guys going down a bike path at Folsom lake??. I had a trike for a couple of years but it didn''t work out in my area that well . I have a Barcroft Dakota these days, two wheels, but its been lonely in the shed as i've been on honeymoon with my kayak. Recumbents in the bicycle world are like hammocks in the camping world, most folks don't realize how comfortable they are and now that bents are winning the RAAM,, well,,,their fast as well.
    Thanks for sharing

    bill
    " The mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it."

    “The measure of your life will not be in what you accumulate, but in what you give away.” ~Wayne Dyer

    www.birchsidecustomwoodwork.com

  10. #10
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Wow....what a good-looking and comfy looking ride....like a bike-hammock!
    I just love the Trip Title))))))))
    Shug
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

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