130th ride - 10/12/2015

Had a good ride this morning in cool fall sunshine (low sixties, so that a sweatshirt felt good) —I went 20.3 miles (in 2 hours and 14 minutes), out to Baker Rd. (Dexter) on the long sidewalk along the south side of Jackson Rd. Some planner must have borne a lot of incredulous scorn back in the day when the walk was called for, but I certainly bless his or her forethought, as it effectively connects Ann Arbor and Dexter for us older folks (not quite ready to call myself a 'senior' yet!) and is a godsend for me. I do the vast majority of my riding on the Lohr-Textile Greenway, but when, like today, I just have to have a change, this makes for a great option.

On the way out, I had an interesting encounter. I pulled up to an intersection, waiting to cross it, and a man walking did a double-take looking at my trike, and then asked, "Is that thing easier to ride than a regular bike?" I thought, "That's a good question—and one I haven't really considered before!" But I gestured with my forefinger and thumb, and told him, "It's just a little bit harder." It's a complex issue, because some things (balance especially) are definitely easier. But when all factors are considered—the weight of the cycle, its gearing, and the wobbly, sloppy handling of its steering due to the way the two independent front wheel are hooked together by a metal tie rod, I do believe it's  a bit more challenging than a bicycle, and certainly provides a healthy workout.

Also, on the way back, I stopped at Varsity Ford to say hello to Steve Burkett and Rob Worden in the parts department, with whom I became friends when I was driving errands for Firestone 2001–2014. I hadn't seen them for quite some time, so that was nice. Rob is a motorcycle rider, so after I wrote out a note saying that I wanted to show them my new wheels, which I got May 2 and on which I have put 1850+ miles since then, I told him, "But no motor on mine!"