My Humans, Gary and Judy, took me to the Human Power Challenge, 2006 this week. Imagine my surprise when they opened the doors of my trailer and there were recumbent bicycles just everywhere. There were Tour Easys, Gold Rushes and Bacchettas. There were home built bicycles and streamliners. Everyone was just romping around, splashing in the rain puddles and having a glorious time. Other humans came by and snapped my picture and I held very still and made sure my paint gleamed its finest.

One of our races was rained out, but finally we got to ride in a sprint. This is where we go just as fast as we can for 200 yards. I am so proud of my humans, they got me up to 20 miles an hour and we won first place. One of the streamliners was just so fast. He was able to take his human to over 40 miles an hour. He was going so fast, I was afraid his paint was going to blister and peel off. But he was confident and told me not to worry because he was made of carbon fiber.

Next we got to race in a one hour road race. We were racing around the Portland International Raceway, (PIR), and we just went around and around until the hour was up. What fun, and it didn’t even rain on us. Again I was so proud of my humans, they were first in their class again. Now the part I don’t understand, is how the other bicycles could pass us over and over and we still won first place. I think it has something to do with the fact that I had to carry two humans and the other bicycles only had to carry one human.

We also met some fine people from Jersey in the Channel Islands of Great Brittan. Their names are Iain and Mandy. They have been riding two recumbent bicycles all around British Columbia Canada and now Washington and Oregon for the past 11 months. You should have seen the big packs that their bicycles were carrying. It makes my tires ache just to think of all the miles they have carried those packs. They never did race with us, but I just know their recumbents would have loved to shed their packs and romp around the track with the rest of us. They are headed for California next, and may go all the way into South America.

Now don’t tell my humans that I got on-line and sent you all this note.
Good bye now from Path, The Green Dragon, Recumbent Tandem Bicycle.