This is Path again reporting from the Human Power Challenge for 2007.
This is certainly a fun place to visit because there are so many fantastic recumbent bicycles and the special “‘bent” people who ride them. Let me define “‘bent” people. These are folks who often commute by bicycle. It is not unusual for them to have three or four bicycles with each new bicycle being a little more extreme than the last one. That is a little lower, a little more laid back and perhaps fitted with a body sock to get just that little extra speed.
The streamliners are the highest strung bicycles here. The rider actually gets into the bottom half of the carbon fiber shell and the top half is taped on. It takes a team of three or four people to launch a streamliner, and again to catch it when the ride is over. Between these endpoints the streamliners are able to cruise at over 40 miles per hour. My ‘bent captain, Gary, had loads of fun as part of the “catch and release” crew for Lonny’s streamliner.
Most of the recumbents are much more rider friendly. There is a great variety of shapes. Some are very long; some are very low and laid back. They may have two wheels or three wheels and the wheels can be large or small. The one thing common to all of these bicycles is the “laid-back’ seating and your humans always look super cool riding one. ‘Bent people have a great time riding each others bicycles and comparing notes about the latest fancy gismos to go on the bicycles.
My team of humans, Gary and Judy tried out several of their friends’ recumbents. They seemed to like the low down tricycles, and the wooden recumbents were very cute but way to short for my ‘bent captain, Gary, to ride. However, he was one of only three of four humans to be able to ride Jane’s dual power recumbent. It is very tricky because it is front wheel drive like me but also you peddle with both your hands and your feet.
Not to be outdone, Jane with her friend Mercedes was able to ride me, the Green Dragon. They were a really fun team and they did very well. Their photo will be included below.
I am so excited now; my humans are going to a bluegrass festival later this week. Bluegrass people are really fun too and I like to hear the happy music.
Goodbye from Path, the Green Dragon
