Recumbent Trike

What is it?

See this Wikipedia artical on recumbent bicycles

Basically it's a bike you ride in a laid-back reclining position. They come in many variations. Mine is a trike. Two wheels in the front and one in the back.

You can find thousands of videos on Youtube by searching for Recumbent Trikes.

Why might you want one?

• fitness like any bike
• seat comfort even after long periods of riding
• stable and easy to control
• super fun

Brands and differences

• TerraTrike
• ICE
• Catrike
• Greenspeed
• and dozens more

What I decided to get

I did a bunch of research online then bought the best bike I could afford from a local dealer Charlotte Cycles.

I got a TerraTrike Rambler

My rambler has:

• 20" wheels
• Internal n380 NuVinci CVT shifter
• Mechanical disc brakes

It's not the fastest trike you can get, but its fun and easy to ride. I got a basic flag for it and a simple wireless bike computer. I also added a bike rack and a seat bag.

I plan to add some blinking tail lights for safety. I'll likely also change the pedals to clipless.

Pros

• I can ride much longer that I could with the standard bicycle.
• I find myself actively looking for opportunities to ride.
• I have had several people stop to ask about it and where I got it.
• I have not had any incidents of people failing to see me when passing me in a car.

Cons

• I can see myself buying another trike in the future, something that can go faster and has higher gearing.
• The seat could be more comfortable. I can buy additional padding.
• The starting price for a trike is higher than standard bicycle.
• I'm thinking of buying special shoes for riding.

Me?

I have had to make some big dietary / lifestyle changes and thought I would do a quick post to mark 40 days in.  It's still not normal to me, but I have to admit I feel pretty good so far.

Being Creative

I've been sick with a sore throat the last 4 days. I haven't felt quite this bad in over 20 years. I was in college with strep and mono at the same time. My girlfriend took good care of me then. We will have been married for 21 years this June. She is still taking care good care of me.

While i have been Sick the new HBO Now service became available. The first show i binge watched was Sonic Highways. It was a great show that was entertaining and informative. But, more than anything it underscored just how amazingly creative people can be. Not just Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, but all of the amazing muscians that were featured on each episode. They are all driven to create.

I have been thinking about creativity lately. I dabble in art from time to time. I also create software for a living. Lately I have been doing little to no art. I also have not been creating software for myself. I have always viewed software as more of an art than a science. I get the same feelng of acomplishment when i finish something.

I work hard to maintain a good balance between work and my personal life. But, lately I havent been using that time in a productive way. I need to work on that. I also need to try and sleep tonight, stupid sore throat.

10,000 Steps

This year we decided to become more active. This decision came about mostly because of our upcoming Disney World trip. But, we also wanted to increase our average activity level to lose weight and to improve our health. When we started my average week looked something like this:

I'm using the Pedometer++ app and the iPhone 5S M7 chip to track my walking. Slowly increasing my goal over several months results in a graph that looks more like this:

The change was gradual and for the most part easy. Combining increased activity with fewer snacks is also having the side effect of lowering my weight. Which I really, really, really need to happen. I also feel better and have more energy than I have in years.

Not much else to say about it. Buy good shoes, Read, and give it a try.

Experiments in Wet Shaving

I (used) to hate shaving. Electric razors suck. Disposable razors make me feel ill every time I throw a used one away. So how can I get a better shave, take better care of my face, and not waste money?

An article in the first issue of "The Magizine" clued me in to Wet Shaving. This is basically the way we used to shave. All you need is a brush, shaving cream, double edged razor blades, a good razor, and some aftershave. For the details go to the article I mention, or any of the great websites that talk about Wet Shaving.

I'm still learning how to shave this way. I don't always get a great shave, but I'm working at it.  The most important thing is I'm willing to shave more often, and I'm enjoying the process.

Nike Fuel Band - Part 2

Been using the Nike Fuel Band for a few weeks. I strongly recommend the Fuel Band or a similar product if you are having trouble staying active.  I am much more aware of how active I am on a daily basis.

I thought I would add some additional pros and cons. What I stated in my previous post is still valid.  These are from using the device for about 3 weeks.

Pros:

• Provides an incentive to be more active. I check the "Fuel" amount regularly and actively attempt to improve it.
• Syncing with my iPhone is easy and convenient.

Cons:

• It would be great if the Fuel Band had an api that food tracking apps could use.
• I'd also love to see a sleep tracking feature like the Fitbit has.

Nike Fuel Band

Got a Nike Fuel Band and so far its pretty awesome.  I haven't been using it for a whole day yet, but I'm hoping that it will provide a little more motivation to be active and hit my daily goals.  Once I've been using it for a week or two I will post an update with more information.

Here are the pro's and con's based on my initial impressions.

Pros:

• Comfortable. Make sure you get the correct size. Large for me.
• Nice interface. easy to use, cool display.
• Seems pretty accurate so far - hard to tell for sure till I use it more.
• Wireless syncing with phone is nice.

Cons:

• Way way way too expensive. Should cost half as much.
• Why do I have to connect it to the computer first, why can't I set my account up with the phone app? Did I miss something?
• Had to try a few times to get the Bluetooth to connect.

Health Care Reform

I've been getting very pissed off at some things members of my family and some friends have been saying and sending to me about the proposed Health Care Reform plan thats is currently being discussed.   But, not for the reasons you might think.

The thing that is pissing me off is that everyone is just forwarding and propagating myths and lies that either side is making up to support their reasons for or against the proposal.  Do some freaking research people. Just because Rush or some other "Entertainer" tells you that something is true, doesn't mean it is.  What happened to balanced factual news reporting. Its almost impossible to find information on the proposals that you can trust.

This post at FactCheck.org helps to illuminate some of these false "Facts" that I keep seeing:

Twenty-six Lies About H.R. 3200

Now click on that and read it, then read it again, then calm down for a minute.

Oh, and If I get one more email from a so called friend or relative about how Obama is evil, mostly because he is black, I'm going to pretty much stop talking to them. Is he perfect? No. Is he always right? No. Does it matter that he is black? No. Stop being so damn hateful.  I thought my friends and family were better than that. Now grow up!

Health care sucks

So we were able to get reasonably priced health care for L. But, because I'm overweight we were not able to get any for me.  The only way they will cover me is if I pay them a huge amount of money per month for a plan that barely covers anything. WTF is up with health care in the US.

It doesn't matter that I'm losing weight, it doesn't matter that I'm in good health otherwise.

I guess I should be happy that we got L covered so easily.

grumble grumble #$%$%^%^&#$%#$%@@!@!

Being Sick Is Not Fun.

I don't know what I had, but it kicked my ass. It was either some sort of Intestinal Flu or possibly Food Poisoning. I'm still weak, but my system is getting back to normal.

Last week I had the pleasure of watching most of the demo movies for HalfLife2. This is going to be an amazing game. Doom3 is going to have a hard time impressing me after I play HalfLife2. I'm starting to get back into Polymer Clay again. It is a real shame that the only local Guild is based in Ashville.

Current Music: Todd Rundgren "Feel It"