by Mike | Feb 18, 2020 | Events, News, Products
EVENT NEWS
2020 Rally and Demo Day
Time to crank up the ballyhoo machine again and remind everyone about the upcoming 2020 Heart of Texas Recumbent Rally, taking place in Keller (Fort Worth) on March 21-22. Registration is available online at https://www.bikereg.com/2020hot or by calling the shop.
The event is a little different this year. It is smaller (65 people max), shorter (1.5 days) and costs less ($25). Significantly, I’m mixing it with our 2020 Demo Day, so along with our other Rally events that day, Rally guests will get to play VIP recumbent expert for the crowd attending that event. For more information, see our website: https://www.wemakecyclingeasy.com/2020-rally/
Please, come to my party! Expect to see (read: We hope to see) a pre-production electric-assisted Catrike and some new TerraTrike models that won’t be available until summer. Bacchetta will have something interesting, but we can’t say what it is until they formally announce it. Easy Load Ramp systems will be there too. Who else? We’ll see.
Register here
PRODUCT NEWS
Meet the Maverick
The TerraTrike Maverick, that is.
Of course I think of Samuel Augustus Maverick, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, twice elected mayor of San Antonio, and notable non-conformist in ranching circles. Maverick was known for not branding any of his cattle, and an unbranded head of cattle in anyone’s herd came to be known as “a maverick,” as would anyone with an independent way of thinking. Never mind that gambler from the television show. Now, it means a tricycle!
Significantly, the Maverick is replacing the iconic TerraTrike Rover, which redefined TerraTrike’s product line and 
took the company to the next level back in 2010. The Maverick is essentially a lower-budget Rambler, and anyone familiar with the Rambler will recognize its form in the Maverick.
Like the Rambler, the Maverick is lighter than the Rover, but it doesn’t disassemble like the Rover does. It won’t convert into a tandem like the Rover, and for that reason the Rover will stick around as a tandem that can shrink down to a single. Like the Rambler, the Maverick uses “vertical drop outs,” meaning the rear wheel slides downward to come out of the frame. This makes wheel removal much easier when a rear fender is installed. It also makes boom adjustment less precise since the rear wheel cannot be slid backward in the frame to tension the chain. It would be easy to add a spring-loaded chain tensioner, though one is not included.
I bring this up because having sold through most of our Rovers, we’re now starting to bring Mavericks in, and we’ve had a hard time keeping them in stock. TerraTrike is supplying them at three spec. levels, much like they did with the Rover. The “i3” model does not refer to Bob Marley’s backup singers, but the model with an internally-geared three-speed hub. That isn’t a large enough range of gears for most people, but it works for some limited applications. The “i8” model will use the good quality Shimano Nexus-8 internally-geared 8-speed hub, which we’ve been a proponent of in the past. The “x8” model will sport an 8-speed rear derailer.
We had such great success selling the Rover equipped with the NuVinci N330 shifting system that we will make an effort to keep that system available on the Maverick. This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve played the maverick ourselves, having first introduced the Nexus-8 hub on the Rover after disapproving of the kinda klunky Sturmey-Archer 8-speed hub used on early Rovers. After a second major retailer introduced a Nexus Rover, TerraTrike finally got on board and produced them, before moving to the NuVinci N330, which proved to be a great match. We have Keller shop manager Micah Simmons to thank for recognizing the strengths of the N330, and Easy Street ended up being the largest buyer of that model among all of TerraTrike’s dealers.
Battery care tips from Bosch
Bosch, who makes all the washing machines and cordless drills, has jumped into the e-bike market. They are a major player in Europe, and are competing heavily with Japan’s Shimano Corp. selling a line of well-made, well-supported e-bike motors. TerraTrike currently uses Bosch motors on the Rambler EVO, and in their Boost Kit, which will retrofit any TerraTrike currently in production, excepting the Sportster and Tandem Pro. Catrike will be using Bosch motors on their E-Cats.
Anyway, I got a newsletter from Bosch about battery care, and it taught me a few things, so I wanted to share it. This covers lithium-ion batteries, which are the standard nowadays on any decent assist system; Shimano, Bosch, Bionx, Bafang, Golden Motor, E-bike Kit, or any of that zoo of brands coming out of China. Here is a reprint:
Do you have customers who plan to store their Bosch-equipped bikes during the winter months? Let them know that the ideal battery state-of-charge for long-term storage (i.e. over three months) is between 30%-60%, and the ideal storage condition for their battery is a cool, dry location that’s between 32°F-68°F. Note: a little warmer is better than below freezing, so when in doubt bring your battery inside; just not by the furnace.
Is it cold where you ride and do you and your customers prefer to use their Bosch-equipped eBikes through the winter? Excellent! Just keep in mind that you may need to adapt your charging habits to cold weather. If it can get below freezing where you store your bike, bring your battery inside to charge at room temperature.
The performance of your Lithium-ion Bosch battery can be temporarily affected by the cold. If you’re experiencing significantly decreased range during your cold-weather rides, consider storing your battery at room temperate prior to your ride and using an insulating, neoprene battery cover.
As we often say, think of your battery as something like a living thing. Your bike can be treated like a piece of machinery, but the battery isn’t quite like that.
We don’t have battery covers in stock since it never gets that cold around here, but if you are interested in them let us know, as we can get them from Bosch’s US distributor. They have models to fit either Bosch or Shimano systems.
Alfine-11 and Nexus-8 hubs need an occasional oil change
Now a technical matter.
Speaking of Shimano-built internally geared hubs on TerraTrikes, we also like to put the Alfine 11-speed hub on our Rover Tandems. This is another Easy Street exclusive. The Nexus-8 is great, but it doesn’t have a wide enough range for the tandem application of the Rover, so we started building our tandems with the Alfine-11.
Shimano states that Nexus and Alfine hubs should come in for an oil bath every year. We find this excessive, though we appreciate their support for our bottom line. But having seen a worn-out, not-lubricated Alfine-11 in the hands of another technician, I think it is time to step up and remind people of this occasional service need. If you are putting the miles on your Nexus or Alfine hub, do yourself right and drop off your wheel with us. This is a fairly easy, $40 service job (a little more if we need to remove and reinstall the wheel), which will keep those pricey parts running more happily. Keep it in mind.
SHOP NEWS
More self-promotion
Besides getting TerraTrike’s dealer of the year (I think I mentioned that in the last ESR News), we were #3 in purchases from both TerraTrike and #4 from Catrike. I could say “#3 in sales” but the rankings are based on how much they sold me, not how much trikey joy I actually spread to the people of the Earth. Fortunately, since I’ve got such a horror of holding too much inventory, what I bought is pretty much what I sold. I know this isn’t the case for all of my fellow dealers.
If you find me a little blasé about these honors you are right. At the end of the day I’ve got my li’l bank account, a list of jobs to get done, and the memories of the people I’ve dealt with whom I hope got the best service I can give. All else is fleeting. I’m sure there is a haiku in that somewhere.
That’s all I can think of.
Come to my party!
Sincerely,
Your old pal
Mike Librik, Easy Street Recumbents
by Mike | Jan 27, 2020 | Events
‘Bent Event?
“Recumbent” means to lay back. ‘Bent is shorthand for recumbent, referring to the style of trike or bike that lets the rider lean back. ‘Bents have been around since the 1930’s, but since they aren’t allowed in the usual bicycle races, very few people know about them. Those who do know about them are hooked. Not only are they more comfortable, they have many safety advantages as well.
Easy Street, the oldest recumbent trike and bike specialist in Texas (since 1996) will host their 2020 ‘Bent Event at their store in Keller at 2041 Rufe Snow Dr. #101 on March 21st from 9AM to 5PM. For more information, call Mike at 512-789-4118.
What can you expect at the ‘Bent Event?
- Lots of recumbents to try. But then you can come by the shop any day and find lots of recumbents. But this day we’ll also have stock from the Austin shop, new models coming in for spring, and….
- Lots of recumbent riders. Our salespeople are very nice. But if you come to the ‘Bent Event you’ll meet a lot of recumbent enthusiasts with their personal rides. Talk to people like yourself, our recumbent community, not just the salespeople. See an even wider assortment of models than we keep in the store.
- Recumbent industry people. Get insights from recumbent trike industry guests.
- Join us for a ride. You can always test ride on the beautiful John Barfield Trail, that connects right up to our shop. Our community will be playing all day, and we invite you to take a ride.
- Community ride Sunday morning. Join us the following morning with your own bike as we ride out to breakfast. We’ll have two rides: 11 miles out and back to Grapevine, and 7 miles out and back to NRH. Both rides are primarily on trails, minimally on neighborhood streets on a quiet Sunday morning.
- Deals! Look for closeouts to 2019 stock. Mike the owner will be there, and he might be in an agreeable mood to make some deals with local buyers.
Who rides recumbents?
Easy Street has been selling recumbents longer than anyone in Texas. There are a few main types of customers whom we meet:
- Never much of a cyclist but wants to ride. Lots of people never like the hunched up position of upright bikes, and never got comfortable with balancing one. But there is this beautiful trail by their house. Their kids or spouse or friends ride. They want to enjoy cycling, but they don’t want to deal with that bicycle. These people are a silent majority, and they often buy casual trikes.
- Love cycling, falling out of love with that bicycle. Many customers are committed cyclists who love the activity and the sport, but for some reason no longer get along with the traditional upright bike. Often it is an injury or a disease. To keep doing what they love they need to re-think their ride. These people often buy fast bikes, fast trikes, or sport-touring bikes
- Love cycling, but not the balancing. The committed cyclist who isn’t getting any younger and is more concerned about falls. These folks tend to get fast trikes or sport-touring trikes
- Wounded warriors. Easy Street has partnered with the Veterans Administration to provide trikes for wounded soldiers. These hard-chargers aren’t planning to let injuries keep them from fitness goals. These people also get fast trikes or sport-touring trikes.
- Wise beyond their years. This is often a younger crowd with an interest in long-distance cycling. Riding such as ultra-marathon, self-supported touring, century rides, or charity rides, would all be better on a more comfortable and safe bike. Some people just have enough sense to see that. These whippersnappers get sport-touring bikes, sport-touring trikes, or fast bikes.
- I wish my (spouse/parent/kid/friend) rode with me. Some customers are perfectly happy with their regular bicycle, but they know and love someone whom they’d like to bring along. Often these friends or family are from type (1) above. We usually set these folks up with sport-touring trikes.
- All the other non-conformists. Recumbent riders are a laid-back crowd who don’t have a lot to prove to anyone. This makes for a pretty nice clientele. We’ve got ‘bents for all kinds of riders on our main products page.
by Mike | Dec 12, 2019 | News, Rally
For our 2020 rally and spring event, ESR will develop on an earlier concept and borrow from the Heart of Texas Recumbent Rallies we’ve done in recent years. The new ‘Bent Event will be a combination of a public demo day, where the recumbent-curious can come and try out the new spring lineup, and a rally, where the enthusiasts can share their love of this activity and the culture around it.
Saturday, March 21, at the shop in Keller, just outside Fort Worth:
- We’ll actively promote the event with the surrounding communities in the DFW area to bring in the crowds.
- I’ll have a lot of new models from our suppliers.
- We’ll have manufacturers’ rep’s on hand to help show off all the neat stuff. Currently TerraTrike will be on hand. I’m yet to go after others, but that will happen.
- We’ll be doing test rides around our test ride space, and down the Red Carpet Trail, connecting to the Little Bear Creek / John Barfield Trail system
- Other fun stuff that I haven’t thought of yet
But that is just part of it.
Registration will open for a “mini-rally” that day, which includes:
- VIP status as a Recumbent Ambassador at the ‘Bent Event. Bring you ride, bring your recumbent homies, and be a recumbent elder statesman to help guide and energize the crowd that arrives. I’m all about giving people someone to interact with who isn’t a salesman. Come give the crowd someone to deal with on their level and show them what the culture is about.
- VIP lounge, snacks, and other perks
- After the main event, we’ll meet for dinner and talks, a mini-‘Bent University, for those who are familiar with that part of our former HOT Rallies.
- I might come up with other ideas.
- I will probably not have an opportunity to put on the chicken suit this year. 🙁
Then, Sunday March 22
- Rally registrants will get overnight bike/trike storage at the shop, if needed
- Meet up for a ride down our fabulous trail system. I’m still designing the route, but I’d anticipate a 1 hour ride, a stop for food at a restaurant (that will be expecting us) and a ride back. Anyone wanting to turn around sooner can, since the ride would mainly on trail except maybe at the very end.
- This ride will be open to everyone in the community, so I’d expect a mix of recumbents and not-so-recumbents.
Why the change? I need to get more exposure for the Keller shop, so I need a public event. The Rally is great, but it doesn’t reach new people and, honestly, to do it up the way I’d think proper was a lot of work. Though it broke even on paper, I could never compensate for the amount of time my Minister of Culture put in to organizing it.
I’ll probably bug you with more announcements as this event approaches, but you can also keep up by going to the HOT Rally Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HOTRecumbentRally/
by Mike | Feb 9, 2019 | Rally
So … Saturday, March 2nd, is our biggest Rally day and now … it’s bigger! One of our neighbors at the Business Park is Wild Birds Unlimited, run by owner, Donna Berry. It is just a lovely shop with a whole variety of Nature-focused items as well as, specifically, bird seed and all things birdie.
If you want to start your Saturday with a Bird Walk before all those pesky recumbents take over the nearby trails beginning about 9:00 a.m., join her and others at 8:00 a.m. for a chance to see and have identified for you the local bird population. When asked which birds you might get to see, she mentioned cardinals, chickadees, woodpeckers, and a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron has been sighted in the neighborhood. Meet the group at the Wild Birds Unlimited shop, around the corner from Easy Street and next to another exciting store you might want to visit which is all about fish and aquariums.
If we are lucky, Donna be contributing a raffle prize or coupons … we have our fingers crossed.
by Mike | Jan 26, 2019 | Rally
Having gone to so much work to design this stuff, I think I’ll take a moment to show you the fabulous items that will dispensed to those lucky recumbent riders with enough taste and discernment to come to my big tricycle party.
- Rally-themed Purple Sky Flag. Our first custom flag designed with help from the multi-talented Raina at TerraCycle:
This lovely number features our HOT logo cowboy mingled deftly with our ESR logo wheel, spangled with reflective stars and of course a Texas icon, just to get everyone’s ego inflated. Safety with style!
.
- Rally t-shirt. Everyone needs another t-shirt, right? This one will be a silver-gray District brand t-shirt, which we brought in a sample of to make sure it was of good quality. I, for one, do not do cheap in this regard. The front features our new chicken roping graphics which I personally find cute and maybe someone else does too:
The back of the shirt will be where all our groovy sponsors will have their logos crammed. We’ll also have those badass Shootout trikes. I may be the only one here who remembers the 2010 Rally shirts, which I borrowed on for that Shootout image:
Not like anyone can see the back of your shirt when you are riding your recumbents
.
- Goodie bag. We mainly used the shirt images for the bag, but since Catrike sponsored the bag we gave them an extra bonus impression:
Pretty cool, huh? Of course the schwag is just a bonus. People mostly come for the Easy-ritos and the guy in the chicken suit.
by Culture at Easy Street | Dec 23, 2018 | Rally
As of Feb. 13, 2019:
Alright … our SUPER nice contact at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Trophy Club has offered us a kindness. Whereas, up until Feb. 12, you could click on the picture of the hotel and be linked directly to a special rate we worked out with them, that link has expired. HOWEVER, Vickie is STILL willing to give you the special rate — you just need to call her directly on her cell phone number and she will take care of you. That phone number is: 817-366-1731. Just explain you are calling to reserve a room for The HOT. She will know what you are talking about. Any issues? Just call me, Rebecca, at 512-789-4118 or 512-413-5919.
Travel from the Hotel:
For those staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Trophy Club, check out this route to and from the shop if you want to ride out from the hotel and get some extra miles in!
Trophy Club Ride (11.6 miles): https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29307201
*************************************
Previously posted:
OH YAY! I have reserved our “Hotties” a block of rooms in Trophy Club, about 20 mins from our HOT headquarters in Keller. Click on the photo to go to a direct link where you will be able to make a room reservation at our special price. You will also be able to see the rooms, tour the hotel, get directions, etc. etc. We have blocked 30 rooms total, we will use a few for our sponsor reps, so don’t wait too long to decide. There are rooms with 2 queens and king bed suites. Mike toured the hotel and our rep there is enthusiastic about having our group.
I also checked with the hotel about whether there would be any problem with our guests storing their trikes in their rooms. No problem!
I think you will be pleased. The hotel includes a substantial breakfast, free WiFi, and many other amenities as well. The hotel does not have its own restaurant, however right across the street is a bar/restaurant called Breadwinners. Perhaps we will see you there on Friday evening.
On a related note, they evidently have plans to break ground for a new location in Keller next fall. That will certainly be handy when it is finally complete. (I wish I could have found us something suitable within trike-riding distance this year, but that was just not possible.)
AND … if you are wishing to stay in your RV, there are a couple of RV parks near the hotel. One of our guests seemed pleased with The Vineyards Campgrounds on Lake Grapevine. It looks to be about 20 minutes away from The Hampton. Our contact at The Hampton also mentioned the Northlake Village RV Park in Roanoke which looks as if it is about 10 minutes away from The Hampton. If you are an RV’er and wish for fellow RV’ers who are attending the HOT to stay in the same park, I would encourage you to post a comment on this page.
ALRIGHT, I can cross one more thing off my HOT “To-Do” list. YAY! It may be just about time to get in the Xmas spirit. 
by Mike | Dec 22, 2018 | Events, News, Rally
So, this just in … Gary Solomon and crew from the Laidback Bike Report are going to be at the HOT and we are EXCITED! The Laidback Bike Report puts together a monthly program followed by many in the recumbent community. As they describe it, “a monthly live video webcast of recumbent interviews and news.” Well, they are going to have more material than they know what to do with when they join us in March! We are looking forward to having them be a part of the fun. And, if you are there and asked for an interview, just say “yes!” If you’d like, take a look at the announcement they made in Facebook on December 20 about their plans to attend. Are we going to see YOU there too? I hope so!
Best wishes of the season to you,
Rebecca, your Easy Street Minister of Culture
by Culture at Easy Street | Dec 8, 2018 | Events, News, Rally
What you will get is a REALLY GOOD DEAL on our new Easy Street “Texas” jersey, designed especially for recumbent riders. It is the same jersey as we have sold in the past (and have since run out of), but we have changed “Austin” to “Texas” in honor of our two shops.
Oops! We need to have a few days to organize our order and submit it to Bend-It. So, I had to change the final date to register and order jerseys to Dec. 26th. Thanks for your understanding!
(The actual jersey will have the color fade you see on the far left. I’m not sure why we don’t see that on the other three views.)
SO, here is the offer:
The jerseys are going to retail for $65/each. WHEN you register by December 26th, you are able to order a jersey for only $45, deliverable to you at the HOT. In this way, you can get a significant price break on them AND be sure you get one (or as many as you want) in the size(s) you want.
If you have already registered, go back to BikeReg and you will see an option for ordering Merchandise. Enter your order there. Obviously, if you have not yet registered, go do it now and order your jersey(s). 🙂
Now, a word on sizes. Bend-It swears that if you use their size chart, you will get a jersey that fits. I know we all feel as if their jerseys run small. So, keep that in mind when you order.
–Rebecca, Your ESR Minister of Culture
by Mike | Nov 29, 2018 | Events, News, Rally
The newest event at Easy Street’s Heart of Texas Recumbent Rally is the Texas Trike Shootout. I expect this event to be exclusive to the 2019 rally.
Back in the 1990’s when ESR got started, the #1 recumbent news source was Recumbent Cyclist News, and editor Bob Bryant did reviews of any ‘bent he could get his hands on. When Bryant managed to get two closely-competing bike or trike designs in his stable at once, he’d do a dual, comparative review called a “shootout.” I’m borrowing that term here.
Earlier in 2018, Bacchetta Bikes made a splash at Recumbent Cycle Con by introducing the Bacchetta CT2.0 carbon racing trike. The CT 2.0 took an existing European design and enhanced it with innovations used by Bacchetta, known mainly for making fast recumbent two-wheelers. Prior to this, there were only two “fast trikes” that one could buy “off the rack,” so to speak: The Catrike 700 and the ICE VTX.
I will not knock the 700’s speed, but it keeps a lot of sport-touring ideas, like the mesh seat and rear disk drag brake, and a plethora of standard accessories for comfort. It was not a full-blown “win at any price” trike like the VTX, with its carbon shell seat, titanium axles, and meticulously analyzed and hydroformed frame geometry.
The VTX is the one to beat. Can the CT 2.0 do it?
Well, let’s find out! At the 2019 rally, Bacchetta and ICE pit crews will be attending with their trikes. Here is how it will work.
- A select group of rally attendees, probably 10-15 people, will each race both models. (See below for how we’ll decide who races.) These races will be competitive with both trikes on the course at one time.
- We’ll lay out an out-and-back course, making a steady climb to a turn-around, so climbing speed is a factor. The trikes will circle a pole before returning, so turning radius and turning stability is a factor. Then the trikes descend to the finish, so top speed is a factor.
- We will measure all the individual times for each trike. We will also count total wins. The trike with the lowest overall time across all riders wins. The trike with the most individual victories wins. Most likely these measurements point to the same winner, but I’d be curious to see why if they don’t.
- We will see how an individual’s times compare on each trike, and the companies can look into why different people’s times vary.
- We intend for a variety of people to race, not just the biggest, fastest people. Sure, someone signed up for the Warriors’ ride will ride faster than someone signed up for the Scenic ride, but we’d like men, women, short, tall, big, small, old, young… a wide variety of people to race these. All this is to help both companies make a better racing trike. And we’re doing it to have fun!
- The course will be laid out to give a competitive spectacle but also to be safe. We don’t want anyone dying for the cause, here.
- We’ll aim to give lots of people a crack at this, but we will limit the number of racers just because we figure people will only want to watch two trikes race each other for so long. We will do some time trials on Friday to determine who will race, along with our own selection criteria. So, let us know id you want to do it (email works, use culture@wemakecyclingeasy.com), get there on the early side, and make sure you are on the list when you arrive.
- Whether you race or not, you’ll be able to ride both trikes. Experts will be on hand to help you get off that low seat! We’ve got all weekend and lots of opportunities to ride.
- The CT 2.0 will not be available for sale until summer of 2019. Come ride it and race it in the spring! If you are on the fence about ordering this trike, this will give you a better chance to check it out than you might have had at Recumbent Cycle Con in Nashville. The 2019 VTX will be available in January of 2019, and will be on display in Austin from that time
- If you want to race then contact trikemike@wemakecyclingeasy.com and let me know, but it isn’t essential that you do. Please get to the rally as soon as you can so we can put you in the time trials. Just because you aren’t the fastest rider doesn’t mean you shouldn’t race. Leggy Lance bike racer types are welcome, but so is fat old granny. We want a diverse range of riders, and since each rider’s times count toward both trikes, we’ll still be doing a balanced assessment of the trikes even if Lance vs. granny isn’t a balanced race.
That’s it. Since I don’t foresee a product release like this every year, expect this laid-back showdown only at the 2019 HOT Rally in Keller.
by Culture at Easy Street | Jul 21, 2018 | Community, Events
So, come ride with us! It’s been way too long since we have had an Easy Street community ride so now it’s time. Bring your friends and family, no matter what they ride, and join us for a lovely early-morning ride down the South Walnut Creek Trail and back. It is mostly shady and … it’s an “out and back,” so if you get tired, you can just turn around and head back the way we came. Plus, we leave nobody behind. There will be a sweep who will accompany you back to the starting point if you decide that’s what you want to do.
In honor of our friends from the Pflugeride Social Riding Group who we hope will join us, we are starting at the north end of this trail. This means the Austin Tennis Center, 7800 Johnny Morris Rd., Austin, TX 78724. The ride is approximately 7.3 miles south to Govalle Park, and then we get to use the rest room, drink water, rest, chat (now that we have woken up), and turn around and head back. It is mostly shady and is a nice wide paved trail wandering through trees and grassland. This ride is purely a social ride.
It will be wheels down at 7:00 a.m. in order to beat the heat. Bring water, sunscreen, snacks, whatever you need! Wear a helmet! Spread the word … we would love to meet more folks. If you have questions for Mike, he will be there to answer them.
If you have questions about this event, call Rebecca @ 512-789-4118. If the weather is questionable, either look on Facebook for an announcement or call that cell phone number just listed. Hope to see you there!
by Mike | Oct 5, 2017 | Events, News
The Outlaw 100 ride is still taking place in Round Rock on October 14th, but since we haven’t had many clear commitments from our recumbent riders I don’t see a point in hosting a hospitality tent event. We’ll take another stab at this at another time. I find these organized ride events to be only so good for expo purposes, as the road racing cycling crowd is less interested our fabulous trikes than ordinary folks are. On that note, the RV show was a lot of fun.
by Culture at Easy Street | Sep 23, 2017 | Events, News
After a lot of hand-wringing and brow-knitting I’ve decided to not do the Heart of Texas Recumbent Rally in 2018. I’ve several reasons for this. We’ve been doing them steadily for 7 years now, and even a good thing requires a breather. This gives us more time think up fresh ideas for it. Also, I’ve got Rebecca working on a busy events calendar for the winter and into spring. I haven’t had this level of support in planning events before and it is nice to see my calendar filled like it is, but it does no good to overload her. This new “Glamping” idea is one I’d like to put through the paces. Lastly, I’ve got some big projects that I need to focus on for the shop’s overall benefit, so I’m putting aside this annual rally project for this year. Enough dithering on the matter. Ain’t gonna be no HOT for 2018, so there.
Apologies to all who were looking forward to it. Stay tuned for fun, trikey events coming from ESR, where We Make Cycling Sneezy, or something like that.
by Culture at Easy Street | Aug 25, 2017 | Events, News
Dates: Friday, Nov. 3 – Sunday, Nov. 5
Register on Bike Reg.
Place: Kerrville-Schreiner Park
2385 Bandera Hwy, Kerrville, TX 78028
830-257-5392 or 830-257-7300
Click on this link:
http://www.kerrvilletx.gov/318/Kerrville-Schreiner-Park
The Vision: See Mike’s article on “Glamping” here. We want to make Mike’s vision happen. You KNOW how he likes to throw a party! And, we are hoping a group of our friendly recumbent riders (families, friends, upright riders are all welcome) will join us for a weekend of fun that includes socializing, eating, riding, and … well, we’re working on other stuff!.
The Plan: Easy Street sets up Operations Central in Midway Mini Cabins 17-18. We have also rented the adjacent Group Dining Hall as a central socializing, eating, and gathering place for Saturday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Y’all call in to their reservations number, 830-257-5392 or 830-257-7300 (speak to Jackie if possible) and reserve a campsite, a mini-cabin, or an RV site nearby (and reservations appear to be wide open at the moment). Our suggestions would be:
Campsites #24-44
Mini Cabins #19-23 (around the Dining Hall) or #9-16. (Cabins sleep 4 in bunk beds, but you can have up to 6 people per cabin site.)
RV sites according to your preferences. They have Full Hookups (50/30 amps), Full Hookups (30 amps), and sites with water and electric, no sewer.
Reservations are very reasonably-priced and, if you cancel at least 48 hrs in advance, the cancellation fee is only $20.
Check-in time for the Mini-Cabins is 3:00 p.m. For everyplace else it is noon.
Proposed Schedule of Activities:
FRIDAY
* Afternoon: Arrive and get settled.
* Evening: Meet up and ride the 4-mile paved trail into Kerrville for dinner (not included in the event price) at a local restaurant. Ride back under an almost full moon. (Actual full moon is Sat.)
SATURDAY
* Morning: Meet up for a breakfast prepared by Easy Street. Get ourselves organized for the day.
The more adventuresome will head out to discover the unpaved trails within the Park; off-roading on a recumbent–exciting!
Others may choose to ride the approximately 5 miles of paved Park trails or … choose your own experience of Park or other local activities (we will have a list of suggestions)
* approx. Noon: Sandwich fixins will be available for lunch. Those who are going on the Winery Tour probably want to clean up and get ready. Exact pick-up time is not yet decided. Those who are not choosing that option can get together and decide what they want to do individually or with each other.
Afternoon: We have arranged to have Hill Country Wine Tours provide a 4.5 hour guided Winery Tour for those who so desire and who have paid the additional $185 as part of their registration on Bike Reg. Our fun-loving group will be picked up at the Park in a Lincoln Town Car Limousine. We will be visiting two exciting boutique wineries (wine tasting fees paid by Hill Country Wine Tours). One of the wineries will pair food bites with wine selections. Hill Country Wine Tours will provide a snack tray of assorted meats and cheeses at the other winery. Bottled water will be provided in the limo throughout the tour. (Mike Kasberg, owner of Hill Country Wine Tours, and his crew have received rave reviews. I’m excited!)
And, if the Winery Tour does not appeal, further exploration of the Park, shopping in Kerrville, playing on the Guadalupe River, are all possibilities and we will provide a more complete list of suggestions as well. If kayaking on the River appeals to you, I would make those arrangements in advance by calling Paddle Kerrville.
Evening: We all join up and gather ’round the Easy Street grill for burgers, weenies, the ‘fixins, and drinks. We would ask you folks to bring potluck dishes to share, e.g. salads, beans, casseroles, vegies, desserts. (The Dining Hall only has a couple of microwaves (no stove or oven), so keep that in mind. We can also manage some space on the grill if needed.) Easy Street will not be providing any alcohol, so plan accordingly!
We are thinking we will all have stories to tell about our day’s adventures and what better way to do that than around dinner followed by a campfire.
If there is interest in a Tech Clinic by Mike, we can do that this evening or maybe Sunday morning after breakfast.
SUNDAY
* Wake up to another Easy Street breakfast. Visit. There may be something you wanted to see or do that you did not yet get to. We might squeeze in another organized ride, we’ll see. Check-out time is noon.
We are open to other ideas you might have about things to do. Just share them with us.
We are asking for $35.00/person (less for children) for the weekend to help us re-coup some of our costs for the 3 meals and the Dining Hall rental, but MAINLY we want you to come! So, I hope you will make your reservations, let me know who you are, and I will put you on a list of attendees and keep you posted as details are worked out. culture@easystreetrecumbents.com
by Culture at Easy Street | Aug 25, 2017 | Events, News
There are a couple of promotional events coming up and … if you’d like to come join us, socialize, show off your ‘bent and talk to the uninitiated about how great they are, we would love to have you.
Sun City Vendor Fair: Friday, Sept. 15, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
This is a fun event where vendors who have products and services to offer the Sun City Community show up and strut their stuff. And, historically, it has been good for the shop. And, it is really useful to have Easy Street customers show up. The address is: 2 Texas Dr., Georgetown, TX 78633. Click on this link for map and directions: Sun City, Georgetown.
The 2017 Austin RV Super Sale: Friday, Sept. 29 – Sunday, Oct. 1
We have wondered how to get the word out to more RV’ers about how recumbents could add to their lives; providing additional fun, exercise, and transportation while they are on the road. So, we are going to give this a try. It will be at the Dell Diamond. Once again, we’d love to have you join us (admission is FREE) for some portion of the three days … they are going to be long! One couple with an RV and ‘bents has volunteered to join us on Saturday — for which we are grateful! For additional information (like hours!), click the link: Austin RV Super Sale
Do you have an RV? Could you provide us with any pictures that show you and your ‘bent(s) and your RV? We would love to have them. Email them to me: culture@easystreetrecumbents.com
by Culture at Easy Street | Aug 25, 2017 | Events, News
Come join us (and a bunch of other people!) to Ride with the Mayor of North Richland Hills.
When: Tuesday, September 5, 6:30 p.m.
Where: This ride leaves from Cross Timbers Park, 7680 Douglas Lane.
For more complete information, go to the website: https://www.nrhtx.com/766/Round-the-Town-with-Oscar
Micah has been regularly showing up at this ride. However, this time Mike and Rebecca will join him. Look for the Easy Street van. We will be there at least by 6 and are looking forward to joining in this fun.
Oh, and there is something on the website about this being a “Healthy Heart Ride, Wear Red.” So, let’s support them in that too.
