More 2025 Trike Tour Planning while riding with Friends in Spokane and the Tater TOT Rally

Spokane triking gang

I had a very relaxed time cycling with the Spokumbent group while staying with friends Robin and Chris. I had talked to Robin and Chris about my trike tour plans for next summer. So far, the route to Wenatchee, Washington from the SoCal desert is terrific. Part of my plans for next summer's tour is to return to the Spokumbent Retreat and then continue riding to Tater TOT. The distance between Wenatchee and Kellogg, ID is 265 miles. There is just enough time to cycle between the 2 events and be relaxed. I talked to Robin about route ideas, and she suggested driving Hwy 2 from Wenatchee toward Spokane to see if it would be safe. I was thrilled to see Hwy 2 is an excellent road for cycling with a wide shoulder. Interestingly, when I put cycling directions into Google Maps, a completely different route comes up. I'll have to look closer at this other route to ensure all the roads are paved before altering my plans. 

Google Maps suggested cycling route from Wenatchee, WA to Kellogg, ID

As the Spokumbent Retreat was winding down, my thoughts turned to where to go for the following week. There was a week between the Spokumbent Retreat and Tater TOT and the 2 events aren't far apart. I learned there were others at Spokumbent in the same predicament. They had made plans to ride the trails around Spokane, Washington while camped in RVs at the local KOA. This sounded like a splendid idea and I decided to join in the fun.

Monster wagon at a Spokane park

Triker gang parked on a bridge

Paula's reflective sunglasses

I drove my trailer into Spokane and met up with 3 other RVers who were also on their way to Tater TOT. We spent 3 nights there and rode the local trails. The weather was perfect and the bike paths are very nice. On one of our rides, we met up with Herb, a local Spokane triker who was also at the Spokumbent Rally. He lead the group on a terrific ride all through Spokane and even picked out a nice restaurant we could stop at. We discovered there is wonderful cycling in Spokane. 

Gathering at the KOA

From Spokane, I had a reservation to park at a Harvest Hosts alpaca farm and spend the night. The owner took me on a nice tour, and I bought a wool hat to keep me warm while touring. The alpacas were beautiful. The farm was actually very close to the KOA I had stayed at, and I could hear the same trains rumbling past.

I headed to Kellogg, Idaho, to attend the Tater TOT Rally. I didn't take the direct route on I-90 but backtracked on Hwy 2 to Reardon to continue checking out the cycling route for next summer's trike tour. I used Google Maps to plot a route from Reardon to Cheney into Plummer. From Plummer I can pick up the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes to Kellogg. There were a couple of turns that I bypassed because the roads weren't paved, but the route is beautiful and very lightly traveled.  I have to say, so far, the cycling route I'm making plans to ride next summer is terrific and I'm getting excited.

Once I made it to Plummer, I was able to get on I90 for the quick drive to Kellogg where I had a reservation for 8 nights at the Crystal Gold Mine RV park. Even though I was arriving a few days early, there were already lots of trikers attending Tater TOT set up in their RVs. 

Short video from Tater TOT

This year's Tater TOT was very special. The weather was perfect and the event felt energized. There were more than 150 trikers which is more than I've ever seen at any event. Tater TOT is an event that has always prided itself on being unorganized. For many years, the Fairbridge Hotel has been the headquarters for TOT. One thing necessary to keep TOT going year-to-year is negotiating a price for a block of rooms and then notifying everyone of the dates. 2 years ago, many of the regular attendees boycotted the hotel because the prices went up. With trikers scattered in other hotels and AirBnBs, the event started to feel like it was falling apart. Attendance had also suffered greatly due to Covid. Even before Covid, Tater TOT had become a time when people got together to ride with friends rather than be part of the larger group. It had become cliquish. Because there was next to no organization, new people tended to feel left out. I would argue they were left out. 

A year ago, Janet Buckwalter of Stein Trikes decided to take a leadership role. She did a fantastic job and brought much-needed organization and attention to the event. She went, in person, to the Fairbridge hotel management to negotiate a price for a block of rooms. Then, she communicated clearly and regularly through emails and Facebook posts whenever there was new information. She followed up on any suggestions as well as answered all questions to make Tater TOT more successful. This was like a shot of adrenaline in the arm for the event. I think everyone had a really good time. There aren't many triking events and I am thrilled that Tater TOT is growing again. Janet has also accepted the organizational role for next year again. The dates for 2025 are June 22 - 26. You can find more info or ask questions on the Facebook Page for TOT.

My Tater TOT wasn't the best because I got sick with the flu. It wasn't Covid or food poisoning. No one else got sick, so I don't really know what happened. I rarely get sick which made this quite surprising. I was able to ride for the first 2 days, and then I was down for the next 2. I did a lovely ride with a group that stayed an extra day. I'm already looking forward to being there next year. Since I'm expecting to be touring next year, I'll be staying in the hotel instead of my RV.

Ivy puppy

Friends Barb and Patty at the Center of the Universe

Happy drone flying

My current predicament is where to go next after Tater TOT. I want to continue exploring a touring route for next summer's trike ride. My big question, at the moment, is ... do I want to stay in the US for the tour or should I cross into Canada? Stay tuned.....

2025 Trike Tour Planning and Spokumbent Retreat 2024

 

Reflective heron flying

Mt St. Helens

Scenic overview high above the Columbia River

After a wonderful week in Portland, visiting friends, I headed north into Washington. I had 2 objectives. Since leaving the desert, I had been traveling north on Hwy 395 to see if this would be a good trike touring route. The route goes along the eastern sierras in California, Oregon, and Washington. It has very little commercial/semi-truck traffic with a wide shoulder, and after what looks to be the 1st 3 days of riding, the scenery is terrific. I was thrilled to see this road is fantastic for cycling, and I am busy plotting a tour for the summer of 2025. Portland won't be on my tour, and so I drove east toward Pendleton, Oregon, where I would restart the route north. Hopefully, the route will continue to be as inspiring as it has been. 

I have seen only 2 small sections that have me concerned. There are 2 days of riding in the desert when I get on Hwy 395, where there is nothing but shrub bushes and grasses. For the 1st 2 nights of touring, I can see very run-down motel options, but there will probably be 2 nights of stealth camping. I'm not a huge fan of stealth camping only because I have difficulty sleeping. My imagination always hears animals rummaging outside my tent at night. I saw many dirt roads that turn away from Highway 395 where I could ride 1/2 mile, or more, to put distance between me and the highway traffic noise. I saw some water tanks and small electrical grid buildings I could use as shelter. This will be especially helpful if there is wind, and this area, typically, gets a lot of wind. 

I expect the trike tour to start in early May of 2025, and there may be higher temps than over the winter months. However, when I drove this section in the middle of May, temperatures were very reasonable. The topography is interesting, and once I get to Inyokern, Lone Pine, and then Manzanar, where the historic Japanese Internment camps from WWII are located, there is moderate climbing, and lava rock formations become visible. The ride is stunningly beautiful from here, with creeks and lakes and plenty of bonafide camping opportunities.

The 2nd not-so-great section is a 60-mile stretch from Lee Vining to Coleville. This section is actually part of the Sierra Cascades Adventure Cycling Route. It is, in fact, a state biking route with signs letting traffic know to expect bikes. As Highway 395 winds its way next the Swaugher Creek, sometimes the shoulder disappears. The only parts I'm worried about are uphill sections where my speed will be slower. Sometimes, a metal guard rail prevents bikers from any chance of getting off the road. This also happens during downhill sections but, in those sections, I can ride at traffic speeds and take the lane. Posted speeds on this winding part of Highway 395 will be slower, but many blind turns were scary to negotiate even while driving. This section will be stressful on the trike. I plan to get an earlier start to miss the heavier trafficked times of the day. Even though the traffic will be something to watch, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. This area is the gateway to Yosemite, and the whole route is gorgeous. Otherwise, the rest of the route, all the way from the desert, feels safe for cycling. It has fascinating histories to explore, with many drone and photography opportunities. Small towns dot the way for supply refills, motels, and camping options. Hwy 395 has everything a touring cyclist could ask for. I am much more excited about this tour than my last tour across the US.

I drove north from Goldendale in Washington to Wenatchee, mainly on Highway 97, and I loved the drive. There were very low-traffic roads through farmland. Unfortunately, there were few camping opportunities, and I had to climb up a steep, unpaved road that I didn't think would be fun on my trike. It wasn't fun in my truck pulling a trailer. I'll change this route for the tour to follow Highways 240 and 28 west of Richland, past the Hanford Reach National Monument, and along the Columbia River into Wenatchee. 

Street corner near Robin and Chris

View from Chris and Robin's beautiful home on the Columbia River

Video cycling with Robin, Chris, and Ryan on a hand cycle

Attending the Spokumbent Retreat has been on my bucket list but, unfortunately, I could not find a campsite. There are 2 state parks on the trail and an RV park in town. All were full during the event. I was very fortunate that my friends Dave and Edna called Chris and Robin in Wenatchee, out of the blue, a month before the event. They were driving to Canada and decided to stop in and say 'hi'. Edna mentioned that I wanted to go to Spokumbent but needed a place for my RV trailer, and Chris and Robin offered to let me park at their home. You just never know what will happen next, do you? They have a beautiful home right on the Columbia River, and my trailer fit like a glove. I really enjoyed getting to know Robin and Chris better. They are big into cycling and ride almost everyday all year. We did a few very fun rides together. Robin and Chris didn't know about Spokumbent and we were able to enjoy the weekend riding with the group.

Nest at Chris and Robin's home.

Most of the attendees

Regroup at the Pipeline Bridge

Video of the Spokumbent Retreat 2024

Spokumbent is a newer event put on by the Spokumbent Cycling Group. This is a very active group from Spokane, Washington. I've known most members from attending Tater TOT in Idaho and the Recumbent Retreat in Oregon. It was wonderful to meet up and ride with this group at their event based out of Wenatchee Confluence State Park. The park has direct access to the Apple Capital bike trail and also an easy ride into downtown. There were about 25 trikers in attendance, and I had a great time. The trail goes along the Columbia River through farmland and cherry orchards with lots of wildlife sightings, such as eagles, cardinals, osprey, deer and marmot. Dates for next year will be posted soon, and the event is expected to be held at the same state park. Check the Spokumbent Facebook Group Page for more info. I'll make this event part of my trike tour next summer! I hope to see y'all there!!

Spring Driving to Crescent City and then North to Portland

 

Panorama out the trailer door

View from Lone Pine, CA on Hwy 395

I have been very busy traveling and am, finally, getting around to updating my travel journal. I love my blog and have kept it since I first started trike touring in 2007. At the moment, we are deep into summer and I am traveling with my RV. Over the last 2 months, I have met up with lots of fun people, family and friends. So much has happened that I am going to do a few journal posts to get caught up.

I left the oasis in the desert of Southern California as temps started to rise to escape the heat. I really appreciate Joni's hospitality and friendship. She generously lets me park my RV for a few months during the best time of year in the desert, especially for cycling. I love riding with my local triking friends as well. Harry, who owns the bike shop, TriABike, offers regularly scheduled rides in the area. Church, where I am parked, is a 6-mile ride to the bike shop, and I love meeting up with new people and local riders. Some are on uprights, and some are on trikes. Some with e-assist and some without. This winter was much cooler than usual in the desert. It was also so windy that many of our rides were canceled. The dust in the air was a bigger issue than the actual wind. Sometimes, the air quality was very unhealthy. 

With spring in full swing, I left southern California. Essentially, the summer months will be spent traveling between 3 triking events. First will be the Spokumbent Retreat in Washington, then Tater TOT in Idaho and the summer will wind down with my favorite event in Oregon, the Recumbent Retreat. I will be writing up a few blog posts to cover all of it. As usual, my travels typically seek places to ride my trike.

My RV trailer is a Nash 17k that I bought new in 2019. Hard to believe, but the Ford F150 truck and trailer are almost five years old. They both have been a terrific investment. It is my first RV, and has only 17 feet of living space. I still love it. I continue to be surprised at how comfortable I am in such a small living space. It's like a cozy little nest. The other thing that surprises me is that I still haven't done anything really stupid. Knock on wood, this continues to be the case.

Parked in front of sis's place

Fun with Taryn and Tracey, friends from high school

From the desert, I had tentative plans to stop at the Bristlecone forest, Yosemite and Redding to ride the wonderful trail to Shasta dam. There had been a late spring storm that dumped lots of snow in the Sierra Mountains. The roads to the Bristlecone Forest and Yosemite were still closed when I arrived in the area. I continued on to Redding as a heatwave approached. I drove up Hwy 395 to Susanville and then cut across Shasta National Forest with lots of snow on the side of the road at higher elevation. Redding had it's first heat wave of the summer just as I pulled into town. With temps near 100 degrees, riding the trail was out of the question. This is a terrific trail with a short riding season. Since the central valley was so hot, I decided to head to the coast to visit my sister. She was having high school friends visit and I knew this would be a fun time.  I ended up spending 3 weeks with my sister. We both love taking photos and went on lots of hikes. She lives in Crescent City, which is on the coast and surrounded by redwood forests. 

fluffy flower

Osprey with flounder catch

Battery Point Lighthouse Crescent City

I also enjoyed the pickleball scene in Crescent City. There are indoor courts at the fairgrounds, and they offer drop-in times. Everyone was very inviting and patient with me as a newer player. I think this is typical of pickleball courts and the reason I picked up the sport. One of the downsides of RV life is all the sitting—sitting while driving and then sitting at the campsites. I find all the driving, especially solo, to be very exhausting.  By the time I get set up in a campsite, I am ready to relax and unwind even though it feels like all I have done is sit for a few hours. With this trip, I wanted to see if I could shorten the driving time so I would have more energy for pickleball and, possibly, short hikes to break up the day. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this goal with road closures on the drive north on Hwy 395 and then the heat in Redding. Hopefully, I can shorten the daily driving time and this will change. I have pickleball paddles, balls, and shoes in the trailer. I look forward to finding courts and people to play with as I travel. 

Ready for Pickleball in Crescent City

I love the logo

After visiting my sister, I went to Florence, Oregon, to stay at the home of my very dear friends, Connie and Bill. I just love these people and am always giddy at the thought of seeing them. Bill is over 80 years old and rides his trike, Penny, daily. We had a fabulous time, and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them.

Reflective heron

Plover

Cat's ear

Wine tasting in the Willamette Valley with tennis friends Diane and Jana

From Florence, I drove to Portland and was able to park my trailer at friends Dave and Edna because their trailer was in the shop. Nothing like timing. I lived and worked in Portland for over 20 years and know lots of people. I got together with tennis and other friends for over a week. I stayed with my friend, Diane, who just moved into a new home with a view of 4 mountains. I went to many wonderful restaurants with friends, wineries, and the Japanese garden, as well as doing a few rides with my 'Portland Posse' recumbent buddies. The weather was terrific, and the time in Portland went quickly. 

Video of Ride with the Portland Posse

From Portland, I slowly made my way to Wenatchee, Washington to attend the Spokumbent Recumbent Retreat. I will talk about that in the next blog post. Stay tuned....

Big Texas Trip and Learning Experience

 

Hello again, my friends!

From a walk near Joni's church

Borrego Springs wildflowers

Hawk on a bike path

Right off the bat, I want to give a big shout-out to the triking community. Y'all have always been fantastic. I am very grateful for your continued support and want to thank everyone for your responses to my last post. My posts don't normally have as many views as that last one did. The post seems to have hit a nerve not only for industry people but also for the community. I was nervous making that post but, now, I am relieved to hear the responses, both positive and negative, and can honestly say I've learned a lot. Some of which I want to share today.

But first, I've had some amazing experiences recently and a lot has happened since my last blog post. I had a wonderful trip to Texas with 2 triking and RVing friends, Dave and Edna.  I left my friend Joni and her desert oasis near Palm Springs after a wonderful 5-month winter stay.  My first stop was Los Algodones, Mexico, which is right across the California border, near Yuma, and a 2-hour drive. I stopped in to have my teeth cleaned with x-rays. Los Algodones is nicknamed 'Molar City'. There are over 500 dentists within a few blocks. It is a town set up for Canadians and Americans to get high-quality dental work at much lower prices than what anyone would pay in the US. I've been coming here for many years. This time, they found an infection in the root of a rear lower tooth. I haven't felt any pain, but they said I should have a root canal. They encouraged me to take care of this sooner rather than later and explained there is no telling if or when the infection will spread. I have been feeling physically poor for many months and think this infection explains why. I decided to return to Mexico for the root canal procedure after the trip with my friends to Texas.

Traveling with Dave, Edna and puppy Ivy

Triking the Tucson Loop

Dave, Edna and I drove out of Tucson together and slowly made our way to San Antonio. We spent 3 nights at an RV park with direct access to the River Walk cycling path. The highlight of our trip was a terrific trike tour with San Antonio Bike Tours. Steve Wood has been doing these tours for many years, and riding with him has been on my bucket list for a long time. All of his tours are custom-designed. He has trikes to use but we brought our own. Steve can do tours anywhere from 2-6 hours long. We asked for the 4-hour tour following Steve in his WAW velomobile all over San Antonio. He gives each person a headset where you hear him describe details of all the landmarks with a wealth of entertaining historical information. The headset also has a microphone to ask questions. We loved the tour and learned so much. This was a very rich experience. I highly recommend San Antonio Bike Tours and would even say a visit to San Antonio is worth it just to do Steve's tour. I will make a video of our tour with Steve's San Antonio Bike Tour. I think you will be surprised by just how cycling-friendly San Antonio is. 

Steve and his WAW Velo

Mama with goslings on the River

Mission with Dave

River lock with Steve, Dave, and Edna

Mission Conception with a ranger

Trikers are ready to roll

Colorful sign

The point of our trip was to see the solar eclipse on April 8th. Dave, Edna, and I are all members of Boondockers Welcome. We made reservations at a fantastic ranch near Killeen, Texas, last November, anticipating there would be a lot of interest in staying on the path of totality. Boondockers Welcome is a part of Harvest Hosts, which is a web-based membership program through which people open their land/property to RVers. Unlike Harvest Hosts, there are no additional fees, and you can often stay many nights. We camped on a beautiful 10-acre ranch with 10 other RVers. I found a lovely level spot in the shade of some trees close to Dave and Edna. Their little dog, Ivy, loved running in the grass. Other people found hidden spots, and most people had privacy. We were far from any cities and the night sky was full of stars. The ranch owners were friendly and incredibly generous people. They offered a welcome BBQ dinner and a fun craft table. All the RVers pulled up chairs, sitting in a circle, enjoying each other's company. The owner's generosity was completely unexpected. Cycling friends Jeff and Diane from Vancouver, Washington, were staying close by for the eclipse and joined us for dinner, too. This was something else that was completely unexpected. The skies were cloudy in the morning but cleared for the eclipse, which was very special. We were on the path of totality, and it got dark and quiet. The birds and insects seemed to go to sleep during the darkest time. Dave, Edna, and I drove a long way to experience the eclipse, and I am so glad we did. This was a very cool experience that has stayed with me like a movie I keep thinking about. Not just the eclipse but all the wonderful people we met.

finished craft works

Ready to watch

Settling in for the show

The start of the eclipse show

In the path of totality

Darkness has fallen

We had made reservations for 2 nights, but the weather on the 3rd day (thank goodness after the eclipse) was hazardous, and the ranch owners didn't hesitate to let us stay another night. There were tornado and flash-flood warnings. The local weather service asked that everyone stay off the roads. The forecast was for 2 inches of rain. We had 7 inches of rain! The owners had never seen so much rain in all the years of living on the ranch. Most of the RVs were sitting in a lake of water. A big tractor was used to get the trucks and RVs out of the mud. The lightning show was very impressive. My goodness, what an experience and something I won't ever forget.

Lake of water

Dave getting a tow out of the mud

Tractor tow

Stuck in the mud

After the eclipse, I parted ways with Dave and Edna. On my way back to Mexico for the root canal procedure, I stopped and visited some dear friends, Laura, Brian, and their sweet dog Midnight, who recently moved to San Antonio. I parked my RV in front of their house, and we had a great time together.

San Antonio Japanese Garden

With Laura at the garden

Dear friends, Laura and Brian

Garden pond

From there I made my way west to Mexico. I always go to Simply Dental in Los Algodones and can highly recommend them. They are very professional, speak clear English, and respect your time. I typically arrive early for my appointments, and they always call me quickly. Unfortunately, this procedure became more complicated than originally diagnosed. While they were drilling for the root canal, they discovered the tooth was fractured on the inside. This fracture was the cause of the root infection. The dentist explained that the tooth fracture would eventually become a crack. He recommended pulling the tooth and doing an implant. He said there is no telling when the crack would happen, but the infection would also never heal. I followed his recommendation and had the tooth pulled, and the implant post installed the next day. Everything went smoothly. Implants take 5 months to adhere to the bone, so I will return in September to have a tooth molded and attached to the implant post.  

I have been staying back at Joni's desert church oasis while I recover. It is fun to hang out with my triker friend Dave again as well. I am also very grateful to have a comfortable and convenient parking place. After finishing my medication for antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, I returned to Mexico for what I called a 'piece of mind' visit. They didn't require me to return, but I wanted to make sure the infection was clear and the implant looked good. I saw the dentist who did the procedure. He took an x-ray and photos and verified everything looked perfect.  Now, I can travel north for the summer to visit my sister in Crescent City and friends in Portland and attend Tater Tot and the Recumbent Retreat without worrying about my tooth. Phew!!!

So now that I'm caught up on my travels, I want to circle back to talking about what I learned sinced my last post about Cycle Con. This event remains deeply humiliating for me. It is an experience I will likely never forget. I went to Cycle Con last September after I had 4 phone conversations with industry people asking me to go. The conversations led me to believe that it was important for me to be at the event. I'm happy to help out wherever I can, and I thought I had a small but significant enough role to play to make traveling 2500 miles worth the effort. 

I have been a very positive voice for everything recumbent and should have a lot of goodwill with the manufacturers, dealers, and vendors. Over the last 15 years, I have talked up all aspects of the industry on my Facebook Page, blog and YouTube Channel. I talk up trike groups, bike shops, all trike brands and accessories, as well as other people's YouTube channels and Facebook pages. I have also shown places to ride worldwide, including a cross-USA trike tour last summer. There has never been any money from doing this. It's fun for me, and I really enjoy the camaraderie with the ever-enthusiastic and supportive trike community. When I think about it, I don't know of anyone else who does what I do. I enjoy traveling with my trike and meeting bike shop owners, mechanics, and people from the community. My favorite thing is to meet trikers where they live and ride together.

I was quite surprised that there was no interest in me when I got to Cycle Con. Not even from the people who asked me to go. It's not like anyone did anything bad to me. There wasn't anything vindictive or menacing that happened. There just was no interest. It was like I was invisible. This particular Cycle Con was unusually awkward because the space was much too small. There wasn't enough room for everyone walking and trying to get trikes and bikes out to the test track and then back to the booths. I think the situation was stressful for everyone involved. I couldn't walk around the booths and stop to chat because I was always in the way. This was true for everyone. You had to keep moving or you were in the way. I've been to previous Cycle Cons where I enjoyed sitting in Gary Solomon's Laidback Bike Report booth as well as with the HP Velotechnik guys. This year, the booths were much smaller, and there wasn't any extra room. I spent most of my time outside watching people on the test track. Maybe because I didn't feel comfortable in the convention space, no one thought to ask me to go out for drinks or dinner or do anything social. This is a very long drive to be on my own.

I've learned 2 important points. Both of these were explained to me after I had written my last blog post. One of the people who called and asked me to go explained that I wasn't invited and the organizers had no idea I was coming. This never occurred to me. I assumed the people who called and asked me to go would have cleared my attendance with the organizers. Essentially, I traveled 2500 miles to an event I wasn't invited to. You can imagine learning this detail just added yet another layer of humiliation. It was explained that I should have called the organizers, but that also simply never occurred to me. Why did these guys call me in the first place? I still have no idea and feel like those who asked me to go stepped out of their lane. I don't think they had any business asking me to attend an event I wasn't invited to. This was a very unfortunate misunderstanding.

The 2nd point I learned is that no one from the industry, except HP Velotechnik, can recognize or even acknowledge me because I ride an HP Velotechnik trike.  This is true for anyone riding any trike brand. If you ride a Catrike, only Catrike will acknowledge you and whatever contributions you make to the community. This explanation seems very short-sighted, but it also explains a lot. I have always wondered why HP Velotechnik is the only company in the industry talking up what I do. From where I sit, the easiest, cheapest, and most effective advertising is showing people who are riding trikes and telling their stories. The brand of trike has little relevance in the story. I also know no one in the industry will be listening to my opinion. It is their loss.

There are many very inspiring stories of how trikes have made a positive and meaningful impact on people's lives. Many are worth telling, and, in my opinion, it is an untapped resource. I'm reminded of David Goldman, who had a YouTube Channel called David Rides A Trike. He was very ill and died over a year ago from his terminal cancer. He did short videos riding his trike around his neighborhood near Chicago. Even though he was suffering and in pain, riding his trike gave him joy. He had an amazingly positive outlook, and his message resonated with many people in the community. His YouTube Channel grew quickly, and he gave people hope. No one from the industry ever acknowledged him. I don't remember the brand of trike he rode, perhaps an ICE trike. He loved his trike but the brand was not an important part of his message. Just like David, I don't think anyone follows me because of the trike brand I ride. I love my trike, and I think HP Velotechnik is a terrific company, but the brand of trike I ride is the least interesting thing about me. 

There is no trike that is perfect for everyone. The choice people make for the trike they buy is personal. I think the trike manufacturers, dealers, and vendors would do much better if they collaborated. I have talked to a number of bike shops about this, but I can't get through to them. I think telling customer's stories makes trikes more relatable. No matter what product I'm buying, whether a car, camera or a trike, I want to read what people have to say. I want to see how people are using the product. If there is no content, I'll assume that no one is buying the product and I will have 2nd thoughts of buying it myself.

Why won't the industry show pride, support and enthusiasm for the community and the people who are actually buying and using the products? I have asked many times, and the most common response is to tell me that I never intended to make money from my YouTube Channel. This is a strange answer. What they aren't getting is that my suggestion is for them, not for me. I don't make any money from my posts, blog or YouTube Channel. This industry is far too small. There just aren't enough video or post views. It would have to grow 10-fold, at least, before making money could even be a possibility. A simple thing like sharing an occasional post about what customers are doing on a Facebook page is so easy. This is what I do to help support however I can. I post about gear, accessories, bike shops, trails, and events. I share posts about trike tours and donate to their causes. 

For my last trike tour across the USA, I set up a Patreon membership as a simple way to give a tip. Many, many people from the community joined. These donations of $5 to $100 made a huge difference for me, and it was fun receiving the enthusiasm and support from the community. My bike club in Portland (Pacific Northwest Recumbent Cycling) gave me a very generous donation. The community jumped to action to support my tour. The only person from the industry who joined my Patreon was Ashley Guy at Utah Trikes. There are so few people doing big rides on a trike that it doesn't take a lot of effort to support people in small ways. But it does take being interested. I will continue to talk up everyone because it is fun for me.

Even though my experience with the industry at Cycle Con was deeply humiliating, I had a very good time going on rides with local trikers from the community. I did a number of rides with the Impromptu Trike Riders of Ohio and other trikers that have become great friends. 

That's a lot of rambling to say I have learned some tough and brutal lessons. Now I'm trying to figure out what it all means. For sure, I've learned there is no role for me in the industry. It's like everyone in the industry is living on their own desert island. I can't expect anyone to talk up something they simply aren't interested in. I want to help grow trike riding, but I must accept that there will never be any interest in what I do from the industry, beyond HP Velotechnik.

Like I said, much of the humiliation I experienced is my own fault and no one person did anything to me. It is clear that my role is strictly within the community. This is an amazing community, and I am very fortunate to have found it. Through the triking community, I have made great friends and met incredibly generous, warm, inviting, and inspiring people. I definitely got bucked off the horse at Cycle Con and, hopefully, I can get back on to start doing videos again. 

Thanks everyone for listening and see you on the road!!