I got a chance to review a new product: the Long Bike Tote hitch rack. The Long Bike Tote is built by Tom and Lucia Howorth, near Fort Worth. The Howorths aren’t recumbent riders; they’re tandem riders. Tom wanted a hitch rack that would hold his tandem low and nicely behind a small vehicle. He never found one, so he built one. A couple of area bike shops figured out the rack works for a recumbent, too. And Rick Gurney at Plano Cycling, knowing I had a garage full of recumbents, called to see if I wanted to get with the Howorths and possibly test and review one.

I already use a hitch rack to transport my bikes. The rack I’ve been using is what I’ve considered to be the best recumbent hitch rack ever made: the later vintage Sportworks recumbent rack, called the Sportworks Universal Bent Bike Rack. This rack uses two ratcheting arms, is the sturdiest built rack I’ve ever seen, lets you load or unload a bike in 5 to 10 seconds, and holds it very solidly.

Of course, even the Sportworks has its limitations. Besides not being made any more, too long a bike won’t fit on it. And there is the issue of how long a bike you can carry sideways with the wheels on, anyway. I won’t attempt to pronounce the maximum wheelbase a bike can have, and be safely transported sideways. But I will say that, for me, that length seems to be about 66″. That’s the length of my wife’s prototype Xstream, and also the longest length the Sportworks Universal Bent rack will carry without modification. That was one of the factors that led me to purchase the prototype for my wife, rather than a production Xstream. It’s over 3″ shorter than the production Xstreams, and while it was too short for me to get the recline I wanted, it’s plenty long enough for my wife.

The overall length of the Xstream is 92″, and my Tacoma’s mirrors measure 83″ tip to tip, so the overhang outside my mirrors isn’t too much on the truck. That mirror measurement on my wife’s Corolla is just 76″ though, and even the Xstream’s length is a bit bothersome on it. I had modified an old style Sportworks recumbent rack module (the kind with the two spring arms, like the bus racks) to hold my Nimbus, and then my Stratus XP. The Nimbus had a 68″ wheelbase (and 700c wheels, which made it even longer overall), and my SXP has a 71″ wheelbase. I did not feel comfortable at all, carrying either of those bikes on the rack, even on my truck.

As soon as I saw the Long Bike Tote rack on their website, I had one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments. The Long Bike Tote uses a fork mount for the front of the bike. I had not seen that done on a sideways-carrying hitch rack before. That instantly shortens a bike by 12 or 13 inches. I headed right out to my garage and modified the old style Sportworks module to carry my SXP with a fork mount on the front. That reduced the overall length of the SXP from 97″ to 85″, and it felt MUCH better behind my truck. And the Long Bike Tote gives the option of removing the rear wheel too, resting the frame on a support, which can shorten a bike even more for transport. With the rise in popularity of the dual big wheel long wheelbase recumbents, and problems transporting them, this seemed like a worthy product to review.

When I spoke to Tom, he mentioned his desire to get the Long Bike Tote in front of the recumbent community, and expressed his willingness to make some modifications for a recumbent version. I told him that I really wanted to be able to carry two long wheelbase recumbents on the rack (the website showed only an add-on for a short bike). I also felt the distance between the two bikes on the rack needed to be greater, because of the large seats on recumbents, and I asked about more sideways adjustment for the second bike, to help with centering, and eliminating interference between the bikes. Tom put together a prototype for me to try out.

The rack works very well. The front bike tray has multiple mounting holes, so you can adjust it side to side, depending on whether you’re removing both wheels from the bike, or leaving the rear wheel on. It has holders for the wheels, which you can slide to wherever works for your particular bike. It has a wheel tray on the end with a velcro strap for the rear wheel (and it looked like the maximum width tire that would fit was about 1 1/2″), or if you remove the rear wheel, you use a support with a rubber v-block on top, and velcro, to hold the frame instead. The height of this support can be adjusted. The rack has a removable pin which will let it tilt down so you can access the rear of a vehicle, and is available for either a 2″ or 1 1/4″ receiver.

The rear bike tray is held in place with a clamp, so it can be infinitely adjusted side to side, to help avoid interference with the front bike. We tried my SXP and my wife’s Xstream on the rack, with the rear wheels left on, and also with the rear wheels removed. With both wheels off the Xstream, it measures 68″, well less than the 76″ mirror distance on my wife’s Corolla, so sits nicely behind the car. The bikes feel solid on the rack, but with the bikes just attached to a fork mount, and either rear wheel or lower frame, I had the urge to add a strap up higher to help secure everything, and Tom said that he also ties the bikes that way. Also, if you take the rear wheel off, you need to add some kind of chain keeper, to keep the chain from slapping against the bike frame as you drive.

So there you have it, my thoughts on the Long Bike Tote. For me, I still like my Sportworks rack best. I’ve become spoiled with the 5 to 10 second loading and unloading time for most of my bikes on it, and now that I’ve copied Tom’s idea and modified the old vintage Sportworks module, I can even carry my SXP (or a future production-length Xstream) on it, without feeling like it’s sticking out too far. But, I also liked the Long Bike Tote rack, and would recommend it for people looking for a recumbent hitch rack, especially those with the long wheelbase bikes that are so long, they defy being carried sideways with the wheels on. Tom and Lucia Howorth also seem like great people, and I wish them well with this new venture.

Here are some photos. There are more on the Long Bike Tote website.

Stratus XP and Xstream on the rack, rear wheel left on the Xstream.

Stratus XP, both wheels removed.

The Xstream, both wheels removed, fits nicely behind the Corolla.

Multiple mounting holes on the front bike tray, a clamp for infinite adjustment on the rear bike tray. That post on the rear bike tray is a wheel holder.

Something over 40 riders left Cleburne at 7:00 am this morning to ride either a 200k, 300k, or 400k brevet. I rode the 200k. As tough as the hills are on this route, I knew that would be all I wanted today. It was 67 degrees with the wind already blowing at start time. I can’t remember the last time I started an early morning ride just wearing shorts and a short sleeve jersey. It stayed cloudy all day, and the wind blew harder later in the day.

The 200k version of this route is an out and back that goes from Cleburne to Glen Rose, then from Glen Rose to Bluff Dale, then back. It goes down Goatneck Hill early in the ride, then climbs it near the end. It is a hilly route; there aren’t many flat miles. I knew from the beginning that I would be riding most of this ride by myself. It was a given that the only way I was getting up all these hills was by spinning my way up them, at a slow pace. With me being the slowest rider up the hills, and probably the fastest down the hills, it was not a day for me to be a social butterfly. I chatted and said hi to everyone the first few miles, then watched them pedal off into the distance on the first hill.

Peggy, Steve, and Nelson were still at the Glen Rose control when I arrived, so I left with them. After they all stopped briefly in front of the Dinosaur Valley State Park for Nelson to take a photo, they soon disappeared in the distance ahead of me. This stretch of the ride is the hilliest, with two big climbs just before Bluff Dale. But the hill that was the toughest for me was a short, steep hill just after Dinosaur Valley. As tough as it was going out, it was even tougher coming back. Before I reached the top, I was in my lowest gear, at 4 mph, with a cadence just over 70, and my heart rate was over 170. There’s not much left in the well at that point. I definitely need more hill work. But I did pedal up every hill, without stopping. I was thinking that this ride would make a good annual benchmark. As long as I can pedal this route without walking a hill, I haven’t slipped into too terrible of a fitness level.

Peggy, Steve, and Nelson were still at the Bluff Dale control when I arrived. We left at the same time, they continuing on for their 400k, I turning back for my 200k. With the two climbs near Bluff Dale soon behind me, I was feeling better about my prospects of finishing strong…….. until my struggle up the hill near Dinosaur Valley. That was a reminder to save something for Goatneck Hill, near the end.

When I arrived back at the Glen Rose control, Jim Rimbey, Cheri Brown, Debbie Breaud, and another rider (who’s name escapes me now; he was doing his first 200k) were still there, so I joined them for a good bit of the remaining miles. I fell back enough during the Goatneck climb that I never quite caught up with them again.

This was a good training ride for me, and the scenery is really nice, with Brazos and Paluxy river crossings, and great views of the hills and valleys in this area. But it was also a reminder that my hill climbing sucks. I finished in 10:17. My on the bike time was 9:26, so my time spent in controls wasn’t bad. I was just slow. My gps showed 6,041 feet of climbing. My heart rate average for the entire ride was 143; that probably explains how tired I am. I ended the day with a great dinner with Mark and Linda Metcalfe, and headed home.

Some random thoughts from the ride:

* If you are slow enough, there are plenty of rando droppings on these rides; I never did have to buy water.
* I think I could have walked some of these hills faster than I climbed them on the bike, but I just wasn’t willing to do it.
* At 4 mph climbing these hills, even grazing cattle drop me (but I do reel them in when they run out of fence).
* At 4 mph with a 30 mph crosswind, I seem to be a bit wobbly.
* While bombing down hills at 40 mph and climbing the next one at 4 mph, it occurred to me that if I had a device installed for counting gear shifts, I would have set a world record for a 200k.
* Small chainrings and large cassette cogs are good.
* I am more wiped out after this ride than I was after October’s 300k.
* I wonder if anyone has ever designed a point to point 200k permanent that is all downhill.

As of this evening, Rose is the owner of the prototype Xstream. Congrats, Dear!

Ride like the wind! Errr………… I mean, ride IN the wind! Yesterday morning at 7:30 am, Ray, Nelson, Mark H, and I rode out of Prosper to do Nelson’s new Live Long and Prosper 200k permanent, which is an out and back to Forestburg. And of course, the wind was howling.

This route works it way northwest until hitting FM455 west of Sanger, then stays on FM455 to Forestburg. It was a quiet, enjoyable morning that passed without any problems until we were almost to the second control at Bolivar, when Nelson had to stop to air up a tire. He made it to the control, then had to replace the tube there.

We rode on to Forestburg, through the grasslands, gaining altitude in the rolling hills. There aren’t many trees along this stretch, but the tops of the hills give a scenic view of the countryside. We arrived in Forestburg at 12:30, and took a longer break there, at the old Forestburg Country Store.

The first stretch coming back from Forestburg was almost a headwind, making those first hills a bit tough. The other stretches that were tough were two jaunts straight into the wind, one for a couple of miles on FM2153 and one for almost 5 miles on FM1385. But we handled the wind well, and navigated the course without any serious problems. We didn’t quite finish the ride before dark, arriving back in Prosper at 6:55 pm. I ended up with 129.2 miles. It was a good route and great company for the day. Thanks, guys, I had a great time!

Around 30 riders showed up for this ride starting at Richardson Bike Mart. It was a nice turnout on a beautiful day. The wind did pick up some as the ride went (big surprise, huh). Early in the ride, the lead group was riding a pretty moderate pace, so I joined them, along with Steve and Greg. The closer we got to the first control at mile 22, the faster the pace got. I was dropped on a couple of hills, but managed to catch the group.

But on the Hwy 66 bridge, just before the control, I was huffing and puffing along at 24 mph, and still being dropped. I wasn’t quite ready to leave the control as the group started to leave, and realizing I wasn’t going to be able to hold their pace as the ride became more hilly anyway, I just took my time leaving the control, and rode alone, at my own pace, for the rest of the ride.

I thought the three biggest problems with this route were traffic, traffic, and traffic. That kind of traffic is even worse for a single rider, than it would be for a group. With 20/20 hindsight, I guess I should have fallen back to the group behind me.

I ended up with 66.6 miles total (does that sound like the devil’s ride or what?), with an on the bike average of 15.1 mph. I finished the ride in 5 hours and 2 minutes. Steve and Greg had gotten quite a distance in front of me, and I was very surprised to not see them or their bikes when I reached the finish, and had no idea what might have happened to them until Paul showed up and told me. Gotta love those BONUS MILES!

The start.

T-shirt given to me at the ride.

Seven of us left the McDonalds on Green Oaks near I-20 at 10:00 am this morning to ride the Velo Venus 109k Populaire. Peggy, Steve, and I were the three recumbent riders. We were joined by four upright riders: Mark and Linda Metcalfe, Cheri Brown, and Debbie Breaud. For those of you who don’t know Debbie, she is a very accomplished long distance rider, who hasn’t been doing nearly as much riding recently.

The south wind was already blowing as we left, heading south toward Venus, and picked up more and became more southwest as we made our way along the route. This route stays mostly on small rural roads, and so has lots of turns. It seems a bit tough to me for a less than 70 mile route (that may be because the wind has been howling both times I’ve ridden it), but I do like this route. Lots of turns means lots on opportunities for bonus miles, and sure enough, we missed a turn at around mile 19, and did pick up about 4 bonus miles.

The route turns around at the first control in Venus, heading north, then west to the next control at Garden Acres Rd and I-35W. The wind had shifted southwest enough that this stretch wasn’t nearly as much of a tailwind as I had expected. In fact, the parts of it that headed straight west were pretty tough.

The last part of the ride did give us that tailwind, though. The day was warmer than forecast, and in spite of the wind, would have to qualify as a beautiful day for January. It was a great group of folks to ride with, and we had no flats or mechanical issues, so in spite of how tired I was at the finish, I had a smile on my face, and would have to call it a very fun day.

I ended up with 72.0 miles at a 15.1 mph on the bike average. My total time for the ride was 5:55. Thanks for joining me, everyone. I had a great time.

I did my final ride of the year this evening after work, joining Mark Metcalfe for 25 miles on the Joe Pool dam.

I ended up with 169 rides this year for 6,708 miles. That’s an average of 129 miles a week. This is in spite of the fact that I was recovering from lung surgery in January, and doing chemo from February to April. All in all, a good riding year, I’m thinking. My recovery has come a long ways.

Greg and I joined Steve on this ride this morning, leaving Italy at 7:30 am. This is a simple out and back route that goes southwest down US77, turns south on FM308 at Mertens, then east on FM339 to Dixie’s at Mount Calm, then back.

The wind was already howling when I arrived in Italy, and the roads were so wet, you could swear that it had been raining. After mine and Greg’s ride of a few weeks ago, I swore I wasn’t going to ride in 40 mph winds again, but in spite of the forecast for 17 mph winds in the morning and 20 mph winds in the afternoon, there were 40 mph gusts long before we reached Mount Calm, making the first half of the ride brutal. There were several hills that would normally be fairly easy for me, but today I was in granny gear pedaling at 4 mph up them. Some of the crosswinds were very scary, too, on stretches going to as well as coming back from Mount Calm. And the fact that I picked up a bad cold this week didn’t make any of it any easier.

On top of everything else, Steve had the flat from hell at around mile 25, that ended up taking us three tubes, two co2 cartridges, and way too much time to fix. This, plus the less than 12 mph average we were having against the wind, and the fact that we didn’t get started for several minutes after 7:30, put us in time trouble, and we didn’t arrive at Dixie’s until 11:37, one minute before the time limit!

Coming back from Dixie’s was a whole other story, with an on the bike average of over 20 mph. I hit 41 mph coming down one hill, and there are no hills on this route that deserve that kind of speed, on a normal day.

We survived another adventure, finishing without further disasters. I ended up finishing in 6 hours and 37 minutes, with 77.0 total miles, and an on the bike average of 14.9 mph. A Subway sandwich definitely hit the spot after the ride. Thanks, Steve and Greg.

Greg and I rode the River Roll to Up a Creek Sports 205k permanent today. We left from Davis Drive, just south of Green Oaks in north Arlington, at 7:30 am. The route quickly gets on the bike path along side Green Oaks, between River Legacy and Village Creek, heading west, then takes some city streets to Gateway Park, goes through all sorts of stuff at Gateway (including carrying your bike up and down stairs at one point), finally getting on the Trinity Trail, and following it all the way west until it ends. It then goes to Benbrook lake, following the park road on the west side of the lake, then heads west to Aledo, does a loop to Willow Park then south on FM5, circling back around to Aledo, then takes the same route back to the start.

On a good day, this route would be slow, because of all the park and bike path stops and turns. But today, the wind was brutal, and I didn’t think Greg and I were ever going to finish it. There were lots of scary moments from the cross wind, and at one point going downhill while headed south on FM5, 11 mph was all I could manage.

There is nothing to block the wind in the Aledo area, and every time we topped one of the hills there, the wind was just incredible. Headed north, coasting down one hill southeast of Aledo, I reached 45 mph. That’s faster than I coast down either Texas Plume or Goatneck Hill. It wasn’t the steepness of the hill as much as the tailwind. But when we had to climb that same hill against the wind later in the ride, it was one of the toughest stretches I’ve ridden in a while. I was at 4 mph much of the climb, but I did reach the top without stopping.

The traffic on parts of this route, particularly FM1187 just east of Aledo, and FM5 just south of Willow Park are so bad that I won’t be in a hurry to do this route again. Of course today’s wind made the traffic even scarier. The finishing touch for the ride was when Greg flatted just three miles from the finish.

In spite of the fact that we were in and out of all the controls fairly quickly, it took us 11 hours and 44 minutes to complete this ride today. I finished with 129.1 miles. My on the bike mph average was a blazing 14.0. But we survived another epic adventure, with no major disasters and equipment in tact. Thanks, Greg.

Steve, Nelson, and I took off from Winscott Road in Benbrook at 7:30 am. This 106 mile route goes west from there to Aledo, then turns north and goes through Willow Park, before stopping at the second control at Lake Weatherford. From there, it goes north through Springtown, then on to Paradise for the next control. From there, it turns around and retraces its route back to Springtown, then turns east and goes into west Fort Worth, before turning south and returning to Benbrook. This route really has a lot of turns, but between the three of us, we managed to not miss any turn by much, and kept our bonus miles to less than half a mile.

On the way to the ride, my truck temperature gauge showed 42 degrees, lower than was forecast. There was a northwest wind which picked up as the day went. It was cold. The sun came out only briefly; the rest of the day was cloudy. After the ride, my temperature gauge showed 52 degrees, not nearly as warm as was forecast. It was cold. Did I mention it was cold?

This is a hilly route. Most of the roads are very low traffic though, and not rough. There are some excellent views from the stretch you ride just after reaching the highest elevation on the route, which we climbed to at mile 32, and also a very pretty valley with lots of pecan trees just before Paradise. It even manages to climb Radio Tower Hill as it approaches Fort Worth from the west. There was also lots of wildlife on the route, including deer and quite a few squirrels, one of which ran between me and Steve and Nelson, who were just in front of me. We even saw a road runner. This route whipped me pretty well today, but I really do like it anyway.

In spite of my diminished climbing ability this year, I had managed to climb every hill in front of me (except when my chain jammed once) until today. At mile 97 on Paint Pony Road in far west Fort Worth, I was unable to climb the last bit of a 23 percent grade hill, and had to walk it. It was so steep, I had trouble getting traction with my shoes as I walked the bike. If I thought that was the ride’s final insult for me, I was mistaken. At mile 102, a light rain started. The raindrops were so cold, they felt like sleet hitting my face. It only lasted a couple of miles, and had quit before we finished.

As usual, the company on this ride was excellent, and Nelson even treated me to a Subway sandwich after the ride. Thanks, Nelson. And thanks, Steve, for inviting me along. I ended up with 106.2 miles, and 4400 feet of climbing. My maximum heart rate for the route was 180, and I can tell you exactly where that happened. We finished in 8 hours and 40 minutes. That’s a pretty poor time for a century, but on this day, and this route, with these conditions, that’s all I could manage. Thanks, Steve and Nelson!

The graph below shows the elevation and grade percent for the route from my gps. You can see the highest elevation at mile 32, and the 23 percent grade at mile 97 that stopped me in my tracks.