Preview: "After stopping a little before the 12-hour mark with 211 miles, Maria Parker not only set the recumbent 12-hour course record for women, but she went farther than any previous female road biker had ever done in the race.   She also went farther than any woman on any recumbent bike at any UMCA non-drafting 12-hour event. At Bike Sebring in Florida, which appears to be the place where 12-hour records are set for recumbent male riders, the 12-hour record for a recumbent woman is 137 miles." 

 A frequently overlooked attribute of bicycles is their ability to be carried on a vehicle.  On a recent visit to L.A. and San Francisco, where we did a lot of urban Cruzbiking, we tested out the ability to transport a Cruzbike on the city buses.  For a commuter who wants to combine cycling and a city bus route, this feature is essential.  The standard wheel base and 26 inch wheels make loading and locking the bike into position a snap.  We tested the Sofrider, the Freerider, and the Silvio.  They all are compatible with the city buses of L.A.

 Some may say that I am a bikist.  I confess that I think that my bike is better than other bikes.  Sure, I know that any human-powered vehicle moving down the road is worthy of respect.  But when I see a person suffering along the road on an uncomfortable road bike, I actually have pity for them.  I see them rub their straining neck.  I see them shake out their numb hands.  I know, like only a doctor can know, what the saddle on that road bike is doing to their perineum, especially if they are overweight…

North Carolina, June 6th 2009.  Maria and I headed out at 6:34 am in a light rain, rear lights flashing on the small packs attached to the backrest of our Silvios.  We headed southeast into Columbus County, then north through the entire length of Bladen County, into Cumberland County, then west through Robeson County, then south into Hoke County, before heading west and home again.  We covered 133 miles (214 km) in a total time of 8 hours.  Our average moving speed was 17.4 mph.  Some roads were smooth, some quite bumpy, but tolerable with the Silvios' suspension.

Spring in North Carolina brings out lots of fresh green things and colorful flowers.  Just as Mother Nature is putting on a fresh look, our website is undergoing a transformation that will make it easier to navigate, find information, and stay in touch with your Cruzbike community.  Maria and I are lucky to live in a semi-rural area where we can ride from the city to farm-country in about 5 minutes.  This time of the year it's spectacular to ride in the country.  The corn has already reached knee level in some fields, and soon it will be well over our heads.

What a difference a couple years make...  Seems lots of people know about Cruzbike now.  As we rode around town, many people recognized us or yelled out a friendly "Hi-ho Silvio!"   Maria and I set out this morning on our Silvios for a 68 mile ride leaving from Washington, NC.  We rode this first 6 miles with Will, who rode on his Sofrider, and then Will split off on a 35 mile loop. 

We are working on a new interactive website to better support the growing cruzbike community and to help us understand how we can best continue to grow this community and continue to bring new dreams into the reality of people's everyday life.