Only six riders showed up for the Fulshear ride Saturday: Hasso, Orrin, Keith, Jim, me and Liz. Ken has been out of commission after hitting a dog at speed on last week's ride. No broken bones, but he's still too sore to ride. This is David's busy season and he had to work. Debbie's dad is having surgery so she and Pat are at the hospital instead of out on the road with us.This was the first Fulshear ride for the Flevo and I was anxious to see how it performed. It didn't let me down. First, it is easily 3-4 mph faster than the Seavo. I attribute this to the lower profile and the resulting decrease in wind resistance. I wonder if a front fairing would improve performance even more. Second, the headrests proved very comfortable and relieved my neck problems. I have yet to solve the transport problem, but it only takes a few minutes to set the bike up once I pull the two halves out of the back of the truck. My stoker is working on seat covers, a fairing for the cargo area and a custom bag. Another issue that surfaced was the inconvenience of my wired intercom system. It still works well, but it's a little inconvenient plugging and unplugging in this seating position. Perhaps the wireless system is the answer.
My mileage for the year stands at 3,163. That's 163 over my goal so I'm happy with that. I would like to ride 4000 miles next year. Looking back, it seems to me that I've ridden just about as much as was convenient. That means I rode every weekend and two or three weekdays in fair weather. I don't ride Sundays because that is the day each week I spend with the girls, having breakfast together, going to Barnes & Noble and then just lounging around together. The only way I can really increase my mileage is to commute to work. It's only 10 miles each way from my house to the office downtown. I've commuted once or twice, but I've never really gotten into the habit. This would be a great mileage boost and would also cut my monthly commuting expenses. Parking alone is $140 a month. So, more bike commuting next year.
Happy New Year and a great 2008 to all!
