Race the Sun Home - how to commute on a recumbent trike at sunset

[RicardoATBarbosa]

Very nice and "pedagogical" video. Hugs from Brazil.

[edua33]

Hola. Llevo poco tiempo usando una KMX trike y es estupendo. Me paso horas viendo tus videos. Ojalá donde vivo existiera esos caminos para bicicletas y grupos tan majos. Saludos desde españa. edu

[BrendaSRoth]

Where are you commuting to and from? Recognize some of the ride, but not all trails.

[dregerclock]

@BrendaSRoth - riding from Garden Grove to Anaheim Hills area... but this is not a straight shot route. the first trail we took was the Santiago Creek Trail through the city of Orange. then we went on streets in north tustin / villa park over the hills on Meats Ave... and down to the Santa Ana river trail at Lakeview.

[thelibertysmith]

Beautiful video man... I have to get me one of them trikes.

[dregerclock]

@thelibertysmith - Thanks... was fun to film the commute.

[onurbepilif77]

Nice Video! Thanks.

How far is it, your commute?

[dregerclock]

@onurbepilif77 - sorry it took two months to answer this.. I must have missed the notification. Normally it is only 13.4 miles each way. This morning I took an alternate route to do some extra miles and climb a hill or two.

[oratwi]

Lovely video... Have a Merry Christmas and all the very best for the New Year. Keep on triking 2011.... ;-)

[Oilbeefooked]

thanks for the vids. what made you decide on the Tour? would you get that again or another brand/model?  any upgrades you are pleased with?

[dregerclock]

@Oilbeefooked - what made me decide on it was really just that I got it at a great price! It was a used "floor model" from Terra Trike's showroom. They were selling it at their "online Garage Sale" a few years ago. It is a great trike. I highly recommend it as a commuter trike, and a higher end starter trike. I have added Utah Trike's Terracycle upgraded idler and chain routing to it. (reduces number of idler wheels and improves chain route). Cattrikes are also very nice, but more pricy.

[dregerclock]

@Oilbeefooked - I would love to move up to a velomobile... or maybe a fancier trike... but I am very happy with the Tour... I have put well over 8,000 miles on it so far I estimate.

[mozzmann]

Ah doesn't Stop mean STOP in the US ??

[dregerclock]

@mozzmann pobody's nerfect I guess.

[mozzmann]

@dregerclock Oh toche Sir

:P

[machinegunmana]

beautiful sunset...wonderful music!

[dregerclock]

@machinegunmana thanks... yep... the sunset is a nice way to end the day at work.

[machinegunmana]

bikes on the road way are a traffic hazard, right of way laws not withstanding. IMO, if there is not a bike lane there, you should not be there with your bike. how much is your life worth to you and those that love you? never assume that drivers in cars are looking or that they see you, because they don't.

[dregerclock]

@machinegunmana - Thanks for your opinion... but the right of way laws are, well... LAWS... Laws that motor vehicles and human powered vehicles must abide by. Cyclists using the traffic lanes on the road are just as valid of a road user as a motorized vehicle. Saying bikes in bike lanes only is like saying that people are not allowed to have certain firearms, even though the 2nd amendment says we can. and... it really has nothing to do with how much I value my life. riding safe is the issue.

[dregerclock]

@machinegunmana I never do assume that drivers in cars are looking at me... and I place myself where I am most likely to be seen... with flashing 400 lumin lights day and night... Yes, I have to be more aware of the situation than most car drivers will be. but if you look in the video and see how cars change lanes around me. They do see me and are well able to interact safely with me.

[trailsnet]

So what trail were you on in the trail portion of the video?

[dregerclock]

@trailsnet - it is the Santa Ana River Trail that runs through Orange County California

[trailsnet]

@dregerclock Thanks for the trail name. Do you happen to know how long that trails is?

By the way, your video quality is excellent. Where is your camera mounted?

[dregerclock]

@trailsnet - Yes, I ride the "SART" regularly, and it is part of my commute as you see. The SART is 29 miles long, from Huntington Beach, CA to the edge of the Orange County border along the Santa Ana River. There is another 20 mile stretch along the river that is in Riverside, CA.. but there is no connection between the two trails yet. (they are working on doing that in the next few years!) It will be a 52 mile long trail when connected!

[trailsnet]

@dregerclock Thanks for the trail info. That'll be a great path when they get the two connected.

[dregerclock]

@trailsnet - Oh, regarding the camera. The camera is not mounted on anything more than the hand on the end of my arm! ;-)

[YukonPete21]

Thanks for another great ride.

[CyclingMikey]

Super video mate. Nice riding too.  What light is that on the front, could I ask?

[dregerclock]

@CyclingMikey - Thanks! I have a Dinotte 400L Li headlight and taillight set. I use them on blink or flicker settings during the day or early evening like in this video. Great attention getters. Since getting them I notice cars change lanes behind me a lot sooner, and drivers spot me from the front well too. (although I am not sure what that guy with the U-turn was looking at in this video! You can see how they work in the dark in my previous video of my morning commute to work.

[CyclingMikey]

@dregerclock Gotcha, thanks! Yes, I have a 400L taillight as well, it's awesome. My headlight is an Exposure MaXx-D, also a beast.

[gregraven]

Brave man. I hate cycling at this time of day ... I'm never confident that drivers can see me.

[dregerclock]

@gregraven - The 400 Lumin headlight and taillight help a lot. and I think the trike itself has enough WEIRD FACTOR that most people notice me too. Main thing is staying where drivers can expect you... in the traffic lane... not hidden near cars or squeezing through on the right even if that is where the bike lane is. I evaluate each situation as I come upon it, sometimes it is safe to take the bike lane down past stopped cars. Sometimes I decide it is safer to get in the lane and wait.

[CyclingMikey]

@gregraven Drivers can see cyclists easily, especially trikes like dregerclock's, assuming they look. His riding strategy is also excellent for being in the best and most likely places to be seen, and that set of lights is super bright. If you've never seen some Dinotte lights, they are as or more noticeable than car headlights without flash, and much more noticeable with the flash.

[paci62]

Gratulálok szuper kis film!Nem félsz a forgalomban a sok autó között cikázni?

[dregerclock]

@paci62 Thank you. I think I understood all that through google translate. But I did not understand the last word... "cikázniz" /

Köszönöm. Azt hiszem, megértette, hogy a Google Translate. De nem értem az utolsó szó ... "cikázniz"

[paci62]

@dregerclock "cikázni" annyi mint gyorsan sávot váltani esetleg többet is egymás után.Köszi a választ üdv Laci.