Robvolz 

Last weekend was the Ladds 500

500 laps around a traffic circle and you’ve done 100 miles.

This is not a race, this is a fun ride, where people do it on rollerskates, unicycles, tricycles, and often in costume.

I brought the 4 person tandem.


Team mates on a side street learning getting their CDL for tandems

Riding solo is surprisingly easy

It gets going quick

I didn’t realize it, but we had some hanger-ons. Didn’t even notice

I loaned the bike to friends from PDOT and they did great

Robvolz 

The lonely ride home



White port Tonic Lime

Robvolz 

Some notes:

I'm used to riding a tandem, often alone to meet a friend.

So I'm used to "Hey, you lost your buddy" as if we've never heard that before.

Plus the "I wanna ride!!" Which if I have time, I will oblige.


But, with a 4-person, I'll pre-empt them with "HAVE YOU SEEN MY FAMILY??"

After all those laps, my legs were still fresh. My shoulders and forearms…..Screaming. Muscles I didn't know existed.

My buddy [Frame Builder] Bob (Bantam, formerly Bilinky) explained the physiological situation. On a single bike, with every down stroke on a pedal, you compensate ever so lightly by pushing down with your opposite hand on the bars.

Now picture 4 people pushing down on pedals. That's 4X the hand/arm/shoulder compensation.


Also, I know the stoker is supposed to be the beefiest person, but that = a lot of tail wagging the dog. In fact, I prefer filling the seats front to back. Biggest to smallest.


Turning is an adventure. It takes a whole cul-de-sac to do it solo. At intersections, you ride past the normal apex, then turn back to make it without hitting parked cars, street signs, building corners, Etc.


lastly….This is not my main ride, but it gets more looks, smiles and laughs. Plus people want to talk about it more than my Molteni team bike owned by Eddy's domestique. More smiles per mile.

So…..

If any of you are in Portland, and want to borrow it, please do. Its locked on my front porch (its longer than a Suburban, not meant for in-house) and I'm happy to tell you the combination. Even if there is only 2 of you, You will be surprised how easy it is to make new friends.

Aubergine 

I am mildly surprised that everyone appears fully dressed.

RCMoeur 

Looks like it was fun.

Around here, we do a 12-hour ride in the darkness in the dead of the summer on a slightly-longer-than-a-roundabout 8 mile residential loop, but it's fun too. Several folks put in centuries and 1 or 2 put in doubles.

RCMoeur 

One more gratuitous comment/suggestion: When taking on self-loading cargo on your quad, do you use "The Method?" 1) Cap'n puts both feet firmly down splayed laterally to stabilize (like meaty crane outriggers). 2) Everyone gets on, settles in, and clips in / feets on pedals. 3) Cap'n then lifts power pedal foot, announces departure, and starts. My initial skepticism of Mr. McCready's preaching on this issue went away after I tried it. My dear wife is not, um, "petite", and it works great for both of us.

merlinextraligh

RC, it’s the “Proper Method”. For Bill, there is only one way, the proper, er am ready, way.

RCMoeur 

I would stand corrected, except my stoker doesn't like it when I stand.

cyclic_eric

Love these posts of people having fun on bicycles!
Great pictures! I hope I make it to Portland, just to attempt Robvolz' 4x

downtube42

Sorry I missed it. Next year. My people.