Action Bent Tadpole Trike: Has anybody ridden one?

"Larry Varney" wrote in message
...
[...]
Me, an iron man? Nah, that was some guy named Joe, from a long time ago,
with an Italian-sounding last name.
What I do is ride within my capabilities, with just the occasional
attack of "performance" riding. I'm a tourist, and I ride at a pace that
lets me see what's around me, that lets me feel just fine with the idea of
stopping and taking pictures (nearly a thousand on the two tours, GITAP
and Bike Northwoods), and I'm never concerned about being the first one to
reach the day's destination.

You and I ride the same way Larry. In fact, I am usually the last one in at
camp at the end of the day. That is because I can't get up early. Most of
the time I do not get under way until 9 AM and so I get to the end
destination well after 7 PM most days. The advantage of my way is that I
ride alone 90% of the time. The disadvantage is that all the rest stops are
shut down by the time I arrive and so I have to carry my own supplies. Of
course, I could just get up early like everyone else, but then that would
not be ME.

GITAP (Grand Illinois Trail And Parks) and Bike Northwoods (lots of
Minnesotans crossed into Wiscconsin for this tour) are not difficcult.
What hills are encountered are seldom tough enough to even consider
walking, though some with flatland cogsets did just that. For the last
three years I have ridden GITAP and then backed it up with a second week
of touring; first two years were the June TRIRI (Touring Ride In Rural
Indiana), but this year I decided to go with Bike Northwoods, a new tour
for me. Since I'm riding the September TRIRI, I didn't feel like I was
deserting any old friends!

Did you see the estimable and the redoubtable Mr. Tom Sherman on the
Illinois ride? I wonder if he is OK as he has not been around at all lately.

And if money (and vacation time) were not a problem, I'd like to ride
these two tours, and then follow it with GRABAAWR, but my job (and wife)
would probably object!

GRABAAWR is my favorite ride and I have done it many times. That ride will
average 70 miles a day which gets to be a bit much, but that Wisconsin
scenery can't be beat.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

"Buck" wrote in message
...


On 07/03/2005 12:37:24 "Edward Dolan" wrote:

oyed.

I am hanging around for a while longer to see if the group can ever
recover. I am not overly optimistic, but if a few of the old timers come
back I think the group could revive.

My mission is to defend this group against those who would destroy it,
but
I depend on others to rally around the flag when the occasion calls for
it, not to take to the tall grass and perform a disappearing act.

So you're defending the group against yourself? Conflict of interests.

Leave, then the group can recover.

Now this is what I am talking about and what I like to see here on ARBR - a
man with a sense of humor (humour).

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

"Jeff Grippe" jeff@door7 wrote in message
...

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

PS. Jeff needs to quote me not only when I am saying good things, but
also when I am saying bad things. The reason for this is that sometimes
the good things will turn out bad and the bad things will turn out good.
We can never be sure which way things are going.


Well Ed, I like to think of myself as a considerate person (no surprise
there) so I will quote you the way you want to be quoted. Don't jump down
my throat if I get it wrong once in a while but I will be considerate of
your wishes as I have asked you to do for others.

It is not just the way I want, it is the correct way. Everything will go
much smoother when everyone observes the proper conventions of posting as
set forth by Google.

As for politics I think it
would be fun to go toe to toe with you but probably not here. Neither one
of us is afraid of our ideas and I think that in cases where you are not
trying to save the group from destruction, you would be respectful while
strongly disagreeing.

We do not want to resurrect politics here on ARBR. That is what almost
destroyed the group the last time around. We conservatives never start these
kind of fights. In the entire history of ARBR, I have always been nothing
but a responder.

I wonder where Mr. Tom Sherman, my nemesis, has gone to. I kind of miss him.
He was a stalwart of ARBR, but I could not forgive him for not taking on the
criminal vandal troll. I simply can't comprehend such cowardice.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

We do not want to resurrect politics here on ARBR. That is what almost
destroyed the group the last time around. We conservatives never start
these kind of fights. In the entire history of ARBR, I have always been
nothing but a responder.

I agree. I just think that you and I might have an interesting discussion
some day. Maybe we'll be on the same ride at some point although I haven't
gotten out to the rides you do yet! But I completely agree that this is not
the place for it. Much better to stay on or close to topic.

__________ wrote:
snip

I am currently reviewing the Action Bent tadpole for BentRider Online.
I haven't quite finished yet - I do like to be thorough with these
reviews; I rode the WizWheelz Edge on a weekend tour (Horsey Hundred) then
followed it up with the week-long GITAP - but at this point I can say that
I have been favorably impressed with the AB trike.
Brake steer? It doesn't have any. The seat angle isn't as adjustable as
I would like - but then, many trikes don't have an adjustable recline at
all.
Anyway, look for me to complete this review in another week or two. I
expected to cut this little trike some slack simply because it's so
relatively inexpensive, but it looks like it can stand on its own three
wheels with no condescending help at all!


Some review coverage requests, if I may:

Give specifics about build quality issues (if any) and resolutions thereof.
Compare handling to Catrike, Greenspeed, Trice, TerraTrike, etc.
Compare/contrast high speed handling vs. other mainstream trikes.
How well does the headrest work on bumpy roads?
Lots of photos, including steering and seat details plus catalog shots.
Discuss cargo rack, fender and water bottle mounting options.

Thanks for the preview, Larry. We'll look forward to your full BROL review
of the Action Bent Tadpole Trike.




One thing I don't do, whoever you are, is compare one bike or trike
to another - at least, not as an integral part of the review, and I try
to restrict it to objective comparisons. "Handling" is sometimes a
subjective thing; what is "twitchy" to one person is "responsive" to
another. Some people may prefer the handling of the GT3, for instance,
while others may prefer the Speed. I try to stick to objective
comparisons, such as wheelbase and weight. I discuss whether or not I
feel that the handling of the bike or trike *on its own* is good or bad,
and not so much in comparison with others.
As for the photographs, I try not to bury the reader in them - I love
taking pictures, and the toughest part of my job is deciding what
pictures *not* to include! And, I try to use my own pictures and not
those supplied by the manufacturer - the reader can retrieve those from
the builder's website on his own.

Edward Dolan wrote:
"Larry Varney" wrote in message
...
[...]

Me, an iron man? Nah, that was some guy named Joe, from a long time ago,
with an Italian-sounding last name.
What I do is ride within my capabilities, with just the occasional
attack of "performance" riding. I'm a tourist, and I ride at a pace that
lets me see what's around me, that lets me feel just fine with the idea of
stopping and taking pictures (nearly a thousand on the two tours, GITAP
and Bike Northwoods), and I'm never concerned about being the first one to
reach the day's destination.


You and I ride the same way Larry. In fact, I am usually the last one in at
camp at the end of the day. That is because I can't get up early. Most of
the time I do not get under way until 9 AM and so I get to the end
destination well after 7 PM most days. The advantage of my way is that I
ride alone 90% of the time. The disadvantage is that all the rest stops are
shut down by the time I arrive and so I have to carry my own supplies. Of
course, I could just get up early like everyone else, but then that would
not be ME.


GITAP (Grand Illinois Trail And Parks) and Bike Northwoods (lots of
Minnesotans crossed into Wiscconsin for this tour) are not difficcult.
What hills are encountered are seldom tough enough to even consider
walking, though some with flatland cogsets did just that. For the last
three years I have ridden GITAP and then backed it up with a second week
of touring; first two years were the June TRIRI (Touring Ride In Rural
Indiana), but this year I decided to go with Bike Northwoods, a new tour
for me. Since I'm riding the September TRIRI, I didn't feel like I was
deserting any old friends!


Did you see the estimable and the redoubtable Mr. Tom Sherman on the
Illinois ride? I wonder if he is OK as he has not been around at all lately.


And if money (and vacation time) were not a problem, I'd like to ride
these two tours, and then follow it with GRABAAWR, but my job (and wife)
would probably object!


GRABAAWR is my favorite ride and I have done it many times. That ride will
average 70 miles a day which gets to be a bit much, but that Wisconsin
scenery can't be beat.

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota





I'm not as much as an early-riser as some of the people on these
tours - you can hear the sounds of tents being packed up, and it's still
dark! But I'm usually up and away by 7. And I've found that my average
speed, when stops for food and pictures are included, is around 10 mph,
so even on the longer days I'm in camp early enough to take a shower
before dinner.
I have ridden GRABAAWR just once, and I may do it again sometime. But
there's just so many rides to do, and some that I just can't bear to
think of skipping - GITAP is one of those, and Bike Northwoods just
might turn into one - that I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit GRABAAWR
into my schedule again or not.
As for riding alone, that's usually the way I ride. I like the
freedom of stopping when I want, taking as many pictures as I want, etc.
I don't mind riding in the proximity of other people (no pace lines,
though), but not as a "unit". I don't want others to wait for me, nor do
I want to miss a good shot because I didn't want to slow anyone down.
I have yet to meet Tom Sherman.

"Larry Varney" wrote in message
...

As for the photographs, I try not to bury the reader in them - I love
taking pictures, and the toughest part of my job is deciding what
pictures *not* to include! And, I try to use my own pictures and not
those supplied by the manufacturer - the reader can retrieve those from
the builder's website on his own.

I would normally agree with you Larry however many of the images of the
bikes leave much to be desired on manufacturers web pages
....(cough)...Optima...(cough)

Mark Leuck wrote:
"Larry Varney" wrote in message
...

As for the photographs, I try not to bury the reader in them - I love
taking pictures, and the toughest part of my job is deciding what
pictures *not* to include! And, I try to use my own pictures and not
those supplied by the manufacturer - the reader can retrieve those from
the builder's website on his own.


I would normally agree with you Larry however many of the images of the
bikes leave much to be desired on manufacturers web pages
...(cough)...Optima...(cough)



Yep, sometimes they are - and in those cases, then the requested
"catalog shots" aren't going to be any better if I post them! And that's
why I prefer to take my own pictures. I might miss something, some
particular feature that a reader wants to see, and through the miracle
of digital cameras and internet-based publishing, I can provide that
picture - assuming I still have the bike or trike in question, which
isn't always the case. I do have a habit of selling the bikes and
trikes I buy...

"Jeff Grippe" jeff@door7 wrote in message
...

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

We do not want to resurrect politics here on ARBR. That is what almost
destroyed the group the last time around. We conservatives never start
these kind of fights. In the entire history of ARBR, I have always been
nothing but a responder.

I agree. I just think that you and I might have an interesting discussion
some day. Maybe we'll be on the same ride at some point although I haven't
gotten out to the rides you do yet! But I completely agree that this is
not the place for it. Much better to stay on or close to topic.

When embarked on a bike tour with others I NEVER discuss politics or
religion or anything else half way serious. It is always best to stay away
from anything personal too - you know, all that business about what do you
do. Only supreme jerks do that sort of thing. I know you would not do it
either.

The proper subjects for discussion on a bike tour with others is the tour
itself and the daily events that take place in connection with it. Even a
child should know that much at least.

I am an ideal person to go on a bike tour with because I know what are the
proper subjects for conversation and what subjects to stay off of. I can
talk about the weather and the suffering it is causing me all day long.

However, for those who ask for it, I can also talk well into the night at
the drop of a hat about such subjects as prostate cancer, high blood
pressure, regurgitating heart valves, stroke and the eminence of death. I
have a whole catalog of epitaphs for our headstones that we need to
consider. I assure you, there is never a dull moment with me around.

My philosophy of group bike tours is that you do not ever want to get to
know anyone at all well. You want to keep everything on a very casual basis.
After all, we are just ships passing in the night and when the tour is over
then the relationships should also be over. Thus spake Zarathustra!

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota

Edward Dolan wrote:
"Jeff Grippe" jeff@door7 wrote in message
...

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

We do not want to resurrect politics here on ARBR. That is what almost
destroyed the group the last time around. We conservatives never start
these kind of fights. In the entire history of ARBR, I have always been
nothing but a responder.


I agree. I just think that you and I might have an interesting discussion
some day. Maybe we'll be on the same ride at some point although I haven't
gotten out to the rides you do yet! But I completely agree that this is
not the place for it. Much better to stay on or close to topic.


When embarked on a bike tour with others I NEVER discuss politics or
religion or anything else half way serious. It is always best to stay away
from anything personal too - you know, all that business about what do you
do. Only supreme jerks do that sort of thing. I know you would not do it
either.

The proper subjects for discussion on a bike tour with others is the tour
itself and the daily events that take place in connection with it. Even a
child should know that much at least.

I am an ideal person to go on a bike tour with because I know what are the
proper subjects for conversation and what subjects to stay off of. I can
talk about the weather and the suffering it is causing me all day long.

However, for those who ask for it, I can also talk well into the night at
the drop of a hat about such subjects as prostate cancer, high blood
pressure, regurgitating heart valves, stroke and the eminence of death. I
have a whole catalog of epitaphs for our headstones that we need to
consider. I assure you, there is never a dull moment with me around.

My philosophy of group bike tours is that you do not ever want to get to
know anyone at all well. You want to keep everything on a very casual basis.
After all, we are just ships passing in the night and when the tour is over
then the relationships should also be over. Thus spake Zarathustra!

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota





And here is another of those areas where Ed Dolan and I differ:
unless it turns personal, I love to discuss politics and other "serious"
subjects while on a bike tour. I've found that a glance at the visible
portion of a news paper in a vending machine can lead to hours of
interesting conversations.
Of course, if I find that someone can't discuss such topics without
becoming belligerent and obnoxious, I will limit my conversations with
them to the other topics you mention - the weather and the tour itself -
and try to make a point of avoiding conversational proximity with those
riders for the remainder of the tour.
Finally, I find that I have made some of my best friends while on
bike tours. I have gotten to know several extremely well, and have
enjoyed seeing them again on subsequent tours. We exchange emails and
phone calls, and our lives are made richer by the lucky accident of
having met on a bike tour.
Incidentally, one of the most fun an innovative things I've seen on a
bike tour was on this past GITAP - a nightly discussion group organized
by the Humanities Coucil of Illinois (or some such name as that). It was
called "Velosophie". We had various things to read and discuss delivered
to us before the tour - such things as Thoreau's essay, "Walking" and
Willa Cather's "O Pioneers!". Each night (except one) after dinner, we
gathered together (as if you can gather separately!) and discussed these
works, with the help of three representatives from this Humanities
council. There was an article about it in the Sunday, June 26th issue of
the Chicago Tribune. Lots of fun, got to know each other better, and
far more enjoyable than just saying "it's dark, nothing else to do but
go to sleep."