Peregrine Bike Works

This is my 100th post! How appropriate that I am writing about the place where it all started, Peregrine Bike Works (PBW) in Chico, CA.

I visited PBW today. The owner, Hugh, hosted an open house. He had more trikes than you could imagine in one place.

It was a great place to go to test ride the best trikes as my need for speed develops.

Here is a list of all the trikes I saw today at PBW:

** Recumbent Tadpole Trikes **

ICE:
Q with mesh seat & 20" rear suspension wheel,
Qnt with hardshell seat & 20" rear suspension wheel,
Qnt with hardshell seat & 26" rear wheel,
T with mesh seat & 20" rear suspension wheel;

Greenspeed:
X5 (16" wheels, sport folding),
GT3 (16" wheels, touring folding),
GTO (20" wheels, touring take-apart);

Catrike:
Trail (20" wheels front & 20" rear),
Speed (16" wheels front & 20" rear),
Road (20" wheels front & 20" rear),
Expedition (20" wheels front & 26" rear),
700 (16" wheels front & 700c rear);

HP Velotechnik both 20" wheels and rear suspension:
Scorpion (20/20 aluminum frame w. suspension,
Scorpion FX (20/20 aluminum frame w. suspension & folding)

Wizwheelz (Terra Trike):
Cruiser (20/20 - steel frame fits the budget conscious);


** Recumbent Delta Trikes **

Hase:
Kett-Wiesel (27-speed, aluminum frame),
Lepus Comfort (14-speed w. Rohloff);

Greenspeed:
Anura (18-sp, with differential and Schlumpf Speed-Drive);

Sun:
M3-UAX (budget)

There was a lot to choose from to say the least.

I am looking for a bit more speed. Currently, when I am in my highest gear I sometimes find that I could use one or two more gears to power the trike at higher speeds. Higher gearing mainly means that I need a bigger wheel in the back (drive wheel).

So I mainly looked at two different trikes: the ICE Qnt with a 26" drive wheel and the Catrike 700.

ICE Qnt with 26" drive wheel

This is the same trike that I ride currently except that it has the 26" drive wheel. I was naturally very comfortable on this trike because it rides just like the one that I have ridden for 7,000 miles. I love the feel of the steering and I am a firm believer in drum brakes which come standard. I love my current trike, it is very dependable, solid and comfortable. The fact that I could get higher gearing from the same trike is very attractive.

Catrike 700

The main attraction for this trike is the 700c drive wheel. This huge wheel will not only allow higher gearing but this is the standard wheel size for upright road bikes. Therefore this trike will accommodate a standard racing wheel at a reasonable price. One can save a lot of wind resistance with blade spokes or a full carbon fiber disc in the rear.

This trike is much lower to the ground making it more aerodynamic. However the seat angle does not adjust so one needs to be comfortable with the laid back position and reduced vision.

All Catrikes have direct steering. The feeling is way different than the indirect steering on my ICE. This would take some getting used to. Also Catrikes feature disc brakes and do not offer drum brakes which would be a consideration for me.

Thoughts
These are both great trikes. The bottom line is that I want to find the fastest trike available. The true test would be to take each of them out on a 10 mile time trial, may the best trike win...maybe next time.

Along with the trikes we saw other great items such as this crazy contraption:


Somebody showed up with this great traylor hitch rack, which doubles as a sweet display stand for trikes. Hugh does not carry this product but I'm sure if you are interested, he could find it for you.


It was a great event and PBW is a great place. I believe Hugh will ship a product anywhere in the country (World?). If you are interested in a trike just visit the PBW web site or stop by for a test ride if you are in the area. Say hi for me.

International Ataxia Awareness Day

Today (9/25) is International Ataxia Awareness Day.

In recognition of this day my Cousin Angela Greene and her husband Ricky Greene held a fundraiser. The fundraiser was held last Saturday in Martinez at the Greene Residence.

Angela and Ricky spent months preparing their new home for the event and the place looked great. They had 5 tables full of silent auction items and 4 tables of raffle prizes. The silent auction items ranged from gift baskets full of wine and cheese to sports memorabilia such as a football signed by the Raiders. The raffle prizes ranged from gift certificates to local restaurants to a Ride Ataxia Jersey. Most of the items were donated by friends and businesses in the Martinez community.


Dinner was provided courtesy of Outback Steakhouse and featured chicken, steak, greens, marinated mushrooms and mashed potatoes (my mouth is watering). Thanks to Outback we were able to cut costs big time and provide an outstanding meal, Thank You.


We estimated that there were about 80 people in attendance and we raised a total of $7,200! 100% of this money will go to the collaborative research efforts of the National Ataxia Foundation and the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance. On top of that, I think we may have recruited a few participants for Ride Ataxia III.


We all had a great time with old friends and we made some new ones too.


A special thanks to Ricky and Angela for their hard work and dedication, you are truly making a difference.

Cyclebration

Last Friday I participated in my first Cycling Race. It was a 10 mile Time Trial. The Time Trial is a lot different than my regular rides because it is all out, as fast as possible for 10 miles. I feel like I got a two hour work out in about 35 minutes, I was feeling a little queasy at the very end but I held it down for a strong finish.

I raced among other Disabled Athletes who all happened to be on Handbikes. We had a lot of fun representing Disabled Athletes. There were 6 of us but we hope to have a much stronger showing next year.

Matt Strugar-Fritsch, Me, Chris Houde

Dream Hope Believe

On Saturday 9/13 a local ataxia family held a fundraiser at a local seafood restaurant. The event featured a silent auction, music, friends, drinks and as much crab as you could eat.

The event benefited the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance and was organized by family and friends of Ashley Hartigan. Ashley is a 12 year old who suffers from Friedreich’s Ataxia. FA has robbed Ashley of the ability to participate in most sports, keep up with her friends and she struggles more each day to walk.

There were more than 200 people at this event and tickets sold out more than a month in advance. There is a lot of support for the Hartigan family in this community. The goal was to raise $25,000. I do not have the total at this point but by my estimation, the goal was reached.

The best part about the night was a presentation by the 20, 30 Club. Friends of the Hartigans had told Ashley's story and the 20, 30 Club decided to take action. They funded the purchase of a trike so that Ashley can ride bikes with her friends and stay in shape.


It was a great event and I am looking forward to next year!

Around The Lake

Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States and the tenth deepest in the world, with a maximum depth measured at 1,645 ft (501 m), average depth of 1,000 ft (305 m). Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake (1,949 ft or 594 m) in the United States. Please Note that the depth of Lake Tahoe changes every day as the lake level changes.
Lake Tahoe is about 22 mi (35 km) long and l2 mi (19 km) wide and has 72 mi (116 km) of shoreline and a surface area of 191 mi2 (495 km2). The floor of the Lake Tahoe Basin is at an elevation of about 4,580 ft (1,396 m), which is lower than the surface of the Carson Valley to the east! With an average surface elevation of 6,225 ft (1,897 m) above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the highest lake of its size in the United States. - USGS

Team Ride Ataxia Has Conquered Lake Tahoe!

On Sunday teammates Sean, Greg, Crystal, Mike, Glenn, Doug, I and a few others left Stateline (CA, NV) at 8am heading clockwise around the huge lake.

The group took off and I immediately fell behind (I have plenty of excuses: heavy bike [40 lbs], three wheels [more resistance]...). Crystal stayed back with me and about 5 mi into the ride her back tire went flat. After fiddling around for a while we realized that my pump would not work so we had to flag someone down and borrow a pump (always check your equipment before you hit the road). We lost about 1/2 hour but we got back on the road knowing that this would not phase us.

At mile 13 we hit the "Emerald Bay Switch Backs" that we had been warned about. This hill was super steep but fairly short so we powered through to the Emerald Bay Vista Point:

This is one of the most beautiful spots...ever. However, there was no time to admire the beauty, we had to keep moving so we quickly snapped this photo and jumped back in the saddle.

We hit the first rest stop a couple miles later after a screaming downhill (33mph). We devoured some cantaloupe, strawberries, pretzels and bagels before adding a little more pressure to Crystal's rear tire and we were off again.

Rolling hills are what we encountered for the next 25 miles. We were at lake level for a bit then climbed Dollar Hill and traveled back to Lake level at Kings Beach for lunch. At mile 40, we had covered more than half the total distance but we had spent much less than half the effort required to finish. At that point, my knees were aching a bit which made me a bit nervous but we pressed on resisting the urge to jump in the water at the beach.

We passed through Incline Village which is home to some of the most impressive houses (mansions) in the Tahoe Basin. Then we started the climb. This climb started at about mile 55 and lasted for about 12 miles. Nobody told me about this one...So I cranked it down to my granny gear and grinded out the twelve miles in about an hour and a half. As I was climbing, the outside corner of my left eye began to burn, I thought "shoot, sunscreen in the eye." Then I remembered that I purposely avoided my forehead when applying sunscreen. I realized that my head was so drenched in salt-saturated sweat that it was dripping in my eye and causing a terrible burning sensation...hooray!

My climbing pace is very sluggish (heavy bike, three wheels) so Crystal went ahead and waited for me at the top of the hill. We formed our two person Peleton and headed down the big descent (12 miles to go). During this descent on State Highway 50 we hit speeds over 30 mph while riding the breaks. The road had just been re-finished which made those speeds very enjoyable.

There were rolling hills for the last 5 miles then we finally reached the finish line. We were just about the last ones to finish, but they were not giving out awards for fast times and I think we had just as much fun as everyone else...mission accomplished!


Special thanks to Lyle and Joyce Miller for providing a roof over our heads the night before the ride.

Bow Flex

I am preparing for the Tour de Tahoe on September 7. Team members Sean, Mike, Glenn, Crystal, and Terry are going to participate as well.:

"The 72-mile Tour de Tahoe – Bike Big Blue course circumnavigates the highways clockwise around Lake Tahoe in both Nevada and California. It includes a challenging 800-foot climb to a rest stop overlooking Emerald Bay and a 1,000-foot climb to Spooner Junction. There are also many short rolling ascents and descents totaling over 2,600 vertical feet of elevation gain! The altitude ranges between 6,300 feet and 7,100 feet above sea level and the ride is recommended for conditioned recreational bicyclists, not for beginners."

I am not in cycling shape. The summer heat combined with smoke from the local wildfires combined with a degree of laziness has created many excuses to do lots of other stuff rather than get in shape. However, I am making a last ditch effort to log a few miles before the ride.

Along with cycling, I am adding strength training to my routine. I hate going to the gym (there is a lot of wasted time getting motivated, making the trip over there, finding a parking spot...). So I decided to streamline the process and bring the gym to me.

Uncle Steve has been using his Bow Flex for about ten years. He is a monster downhill/back country skier and he logs thousands of miles every year on his mountain bike. Uncle Steve is a fine physical specimen at 59 years old and I figured it must be the Bow Flex (and his obsession with fitness) that keeps him in shape.

So I searched CraigsList for a used Bow Flex. I found many listings for $800 - $1500. However, there were a few listings with prices in the $200 - $300 range (these are offered by people who bought a Bow Flex a few years ago, never used it and now they just want to get rid of it).

I called on a listing that was offered for $250, the guy said he was willing to lower the price to $200 as long as I would come pick it up. So the next night I drove about 30 miles to go check this thing out. The guy (Kevin) asked me why I was shopping for a home gym. I told him about FA and the ride. He wanted to donate so he gave me the Bow Flex for $100. He said that if his wife didn't need her hair done he would have given it to me for free. Thanks Kevin, I hope to put the Bow Flex to work.

I just set it up in the garage yesterday and I have not had the chance to try it out but I hope to make regular use of it...we'll see how it goes.

Pay Off

This is what it's all about...Results! We are truly making a huge difference here.

The collaboration between Ride Ataxia, NAF, and FARA is amazing. We started working together just over two years ago and we have already funded $350,000 worth of promising Ataxia research!

We funded one research award last year, that one was chosen from ten proposals. We are funding two awards this year chosen from eight proposals. Three awards given among 18 promising applicants! Who even knew there were 18 new ideas for Ataxia research? Researchers all over the world are bringing their ideas to the table for this award. There is some real excitement here and the collaboration of these three organizations is capturing the excitement and producing results!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

$250,000 in Kyle Bryant Translational Research Awards Announced Today

August 6, 2008 — The National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) and the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) announced today that, this year, they are co-funding two $125,000 Kyle Bryant Awards that are going to promising translational research in Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA). One award is being made to Repligen Corporation, Waltham MA, who in collaboration with an international team of researchers is advancing compounds called HDAC inhibitors that target increased levels of frataxin – the protein that is severely reduced in FA. The second award goes to a team of investigators at Ohio State University, Drs. Subha V. Raman and Roula al-Dahhak, who propose a series of sophisticated imaging studies to better understand, prevent and treat heart disease in FA.

Repligen’s research proposes to develop methods to use with the FA mouse models in order to select which HDAC inhibitor will be best to test in FA patients and what doses of that HDAC inhibitor will be most likely to maximize frataxin protein levels while minimizing toxicity. Drs. Subha V. Raman and Roula al-Dahhak, recognizing that heart disease in FA is poorly understood, have focused their research project on testing new ideas regarding how heart disease develops in FA, earlier detection of the heart disease, and development of new prevention and treatment strategies that would reduce heart-related disability and death.

These two research projects were selected from eight excellent applications that were peer-reviewed and then ranked by FARA and NAF scientific advisors. The Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award was established in honor of Kyle Bryant, the courageous young man who has Friedreich's ataxia and formed Ride Ataxia. Ride Ataxia has helped increase awareness regarding FA and raise invaluable research funds for FA research. The Ride allows motivated individuals to experience and advance the fight against this debilitating disease. In 2008, Ride Ataxia II began in Sacramento, CA and ended in Las Vegas, NV at the 51st NAF annual membership meeting. Bryant and Ride Ataxia II teams raised over $140,000 to support the award. NAF and FARA announced at the end of the ride that the two organizations would add sufficient funds to bring the total of the 2008 Kyle Bryant Translational Research Award to $250,000.

NAF Executive Director Michael Parent commented, "The National Ataxia Foundation is truly grateful to Kyle Bryant and the other riders and supporters of Ride Ataxia II in making it possible to help fund two $125,000 quality research studies. Their efforts give hope for today and a promise for a brighter future for those affected by ataxia and their families." FARA President Ron Bartek added, "Kyle’s courage, commitment and dedication, reinforced by a growing number of his family members, friends, supporters and others with FA, have again inspired and enabled FARA and NAF to collaborate in co-funding exciting new FA research. With all of us working together like this, we will develop treatments and a cure. This Kyle Bryant-FARA-NAF collaboration is accelerating that accomplishment." Ride Ataxia II, launched in Sacramento, CA on March 15, 2008 with 50 riders, and logged about 60 miles a day, arriving in Las Vegas on March 28, 2008. Bryant kept a blog describing the adventures along the way: http://rideataxia.blogspot.com

"There is an optimism in our community of Ataxians. Many people think that we can actually beat this thing. I am confident that our brilliant doctors and researchers are doing all they can to find a treatment or a cure. Until we find a cure, Ride Ataxia will continue to promote an active and healthy lifestyle for all Ataxians." said Bryant.

Friedreich's ataxia is a rare, life-shortening, debilitating, genetic, neurodegenerative disorder. Onset of symptoms usually occurs between the ages of 5 and 15. Symptoms include muscle weakness and loss of coordination in the arms and legs; impairment of vision, hearing and speech; aggressive scoliosis (curvature of the spine); diabetes, and a serious heart condition. Most patients need a wheelchair full-time by their late teens and die as young adults. There is currently no treatment or cure.

About FARA
The Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to accelerating research leading to treatments and a cure for Friedreich's ataxia. http://www.curefa.org

About NAF
NAF is a membership supported, nonprofit organization established in 1957 to help persons with ataxia and their families. The Foundation's primary purpose is to support promising ataxia research and to provide vital programs and services for ataxia families. http://www.ataxia.org

Contact
Ronald Bartek
President, Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance
(703) 426-1576
fara@curefa.org

Michael Parent
Executive Director, National Ataxia Foundation
(763) 553-0020
mike@ataxia.org

Kyle Bryant
Founder, Ride Ataxia
(916) 203-3238
kyle@rideataxia.org