aula, a friend from my a bluegrass and Irish string band from I was quickly supplied with a 20-inch tire Laid-Back Adventures in Wisconsin teaching days, wanted Sheboygan. At an information meeting and a bandage for my elbow. I replaced the to connect on a bike later, we found that there were 477 bikers tire and was soon on my way. The help we ride, and her initial plan this year from 36 states, ranging from 9 to received for both of these incidents during Story and photos by Chester Rideout was for us to ride the 80 years old with an average age of 51. We SAGBRAW, both by the road crew, medics, Register’s Annual Great were issued maps for the tour, which were and by Wheel and Sprocket, could not have Bike Ride Across Iowa very well prepared and given the high- been better. We rode the last 10 miles from (RAGBRAI). Although we considered it, lights on each stage. The rest of the meeting the rest stop to Green Bay without inci- 10,000 riders sounded like a little too much had to do with safety, how to contact the dent, arriving at 3:30 PM, a little later than Pof a circus as did 80 hilly miles a day for six support truck, and so on — information I planned. That evening, we ate the first of straight days through Iowa’s heat. Because doubted we would need. I was wrong. our prepaid dinners of spaghetti and were I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and since I stuck my head out of the tent door serenaded by an accordionist. After supper, Paula also had Wisconsin roots, I checked at 5:45 AM, figuring I would be the early we shopped for a wrist brace for Paula, and into similar rides there, and Schramm’s bird for the first day, but many campers we hoped this injury would not keep her Annual Great Bike Ride Across Wisconsin were already up and active. I walked over from continuing the ride, especially since (SAGBRAW: bikewisconsin.com/sagbraw) to Paula’s tent, and she was awake and this was our first riding day. caught my eye. organizing too. After loading the bags on The second day was cooler, and Paula Limited to 1,000 cyclists, this year’s the truck, we rolled south on our way felt more confident with the wrist brace for SAGBRAW covered six days of riding at along Lake Michigan toward the town of support. Tailwinds helped push us on into about 58 miles per day along the cooler Green Bay. As we neared the first rest stop Door County with the beautiful waters of shores of Lake Michigan (with one rest at Oconto, two dogs barked and streaked Green Bay giving us stunning views. We day at Sturgeon Bay), so it sounded more across a lawn in our direction. I yelled finished up in Sturgeon Bay, camping in a attractive. I found that this tour, originally “No!,” which stopped the Doberman just field near a junior high school. We tested called Sentinel’s Active Americans Great before it reached the road, but the other the local beers downtown and returned Bike Ride Across Wisconsin (SAAGBRAW), dog, a Golden Lab mix, kept on after Paula to head the line for a tasty lasagna dinner. was first offered in 1978 by the Milwaukee who was ahead of me. She yelled at the We set up the tents, stored the duffels in Sentinel newspaper. It was initiated par- dog, which seemed to spur it on, and sped them, and rode four miles to a home Paula tially because of the success of RAGBRAI, up. Paula was jet propelled at this point had traded for time at her home in Sedona, established in 1973, which was by that time because of her fear of dogs, and all I could Arizona. What a treat to have better access rapidly gathering popularity. My recent do was follow and serve as a spectator. The to showers and laundry facilities! We were self-contained bike tours had involved an dog raced ahead of her, crossing in front even happier with our comfy situation excessive amount of climbing, so an added from side to side. After perhaps half a mile when heavy rain fell that night and contin- bonus is that the 2011 ride, following the of high-speed pursuit and maybe 30 road ued the day. The planned recreational Lake Michigan shore, was relatively flat. crossings by the dog, Paula finally ran ride for the rest day had been canceled On a hot and humid Wisconsin Saturday into it and was thrown forward onto her as a result. In the afternoon, we rode 20 I arrived by car and greeted Paula at the right side on the asphalt. I caught up and rainy miles along the lakeshore to Donny’s shuttle point near Kewaskum, with my helped her to the side of the road — she Glidden Lodge near Whitefish Bay and Lightning Stealth recumbent and two duf- had sprained her wrist, had a little road enjoyed a fantastic steak dinner. fle bags. All of the bikes were eventually rash, and her bike was no longer in work- After our second night at the house, we loaded into a truck, and we boarded a bus ing order, so I called for the support truck. rode back to the junior high and took down for the long ride north to Marinette, on the At the rest stop, repair attempts were our tents, packing and hauling the duffles Wisconsin border with Upper Michigan. made by Chris of Wheel and Sprocket, but to the truck and riding south. Although Upon reaching our destination, we divided the rear dropout snapped when he attempt- they were outnumbered, recumbents of all into two groups, the tenters and those ed to straighten it (as Chris put it, “The sorts were part of the SAGBRAW mix. At sleeping in the gymnasium. After our tent operation was a success, but the patient a stop near one of the many dairy farms, drill (get duffles, roll them to tent site, died”). His daughter Tessa let Paula borrow I talked to Terry Klahr who was riding move bikes to the site, set up the tent, store her bike while they waited for parts, and a fully suspended Free Rider Cruzbike duffles in vestibules), which would become she was then transported with the loaner recumbent with front-wheel drive. He sang very familiar during the week, we head- to the next rest stop. I followed on my bike its praises and certainly looked comfort- ed over to the University of Wisconsin- down the road. About 10 miles farther, I able while heading down the road. Much Marinette campus food service to get some had a front tire blow out, and I also hit the of the ride that day was along scenic Lake chow and suds. There we were treated to pavement. Luckily, because I was riding a Michigan. A special treat was our stop at some great music performed by “Beef Tea,” recumbent, I didn’t have as far to fall, and the von Stiehl Winery in Algoma where I

10 ADVENTURE CYCLIST JUNE 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST JUNE 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 11 tasted wines and met Jackie Frost of North in the past. Unlike those rides, I saw little Dakota, a repeat SAGBRAW rider. drafting, but that wasn’t necessary. The The afternoon turned into a scorch- fastest machines included the tandems and er, and we were fighting headwinds. As Ice Trikes, the extremely low Catrikes and we approached Mischicot, waving natives Catbikes, and the Volae recumbents, which called “Welcome to Mischicot!” Then a offer little wind resistance even though the farmer rode up on his small motor scooter rider is seated above 650-cm wheels. and asked if we would like some water, During the afternoon, industry rep- producing ice cold bottles for our gang of resentatives displayed bikes and allowed eight riders. The road took a bend to the test rides on a half-mile course. Tandems east, and we flew along with a stiff tailwind were available from Terratrike, Greenspeed, pushing us into town. We found the town and Volae, as were trikes made by Hase, had a pleasant camping area, and that night Greenspeed, Terratrike, and Catrike, and we were regaled by a local polka band. numerous recumbents of every kind. Test Paula’s bike was finally repaired, so she bikes were plentiful, and I found I could paid the bill and gave Tessa her bike back ride any bike of my choice with at most before our fourth riding day. The route a 10-minute wait. Electric-assist bikes and south toward Sheboygan was relatively trikes, upright and recumbent, were also flat. Just south of Manitowoc, we visited available to test. the Cedar Crest Ice Cream Factory, which Inside a nearby building, seminars were really hit the spot on a warm sunny day. held, and I attended a talk by Jeff Yonder While we were there, a group of antique of TerraTrike. This company sports a great tractors pulled in, heading north to the variety of excellent trikes, but the new hot Manitowoc Ferry. Their drivers planned seller they offer is the inexpensive Rover, to show off their antique machines, all of ranging in price from $699 to $999. Paulo which appeared to be brand new, at a fair Camasmie of Catrike also spoke, outlining in Muskegon, Michigan. the construction of their speedy trikes. The At a rest stop, I met James and Tatiana Catbike Masashi was one of the newest addi- Miller. They were riding their BikeE tan- Laid-back and loving it. Riders on a variety of machines during 2011’s SAGBRAW. tions to their line. Unfortunately, I didn’t get dem, electrically assisted by a motorized a chance to try one, but those at the lunch trailer that served as pedal assist and in motels each night. In Sheboygan we Kettle Moraine county and its many hills. helped during climbs. They had ridden stayed at a college campus, drinking Fat This was our shortest riding day, only 48 from Milwaukee to our start in Marinette Tire beer as we listened to gypsy music miles, and we rolled into the parking area in only three days, and they planned to played on guitars, and we enjoyed our last near Kewaskum at 1:00 PM. As I loaded ride back to Milwaukee from Kewaskum at prepaid dinner. the car, I thought back to the SAGBRAW the end of the tour. At Tatiana’s insistence, Our last day started out flat south of experience — it was a great 346-mile ride, they softened their experience by staying Sheboygan, but we then rode up into the extremely well organized and presented. From Kewaskum I drove north to Stevens Point for the 18th Midwest Recumbent Rally (hostelshoppe.com/recumbent_rally. php), put on that weekend by the Hostel Shoppe. Unfortunately I arrived too late for the ice cream social on Friday after- noon! For years, I had heard of the Hostel Shoppe, and lusted over their catalogs picturing recumbents of every stripe. The store didn’t disappoint, with hundreds of recumbent bikes, tandems, and trikes on display. I needed some bike repairs on my Lightning and was helped by Scott Christophersen, the head mechanic. He specializes in recumbent repair and is a major guru of laid-back . On Saturday, hundreds of recumbents lined up for the morning tours, which included rides of 17, 35, and 43 miles. Each ride was complete with a tour leader and SAG wagon. I launched with the long ride, and the pace was brisk, much faster Not a recumbent quad. The group ate ice cream as some vintage tractors passed by. on average than in centuries I had ridden

12 ADVENTURE CYCLIST JUNE 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG ADVENTURE CYCLIST JUNE 2012 ADVENTURECYCLING.ORG 13 non-wedgie BIKES FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION who did said it was amazingly fast. quite different from the tadpole trikes with we scared up a flock of turkeys along the On Sunday, the windup of the rally was two front wheels) by Hase Kettwiesel and trail. We had enough free time to visit the Below is a list of popular recumbents, folders, Other Resources: rtrmag.com, recumbents.com, errcmagazine.com, recumbentjournal.com, recumbentcycling. the “Super Tour,” a ride on scenic back Greenspeed Anura. pie shop in Whalan for some spectacular or other non-standard bikes. If you know of blogspot.com, bicycleman.com/recumbents/recumbents.htm, biketcba.org/TRICORR/compare.html, recumbent any brands or models missing from this table bicyclesource.com, bikeroute.com/recumbents, foldingcyclist.com, foldsoc.co.uk, atob.org.uk/folding-bikes.html, roads around Amherst. Again, several mile- After a catered lunch at the Jensen strawberry rhubarb a la mode — perfect that are specifically designed for touring or ages were available with two group leaders Center in Amherst, I said my goodbyes and ending to a super visit to the Midwest. bike travel, email us at magazine@adventure bentrideronline.com. For an extensive list of manufacturers with links, check out ibike.org/library/bike-manu .org. -Mike Deme facturers.htm. for each ride to accommodate riders of drove to Madison to join my wife, Lynn, different speeds. More variety was appar- for the trip home. We stopped on our Chet Rideout has been an avid cyclist since the 1980s, and has written articles about his recumbent touring ent since even the demo bikes were part first night to camp in southeast Minnesota RECUMBENTS, Touring: Linear linearrecumbent.com, 607- Volae volaerecumbents.com, 715- bikefriday.com, 800- trips in the U.S., Canada, France, and Italy. He and his Azub azub.eu, +420 774 587-8835. Offers the Limo. 340-1133. Offers the Tour, the 777-0258. Offers a variety of of the mix, as well as a bike train of five near the Root River , one of our wife, Lynn, live in Port Townsend, Washington, where 2982 29. Offers the Special Expedition series, and the Venture folding bikes and accessories delta trikes (trikes with one front wheel, favorites. On a morning ride in light fog, they also explore the regional waters by sea . Edition Expedition and the Twin LoGo logotrikes.com, +61 8941 tandems. for touring including the New Recumbent Tandem. 82757. Offers the 18/20 and World Tourist and Family Tandem The Hostel Shoppe. Recumbent riders peruse the Wisconsin bike shop that sponsors the Midwest Recumbent Rally. Rapide 18/26. Recumbents, Non-Touring: Traveler. Bacchetta bacchettabikes.com, AVD Windcheetah windcheetah. 866-364-9677. Offers the Longbikes longbikes.com, 303- co.uk, +44 (0) 161 969 9692. Birdy birdybike.com, 503-928- and Bella touring lines. 986-9300. Offers the Slipstream 7723. Offers a variety of folding and the Gulfstream tandem. Brike freedomryder.com, 800- bikes and accessories for touring. Bentech bentechbikes.com. Build 800-5828. Offers recumbent your own. Sets include three 22” x M5 m5recumbents.com, +31 . Brompton bromptonbicycle.co.uk, 34” blueprints and a fully illustrated, (0)118 628759. Offers the Shock +44 (0)20 8232-8484. Offers the step-by-step construction guide. Proof, 20/20 Eco, 20/20 Fatty, Cruzbike cruzbike.com, 888-225- P6R and P6R-X. and M5 Tandem. 2789. Offers the folding Quest. Catrike catrike.com, 407-905- Citizen Folding Bikes citizenbike. 0626. Offers the Expedition and Nazca Ligfietsen nazca-ligfietsen. Edge edgerecumbents.com, 865- com, 800-682-9579. the Road touring trikes. nl, +31-522-490266. Offers the 982-2555. Explorer, Pioneer, Paseo, and dahon.com, 626-305- Challenge challengebikes.com, Quetzal tandem. Greenspeed greenspeed.com. 5264. Offers the 700C-wheel +31 55 521 24 05. Offers the au, 618-514-3955. Offers various Tournado and the Speed TR for Seiran, Mistral SL, and Ventus. Optima optima-cycles.nl, trikes and the Anura Quad. touring. +31(0)251-261222. Offers the Cycle Genius cyclegenius.com, Condor, Falcon, Oryx, and Rider Human Powered Machines hpm. Kansi kansi.co.uk. Offers the 866-901-2453. Offers the Falcon. trike. catoregon.org, 800-343-5568. 1twenty, 3twenty, and 9twenty. Offers recumbents, trikes, folders, Easy Racers www.easyracers. Oracle oraclecycleworks.com, and work bikes. Mezzo mezzobikes.com, 800- com, 831-722-9797. Offers the 416-804-9321. Offers the long- 222-7557. D9 for touring. Tour Easy (S&S Coupling available) wheelbase Omega. KMX Trikes kmxus.com, 866- and Gold Rush Replica. All models 446-2065. Montague montaguebikes.com, available in Expedition distinction. RANS ransbikes.com, 785-625- 800-736-5348. Full-size folders. 6346. Offers a variety of models Maff maafbikes.com, +49 Flevobike flevobike.nl, +31 including tandems and unique (0)17048 66060. Recumbents Moulton moultonbicycles.co.uk, 0321-337200. Offers the uprights. with integrated chains/frame. +44 (0) 1225 865895. Offers the GreenMachine with bags and TSR-27, TSR-30 and the AM GT Maxarya maxarya.com, 416-737- trailer, closed box construction, RecumbentUSA recumbentusa. for touring. 5745. Also offer a folding bike. and 14-speed Rohloff Speed-hub. com, 800-473-4418. Offers the Trike X. Reise & Müller, r-m.de/fahrraeder. MetaBikes meta-bikes.com. Hase hasebikes.com, +49 23 09 Many touring models available. 93 77 0. Offers the Pino Tour and Slyway slywayprojects.com, +39 RaptoBike raptobike.com. Strida strida.com. According to Cusom tandem and Kettwiesel 0372 29589. Offers the Pino Tour them, it’s the only folder that won’t Tour and Custom trike. and Adventure trike. Sun sunbicycles.com, 305-238- make you look like a “granola 1866. Recumbents and trikes. HP Velotechnik hpvelotechnik. SteinTrikes www.steintrikes.com. type.” com, +49 61 92 97 99 2 0. Offers the suspended Nomad Tripendo tripendo.com, +49 (0) Tern Bicycles ternbicycles.com. Offers the Street Machine Gte trike, the Explorer, and Mad Max. 7142 91 99 60. Link P7i Equipped One. and foldable Grasshopper. TerraTrike terratrike.com, 800- Velokraft velokraft.com, +48 504 Resources: The Folding Society: ICE Trikes icetrikes.co, +44 1326 945-9910. Offers the Tour II and 140 424. foldsoc.co.uk, foldingbikes.co.uk, Dawes dawescycles.com. Offers LaPierre lapierre-bikes.co.uk. Rodriguez rodcycle.com, 206- Thorn thorncycles.co.uk, +44 378848. Offers the Adventure. Tandem. Whike whike.com, +316 5478 atob.org.uk/folding-bikes, the Duet, Galaxy Twin, and Offers the Tandem X2 Touring. 527-4822. Offers Toucan ST and 01278 441 505. Offers the Raven Just Two Bikes justtwobikes. Toxy toxy.de, +49 4127 922 3068. Offers the Land Yacht. Double Edge. custom models, including triples, Twin and the Trident Triplet. TANDEMS Longbikes longbikes.com, 303- com, 800-499-1548. Offers the 83. Offers the Classic, Allround quads, and quints. calfeedesign.com, Fandango Mountain Tandems 986-9300. Offers custom upright Ventana ventanausa.com, 916- Tricumbent. Talent, and BionX . Woodside woodsidecycles.com, 937-514-7556. 800-965-2171. mtbtandems.com, 678-445-0711 tandems. Santana santanatandem.com, 631-0544. Specializes in off-road Lightfoot lightfootcycles.com, Trident tridenttrikes.com, 704- 800-334-6136. All tandems suit- tandems. Co-Motion co-motion.com, 866- KHS khsbicycles.com, 310-632- Orbit Tandems orbittandems. 406-821-4750. Offers the Ranger 257-4611. Offers the Stowaway FOLDING BIKES able for self-supported touring 282-6336. Offers the Mocha and 7173 x 255. co.uk, +44 01756 748400. Offers , Greenway trike, and Chameleon trikes. Adventure Bikes adventurebikes. (48-spoke wheel option recom- Primera for touring but many other the Routier Tour and other mod- and World Traveler. Electric assist com, 877-484-2897. mended). TriSled trisled.com.au, +61 3 models available including triples, Koga koga.com (Trekking), +31 els. available. 5981 0337. Offers the Gizmo. Airnimal airnimal.com, +44 (0) quads, and quints. 513 630 111. Offers the Twin Seven sevencycles.com, 617-923- Traveller. Rex Cycles rexcycles.com/ Lightning Cycle Dynamics light- 1954-782020. Offers the Joey, 7774. Offers the Resolute 007 Turner Recumbents turner da Vinci davincitandems.com, frames-parts, 916-446-5706. ningbikes.com, 805-736-0700. the Rhino, the Chameleon, and SLX, Zeal 007 SLX, Axiom 007 recumbents.com, 520-290-5646. 303-936-1241. Offers the road Offers the P-38 and foldable P-38 custom models for touring. SL, and the Sola 007 SL. Offers the Transport and the T-4-2 Joint Venture and the off road Voyager. Tandem. Joint AdVenture.

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