Sunday, April 20, 2008

Pollution is endangering the food supply.

I read an interesting article in the The Independent today.

Pollution is dulling the scent of flowers and impeding some of the most basic processes of nature, disrupting insect life and imperilling food supplies, a new study suggests.

The potentially hugely significant research – funded by the blue-chip US National Science Foundation – has found that gases mainly formed from the emissions of car exhausts prevent flowers from attracting bees and other insects in order to pollinate them. And the scientists who have conducted the study fear that insects' ability to repel enemies and attract mates may also be impeded.


Yet another reason to ride a bike or shank's pony.

I badly want a trike. Why a trike you ask? A bike poses too great a risk to my bones. I can't risk any more falls but I want to be able to ride around with my kids, so I thought a trike would be a great idea. This one looks sensible


This one looks fun and less dorky. However, I wonder if the other one won't be more practical.


I found something else that might work. They are called "stabilizer wheels". They are made for adults who have trouble balancing. I don't have trouble balancing, but have to ensure that I never fall from the bike. I wonder if these would make the bike stable enough. The question is, will it look way too dorky to ride a bike with "training wheels".? Will a trike look "cooler"?


I wish I could test drive some tricycles. The local stores don't exactly have a large call for them so they don't keep them in stock.

The other issue is that we don't have space in the garage so the trike would have to live outside and be impervious to rust and be narrow enough to fit through the garden gate. So many things to think about.

7 comments:

Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) said...

Where did you find that link for the bigger sized training wheels? Casey needs those in the WORST of ways. Let me know where you found that, please!

Shez said...

Michelle, I found them through Amazon.com

Lydia Netzer said...

I would go with the dorky trike with the basket -- I have wanted one of these for YEARS. I actually test-drove one of them at Conte's down in Virginia Beach on Laskin Road. There's a new branch of it down on 21st now, you might call and see if they stock them. TRICYCLES RULE!!! I'm going to be so jealous. Get the dorkky one and then you can trick it out.

Unknown said...

A disabled gentleman in our neighborhood rides his trike around every chance he gets with his crutches (like yours) in his basket with a flag waving atop a long thin pole. I don't think him the least bit dorky.

Anonymous said...

I love yor blog mom I saw that bike with you




love yor dauter shira silverberg

Anonymous said...

I do not acchilly read your blog to long enywase I jast look at them

choo! choo1 in the head me



love SHIRA

Anonymous said...

Hi Shez,

I have had a Terratrike from Wizwheelz for a few years.
http://www.wizwheelz.com/

I'm partial to "delta" style trikes (i.e. two wheels in the front) myself, but I think thats largely a matter of taste. *Do* test ride some different recumbents (trikes or otherwise) before deciding -- different geometries (frame lengths, wheel orientations, tire sizes, etc.) give very different rides.

A few other thoughts for you:
- Trikes are really low to the ground and take up more lane room than bicycles. This means that not only are you not as visible to motorists, you cannot even get out of their way. I battle this issue (and the DORKY thing) with a large jolly roger flag on a tall mast. :-) But if you are going to be riding in an area with a lot of vehicle traffic, keep your personal safety in mind...

- When on a recumbent, you cannot use your upper body strength or weight to peddle. Even a slight hill can be grueling on a 'bent where you can only use your legs. This is not a big deal as long as the cycle has some very low gears (measured in "gear inches"), or it is perfectly flat where you will be riding (which it is fairly flat in your neck of the woods). :-)

Anyhow, I have been riding recumbents almost exclusively (except when mountain biking) for many years now. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions (just email Erin and she can put you in touch with me).

-Eric