This is going to be a fun bike to own - someday.

Took it down to the Katy trail for it's first real ride. Like Jan and Cranky predicted, I met more folks who wanted to converse with me than on a typical ride. After about a mile and a half I decided I needed to make a handlebar angle adjustment. @#$%^&*, stripped the threads in the riser that holds the handlebar. So altogether I got a mile and a half ride and a mile and a half walk. That's the bad news.

The good news is that, even in that short distance, I was able to determine that my elbow will tolerate riding the recumbent much better. I'm much more confident launching the bike. I'm also much steadier but I still found myself oversteering now and then. That'll come. Also, my tandem dealer called me while I was on the trail and told me that it should ship Monday. Mrs. Grouch will be happy about that.

As long as I have to replace the handlebar riser anyway I decided to invest in a "flip it" device that allows the handlebar to flop forward. That'll make the bike easier to load in my car and it uses a conventional threadless headset adjuster that I'm more confident with. I'm also getting a little longer riser that will allow me to use the "T" bar that I already own. That'll make the bar and controls more like the tandem and, I think, be a little kinder to my elbows.

Sure is nice out today. I wish that I was bicycling.