Things are improving some for me physically at least. I took some of the extra lumber and made a work stand for my trike. It works pretty good. It is at just the right height where I can work on the trike while standing or sitting.
Here I basically stripped everything down from the trike. I had the seat and seat bag washed. Then I took the side accessory bar from the right side to the left side (I'm left handed) I need a new handlebar bag, this goes on the aforementioned side accessory bar. I love having a bag that is within handy reach so I can keep my wallet, diabetic medicine, keys etc.
The big black box over the rear wheel is actually a ammo box for .50 caliber ammunition. No I didn't get to shoot a .50 cal gun 😞 . These ammo cans are very well made, so I got one and started using it as a trunk for the trike. It works great, again very sturdy. Right now I have it attached using a bungee cord, little bit of redneck coming out. I painted it using spray on bedliner for pick ups. Some very strong paint. I have two more of those ammo cans that I want to paint the same color as the trike and use them as saddle bags. My plan is to put a couple of sealed lead acid batteries in one of the ammo cans and install on of those solar panels that go on the dash of your car to help keep your car battery charged. I want to put that on the lid of the trunk and have it charging while I ride. This will give me a good power source for radios when I finally get set up to operate from local parks.
The black pipe that is just in front of the trunk is just a PVC pipe and inside I keep a 23' telescoping fishing pole. This is perfect for wire antennas. A lot of city parks around here don't let you use stakes to hold guy rops to support an antenna nor will they let you put a wire in a tree. Having this telescoping fishing pole attached to the trike is an easy way to get around those rules. Here is the fishing pole extended.
I got the trike mostly back together and hit the trails for a ride. It was around 100 degrees and the Sun was just baking the trails. During the evening of 25 June 2024 we had a windstorm come through and tore a bunch of stuff up. Here is a power line pole on the trail that had snapped off at the base.
Here is a Dodge truck that didn't live up to its name by not dodging this big ass tree. I guess you could say that the tree rammed the Ram truck. Since this was late afternoon on the day after the windstorm and it is still like this, I don't think that anyone was in the truck at the time of the incident. From where I was when I took this pic, I could not see where the tree had come from.
Here is the path of my ride. I was really hoping to get ten miles. However my sugar dropped really low and I didn't have my medicine with me. I could have taken a break and finish the ride but when my sugar gets low like that I feel completely exhausted. This is a prime example why I really want electric on my trike. If I had E-Assist then I could have just turned it on and use it to take me home. Instead I had to get my son and have him come and get me. About one out of around twenty rides I have to get help coming home. Mostly because of my back. Someday I shall win the lottery and get E-Assist. Until then I have to push myself hard because this trike is my way to get out of the house and enjoy life for a little bit. I know everyone is saying that I should have someone ride with me, I should have this or have done that. I don't have those options. I do what I can with what I have. I don't have the option of just slapping down the $1,500 to buy E-Assist. If something happens then something happens. I got to take the chance and get out there, end venture into the world around me. My choice is to ride my trike or live in bed. What choice would you make? Beside I have the most wonderful family on the planet that I can call to come rescue me. In fact they have rescued me so many times that they are really good at it.
This is my ride today. I don't have the radio gear at this time to operate portable but that may be fixed in the not to distant future. If you want to follow along as I ride myself back to good health and set up a radio every now and then just hit the subscribe button. If you did, it would be the highlight of the month. Leave any comments that you wish and remember that you can contact me directly by email at Aaron@K5ATG.com
Until next time be safe and I will see you on the air or on the trail.
Aaron K5ATG
