The Recycletron 1000

Bicycle commuter and cycling blogger Jack Sweeney couldn't stand the sight of so much litter along side the road during his rides. He decided to put his Xtracycle to good use and created the Recycletron 1000:

Read about its creation and how it works over at BicycleCommuters.com.

Comments

[Kimberly]

Want to do something hilarious?

Get yourself a Bob Trailer for your bicycle to pull.

When you run out of gas for your lawn mower, hitch the trailer to your bicycle. Put a big cardboard box in your trailer and the gas container in the box. People won't be able to see the gas container.

Then, bicycle over to the gas station, pull up to a pump, and stand there expecting the pump to be turned on.

The attendants are on to me, now.

But the first time I did it, the attendant was wondering if I was crazy or something trying to fill up my bicycle with gas.

Naw! You? Crazy?

[Chip Haynes]

I've got a fun custom Schwinn trike that can hold a big five gallon gas can in the back cargo bed. It's easy to pedal down to the gas station for a fill up, and they know me there, so it's no big deal. If you're going to haul a lot of heavy stuff, a trike is the way to go- much more stable at low speeds.

[Ghost Rider]

Hmm...I've hauled up to 180 lb. on this rig, and it is plenty stable at low speeds...plus, I don't have the stigma of riding a trike ;)

[Bill Cotney]

hehe! Depends on the trike. Chip, want to flesh in some details on your trikes? Don't you even have a pedi-cab, if memory serves?

[Chip Haynes]

"The stigma of riding a trike"?

Good grief.

Bill is right: We have three trikes. The big one is a massive Taiwanese pedicab, all done up in bright Key West colors. JoAnn has a bright pink Worksman Mover three-speed and I have a fun custom Schwinn Typhoon trike with cupholders in the tailgate, no less.

As a matter of fact, I rode my Schwinn trike to work today so I could bring in the Just Go Runt minibike we bought last week to show it off- and ride around the office.

Oh, and by the way: The big pedicab has full-size functional bike rack on the back. I thought that was kind of funny. (And yes, we've used it.)

Stigma?

Geesh.

[Bill Cotney]

Thanks, Chip. And if any of those aren't cool enough, below is a link to the British Tricycle Association. There you will find some sexy trikes.

Let me say that again for the benefit of those who thought they just saw an oxy-moron go flying by ..... sexy trikes. And here's a few more! Racing trikes! Tandem trikes! Track trikes, (that's what "fixies" really are, ya know)!

Be sure to click on some of the race links on their site like the Criterium 2008 link. Racing trikes on the grass ... cyclo-cross trikes! How cool is that!

http://tinyurl.com/4n3oqy

[Ghost Rider]

Chip, no offense. When I think of "trikes", I automatically think Miami Sun junkwagons piloted by old ladies with bad hips. The Worksman cargo trikes are nice, though.

[Kimberly]

How fast do racing trikes go?

I've been thinking for quite a while that we need a Trikes and Training Wheels Group on Saturday mornings so more parents could bring their children and get the children interested in bicycling and socializing. But, racing trikes add a whole new demention to the idea.

The benefits of group bicycling is that you do it according to ability, not age, and it's inexpensive. So, you have an opportunity to socialize with more than one age or socio-economic group.

Most sports keep people socialized in their own age group for so long that they don't understand or know how to converse with people outside their age group.

I wonder if anyone in our area wants to start an annual tricycle racing event for people of all ages. I see quite a few seniors on tricycles now.

[Bill Cotney]

Re: How fast do racing trikes go?

They fly. From the site I gave you the link to, I find the winner of the Tricycle Association National Championship 25 Mile (40K) Time Trial turned in a time of 1:02:13 in unknown course conditions.

By itself and under ideal conditions, that's a good time for a Cat 2 rider. Under "other than ideal" conditions, it might be an excellent time for a Cat 1 or pro!

[Ghost Rider]

Kimberley,

send the families over to the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club (http://www.seminoleheightsbicycleclub.com)...the first Saturday of every month (at 10AM) is a family- and kid-friendly ride through scenic neighborhoods in central Tampa. Trikes, training wheels, trailers and everything in between are welcome!

[Ghost Rider]

Let's try that link again:

http://www.seminoleheightsbicycleclub.com

[Kimberly]

Thanks for the links on tricycles! I passed it to the Florida Bicycle Association's webmaster for additon to the following page:
http://www.floridabicycle.org/resources/links.html

They already have the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club website listed:
http://www.floridabicycle.org/resources/clubs.html