Nice ride with the withlacoochee group yesterday which I don't get to do very often. Was nice seeing everyone.
Oh by the way I sold the Big Green Egg.

Was doing a bit of thinking the other day about how back in the 30s when the hard depression hit, men of the road or bums, or hobo's traveled the railroad tracks jumping trains to search out work or a warmer place to crash. There was a code of the road that they would not steal from someone who had done a good turn and offered a place to sleep or a meal. By bums marking a tree or house would identify these benevolent folks.
These days I don't know if now called homeless people have any such code, but they still follow the railroads many which have been converted to rail trails, but unlike the 30s they travel on bicycles. Many can be seen on our Withlacoochee Trail.

Jan. WOW cont.

My lack luster computer skills enabled me to erase the first part of this blog so I'll do it again. Wow, it's mid January already finally warming up a bit from the bitter cold the last few weeks. Saw 16 degrees at our place and the proof is in the poor plants. That kind of cold made me want to stand under the hot water in the shower like a teenager, turning it hotter and hotter till I couldn't stand it anymore, but then I worried that I would be depleting the aquafer with my wasteful behavior so I had to stop. Yes, the cold slowed the business at the shop a bit, people stopping to warm up and browse but not a lot of buying going on.
Warmed up nicely now after some nice rain last night to replenish the water I used standing under the hot water on those cold mornings. AHHH, catholic guilt rearing it's ugly head.
For the backyard grill kings out there, I am selling my Big Green Egg smoker/grill. Since we're not big meat eaters it hasn't been used much so may as well go to someone who will use this fine appliance to it's potential. It with all the stuff and the cart was over 1000. new but I'll let it go for 650. Here is a pic of what it is. Also look on their web site for more info, Big green egg.com. Makes one hell of a Thanksgiving turkey, or Pittsburgh steaks.

January WOW

We have a very little used shaft drive cruiser bike in now for 250. Very nice maintenance free drive train.

Christmas season

First, I'd like to wish all who read this blog a very happy Holiday season, and the same for all of you who have remained loyal customers and friends throughout the years.
We will be open Christmas Eve until 3:00 or whenever we decide no one else is coming in, then we head to the Chaz river for 3 days of camping and kayaking, and will reopen on the 30th at 9:00 am. We will also be closed for New Years day. Have a safe joyous Holiday season.

Regis and Cindy

Trident Trikes

Coming in February we will be a dealer for Trident Trikes, who offers 2 folding, the Stowaway 1, and Stowaway 2, and a Tandem that can be converted to a single called aptly the Chameleon Convertitrike. All trikes come with 3 fenders, front and rear safety lights, mirror and flag.
We can get the tamdem now if needed but earliest date is Feb. for the Stowaways. The tandem retails for 5495.

Regis

wet heritage days

Floral City picked the wrong weekend to have it's Heritage Days celebration this year, but who can predict the weather. It's raining and hard and looks like it's not going to let up anytime soon. We have an open house of sorts ,with wine and cheese but so far only 2 people stopped in. Joy to the world we need the rain, but not this Friday night! Oh well that is the way it goes, so I won't get out of joint, my nose, replenish the aquifer, replenish the aquifer, re e plenish replenish the aquifer.
That's the story and I'm sticking to it!
Regis

reflections

On my way to work today I was thinking how lucky I was to be able to walk to work with my dog, and start the day off on the right and left feet instead of on my butt behind the wheel of a car like so many other commuters must do. Even though it's starting out a slow rainy day, life is good. We need the rain, and I get a chance to do some much needed book work. See I'm back sitting on my butt anyway. Maybe if it's not raining at quitting time I'll take a stride on the Street Strider. Don't forget the Thanksgiving ride tomorrow at 8:00 AM meeting here at the shop and doing a Gobbler loop with a side trip to the river, about 20 miles all together.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who take the time to read these blogs, and to all our customers and friends.

Black Friday

On the day following Thanksgiving other wise known as Black Friday
(don't know why it's called that) We will be having a 15% off accessories Sale.
Hope you can make it.

Don't forget the Moonlight ride on November 28th starting at 6:30. We will leave from the
shop and go to our favorite place the Pizza Cafe!

Then we hope you can make it to our open house on the evening of Dec. 4th
for our Heritage Days Open House. We will have some special treats for you.

Thanksgiving Day Ride

We will have a ride starting at 8am from the Shop on Turkey Day.
To honor this festive day we will be doing the Gobbler Loop!
Join us for this beautiful back roads ride.

The Street Strider is HERE!
streetstrider.com This is a machine for a serious workout.

CATRIKE SALE!!!
Don't miss out on the Big Catrike Sale.
Go To www.catrike.com and check it out.

Hallloween Moon light ride

Seems like many people haven't made the transition from me sending e mail every time there is a ride to looking on the web site calendar or blog in the "current events and used bikes" section, because there were only 15 people who made this month's moonlight ride to the Pizza Cafe'. The service was handled by Tina and she did a marvelous job taking care of our noisy bunch. Ann and Fred came as a couple of bone heads, see pics, but were the only ones to dress for Halloween. The moon was in perfect position for the ride back and everyone seemed to have a good time. I don't have the old computer with the eudora e mail, so no data base for moon light riders so pass the word to look at hamptonsedge.com, click on current events and used bikes, or check out the calendar.

Street Strider

Just talked to Garrett from Street Strider, the elliptical you can ride down the trail, and he has just received the first container, so I should have one to demo very soon. Go to streetstrider.com to check out what I'm referring to if I haven't already showed you on the computer. This is going to be a welcome addition to our inventory and a great new way to enjoy our beautiful trail and get a whole body workout without the pounding of running. Look for it soon.

Regis

"Life is Crap"

Got our first shipment of "Life is Crap" t-shirts and "Crap Caps"
Come in and Check them out.
Look on line at www.themountain.com

full moon ride

Finally supposed to cool down and just in time for a moonlight ride. The Cooter ride from Inverness is this Saturday so it won't be coinciding with our ride this year. The ride for Oct will be on Halloween night Saturday October 31, booooooo, boogiddy! Starting at the bike shop in Floral City at 7:00 PM and going to the pizza Cafe' in Hernando, helmets and lights or flashers required please. Parking behind veterinarian or the library.

Regis

Hey Kids!

Hey kids, you gotta see the new Catrike "DASH" made just for you. Hot florescent red paint, Kojak tires ,9 speeds, sharp cornering, racing stripped seat. Looks like it's going 30 mph. just sitting there. Stop in and check this little dude out.

Home At Last

HI HO HI HO It's off to work we go! The time went so fast.....
After a wonderful trip riding many trails and visiting many other great bicycle shops around the states its finally time for us to get back to work. We hope you'll come and see us.

Olathe KS.

Been here in Olathe KS. for about a week now visiting Cindy's family and friends and attended her best friends mother's funeral service. We're camped out in Cindy's brother's driveway and have been riding the trails around and through Olathe, Overland Park, and Lenexa. The trail system while not scenic is great that it puts you into contact with shopping, restaurants, and parks, and is in an ongoing process of future construction. Seems that this community realizes the importance of a traffic free or traffic friendly bicycle trail system. Many of the streets have bike lanes if not outright trails right beside them, going by neighbor hoods, schools, and shopping. Gotta be careful on trikes when entering round-a-bouts though, sometimes the cars aren't believing eyes and may forget to yield to you already being in the circle. Heck, most aren't used to round-a-bouts. Will be here for another week for a wedding, then Sunday the 27th we gotta hi ball it to Floral City to open by the 2nd of Oct.

Iowa

The worm has turned and we must be heading east. A few stops along the way to show the Sigma and ride a trail or two. Decided to pay a visit to Bill and Ruth, some winter friends of ours who summer in Iowa, where corn is king and soy beans are queen. Gotta say the trail system around Des Moines is really something to behold and we only did a small portion of it from Urbandale to Des Moines. There are trails going everywhere off the main spur making it easy to bike to grocery stores, and other needed retail establishments without dealing with a lot of cars, and this includes bars. Yes, bars, with beer and wine and booze and fun people. Bill and Ruth took us to the Des Moines Farmers Market and a HUGE market it was. I bought some frozen elk burgers and Bill suggested we stop off at Orlando's for a beer, no worries put the burgers in their freezer. We got there and there were bicycles all over the place even some trikes and a recumbent tandem, but no lycra clad riders, just a bunch of tattoed Harley lookin' dudes and gals. Figured the motorcycles were parked out front and the cyclist's were inside watching the Iowa, Iowa State game. Wrong supposition Regis, the guys and ladies outside were the cyclist's and there bikes were adorned with bags and coolers and cartoon characters, and I pods with speakers. These people are commonly referred to as "baggers" They ride their bikes where ever they go, carrying everything they need for the ride. Most have done RAGBRI several times. They were the nicest group of people I have met on this trip, calling their selves
Misfits from A Christmas Story, and the misfit toys. Bill and I ended up having 3 beers and some good conversation. Now in Kansas to visit Cindy's family. More on this later, gotta get dinner ready.

Hyalite Creek Trail hike

Woke up too late to do the full 14 miles to Hyalite Peak but did make Hyalite Lake around 11 miles round trip, and what a beautiful hike it was. Pictures don't do the scenery justice, at least with me as the photographer, but post a few I will. The perfectly U shaped glacier carved canyon trail provides views of 11 water falls, wild flower meadows, kragy cliffs, a glacial lake, and surrounding mountains. This hike is said to be the premier hike in the Bozeman area and even though I've only been on one other, this one would be hard to beat. One of the falls, Apex Falls has a long sinuous scarf-like cascade with a water slide look to it's lower section. If ever in Bozeman this is a must do hike. Even my 10 year old dog can do it, and right now he is crashed on the couch.