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Date: 15 Jan 2006 20:16:59
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Hase Pino Reviews?
Particularly interested in the titanium version.

TIA!





 
Date: 19 Jan 2006 07:07:34
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> There used to be an elevated railway that ran the length of Myrtle Avenue.
> It pretty much blighted the entire area.

Interesting! That explains the "odd-shaped design" of Myrtle Avenue in
that area.

Wow, so it was fairly recently removed, eh?

Elevated tracks are known the world over to discourage development for
some reason (if it weren't for all the immigrants, the 7 Line -- "the
Oriental Express" -- would be a trip to and through Nowhere as well),
but I've always found them charming to ride on.

Too bad they couldn't finish what they originally envisioned for the 7
line -- they were going to do them up to recall the Roman aqueducts,
with shops below filling up the arches below.

> There were still lots of Germans and Italians around that area back in the
> 60's, but it was rapidly changing even then.
> [...]

Which just goes to prove the old statement that the more things change,
the more they stay the same -- lots of Midwestern transplants rubbing
up against the ghetto.

But I doubt that neighbhorhood will be gentrified anytime soon like a
lot of other places -- there are a bunch of projects nearby; no way
getting those people out.

> It is best not to talk politics, religion, et al when cycling. After all,
> cycling is sufficiently interesting in and of itself that it does not need
> anything extraneous to it.

I don't suppose people mean to, but sooner or later it'll happen. Why,
cycling is a very political act in itself -- or haven't you noticed the
funny stares motorists give you?

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota



  
Date: 19 Jan 2006 16:06:21
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137683254.051198.121180@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
[...]
>
> Elevated tracks are known the world over to discourage development for
> some reason (if it weren't for all the immigrants, the 7 Line -- "the
> Oriental Express" -- would be a trip to and through Nowhere as well),
> but I've always found them charming to ride on.

They are not charming to live under however. The train makes a lot of racket
for one thing. The only place to put a fast moving train in a city is
underground. The NYC subway system is one of the wonders of the world. But
when the trains come out of the ground, you have a typical railroad
situation with all its attendant problems.
[...]

Edward Dolan wrote:

>> It is best not to talk politics, religion, etc. when cycling. After all,
>> cycling is sufficiently interesting in and of itself that it does not
>> need
>> anything extraneous to it.
>
> I don't suppose people mean to, but sooner or later it'll happen. Why,
> cycling is a very political act in itself -- or haven't you noticed the
> funny stares motorists give you?

If I thought cycling was a political act I would quit immediately. Cycling
is nothing but a recreation for me and a cheap and easy way of getting
around town. Motorists do not notice me hardly at all (nor I them), let
alone give me any funny stares.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota




 
Date: 19 Jan 2006 06:54:08
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Steve W wrote:
> just been reviewed in Velovision mag a UK mag.
> (Hase Pino titanium tandem reviewed (J. Bradshaw), VV19 Sep 2005, p34)
>
> SW


Thanks again, Steve!

Just for the record, I've since located another review in "Tandem and
Recumbent Rider Magazine" -- isse 10 for the regular Pino, and issue 13
for the Titan-Pino -- as well as this nice one online from
treehugger.com: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/05/hase_pino.php.

I wonder how much the titanium version costs? I've seen prices online
for the regular one at $5K...figure the ti costs $8K...?

Ah, that's definitely next year...hopefully they'll have even better
specs somehow by then!



 
Date: 18 Jan 2006 09:39:16
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> Pratt was like a little oasis in a sea of dreary urban industrialism.

Really! The area's entirely residential now, though still an island,
only in a ghetto undergoing gentrification.

> The
> campus was not really very attractive and there was much discussion when I
> was there about moving the whole school out to Long Island. I am surprised
> it is still there.

What's on Long Island? Just mobsters and their McMansions.

It's good where it's now...lots of "hipsters" and other artsy types
around. Close to downtown Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan, too.

> The old El on Myrtle I suspect is now gone.

Um, there's still an elevated line that *crosses* Myrtle...is that the
one? It's got a section which splits off into...thin air, as if once
upon a time there was a whole track going somewhere. But no, nothing
on Myrtle itself.

>It was an interesting area and
> quite a mixture of various ethnic groups.

I dunno, but a black from the South and a black from Africa isn't my
idea of "various ethnic groups." It's funny how many neighborhoods
described as "diverse" and "multicultural" are just a collection of
puerto ricans and dominicans and mexicans.

Now, Queens County -- that's diverse! No accident they set "Men in
Black" in Queens, the Jew bastards...LOL!

> Bed-Sty was right around the
> corner and very fearsome.

Hehe...my strategy, in case you haven't noticed, is to appear crazier
than the enemy...I'll really freak 'em out on a 'bent! Never been
messed with so far, even at one or two in the morning during
summertime...though it's just a matter of time, I s'pose...!

>But we had good subway connections to Manhattan
> and I spent as little time as possible wandering around Brooklyn. I only had
> eyes for magical Manhattan.

Bah! That's like someone oogling over the Hummer instead of a SMGTe.

> I think most cyclists actually are liberals, especially those who are into a
> biking lifestyle.

There's a very strong correlation between political liberalism and
unusual hobbies, yes. The hidden variable is probably intelligence.

> I really only discovered that as a result of being on this
> newsgroup.

Well, the other thing is, most tend not to have too much experience
actually living with, never mind spending half a lifetime growing up
with, a lot of blacks and hispanics. Just WAIT TIL THEY GET TO A
NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU!!! BONGA BONGA BONGA BONGA BONGA....

Though I have to say this, in all honesty: maybe it's just an NYC
thing?? 'Cause cycling outside the City, they don't seem too bad...the
same ghettos and whatnot, but I don't hear the ghetto-blasters all over
the place, and the kids are just "normal" kids, not obvious crime stats
in sneakers...it's the most amazing thing, and another reason why I
want to explore Jersey all the more....

> When I was cycling I never talked politics, religion or any other
> serious subject with me fellow cyclists. We always confined our
> conversations to the ride itself and the little daily happenings. Cyclists
> who want to discuss serious things while cycling are without any exceptions
> whatsoever complete and total jerks. I always avoided them as I would the
> plague.

I never understood why people can't just agree to disagree without
acrimony.

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota



  
Date: 19 Jan 2006 02:33:18
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137605956.936104.32220@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Edward Dolan wrote:

>> The old El on Myrtle I suspect is now gone.
>
> Um, there's still an elevated line that *crosses* Myrtle...is that the
> one? It's got a section which splits off into...thin air, as if once
> upon a time there was a whole track going somewhere. But no, nothing
> on Myrtle itself.

There used to be an elevated railway that ran the length of Myrtle Avenue.
It pretty much blighted the entire area.

>>It was an interesting area and
>> quite a mixture of various ethnic groups.
>
> I dunno, but a black from the South and a black from Africa isn't my
> idea of "various ethnic groups." It's funny how many neighborhoods
> described as "diverse" and "multicultural" are just a collection of
> puerto ricans and dominicans and mexicans.

There were still lots of Germans and Italians around that area back in the
60's, but it was rapidly changing even then.
[...]

>> When I was cycling I never talked politics, religion or any other
>> serious subject with me fellow cyclists. We always confined our
>> conversations to the ride itself and the little daily happenings.
>> Cyclists
>> who want to discuss serious things while cycling are without any
>> exceptions
>> whatsoever complete and total jerks. I always avoided them as I would the
>> plague.
>
> I never understood why people can't just agree to disagree without
> acrimony.

It is best not to talk politics, religion, et al when cycling. After all,
cycling is sufficiently interesting in and of itself that it does not need
anything extraneous to it.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota




 
Date: 17 Jan 2006 18:05:27
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> Yes, it looks dated now, but I always liked that 'machinery' look. Monotube
> frames are now the only way to go.

Well, the "retro" look is so in -- has been a few years now, actually
-- but too many current models look "shop class" like that Infinity.

> The guys involved with recumbents, whether riders or manufacturers and
> dealers, are a lot like me. We are difficult to get a long with and we all
> have our own ideas about things. We recumbent cyclists can no more get along
> with one another than Hitler could with Stalin. Old folks are cranky you
> know. You would have to read RCN to know fully what I am talking about, but
> it is all there for your consideration.

The 'bent community needs to gel together somehow. I don't know why
there isn't any promotion being done, despite recognition by cycling
organizations and clubs -- for example, 'bents are (or were, anyway)
allowed to the front of the pack for the NYC 5 Boro Bike Tour, the
largest ride in the US with ~25-33K cyclists every year! So I don't
know why that doesn't translate into even just 500 more 'bent converts
and customers annually in the NY Metro Area alone.

> Yes, point taken, but NYC is not the boondocks of SW Minnesota. Greenways
> that covered all five boroughs would make for a very big block after all.

True, I'm not complaining -- again, only wondering how to incorporate a
'bent into my quotidian modus operandi.

> Actually you would not see nearly as much on a bike. You have to slow down
> to a walk to really see much of anything. It never even occurred to me to
> want a bike when I lived in NYC. The subway and walking did it all for me.

Of course you slow down. The beauty of it is that you can speed up!
Instead of waiting on the subway -- which is usually underground, or
you don't see much like on the Staten Island line or towards the end of
the N and W towards Coney Island.

And if you feel like walking, you walk -- with the bike. It's so
versatile!

So I'm trying to imagine myself doing all that with a 'bent now. I'll
still have my Trek 1000c on the wall for errands and sheer speed rides,
but I expect the SMGTe to be the tourer now.

> I will wait for further reports from you on that! Beware the traffic on
> those mean streets.

Oh, I'd already been hit, flew off into bushes, slamming into walls --
and all that before I worked as a bike messenger for half a summer!

Traffic's not bad. Frankly, traffic is good. It's when the streets
are clear that I worry -- if there's a jam, no one can do a
hit-and-run; and they drive slower and are more careful in gridlock.
It's out on empty streets that the yahoos think they're in a car
commercial on TV.

> Does Brooklyn count? I lived in Brooklyn Heights and then the Clinton area
> near Pratt University (Pratt Institute when I was there in the 1960's).

Ah, Pratt! Lots of blacks around there, hehe. I used to run high
school track there on Sundays, twenty years after you. Still a nice
campus, and that coffee shop's still around, too.

Actually, I've basically explored NYC to death, with the only real
exception being Staten Island, and that only 'cause they're still
building the place up there! Have been exploring Jersey since last
year...I feel like wearing a shirt that says, "I See White People." =)

> I will stay tuned as NYC is the one and only world city for me. Chicago is a
> dump by comparison.

I gotta see -- I've always loved checking out the slums of any City I
visit. My poor Ex spent a harrowing night walking through Da Hood of
D.C. two years ago with me, but I thought it was interesting talking
to the local Korean corner convenience store owner about local crime.
We were outside that famous college for deaf people...kinda odd it's in
the middle of Da Hood.

Yes, NYC is amazing. You need to do the 5 Boro Bike Ride next time you
come. Ever seen it? Cyclists as far as you can see up Sixth Avenue
and down Sixth Avenue, no one paying attention to the poor cops trying
to direct cross-town motorized traffic.

Amazing on a sunny warm day. Makes you say, thank God for liberals!

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota



  
Date: 18 Jan 2006 10:13:11
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137549927.127712.3860@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]

>> Does Brooklyn count? I lived in Brooklyn Heights and then the Clinton
>> area
>> near Pratt University (Pratt Institute when I was there in the 1960's).
>
> Ah, Pratt! Lots of blacks around there, hehe. I used to run high
> school track there on Sundays, twenty years after you. Still a nice
> campus, and that coffee shop's still around, too.

Pratt was like a little oasis in a sea of dreary urban industrialism. The
campus was not really very attractive and there was much discussion when I
was there about moving the whole school out to Long Island. I am surprised
it is still there.

The old El on Myrtle I suspect is now gone. It was an interesting area and
quite a mixture of various ethnic groups. Bed-Sty was right around the
corner and very fearsome. But we had good subway connections to Manhattan
and I spent as little time as possible wandering around Brooklyn. I only had
eyes for magical Manhattan.
[...]

> Yes, NYC is amazing. You need to do the 5 Boro Bike Ride next time you
> come. Ever seen it? Cyclists as far as you can see up Sixth Avenue
> and down Sixth Avenue, no one paying attention to the poor cops trying
> to direct cross-town motorized traffic.
>
> Amazing on a sunny warm day. Makes you say, thank God for liberals!

I think most cyclists actually are liberals, especially those who are into a
biking lifestyle. I really only discovered that as a result of being on this
newsgroup. When I was cycling I never talked politics, religion or any other
serious subject with me fellow cyclists. We always confined our
conversations to the ride itself and the little daily happenings. Cyclists
who want to discuss serious things while cycling are without any exceptions
whatsoever complete and total jerks. I always avoided them as I would the
plague.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota




 
Date: 17 Jan 2006 15:18:55
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> I saw my first recumbent in a Nashbar bike catalog. I was immediately
> smitten (smote?) with it and wanted one. It was the old Infinity, which I
> think is the best looking recumbent ever made. I wonder if it is still
> around?

Looks like some kind of ancient farm machine to me...though the Kolb
family model looks vaguely
familiar...http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=infinity%20%2B%20recumbent&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi.

> Everything NYC says above makes lots of sense, but it will be up to the
> younger generation to do something about it. The rest of us are old and
> tired and have given up. I think cycling is less popular now than it was 30
> years ago. Who knows where mankind is headed?

Surely all these 'bent makers who meet at Interbike every year can come
up with some keting strategy if only they put their heads to it.
However small the 'bent ket, and even the cycling ket, it's still
bigger than the kayaking and canoeing crowd, surely -- and white-water
'yaking is an x-treme sport thing on MTV! Why, we've got a bunch of
yakkers and yakking facilities here. Why 'bents are much more rare is
a mystery to me.

> Good Grief! If you have Greenways throughout the five boroughs, then you
> have ample cycling opportunities. I would restrict my cycling to that and
> take the subway to get around the City. Do they not close Central Park to
> motor vehicles on weekends? If so, that would seem like a fun place to
> cycle.

Yeah, but the main loop (where you can really zip and forget about
cars) is only six miles. And you really want to visit other parts of
the city -- and beyond -- if cycling is a whole lifestyle choice.
Staying in parks and on Greenways is like going round and round the
block as a kid.

> The thing about NYC though is that it is such an interesting city that I
> always wanted to walk everywhere I went. Many are the times when I would
> walk the entire length of Manhattan, from the Battery to the Cloisters. New
> York is one of the most walkable cities on earth.

I agree. But if travel's the point, then you cover more and see more
from a bike!

It seems like one of the most bike-able cities, too.

And the real New York lies outside of Manhattan. Manhattan is just the
pretty good-mannered smile of the City. Its heart and soul is in the
Outer Boroughs. That's where I do my exploration.

I'll report back on how it goes with a 'bent in May, when I get one and
start!

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota
>
> "I should have been a pair of ragged claws
> Scuttling across the floors of silent seas."
>
> T.S.Eliot - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock



  
Date: 17 Jan 2006 17:45:37
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137539935.191309.147380@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Edward Dolan wrote:
>>
>>
>> I saw my first recumbent in a Nashbar bike catalog. I was immediately
>> smitten (smote?) with it and wanted one. It was the old Infinity, which I
>> think is the best looking recumbent ever made. I wonder if it is still
>> around?
>
> Looks like some kind of ancient farm machine to me...though the Kolb
> family model looks vaguely
> familiar...http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=infinity%20%2B%20recumbent&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wi.

Yes, it looks dated now, but I always liked that 'machinery' look. Monotube
frames are now the only way to go.

>> Everything NYC says above makes lots of sense, but it will be up to the
>> younger generation to do something about it. The rest of us are old and
>> tired and have given up. I think cycling is less popular now than it was
>> 30
>> years ago. Who knows where mankind is headed?
>
> Surely all these 'bent makers who meet at Interbike every year can come
> up with some keting strategy if only they put their heads to it.
> However small the 'bent ket, and even the cycling ket, it's still
> bigger than the kayaking and canoeing crowd, surely -- and white-water
> 'yaking is an x-treme sport thing on MTV! Why, we've got a bunch of
> yakkers and yakking facilities here. Why 'bents are much more rare is
> a mystery to me.

The guys involved with recumbents, whether riders or manufacturers and
dealers, are a lot like me. We are difficult to get a long with and we all
have our own ideas about things. We recumbent cyclists can no more get along
with one another than Hitler could with Stalin. Old folks are cranky you
know. You would have to read RCN to know fully what I am talking about, but
it is all there for your consideration.

>> Good Grief! If you have Greenways throughout the five boroughs, then you
>> have ample cycling opportunities. I would restrict my cycling to that and
>> take the subway to get around the City. Do they not close Central Park to
>> motor vehicles on weekends? If so, that would seem like a fun place to
>> cycle.
>
> Yeah, but the main loop (where you can really zip and forget about
> cars) is only six miles. And you really want to visit other parts of
> the city -- and beyond -- if cycling is a whole lifestyle choice.
> Staying in parks and on Greenways is like going round and round the
> block as a kid.

Yes, point taken, but NYC is not the boondocks of SW Minnesota. Greenways
that covered all five boroughs would make for a very big block after all.

>> The thing about NYC though is that it is such an interesting city that I
>> always wanted to walk everywhere I went. Many are the times when I would
>> walk the entire length of Manhattan, from the Battery to the Cloisters.
>> New
>> York is one of the most walkable cities on earth.
>
> I agree. But if travel's the point, then you cover more and see more
> from a bike!

Actually you would not see nearly as much on a bike. You have to slow down
to a walk to really see much of anything. It never even occurred to me to
want a bike when I lived in NYC. The subway and walking did it all for me.

> It seems like one of the most bike-able cities, too.

I will wait for further reports from you on that! Beware the traffic on
those mean streets.

> And the real New York lies outside of Manhattan. Manhattan is just the
> pretty good-mannered smile of the City. Its heart and soul is in the
> Outer Boroughs. That's where I do my exploration.

Does Brooklyn count? I lived in Brooklyn Heights and then the Clinton area
near Pratt University (Pratt Institute when I was there in the 1960's).

> I'll report back on how it goes with a 'bent in May, when I get one and
> start!

I will stay tuned as NYC is the one and only world city for me. Chicago is a
dump by comparison.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota






 
Date: 17 Jan 2006 09:10:46
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> The rest of us have been into recumbents for over 20 years and have become
> somewhat jaded. It is good to see someone like NYC with enthusiasm to remind
> the rest of us what it was like for us too some 20 years ago.

Yeah, I wonder how people got into 'bents? Me, not being
mechanically-minded, never would have imagined such a contraption in a
million years. Finally saw the stereotypical chubby middle-aged white
guy with a goatee in spandex riding one, and that's when I got
curious...about the bike, I mean!

> Although NYC will strike many of us as being impossibly naive, this group
> needs newbies like him. He lights a spark which the rest of us can take off
> on if we wish. Nothing will kill a newsgroup more than just the same old
> regulars spouting the same old bromides.

What I don't understand is why there isn't more keting. IT'S ALL
ABOUT KETING!!! Recall that the micro$oft Win95 campaign managed to
create such interest that folks who didn't even have computers bought a
copy!

Somehow 'bents have got to be made into a media event. Couldn't all
these 'bent makers find one sympathetic celebrity? I dunno...make it a
gay thing or something -- yeah, that'll get 'em! Isn't gw an avid
cyclist? Someone needs to teach him how to ride a 'bent.

Now ket research shows that women spend most of the money in any tax
bracket...though men are more likely to shell out the big bucks on toys
like 'bents. Somehow, some genius has got to figure out a way to make
'bents a sexy female thing...sell it as empowering and whatnot,
anti-establishment...you know, like how they created the Mac
image...hmm, maybe this could be some keting degree candidate's
thesis project...getting the word out about 'bents and making it
"cool," etc.

And perhaps the overall problem is generating interest in cycling as a
whole. I can't really imagine someone who's really into cycling not
being into 'bents at all. Is the number of cyclists going up or down
in the US? Then again, maybe 'bents can get folks into cycling!

I mean, the girls I know who would cycle all seem to have the same
concern after safety issues: comfort! I think 'bents need to be
keted to women with the comfort factor as a main ingredient -- but
they need to be made sexier than many are now, looking like chairs
nailed onto kiddie bikes.

For example, the Hase Pino could be made some kind of hip fun couples
thing...?? Certainly one could play on European chic -- Scandanavian
blondes on 'bents or something!

Though I suppose the main problem, as always, is "who's gonna pay for
all that?"

Well, here's hoping for more frequent and longer-lasting metro transit
strikes! And ever-rocketing oil costs.

> NYC has his work cut out from him trying to figure out a safe and fun place
> to ride recumbents in NYC.

To be more precise, the work is trying to figure out how to go anywhere
I want in the City with a 'bent, not just the rather ample safe and fun
parks and official Greenways throughout all five boroughs.

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota



  
Date: 17 Jan 2006 16:09:15
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137517845.981814.288730@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Edward Dolan wrote:
>>
>>
>> The rest of us have been into recumbents for over 20 years and have
>> become
>> somewhat jaded. It is good to see someone like NYC with enthusiasm to
>> remind
>> the rest of us what it was like for us too some 20 years ago.
>
> Yeah, I wonder how people got into 'bents? Me, not being
> mechanically-minded, never would have imagined such a contraption in a
> million years. Finally saw the stereotypical chubby middle-aged white
> guy with a goatee in spandex riding one, and that's when I got
> curious...about the bike, I mean!

I saw my first recumbent in a Nashbar bike catalog. I was immediately
smitten (smote?) with it and wanted one. It was the old Infinity, which I
think is the best looking recumbent ever made. I wonder if it is still
around?

>> Although NYC will strike many of us as being impossibly naive, this group
>> needs newbies like him. He lights a spark which the rest of us can take
>> off
>> on if we wish. Nothing will kill a newsgroup more than just the same old
>> regulars spouting the same old bromides.
>
> What I don't understand is why there isn't more keting. IT'S ALL
> ABOUT KETING!!! Recall that the micro$oft Win95 campaign managed to
> create such interest that folks who didn't even have computers bought a
> copy!
>
> Somehow 'bents have got to be made into a media event. Couldn't all
> these 'bent makers find one sympathetic celebrity? I dunno...make it a
> gay thing or something -- yeah, that'll get 'em! Isn't gw an avid
> cyclist? Someone needs to teach him how to ride a 'bent.
>
> Now ket research shows that women spend most of the money in any tax
> bracket...though men are more likely to shell out the big bucks on toys
> like 'bents. Somehow, some genius has got to figure out a way to make
> 'bents a sexy female thing...sell it as empowering and whatnot,
> anti-establishment...you know, like how they created the Mac
> image...hmm, maybe this could be some keting degree candidate's
> thesis project...getting the word out about 'bents and making it
> "cool," etc.
>
> And perhaps the overall problem is generating interest in cycling as a
> whole. I can't really imagine someone who's really into cycling not
> being into 'bents at all. Is the number of cyclists going up or down
> in the US? Then again, maybe 'bents can get folks into cycling!
>
> I mean, the girls I know who would cycle all seem to have the same
> concern after safety issues: comfort! I think 'bents need to be
> keted to women with the comfort factor as a main ingredient -- but
> they need to be made sexier than many are now, looking like chairs
> nailed onto kiddie bikes.
>
> For example, the Hase Pino could be made some kind of hip fun couples
> thing...?? Certainly one could play on European chic -- Scandanavian
> blondes on 'bents or something!
>
> Though I suppose the main problem, as always, is "who's gonna pay for
> all that?"
>
> Well, here's hoping for more frequent and longer-lasting metro transit
> strikes! And ever-rocketing oil costs.

Everything NYC says above makes lots of sense, but it will be up to the
younger generation to do something about it. The rest of us are old and
tired and have given up. I think cycling is less popular now than it was 30
years ago. Who knows where mankind is headed?

"I grow old . I grow old .
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled."

T.S.Eliot - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

>> NYC has his work cut out from him trying to figure out a safe and fun
>> place
>> to ride recumbents in NYC.
>
> To be more precise, the work is trying to figure out how to go anywhere
> I want in the City with a 'bent, not just the rather ample safe and fun
> parks and official Greenways throughout all five boroughs.

Good Grief! If you have Greenways throughout the five boroughs, then you
have ample cycling opportunities. I would restrict my cycling to that and
take the subway to get around the City. Do they not close Central Park to
motor vehicles on weekends? If so, that would seem like a fun place to
cycle.

The thing about NYC though is that it is such an interesting city that I
always wanted to walk everywhere I went. Many are the times when I would
walk the entire length of Manhattan, from the Battery to the Cloisters. New
York is one of the most walkable cities on earth.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

"I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas."

T.S.Eliot - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock





 
Date: 16 Jan 2006 16:18:15
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Johnny Sunset wrote:
>
>
> Trice is the brand used by Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE) [1] for
> their trikes. [2]
>
> Trice trikes have very high quality frames and proprietary parts (and
> many models use high end components) and are priced accordingly.
>
> [1] <http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/>.
> [2] There used to be a company called Trice that Peter Ross was
> involved with, which became ICE under new ownership.
>
> --
> Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit?)


Cool -- thanks for the clarification!

Me personally, tricycles seem to take practically all the fun out of
riding. Like, too easy, no?

Still, I'd get one if I could, sure, mainly for guests and friends.
Wish there was an easy way to ride them in NYC, besides in parks and
along official Greenways.

I love this hobby! What's wrong with everyone else???



  
Date: 16 Jan 2006 22:43:25
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137457095.940418.92410@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
[...]
> Me personally, tricycles seem to take practically all the fun out of
> riding. Like, too easy, no?
>
> Still, I'd get one if I could, sure, mainly for guests and friends.
> Wish there was an easy way to ride them in NYC, besides in parks and
> along official Greenways.
>
> I love this hobby! What's wrong with everyone else???

The rest of us have been into recumbents for over 20 years and have become
somewhat jaded. It is good to see someone like NYC with enthusiasm to remind
the rest of us what it was like for us too some 20 years ago.

Although NYC will strike many of us as being impossibly naive, this group
needs newbies like him. He lights a spark which the rest of us can take off
on if we wish. Nothing will kill a newsgroup more than just the same old
regulars spouting the same old bromides.

NYC has his work cut out from him trying to figure out a safe and fun place
to ride recumbents in NYC.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota





 
Date: 16 Jan 2006 16:05:06
From: Johnny Sunset
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

NYC XYZ wrote:
> Steve W wrote:
> ...
> > SW with a Trice !
>
> You mean a triKe? Or is there a Trekker/Trekkie kind of different in
> the 'bent community, too?

Trice is the brand used by Inspired Cycle Engineering (ICE) [1] for
their trikes. [2]

Trice trikes have very high quality frames and proprietary parts (and
many models use high end components) and are priced accordingly.

[1] <http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/ >.
[2] There used to be a company called Trice that Peter Ross was
involved with, which became ICE under new ownership.

--
Tom Sherman - Fox River Valley (For a bit?)



  
Date: 17 Jan 2006 12:58:15
From: Dave Larrington
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?
In article <1137456306.587341.7960@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com >, Johnny
Sunset (sunsetss0003@yahoo.com) wrote:

> [2] There used to be a company called Trice that Peter Ross was
> involved with, which became ICE under new ownership.

Peter's company was actually called Crystal Engineering, which
manufactured the Trice, Speed Ross and Festina. The rights to the
former went to ICE and the Speed Ross to Darth Ben at Kinetics (who then
never amassed sufficient tuits to put the thing back into production).
The Festina went the way of all wossnames while the Gem sociable delta
trike, of which a couple of prototypes had been built by Peter,
metamorphosed into the 2Can: <URL:http://www.2cancycle.co.uk/ >

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/ >
May you have an accident shaped like an umbrella.


   
Date: 17 Jan 2006 13:46:12
From: Peter Clinch
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?
Dave Larrington wrote:

> The rights to the
> former went to ICE and the Speed Ross to Darth Ben at Kinetics (who then
> never amassed sufficient tuits to put the thing back into production).

I was chatting with him about this a while ago, and while it is
certainly true that Ben has far too many projects to actually /do/ all
of them, he'd rationalised the lack of Tuits for the Speed Ross as the
cost of doing it Properly (and why do it any other way?) would come out
at not unadjacent to a fairly large selection of alternative machines.
I can see his point there, but it is a shame.

Whether Orbit fell out with Peter Ross or they just weren't selling
enough of the Crystal version of the Speed Ross to justify ongoing
production, I don't know. It was a 2nd hand Orbit Crystal for a bargain
price that got me into recumbents to start with (and a tidy insurance
settlement from the company representing the chap responsible for its
demise that got me a rather more expensive replacement!).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/



 
Date: 16 Jan 2006 15:49:08
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Steve W wrote:
> Well worth the sub. I think you can get the mag from some US dealers as
> well as direct from the publisher.

Thanks again for the ref. You know, what strikes me about Velovision
mag is...well, its vision! I mean, these US bicycle mags, they read
like a goddamned catalog like any other glossy about most any other
subject. Just perusing some of Velovision's sample articles gave me
the feeling that it was part of a whole broader movement, a visceral
Zeitgeist, more than a hobbyist's newsletter but not at all some
advertiser vehicle....

IOW, it will continue to make intelligently interesting reading even
after I've bought all the 'bents I want! (Currently two for sure, then
another two or three more for [even more] fun!)

So thanks. Nice to see a mag that doesn't simply whet the appetites.
Seriously, reading some of these slick-papered rags makes me feel
greedy and dirty.

> SW with a Trice !

You mean a triKe? Or is there a Trekker/Trekkie kind of different in
the 'bent community, too?



  
Date: 20 Jan 2006 06:44:55
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> The cops are only enforcing the laws, whatever they are. You need to get
> those laws changed that you do not like. It is possible to do that in this
> country because we are a democracy.

Well, I agree that we have democratic institutions and practices, but I
still hesitate to say that we're a democracy, unless you want to
compare us to the Iranians (I prefer Swedes myself, LOL).

> Yes, I do think Chicago may very well be a better city for cycling than NY
> if what you say is true.

It is, unfortunately -- I don't know the exact number at which it
becomes illegal, but it's very low; we're not talking fifty riders
here, but something as ridiculous as five or ten, typical club rides,
which is why the clubs here are all up in arms, even the respectable
helmet-insisting middle-class ones.

> However, the problem you state above is universal
> to all of the West and increasingly to the entire world. Motor vehicles are
> ruining everything. Small towns are not much better than NY in that regard.
> The old downtown here in Worthington is being torn down and replaced with
> ... yup, you guessed it - parking lots. The motor vehicle is an abomination!
> It has ruined all of our cities and it is ruining the entire country.

Yes, and it promotes bad character, I think. I've never heard of road
rage among cyclists -- as I've related elsewhere, during my half-summer
as a bike messenger, another messenger going the wrong way somehow hit
me and we both fell. But we were concerned for one another instead of
being angry!

I personally know some "sweet" girls who turn into "evil sailors"
behind the wheel...the very sort who'd not object if while waiting in
line someone cuts them honks at every little delay and cuts others off
when in a car -- !

> The only cities I was ever in that seem sensible to me were Venice, Italy
> and Fez, Morocco. In those cities the pedestrian is king. If you want to go
> anywhere, be prepared to walk.

Venice??

Of course, those are old, old cities; not much urban sprawl back then.

> That is what keeps us human and civilized,
> not all these g.d. freaking cars and trucks.

Well, a hopeful sign is that real estate developers are working with
government officials to design communities which encourage walking. I
hear even Trump's Jersey City venture is supposed to be like that!

> I am so fed up with the present
> state of affairs that I am glad to be leaving this earth for the eternal
> State of Oblivion,

Just my luck, I'll get reincarnated as spare tube or something.

> a State to which we are all destined, thank God!

I almost wish there was a God, 'cause it'd be terrible to have suffered
all these self-righteous montheists with their wars and pogroms for
nothing!

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota



   
Date: 21 Jan 2006 01:33:38
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137768295.279941.275300@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
>
> Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]
>> The only cities I was ever in that seem sensible to me were Venice, Italy
>> and Fez, Morocco. In those cities the pedestrian is king. If you want to
>> go
>> anywhere, be prepared to walk.
>
> Venice??

Yes, Venice! There are the motor boats of course, but you mainly end up
doing an awful lot of walking to get around Venice. There are walks along
all the canals and some bridges to get you across them. The complete absence
of motor vehicles is wondrous and a miracle to my way of thinking. See the
movie 'Death in Venice' and/or read the novella by the same name by Thomas
Mann to get a feel for the city.

An interesting experience I have had in Venice and Fez is that I actually
got lost wandering around them. I mean totally lost where panic starts to
set in. A city that you can get lost in is my kind of city. Those back
alleys in Venice are a quagmire of crazy wandering lanes that seem to go
nowhere. Fez is like that too. Those cities were built for humans, not motor
vehicles. That is why they are such great cities.

By the way, Venice was the favorite city of the great composer Igor
Stravinsky. In my not so humble opinion anyone who does not love Venice is a
total and complete idiot. Thus spake Zarathustra.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota





 
Date: 16 Jan 2006 01:48:16
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Big thanks, man!!!

Velovision sounds like a great mag, so different from the glossies I
see on the newstands here. I'm even gonna subscribe!

Wow, the Euro scene is definitely something else.



Steve W wrote:
> just been reviewed in Velovision mag a UK mag.
> (Hase Pino titanium tandem reviewed (J. Bradshaw), VV19 Sep 2005, p34)
>
> SW



  
Date: 19 Jan 2006 16:54:09
From: NYC XYZ
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

Edward Dolan wrote:
>
>
> They are not charming to live under however. The train makes a lot of racket
> for one thing. The only place to put a fast moving train in a city is
> underground. The NYC subway system is one of the wonders of the world. But
> when the trains come out of the ground, you have a typical railroad
> situation with all its attendant problems.
> [...]

During the recent transit stike, our dailies actually found people
along the elevated 7 line who couldn't go to sleep without the racket!

Hopefully we'll all convert to magnetic rails soon and that noise will
be history...ha.

> If I thought cycling was a political act I would quit immediately. Cycling
> is nothing but a recreation for me and a cheap and easy way of getting
> around town. Motorists do not notice me hardly at all (nor I them), let
> alone give me any funny stares.

Well, anytime you go against the grain it's "political" in the sense of
challenging conventions. 'Bent riders are "volunteers" twice over in
that way!

In NYC it is most definitely political -- thank Goodness, or else we'd
never have the Greenways we do, hard as they were and still are to
fight for. During the RNC the cops started arresting people left and
right, and really gave it to the cyclists hard, the fascist pigs. Now
you're not supposed to get together for a ride with your friends
without a permit from City Hall! No joke -- it's an unlawful
gathering.

THE PROBLEM IS THE FUCKING CARS! THAT'S WHAT'S KILLING PEOPLE AND
CAUSING CONGESTION AND POLLUTION!!

It's so asinine, targeting cyclists. Absolutely ridiculous.

> Regards,
>
> Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
> aka
> Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota



   
Date: 19 Jan 2006 23:54:23
From: Edward Dolan
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137718449.325030.52210@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Edward Dolan wrote:
[...]
>> If I thought cycling was a political act I would quit immediately.
>> Cycling
>> is nothing but a recreation for me and a cheap and easy way of getting
>> around town. Motorists do not notice me hardly at all (nor I them), let
>> alone give me any funny stares.
>
> Well, anytime you go against the grain it's "political" in the sense of
> challenging conventions. 'Bent riders are "volunteers" twice over in
> that way!
>
> In NYC it is most definitely political -- thank Goodness, or else we'd
> never have the Greenways we do, hard as they were and still are to
> fight for. During the RNC the cops started arresting people left and
> right, and really gave it to the cyclists hard, the fascist pigs. Now
> you're not supposed to get together for a ride with your friends
> without a permit from City Hall! No joke -- it's an unlawful
> gathering.

The cops are only enforcing the laws, whatever they are. You need to get
those laws changed that you do not like. It is possible to do that in this
country because we are a democracy.

> THE PROBLEM IS THE FUCKING CARS! THAT'S WHAT'S KILLING PEOPLE AND
> CAUSING CONGESTION AND POLLUTION!!
>
> It's so asinine, targeting cyclists. Absolutely ridiculous.

Yes, I do think Chicago may very well be a better city for cycling than NY
if what you say is true. However, the problem you state above is universal
to all of the West and increasingly to the entire world. Motor vehicles are
ruining everything. Small towns are not much better than NY in that regard.
The old downtown here in Worthington is being torn down and replaced with
... yup, you guessed it - parking lots. The motor vehicle is an abomination!
It has ruined all of our cities and it is ruining the entire country.

The only cities I was ever in that seem sensible to me were Venice, Italy
and Fez, Morocco. In those cities the pedestrian is king. If you want to go
anywhere, be prepared to walk. That is what keeps us human and civilized,
not all these g.d. freaking cars and trucks. I am so fed up with the present
state of affairs that I am glad to be leaving this earth for the eternal
State of Oblivion, a State to which we are all destined, thank God!

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota




  
Date: 16 Jan 2006 14:19:05
From: Steve W
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?
Well worth the sub. I think you can get the mag from some US dealers as
well as direct from the publisher.

SW with a Trice !


> Big thanks, man!!!
>
> Velovision sounds like a great mag, so different from the glossies I
> see on the newstands here. I'm even gonna subscribe!
>
> Wow, the Euro scene is definitely something else.
>
>
>
> Steve W wrote:
>> just been reviewed in Velovision mag a UK mag.
>> (Hase Pino titanium tandem reviewed (J. Bradshaw), VV19 Sep 2005, p34)
>>
>> SW
>




 
Date: 16 Jan 2006 08:28:38
From: Steve W
Subject: Re: Hase Pino Reviews?
just been reviewed in Velovision mag a UK mag.
(Hase Pino titanium tandem reviewed (J. Bradshaw), VV19 Sep 2005, p34)

SW



"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreigner@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:1137385019.344501.185160@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> Particularly interested in the titanium version.
>
> TIA!
>