Gear for us non-lycra bikers, Part 2.   Return to "The finer recliner."

This blog isn't a good place for lots of pictures...the columns are just too narrow.  So for anyone wanting to check out "Finer recliner" gear, this site is really impossible.  The long term solution is to create a website.  Because I'm really excited about the gear (it looks even better in person than in pictures!) and I'm a web design cretin I've come up with an interim plan by posting everything in a Picasa album.  http://picasaweb.google.com/shag1941/TheFinerReclinerRecumbentGear#  Everything's there - all the gear, sizes, colors, prices, and how to order.

What is "The finer recliner" gear? It's a growing collection of personalizable wickable riding jerseys, tee shirts, caps and other cool gear for us non-lycra recumbent cyclists who like comfortable clothes for riding or just hanging out with friends, and who like to share our enthusiasm with others for our own rides and recumbent trikes in general.

How's it special?  For starters, everything is personalized.  It's gear that's uniquely yours, or it makes a very special gift.  Choose your gear from a rainbow of colors.  Then choose your logo - tadpole or delta trike.  We'll embroider the logo in the frame color of your choice so you can match your trike.  I think the embroidered logos look terrific.  Then add the name or nickname you want to create a comfortable garment you'll love to wear or give to someone special.

These clothes look great, perform well, are comfortable, AND they're not skin tight.  And we're offering unique clothing for women including a cap sleeve riding jersey that Penni loves.  Even the ball caps are cut differently for men and women. It's a growing

It was a great holiday season and I'm excited about the new year.  One of the best and most unexpected gifts from this little enterprise has been the way its brought so many nice folks into my life from all over the US, Canada and even overseas.  Email exchanges that began about neck rests evolved into much more, and I feel so enriched by the many delightful people I've met because of this small item.  Thanks.

I posted Kirk's feedback about the new curved prototype neck rest on BROL and the Catrike forum so I won't repeat it here.  He said he's not gonna return it, and that's endorsement enough so I'm tooling up to offer this curved version along with the current model.  I've heard from Dave about the "half-wrap" neck rest we made him that will hopefully help with his arthritis.  He said he hasn't tried it out on the road yet because of 12 degree weather and snow...a cheesy excuse, but according to Dave, the "Garage test is dreamy comfortable."  If nothing else it should make a comfy recliner in front of the fire.

I got an email from Paul saying he'd noticed that the glue binding the latex to the base hadn't held in several places around the edges on his new neck rest, wondered whether the extreme cold in my shop had played havoc with the binding, and asked about a fix.  The hallucinations from the fumes alone should have been enough to get me to switch adhesives.  Paul's feedback was the clincher.  I bag each neck rest in plastic and bind it tightly with tape for at least 12 hours after gluing the fill to the base, so the binding should be secure.  So I've switched adhesives to one recommended by my foam supplier and it seems to working just fine.  I'm kinda missing the visions though.  

As for Paul's neck rest, I offered to replace it immediately.  He decided to try his own fix first.  And here's what else he had to say.  "That being said, I mounted it and took it for a spin to see if it was worth considering some sort of remedy, and must say it is light years more comfortable than the catrike version!  I love it and hope you can offer some suggestions on what to do about the glue situation."  Anyone else with this or any other issue, please let me know so I can make it right.  The world's a complicated place, and in most instances there's little over which any of us has total control.  Making you happy with your neck rest is about as close to total control as I can ever have.  We just began making these toward the end of last summer, so each new batch has been an opportunity to learn, and to find ways to make what we think is a good product even better. 

Things in the works for the coming months include the new curved neck rests, and new brackets so our neck rests will fit on older Catrike models and other models with horizontal bars.  And since Msafiri (my Expedition) is still fitted with prototype #1, I think it's time I made myself a new neck rest.

Have a wonderful new year, and stay tuned.