Here is my expanded ride report on the HOT Rally. We had an excellent event last weekend in Austin. Started the weekend on Friday afternoon with check-in at Easy Street Recumbents who graciously hosted the event. After check-in (with great goody bags plus t-shirts and water bottles that matched the individual trikes) Mike, Kansas Chuck and Sam took the trikes and did a complete inspection of each one, correcting any and all problems that they found. Mark Egeland from Big Cat also joined us for the weekend and helped the guys get everyone tuned up and ready to ride. That evening, we had a happy hour/get acquainted dinner at a local seafood restaurant.
 
Time Trials were scheduled for Saturday morning but the weather had other plans. We traveled out to the Austin Veloway and got part way around the first warm-up lap before the deluge began. The ride turned into an aquacade so we missed out on the time trials for this year. Enthusiasm remained undampened and that afternoon we had a presentation by Bike Texas, an Info session (basic care and feeding of your Cat) and raffle. Prizes were outstanding with such items as Terracycle idlers, custom bash guard, a full set of wheels, a full set of Schwalbe tires (your choice) and a set of three KMC X9SL gold chains among the items won.  This was followed by an evening dinner ride to Phara's restaurant. Dinner was a buffet, set up in a tent in their outdoor garden area. Another thunderstorm roared through in the middle of dinner but all the trikes were moved inside so no one had a wet seat. after dinner, we were entertained by a belly dancer who inticed several members of the audience to participate with her. My son was terrified at the prospect and hid so she wouldn't make him dance with her. When he is a few years older, he will be kicking himself for that missed opportunity. The ride back to shop looked like a bizarre parade with an amazing assortment of waving flags, flashing lights and reflective tape.
 
Sunday, we departed the shop and rode through Austin neighborhoods, the University of Texas campus and downtown before reaching the trail along  Town Lake. We rode to the Stevie Ray Vaughn memorial and stopped for a photo op. Then we circled back on a little different route to avoid climbing back up some of the downhill slopes we had enjoyed that morning. Upon returning to the shop, their annual Bent Event was underway with food, live music and all the bikes and trikes you wanted to try out. An incredibly fun weekend with great people. Can't wait for next year! Here's some video:
 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVRQznYAr7U

Quote from aikigreg on Apr 25^th, 2010, 8:47pm:

 
Certainly, I think it is MORE FUN on a trike, but you could have joined us on any bike. My husband took his new hybrid and my daughter rode her Schwinn. Everyone was very accepting and tolerant of their differences. We all know they will come around, eventually.