Scott's Bicycling Page
 One of my favorite hobbies has always been bicycling. I started BMX racing when I was 10. As a teen, I opted for the speed of a 10 speed road bicycle. I owned four bicycles during my first year in the Coast Guard. My first 12 speed road racing bicycle, a 1987 Cannondale SR-500, set a high standard for future bicycles in my collection. It still rides great! I've had many bicycles over the years, but I've kept four. |
 My CANNONDALE will probably never go away. Even though it's old, it's simple and reliable. It was built for racing, so it's light and responsive. Made from aluminum, it's very rigid and precise for racing criteriums. It's only drawback is that same rigidity makes it ride like a jackhammer on long cycling tours. It has Shimano 105 (1st-generation) components. The most prized attribute of this bike is that I was able to get it repainted and rebadged before Cannondale switched to their "new" logo. The head tube logo on this bike features the original logo with the Cannondale train station. There probably aren't a lot of these floating around anymore. In fact, most of today's cyclists aren't aware the logo was ever anything besides a "C". |
 Longing to explore trails, I decided to buy something to ride off-road. I love to explore. So I bought a Mongoose Hilltopper SX 21 speed mountain bike. It has Shimano Alivio components and RockShox front suspension. It was a great starter bike. It became my daily commuter and I even made an 1100-mile trek from Miami, FL to Ft Eustis, VA. After a while, I got tired of always having to stand while riding over large rocks and roots. Standing was just as tiring as climbing the steep hills. So I demoted the Mongoose from favorite bike to loaner. |
 Then I upgraded to a 1997 TREK Y-5 24 speed full-suspension mountain bike. It features an aluminum frame, Shimano LX components, Manitou front suspension, and Vanilla coil-over rear suspension. It handles like a dream on the trails. Purists feel that the rear suspension takes away speed and power. I've decided that comfort is more important to me than speed. I learned my lesson after a crash one day about riding too fast. Now I take pride in being able to actually RIDE the entire trail. Most riders leave me in the dust while going downhill. But I often catch up with plenty of them once we get to a technical climb... especially if they're pushing their bikes up the climb from on foot! Control is the key to technical climbing, not power. My "Y" is also my current platform for bicycle-mobile ham radio operating. Checkout an article I wrote about bicycle-mobiling called Riding the Airwaves. |
 Joanne and I also have a 1991 BURLEY Duet 21 speed Tandem bicycle. We've riden on many organized tours in several states. We once raised over $1000 for the American Diabetes Association by riding in the Whidbey Isle 50 mile bicycle ride. This achievement got us published in the Commandant's Bulletin (now Coast Guard Magazine), the official magazine of the US Coast Guard. The tandem has seen a few upgrades that should last us for quite some time. The latest improvement, added after the poor bike sat in an attic for five years, was the addition of a child conversion kit. Now my daughter and I can ride the big blue bicycle. She feels like the coolest kid in the neighborhood!
One of my other tandem endeavors was to open my stoker seat (rear seat) to blind athletes. I contacted the UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION OF BLIND ATHLETES and eventually connected with some blind stokers. My ship's deployment schedule prevented me from committing to a full season of racing/training. However, duty as a "training pilot" or recreational pilot was well served. I eventually left the blind community since they're frequently concentrated in very large cities. Perhaps I'll be able to pilot for blind riders again some day. |
 This is my dream bike, which isn't a bicycle at all. This is one of many tricycles available from WIZWHEELZ. It's a known fact that recumbent bicycles are the ultimate in touring comfort. They put an end to sore backs, sore necks, and sore butts. Recumbents also hold all bicycle speed records. Well, a tadpole-configured tricycle takes things a step further. The rider sits a little lower for better aerodynamics. With three wheels, there's plenty of stability. You never have to unclip from your pedals at a stop. Two FRONT disc brakes yield plenty of stopping power. Tricycles are typically more expensive than recumbent bicycles. But the investment is sound given how long I tend to keep bicycles around. With one of these under me, I'd definitely participate in another long bicycle, I mean tricycle tour. I hope to be riding one of these in the future. |
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