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| IS YOUR NAME
STEVE ROBERTS? |
I did check to see what my name was this
morning(grin) and it wasn't Steve. My name is Dave Boyd. Steve now
lives in Camano Island, WA with his lovely wife Lisa. He has built a
new lab and is now working on a new project called "Microship". You
can see all of his technomadness at: http://www.microship.com and
Lisa's "Technomad Times" at: http://www.microship.com/technomads . I
am on a mission. To travel all 50 states and Canada on a Recumbent
bicycle with trailer, Amateur Radio, laptop computer, and other
electronic gizmology, looking for my cellphone. Yes, this can be
quite an undertaking, but, being that traveing, bicycling, and
Amateur Radio are favorite pastimes of mine, I decided to put them
all together and fulfill a teenage dream of mine, to travel the
world. I've pedaled through 37 states, now in Delaware, and headed
for the Dakotas this summer. I'll wave to Y'all as I
pass(grin). |
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Recumbent Vehicle
Questions |
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WHAT THE &*%^#!
IS THAT
THING? |
I give up, what the &*%^#! is this
thing. |
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HOW MUCH DOES YOUR
RECUMBENT VEHICLE WEIGH? |
675 lbs +/- my grazing and guzzlin'
materials |
| HAVE YOU HAD ANY FLAT
TIRES? |
This is my favorite dumb question. Other not
so dumb derivatives-What do you do if you get a flat? Or -How many
tires do you go through? I have to admit, I don't quite understand
the motive of this question. I will mention at this time that it has
been my observation that the biggest money making repair for bike
shops is "repairing" flat tires - usually caused by disuse. Of
course, I don't want to berate anyone for not knowing all about
bicycle tire repair - unless they don't want to take the two minutes
it takes to become an expert on it. So here are the answers-Yes,
I've had flats and when I get one I fix it. |
HAVE YOU HAD ANY
CRASH LANDINGS WITH
YOUR RECUMBENT VEHICLE? |
Only 11 times while I was on it. Most of which were caused by New York City Cabbies. The others were when I was away and the wind would blow it over. The need for a new landing gear is obvious. |
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WHERE'S THE MISSLES
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This is classified information. |
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HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THE HELM
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Fingertips. With Under-The-Seat-Steering(USS), there is no leaning on the handlebar to cause the fourth and fifth finger to have nerve damage as with a "safety" bicycle or blood loss to the hands from hands hanging from an Above The Seat Steering(ASS). Arms and hands hang in a natural position to steer. |
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IS THAT A COMFORTABLE SEAT
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"A captain in his captains chair". Overwhelmingly a recumbent seat is many times more comfortable than a saddle. All day on a recumbent verses one hour on a safety bike. All kidding aside, "Saddle" seats are a leading cause of nerve and blood supply damage in the crotch area. Males "beware of impotence". Females can also have their problems. And with either gender, the "safety" bicycle can cause painful spinal injuries. I recommend a recumbent style seat and/or bicycle to anyone. |
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WHY DON'T YOU HAVE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR OR GASOLINE ENGINE
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Weight factor.... Not only for the bicycle, but for myself as well. |
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Travel Questions |
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WHERE ARE YOU
FROM? |
Another time. Another place. Another planet.(West Covina, CA.) |
WHERE ARE YOU
GOING? |
I'm going to look for my cellphone in all 50 states, so I can get back to my planet(grin). This has become increasingly difficult as almost every square foot of planet earth has become a phone booth with billons of cell phones interupting the thought processes. |
WHERE HAVE YOU
BEEN? |
I've been driving my recumbent vehicle through 37 states in the U.S., looking for my cellphone.(grin). If I don't find it in the USA soon, I will have to go to Europe,Australia, and New Zealand to find it. |
| WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU GO UP HILLS? |
I breathe hard and heavy |
WHAT ABOUT HEALTH
CONSIDERATIONS? |
Yes, health considerations are very different here. Now I get a cold or an enfluenza virus |
| HOW MANY MILES
HAVE YOU GONE? |
Can't say...Those pesky klingons keep hitting my velocemeter with their phazers. Soon I will barter for another. Estimates are 40,000 to 50,000 miles since I was a hatchling.
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HOW LONG HAVE YOU
BEEN ON THIS QUEST
TO FIND YOUR CELLPHONE? |
12.9 years. |
| COLDEST DAYS? |
Coldest temperature - 15F Dec '98 in Manhattan, NYC, NY
| HOTTEST DAYS? |
Hottest temperature - 112F in the Mojave Desert |
WHERE DO YOU SLEEP? |
I get asked this occasionally. Generally, I sleep in my sleeping bag in my portable hut, right next to the recumbent vehicle. My worldly figure prevents climbing in the 2'x4' trailer. The hut is only big enough for only my two inch screen tv, headphones, and me. Where I erect this portable hut is more interesting. I've camped on beaches, on cliff tops, in sand dunes, by lakes, on forest trails, bike paths, backyards, fire ant dunes, mosquito infested swamps and lots of other neat places. Unfortunately, I am often compelled by reasons unknown to pitch my portable hut in an RV park or "camp grounds". Sometimes, I get a bit stuck and I ask permission to pitch the tent on someone's private property.
I don't do the typical "camping" stuff. First of all, I don't bring the mothership (an RV) and microwave. Second, don't build fires (propane tanks only). And third, I don't drink beer(forbidden on my planet). These things really define camping for earthlings in general, Americans in particular - it's really weird. |
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