Return to Freedom 2009

We promised updates and we haven't delivered. Sorry about that but let's get back on track.
This past weekend marked the return of our Return to Freedom ride. As you might expect from a formerly annual event that has taken some time off we had a relatively small turn out of loyal, enthusiastic riders, eager to take in our area on their bikes. Fair weather, good food, great company, and the best bicycles in the world made for a memorable and fun weekend.
Here's a visual account of what went down:

Day No. 1 - Watsonville/Freedom/Corralitos
Good thing we started straightening up early:
If you have a red Tour Easy, what else would you park next to?:
Our mechanic stayed busy the entire morning doing little tune-ups:
Riders kept coming until there was a sea of bikes in our parking lot:
As we waited for more to arrive we had plenty of time to meet and chat:
Julian parked his new Ti-Rush in an inappropriate place:
Tanya's pink Gold Rush:
Denton's Ti-Rush is always a hit:
The weather looked a little gloomy early on but it never got any worse:
Denton rallied the troops...:
... Roberto and Eddie looked on...:
... and we took off, through Freedom, stopping first at the Five Mile House in Corralitos:
Everyone kept a good pace and we re-grouped quickly:
After a quick stop at the Corralitos Market..:
... we hit the hills:
The descent was a blast!:


As we rested near the bottom of Hazel Dell Road I took a minute to examine some of unique features of the the bikes in this year's RTF. I found a sleek electric motor kit...:
... an ergonomic handlebar set-up...:
... a Topolino rear wheel with carbon spokes...:
... a "Thermal Drink Pocket" (on a neat insulated handlebar bag)...:
... some ERRC under seat panniers...:
... and a set of ROTOR cranks:
We met-up one last time at the Casserly Store before heading out to...:
Gizdich Ranch!:
We devoured several pies...:
... entertained each other with harrowing cycling tales...:
... and left with our bellies (temporarily) full:
The home stretch:
Back at the factory, the guys had (more) food ready and we all kicked back for the rest of the day:
Day No. 2 - Monterey
Ready for another day of adventure:
The view was stunning, as usual:

The (somewhat smaller) Day 2 group stopped long enough to take a picture:
More of the scenery...:
... and the locals:
Our final lunch together:

There you go. To everyone that joined us: Thank you, thank you, thank you! We hope you had a great time and that we'll see you again next year. To everyone that couldn't make it: Don't miss it twice!
For more pictures check out John's Photostream On Flickr, and Fred's On Photobucket.
Until next year...

-Buck

Chris' Gold Rush: Part I

This is going to be a really beautiful bike when Chris up in Canada finally takes it for its first ride around the block. It's nothing terribly out of the ordinary in terms of its basic components but the rims are what's really going to set it apart.
I saw Jordan Hufnagel had polished a set of H Plus Son rims for a track bike he displayed at the 2009 North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS); obviously, I found them stunning. I kept thinking about them, knowing that someday we'd have to try something similar on a deep rim like that for one of our custom builds (or maybe even a demo bike). Chis was insistant on polished rims for his Gold Rush but I didn't know how flashy he was going to be willing to let us go until we started talking about the pin striping he had planned for his Gold Rush and... you know, other Hot Rod stuff. A polished Velocity Deep V rim in the rear (paired with a polished Velocity Fusion rim in the front) was definitely going to appeal to his sense of style.




It's missing a few things right now but we'll take a few more shots before we pack it up. Chris is also going to send us some pictures when the pin striping is done so look for that in the near future. The rack is a Tubus Cargo, there are some Velo Orange stainless steel cages and bottles that will eventually be put on the bike as well.

-Buck

Welcome to THE EASY RACERS BLOG

Through our message board and via email, many of our riders have been asking for a more timely and more frequently updated source of information. Well, THE EASY RACERS BLOG is finally here!
We'll be updating this page regularly as soon as our new main website is finished. This will be the place to come for closer looks at our latest custom builds, in-depth information on our newest products and offerings, and our thoughts on things we've encountered in the sometimes unusual, but always fascinating, world of a recumbent bicycle factory.
We'll also be putting used bikes and bikes that are on consignment up on THE EASY RACERS BLOG. In fact, the next few entries will be just that as we clear off our showroom floor in preparation for what's sure to be an interesting summer.
If you have questions about anything you see here we hope that you'll contact us and ask away.
We want to communicate and share ideas with everyone we can who rides and is passionate about bicycles (even if it's not one of ours, and even if it's not a recumbent). Easy Racers, Inc. continues to grow to this day and THE EASY RACERS BLOG is a brand new facet of our community that we can't wait to explore! Bookmark or follow us today, this is going to be fun!

-Buck