Phoenix

February, 2010
My friend Laurie commented, "Ya'll must really like Phoenix!"

Yeah, we do! In the NE corner of the city, you are looking up at mountains all the time. We are sitting between Four Peaks and Red Mountain. The cloud cover has produced spectacular sunrises and sunsets! The distant mountains are shrouded in a haze of blues and greys. On the many cloudless days, these same landscapes are painted in golden reds. One evening we were treated to the sun, in all its blazing glory, settling between a pair of peaks, washing the valley in golds and reds. it really did defy description, my meger attempt is pale in comparison to the all-too-brief event.

We made a very brave attempt to bicycle a popular 8-mile stretch of highway that was reported to be "all down hill". Not True! I slowed everyone down in my out-of-shape ability to handle the uphill sections. The ride was glorious, however, and I hope to do it again with more success, but not today!

An event I was totally in shape for was a day at the Phoenix Art Museum. We spent the morning at the huge Ansel Adams exhibit, even more exciting because we have seen the locales. We enjoyed 2 different tours with docents and a relaxing lunch in the garden. It was the kind of day that inspires and awes.

There has also been time to shop, repair, relax, eat, and on occassion, work. Russell has really whittled down the to-do list associated with the new Monaco. I think he knows a few folks at the Monaco factory by name. He has mentioned a tour of the factory in Eugene, Oregon. Good Idea.

Moral of the story: Phoenix is a GREAT place to winter!

TEXAS

November, 2009

We drove from Albuquerque to Dallas in a single day, with the obligatory stop at the Big Texan for lunch. This is not recommended. We could’a stopped, should’a stopped, but Russell was determined to arrive into the Metroplex and negotiate an unfamiliar campground in the dark, after a long day. The man loves a challenge! Fortunately The Treetops Campground had given us a long, wide pull-through and a wonderful manager to help us accomplish the goal with as much grace as possible.

It was so wonderful to have trees with leaves falling and a damp chill in the air. It felt like being home again, which, of course, it was. We had time in Dallas to enjoy friends and Kyle, take care of business and see doctors. We headed to Waco for more of the same, and then to Houston to enjoy Thanksgiving with more family and friends. Even the right football teams won! It was a wonderful few weeks. In Waco we revisited Skipper and Connie at their RV Park, the River View. We found a great location to revisit on return trips in Dickinson, The Palms RV Park.

More of Texas awaits! About 30 years ago, we planned for a vacation at South Padre Island, but a devastating hurricane in that area changed all of that. This seemed like a good time to finally get to The Valley and South Padre.

The drive south is fairly long and uneventful in terms of terrain. Russell kept looking for when The Valley started, trying to spot high points in terrain so that a “valley” could be determined. Never found it! The best definition I could come up with is that the valley includes land that drains to the Rio Grande, and it is low elevation, even if there is no high elevation to show a contrast.

We arrived in true Geezer Heaven at Winter Haven Retirement Village. This gated community in Brownsville is second home to many Canadians and other Winter Texans, even quite a lot of North Texas Texans who like to wear shorts and t-shirts all year long. There is a nice mix of RV’s, park model homes, and brick homes along the man-made canals. Golf carts are the transport of choice! Although the weather has been less than perfect, we have been able to ride bikes and walk most days. The food shopping is terrific and we have tried new recipes with the available produce.

Yosemite, Midpines, California

August 13, 2009

Our eventful drive from west to east took us to Mariposa Co. and the town of Midpines. We stayed at an up-hill KOA that was very pretty, but no AT&T was an issue for the whole week. The coolest thing about the park was our neighbor, the Taylor’s. License plates established the common ground of Texas, but a glass of wine led to the discovery that all 3 of the 4 of us were at UT, Russell and Mike even lived in the same apt. complex at the same time! Many commonalities were uncovered, and we hope to stay in touch.

But the trip was about Yosemite. We drove into the Valley, our bikes hitched. The drive itself is a 25 mile adventure, meandering next to the Merced River complete with single lane bridge to avoid the rock slide that wiped out the old road. The hike/bike path encompasses El Capitan, rivers, meadows, Yosemite Falls, and John Muir’s favorite place, Enchanted Isles. We also rode by some of the wonderful cottages built for workers. How do you get these digs? It was difficult to look up and ahead at the path simultaneously, but we managed. We stopped at one point to consult the map and got aid, along with an invitation to come visit, from a wonderful couple from the Czech Republic. Late summer is not the best time to visit Yosemite, dry rivers mean no waterfalls, but you can clearly see where they have been. We visited with a long-time visitor who thinks that late summer is perfect because you can river-float and enjoy the tranquility. There were many bikini-clad tourists who totally agree with this assessment.

Biking gave us the perfect overview of the park. The next day was all about the details. We took in the movie, museum, lodge, hikes off the beaten path and Bridal Falls. We even found the spot we’d read about where Teddy Roosevelt camped and was photographed with John Muir in a presidential trip through the west. One very cool bonus was an opportunity to view El Capitan climbers. A fellow climber was stationed on the road with a high-powered telescope zoomed in on 2 different sets. We found out that it typically takes 2-3 days to make the assent. I tried to imagine scaling 90 degrees while carrying enough food and drink for that period of time in addition to a bed roll and potty. NO WAY! You must have a permit to climb, but no requirements are needed for that permit, meaning that anyone may attempt the climb and run the risk of requiring a rescue. I don’t get it. Both days we enjoyed a picnic and the free shuttle bus.

Midpines is in the middle of the gold mining rush of history. There is a wonderful state museum that we passed by at least twice, and I’d be willing to bet that it is terrific. We drove to Oakhurst to check out the RV parks and take care of a few errands. Our trip back included one of those unexpected turns that Garmin sometimes provides. Triangle Road cuts cross country winding through farm and cattle country, and a hidden winery. Butterfly Winery is in the valley; Russell spotted it long before we saw the sign on the mountain road. The tasting room greeters are several friendly cats and dogs and hosted by a charming lady who is informative and gives a great pour. We spent a long time visiting with her and some other customers who happened in after we did.

We headed out for Oakhurst; confident that we knew the road since we had we had traveled the previous week. It was different when towing. The downhill grade was more white-knuckle than anticipated, but otherwise uneventful.

San Francisco, California

July, 2009

Finally! This is the city in America I have most wanted to visit, and now I have. Amazing!

We got settled in Marin County at the Marin RV Park, chosen for its location. There is a pedestrian bridge along side the 101 for a 10 minute walk to the Larkspur Ferry. Another pedestrian bridge crossed the 101 to get to a bus stop for a drive across Golden Gate Bridge. Take a path under 101 to bike/walk to Larkspur and Corte Madera. I loved being able to walk to Trader Joe’s for groceries and step out the back of the park to be looking at a marsh and bay. We could even walk to an up-scale shopping center. We could not have had a sweeter location!

We spent a month. We traveled to S.F. at least once each week, never taking the dually. We enjoyed several walks along the Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf, through Chinatown, Russian Hill, up to Coit Tower and even a trek to the groovy corner of Haight-Ashbury (not as much love as there must have been in the ‘60’s). A tour bus ride took us through the highlights of the city including Alamo Park and the Presidio. One day we bought a bus pass and hopped on and off at will, covering a lot of the city that way. Another mode of transport, we rode the historic Cable Car. We walked Lombardi St., both up and down the curviest street in the world. We took in the sights, sounds and smells of the city, walking for miles.

Several people recommended that we book the Alcatraz tour in advance, thank you all so much. We went on a Friday morning, important because this is one of only two garden tours offered all week. What a treat. It seems that the gardens were an important part of life for the island inhabitants. We also got to walk through the military officer quarters ruins and several other “off limits” areas. Dedicated volunteers are restoring the flower gardens to their original beauty using old photos for accuracy. The island has a rich history that extends far beyond its 29 years as a prison. Then we took the best audio tour I’ve ever experienced through the prison. Former guards and prisoners talk to you as you are directed through the rooms, halls and cells. Sound effects enhance the visual experience to help a visitor feel the despair of entering this prison.

One place I had to see in Marin Co. is Muir Wood. We were incredibly close, but it was still quite a long trip on a narrow, winding road. The trees defy description. How do you define Tall? Majestic? This is an island of trees in this otherwise densely populated county. These trees were big when Columbus landed. We had never before seen anything like these trees, and we were properly awed.

We spent an entire day on the USS Hornet, our first experience of an air craft carrier. In addition to the self-guided trip, we took a docent-led tour to the engine room and other below-decks areas unavailable otherwise. Another docent tour takes you up to the island; the tower of rooms for piloting the ship and its aircraft. Russell expected to be amazed, I had not.

We took a very cool trip to Berkeley to research an old address. Russell’s mom had lived here when his dad was serving in the Navy during World War II. We headed to the public library and surprisingly found phone books from 1943 and 1946. She was listed in both. There was enough information given to help us feel confident that we had found 2 different locations. We got a map and drove to each. This was so cool! We took pictures of beautiful homes that easily fit the bill in hopes that she could remember, but that didn’t happen. I know that she appreciated us doing it and we enjoyed the personalized experience. While in Berkeley, we went to the University of California. Russell wore his University of Texas shirt and hat for the walk on campus. Except for all those towering eucalyptus trees, we could have been at the UT campus. The similarity of architecture is amazing, and I think other similarities exist that we didn’t take time to learn.

One day we rode in together, parting at Golden Gate. Russell enjoyed the Maritime Ship pier while I took in art. I loved the deYoung Art Museum. An amazing Aztec tunic of bird feathers took my breath. I thought they would have decayed ages ago. The glass exhibits also caught my eye because I had never seen such exquisite glass castings. After a trip up to the observation tower at de Young, I also enjoyed a trek through some of the gardens of Golden Gate Park. I rode home wishing there was more time for more art museums. I arrived home to find that Russell had been to the grocery store and was cooking steaks. What a great day!

As usual, we had our usual work days and often didn’t leave the park except for a nearby walk. I made great strides in the quilt I was making for Kyle’s birthday, which was coming fast. Russell always works on the stock market and has other business to take care of. We drove to several nearby cities and towns, walked, shopped and ate. Our trip to San Francisco was a rousing success.

NEXT TIME: California Palace of Legion of Honor, the Olympic Club area, the Winchester House in San Jose and other points south of town

Redding, CA

July 14, 2009

Moving on toward San Francisco, again faced with the dilemma of which road to take. We had continued reservations about the scenic coastal route and opted for I-5 through the center of the state. The terrain changed from rolling to plains and high desert until Mt. Shasta. This snow laden volcano dominates an otherwise bland landscape. It appears to be lost, an outcast o f the Pacific-Rim Volcano family. But she stands quite confident in her isolation. Shasta Lake is the next landmark on the way to Redding. The blueness of the quiet lake stands out against orange shores. The high tree line shows water levels to be quite low.

Redding is a nice surprise after all the people who asked, “Redding? Why?” It is the largest city of northern California and sits on the Sacramento River. Our campground, Mountain Gate RV, is nicely situated between the lake and town. The grounds are spacious and nicely landscaped. We did experience our first hot weather of the summer. Cool mornings give way to temps of 100°+. The temperature variance within the day is about 40° - so not Dallas where August temps very from 85-105°. This provides no relief, but it does get swimming pools warm. I just can’t bring myself to stay in these cold pools.

The Chamber of Commerce star is the architecturally unique pedestrian Sun Bridge that spans the Sacramento River and connects the science museum to a bike/hike path and numerous city parks. The well-traveled paths run along both side of the river. Ultimately the true adventurer will be able to pedal from town to the dam, about 20 miles. We took 2 trips, the first, a short run from Caldwell Park east to the Sun Bridge and marshes. The longer loop we began at the park, through neighborhoods, and west of town to the Ribbon Bridge, also for pedestrians. This system is by far the longest most user-friendly we have encountered. We could have had a different bike ride every morning of our stay. There is very little interaction with car traffic and the path is well maintained paving. One really cool pedestrian bridge is an old one that stands proudly next to its larger replacement road for cars. How wonderful that this small graceful path is as useful and traveled at the end of its life as in the beginning.

Two below ground trips to Lake Shasta seemed perfect for hot afternoons. The dam tour displays a marvel of civil engineering and the tallest in the USA. We traveled by elevator to an observation level, deep inside near-solid concrete. The tour hallway leads to a room on river level where the info continues with a video showing construction and a tribute to its builders. The primary function of the dam is water control and supply, it is a secondary source on California’s electric grid. As low as the water level was, locals were excited at the amount it had raised over the previous year. Conservation is their primary focus and they were not worried about the ability to provide the amount of water needed for summer. We learned that is 25% of California receives 75% of the state’s precipitation.

Our second Shasta Lake adventure took us on a very curvy descent to the shores north of the dam. The Shasta Caverns offers a package tour. The first part is the roller coaster trip to the visitor center-the curvy road trip. Second is a nice warm hike to the pontoon boat for the third segment, crossing the lake. Fourth is a bus trip back up a different mountain to the cavern rooms with chambers stacked atop each other which are quite nice, but not so different from others we’ve seen. Coming into the light we saw how much climbing we did inside. We descended stair steps back to the bus. This was a cordial group of folks - with celebrities! The young twins from “Cheaper by the Dozen” are now about 12 and created quite a stir. I was more fascinated by our tour guide. She was a ringer for a girl I grew up with who currently has many kids and grands in Idaho. I hinted at a relationship, but she didn’t bite. Oh Well.

NEXT TIME: a cooler time of year to take advantage of the bike rides

White Salmon, Washington

July 6, 2009

In keeping with our Lewis and Clark adventure, we left Woodland for White Salmon, east of Portland on the Columbia River. There were several route options available, the most direct being to follow the freeway to Vancouver, WA then continue on WA-14, a 2-lane with who knew how many twists and turns. This road is true to the river and meanders through numerous villages. The longer route was to stay on the freeway through Vancouver and Portland to Hood River, Oregon where a bridge connects to White Salmon. Locals recommended the freeway as timelier and more scenic looking over to the Washington side. Sounded good!

We wound through the big cities uneventfully and started lapping up the view; mountains, fruit tree groves, vineyards, waterfalls, wide rushing river, all the way to Hood River, a surprisingly large town. Then there was THE BRIDGE. It absolutely must be wider than it appeared to be beyond the tollbooth. If you had to fit through the tollbooth to board the bridge, we barely made it. A logging truck was heading straight for us: “Get the mirrors in!” Only by thinking thin and not breathing did we clear all obstacles. The White Salmon RV Park is a small, but roomy, nicely landscaped individually owned business.

The Gorge Loop is the Columbia River between City of the Dales on the east and Multnomah Falls on the west. We were in the middle-perfect! A trip east on WA-14 proved that we had made the correct choice for RV travel by freeway. Our destination, Beacon Rock, is an ancient volcano core and one of the largest monoliths in the world, straight up. From the parking lot there are 2 routes, climbers–not us–go left, hikers–us–go right. We walked to the river facing side of the rock to find stairs that wound back and forth in 47 switchbacks, clinging to the face of the rock. This state park is the site of one of Lewis and Clark’s camps and was once private property. Mr. Biddle bought it in 1915 because the Army Corps of Engineers was going to use the raw material to build a nearby dam. He hired an engineer and together the men spent the next 3 years building the stairway that still exists today. He then gave the historic site to the state with the stipulation that the public never be charged for admission. And so it is. The legacy of the man stands as tall and strong as the rock he championed. The view from the top includes marshes, mountains, farm lands, and of course, the river. It has been used as a look out by all the people who traveled this route for centuries.

We next traveled the Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon complete with stonework walls to keep travelers from dropping off! This road made the bridge look roomy, but Horsetail and Multnomah Falls virtually splash on to the road, well worth the trip. A little hiking would yield several more falls, but we were short on time. The Dalles is one of the oldest cities of the area; a trading and meeting point of Indians and later, traders. The site is named for the long stretch of rapids nearby. There is also a natural rock formation that creates a type of fort. We sacrificed seeing the town for the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and a sit-down lunch. Wish we had allotted more time for the area. We bought salmon on the way home for another delicious meal. Indians are allowed unlimited fishing rights on river, whereas all other have strict limits. Therefore, the best salmon is roadside, in coolers.

Navigation on the Columbia was once an iffy thing, with spring swells and numerous rapids. Original navigation plans included locks to bypass dangerous cataracts. Now the rapids have been flooded by the creation of dams. Interestingly, dams do not cross the entire waterway to allow for boat and salmon navigation.

It is safe to say that we needed more time, but we were due in the next location. We drove the length of Oregon, right down the middle. Farm land rolled over hills, we skirted Mt. Hood, marveled at lava fields, gasped at major ravines in the desert and arrived again in wooded mountains and another volcano, Crater Lake.

NEXT TIME: Stay Longer!

Centralia, Washington

June 22, 2009

Up until the Rutherford’s departure, we had had an agenda of sorts. We clearly wanted to get to specific points and geography dictated the order. We had a specific date to meet Rick and Pat and then 4 of us were in the planning. Now, we had a wide open map and time frame. Too many options is confusing! I don’t know that we had ever had this particular problem before. Russell met the challenge and decided it was time to head for San Francisco – YEA! We were enjoying Washington, so there was no hurry to leave. In addition we had yet to visit the volcanic peaks that hold so much beauty, mystery and power. I selected the town of Centralia, so named for its location between Seattle and Portland. The plan was to be able to easily drive to the coast, Mt. Rainer and Mt. St. Helen’s. The reality was that we were equally far, not equally close, to all desired points.

Still, Centralia, and the neighboring town of Chehalis, was a great stop. We were out of gloomy pines and in the bright sun. We needed to repair the RV, restock provisions, and generally get reorganized. We were also forced to take stock of what traveling had done to our bodies. It was seriously time for revisiting a diet plan. This is also where we picked up our bicycling adventures. We were busy!

We found a wonderful path courtesy of the Rails to Trails program again. We rode through several miles of countryside, the farms and hay fields of central Washington. We took a day trip to the coast which whet our appetite for more coastal towns.

We set our sites on Astoria and the Columbia River. Silly me! We were coming up on the July 4th weekend, any campground within 50 miles of Astoria had been booked solid for months. And so we headed next for Woodland.

Coeur D’Alene, Idaho

June 9, 2009

Leaving Kalispell, we crossed the Bitterroot Mountains into Idaho and the mining town of Coeur D’Alene, CDA, to the locals. The Bitteroots have always fascinated Russell because it is a grizzly highway for bears coming and going to Canada. CDA was exciting to me because of a historical fiction I read many years ago about a mining war between owners and workers. I don’t remember details, but the setting has stuck with me all the same. Neither place disappointed. We got to the Blackwell Island RV Park to meet Rick, a long awaited event.

Our favorite part of the Bitterroot was the town of Wallace, Idaho. They had every building in town declared a National Historic Monument to fight the I-90 freeway coming through. I-90 did get built eventually, completely above the small city. The buildings here are quaint turn-of-the-century and hold many off-beat museums. The three of us toured an old mine in Wallace. The tour, led by a former miner, is in a shaft that was worked for almost 100 years before ever making a profit when it opened up to tourists. The various owners had hoped to hit gold, silver, copper, lead, anything that paid. For several years it was used as a classroom for a local college to train miners. Economic factors impacted the need to have more miners. For the price of a ticket you tour the downtown museum, ride a trolley to the mine, don a hardhat to get the total mining experience and finally tour the town of Wallace on the return trolley trip. What a deal! We also enjoyed the local color with lunch and a pawn shop trip.

Pat joined us a few days later, not the least bit unhappy about missing the mine experience. But we all four returned to Wallace for a bike ride beyond all expectations. The national Rails to Trails program has converted the defunct Hiawatha Rail Line to a bike trail. This trek takes you from a few miles east of the Idaho/Montana border to near Wallace on the west side for an up close look at the heart of the mountain range. It is 17 miles, down hill, wearing a helmet and headlight. The ride goes through ten tunnels and over seven trestles that span amazing river gorges. You are often at treetop level, looking down, or in my case, forward.

The most daunting tunnel is right off the bat, the 1.7 mile Taft Tunnel, a curving, dank, dark, cold test of endurance. I white-knuckled the experience with a determined finish-without-falling focus, while the other three thought it was fun! The views on the west side of the tunnel make it worthwhile. Next is the section of gently sloping, bright, wide trail that curves along the mountain side. But more tunnels await, shorter, easier, but tunnels all the same. After falling in the second one, the others weren’t so bad.

Unfortunately you get a long look at the first trestle way before arriving. It is long and tall; fear of heights would be a real problem here. Grim determination and the mantra “Don’t stop, don’t look down” got me across. Again I need to mention that three fourths of our party was having a wonderful time! The vistas were unlike riding by in a car, you are actually IN the setting, the cliff faces are RIGHT THERE! The rivers, however, are WAY DOWN! Despite my fears, the trip was unforgettably spectacular and the reason for us to buy bikes again later in the trip.

I did adjust. We even stopped and enjoyed looking over some trestle railings. At one stop we looked at a mist of rain in the near distance and were spellbound by the scene until Russell mentioned, “it’s coming our way!” Start peddling – fast. We made the last portion of our trip hunched over handle bars, dripping with mud kicking up on all surfaces. Fortunately, the rain was fairly light and it stopped to allow us some drying time prior to getting on the school bus shuttle for the return trip.

The bus trip is mostly in the valley you were looking into from the bike path, a great perspective. It drops all riders off at the west side of that 1.7 mile Taft Tunnel. That is definitely not the appropriate side of the gauntlet. We all headed into the final leg of the journey, pedaling as fast as possible, for awhile. I had to stop and refused to get back on that bike. I just could not, would not, do it. I walked my bike the rest of the way. I told the others to go ahead. Fortunately, Russell ignored me and followed, pedaling very slowly the whole way. It was a very good thing because prior to the exit my light burned out. We caught up with Rick and Pat taking naps in the truck.

We spent the rest of our days in CDA enjoying the city. Downtown is vibrant! Most businesses are open and busy. Huge baskets of petunias hang from every old-fashioned light pole. There is an active night life and much alfresco dining to add to the atmosphere. The city is built along Lake Coeur D’Alene which gets fed by the Spokane River. Our park was on Blackwell Island where the river meets the lake. The lake was formed by retreating glaciers and has abundant marsh lands, and therefore abundant wildlife. One day Rick spotted a baby moose prancing across a marsh. He was cartoonish, wearing a great moosey smile. I’m quite sure that all the moose in this region are smiling.

We hiked in the city park which sits by the lake around an Idaho hill, or Texas mountain. It was a rugged, but very doable, climb to the top with a view of the lake on three sides. Many folks were boating, swimming, parasailing, and skiing. Pat and I explored the city another day with a Bed and Breakfast tour that was fun, and surely would have been skipped if we had not been together. One business is in an old elementary school now owned by a former student. Cool!

One thing we enjoyed about CDA was the opportunity to be with the Rutherford’s. We shared meals, movies, bike rides and walks in addition to our more daring adventures. There was a lot of talk about where to next, a tough problem to work out when the options are so vast. We decided on a trip to Seattle, they hadn’t been in many years and it was a first for us.

NEXT TIME: try CDA in winter? More bike rides, a kayak trip!

Bikes and Bike Racks

Bikes and Bike Racks

We were a little baffled by our first bike rack. It didn’t seem possible that 2 straps would hold our heavy used bikes. 2 straps, 3 ropes, and 4 bungee cords did not do the trick! We stopped repeatedly across the states of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi trying to find the right approach only to stow 1 of the bikes in the basement. I’m sure everyone has seen the poor folks pulling a trailer with no idea of what is happening 40 feet behind them, at the end of that trailer. That was us.

A note of explanation: There are usually 2 storage areas under the living area of a 5th wheel. We call the side-access storage the basement, and basement type things find their way here. The front-access storage is what we call the garage, but for no apparent reason.

The rack company sent us a replacement for the first one that broke, somewhere in Mississippi. We still were spending half of our time preparing to hitch-up and go, trying to make 2 heavy bikes adhere to a rack on the ladder at the back of the 5th wheel. We quit locking the bikes, but no one would steal them. It was time for a trip to Goodwill.

Of course, the lure of bikes struck again several months later after the frighteningly delightful trip on the Hiawatha Trail on rental bikes. We were hooked, but no more rentals, no more used.

Down the road a bit we bought the very best Walmart could sell us at that particular store. The hunt for a rack was on!

A computer ordered ladder rack came in and went back. It was time to bite the bullet, spend the big bucks and get a hitch mounted rack which required the installation of a hitch receiver on the back of the trailer. Some good folks in Vancouver, WA took care of us with a very simple, non-invasive procedure – yes, it was akin to surgery. We’re ready to roll!

But not yet. We had to get rid of the “play” in the hitch and rack. Several weeks later, on a very quiet street, we discovered that more distance was needed between the bikes and the road. The old saying is true; it can all be fixed with money - and with the time and energy of a very determined husband. Russell was able to find and install a riser that solved this problem.

We are now the very proud drivers of a fine pair of bikes and a rock solid rack. More importantly, we have used these to take some spectacular geezer-type rides.