Well, with the ride last Wednesday, I thought I’d take this chance to reflect back on this season as I have with the prior two (2006 and 2007). So, here we go.

There were lots of great Rickshaw moments this year. This blog doesn’t capture everything. There’s lots of rides that aren’t mentioned. I usually like to have a picture to go with an event. Here’s some of the more memorable events (in no particular order):

1. Mike came and visited from California and we spent some time and notable mileage on the Rickshaw. Fun.
2. Joe and Steph ride towards town, and on the way to pick them up, I climb the bench. I took the most gentle way up, which is the old rail bridge from the Greenbelt and emptying out on Orchard. It was not a climb I’d have pulled off in the prior seasons.
3. Kelly and Faye on the back to start off the season.
4. Tour de Fat. “Never Gonna Give! Never Gonna Give!”
5. With Bob, with car fire!
6. There was a wedding. I understand why professionals do such events. I don’t see myself doing one again, but you never know. It was entertaining once.
7. Mom and Faye on the back, both Eagle Fun Days Parade and Boise Bike Week.
8. Bob and Bryce on the back returning from the Kristin Armstrong parade. I also had a bike on the back for that event.
9. Doug and I had a couple outings, including with his wife along once. Good times. I mention this last because Doug took more video this year:

This year, Bob was the #1 rider, whereas Joe had that honor the prior two years before he lost 100 lbs (I’m not joking).

Lots of Rickshaw changes this year, including a great new canopy, rebuilt seat, added headbadge, a cycle computer and the “This Driver Shares the Road with Cyclists” bumper sticker. The 3 speed didn’t get dropped in, but maybe it’ll get added before next season. I bent the chainguard up in October, so hey, what better time to convert the front to a 3 (which would involve getting rid of the chainguard anyway)?

Outside of the canopy this year, the biggest change this year was that the Rickshaw Engine(tm) became for more capable. Indeed, my legs have very noticeably bulked up. The increased capabilities in distance and climbing allowed me to take journeys that wouldn’t have been possible in earlier years. I also logged far more miles… …almost certainly more this year than in the prior two years combined. The Odometer reads 130.92, which is most of the miles for the 2008 season. Other changes this year were the additions of this web site and also a Rickshaw Season YouTube channel.

For my passengers this year, thanks for coming along and I’ll likely see you in the 4th Annual Rickshaw Season. Many thanks to my wonderful wife Kelly for the work on the Canopy and help with the seat as well. The new canopy really makes the rig.

I was pleased to discover Boise Bike Week today:
http://www.boisebikeweek.org

There’s a schedule and of extra interest is Rickshawing the Pedal Power Parade. This an early season event being on Saturday, May 17. The route is cake though once you get to the start. All downhill through the north end to Julia Davis park.

This ride would be interesting for Rickshaw, but there’s a bench climb at the end and a jaunt out to the old penn. Oh well. Might have to take a bike instead.

I’ll also probably make the live music night via Rickshaw as well. Looks like fun.

Hello and welcome to the Rickshaw Season blog at RickshawSeason.com. I’m extra stoked about this year, the third season. For those of you unfamiliar with the Rickshaw itself, see the about page.

Here’s what’s in the works for the 2008 season:

• Rickshaw Engine upgrades: That’s right, I plan on seriously upping my condition for longer and more involved Rickshaw missions (aka rides). I was in my best shape in many years towards the end of last summer, all due to the Rickshaw lifestyle.
• More passengers: More passengers, more fun.
• More missions: More rides total.
• More miles: I plan on eclipsing 100 miles this season. There’ll be an odometer on the front wheel.
• More events: The Eagle days parade was great last year. This year the Rickshaw might even complete the Tour de Fat (mechanical/driver error in 2006) and a more ambitious event.
• Mechanical upgrades: A variety of fixes/upgrades to the ol’ piece of junk.
• Cosmetic upgrades: New canopy, and maybe more.

Am I going to pull off everything? Probably not, but with help from others (Kelly, Joe) and added determination I’ll get more done this year than the other two years combined. Thanks for tuning into RickshawSeason.com!

The 2007 Rickshaw Season was the best of the first two easily. More passengers. More miles. More fun.

The first mission was taking a (then) 300 lbs (+ I bet) Joe Lake from his place at State and Veterans to Hyde Park. That’s an uphill haul with over 700 lbs. rolling. Not an ideal first mission. Indeed, I stopped 2 or 3 times if I recall. But I made it. I was better the rest of the season.

The first event of the year (Eagle Fun Days parade) was nice. I got to haul some of my favorite people in the world (my Mom and my Son) and get some ride in too. Some friends were off to live in China for work and we had the Rickshaw out for their going away party, which was fun. I did not enter the Rickshaw into the Tour de Fat. Between route changes and learning how to ride the Rickshaw without breaking it, I could have finished the Tour de Fat 2007. But no, the Roadmaster Luxury Liner got the glory.

Doug rode on the back sometime mid-season, and took the only video we have from the season with his cell phone. Notice the old canopy is lame, and the old headlight on the handlebars is huge:

My season Rickshaw Engine highlight was late in the season. Passenger Brother Bob and I were headed downtown. There was a (big by car terms) split between a Miata and a herd of cars that had stacked at a stop light. I’m looking at this and thinking “I can shoot the gap no problem”. Keep in mind there’s an incline here too. Well, I dig in a bit too hard and actually have to slow down a bit on my approach. Even with that, I made the split (which in car terms was huge) very convincingly. This was the highlight of the season as far as Engine performance. I wouldn’t have pulled that off on day one, and certainly wouldn’t have tried.

(I’m backdating this entry, actual date is April 15, 2008)

The 2006 Rickshaw Season was the first. I started the year in poor shape, and as I’d mentioned many times “The way to get into Rickshaw shape is with a Rickshaw”. Evidently. The season was rough at the beginning, but sure enough, was more tolerable as it progressed.

The low point of the season was the Tour de Fat. Yes, the Tour de Fat was still enjoyable, but the Rickshaw, already damaged from hitting a speed bump in a parking lot too fast, hit a section of tree roots under the asphalt on the Greenbelt during the tour, vibrating the carriage to the rear right wheel, and ending that year’s ride very early.

All in all a great year. I got in way better shape, and had fun. The Rickshaw suffered some damage it wouldn’t receive the next year as I learned how to baby it. For example, don’t pedal on notably uneven surfaces because the frame lacks rigidity and you’ll bend on the front sprocket with the chain in the process.

(I’m backdating this entry, actual date is April 15, 2008)