The sun sport recumbent that I have will have all its components replaced after this. Nest is the forks I imagine

Another Seat from Sun bits the dust. The wide seat has a weak spot right at the weld on the back mount. We already had the Tandem seat crack wide open and break off in the same area.

I have been commuting everyday now and just put on my studded tires. Now it looks like the seat goes back to K&G and they will have to send it back to the manufacture. I know that the cold is a factor but I paid lots of money so Sun should replace it for free.

Duuude!..  You broke another seat?

Too many C&D trips for you! 

I’ll drink to that!

Today would have been a nice test for the studded tires on my commute or I could have done some real damage to my bike or myself. County Line and Stroop were real bad at around 5 PM. I hope that all of you made it home okay Tuesday.

Now sounds like it time for a good hot cup of my special blind of lemon aid.

The replacement seat is ready to put on the bike for a Friday commute. I wish that we have more snow to workout with my studded tires.
This recumbent only has a few more original components then I can say I purchased 2-bikes for 1

Let us know how the ride went with the new seat.

Looks like you’ll get some snow and freezing rain, tonight, to
ride in on Saturday.  Last I heard sleet/freezing rain tomorrow
morning, changing to snow 1-3’‘. Let us know how you ride goes.
I’m still debating on the studded tires for winter, been able to get
around with reg. mountain bike knobby’s or thin 700x25.
Have a safe ride, and drink some warm tea. after.

The seat works great and it is a brand new one for free. The team at K&G Kettering made it happen and the snow tires work really well, BUT, would do they work better than simple knobbies or not? Until now, I always used my narrow thin tires for various reason. Thin tires cut through the snow and is push away making the all weather tire composite work the way the tire was designed. On of our fellow blogger and fellow cyclist uses a ten speed with 700 narrow slicks. Ice is another thing. I tried a back tire with knobby but my tube was not the right size and my back tire would not seat right to the rim. I commuted in snow with it but I was districted by finding the tire being off center to rim. I put the slicks on and road without falling but had to go streets most of the way. That is where my studded tires come in to play. Of course ruts are still a problem in the snow with my recumbent but as long as I stay out of them I’m okay. The Studded tires bite a path through the ice and snow using very little of tire composite and using more tread pattern for efficiency. just enough steel is hitting the hard surface, Keep in mind that my center of gravity is fixed and lower, where the uprights have the center of gravity that is a tad higher but you can pivot in any direction in a moments notice. Mondays ride should be fun if not challenging. The snow outside is accumulating and should not be a problem for I have mostly street on my route.

Interesting stuff.  I was wondering how much the studs reduced your grip on dry pavement.

Awanabug, I was wondering that, also. I have read and heard storys
are them(studs) sliding on the payment, when people had to do a quick
stop,and the bike going down. I have also heard that the studs, pull out
of the tires, and have to be replaced. And that they are noisy on dry
payment. Quess the answere, some people use, is to have two sets of
rims, one with the studs,and one with tires, for dry payment.
Oldslacker, can give us the stright, talk on studs, and than, maybe we can
decide reather to use them or not.
If I move to Michigan, next year, I know I will have to get some studs,it
snow just about every day up there.
Well time to go out and ride, everyone have a great day.

Interesting stuff.  Maybe we should post it in another topic?

Today was a great day to ride. Fresh snow and ice in the morning makes for a great test to check my limits with the studded tires.
1. The tires do make a lot of noise. A lot more on my bike because of the fairing witch is an amplifier. I mean load.
2. With the studded tires that I have the outstanding traction on and off the ice. When I put them on about a month ago at the sign of the first snow, I had a good morning for a short test and by the time I headed home the pavement was dry. The tires tires have out standing stopping power, however, I did not need to slam on the brakes for that my cause damage or pull some of the small wire studs out. So far I have all my little guys, but fear that I should get some replacement studs just in case. The placement of the studs in the front 20 inch tire are off to the side of the center tread-line and make for sure cornering. As for the back tire, the studs are more center for better forward traction and takes my weight without any shifting or sliding. Dry pavement only wear-out the studs I think.
The trick is to get tubes that fit the tire correctly and in my case keep each tire fully inflated because of my weight.
I did ride at my normal speed and made all my turns smoothly but about what I normally do, so turning with the studs on about an inch of snow is no problem for my bike. I did notice the ruts cause a sudden movement that could cause the bike to go down if the rut is deep enough. Other than that I feel very confident and wish I purchased studs when I got here in Ohio 17 years ago.
It looks like more snow for Tuesday’s commute.

Thanks for the great report!

The morning commute was slushy the say the least. Not one indication of sliding. When I parked the bike I had icicles all along the bottom of my recumbent. Then when it was time to head home tonight, I found that both my brakes are locked open and ice under my fenders causing a loud scrapping noise that cleared after a few rotations of the front tire. I was able to work the brakes by playing with the pad mounts and working the levers with an in and out motion. This mornings rain got in some of the cable. 
The tomenator had no problem on his commute this morning comming and going. However, he has to stay on the streets on the most part since he is on his reliable upright stead with them skinny slick tires.
Iron Horse path by State Farm park had a few stretches of ice to play with. I hit every one of them looking for any kind of slippage. No slip what so ever. Now I am not saying that the studs are for everyone but, and I might be over confident now, but I really enjoy the commute in the cold icy stuff and hope for more of it this week.

The snow at 5:00 was covering the paths and streets and making for another fun commute home. The best was No Slipping, only my tracks on the Iron Horse bike path between Galewood and County Line. The bike path in front of the armory was iced over last night and this morning. I put some speed (22 mph) on it and put the breaks on for the light and found that the bike acted as if it was on a cleared clean path. I am really impressed. Tom reminds me of my surfing days. Today, I get an email crying out for a lunch ride at 12:00 noon. The roads and paths were alreay covered and the snow was calling our names. But I already made lunch plans so it looks like either Thursday or Friday we will head out at noon and ride for the boarder if you know what I mean. Again Tom uses an upright 10-speed with thin slicks and no bar tape on his bike. He is the most skilled rider I know of. A true commuter.