I was out riding yesterday on an old country road. To my left were lush green fields filled with young corn. To my right were fields of overgrown hay, set to replenish the soil for next year's crop.

It's FLAT here in the Black Warrior River's flood plain. I'm not much for hills!

Up ahead I saw the an old plantation. With tall white pillars and black window shutters, this place stands as one of the last symbols of the “Old South.” I thought, “If these fields could talk, I wonder what stories they would tell"? When riding through places like this I wonder, "How many slaves were beaten, castrated, raped, or killed in these fields”?

I rode a little further and noticed a man on a tractor cutting grass. His little son sat on his lap while they both went cutting and bouncing along. That kid was happy and all was good with the world.

Just then, I saw fellow cyclist riding toward me. He had some kind of mountain bike, a white helmet, and rode at a slow and easy pace.

“Good morning,” he said.
“Hey, hi ya doing?”
“Well, just fine.”

That's what I love about touring: you can SEE America.

I don't know about you, but wouldn't you want to experience adventures like these with as much comfort as possible? Traditional, diamond frame bicycles cause a lot of pain for me. Crotch corrosion, spaghetti shoulders, and wrist wring out take ALL the fun out of touring.

But there is a solution: recumbent touring bicycles. Recumbents were built for two reasons: speed and comfort. For us tourists, COMFORT is more important.

As a musician I understand the need for ergonomics. Riding a traditional diamond frame bicycle just doesn't cut it for long, cross country tours. With the right recumbent touring bicycle all these PAINS and DISCOMFORTS are NO MORE.

Bents ain't cheap. So, I've included several sections for building your own machine to help lower cost. Take a look around, and have fun.