Today I took a ride south through Rancho San Antonio county park. (Woo-hoo, two rides in two days!) It's a familiar 20-mile route without any serious hills (although my altimeter did show more than 350 feet higher at the turnaround than at home). It takes me past a place where model airplane enthusiasts are usually to be found flying their creations.
Sometime in the past five years at most, I think only a couple of years, the wasp-like snarl of the model airplane motor has completely disappeared. All flying models are now electric, powered by batteries. Which makes the hobby much more ear-friendly. But it's fascinatin' how quickly the new tech swept out the old.
Anyway, coming home, waiting for the light at Foothill Expressway and Magdelana/Springer, I saw another Easy Racers recumbent crossing in front of me. I wish I'd had the camera ready because it was a sight, with full body stocking in red and bright yellow. I could see below the fairing, the mechanism of what I think was the Ecospeed mid-drive electric motor. The batteries were in little pannier cases mounted under the seat.
Less than a mile later I found myself slowly overtaking yet another long-wheelbase recumbent. From the back it looked like another Easy Racer. From the back is all I saw because when the rider became aware of me growing in his mirror, he applied a little more steam and kept the distance between us open. However, when I turned off at Arastradero road, I got an angle from which I could see the frame: not an Easy Racers model but a Rans Stratus.
Anyway, three LWB recumbents, two with electric drive, in a mile radius of Los Altos. Who'd'a thunk it?
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