I am unhappy at the need to write this page. I was so, so in love with this bike and especially what a great climbing machine it is. Unfortunately, about every 1,000 miles I would have a shimmy issue. Those have been documented more thoroughly in my actual journal pages. I've linked a photo below to a game changing at speed shimmy.

Tim from Lightning has taken many phone calls and emails from me on my issues. I've had the bike back in the shop after each big occurrence, trying to find a cause. This particular shimmy might have been caused by not reseating the front wheel properly after having a flat tire. The at speed incident scared me enough that we aborted the tour and went home. My plan was to dust off my trusty Stratus and finish the tour with that bike. But, no. I was too stubborn and in love with the ROX. I rode it around home without incident and had the brakes upgraded to hydraulic discs. We headed back out on tour. I had more issues (documented on those journal pages). It did not turn out to be the summer we had planned.

I had one more high speed shimmy at home recently on a hill I've ridden hundreds of times, dozens of times on the ROX. That was enough, even as infatuated as I am with this bike, I don't need to be severely wounded or killed while riding it. My thoughts kept going back to dear friend Spoon who broke his leg in three places crashing on the same day I had my Cuchara Pass incident. Nope. I don't need that to be me. I will ride the staid Stratus instead.

Tim's final opinion on the matter is that I have PIO (Pilot Induced Oscillation). Charles Coyne (Tandem and Recumbent Magazine) coined the term. A google search was not able to come up with more details.

I just heaved a heavy sigh while writing this last sentence. The end.

The end of me riding this bike, but not the end of touring. We have several tours on the slate - I will be riding the tried and true Stratus. I hope to see you on the road.