Urbana, Ohio - Raft 2

It was a typical late spring day in Ohio—warm, overcast, with some showers—but I decided to head to the Mad River. The water level was up bit, making for a perfect run. I saw only one other guy, and he had just caught a trout, lifting it to show me. It was black-speckled on silver and absolutely beautiful. I watched him release it, and I would have done the same. Since my fishing gear wasn’t fully ready, I chose to just paddle the river for about seven miles. My only goal today was to move, get some exercise, and have fun. It turned out to be a great day.

The side view of the bike really shows how small it is, but it’s surprisingly capable. When using panniers on a short-wheelbase bike, you need to ensure there’s a way to avoid heel strike. The best solution is to move the panniers aft, though raising them can work too. Still, shifting them aft is the better option.

Because of the storms coming through, I chocked all the tires. With these Kansas chocks, the only way to move the plane is to lift it straight up. Chocks developed in Ohio, tested and verified in high Kansas winds.