I finally retrieved my Redline 600a from my parent’s rafters. they have probably moved 3 times since I was 14, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn they hadn’t thrown it out.

She needs dusting and she’s caked with grime. One day my son will ride her. Check out these features.

• 3 piece aluminum cranks
• Pro Neck II
• Shimano Beartraps
• Dirt Skirt
• A’ME Grips

This bike has ramp tires on it that I put on when I stopped BMXing, and it just became my street bike. Anyhow, I pumped them up last night and this evening they still have air. I took a short ride and I was a kid again.

As you may know, a Prius is a hybrid car. This means that instead of one big engine, it has two small engines—one gas, one electric—that are connected to the drive train by a fancy computer-controlled clutchy thing. (Very technical, I know.) When you are scooting around town in mall parking lots, you mainly use the electric motor, and when you need more umph to get on the freeway, the gas motor kicks in and helps. And when you stop, both motors turn off. There’s even a little display that shows you what’s going on under the hood. The battery stays charged through a combination of coasting/braking and the gas motor, so there is no plugging in. Neat, huh?

I’ve often wondered what would happen if it ran out of gas, and I found out yesterday. I was cruising down 210 in the carpool lane with the wife and kid on our way back from Glendale. I had noticed we were low on gas when we set off toward Glendale, but the Prius is deceptively fuel-efficient and the blinking “add fuel” light tends to cause little alarm. I was blissfully ignorant.

So here’s what happened. Suddenly, the car made a loud beep, and no less than 4 red lights came on. None, of these lights, btw, indicate you are out of fuel. It just looks as if something has gone horribly wrong with the engine. At this same time it felt as though the car had lost all power, but I was still coasting along pretty good. I quickly made my way over to the right lane, but there was a fairly steep grade looming before the exit ramp. I was afraid I would soon be pushing this car. So I hit the button on the steering wheel that shows the fancy motor display, and just as you might expect hope, the electric motor was still operating and I made it off the freeway and to a gas station with very little trouble at all. In fact coasting/braking was still charging the battery.

After I had some fuel in the car, I powered it up. The red lights went away, and it was brand new again. Man, what an awesome little car! I admit, I had my doubts when we bought it, but every time I drive it, I love it a bit more.

“While the “proper” way to pronounce some German terms in English may be debatable, this isn’t one of them. Porsche is a family name, and the family members pronounce their surname PORSH-uh, not PORSH! Same for the car. You don’t say NYKE for Nike, so don’t be lazy and leave off the e in Porsche!”