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Customers & Friends : Some of our valued Customers and Friends at Ride South Bikes & Boats!

Customers & Friends

Some of our valued Customers and Friends at Ride South Bikes & Boats!

Updated: Nov 09, 2009 10:02am CST

Rides & Events : Some fun Rides & Events!

Rides & Events

Some fun Rides & Events!

Updated: Nov 12, 2009 2:42pm CST

Bob McGuire : I got skinner! (this is short story) Bob McGuire

Bob McGuire

I got skinner! (this is short story) Bob McGuire

Updated: Apr 02, 2009 10:16am CST

Ride South Movies : Birthday Challenge Ride November,1 2008 Longleaf Trace. Trail movies.

Ride South Movies

Birthday Challenge Ride November,1 2008 Longleaf Trace. Trail movies.

Updated: Feb 13, 2009 8:05pm CST

Linda Tankersley : Bought my Terra Trike at Ride South. Hadn't ridden since a kid. Was quickly riding 30 miles every other day and healed my ruptured lumbar disc and lowered cholesterol & blood pressure. Linda Tankersley

Linda Tankersley

Bought my Terra Trike at Ride South. Hadn't ridden since a kid. Was qu ...

Updated: Apr 02, 2009 10:20am CST

Doug Morgan : Although it's only been a year and 6 months since I first walked into RideSouth, I don't recall what life was like before I found myself addicted to recumbent speed! I've always been somewhat athletic, but I was always the slowest guy on the team. They said it had to do with "slow twitch" muscle fibers. Apparently, I was overly blessed with these slow twitch fibers, and shorted on the "fast twitch" ones. By chance, I found an activity that keeps me in great shape, and is a perfect match for all those slow moving muscle fibers. From the first Saturday I struggled to hang on to Jim on his bread ride, to my speedy finish on the MS 150, and the thousands of miles in between and since, Jim Snider and RideSouth were always with me at least in spirit, and in many cases, literally. Jim and Lane, you two are much more than bike shop owners. You offer encouragement and inspiration to myself and others, and I consider you very good friends. You can buy a bike from anyone, but what Jim and Lane offer isn't for sale, it' free, and it's from the heart. You can't go wrong with RideSouth! P.S.- Maybe one day I'll take a break from the bike long enough to try one of them fancy canoes!

Doug Morgan

Although it's only been a year and 6 months since I first walked into ...

Updated: Jan 30, 2009 11:11am CST

Johnny & Beth Rawls : How a Ride South bike purchase has helped to enhance our lives. By Johnny and Beth Rawls My wife Beth and I have been cyclist for quiet a while now. Beth has always been a natural at cycling. I have enjoyed cycling since I got my first Western Flyer tricycle at age four. We’ve had many cycling adventures together but over the past couple of years riding has became a bit of a challenge because of “getting older pains” and being more and more uncomfortable in certain areas that I won’t mention. We were determined not to give up cycling and decided to ride through the pain if you will. After getting more and more discouraged though and riding a lot less it started to look gloomy for us to continue. One day last summer while riding through our home town on our motorcycles we saw a lady on a recumbent bike riding along and looking as if she were enjoying her self very much. It hit me like a ton of bricks. Why haven’t I thought of that before? Where would I even find where they sell them? I looked on the internet to find a dealer and was surprised to learn that we have recumbent dealer very close by. After a short drive to Ride South just to look and get a feel on prices, I was greeted by our soon to be good friend Jim Snider. I told him what kind of cycling Beth and I do and the next thing I knew he had me riding around the shop area on a Tour Easy. After wobbling around for a little while I started to get the hang of it and knew this was it. The purchase was made and cycling once again became a great enjoyment. I wasn’t just more comfortable, I was totally comfortable. Mr. Jim told me that’s how it would be, I just didn’t realize how true that would be. After a few weeks riding along side me and seeing the difference the recumbent made, Beth made the switch from her road bike to a Rans Stratus. It’s hard to explain how happy we have been now that we can go out again on what we call afternoon and weekend adventures. Our kids are grown and gone and it’s just us. ( Sometimes they think we are not right but we assure them that we are doing our best to spend their inheritance) This is something we truly love doing together and it is so enjoyable for us now. We can’t imagine not having our recumbents, and wish we had discovered them years ago. Our Best Johnny and Beth Rawls

Johnny & Beth Rawls

How a Ride South bike purchase has helped to enhance our lives. By Joh ...

Updated: Apr 02, 2009 10:12am CST

Deepak & Jay Rao : It was a cool spring Sunday morning in early March 2004. I had some time to kill when my wife Maya had some things to do in the Reservoir area. I had a free hour and I remembered that my friend (Jim Lee) from work had mentioned about Jim Snider and his Ridesouth bike shop near the Spillway. So I called Jim and asked him if I could come over to the shop to check out bikes. Always enthusiastic and helpful, he showed me several recumbent bikes. Initially I was wondering if I could ever ride strange-looking bikes like these. After a couple of test rides I felt confident enough. Then the question was, would I ride one often enough to make a purchase worthwhile or would it sit in my home or garage gathering dust like several exercise machines of yore! Not being sure, I splurged on a starter recumbent. The following month I rode a 10 mile JMC ride in Flora, and felt quite pleased with myself. After some training rides, I actually rode the MS 150 that fall, without having to SAG!! I couldn't believe it. Our family also made several trips to the LongLeaf Trace. My son Jay (age 9 then)soon got his own kids road bike and we have been regularly doing the MS 150 and many other rides since then. Recently I got a lighter, faster RANS F5 and I love it. The attached pix show Jay & me in 2004 and then in 2008. He has grown since then. And I have lost a few pounds. I am thankful I visited Ridesouth that cool spring Sunday morning, because my life definitely has changed for the better because of it - I am much healthier. I am very grateful to Jim Snider and RideSouth for enabling this lifestyle change. Deepak Rao (& Jay Rao)

Deepak & Jay Rao

It was a cool spring Sunday morning in early March 2004. I had some ti ...

Updated: Jan 30, 2009 11:17am CST

Perry Launius : I walked into my doctor’s office November 13th 2007, with that morning’s cholesterol and blood pressure medicine barely subsiding the imminent heart attack or stroke that was sure to come in weeks, months or years. I stood on the scales and weighed in at a bloated 332. My face was round, if I looked down, my cheeks limited my vision. I sweat constantly regardless the temperature of the room I was in. My doctor had attempted many times to talk to me about my weight and this time, his words hit home. He said that I would have to take an additional blood pressure medicine because I had maxed out my current dosage. I took the new additional prescription and left knowing things were going to change. I started slowly with a change of diet and over the next months, managed to lose about 20 pounds. As Spring approached, thoughts of outdoor exercise came so I walked into a bike shop just down the road from my house, Ride South, and talked to a friendly and informative Jim. I was looking for a “standard” bike because that was all I knew but after listening to my needs, Jim aimed me to a recumbent. I wasn’t sure. I left and came back several times before buying a long wheel based recumbent. I loved it! The weight began dropping faster. Warm weather came and I upgraded to a Bachetta Corsa knowing that I would be committed to this new lifestyle. My newly acquired competitiveness occasionally had a bad effect landing me in the ER after a bad post ride bonking episode. Over time I learned how important proper nutrition and hydration are to cycling. My best rides are with the great group from Ride South who have taught me more than I’d ever learn on my own. There are no strangers among recumbent riders. If I see another recumbent rider or vice versa, an introduction or conversation is sure to follow. I’ve lost a hundred pounds and while I still have a few more pounds to loose, I have no doubt I’ll meet my goals this summer. I no longer take cholesterol or blood pressure medication and never filled that additional prescription the doctor gave me. Perry Launius

Perry Launius

I walked into my doctor’s office November 13th 2007, with that morni ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2009 11:09am CST

Cindy Alexander

Well, Jim, not sure where to submit the story, so I 'll tell it here. ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2009 8:43am CST

John Gibson : Recumbent Ramblings My journey into the world of recumbent cycles was just that, a journey. I was a wrestler in high school and college (heavyweight) and was always in terrific shape. I am between 6'4" and 6'5" (when I stand up straight) and wrestled at 248 lbs. I was young, lean, muscular, flexible, agile, and had stamina forever. Bob Seeger said it best in one of his songs..."like a rock". 
After I wrecked my knees wrestling in college and graduated to a desk job, I started gaining weight which aggravated the knees. I took up road racing in the mid-eighties, riding a ROSS Paragon and graduating to a Jim Redcay custom ROSS full-out racing bike. I loved the speed and the exercise without knee pain. I lived in Oklahoma City at the time and rode pacelines around Lake Draper. My weight dropped to below 230 and with that came the loss of knee pain. I began to run as well as bike and dropped to 207...very, very thin for me. I was riding three days per week averaging about 100 miles per week and was running 15 to 20 miles per week spread out over the other three days. I took Sundays off. I was in FANTASTIC shape. 
One day while riding around the lake on a rare leisurely solo ride, I met two young fellas coming the other way on bikes where their feet stuck way out front, and they were setting behind a big plastic bubble, and had LAWNCHAIRS for seats! "Must be engineering students" I thought, and since I'm an equally anal retentive engineer too, I stopped them to chat them up about their bikes. I found out that they were riding 'Easy Racer' bikes and that they were getting ready to ride cross country. I was intrigued at the time, but it was just too weird for me to digest all of the whys and wherefores of why anyone would want to ride one of those things, but it stuck in my mind. I never saw those 'bubble bike guys' ever again. As a matter of fact, I never saw another recumbent bike until two years ago. 
Fast forward 20 years and my weight had broken the 300 lb. mark by a significant margin, I was out of breath ALL of the time, my cholesterol was out of control, and by blood pressure was skyrocketing...and I deserved every miserable bit of it for not taking care of my only body. With the knees marginal at best, especially considering the weight gain and 20 extra years of normal wear and tear, I returned to cycling to regain my health. 
I started looking at all of the bike shops in the Jackson, MS metro area where I now live and it was pretty much carbon-fiber, ultra high-tech, indexed-everything in both the mountain bike and roadie world, and EVERYONE was way too serious about the cycling in my opinion. Remember, I hadn't been on a good bike in years, and when I quit cycling Shimano Bio-Pace rings were the new rage and indexed shifting was for weenies who didn't deserve to be on a 'real' race bike. In a mix of confusion and disgust, I bought a Huffy Hermosa, a cheap cantilever-framed beach cruiser with six speeds (yes, INDEXED shifting) and took it home to begin my quest for health. Even with the big comfy seat, I could only ride about six miles before the numbness set into my wrists and hands, my rear hurt too much to ride any further, and by back was KILLING me. Forget the dream of restoring and riding an Italian Torpado! 
I was just driving home one day and noticed a sign near the edge of the road about Ride South Bikes and Boats and noticed the shop setting back off of the road a bit. As I drove past, I noticed those funny 'bubble bikes' setting out front and immediately remembered my encounter with the two young men in Oklahoma. While I didn't remember much about the technical details of the 'bubble bikes' I DID remember those two youngsters blathering on and on about how COMFORATBLE they were. I turned my truck around and went back to the shop. 
I met Jim Snyder who was the owner (and now a friend), and he showed me some DF touring bikes that I asked about and then led me to the recumbents (sly dog!). He let me try out a few and I ended up purchasing a Sun EZ-SPORT primarily for the chromoly frame to support my weight. Jim spent considerable time helping me get the bike configured to my needs and likes with upgrades like stronger wheels, lower gearing, fenders, rear rack, and numerous other things. Two years later and I've 'about got it dialed in the way I want and am looking forward to my 'dream bent'. I've narrowed it down to three bikes, and Jim will help me each step of the way. 
I've ridden somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 miles over the last two years and the weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure were lower for a while, but crept back up when an all too busy work schedule kept me from riding. I'm now back on the bike and all are beginning to come down again. I've still got a way to go and I know I'll get there, but I believe that without Jim's help and my recumbent bike, the path I would have continued on would have been to an much-too-early and not-too-distant grave. 
While the health benefits are great, the best thing about riding my 'bent is the camaraderie and friendship with others I've gained along the way. I found out that there were 2 or 3 other folks who rode recumbents in my own neighborhood! I had never seen them out! Now I've got riding partners and my two sons ride with me when my oldest is home from grad school. They're both young, lean, muscular, flexible, agile, and have stamina forever, you know..."like a rock". Jake used to ride my old beach cruiser and delighted in blowing past the old man on his "lawnchair bike", but now rides a converted mountain bike with HP road tires. My oldest son, John, bought a new Fuji race bike from Jim. We used to ride 10 to 15 miles every day after work and school and what a fulfilling way is was to spend time with my sons, rolling through the countryside basking in God's nature and enjoying each others company. The time spent with them has been one of the best things in my life. 
I do remember my younger days when I could still ride those racing bikes and the thrill and satisfaction I got from it, but I'm different now. I often remember a line from The Desiderata, "Take kindly the counsel of thine years, gracefully surrendering those things of thy youth". I knew when Jim let me ride that first recumbent that my youthful dream of returning to DF racing bikes was over for good, that I'd never go back, and I was thankful for it. Even more so, now. Thanks for letting me share my experience. I can hardly wait for the next ride with my sons, greedy for their company as they will be gone to live their own lives in a few years. I am now building the memories that will sustain me for the rest of my life. 
My wife has now expressed an interest in riding with me and the boys. I think I'll let her try out the 'normal' bikes she says she wants. Then I'll take her by Jim' place. I think I know how things will turn out. Sly Dog!

John Gibson

Recumbent Ramblings My journey into the world of recumbent cycles was ...

Updated: Feb 13, 2009 11:03am CST

Blake, Nick and Ann Wilson : Buying a bike is easy. You can go online. You can go across town. Or you can go out of state. In the end…all you will have is a painted steel frame with wheels and a seat. The wheels will roll…but the experience will not turn into a wonderful relationship like we have enjoyed with Jim and Lane at RideSouth. Jim is a motivator, a counselor and a friend…and Lane is a consummate cheerleader. Ann and I value our relationship with the Sniders and RideSouth. When we need advice on how to ride…where to ride…or what to ride, we know that the best counsel will come from Jim, without even the slightest hustle to buy. For me, the proof of what I gained by riding a recumbent is in the results: Weight loss exceeding 170 pounds in just a year – and a fitter, brighter and more exciting outlook on life that comes with the joy of riding a recumbent from RideSouth – and new-found experiences on the Natchez and Long Leaf Traces with my bride of 33 years and the prospect of some great cycling vacations ahead. There are two good reasons why RideSouth remains a 12 year institution in Flowood. Jim and Lane Snider: people who put friendships first. Blake Wilson Brandon, MS

Blake, Nick and Ann Wilson

Buying a bike is easy. You can go online. You can go across town. ...

Updated: Feb 17, 2009 3:55pm CST

Keith May : All of us share in some measure, enjoyment, health and competitive benefits from riding our recumbent bikes and it was Ride South that has and continues to make my recumbent story possible. Thanks to ten great years and we look forward to many more. Keith May

Keith May

All of us share in some measure, enjoyment, health and competitive ben ...

Updated: Mar 04, 2009 11:21am CST