Jack's Electric Bicycle

See my other blog

2006-11-10T18:24:00.000-08:00

I'm now posting at my other blog. See bike stuff there.

Weekly Wrap 11.3.06

2006-11-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hammond.11.3.06
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

Weekly wrap 11.3.06

This week’s total mileage: 67 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 11

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 56

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 772

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 507.5

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 264.5

Gas savings this week: 4 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 38.2

Price of gas today: $2.57

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $142.80

Flat tires since July 10, 2006: 3

RAIN RIDING

When I woke up this morning the rain was pouring down. The electronic rain gauge measured about an inch since midnight and the forecast called for more of the same.

I briefly considered using the automobile, but I didn’t want to be a pussy just because of a little rain. So I put on the appropriate cycling attire – rain pants, light-weight rain jacket and my LL Bean StormChaser shoes.

Being that the road bike doesn’t have fenders, I used the red 10-speed Peugoet. It’s a smooth ride.

So it’s pouring down rain and I’m out riding my bike on the streets of McKinleyvile like a silly fool and guess what? It didn’t really matter. I was plenty dry – at least on the outside.

It turns out that the real moisture menace is not from the rain, but from the sweat that comes from being wrapped in clothing that doesn’t breath. When I’m wearing regular cotton clothing the sweat evaporates before I even notice I’m sweating. But with my rain gear it’s like I’m covered in Saran Wrap. There’s moisture buildup.

The solution, from what I can tell, is to make sure I only wear the rain jacket when it’s actually raining. And when it’s raining and I’m wearing the jacket, I need to simply slow down my pedaling cadence.

Or maybe Santa Claus will bring me some rain gear with lots of flaps and vents.

Either way, it’s not a big deal. I traveled 11.5 miles today, visited some folks, conducted business, took photos and did so in the rain.

HAMMOND BRIDGE

I was crossing the Hammond Trail Bridge today and smelled paint. Time to investigate the graffiti art underneath.

The “mural,” shown in a previous post, was recently re-painted. At the top of this post is a photo (with my bike, of course) of the new mural.

They put a lot of time and effort into it. I suspect they also spent a lot on paint.

I give the new mural two thumbs up. Nice job.

That said, I would like to give them a bit of free advice: Although the urban graffiti style art is interesting and colorful, why not break out of the genre and paint something revolutionary and different? There’s a certain lock-step conformity to this graffiti style. Break the rules.

Better yet, they should paint a mural of my bike!

Luffenholtz ride Part III

2006-11-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

Little River
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

Because my ride was cut short, I decided to explore a different part of McKinleyville on the way home. I took Little River Drive to Dow's Prairie Road. In the distance beyond the trees is Crannel. Then it was back down to Clam Beach via Clam Beach Road. The route home was mostly the Hammond Trail.

Luffenholtz ride Part II

2006-11-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

Camel Rock
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

Surprise, surprise. Another photo of the bike. That's Camel Rock in the background. I made it as far as Luffenholtz Creek and had to turn back due to road construction. On the way back, it started to sprinkle.

Luffenholtz ride, Part I

2006-11-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

Destination
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

I set aside a couple hours this afternoon to ride the road bike. My destination was going to be Trinidad. I took this photo at the McKinleyville Vista Point. The arrow points to the City of Trinidad.

Weekly wrap 10.27.06

2006-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 65.5 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 12

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 53.5

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 705

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 496.5

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 208.5

Gas savings this week: 3.5 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 34.2

Price of gas today: $2.66

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $132.52

Flat tires since July 10, 2006: 3

Mustache handlebars

2006-10-25T17:57:00.000-07:00

handlebars
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

I don't like handlebar mustaches, but I like mustache handlebars. They're very comfortable and I like the classic look.

Moonstone Beach

2006-10-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

Moonstone Beach
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

I stopped at Moonstone Beach. Gee whiz, there seems to be a theme to these photos! The hill from Moonstone Beach to U.S. Highway 101 is a real bitch. Even with my lowest granny gear I was in agony.

Walk your bike downhill?

2006-10-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

walk your bike
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

Here's a sign that everyone ignores. But I did take it slow. The tires on the road bike are skinny. At the bottom of the hill pavement returns.

Detour

2006-10-25T17:44:00.000-07:00

Vista Point
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

After my second trip to the office today, I decided to take a short detour on the way home. I pedalled north on the Hammond Trail. At some point I unplugged my brain. Next thing I knew, I was at the McKinleyville Vista Point. That's Clam Beach. The land mass in the distance is Trinidad/Westhaven.

Pump it up

2006-10-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Ever since getting a flat tire a few weeks ago on Murray Road I’ve been concerned about the inadequacy of my mini bike pump. It just doesn’t put enough pressure in a tire.

If I got a flat in town, I might be able to pump the tire up just enough to ride to a gas station – maybe. If the flat occurred in the Arcata Bottoms or Scenic Drive near Trinidad, I would be royally screwed.

So on Monday, after dropping newspapers at the Arcata Post Office, I stopped by two bike shops in search of a solution. (I have to shop in Arcata because my town – McKinleyville – doesn’t have a bike store.)

The first stop was Adventure’s Edge. It’s a really nice store. On one side they stock all sorts of cool camping gear, kayaks and paddle accessories. (This is where I bought my kayak. You can visit my other blog and check out the archives to learn about crabbing on a kayak.) On the other side of Adventure’s Edge are bikes and related doo-dads.

The staff was extremely helpful, but most of their pumps were out of stock. I drove past Revolution Bicycles. It’s a nice store, but I made my last purchase there and felt that I owed the staff up the street at Life Cycle some money after asking a lot of stupid questions a month ago without making a purchase.

I perused the selection of bicycle pumps and found one that would probably do the job. It was bigger than my pump and had a flexible “hose” that could be pulled out and connected to the tire valve. It also featured a metal piece that could be folded down to make it a mini floor pump. It was pretty fancy, but I didn’t like the price – $39.

I then picked up a little valve/CO2 cartridge package that allows you to automatically fill your tire without a pump. I had seen these before and always felt a visceral reaction against them, as if there is something inherently wrong with using a pre-filled metal cartridge of air to pump up a tire.

But that’s a really stupid way to think, so I decided to pepper the clerk with questions. He was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and darn-right enthusiastic about the topic.

He whole heartedly recommended the product. That’s what he uses and it works great, he basically said. He told me how to use it, explained the pros and cons and sold me on the whole idea. I paid about $12 for the contraption and had them toss in an extra CO2 cartridge. The owner also gave me a smaller cartridge that I could use for “practice.”

The device is light weight and tiny. Now I’ll carry a mini bike pump, CO2 cartridge doo-dad, extra cartridge, extra tube, patch kit and assorted tools. I just hope I don’t need to test them out anytime soon.

While at the shop, I also purchased new handlebar tape for the road bike. This evening I wrapped the handlebars with an old bicycle tube for cushion and then applied the new tape. Looks nice.

Under Hammond Bridge

2006-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

UnderBridge
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

Mad River Bluffs 10.21.06

2006-10-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

MadRiverBluffs
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

A quick stop at Mad River Bluffs on the way to the office. Note to self: purchase new handlebar tape.

Weekly wrap 10.20.06

2006-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 60 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 15.5

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 44.5

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 639.5

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 484.5

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 155

Gas savings this week: 4 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 30.7

Price of gas today: $2.69

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $123.21

Flat tires since July 10, 2006: 3

On The Bus

2006-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Last week while my car was in the shop getting a new Johnson rod, I thought a lot about how we could survive with a single car.

Say, for example, one of our two vehicles completely died. Would I plunk down another $10,000 to replace it? Or would I save $10,000, use a bike and just share a single car? Part of the allure of this idea is that I’d save from $3,000 to $4,000 a year when you calculate car payments, insurance, oil changes, repairs, etc. That’s a lot of clams.

The obvious downside would occur when I need to use a car and CP needs to use a car at the same time. But how often would this happen? It wouldn’t be an issue for trips in McKinleyville, where you can use a bike or electric bike. But what about Eureka?

This got me thinking, which usually leads to trouble. I had to visit Eureka today to pick something up, so I decided to get there without a car.

I visited the Redwood Transit System website and found out that a southbound bus would arrive a few feet away from my office at 2:10 p.m. Each bus is equipped with a nifty bicycle rack on the front, so I could pedal from my house to the bus stop, take the bus to Eureka, pedal to my destination, and then reverse the process to get home.

I arrived at 2:05 p.m. About a half dozen people were waiting for the bus. Most of them were mentally or physically handicapped. This reminded me of how incredibly important it is to have public transportation. If it wasn’t for the bus, how would these people travel?

At exactly 2:10 p.m. the bus arrived. It was on time. I attached my bike to the rack and climbed aboard. I paid $4 for a day pass which would allow me to ride all day long between Trinidad to Scotia if I wished.

I grabbed a seat and it wasn’t long before I realized why I don’t use public transportation. We made stop after stop after stop. I looked at my watch and looked at the bus schedule. I did the math. A trip that would take no more than 45 minutes in my car was going to take at least 2 1/2 hours.

The entire afternoon was shot. I should have thought about this before committing myself, but it was too late.

The bus picked up some questionable characters along the way. One guy looked like a serial killer. Another fellow emitting a foul odor sat in front of me. Fortunately, once the bus got rolling, the air flow solved the problem.

When we reached Humboldt State, several lovely college girls climbed aboard. Riding the bus no longer seemed like a bad idea. The college kids talked about fluoride in Arcata’s drinking water.

By 3:08 p.m., I reached my destination – the Bayshore Mall. We were right on time, but it took nearly an hour. I could have driven to Eureka, conducted my business, came home and made a sandwich within this period of time. Instead, I was less than half done with the journey.

From the Bayshore Mall I got on my bike and pedalled about a mile up West Harris Street, visited a business and pedalled back to the Bayshore Mall.

Once again, I arrived exactly 5 minutes before the bus I wanted was about to leave. It arrived on time and I started my journey back to McKinleyville.

Most of the people on board seemed to be working folks on their way home. There were about 30 people on the bus. One guy climbed aboard and looked a little out of it. He started shaking and looked like he might vomit. I think he needed a fix.

But, in fairness, I’m just pointing out some of the characters that stood out in my mind. Most of the people on the bus seemed like normal working folk, students or the disabled.

Just as advertised, I arrived in McKinleyville at 4:30 p.m. I biked home and my mission was accomplished.

The lesson is that you don’t need a car to get to Eureka. For a minimal fee, the Redwood Transit System will drive you there. You can get all over Humboldt County without a car.

The downside is the time differential. If you take the bus, plan on spending at least twice as much time travelling than you would in a car.

If I had to do it over again, I would have used the car. But it’s nice to know there’s a workable alternative.

Old timer

2006-10-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

tree
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

Hammond Trail

2006-10-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

hammond
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

I'm fortunate to live a short distance from the Hammond Trail. This is a photo of the Hammond Trail that's been tweaked using the "watercolor" filter in Photoshop.

Wednesday's Commute

2006-10-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

widowwhite
Originally uploaded by jackselectricbike.

After doing my best Willy Loman impersonation Wednesday, I took the scenic route home and snapped a few photos. This is the Panasonic road bike near the Widow White Creek Estuary. In the distance is the Pacific Ocean.

Kmart, Maj. Gray chutney and the new Schwinn Suburban Commando Assault Bicycle

2006-10-17T21:07:00.000-07:00

I wouldn’t dare leave the e-bike outside at our local Kmart. The local criminals would probably strip it bare in 30 seconds, even if it was locked up.

But today I came up with what I thought was a clever idea – I would just roll the bike right inside the store and politely ask the clerk if I could lock it up outside in the fenced garden department. The bike would be out of everyone’s way in a secure area, allowing me to spend a little cash. It’s what they call a win-win situation. What could go wrong?

When I walked through the door with my e-bike, the clerk looked at me like I had just dumped a bucket of rotten fishheads and dog shit on the floor.

I smiled and explained that I just needed to lock it up in the garden area so I could do some shopping. My request seemed so reasonable that I was confident he would wave me through.

No! No! No! Bikes are not allowed in the store! He was apologetic, but almost frantic. Apparently I had violated some sacred Kmart policy. The clerk looked a little scared, like the mere fact that I was already in the store with my bike could get him fired.

I didn’t want to make a scene, so I said “no problem” and quickly exited. I figure working as a clerk at Kmart sucks enough as it is without some nerd on a bike giving you lip.

Still, I was pretty pissed off about it. My request seemed reasonable and there was no reason to deny it.

Maybe I was a little sensitive, because this insult came after a visit to Safeway in search of some Major Gray chutney, which I thought would spice up the “almond crusted turkey patties” I made the night before. I looked and looked, but I couldn’t find a bicycle rack or even post that I could get my U-lock around.

One of the town’s major grocery stores doesn’t have a bicycle rack? No surprise. Most places don’t. You’re not supposed to going shopping on a bicycle. Bicycles are exercise machines. You’re supposed to be “normal” and use a car.

So I ended up locking the wheel to the frame near a box pumpkins. That probably wasn’t a good idea, but I really wanted some chutney. Alas, Safeway didn’t have any.

When I got home, I decided it was time to finish a project I started about a month ago – fixing up a Schwinn Suburban that I will keep at my downtown office and use a “beater bike” for visiting shitholes like Kmart. (Note: I wrote about this before on this blog, but I had technical problems and deleted the post after a couple days.)

(Here's a 1973 Suburban. Check out that dude's riding outfit on the right! Nice belt.)

I bought the Suburban at a thrift store for $11. It’s a very sensible men’s 5-speed bike with fenders, a big seat with springs and old-fashion handlebars. It’s a little rusty, but it came with new tires. Actually, I bet they’re old tires that were simply never ridden on.

Originally I planned to take it apart and fully refurbish it with fresh paint and new brake cables. But after today’s Kmart experience, I had a change of plans.

I dismantled the hubs and greased the bearings. I cleaned the chain, oiled everything and pumped up the tires. The front wheel has a “flat spot” which causes the tire to bulge out when inflated. So, temporarily, I placed front wheel from another bike on the Suburban.

Tonight I took it for a short spin. It works fine, but needs some brake adjustments. Also, I need to locate a used 27 inch front wheel – either super cheap or free.

The rust will remain. Consider it theft deterrent.

On a side note, I like the name “Schwinn Suburban.” It sounds manly. I think I’ll call it the “Suburban” for short, or the “Schwinn Suburban Commando Assault Bicycle.”

Weekly wrap 10.13.06

2006-10-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 39.5 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 8

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 31.5

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 579.5

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 469

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 110.5

Gas savings this week: 3 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 36.7

Price of gas today: $2.72 (estimate)

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $112.45

Flat tires since July 10, 2006: 3

Notes:

On Tuesday I “cheated” and used the car to do my route. This was due to a combination of the Columbus Day holiday, which meant the post office was closed and I was unable to go to Arcata Monday, and the fact that I had three inserts to put in the paper. Inserts are labor intensive and really slow things down. So my total mileage for the week was automatically reduced by 11.

Over the weekend, the Corolla’s engine light came on. So it went to the shop for service. They replaced a Johnson rod or some sort of valve in the emission’s system and charged me $438.

It’s times like this that I really hate owning a car. Unlike a bike, I’m unable to make the repairs myself.

Because the Corolla was in the shop, I used CP’s Prizm. That screwed up my weekly gas savings measurement, so the number listed this week is a really conservative estimate.

I was busy this week and didn’t have time to fix the flat tire on the e-bike until today. That meant that most of the miles I logged were on the regular bike.

Friday is the start of my long weekend of work, so I usually get my weekly “to go” order from the brewery for dinner. I usually use my car for this trip because it seems impractical to haul two meals on a bike. By the time they separate all the dishes (salad, vegetable side, cake, etc.) into separate cardboard containers, there are two plastic grocery bags filled to the brim.

Tonight I decided to attempt this trip on the bike for better or worse. I squeezed all the boxes into the panniers. It was a tight fit. Some of the juice from a tri-tip dripped into the box containing a chicken Parmesan sandwich, but other than that the trip went fine.

'That's cheating!'

2006-10-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

When you show someone an electric bike, there’s a good chance you’ll hear the phrase “That’s cheating!”

I’ve heard this at least a dozen times since I got my e-bike. The comment is always made in a good-natured manner, so there’s never a need to argue about it. Besides, in some ways it’s a compliment – an acknowledgement that the motor is advantageous.

Still, I find the comment curious. How is it cheating?

If I were to enter the e-bike into a short bicycle race and I was the only one with a motor, then that would be cheating. It would be similar to entering a canoe into paddling contest in which you’re the only one with an outboard motor.

In both these scenarios, you would have a distinct advantage over the competition which wouldn’t be fair. You would likely be breaking the rules, which constitutes cheating.

But when I use my e-bike, I’m not competing. I’m just traveling – trying to get from Point A to Point B. I just want to do so in the most sensible and efficient manner possible.

I can walk, ride a regular bike, ride the e-bike or use my automobile. I've even been known to fly, although I usually need to assistance of an aircraft.

Perhaps the notion that using an e-bike is cheating comes from the view that a bicycle is an exercise machine. If it were simply an exercise machine, then the cheating allegation would have some truth to it. It would be like bench pressing weights with the help of a fork lift.

But the e-bike isn’t an exercise machine. It’s a mode of transportation.

As a bonus, it’s a mode of transportation that provides me with some exercise – perhaps 30 percent less exercise than I would get on a regular bike. But when I use a regular bike, I don’t get as much exercise as I would if I walked. And when I’m walking, I don’t get as much exercise as I would if I jogged.

So does that make walking a form of cheating, or bicycling a form of cheating compared to walking?

Of course not.

Using an e-bike is no more cheating than it is for a chef to use a food processor to chop onions. (Some might consider that cheating. Heck, I read about a school of photography in which you’re only allowed to shoot using natural light. No flashes or special lighting allowed. I also read about a guy who jogs backwards. For him, running forward might be considered cheating.)

Personally, I’ve begun to view “cheating” as using my automobile for trips that could reasonably be completed on one of my bicycles (regular or electric.)

For example, today I could have been accused cheating. Due to the Columbus Day holiday and a variety of other circumstances, I was unable on Monday to do my business-related chores in Arcata, which is far enough away that I use my automobile. So this morning I loaded up the car and drove to Arcata.

Then I came back to McKinleyville and used the vehicle for a route usually reserved for my e-bike.

I used a 2,500-pound, fossil fuel-burning hunk of metal to conduct business I could have completed on a non-polluting bicycle.

Now that’s cheating!

Weekly wrap 10.6.06

2006-10-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 48 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 17.5

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 30.5

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 540

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 461

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 79

Gas savings this week: 0 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 33.7

Price of gas today: $2.72

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $104.29

Flat tires since July 10, 2006: 3

Notes: Seems like I spent all week driving my car. I went to Eureka three times. Ugh.

I consumed slightly more than 10 gallons of gas – the average weekly gas consumption prior to July 10, 2006, when this little experiment began. Because of this, my gas savings calculation this week comes to zero based on my flawed methodology (see previous posts).

FLAT TIRE

Today I was riding the e-bike on Murray Road when I heard a loud clicking sound coming from the rear wheel. I stopped to inspect the problem and assumed I’d find a broken spoke.

It was a bent nail, with the sharp end in the tire and the other half hitting the fender every time the wheel went around.

I removed the nail and the air hissed out of the tire.

Time to fix a flat. I checked my watch so I could time myself.

The wheel was removed and a replacement tube installed in seven minutes. Not bad.

But then it came time to inflate it with the mini pump.

I pumped and pumped and pumped. About 13 minutes had passed since the flat repair process began. The tire was inflated, but at a very low pressure – just enough to ride on it. But barely.

I don’t know if this was because I’m a dimwit, or because the pump is a piece of crap. I’m going to have to play around with the pump and solve this problem one way or another.

Fortunately, I was saved by the Brotherhood of Bicyclists. A fellow was walking by and informed me that he lived two houses away and had a nice floor pump I could use.

I took him up on the offer. I got my tire pumped up and we talked about bicycling.

A few minutes later I was back on the road with 70 psi in my rear tire.

SOLAR TOUR

On Saturday there’s a Solar Neighbors Tour in McKinleyville. A bunch of folks are opening their solar-powered homes to the public.

I plan on visiting several homes on my e-bike and I’ve mapped out my route using the Google Gmaps Pedometer. I’ll travel about 8 miles, which I’ve already included in the mileage for this week.

If I take a different route and the mileage varies, I’ll have to adjust the Weekly Wrap numbers.

SATURDAY UPDATE

I went in the garage this morning and found the rear tire on the e-bike flat. Dammit! So I used the road bike. I also changed my route and included a stop at the Dow's Prairie Grange to take a photo. The figures above, posted Friday, were changed to reflect today's my actual mileage.

XTRACYCLE

(Source: http://www.bikebox.ca/pix/xtracycle.jpg)

I spotted a woman riding an Xtracycle the other day in Arcata. As I understand it, it's a kit that you purchase which extends your rear wheel further back. A big, heavy duty rack goes over the wheel and is outfitted with large panniers. It allows you to haul large loads.

Weekly wrap 9.29.06

2006-09-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 43 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 20

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 23

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 492

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 443.50

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 48.5

Gas savings this week: 3 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 33.7

Price of gas today: $2.75

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $104.29

Notes: This week I used the regular road bike more than the e-bike. Why? Because I felt like it.

It was a low-mileage week because I had to use the car for several errands, like pulling a trailer full of brush to the dump.

****

I completed two minor bicycle-related improvement projects.

The first involved a small bike bag for carrying tools. I considered purchasing one and did some online research. I found some really sweet looking bags at www.rivendellbicycles.com.

The problem is that the bag I like the most cost $88. Add in tax, shipping and handling, and the little bag would wipe out most of my gas savings since starting this blog.

Then it occurred to me that the bag looked slightly similar to an old purse that CP (my better half) used to carry around. It is a small, square, green canvas purse with a big buckle on the front.

So for the first time in my life, I asked a woman if I could have her purse. If the governor was present, he would have called me a girlie man.

I grabbed the scissors, some dental floss (strong thread) and a needle and went to work on the purse. Within 15 minutes it was transformed into a small tool bag which mounts under the rear seat on the road bike. There’s enough room for the tools, patch kit, spare tube, a salami sandwich and a Snickers Bar.

It’s actually nicer than my old Cannondale bike bag. And, no, it doesn’t look girlie. It looks like a bike bag.

****

Transforming a purse into a bike bag got me thinking about how you could turn all sorts of bags and luggage into bike bags. I saw a small gym bag at the thrift store today that would make a nice “rack bag” with the addition of a few buckles or velcro straps. It would probably be a little better than what you could purchase at a bike shop.

I’ll keep this in mind when it comes to any future bikes in need of such accessories.

*****

The next project involved removing the finger ends from a pair of wool gloves. There’s enough wool still intact to keep my hands warm, but my finger tips are free for changing gears, etc. That was five minutes well spent.

****

It’s getting a little colder. The forecast calls for some weekend drizzle and the possibility of rain next week.

I suspect it won’t be long before my weekly updates include comments about puddles, plastic bags and rain pants.

****

Based on what I can tell, there aren’t a lot of people in McKinleyville who use their bikes for general transportation purposes. (The term I recently learned for this is “utility cycling.”)

On the weekend, the Lycra people come out in droves and enjoy the Hammond Trail. And after school I see some kids on bikes.

But when it comes to commuters and shoppers, they’re far and few between.

Weekly Wrap 9.22.06

2006-09-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 58 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 37

This week’s mileage on a regular bike: 21

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 449

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 423.50

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 25.5

Gas savings this week: 3.5 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 30.7

Price of gas today: $2.77

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $96.04

Notes: As you can see by the numbers above, the non-electric bikes are getting more use. I’m particularly fond of the road bike now that it has new handlebars. It’s like a rocket.

Maintenance and the "fleet"

2006-09-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

I spent an hour this evening on some overdue bicycle maintenance.

The first order of business was tire pressure. I was surprised to discover that the tires on the electric mountain bike were registering a pathetic 40 psi. That’s just barely within the recommended range of 30 to 80. It is, admittedly, a soft, cushy ride. And I had noticed a nice, smooth bouncy feeling – especially in comparison to the “regular” commuter bike with its skinny 90 psi tires.

But when it comes to performance, that had to be slowing me down. The tires are now at 80 psi. My weekly “to do” list will now include checking the tire pressure.

This task makes me really appreciate the fancy Zefal floor pump my parents bought me for Christmas a few years ago.

I also emptied the panniers, washed and cleaned the bike and oiled the chain. Everything seems to be in working order.

Since I was outside with a bucket of soapy water and a tire pump, I dragged the old road bike out. That’s bike No. 3.

Just to keep things straight, I should clearly label the bikes. Here’s what I have:

1. The e-bike, aka electric bike, aka electric mountain bike. It’s a Specialized mountain bike with a Wilderness Energy Systems electric hub motor.

2. The regular bike, aka regular commuter bike, aka Peugeot. This was my dad’s commuter bike before he retired. It’s not a fancy bike and it only has 10 speeds, but it’s a sweet ride. Very solid and smooth.

3. The road bike, aka the $15 bike, aka “my high-performance bicycle.” This is a nice Panasonic road bike. I bought it at a garage sale for $15 and it was later fixed up and painted. It’s a stripped down 15 speed with standard drop handlebars and foot clips. Take off the kickstand and it could pass as a racing bike for all but the most snobbish cyclist.

After pumping up the tires on the road bike, washing it and oiling it, I felt compelled to test it out. So I took a short jaunt to the Mad River. The sun was setting and the bike doesn’t have lights, so I had to move fast.

It’s been a long time since I used toe clips. They take a little getting used to, but there’s a distinct advantage. The bike hauled ass!

I rocketed to the Hammond Trail Bridge and back.

I came across what I assume was a high school girl. She had blonde spiky punk rock hair and was sitting on the ground spray painting graffiti on the blacktop. If I was a couple decades younger and still in high school, I would have stopped and asked her to the prom, but I digress. She never saw me coming and when I passed by her at full speed, I apparently scared the crap out of her. She muttered something like “OH SHIT!” Her buddies were hanging off the bridge with spray cans.

It looked kind of dangerous, but I think they were on a mission to make an artistic statement. Normally I’d rush home and report vandalism, but I sensed they were trying to create something interesting. I hope I’m right. I’ll investigate at a later date.

The road bike performed beautifully. Still, I have mixed feelings about those drop handlebars. I’m thinking about replacing them with what Bike Nashbar calls Mustache Handlebars. They’re apparently a cross between drop bars and straight bars.

Why mess with the road bike? Because it’s a pleasure to ride and I’d like to include it in my transportation mix. I'm at the point where I'm considering a mix of e-biking and standard biking. But as a creature of comfort and convenience, I want the right transportation tools at my convenience.

Weekly Wrap 9.15.06

2006-09-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 48.5 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 48.5

This week’s mileage on regular bike: 0

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 391

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 386.50

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 4.5

Gas savings this week: 3 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 27.2

Price of gas today: $2.85 (?)

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $86.35

Notes: There’s a question mark near today’s gas price because I was in a rush and forgot to make a mental note of the price. But that’s pretty close.

I’m going about my business as I always have, just substituting my e-bike for an automobile. There’s no downside.

Do I really need the motor? Probably not. I’m pedaling enough as it is and could probably live just fine without it.

But there’s something very important to consider: the lazy factor.

When it comes to transportation, we all take the path of least resistance. We jump in our cars because they’re easy and convenient.

Some of us jump on our bikes and go for a spin after work, or on the weekends. But that’s just recreational riding for the purpose of fun and exercise. We ride for fun when we feel like it, and stay home when we don’t feel like it.

But the purpose of the e-bike – at least in my case – is to serve as a substitute for my vehicle as much as possible. Unless I have a load to carry that requires a car, or I have to travel a long distance, or travel with a passenger, I use the e-bike. I don’t just use the e-bike when I “feel like it.”

The engine is a tool that provides some extra speed, sweat reduction and basically eliminates the “lazy factor.” So far there hasn't been a single day in which I used the car when I could have used the e-bike, except for a couple times when I thought I needed the car to haul supplies from the hardware store. I later discovered that the bike can comfortably carry two one-gallon paint cans. They fit snuggly in the panniers.

But I’ve yet to battle the elements. The weather has been spectacular, although on Thursday it was extremely windy.

There was some light rain early this morning and I’ve noticed a slight chill in the air during some of my rides. Summer is slowly slipping away and I’ll have to adjust my riding gear accordingly.

A waterproof windbreaker and light gloves will soon become standard clothing.

I plan on packing my bike poncho into my old panniers for emergencies. I don’t recall when I obtained the bike poncho, but I do know that it was used extensively during my sophomore year in high school! That makes it “vintage,” or maybe "retro."

Wearing a poncho on a bike sounds like a bad idea, but I do recall that it was very handy last time I used it. There are leg straps to keep it properly positioned and prevent it from flapping around like a cape. In the front there are little thumb loops to keep it stretched out. It keeps you dry and there’s lots of ventilation to prevent sweat buildup.

It’s bright yellow and makes me look like a giant banana. If Bill the Chimp escapes from the Eureka Zoo again, it would be advisable to not wear the poncho unless I want to get gummed by an aging primate.

Handlebar cam

2006-09-14T19:43:00.000-07:00

Today I shot some short video segments using my new “handlebar cam.”

The handlebar cam consist of my little $199 Canon digital camera, some string and masking tape. It’s very low quality, but I have to work with the technology on hand. My camera’s movie mode is so limited that this was shot during three separate trips, and even then I was only able to shoot small portions of the trip.

Street Sweeper

2006-09-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I accidently plowed through a fresh pile of broken glass which included some really wicked shards. I thought for sure my tires would be punctured, but they weren't.

I got lucky – this time.

With two large piles of glass at two locations that I travel over repeatedly 6 days a week, it was time to take action.

So today when I made my trip I brought a small broom with a 2 1/2-foot-long handle, a plastic dust pan and two plastic bags.

The first cleanup was in a really bad location at the southeast corner of the Central Avenue and Sutter Road. The bottle was shattered where the southbound bicycle lane meets the crosswalk.

I took out my Oompa Loompa-sized broom and went to work. Within two minutes, the glass was bagged and ready to be dumped in the trash can behind my nearby office

After a few more business related chores, I travelled northbound to the intersection of Central Avenue and Hiller Road. Once again, a bottle had been broken in the crosswalk where it crosses the northbound bike lane. I’ve been dodging this mess for weeks.

Within a couple minutes, the glass was bagged and ready for disposal.

There was a definite dorkus malorkus quality to both of the cleanup scenes – a guy with a helmet wielding a tiny broom and furiously sweeping as cars whizzed by. Such is the life of a big-time newspaper publisher.

But I think that the four minutes spent on this little project was a good investment. It may save me from a flat tire.

I didn’t mind the work, and I plan to keep the broom and dust pan handy for future messes. But it raises a question: Shouldn’t the street sweeper machine visit McKinleyville more often? It’s been about two months.

Perhaps the county is waiting until the fall, when more leaves fill the streets and need to be cleaned up before the first rain. It’s my understanding that the real purpose behind those machines is to clean debris to prevent the storm drains from getting clogged. It's not about cleaning glass for bicycles.

This week I’ll call Public Works and find out what’s going on.

Weekly Wrap 9.8.06

2006-09-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 57 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 57

This week’s mileage on regular bike: 0

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 342.5

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 338

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 4.5

Gas savings this week: 4 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 24.2

Price of gas today: $3.00

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $77.80

Notes: On Thursday I racked up 19 miles – all of them business related. The mileage included four separate trips into town.

Being that I had a meeting to attend that evening, I pedaled a lot and conserved battery power. The strategy worked because I had gobs of power left over to get to the meeting and get back.

That evening Tim Hooven clocked me going 31 mph on a flat portion of Central Avenue. That’s just 4 mph under the speed limit. Don’t tell anyone, but there’s a good chance I broke the 35 mph speed limit on the downhill portion of Hiller Road. Yee-hah!

I saved four gallons of gas this week. That, by the way, is the maximum amount of gas I can save in a week given the vehicle requirements of my business.

That’s a 40 percent reduction in weekly fuel consumption compared to before I bought the e-bike.

Number notes: It’s probably a good idea to explain again what some of these numbers mean just in case there are new readers.

My “gas savings” calculation is the difference between the amount of gas I consume now compared to the average amount of gas I consumed before obtaining the e-bike on July 10. Before the e-bike, I consumed about 10 gallons of gas a week in my compact car. This week I consumed six gallons, giving me a savings of four gallons, or 40 percent.

The gas consumption is determined every Friday, which is when I visit the gas station. So, for clarification, I consumed 6 gallons of gas between Friday afternoon, Sept. 1, and Friday afternoon, Sept. 8.

While gas consumption is measured from Friday to Friday, bicycle mileage is measured from Sunday through Saturday. Being that I post my weekly wrap on Friday, I assume that on Saturday I’ll make a single trip to town. If that doesn’t happen, or if I use the bike more than anticipated, I would revise the weekly wrap accordingly. So far, that hasn’t been necessary.

The price of gas is from the Renner Cardlock station in McKinleyville. The price is generally lower than the other stations, sometimes by as much as 10 cents.

I would include the cost of charging the battery, but I don’t have a good way to determine this. I expected my electric bill to be higher since obtaining the e-bike, but it actually dropped slightly from the year before. I don’t know why.

Specs (From Wilderness Energy Systems)

2006-09-07T20:35:00.000-07:00

This evening I was asked some questions about the bike that I couldn't answer. It reminded me that I should put some specs on the blog.

Bike Electrified Kit Specifications

Kit Models
BD36
Brushed Motor Full-Package

Description Motor mounted in wheel, lighted thumb throttle, controller unit, battery pack, smart charger, bike rack.
Hub Motor 600 Watt, 36 Volt DC Gearless, Brushed
Throttle Type Variable Speed Throttle
Key Switch Key Switch (located in controller)
Battery Pack Sealed, 12 Volt DC, 12 Amp/Hour Lead-Acid Gel-Cell Batteries (x3)

Electronics Electronic Speed Controller Unit - 35 amp-limit Controller)
Wheel Size 26 inch Front Wheel Drive
Top Speed Top Speed: 25+ mph
Range Average Range (Distance) per Charge: 12+ miles - (20+ with extended battery pack)
Charger Automatic Smart Charger: 2 Amp@36vdc
Average Recharging Time 4-6 hours
Payload Payload Capacity: 300+ lbs. (U.S. Pounds)
Weight Gross Weight of Kit: 48 lbs w/ext battery pack)
Features
Sturdy Brush-ED motor (brushes will last at least 8,000 hours before they need to be replaced - 3 + years even with heavy use.). Simpler electronics than the brushless sytem. This motor will start from 0 mph without pedaling. When run at 36 volts it is also stronger than the Brushless motor: more low-end torque and faster top-end speed. However, it's range is less than that of the Brushless system.

Range

2006-09-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

A fundamental question you ask when purchasing an e-bike is “How far can it go?”

The answer: It depends.

There are many factors that determine the bike’s range – the batteries, your weight, tire size and inflation, hills and inclines, wind and wind resistance, and your speed. Perhaps most important of all, your range is determined by how much you pedal and how much you use the motor.

Remember that it’s considered a “pedal assist” technology. You play a part in determining the performance.

My e-bike came with what Wilderness Energy Systems calls an “Extended Range Battery Pack,” which consists of three 12 amp/hr sealed lead acid batteries. They weigh about 30 lbs.

I once traveled 18 miles on a single charge. However, I pedaled a lot on the flat portions and didn’t use the motor very much. When it came to the small hills, I used the motor but also pedaled. By the end of the 18 miles I had enough battery power left to propel the bike forward at a speed similar to a slow jog.

But who wants to bicycle at a snail’s pace? When the available power drops this low, you basically pedal a lot more. That’s when you begin to question whether you’d be better off without 30 lbs. of lead strapped to your bicycle.

So the true “range” of the e-bike will be partially determined by what you consider an acceptable speed. If you don’t mind rolling along at walking speed, then you’re range will be much greater than a rider you wants to travel fast enough so he can feel the wind on his face.

Range, I guess you could say, is relative.

A more realistic range for my e-bike is about 13 miles. This requires significant pedaling on the flat portions, with occasional bursts of engine power to get the bike up to speed. Engine power is used on the hills along with leisurely pedaling. By the end of 13 miles, I have enough battery power left to move the bike forward in what could best be described as an extremely slow bike ride.

The ideal range for my e-bike is about 10 miles. That’s what I travelled yesterday. I went into town twice and made a couple side trips. I used pedal power for only a couple of miles, but used a pedal/motor combination the rest of the time. This allowed me to blast down the road at a nice speed, passing other cyclists and making good time. When I got home, I still had plenty of power left. I never had to slow down or make up for a lack of power because the batteries were drained. The bike performed perfectly from the beginning to end.

So, in short, 10 miles is the optimal range for the e-bike and 13 miles is a satisfactory range. Anything over that and performance is limited.

Then again, it depends.

News segment on electric bike

2006-09-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to view a short TV news segment on an electric bike.

Man Motors on Hybrid Bike

This is similar to my e-bike, except this guy went hog wild with the batteries, giving him higher speeds and a longer range. In time, I'll need to learn more about battery options.

Technical problems

2006-09-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm having some mysterious technical problems with this blog. I hope to have it fixed by mid-week.

Weekly wrap 9.1.06

2006-09-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

This week’s total mileage: 40 miles

This week’s mileage on e-bike: 35.5

This week’s mileage on regular bike: 4.5

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 285.5

Total e-bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 281

Total regular bike mileage since July 10, 2006: 4.5

Gas savings this week: 3 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 20.2

Price of gas today: $3.16

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $65.80

Notes: It’s been nearly two months since Public Works used the street sweeper on Central Avenue. The broken glass is piling up. There’s a particularly nasty pile of glass in the northbound bike lane at Central and Hiller. If it’s not cleaned up soon, I may have to do it myself.

I’m tired of dodging it and I fear that it’s only a matter of time before I forget and roll right through it. That could make for a very unhappy experience.

There’s also a large amount of broken windshield glass on the northbound bike lane in front of McKinleyville Middle School.

Early in the week I decided to use a “regular” bike to compare the experience. It’s a 10-speed road/commuter bike. Very nice, but not as nice as the e-bike. I guess I’m spoiled now.

That said, I’ll probably use the regular bike at least once on the weekend.

You may notice that I’ve added some different statistics for my “weekly wrap.” I needed to break out the regular bike mileage from the e-bike mileage. If something goes wrong the electric contraption, I want it clearly documented how many miles I put on it.

Weekly wrap 8.25.06

2006-08-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

This week’s mileage: 49.5 miles

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 245.5

Gas savings this week: 3.5 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 17.2

Price of gas today: $3.19

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $56.32

Notes: What’s not to like about a 35 percent reduction in fuel use? I got some sunshine, fresh air, exercise and saved $11.16 in fuel this week.

After spending an afternoon working on my roof Thursday, I took a refreshing ride over to Pierson Park and listened to Buddy Reed and the Rip It Ups play some blues. Reed informed the audience that Muddy Waters’ real name was McKinley Morganfield. So McKinleyville and Muddy Waters were presumably named after the same person.

On the way home I passed by a church that was holding a special meeting on solutions to global warming and climate change. I didn’t have time to stop in, but I did notice the parking lot was filled with cars! But that’s OK. As I understand it, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss solutions. I assume that reducing fuel consumption was one of the topics and that bicycles were discussed. At the next meeting, most participants will get there on their bikes and have a lot of fun doing so.

Today I came up with an idea. Next week I plan to make a few trips on my regular road bike. I want to compare the e-bike experience with the regular bicycle experience. I haven’t been on a regular bicycle since early July, so I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like.

As I stated in my earlier blog postings, there are pros and cons to the e-bike compared to the regular bike. With the e-bike you’re weighed down with a ton of lead batteries and a heavy front hub that provides rolling resistance.

A regular bike should feel light and zippy in comparison, except when I get lazy and don’t feel like pedaling.

That’s basically the dilemma I’ve faced since purchasing the e-bike – sometimes the motor is a fantastic piece of technology which allows me to travel at great speeds with little effort, but sometimes I feel like pedaling and the e-bike is a real drag, like bicycling with a load of cinder blocks.

One possibility is to use a regular bike on some occasions, and the e-bike on others. This would make sense, because sometimes I’m in the mood for a little exercise, and sometimes I’m not. If both bikes are ready to roll, I could make a decision based on how I feel. It would also prolong the life of my batteries.

I may also take one of my crappy thrift store bikes and permanently house it at my downtown office. This would come in handy when I take the e-bike into town, but then want to run errands at local stores where the e-bike would be too tempting for the criminal class.

One of the great things about bikes is that you can afford to have different kinds to meet different needs. One of my nicest bikes is a high-quality racing bike that I purchased years ago for $15. What was wrong with it? The paint was scratched and it had a flat tire.

Weekly wrap 8.18.06

2006-08-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

This week’s mileage: 39 miles

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 196

Gas savings this week: 1 gallon

Gallons saved since July 10, 2006: 13.7

Gas savings since July 10, 2006: $45.16

Notes: I drove the car a lot this week. I was running late on Monday afternoon and couldn’t do my Arcata route. That meant I used the car on Tuesday and racked up a lot of miles. Then on Thursday we drove to Ferndale for the Humboldt County Fair. Today (Friday) was a bicycle-only day. Of course, without the bike, I would have driven even more.

Night Rider

2006-08-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

I’ve covered the monthly meetings of the McKinleyville Community Services District Board of Directors for more than 12 years.

Although generally important, the meetings are often long, boring and downright tortuous.

About 30 to 40 minutes before each meeting, I develop a psychological condition I call the “Pre-MCSD Meeting Blues.” I fall into a deep funk at the prospect that I’m going to have to leave the comfy confines of my home and sit for hours on an uncomfortable plastic chair and listen to people drone on and on.

But on Wednesday I was upbeat. No blues at all.

While I wasn’t particularly jazzed about going to the meeting, I was looking forward to riding the e-bike there and testing out my new light set on the way home.

I travelled about 14 miles the afternoon before the meeting, but I pedaled a lot to conserve battery power. This allowed me to zap on over to the meeting at full power. I arrived a few minutes before 7 p.m. cool and refreshed. I brought the bike in the room and locked it up in the back.

And then the meeting began. We pledged our allegiance to a flag. The minutes from the prior meeting were approved. There was a discussion regarding who should pay to restock the restrooms at the local ball fields. It went on and on. There was just enough humor – some intentional, some not – to keep me entertained.

Several hours later, it was time to ride home. The streets of McKinleyville were dark and empty. I turned on my Bell “Dark Flyer” bicycle light set, which I purchased at Kmart earlier that day.

These lights looked top notch in the packaging, and cost a little over $20. That’s about twice as much as I had hoped to spend.

The front lamp, mounted on the handle bars, includes a halogen main beam and two LEDs. The halogen lamp can run for 5 1/2 hours on four AA batteries, while the LEDs can run 200 hours, according to the packaging. There’s a switch that allows various options – halogen only, halogen and LEDs, LEDs only and flashing LEDs.

There’s a rear lamp with red LEDs and various blinking options.

Both worked fine, but the plastic is cheap and the switches seem even cheaper. They’re kind of crappy and don’t inspire confidence.

Still, the beam was bright and lit my way home.

As someone stated at Wednesday’s meeting, McKinleyville is “pre-metro.” This is evident at night. Other than Central Avenue, there are few streetlights on my route home. It’s extremely dark.

It made me realize something – with a few exceptions, almost all of my nighttime bicycle riding took place in San Mateo, where there are streetlights on every corner. I don’t even recall using bicycle lights down there.

McKinleyville is entirely different. When you’re blasting down Hiller Road in the middle of the night, the only illumination comes from the bicycle lights. It goes from dark to darker on the Hammond Trail.

I was worried about cats, potholes and God-knows-what in the roadway. Would I see an obstacle before it was too late? That was questionable given the speed I was travelling.

Once I got off Central Avenue, I didn’t see a single soul Wednesday night. It was just me, my bike and the darkness of night.

It was exhilarating. I had the entire road to myself and plenty of battery power. It was full throttle all the way.

Next time I need to remember to wear gloves.

Weekly Wrap 8.11.06

2006-08-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

This week’s mileage: 45 miles

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: 157

Gas savings this week: 3.2 gallons

Gallons saved since July 10. 2006: 12.7

Price of gas today: $3.30

Gas savings since July 10, 2006, based on today’s price: $41.91

Notes: I’m pleased with my gas savings this week. I turned off the car on Monday afternoon and didn’t start it again until Friday afternoon. I saved 3.2 gallons, despite the fact I had to drive about 30 miles today to pick up inserts on the south end of Eureka,

Had it not been for the Eureka trip, I could have realized a 40 percent reduction in weekly fuel usage! Not bad.

But I did have an electrical problem. On Thursday morning I was strapping the battery bag on the bike rack. I slid it forward and – ZAP! – sparks were flying all over the place for about a second. At the time I figured the little plug touched the seat post and somehow made an electrical contact. No biggy, I thought.

I hooked everything up and the bike worked as usual. I made multiple trips into town, including a ride up to the airport to check the increased security due to the thwarted terror plot announced that morning. I met an explosives-sniffing dog named Ingo and took a few photos. The total mileage for the day was 14.

That night I went to charge the batteries and discovered that the little “phono plug” on the battery pack where you insert the male end of the charger was fried. It was so warped that it couldn’t even be plugged into the charger.

The battery didn’t get charged that night, but there was still enough power for a pedal-assisted trip to town this morning. That means I travelled 18.5 miles on a single charge. Of course, to get this mileage, you have to pedal a lot.

I went to Radio Shack this afternoon and purchased a new “phono jack.” I disconnected the battery wires one at a time and taped them down in such a manner that I would be guaranteed to properly reconnect them.

I then replaced the “phono jack” and hooked everything back up. I plugged it into the charger and then plugged in the charger. Everything appears to be working fine.

But I’m still concerned about how that little phono jack got fried. It doesn’t make sense to me.

Mileage, idiots & a mission

2006-08-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

MILEAGE

The other day I learned about a new tool for determining mileage. You can check it out at:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Assuming it’s accurate, I’ve been seriously underestimating my mileage. A trip from my house, to the post office, the office and back is about 4.5 miles. I previously estimated that it was a 2-mile trip.

That means that I’ve put a lot more miles on the bike than listed in my “Weekly Wraps.” I’ll use the new mileage starting with this Friday’s “Weekly Wrap.”

TUESDAY TRIP

On Tuesday I travelled 13.2 miles. Even the smallest hills suck a lot of power, so I did a lot of pedalling and saved the electricity for when I needed it. The strategy worked. On every hill the motor provided me with "assistance," which means I pedaled but did in a leisurely fashion. In the last half mile, the battery was nearly drained.

IDIOTS

I’m perplexed by people’s actions on the Hammond Trail. I often come across people walking side by side and blocking the trail. So I ring my friendly sounding bike bell. I do so twice – once when I’m far away and again when I’m closer.

Most people hear the bell and move aside so I can pass. But some just stand there and ignore it. It’s not until I’ve come to nearly a complete stop and say “excuse me” that they move.

Maybe I need an angry sounding horn.

THE MISSION

Today I was going to take the car to town to haul four 10-foot-long, 3-inch roof flashings for my never-ending construction project. The idea of using the car was bumming me out because I really want it to sit in the driveway until Friday, if possible. I want my gas savings to be 30 percent this week.

So I decided I would attempt to haul the flashing on the bike. I zipped on over to Thomas Home Center, bought the flashing and proceeded to tie it to the bicycle frame. Luckily I remembered to bring some old rags to wrap around the flashing so it wouldn’t scratch the bike.

I felt like a hazard on the road, with sharp pieces of metal extending from the back and front of the bike. If anyone on the Hammond Trail failed to get out of my way, I could have skewered them. (See my other blog for comments regarding kebobs.)

The flashing made the bike feel unbalanced. It was also difficult to pedal the bike because the flashing was near my leg.

No problem – I have an electric motor. So I zipped on home and made it back without injuring anyone or myself.

With that mission accomplished, I wondered: What else could I haul on the bike?

Weekly wrap 8.4.06

2006-08-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

This week’s mileage: Approx. 10 miles

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: Approx. 112 miles

Gas savings this week: 1.5 gallons

Price of gas today: $3.30

Gas savings since July 10, 2006, based on today’s price: $31.35

Notes: This was not a good week for saving gas. Besides my usual 200-mile jaunt on Monday, I drove my car an additional 91 miles between Tuesday and today (Friday).

On Tuesday the e-bike was fully charged, loaded and ready to go when I received a call that I had screwed up this week’s newspaper mailing. So I jumped in the car, raced to the Arcata Post Office to fix the problem and didn’t use the bike that day.

I used the bike as usual on Wednesday and Thursday, but I also had to use the car for multiple trips to the hardware store for supplies.

Today I used the bike. But then I needed to drive the car to Eureka and then up to Trinidad. I burned a lot of gas.

As you can see by the numbers above, my savings this week dipped down to 15 percent. My goal at this point is to maintain a weekly gas savings of at least 20 percent.

I’ve been riding the e-bike now for nearly four weeks. It’s become a habit. When given the choice, I would always use the bike over the car. That will likely change when the rains return.

As I stated before, the Saturday and Sunday trips are the best because they’re short and there’s no reason to conserve power. It’s almost like using a moped, especially when on flat ground.

The bike is becoming like my car – filled with crap and in need of cleaning. The saddle bags have newspapers, rate sheets, note pads and various scraps of paper. I quick cleaning is on my “to-do” list.

I had to make some adjustments to my morning coffee routine. At first, I attempted to transport my coffee and CP’s ice mocha in the cups they came in. I tried to wedge them upright in the saddle bags so they wouldn’t spill. Needless to say, that didn’t work.

So I purchased a bunch of water bottles (bicycle canteens) at a thrift store. Thrift stores, by the way, are overflowing with water bottles, some of them brand new and still in wrappers. They sell for 10 cents to 50 cents each.

Seems like a lot of companies slap their logos on these bottles and hand them out to customers and employees as gifts. These then make their way to the thrift store, along with all the bread machines that people bought a few years ago.

With multiple bottles, there are always at least two available even when some are in the sink.

To make sure my coffee is hot when I get home, I slip the canteen into a clean sock for the trip home. It provides the perfect amount of insulation.

Weekly wrap 7.28.06

2006-07-28T21:04:00.000-07:00

This week’s mileage: Approx. 26 miles

Total mileage since July 10, 2006: Approx. 102 miles

Gas savings this week: 3 gallons

Total gallons saved since July 10 – Approx. 8

Price of gas today: $3.30

Gas savings since July 10 based on today’s price: $26.40

Quick notes: These numbers are a little misleading. Prior to using the electric bike, I typically burned about 10 gallons of gas a week – but not always. Sometimes I used a little more, sometimes a little less. But for simplicity I’m using 10 gallons as my average. It’s pretty close, but still a ballpark number.

I had to make a lot of trips to the hardware store this week. All those trips were made with my car. I don’t see any practical way to haul 12-foot-long 2x4s on a bike. But paint and even the heavy bundle of roofing felt I bought could be carried on a bike trailer. I have the advantage of living downhill from the center of town, so gravity helps me get home regardless of the load or the power in my batteries.

I’m keeping my eyes open for trailers at thrift stores.

One could ask the question: Why not just use the car?

I could answer back: Why not just use the bike?

The time differential is minimal when comparing the two modes of transportation, at least in my case.

It’s also worth noting that the weather has been spectacular.

Hauling loads

2006-07-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

Local readers of this blog are probably familiar with Jerry Eaves.

Jerry is the sole proprietor of Jerry’s Recycling, a recycling business that he operates with a bicycle and a trailer. He basically goes around town picking up recyclables from businesses and then redeems them for cash at the local recycling center.

Jerry hauls amazingly large loads.

How big? Sometimes he has two supersized trash bins filled with cans and bottles, precariously stacked on a large metal trailer.

I would be intimidated enough hauling the trailer, let alone the stuff inside. I’m not sure what would be worse – the strain of pulling it uphill, or the potentially disastrous tracking problems when going down hill. Wouldn’t the trailer wiggle back and forth and ultimately cause the rider to lose control?

That almost happened to me once when I hauled a trailer behind a VW Bug. The trailer wiggled side to side. Then the car started wiggling and I thought I might lose control. I slowed down and ultimately pulled over on the freeway. Disaster averted.

Jerry has never mentioned any such incidents, but I wonder. Especially after seeing the load he apparently hauled on Tuesday.

I didn’t see Jerry, just his bike parked in front of a business. Inside his trailer were a bunch of metal objects. I don’t know whether they were steel tubes or rain gutters or what. But the entire load appeared to be 2 feet wide, 2 1/2 feet tall and 6 feet long. The entire mass was so heavy that his attached bicycle was elevated about 2 feet off the ground due to the weight of the trailer.

I assume he hauled that load across town to the recycling center. Next time I see Jerry, I’ll try to get an exclusive interview for those that are interested in the ins and outs of hauling large loads on a bicycle.

This topic came to mind today when I went to the hardware store to purchase some supplies for a small construction project. If I had Jerry’s trailer, I probably could have accomplished my mission on the bike. Instead, I was forced to use the car and the utility trailer.

I burned gas, which means my end-of-the-week gas savings will be less than expected.

2006-07-25T20:06:00.000-07:00

I usually don't like to post pictures of myself, but here's a photo of me polishing my bike.

Preliminary numbers (Miles, gas savings, etc.)

2006-07-22T23:52:00.000-07:00

Within a period of less than two weeks, I’ve put about 76 miles on the e-bike. That’s a conservative estimate based on measurements on a map. I don’t have an odometer. I didn’t include my various sidetrips (cruising around a parking lot, visiting a waterfall, etc.) nor my trip to downtown Arcata, a nearby town. (Note to self: Only travel to Arcata with a full charge, otherwise you’ll have to pedal back using your own power.)

Some of those miles I pedaled, some I used the motor, and some I pedaled and used the motor at the same time.

I don’t know the breakdown of pedaling vs. non-pedaling.

My overall impression is that with a mixture of pedaling and motoring, I can travel about 7 miles at full speed, minus the sweat, That means I’m going fast – kind of like standing up on a bike and pedaling at full strength. Then it gets sluggish. But sluggish is still a respectable speed – about as fast as the sluggish cyclists in the fancy outfits that I pass on the Hammond Trail.

They wear lycra, I wear denim.

It's worth saving a little power so that you can blast by these folks at rocket speeds. To them, I look like a normal cyclist.

With few exceptions, I return home with power still in the batteries. The bike still moves with motor power, even at the end of the day. But I don’t like to poke around. I like to travel at a decent speed. I'm not into tootling.

So the range, even with the small hills in my town, is probably 10 to 12 miles if you don’t mind a slower speed.

In the first week, my gas consumption decreased by a little more than two gallons. This last week, it was a little more than three gallons.

That might not sound like much, but I drive a compact car to begin with. If I drove the typical car I see on the streets in my town, the savings would be in the range of four to six gallons a week. That's huge.

Either way, I’ve reduced my fuel usage by 20 to 30 percent a week.

With gas going for $3.30 a gallon at my discounted card lock station, that’s a savings of $6.60 to $9.90 per week.

Realistically, I think I can see a 35 percent reduction in fuel use with the bike as long as there are no unforeseen business trips. But a 40 percent reduction would be highly unlikely given my long trip every Monday which requires a vehicle.

A 35 percent reduction would equal a savings of nearly $12 a week based on the average price of gas at the regular stations. Sounds impressive.

But don't break out the party balloons yet – eventually I'll need to replace my batteries. I've charged them about 12 times so far. How many more charges before they need to be replaced? Somewhere I read 200. Is 200 the magic number that marks the point at which I notice a significant reduction in performance? Or is it the point when my batteries no longer work?

It's guaranteed that the battery subject will occupy this blog in the near future.

(Coming soon: Jack, who doesn't know the difference between a watt, volt or amp, gets nerdy and learns about battery technology. Maybe.)

Be Prepared

2006-07-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

“Be prepared”
– Boy Scout motto

As I left the office today I discovered I had a flat tire.

No problem, I thought. I’ll just whip out the tool kit and patch it up. After removing the wheel I decided put some air in the tire to assist in finding the leak.

That’s when I discovered my bicycle pump doesn’t work. There are some missing parts. Where did the pump come from? Had I ever used this pump before? Did it ever work? Probably not. All my recent flat tires have occurred close to home, so I always used the superior floor pump.

So it was on to Plan B – I would use the air at the nearby gas station. But when I got there, I realized that the air machine required quarters. No problem, I usually have some change on me. Today my pockets were empty. Even my wallet was empty. Penniless like a vagrant.

On to Plan C – take advantage of all the piggy banks, aka newspaper racks, I have around town. If I could open one of them up, I could get the quarters I would need for the air machine. But the keys to the racks were at home in my car. The racks were useless.

So it was on to Plan D – with the “D” standing for defeat. I walked the bike home, head hanging low, as I trudged down School Road and made my way home. It wasn't too far, but there's nothing more pathetic than having to push a bicycle.

The flat was fixed and this evening I purchased a new portable bicycle pump. I also made sure that my tool kit is properly equiped.

(Note: The flat was caused by a small staple.)

Photo of the Bike

2006-07-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo of the electric conversion kit on my Specialized mountain bike. Notice the giant hub on the front wheel. That's the motor. The small black bag on the rear rack contains the batteries. With the money I save in gas, I should probably buy some paint for my garage.

Doing Tuesday's Business on the Bike

2006-07-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

(Note: If you’re going to buy an electric bicycle or compare the different technologies, then you’re going to want to know how they’re used. With that in mind, the following is a travelog of today’s electric bicycle journey.)

I own a weekly community newspaper in McKinleyville, Calif. After spending weekends behind the computer and then driving my car nearly 195 miles every Monday to get the paper printed and delivered to the post office, I look forward to Tuesdays.

I don’t have a lot of work to do other than to go to the office, return some phone calls and stock a few newspaper racks.

So today I used the electric bicycle. The weather was beautiful, with blue skies, temperatures around 75 degrees and a slight breeze. Welcome to Shangri-la.

I attached the battery to the bike and plugged everything in. The process takes about a minute or two. I could cut this down to about two seconds if I left the batteries on the bike while they’re being charged, but I don’t trust the old electrical outlets in my garage.

I stuffed both saddle bags with newspapers. I also carry a cable and padlock, a tool kit, bike pump and a full canteen. Add me to the mix, and you’ve got a fairly heavy load.

I pedaled the bike, got going at a slow speed and then hit the throttle. I was blasting down the street at top speed, comparable to an average recreational cyclist pedalling at full speed.

(Hammond Trail)

I’m fortunate to live less than a quarter mile from the Hammond Trail, a paved pedestrian/bicycle path that extends from the south end of town all the way to the north, except for one “missing” link that is scheduled to be built next year.

I’m fortunate to live in a town that had the foresight to plan such a trail. These are vital no matter what kind of bike you use and they provide a lot of recreational value for the community.

Once I reached the trail, I stopped using the motor and pedaled. I needed some exercise and I wanted to save the power for the hills. For about a half mile, I cruised at a leisurely pace and admired the wildflowers before exiting the trail onto a street that would take me downtown.

There’s a gradual increase in elevation from the trail to the downtown, a distance of about a mile. To put in perspective, the biggest “hill” is the freeway overpass. The rest of elevation gain takes place on streets that, to the untrained eye, would look perfectly flat.

So the hills are minimal, to say the least. Which brings up a point – if you have to go up a few hills on your commute route, this technology is great. It can get you up and down the hills with minimal sweating, even though some pedaling is advisable.

On the other hand, if you have multiple hills, and they’re steep, you would quickly suck all the power out of your batteries. Then you’d be stuck pedaling with a hub that slows you down and a heavy load of batteries. In that case, you’d be much better off with a regular bike.

Fortunately, I don’t have that problem. When I reached the downtown, I turned on Central Avenue and made my way to my office. On Central Avenue you have to ride along with traffic, but there are nice, wide and clearly marked bicycle lanes on each side. Last week, I noticed that the street sweeper machine made its rounds, so the lanes are even clean and clear of debris.

These little things, in my opinion, are important to quality of life.

(The office. I work out of a small room the size of a closet upstairs.)

By the time I got to the office, I had traveled a total of about 1.8 miles with a slight elevation gain. It was nice and easy, and wouldn’t even qualify as even a mild workout.

My next scheduled stop would be the newspaper rack in front of the Six Rivers Brewery. The pub’s slogan is “A brew with a view” because it’s perched atop Bella Vista Hill – another power sucker.

On my way there, I decided to take a short detour and check out Mill Creek Falls. Beautiful.

After filling the rack, it was time to turn around and head to the Arcata-Eureka Airport on the north end of town.

Rather than using the power saving strategy, I decided to blast along as fast as I could, with mild pedaling and lots of throttle.

By the time I got home, I had travelled a little over 9 miles. I still had power in the batteries.

To get some exercise, I took the dog on an extended walk.

Closing thoughts:
• On a beautiful day like today, I could have had a good time doing my route on a regular bike. It raises the question – why not just use a regular bike and skip the engine? I think that’s legitimate to ask. On the other hand, there’s the “sweat factor” I previously mentioned, which is important when using the bike to conduct business and visit clients. There’s also the “lazy factor,” which would come into play during a hectic week of business when you have to make multiple trips into town.

• It’s a lot more fun to do business on the bike than in a car.

• You get some exercise, even when using the motor.

Hub resistance

2006-07-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today I was pedaling the bike and realized something – I didn’t notice the hub resistance created by the electric motor.

It’s not that it’s gone away, it’s just that I’ve become accustomed to it. It’s kind of like when I switched from a road bike to a mountain bike. At first the mountain bike seemed sluggish with those big fat tires creating lots of rolling resistance. Then, after awhile, I forgot about it.

FULL THROTTLE – After a little pedaling to get the blood pumping, I went full throttle today with the electric motor. There was no reason to conserve power, being that I only had one trip to make.

OBSERVATION - At full throttle, I was able to conduct my business in town faster than I could in my car. Why? Because I can use pedestrian/bicycle trails and I have more options available when figuring out my route. I don’t have to park a car and I can ride right up to the post office door. Heck, if nobody is looking, I can even ride in and out of the post office.

HELMET HEAD – I seem to have a permanent case of “helmet head,” despite getting a short haircut this week. Oh well. The hairline is receeding and I never had a fanciful mane to begin with.

Initial impressions (short and sweet)

2006-07-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

I’ll provide a more detailed analysis early next week. But in the meantime here are some abbreviated comments regarding the bicycle:

• The battery pack is heavy. It’s kind of like going for a ride with a cinder block lashed to your bike rack.

• At first, I found the resistance in the motorized hub to be very frustrating. The motor in the hub basically slows down your bike when you try to pedal. It’s kind of like bicycling on a semi-deflated tire. Of course, there’s an engine inside that more than makes up for this, as long as you have power.

• The motor is obviously small and doesn’t accelerate fast. But once you get going, you can go fast. I don’t have a speedometer, but I reached speeds that were fast enough that it was pointless to pedal, even in high gear. With a full charge, the motor propels me forward as fast as I desire. It’s pretty sweet.

• The motor will take you up and down hills as long as they’re not too steep. This sucks energy, so you end pedaling a little.

• On a steep hill, the engine doesn’t have enough torque, so pedaling is a must. However, I noticed I was pedaling in a high gear, so it was obviously helping.

• Over the course of several days, I learned an important lesson – unless you’re on a short trip, you need to be selective when using the motor. You have to remember that this is a “pedal assist” device. You only have so much power in the batteries and you want to save it for the hills and head winds. (I’ll write about this topic in detail at a later date.)

• I probably pedaled more this week than most weeks, even though I have a motor.

• It’s a lot more fun to get around this way than in a car.

• On Friday, when I finally started up my car, it was time to get a full tank of gas in preparation for Monday’s “big drive.” I typically purchase about 10 gallons of gas. Today I purchased 7 1/2 gallons. To be conservative, I’ll round it off to about 2 gallons of gas that I saved this week. Plus there was less wear and tear on the car and I got some exercise.

• I’m still trying to figure out how much money is spent charging the batteries every day. I read somewhere that a charge requires 6 cents of power.

• It’s way too early to give this product a thumbs up or thumbs down. There are a lot of factors to be considered, which will take some time.

Stay tuned....

Why an electric bike?

2006-07-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, the price of regular gas in my town hit $3.50 per gallon. Even though I drive a compact vehicle, I was still burning about $35 worth of gas every week. At that rate, I would spend $1,820 a year on gas. That’s a lot of clams.

And it's almost guaranteed that the price will steadily rise in the coming years. Given world instability, we might even see some sudden price spikes.

The solution, clearly, is to adapt and figure out how to use less fuel.

(Source: noaa.gov)

Besides economics, there are also a lot of good environmental and geo-political reasons to reduce fuel use. Conservation is smart, despite what Dick Cheney says.

So I began to consider alteratives. I figure about 60 to 65 percent of the mileage I put on my car is unavoidable, being that my business requires me to make at least one long trip a week and haul a significant load.

But what about the other 40 percent? Most of the trips are in town. I drive from my house to my office, sometimes going back and forth several times a day. I visit the post office, the coffee shop and see clients – almost all of whom are located along the town’s main thoroughfare.

The distances are short. Depending on what route I take, the office is about a mile away. My clients can be from one to two miles from the office.

I’ve conducted my business on a regular bicycle many times in the past. This works fine when making one or two trips. But when you have repeated trips and multiple stops, it becomes impractical due to time constraints and the “sweat factor.” Sweating is fine when you want to work out, but when you have to enter a business and sell something to a client, it’s best not to have sweat dripping from your face and giant sweat circles under your arms.

There's another problem – I can't just plan the shortest route possible and visit my clients in order. They come and go at different times and are unpredictable. It's not unusual to drive up and down the street multiple times, retracing the same route. This is what makes the miles add up.

My first thought was that I should purchase a motor scooter. The problem was that most of the scooters were expensive – well over $1,000. I also recalled my experience many years ago with a moped. The machine was great, but I was so mechanically deficient that I couldn’t even figure out how to replace a simple brake cable.

That’s not true with a bicycle. It’s one of the few machines I can work on.

During my research, I stumbled across electric bicycles.

This was an intriguing idea. I could take my existing bicycle, mount an electric engine on it and have something that would get me around town, all for under $400.

A company called Zap in Santa Rosa makes a motor that is mounted to your bicycle frame. A little “friction” wheel makes contact with your bicycle tire and spins it around. That sounded inefficient.

For nearly the same price, Western Energy Systems Research offers an Electric Bicycle Conversion Kit, consisting of an electric engine (Model BD36) mounted inside a hub on a bicycle wheel. The hub has wires coming out of it which connect to a controller box mounted on your frame below the seat. That controller connects to a battery pack, located inside a canvas bag mounted on a rear bicycle rack. The bag looks like a normal bicycle carrier bag that you might pack a lunch in and put on a rack. It has Velcro straps and is removable, so you can unplug it and take it in the house to be re-charged. On the handlebar is a little thumb lever with a wire that connects to the controller box. Press on the thumb lever, the engine is activated and the front wheel turns.

(Source: www.wildernessenergy.com)

I didn’t know much about how this would work, other than the fact that it would be a “pedal assist” form of transportation – meaning some pedaling is required. I also knew that my range is limited, the batteries will eventually need to be replaced after a couple hundred charges and, down the road, the brushes in the electric motor will fail.

I found that a local bicycle shop actually had one in stock. I could have saved a few dollars by purchasing it on the internet, but I wanted to have someone to complain to if something went wrong. I also had the shop install it for the same reason.

I picked it up on Monday afternoon. I conducted all my business on the bicycle from Tuesday through Friday afternoon. Late Friday I started my car for the first time in days and used it some haul some stuff.

(Coming soon: The upside and downside of the bike. How I bicycled without pedaling and then figured out the importance of pedaling and how to use, and not use, the motor.)

Welcome to Jack's Electric Bicycle blog

2006-07-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

When I did research before purchasing an electric bicycle conversion kit, I had trouble finding critical sources of information.

Most of the websites I came across were from manufacturers or activists, all of whom hyped the technology.

Rather than a sales pitch, I wanted impartial reviews. So in that spirit, I’ve created this blog. I’ll give you the pros and cons of my electric bike and provide details about how it’s used. This will be an evolving review, as well as an electric bicycle travelogue with assorted commentaries regarding the experience.

If you’re considering purchasing an electric bicycle, I hope this blog will provide you with some valuable information. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section.