The plan....... right now the plan is to order a yellow 3-speed Worksman utility bike with a full complement of baskets for posting advertising for the toy business. I will be ordering the bike with a smaller chain ring for easier uphill pedaling) and I will install my Wilderness Energy electric hub motor on the bike's front wheel for their added zip. I am still not decided on whether or not to use 7 amp hour batteries or 12 amp hour batteries, there is a significant weight difference between the two and if I don't really need the range this time around then the lighter battery pack would be much better. Regarding the range - at this time my radius of traveling by bicycle is about 3 miles, so it is likely I will not need much more than a 10 mile range. The first time around my travel radius (to work and back) was 9 miles, this is where the larger amp hour batteries are worth the added weight. For longer trips I have my 100 MPG Honda scooter.
The action..... right now I am about 6 weeks away from placing the order for the bike and batteries. Some other things have gotten in the way (like paying for a root canal, kid's summer camp, and new inventory for the toy store), so I need to wait a bit for the cash flow to catch back up to my expenses (or the other way around).
I have been asked to participate in a "green vehicle" symposium and a local college, and I really excited to be able to talk about my experience living with an electric vehicle - this will be cool. The symposium will be sometime in April.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
$25 Million?
Hello March!
For the past few days I have been having reoccurring thoughts about winning the Virgin Earth Challenge prize for demonstrating a commercially viable design which results in the removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases so as to contribute materially to the stability of Earth’s climate.
Winning the prize is too simple, just prohibit cars and give everyone a bicycle. The design already exists!
I am actually disappointed in the contest because I feel the premise is to award non-sustainable designs for gadgets to scrub the atmosphere so mankind can still live our unsustainable lives and continue to pump pollutants into the atmosphere.
What is really needed is a paradigm shift from unsustainable growth to sustainable living, and the basic design of the bicycle is perfect to start the transformation required to make this shift. For example, if the bicycle, e-bike, or whatever variant were to immediately replace personal motor vehicles there would be an immediate reduction in negative impacts to the atmosphere. Gone would be the tons of carbon dioxide and other toxics gases we pump into the atmosphere for each mile of roadway driven. Also gone would be the energy requirements and resources needed to support the production and use of personal motor vehicles, and well as the associated gaseous toxins. Further eliminated would be the unsustainable energy policies, dependence on foreign resources, failed foreign policies, and the fallen and maimed youth fighting pointless wars protecting finite and likely trivial natural resources. The spiral of the effect each change makes compounds the benefit to the planet and helps move mankind toward sustainable living.
I could go on, but I am satisfied I made my point that the bicycle is the design for a better, safer, and healthier world. Now show me the money so I can go out and buy bicycles to give to people who share my visions.
For the past few days I have been having reoccurring thoughts about winning the Virgin Earth Challenge prize for demonstrating a commercially viable design which results in the removal of anthropogenic, atmospheric greenhouse gases so as to contribute materially to the stability of Earth’s climate.
Winning the prize is too simple, just prohibit cars and give everyone a bicycle. The design already exists!
I am actually disappointed in the contest because I feel the premise is to award non-sustainable designs for gadgets to scrub the atmosphere so mankind can still live our unsustainable lives and continue to pump pollutants into the atmosphere.
What is really needed is a paradigm shift from unsustainable growth to sustainable living, and the basic design of the bicycle is perfect to start the transformation required to make this shift. For example, if the bicycle, e-bike, or whatever variant were to immediately replace personal motor vehicles there would be an immediate reduction in negative impacts to the atmosphere. Gone would be the tons of carbon dioxide and other toxics gases we pump into the atmosphere for each mile of roadway driven. Also gone would be the energy requirements and resources needed to support the production and use of personal motor vehicles, and well as the associated gaseous toxins. Further eliminated would be the unsustainable energy policies, dependence on foreign resources, failed foreign policies, and the fallen and maimed youth fighting pointless wars protecting finite and likely trivial natural resources. The spiral of the effect each change makes compounds the benefit to the planet and helps move mankind toward sustainable living.
I could go on, but I am satisfied I made my point that the bicycle is the design for a better, safer, and healthier world. Now show me the money so I can go out and buy bicycles to give to people who share my visions.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
I'm Back.........
It's almost March, I hope the last of the snow is now melting, and I am itching to buy a new bike on which I can reuse my hub motor.
Don't get me wrong, my current ride is great. Oh, here's an interesting story, my current ride is a Montague folding mountain bike that I bought on eBay from Wavecrestlabs. Actually, I bought the frame set only, the wheel set was from my old Cannondale which I originally had the hub motor setup on. A bunch of the Montague frames became available when Wavecrestlabs sold Tidalforce to Matra Sports. So it is kind of ironic that I went from riding an electric-conversion Cannondale to a de-electric Tidalforce. The old Tidalforce frame set came equipped with all necessary components (including the braze-ons for running the electric wires between the motor, batteries, and control - they are all still there but now empty), all that was missing were two wheels - I think I only paid $200.00! for the bike. Too bad the hub motor doesn't fit the front suspension fork, otherwise I would just mount the Wilderness Energy hub motor to the old Tidalforce frame - an odd partner of sorts.
Currently my old non-e Tidalforce serves as my station bike. I ride everyday, rain, sleet, snow, salt, heat, cold, or sun - no exception, the mile or so from my house to the train station where I chain it and catch the train into New York City to go to work. I also use the bike for short trips around town (milk runs, to the Post Office, etc.). The only problem I had was with the chain. The chain broke because it wasn't the proper size for the cogs on the Cannondale cassette - this has been fixed. I would not do this to any other bike, but once a week I spray down all the movable parts with WD40 to keep the workings well lubricated from the wintry nasty things that tend to gum up machinery. Usually I would use a good quality synthetic bicycle oil and grease. I will likely have to service all the bearings at some point during the spring.
Getting back to my itching, here is what I have been thinking about...... I will keep the non-e Tidalforce Montague for my wintry and rainy day commuting to the train station. I want to purchase the 2007 Schwinn cruiser that has the 7-speed Nexus rear hub and install the hub motor on the front fork. I need to mount baskets on the bike, so I want to mount large Wald wire baskets both front and rear - this will give me more cargo capacity than the trunk of my wife's VW Beetle convertible. The best part is, I think it will actually make money for me!
Here is where the revenue comes from - advertising! You see, I get to the train station at about 5:00 AM (really early - the first train of the day) so I get to park my bike right at the bottom of the stairs leading to the platform where everyone gets the train (this is first-come, first-served). Literally hundreds of people walk past my bike every day for the ride into New York City. The Wald baskets offer almost 10 square feet of conspicuous space where I can place advertisements for local businesses.
I have the location, hundreds of people pass the spot every business day, there will be a conspicuous cool-retro look, and it doesn't need to be expensive to be conspicuous, especially if local businesses can supply me with their artwork - then I just slip it into a mounting sleeve on the exterior of the baskets. On holidays and weekends, I can park the bicycle out front of the advertised establishment so there will be the advertisement-establishment association to more easily direct people to my sponsor. Spread out over 5 years, my cost is less than $0.75 per day (assuming 10 months of operation per year). So, even if I only charge $2.00 a day to have someones advertising on my bike, I will be able to buy a nice new bike every other year - not a bad way to stay in new wheels! Taking the concept further, I can sell franchises by offering a free bicycle to bike commuter if they park their bikes conspicuous public places (Anyone interested?).
Regarding the Schwinn Deluxe 7, I have ridden the bike. I feel it will make a great commuter/short trip bike. I like the ergonomics. I fit the bike really well. It has a very cool retro look, and the 7-speed Shimano Nexus hub has great gearing for around town. With a hub motor mounted, the bike makes a perfect urban/suburban cruiser, and with the baskets added the machine will move more groceries and stuff than any steroid pumped SUV.
Until next time.
Don't get me wrong, my current ride is great. Oh, here's an interesting story, my current ride is a Montague folding mountain bike that I bought on eBay from Wavecrestlabs. Actually, I bought the frame set only, the wheel set was from my old Cannondale which I originally had the hub motor setup on. A bunch of the Montague frames became available when Wavecrestlabs sold Tidalforce to Matra Sports. So it is kind of ironic that I went from riding an electric-conversion Cannondale to a de-electric Tidalforce. The old Tidalforce frame set came equipped with all necessary components (including the braze-ons for running the electric wires between the motor, batteries, and control - they are all still there but now empty), all that was missing were two wheels - I think I only paid $200.00! for the bike. Too bad the hub motor doesn't fit the front suspension fork, otherwise I would just mount the Wilderness Energy hub motor to the old Tidalforce frame - an odd partner of sorts.
Currently my old non-e Tidalforce serves as my station bike. I ride everyday, rain, sleet, snow, salt, heat, cold, or sun - no exception, the mile or so from my house to the train station where I chain it and catch the train into New York City to go to work. I also use the bike for short trips around town (milk runs, to the Post Office, etc.). The only problem I had was with the chain. The chain broke because it wasn't the proper size for the cogs on the Cannondale cassette - this has been fixed. I would not do this to any other bike, but once a week I spray down all the movable parts with WD40 to keep the workings well lubricated from the wintry nasty things that tend to gum up machinery. Usually I would use a good quality synthetic bicycle oil and grease. I will likely have to service all the bearings at some point during the spring.
Getting back to my itching, here is what I have been thinking about...... I will keep the non-e Tidalforce Montague for my wintry and rainy day commuting to the train station. I want to purchase the 2007 Schwinn cruiser that has the 7-speed Nexus rear hub and install the hub motor on the front fork. I need to mount baskets on the bike, so I want to mount large Wald wire baskets both front and rear - this will give me more cargo capacity than the trunk of my wife's VW Beetle convertible. The best part is, I think it will actually make money for me!
Here is where the revenue comes from - advertising! You see, I get to the train station at about 5:00 AM (really early - the first train of the day) so I get to park my bike right at the bottom of the stairs leading to the platform where everyone gets the train (this is first-come, first-served). Literally hundreds of people walk past my bike every day for the ride into New York City. The Wald baskets offer almost 10 square feet of conspicuous space where I can place advertisements for local businesses.
I have the location, hundreds of people pass the spot every business day, there will be a conspicuous cool-retro look, and it doesn't need to be expensive to be conspicuous, especially if local businesses can supply me with their artwork - then I just slip it into a mounting sleeve on the exterior of the baskets. On holidays and weekends, I can park the bicycle out front of the advertised establishment so there will be the advertisement-establishment association to more easily direct people to my sponsor. Spread out over 5 years, my cost is less than $0.75 per day (assuming 10 months of operation per year). So, even if I only charge $2.00 a day to have someones advertising on my bike, I will be able to buy a nice new bike every other year - not a bad way to stay in new wheels! Taking the concept further, I can sell franchises by offering a free bicycle to bike commuter if they park their bikes conspicuous public places (Anyone interested?).
Regarding the Schwinn Deluxe 7, I have ridden the bike. I feel it will make a great commuter/short trip bike. I like the ergonomics. I fit the bike really well. It has a very cool retro look, and the 7-speed Shimano Nexus hub has great gearing for around town. With a hub motor mounted, the bike makes a perfect urban/suburban cruiser, and with the baskets added the machine will move more groceries and stuff than any steroid pumped SUV.
Until next time.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
November 5, 2005 - End of e-blog for now.
Come one, come all.
Please visit my new bike blog found at http://dahon-speed8-commute.blogspot.com/
We will see you all soon
Thank you.
Please visit my new bike blog found at http://dahon-speed8-commute.blogspot.com/
We will see you all soon
Thank you.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
October 30th - no more ebike......(until it gets warmer)
I found during the last three weeks the temperature played a big role in available power from the battery, plus an aged battery pack doesn't go the distance in cooler (40's) weather. I also tested my charger last night, this is charger No. 2, well... it crapped out - 2 chargers in one spring/summer/fall season - this is not acceptable to me.
As you can see from my previous post, I am 55 pounds lighter now that I have removed the battery and motor, and the Canondale is once again a bicycle.
I was horrified this morning when I was at the bagel shop and realized I had only 5 minutes to get to work. I called the guy I was relieving and he had no problems with the delay (but it cost me a bagel he wanted). I couldn't figure out what happened, I was 1/2 hour off my normal pace and I didn't think the motor made that much difference. So I figure I was realy slow without the motor, it kind of made sense, but I still thought I had made really good time. Well, my wife calls me at work and explains to me how funny it was for her to find all the clocks in our bedroom 1/2 behind every other clock in the house. This finding says alot about this morning's ride, I actually did make good time without the motor.
Tonight on the ride home I was particular about timing myself. I hit the road at 5:40 and was home by 6:25. 45 minutes, 15 minutes longer than if I had a motor, but some of the time added was due to going slower because it was dark out.
Well, I am set to peddle tomorrow, Halloween.
Happy Halloween, and please be safe.
PS. I sold my pickup truck to a construction company! No more gas, no more insurance, no more associated car expense!
As you can see from my previous post, I am 55 pounds lighter now that I have removed the battery and motor, and the Canondale is once again a bicycle.
I was horrified this morning when I was at the bagel shop and realized I had only 5 minutes to get to work. I called the guy I was relieving and he had no problems with the delay (but it cost me a bagel he wanted). I couldn't figure out what happened, I was 1/2 hour off my normal pace and I didn't think the motor made that much difference. So I figure I was realy slow without the motor, it kind of made sense, but I still thought I had made really good time. Well, my wife calls me at work and explains to me how funny it was for her to find all the clocks in our bedroom 1/2 behind every other clock in the house. This finding says alot about this morning's ride, I actually did make good time without the motor.
Tonight on the ride home I was particular about timing myself. I hit the road at 5:40 and was home by 6:25. 45 minutes, 15 minutes longer than if I had a motor, but some of the time added was due to going slower because it was dark out.
Well, I am set to peddle tomorrow, Halloween.
Happy Halloween, and please be safe.
PS. I sold my pickup truck to a construction company! No more gas, no more insurance, no more associated car expense!
October 29th - My Birthday! (I lost 55 pounds today)
I had the misfortune of having to work on birthday. I also made the mistake of celebrating my birthday on the night of the eve, so getting up at 04:00 Hrs was not too pleasant. However, most unpleasant was finding my batteries just don't have the life left in them, especially on that big hill I go up to get home from work.
Getting to work was normal, dark. I am now riding with 4-red flashers on the back (3-on a homemade light bar, and 1-one the seat post), and I have a Cateye 300 plus 2-Trek white/green flashers in the front. I really need to spend some time figuring out how to upload photos, this setup is worthy of sharing. I have applied 3M reflective tape to my helmet and I am riding with a day-glo green DOT III approved reflective vest. I am sure I am a site to see, and that's the point - isn't it?
On the note of being seen. I have noticed a trend with the DF Wedgie crowd wearing dark tights, jerseys, and helmets. It may look stealth, if you can see it. My word to those wanting to "look cool", be bright! Bright colors that contrast the urban landscape (or country side) can save your life from those idiot drivers (I mean most drivers) who, at best, are concious of only what is in a 35 degree field of view in front of them. Be safe, not sorry.
Getting back to the batteries. I spent an hour last night removing the motor, control, throttle, and battery, and wrenching a little on my brakes. Well, I lost 50 pounds. When I was finished I got ready for work, set the clocks back an hour, and went to bed looking forward to a nice ride to work in the morning.
Getting to work was normal, dark. I am now riding with 4-red flashers on the back (3-on a homemade light bar, and 1-one the seat post), and I have a Cateye 300 plus 2-Trek white/green flashers in the front. I really need to spend some time figuring out how to upload photos, this setup is worthy of sharing. I have applied 3M reflective tape to my helmet and I am riding with a day-glo green DOT III approved reflective vest. I am sure I am a site to see, and that's the point - isn't it?
On the note of being seen. I have noticed a trend with the DF Wedgie crowd wearing dark tights, jerseys, and helmets. It may look stealth, if you can see it. My word to those wanting to "look cool", be bright! Bright colors that contrast the urban landscape (or country side) can save your life from those idiot drivers (I mean most drivers) who, at best, are concious of only what is in a 35 degree field of view in front of them. Be safe, not sorry.
Getting back to the batteries. I spent an hour last night removing the motor, control, throttle, and battery, and wrenching a little on my brakes. Well, I lost 50 pounds. When I was finished I got ready for work, set the clocks back an hour, and went to bed looking forward to a nice ride to work in the morning.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
October 27 - near my birthday (the 29th)
I am still here. During the past 17 days, it has rained 14. New York has never had so much rain during the month of October.
Fortunately, for most of the last 17 days I have been on-call and I am being compensated by the company for driving as business travel - and it has been well earned because there were quite a few calls.
Stay-tunned in. There are a couple of things happening here. Like, the truck is being sold, a new bike and new job may be on the horizon, and I have to come to grips with replacing my ebike batteries.
Fortunately, for most of the last 17 days I have been on-call and I am being compensated by the company for driving as business travel - and it has been well earned because there were quite a few calls.
Stay-tunned in. There are a couple of things happening here. Like, the truck is being sold, a new bike and new job may be on the horizon, and I have to come to grips with replacing my ebike batteries.
Monday, October 10, 2005
October 9 and 10 - I nice ride (until the battery died)
It happened, finally... The batteries failed to get me up the last hill on my way home today. For the first time in months I had to drop into my granny gear - sorry Granny, I had too. With 50+ pounds of battery and motor now being dead weight, thank heavens I still had a granny gear.
Between a little grease on my bearings, the chain needing a good cleaning and lube, all the dead weight, and my largeness due to consuming to much c6h12o6, the ride home today was an awakening. But do note, it is 7:45 AM and I have just finished my second glass of wine - I worked the overnight and just got home - O.K.?
Decisions, decisions, etc.... I am leaning toward selling the e-bike as-is (it will need $40 of new batteries) for $400+ shipping, and I love PayPal, and buying a new bike. I have been eyeing the Dahon Speed TR because it folds (I can take it on a train to Manhattan) and it has the SRAM Daul Drive with an 8 cog gear cluster, plus 3 speed internal hub for a gear range of something linke 29 to 111 inches - you can't beat that on most road tandems!
I have also been playing with a couple of conceptual designs for a trailer/carrier for a folding bike that will allow the rider to haul a substaintial load in the trailer without compromising the foldability of the bike, and then once the bike is folded, the bike stores in the trailer that is then convereted to hand-truck stlyed wheeled lugage/carrier. The attempts I have seen at working this concept have seemed to lack the energy/input of anyone who would seriously use this type of system on a day-to-day basis. I hope my concept can reach the masses and revolutionize transportation as we know it.
On the revolutionarianism side of things, I have been thinking of a new business (in addition to the two I already have) that sells bicycles, bicycle accessories, and other items to caiter to bicycle commuters. What do you think? Is it a worthy business idea?
Between a little grease on my bearings, the chain needing a good cleaning and lube, all the dead weight, and my largeness due to consuming to much c6h12o6, the ride home today was an awakening. But do note, it is 7:45 AM and I have just finished my second glass of wine - I worked the overnight and just got home - O.K.?
Decisions, decisions, etc.... I am leaning toward selling the e-bike as-is (it will need $40 of new batteries) for $400+ shipping, and I love PayPal, and buying a new bike. I have been eyeing the Dahon Speed TR because it folds (I can take it on a train to Manhattan) and it has the SRAM Daul Drive with an 8 cog gear cluster, plus 3 speed internal hub for a gear range of something linke 29 to 111 inches - you can't beat that on most road tandems!
I have also been playing with a couple of conceptual designs for a trailer/carrier for a folding bike that will allow the rider to haul a substaintial load in the trailer without compromising the foldability of the bike, and then once the bike is folded, the bike stores in the trailer that is then convereted to hand-truck stlyed wheeled lugage/carrier. The attempts I have seen at working this concept have seemed to lack the energy/input of anyone who would seriously use this type of system on a day-to-day basis. I hope my concept can reach the masses and revolutionize transportation as we know it.
On the revolutionarianism side of things, I have been thinking of a new business (in addition to the two I already have) that sells bicycles, bicycle accessories, and other items to caiter to bicycle commuters. What do you think? Is it a worthy business idea?
The Week of October 3
It's a blast running erands on the e-bike. Truely, this combination of bicycle and electric technologies is the most effiecent way of running to the store when you only need a few things.
Monday was a normal day, the kids were in school and Heidi (a/k/a Director of Finer Details, a/k/a Mrs. Jim) was working on her business. While the house was empty I ran packages to the Post Office and made a trip to the hardware store for some odds and ends. Well with a zoom and a huff, I was in town in a flash, parked in my usual parking spaces - "right in front of all the places I needed to go." Before I knew it, I was home without using any gasoline.
Tuesday and Wednesday were weird, these are the High Jewish Holidays - the holiday isn't weird (I'm Catholic, the Mrs. is Jewish - and do we know guilt...), but weird is the kids were only in school for one day, then they were off for two. Well at least we got to spend some quality time together at home (no one went Postal on anyone), but at lunch on Tuesday my 7-year old daughter explained to me how her classmate threatened her and told her he was going to have is brother shoot and kill her. THIS IS ONE TYPE OF INCIDENT EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY IN OUR POST-COLUMBINE WORLD. The next 48 hours were spent notifying the Teachers, getting the Principal involved, the kid's parents were dragged into this, and the bottom line was the kid just out of line make inappropriate juvenile-type remarks to impress my daughter - no one actually had a gun. Needless to say, the event made for an exciting few days.
Wednesday the truck got it's first workout it has had in a while. I needed a cubic yard of top soil, there were some awkward packages that needed to be mailed out, etc. Next week we pick up a cord of firewood.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I drove the truck to work (note: since early September I have only used 7 gallons of gasoline in the truck). Not only was I starting my rotation at work, but I was working nights and we were in the middle of a tropical depression that dumped 8 inches of rain across most of the area - it was wet, work was busy, and the luxury of the truck was well worth it.
Last night, Sunday night, I rode my e-bike, this was a welcome change. I have been noticing that I have not been getting a good connection between the charger and the charger's plug on the battery pack. I suspect road grime and poor manufacturing, and a summer of bike commuting have taken it's toll here. I plan on going to Radio Shack to get replacement pieces and do the repairs myself. I also notice that now that it is a little cooler and the batteries have been cycled 50+ times, they aren't keeping the charge they use to - or - this could be a function of a poor charger connection. After I see how the charger connection repairs work out, if I notice little or no improvement, I am going to remove the motor and battery from the bike until the spring and/or sell it to someone in a warmer climate who may get winter use out of it - I would also consider selling the complete bike for the right price ($400.00+ shipping).
The motor removal scheme came to me after I did some work on the bike last week. I removed the battery pack to attach a custom-made light bar to my rear rack that accomodates 3+ LED flashers - I am now very visible from behind! [note: I need to upload photos] The bike felt extremely light without 30+ pounds of lead acid battery, and I realized the bike will feel even lighter removing 20+ pounds of motor. After a summer of riding, I am in sufficient shape that I might not physically need the motor to keep my commute times where they are at now (30 minutes +/- 5 minutes). However, I do like the motor. Perhaps my next setup will be with a brushless (less drag) motor and NiMH batteries (less weight, but more $$$).
Thinking I might swap off the motor I grabbed the stock wheel and gave it a spin in my hands. Wow! The gyroscopic effect was cool, but the grinding of the bearings was unbearable. This made me realize that I really need to overhaul the Cannandale. This also made me think that if I overhaul the Cannondale, remove the motor and battery, I might just end up with a very low rolling resistant and light weight commuting bike.
Now here's my delema. If I over haul my bike, it will cost me about $100 in parts (new cables, I would switch my brakes to v-brakes at the same time, and I would replace the chain and tubes - the tires are still fine), and I would take me 8 hours to complete the job. I value my time at about $68/hour. So the actual cost of overhauling the bike is close to $650.00. Now because I have the highest credit rating in the world (I pay my bills and have no credit card debit), I can afford to lay out $650 for a new bike (hey, isn't that what credit cards are for?). So do I fix the old, or buy new? If I buy new, do I sell the old, or keep it as an e-beater? What would you do if your were in my position?
Monday was a normal day, the kids were in school and Heidi (a/k/a Director of Finer Details, a/k/a Mrs. Jim) was working on her business. While the house was empty I ran packages to the Post Office and made a trip to the hardware store for some odds and ends. Well with a zoom and a huff, I was in town in a flash, parked in my usual parking spaces - "right in front of all the places I needed to go." Before I knew it, I was home without using any gasoline.
Tuesday and Wednesday were weird, these are the High Jewish Holidays - the holiday isn't weird (I'm Catholic, the Mrs. is Jewish - and do we know guilt...), but weird is the kids were only in school for one day, then they were off for two. Well at least we got to spend some quality time together at home (no one went Postal on anyone), but at lunch on Tuesday my 7-year old daughter explained to me how her classmate threatened her and told her he was going to have is brother shoot and kill her. THIS IS ONE TYPE OF INCIDENT EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY IN OUR POST-COLUMBINE WORLD. The next 48 hours were spent notifying the Teachers, getting the Principal involved, the kid's parents were dragged into this, and the bottom line was the kid just out of line make inappropriate juvenile-type remarks to impress my daughter - no one actually had a gun. Needless to say, the event made for an exciting few days.
Wednesday the truck got it's first workout it has had in a while. I needed a cubic yard of top soil, there were some awkward packages that needed to be mailed out, etc. Next week we pick up a cord of firewood.
Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I drove the truck to work (note: since early September I have only used 7 gallons of gasoline in the truck). Not only was I starting my rotation at work, but I was working nights and we were in the middle of a tropical depression that dumped 8 inches of rain across most of the area - it was wet, work was busy, and the luxury of the truck was well worth it.
Last night, Sunday night, I rode my e-bike, this was a welcome change. I have been noticing that I have not been getting a good connection between the charger and the charger's plug on the battery pack. I suspect road grime and poor manufacturing, and a summer of bike commuting have taken it's toll here. I plan on going to Radio Shack to get replacement pieces and do the repairs myself. I also notice that now that it is a little cooler and the batteries have been cycled 50+ times, they aren't keeping the charge they use to - or - this could be a function of a poor charger connection. After I see how the charger connection repairs work out, if I notice little or no improvement, I am going to remove the motor and battery from the bike until the spring and/or sell it to someone in a warmer climate who may get winter use out of it - I would also consider selling the complete bike for the right price ($400.00+ shipping).
The motor removal scheme came to me after I did some work on the bike last week. I removed the battery pack to attach a custom-made light bar to my rear rack that accomodates 3+ LED flashers - I am now very visible from behind! [note: I need to upload photos] The bike felt extremely light without 30+ pounds of lead acid battery, and I realized the bike will feel even lighter removing 20+ pounds of motor. After a summer of riding, I am in sufficient shape that I might not physically need the motor to keep my commute times where they are at now (30 minutes +/- 5 minutes). However, I do like the motor. Perhaps my next setup will be with a brushless (less drag) motor and NiMH batteries (less weight, but more $$$).
Thinking I might swap off the motor I grabbed the stock wheel and gave it a spin in my hands. Wow! The gyroscopic effect was cool, but the grinding of the bearings was unbearable. This made me realize that I really need to overhaul the Cannandale. This also made me think that if I overhaul the Cannondale, remove the motor and battery, I might just end up with a very low rolling resistant and light weight commuting bike.
Now here's my delema. If I over haul my bike, it will cost me about $100 in parts (new cables, I would switch my brakes to v-brakes at the same time, and I would replace the chain and tubes - the tires are still fine), and I would take me 8 hours to complete the job. I value my time at about $68/hour. So the actual cost of overhauling the bike is close to $650.00. Now because I have the highest credit rating in the world (I pay my bills and have no credit card debit), I can afford to lay out $650 for a new bike (hey, isn't that what credit cards are for?). So do I fix the old, or buy new? If I buy new, do I sell the old, or keep it as an e-beater? What would you do if your were in my position?
Sunday, October 02, 2005
October 1 & 2 - Local errands
On Saturday the mini van got a good workout. Back and forth from the neighborhood across town to a softball clinic for the girls (wow they like softball!). I offered to car pool and ended up with 6 very energetic 8 and 10 year olds, and boy can they make a lot of noise - the ear drum splitting headache causing type. So I figure I transported 7 people, the mini van gets 25 MPG, then I must have gotten an honest 175 passenger miles per gallon? How does that work? Like a municiple bus gets like 6 miles per gallon of diesel, yet carrying 50 passengers the bus is getting 300 passenger miles per gallon. Is there actual efficency here?
Saturday I took the bike to the hardware store and picked up another 2-six pack of pumkin ale. A descent 3 mile round trip on the e-bike.
Today, Sunday I went for bagels, a good 2 mile round trip.
[Note: I need to contact Wilderness Energy, the charger seems to not be working well. The likely problem is road grime on the bike-side charger receptor. I am not too sure how agressive I can get cleaning out the charger receptor. Perhaps, this is a part I should wrap daily with fresh electric tape to keep the grime out.]
Monday, I start maintenance work on the bike. I should pick up another couple 6-packs of pumpkin ale, the last ones were short lived - neighbors, they like it too.
Saturday I took the bike to the hardware store and picked up another 2-six pack of pumkin ale. A descent 3 mile round trip on the e-bike.
Today, Sunday I went for bagels, a good 2 mile round trip.
[Note: I need to contact Wilderness Energy, the charger seems to not be working well. The likely problem is road grime on the bike-side charger receptor. I am not too sure how agressive I can get cleaning out the charger receptor. Perhaps, this is a part I should wrap daily with fresh electric tape to keep the grime out.]
Monday, I start maintenance work on the bike. I should pick up another couple 6-packs of pumpkin ale, the last ones were short lived - neighbors, they like it too.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
September 30th - New Pumpkin Ale
I love Pumpkin Ale. I actually just went and grabbed one out of the refrigerator. Boy it tastes good, almost like drinking the finest of pumpkin pies, but it quenches your thirst too. Amazing stuff. This particular brand is Smuttynose Brewing Company, and it is brewed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I only bought 1-six pack today, but it is so good I may just have to buy a whole case.
Today was my first true day off in a long time. I am starting to mop-up some loose ends that have been piling up over the past few days (daze) and weeks. One item was getting orders packed and shipped to customers (my wife and I have a side business, we buy and sell used books, the family started this business back in the late 1960's). I had 8 orders today, and one was shipped in a huge 16 inch by 12 inch by 12 inch box, this size is a little too large to strap on my bike rack, so I hitched up the Burley trailer. With the trailer loaded, I was off to the Post Office on my e-bike. When I arrived at the Post Office, one of the Clerk's was on a break and saw me roll up all encumbered with parcels and she said she was amazed one could do what I was doing. Actually, it isn't all that hard to do.
After finishing business at the Post Office, a rather tired looking new Mom with a double stroller packed with a set of twins and a 3 year old pulling at her shirt tail approached me and asked how safe the trailer was in traffic. [I started wondering, was this person about to do herself and her family in, or was this person looking for alternative transportation and a little excercise, fortunately I found out it was the exercise she was looking for.] I spent a good 20 minutes explaining how safe the Burley product was, how to find low traffic routes, to walk in cross walks and on sidewalks if traffic is too dangerous, and the benefits my family has had using a bike and trailer for more than recreation. The mom then looked at her husband after I explained a 3 year old and a couple days worth of groceries can fit into the trailer at the same time - I guess this guy now knows what is coming.
I left the Post Office and went to the local grocery store. This store is awesome, they have the largest selection of micro-brewed and imported beers, ales, ports, etc. A full 25 feet of refrigerator wall space is dedicated to their beer display, and no two of the same beers are next to each other on any shelf - this is not a Budweiser-only store. Wyck beer, pumpkin ale, Jamakin, Austrian, Norwiegn, beers with corks, bottles wrapped in paper, ....... just an awesome selection [and just 29 minutes from mid-town Manhattan]. Here is where I bought my six-pack of Pumpkin Ale (which I still continue to sip).
Well on the way home, I passed by a neighbor who had also just made a beer run, but in her mini van. Well she thought I had a child in the trailer, and was floored in wild hysteria to find out all I had was a 6-pack and bag of pretzles. She too hadn't realized that there is more than just children that can fit into a bicycle trailer.
I am almost finished with my Pumpkin Ale, boy it tastes darn good. Tomorrow, Friday, is likely the last day I will be riding my e-bike for a few days. I know I have one errand to run mid-day, round trip will be 14 miles. I really need to overhaul the bike. All the bearings need to be regreased. The cables are so stretched that no simple adjustment keeps set for any period of time. My derailuers need to be scrubbed clean of road grime, and it's about time I true my rear wheel. I also need to work up a solution for better mounting my flashers for riding in the dark.
Lots to do before returning to work next Thursday.
Today was my first true day off in a long time. I am starting to mop-up some loose ends that have been piling up over the past few days (daze) and weeks. One item was getting orders packed and shipped to customers (my wife and I have a side business, we buy and sell used books, the family started this business back in the late 1960's). I had 8 orders today, and one was shipped in a huge 16 inch by 12 inch by 12 inch box, this size is a little too large to strap on my bike rack, so I hitched up the Burley trailer. With the trailer loaded, I was off to the Post Office on my e-bike. When I arrived at the Post Office, one of the Clerk's was on a break and saw me roll up all encumbered with parcels and she said she was amazed one could do what I was doing. Actually, it isn't all that hard to do.
After finishing business at the Post Office, a rather tired looking new Mom with a double stroller packed with a set of twins and a 3 year old pulling at her shirt tail approached me and asked how safe the trailer was in traffic. [I started wondering, was this person about to do herself and her family in, or was this person looking for alternative transportation and a little excercise, fortunately I found out it was the exercise she was looking for.] I spent a good 20 minutes explaining how safe the Burley product was, how to find low traffic routes, to walk in cross walks and on sidewalks if traffic is too dangerous, and the benefits my family has had using a bike and trailer for more than recreation. The mom then looked at her husband after I explained a 3 year old and a couple days worth of groceries can fit into the trailer at the same time - I guess this guy now knows what is coming.
I left the Post Office and went to the local grocery store. This store is awesome, they have the largest selection of micro-brewed and imported beers, ales, ports, etc. A full 25 feet of refrigerator wall space is dedicated to their beer display, and no two of the same beers are next to each other on any shelf - this is not a Budweiser-only store. Wyck beer, pumpkin ale, Jamakin, Austrian, Norwiegn, beers with corks, bottles wrapped in paper, ....... just an awesome selection [and just 29 minutes from mid-town Manhattan]. Here is where I bought my six-pack of Pumpkin Ale (which I still continue to sip).
Well on the way home, I passed by a neighbor who had also just made a beer run, but in her mini van. Well she thought I had a child in the trailer, and was floored in wild hysteria to find out all I had was a 6-pack and bag of pretzles. She too hadn't realized that there is more than just children that can fit into a bicycle trailer.
I am almost finished with my Pumpkin Ale, boy it tastes darn good. Tomorrow, Friday, is likely the last day I will be riding my e-bike for a few days. I know I have one errand to run mid-day, round trip will be 14 miles. I really need to overhaul the bike. All the bearings need to be regreased. The cables are so stretched that no simple adjustment keeps set for any period of time. My derailuers need to be scrubbed clean of road grime, and it's about time I true my rear wheel. I also need to work up a solution for better mounting my flashers for riding in the dark.
Lots to do before returning to work next Thursday.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
September 28 - Last day (in rotation).
What an interesting 6 weeks. I have returned from a nice vacation in San Francisco, my friend lost her house in Gulfport, locally gasoline has spiked to $3.65 per gallon, my monthly mortgage has increase by $500 per month to cover increases in taxes, my natural gas bill went up $100 per month, and I think I may have driven my car only a handfull of times. At work there were well over 200 incidents I was involved with that required regulatory compliance (acidents, spills, close-calls, employee issues, etc.). My time was sure filled with interesting events.
As for today, I drove. Seeing that I will be away from the office for more than a week, I needed to bring home a load of work clothes and reference materials I will need while I am not there. The load was too big for the bike trailer.
I still haven't count my bike commute days, this will wait until I get back to work (my spreadsheet) to figure it all out. I feel like I rode 40+ days. In the end I rode more than the begining. Gasoline prices did make a difference for me. Why should I pay high prices for gasoline when I really don't need it?
During my week off, I will do local commuting on my e-bike (groceries, beer, post office, bank, etc.). I also plan to get a load of fire wood and top soil so the truck will be used a little too. Of course there are ball games, play dates, etc. and the mini-van will get a good work out too. I hope to sell the truck, that will happen hopefully sooner rather than later.
I am also looking forward to breaking down my e-bike and doing an overhaul to get things tighter and smoother. I will need new cables, brake pads, grease, and elbow grease and I am sure the ride will be smooth and set for the fall and early winter.
A note on winter. I am thinking of taking the motor off the bike to keep the grime induced deterioration to a minimum.
Regardless, I will be peddling often during the next 7 days. The additions to the blog may be less timely, but keep the faith, I am out here peddling away.
As for today, I drove. Seeing that I will be away from the office for more than a week, I needed to bring home a load of work clothes and reference materials I will need while I am not there. The load was too big for the bike trailer.
I still haven't count my bike commute days, this will wait until I get back to work (my spreadsheet) to figure it all out. I feel like I rode 40+ days. In the end I rode more than the begining. Gasoline prices did make a difference for me. Why should I pay high prices for gasoline when I really don't need it?
During my week off, I will do local commuting on my e-bike (groceries, beer, post office, bank, etc.). I also plan to get a load of fire wood and top soil so the truck will be used a little too. Of course there are ball games, play dates, etc. and the mini-van will get a good work out too. I hope to sell the truck, that will happen hopefully sooner rather than later.
I am also looking forward to breaking down my e-bike and doing an overhaul to get things tighter and smoother. I will need new cables, brake pads, grease, and elbow grease and I am sure the ride will be smooth and set for the fall and early winter.
A note on winter. I am thinking of taking the motor off the bike to keep the grime induced deterioration to a minimum.
Regardless, I will be peddling often during the next 7 days. The additions to the blog may be less timely, but keep the faith, I am out here peddling away.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
September 27 - One more day to go.
Tomorrow, I finish my 6 week rotation. I rode more this time around than on any other rotation since June. I will now count the days to see if I met the goal I set in June, I feel I must be close to it.
The ride in today started about 6 AM. I encountered several motorist who didn't want to stop at STOP signs on small feeder streets, and only did so after I made my presense known with lights, bell, and shouts (don't shout too much, it doesn't pay to piss-off an idiot who is in semi-control of several thousands of pounds of steel - need I say more). I am thinking front-mounted clear/white flasher are in order to be more "Front" visible.
At lunch today with my Manager and Vice President, my manager started a conversation by asking me if I rode my "motor bike" to work today. Well now everyone (like my VP) knows I ride a hybrid ped-electric bike [REMINDER: I work for a (very) large electric utility], I set a goal and I am close to making it, I don't buy much gasoline, I support "green building" initiatives, and that "yes" I am a professional and yes the environment is something I know is important to protect, preserve, and repair if business is to succeed and if we want to continue living in the world as we know it, and finally, I have studied the environment, and I am an environmental scientist.
Oooh. It will be nice to off for a few days to catch up on my sanity (and ride a bit more).
Also, I am thinking of working on my old road bike and getting it back on the road for winter. What do you think?
The ride in today started about 6 AM. I encountered several motorist who didn't want to stop at STOP signs on small feeder streets, and only did so after I made my presense known with lights, bell, and shouts (don't shout too much, it doesn't pay to piss-off an idiot who is in semi-control of several thousands of pounds of steel - need I say more). I am thinking front-mounted clear/white flasher are in order to be more "Front" visible.
At lunch today with my Manager and Vice President, my manager started a conversation by asking me if I rode my "motor bike" to work today. Well now everyone (like my VP) knows I ride a hybrid ped-electric bike [REMINDER: I work for a (very) large electric utility], I set a goal and I am close to making it, I don't buy much gasoline, I support "green building" initiatives, and that "yes" I am a professional and yes the environment is something I know is important to protect, preserve, and repair if business is to succeed and if we want to continue living in the world as we know it, and finally, I have studied the environment, and I am an environmental scientist.
Oooh. It will be nice to off for a few days to catch up on my sanity (and ride a bit more).
Also, I am thinking of working on my old road bike and getting it back on the road for winter. What do you think?
Monday, September 26, 2005
Google News Alert: Bicycle - A really cool feature
If you haven't discovered by now, Google news has a great feature called New Alerts. This feature allows users, like me, to have a digest of articles - with links to full text news articles - emailed to me daily on subjects I choose. Here's the hyperlink to the feature: http://www.google.com/alerts?hl=en.
I have chosen the topic "bicycle". Now daily, Google emails me a list of news articles with bicycle in the subject of the article. Every day, I open the email and click the hyperlink, and I have bicycle news [Note: so far the majority of the news is about fatalities and felonies where the perpetrators escape on bicycle, but there is some socio-political news too].
I advocate everyone try the Google news "Alert" feature, it is fun.
I have chosen the topic "bicycle". Now daily, Google emails me a list of news articles with bicycle in the subject of the article. Every day, I open the email and click the hyperlink, and I have bicycle news [Note: so far the majority of the news is about fatalities and felonies where the perpetrators escape on bicycle, but there is some socio-political news too].
I advocate everyone try the Google news "Alert" feature, it is fun.
September 26th - Monday.....
I was due into work at 7:00 AM, not the usual 6:00 AM. So today I left the house at 6, not my usual 4:45 AM. The hour and fifteen minutes makes a world of difference in the amount of lunatics on the road. I would much rather rider earlier than wait for the rush hour to pick up.
On the reverse, I was riding home in school traffic. The Mom's in mini vans and SUVs are drivers of concern to cyclists. They made being visible and cautious a priority on my ride home. On a funny note, a New York State Trooper driving through town passed me and turned right, just yard in front of me. Perhaps "they" should add bicyclist awareness to the driver's education ciriculum at Trooper School. Had he hit me, there would be an interesting law suit, and some really great bad press. Yet, that is not the type of attention I want.
It is late (Parent's open house at the kid's school tonight), and I have a 4:30 AM wake up it I want to work 6 AM to 2 PM tomorrow. Good night.
On the reverse, I was riding home in school traffic. The Mom's in mini vans and SUVs are drivers of concern to cyclists. They made being visible and cautious a priority on my ride home. On a funny note, a New York State Trooper driving through town passed me and turned right, just yard in front of me. Perhaps "they" should add bicyclist awareness to the driver's education ciriculum at Trooper School. Had he hit me, there would be an interesting law suit, and some really great bad press. Yet, that is not the type of attention I want.
It is late (Parent's open house at the kid's school tonight), and I have a 4:30 AM wake up it I want to work 6 AM to 2 PM tomorrow. Good night.
September 25 - Bagel run!
Sunday, September 25th. Tradition continues, it is bagel day here at home. It felt good hopping on the bike and motoring to the bagel store, and then on to the grocery store for milk, eggs, and cold cuts. I spent most of Saturday chauffeuring the kids to ball games, play dates, and all sorts of places - the mini van got a good work out too.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
September 22 - Jim's motor vehicles
Not only am I a bike junky, I am a reformed motorhead. My first “street legal” car was when at 17 years old in 1979, I owned a 1969 Plymouth Sport Satellite with a large enough V-8 motor with 3 sets of carburetors to generate power enough to now supply electricity to a small town for ever and ever. That car today, if still around, is worth a small fortune. I sold the car to pay college bills to get my degree in Environmental Science - there might be something to this? Since my MOPAR days (or daze) it has been VW's, bicycles, and small foot-print vehicles. Those days, a 20-gallon tank of high octane gasoline and a can of octane booster was $20.00 - yeh, like in the late 1970’s I had that much money to burn....., and as I recall, it wasn’t all that fun.
$44.10 today. A year ago $25.00. What will it be next month to fill up the minivan? I see $5.00 per gallon of regular on the horizon. When we get to $5.00 per gallon, I see us all on the edge of a socio-environmental revolution/evolution. Change is good. Pinching the pocketbook is bad. But seeing that I am very rich, yet perpetually poor, higher energy costs are just an added layer of expense to which I can borrow from the future to pay for today - good system, right? If for years deficit spending has been O.K. and working well for the government, it should work for me, right?...... [Note: The minivan has an 18 gallon fuel tank. It takes me about 4 weeks to burn through 3/4 of a tank. The vehicle gets used about every other day to move 4 or more people to here to there around town, and it is used on road trips which aren't being considered here. The VW Beatle (@31+ MPG) is used for moving groups of 4 or less around town, and many times a day on really nice sunny days - this is a convertible New Beatle, wouldn't you indulge a little here?]
I own (vehicle No. 3) a Ford F150 pickup truck. "The best selling vehicle in America!", or something like that according to one of those over paid consulting firms that benchmarks statistics of consumer over consumption. Also, with the amount of recall notices I have received from FORD, perhaps "best" is a term better left in the eye of the beholder/owner. Yes, there are a lot of F150's out there, and I suggest there are too many, especially the elevated, painted, testosterone inject behemoths that burst the boundary of utilitarianism by miles, if not light years. Usually, I drive mine when (1) I am saving the world and responding to environmental incidents and I need to carry Hazmat equipment, or when (2) my home business has a need to move large volumes of material, that it does often. Because my truck only has a V-6 engine (note: an engine smaller than most minivans), it is amazingly fuel thrifty. I drive the truck once, usually twice a week for load carrying missions, and when I feel like it, a third time on dates with my wife or when I want to feel competitive with SUV drivers. On the highway, with a 1,000 pound load, I get an honest 25 MPG – but I consider this is appropriate use of a motor vehicle (what do you think?). Here, I clearly do not have a single occupant vehicle on a daily commute. My F150 is a workhorse, and it is for sale - $14,000.00, 2002 F150 Supercab (4-door, 2-regular front and 2-small rear suicide), V-6, Automatic w/overdrive, A/C, cruise, AM/FM/CD, sprayed-on epoxy bed liner. I last filled up with gasoline in August costing $1.98 per gallon. I am still at 1/3 tank. This truck is awesome.
Regarding beer runs, this is work only for a bicycle. The bicycle applied for transportation beer is appropriate for many reasons, but mainly for the fact you can’t drink too much beer and then ride a bicycle – it just doesn’t work. This isn’t rocket scientist work, just recognition that too much coordination and sense of your surroundings are required to move a bicycle forward without falling over. Once coordination (3 or 5 beers later) is lost, the bicycle doesn’t go too far, the rider ends up upside down a few feet from the start point, and well, you paint that picture from here…..
$44.10 today. A year ago $25.00. What will it be next month to fill up the minivan? I see $5.00 per gallon of regular on the horizon. When we get to $5.00 per gallon, I see us all on the edge of a socio-environmental revolution/evolution. Change is good. Pinching the pocketbook is bad. But seeing that I am very rich, yet perpetually poor, higher energy costs are just an added layer of expense to which I can borrow from the future to pay for today - good system, right? If for years deficit spending has been O.K. and working well for the government, it should work for me, right?...... [Note: The minivan has an 18 gallon fuel tank. It takes me about 4 weeks to burn through 3/4 of a tank. The vehicle gets used about every other day to move 4 or more people to here to there around town, and it is used on road trips which aren't being considered here. The VW Beatle (@31+ MPG) is used for moving groups of 4 or less around town, and many times a day on really nice sunny days - this is a convertible New Beatle, wouldn't you indulge a little here?]
I own (vehicle No. 3) a Ford F150 pickup truck. "The best selling vehicle in America!", or something like that according to one of those over paid consulting firms that benchmarks statistics of consumer over consumption. Also, with the amount of recall notices I have received from FORD, perhaps "best" is a term better left in the eye of the beholder/owner. Yes, there are a lot of F150's out there, and I suggest there are too many, especially the elevated, painted, testosterone inject behemoths that burst the boundary of utilitarianism by miles, if not light years. Usually, I drive mine when (1) I am saving the world and responding to environmental incidents and I need to carry Hazmat equipment, or when (2) my home business has a need to move large volumes of material, that it does often. Because my truck only has a V-6 engine (note: an engine smaller than most minivans), it is amazingly fuel thrifty. I drive the truck once, usually twice a week for load carrying missions, and when I feel like it, a third time on dates with my wife or when I want to feel competitive with SUV drivers. On the highway, with a 1,000 pound load, I get an honest 25 MPG – but I consider this is appropriate use of a motor vehicle (what do you think?). Here, I clearly do not have a single occupant vehicle on a daily commute. My F150 is a workhorse, and it is for sale - $14,000.00, 2002 F150 Supercab (4-door, 2-regular front and 2-small rear suicide), V-6, Automatic w/overdrive, A/C, cruise, AM/FM/CD, sprayed-on epoxy bed liner. I last filled up with gasoline in August costing $1.98 per gallon. I am still at 1/3 tank. This truck is awesome.
Regarding beer runs, this is work only for a bicycle. The bicycle applied for transportation beer is appropriate for many reasons, but mainly for the fact you can’t drink too much beer and then ride a bicycle – it just doesn’t work. This isn’t rocket scientist work, just recognition that too much coordination and sense of your surroundings are required to move a bicycle forward without falling over. Once coordination (3 or 5 beers later) is lost, the bicycle doesn’t go too far, the rider ends up upside down a few feet from the start point, and well, you paint that picture from here…..
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
September 20 - It's over!!!! (my rotation at work)
What a great ride home! Traffic at 6:30 PM in the suburbs of "Mega Metropolis Land" is so great! Bountiful is the warming exhaust of bus traffic, beautiful is the all too present sight of solo motorist wrapped in 7,000+ pounds of mind numbing steel, sweet is the odor of burnt hydrocarbons lingering at every intersection where jackrabbit starts are the norm. I only wish more humans would see and understand this absurdity.
Today, the ride to work was "so bad". The moon was full and provided more than ample light to justify a 3:45 AM wake-up. I had to be sure I was on the road by 4:30 AM to be at work on time. [Note: Night Sun, et.al., natural area lighting is the best, please work on “moon lighting”. Also note: All riders need to be real! Ride with a helmet, and front and rear lighting – it’s cheap, use it!] Going to work, I felt challenged to draft the one car that actually tried hard to pass me (foolishly, they stopped for every red light – At 4:45 in the morning, what were they thinking? Ooops, should I have done a track stand for 2-minutes when no one passed across my path?). Over a distance of 4 miles, I beat the car before they turned onto the highway and drove off to wherever their destination was. Besides the afore mentioned, when I passed the local Dunkin Donuts with all that gusto to draft that car, it was a bummer to see all the Police cruisers from the surrounding towns in that parking lot. Like, enforcement?
Bottom line, I need a few daze(s) to recover from the shift work. Today I just finished a 6-week rotation at work: 7-12-hour days 7-12 hour nights; a straight 40 hours thrown in to confuse the mix; well, my mind is mush.
Please be safe. Plan and ride for the worst, and enjoy all the moments that aren’t bad. I wish you all more good times than bad. Most important. Please keep peddling. Thanks.
Today, the ride to work was "so bad". The moon was full and provided more than ample light to justify a 3:45 AM wake-up. I had to be sure I was on the road by 4:30 AM to be at work on time. [Note: Night Sun, et.al., natural area lighting is the best, please work on “moon lighting”. Also note: All riders need to be real! Ride with a helmet, and front and rear lighting – it’s cheap, use it!] Going to work, I felt challenged to draft the one car that actually tried hard to pass me (foolishly, they stopped for every red light – At 4:45 in the morning, what were they thinking? Ooops, should I have done a track stand for 2-minutes when no one passed across my path?). Over a distance of 4 miles, I beat the car before they turned onto the highway and drove off to wherever their destination was. Besides the afore mentioned, when I passed the local Dunkin Donuts with all that gusto to draft that car, it was a bummer to see all the Police cruisers from the surrounding towns in that parking lot. Like, enforcement?
Bottom line, I need a few daze(s) to recover from the shift work. Today I just finished a 6-week rotation at work: 7-12-hour days 7-12 hour nights; a straight 40 hours thrown in to confuse the mix; well, my mind is mush.
Please be safe. Plan and ride for the worst, and enjoy all the moments that aren’t bad. I wish you all more good times than bad. Most important. Please keep peddling. Thanks.
Monday, September 19, 2005
September 19th - Dark ride.
3:45 AM actually turned out to be 4:15 AM - that snooze button is very dangerous. I was out of the house by 4:33 AM, at the coffee shop (for tea) at 5:00 AM, and I rolled up to the office at 5:15. By the time I took a baby-wipe bath and dressed in my "business attire", it was 5:35. I was well early for the start of my my 6:00 AM shift.
I believe the moon was full, or at least pretty full last night because it was still shining just before sunrise. The moon did a great job illuminating the road, but I still riode a little slower in the dark. After 3 months I know the road pretty well, but there are always some surprises (skunks, tree branches, McDonald bags, etc.).
The ride home was energizing, or at least enough so that now at 9:00 PM I am still awake enough to blog. On the ride home I passed one of my crews. I guess they are not use to seeing this big guy on a mountain bike with panniers barrelling down a hill, I took them by surprise. They are good guys, but they weren't wearing their proper safety equipment - not good.
Also not good was how I was riding in traffic - I have to watch myself. At traffic stops I found myself weaving through stopped traffic to get in front of the line. I probably shouldn't do that. For the traffic stops where I did stop at the side of the road, or in line with traffic, my ride definately slowed down a lot. So in heavy traffic tonight my ride was 45 minutes, it is usually 30. If I drove today, it probably would have taken the same amount of time to get home, but by riding I saved the gas, energy, and left a small foot-print.
I did something interesting over last weekend. Google News lets you subscribe to news alerts using search terms you define. I signed up for a daily digest of links to internet news articles that contain the word "bicycle" in their titles. It is rather interesting to see all the news about bicycles, there are a lot of fatalities listed, but some political, and activist stuff too. For example, today there was an article from an Austin Texas newspaper about one of their editors test riding a Tide Force 750x - there were quite a few references to Lance in that article. I subscribed to the same type of service about 15 years ago when I used CompuServe. I recomend doing it if you have the interest, time, and resources to read daily news involving bicycles, it is simple and dosen't cost anything.
Well, here I am 9:13 PM. Bed time. Tuesday is my last early wake up for 5 days. I have to make the best of it. Chow!
I believe the moon was full, or at least pretty full last night because it was still shining just before sunrise. The moon did a great job illuminating the road, but I still riode a little slower in the dark. After 3 months I know the road pretty well, but there are always some surprises (skunks, tree branches, McDonald bags, etc.).
The ride home was energizing, or at least enough so that now at 9:00 PM I am still awake enough to blog. On the ride home I passed one of my crews. I guess they are not use to seeing this big guy on a mountain bike with panniers barrelling down a hill, I took them by surprise. They are good guys, but they weren't wearing their proper safety equipment - not good.
Also not good was how I was riding in traffic - I have to watch myself. At traffic stops I found myself weaving through stopped traffic to get in front of the line. I probably shouldn't do that. For the traffic stops where I did stop at the side of the road, or in line with traffic, my ride definately slowed down a lot. So in heavy traffic tonight my ride was 45 minutes, it is usually 30. If I drove today, it probably would have taken the same amount of time to get home, but by riding I saved the gas, energy, and left a small foot-print.
I did something interesting over last weekend. Google News lets you subscribe to news alerts using search terms you define. I signed up for a daily digest of links to internet news articles that contain the word "bicycle" in their titles. It is rather interesting to see all the news about bicycles, there are a lot of fatalities listed, but some political, and activist stuff too. For example, today there was an article from an Austin Texas newspaper about one of their editors test riding a Tide Force 750x - there were quite a few references to Lance in that article. I subscribed to the same type of service about 15 years ago when I used CompuServe. I recomend doing it if you have the interest, time, and resources to read daily news involving bicycles, it is simple and dosen't cost anything.
Well, here I am 9:13 PM. Bed time. Tuesday is my last early wake up for 5 days. I have to make the best of it. Chow!
September 18th - Drove, top down....
There was so much rain, and the puddles were so deep last night on the ride home that my drailers got super gunked up with road grime, so much so that my derailers stopped working - not good.
With not enough time to work on the bike before work Sunday (another12-hour shift), I took the VW Beatle. I went top down - I think convertibles are as close as a car will ever get to being a bicycle.
I got home and wrenched around the bike for about an hour, lubed lubable parts, added air in airable parts, and polished (yes it now shines) the frame - there was way too much road grime. I could go on for hours about road grime - just don't get it on your work clothers - it never comes out.
Monday, it's tie day at work. My "dress" clothes are laid out and they'll go into the panniers.
3:45 is looking pretty early for a wake-up, but well worth it.
With not enough time to work on the bike before work Sunday (another12-hour shift), I took the VW Beatle. I went top down - I think convertibles are as close as a car will ever get to being a bicycle.
I got home and wrenched around the bike for about an hour, lubed lubable parts, added air in airable parts, and polished (yes it now shines) the frame - there was way too much road grime. I could go on for hours about road grime - just don't get it on your work clothers - it never comes out.
Monday, it's tie day at work. My "dress" clothes are laid out and they'll go into the panniers.
3:45 is looking pretty early for a wake-up, but well worth it.
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