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E-Bikes

Mowing experienced a rain delay today. I managed to get my work done but had no time to play before dinner. I logged 42 miles after dinner, however. It was a nice night with a slight South wind.
I saw a couple of bike riders in town but none on the Sidewalk South. Crappy weather is around the corner. There will be some that wished they had been riding when the weather was decent.
 
I rode 33 miles yesterday. I mowed and rode in the afternoon. It was my birthday so we were going out for dinner. I rode a couple of times today. I logged 69 miles and had a great time. I rode slow and enjoyed my ride. My son was coming over for conversation and brews so I didn't get to ride tonight. I only saw one rider today but hope the sidewalk South is busy tomorrow. It is supposed to be a decent day to be out side.
When I came home from draining my first battery I put it on the charger and had a relaxing beer. When I grabbed up another battery I noticed the the charger said the battery was changed. I knew that couldn't be correct. Sure enough, the charging brick and suffered a melt down. It had melted to the carpet in my office. I unplugged it and pulled it off the floor to find a hole melted out of the charging brick. I'm lucky it hadn't set the place on fire. I'm not sure if it was an arc of power source to the charging brick or if the brick it self just gave it up. Pretty scary no matter which. That charger has been used for ever charge or partial charge of my bike's batteries. That's a lot of charges but no excuse for burning up. If it had burned my house down I would have been very unhappy.
 
I ordered a new charger from Amazon last night. I have my doubts that it will last as long as the original. It has a mini fan built into the brick to help disperse some of the heat caused by converting AC to DC. The charging bricks get very hot to the touch which can't be a good thing. I had the ability to order the exact charger from the company that purchased Juiced. They wanted three times the amount of the Amazon charger and it was 40 to 60 days shipping vs two days. The Amazon charger is worth a try.
 
I rode twice today. This morning was a beautiful time to be outside. The temperature was perfect and there was very little wind. By the time I was into my third loop South it had warmed up and the wind had ramped up. It was still a great day to be riding and I logged 41 miles before my battery was depleted. I met or passed a number of cyclists this morning. One was a fat tire trike with an older lady rider. She looked happy and her trike looked sweet. I stopped and talked to one e-bike rider. He was stopped and I thought it best to ask if he needed assistance. He did not but we at least exchanged names and visited some about loving e-bikes. He was riding a Lectric foldable step through. I think it was this bike.
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He is a retired commercial pilot from the Phoenix area that had retired in Kansas with his retirement money going so much farther than in AZ. Chuck was a super nice guy I hope to see more often. He was in love with his bike!

I came home and relaxed and then went riding again. There is now a chance of rain/storms tomorrow so I took advantage of the dry weather today. I rode a short path that leads East out of the city to a golf course. It's a fun enough ride though I don't like my commute to get to the path. I then came back into town and rode three loops South. I logged 82 miles for today and must say that I had a great time.
 
olbriar said:
He did not but we at least exchanged names and visited some about loving e-bikes. He was riding a Lectric foldable step through. I think it was this bike.
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He is a retired commercial pilot from the Phoenix area that had retired in Kansas with his retirement money going so much farther than in AZ. Chuck was a super nice guy I hope to see more often. He was in love with his bike!

Yes a few homeowners in our community have Lectric bikes and they like it as well, they travel, so they like the ease of folding and getting it into their vehicles, and say they are pretty reliable and serve it's purpose. If I recall i believe they said they paid around 1K for them, but don't quote me on it.
 
DonB said:
He is a retired commercial pilot from the Phoenix area that had retired in Kansas with his retirement money going so much farther than in AZ. Chuck was a super nice guy I hope to see more often. He was in love with his bike!

Yes a few homeowners in our community have Lectric bikes and they like it as well, they travel, so they like the ease of folding and getting it into their vehicles, and say they are pretty reliable and serve it's purpose. If I recall i believe they said they paid around 1K for them, but don't quote me on it.
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My bike is far from portable. I purchased a heavy duty bike rack that attaches to a vehicle that has a hitch. There are limited racks designed to carry the weight of a full size e-bike. The racks are heavy due to the bold construction. My bike will not fit in the back of my wife's Jeep Renegade without hanging out the back. I love my full size bike, but by nature, transporting the bike is a real hassle at best. If anticipated, the transport can be accommodated. In an emergency situation, transport is very limited.
I have no idea if I would like a smaller fold up bike. I would explore the smaller bike options if I were buying again. I'm very spoiled to my ride. The smaller bike would likely fall short of pleasing me. However, the ability to haul the bike would weigh in heavily on a purchase decision.
 
I rode today but the majority of my riding window was consumed by necessary bike maintenance. I went out to ride only to find that I had a flat. I removed the back wheel and broke the tire down and pulled the punctured tube out. I could not see anything in my tire and carefully running my hand inside the tire I could feel nothing. I was leery of replacing the tube to have it punctured by whatever got the other tube. I aired up the flat tube and found the puncture. I laid the tube over the the tire and marked the tire where the tube had been punctured and still couldn't find the flat causing culprit. Giving up I put another tube in the tire and aired it up. I went to put it back on the bike and to my dismay I found that I had zero brake pads left on the rear. Fortunately, I had another set of brake pads. By the time I had fixed my flat and done a brake job it was already eleven am. I rode one loop South and came home and started my dinner smoking. I then rode two more loops South and came home to take care of my cook. It had become pretty windy and I could see that weather clouds were building. I called it a day. At least I didn't get rained on while riding. :)
The replacement charger showed up in time to charge the battery I used today. It did it's thing and ran a lot cooler than the other two chargers that were originally shipped with a Juiced bike. I think I'll like the new charger. A week or two using it should tell the tale of good or bad.
 
It was very wet this morning following yesterday's rain. I didn't get to mow until after noon and had no time to ride before dinner. I got in a good ride after dinner. It had cooled off a little and the wind had died down to make a great evening to be on the bike. I only saw two other cyclists tonight. I rode 44 miles of pure enjoyment tonight.
 
I rode 22 miles this afternoon. My back was killing me so I called it a day. It happens sometimes that my back is out of whack and I can usually work it out. Two loops of pain was enough. I ate an early dinner hopping it will back off and I can ride some more.

I manned up and went riding after dinner. My back was feeling better so I rode three loops. I saw a number of riders tonight. It was a nice evening to be riding. I saw the elderly trike lady and a guy on a sweet looking road bike. I saw a couple of other riders as well.

I visited a rider today while I was mowing. One of today's lawns is just a couple of houses away from a main city street. I saw the guy ride by on that street as I was walking to the rear of the trailer to let down the ramp. By the time I had the mower off of the trailer he was there beside me on his bike. He offered to trim the yard while I was mowing for five bucks. It's a nice yard so I said no thanks. He said he was just riding through town and never misses a chance to make a buck or two. He went on to say that he was on his way home to North Carolina. He had ridden his bike to California and was now heading home. So we stood there and talked bikes. My story was I love to ride and it's a chance to add a day or two to my life. His story was he sold everything he owned and took off riding in hopes to escape his drug habit. He said I'm clean and can face anything without drugs. Between me the bike and the road I figured it out. He wished me luck and I wished him luck and he started to ride off. I hollered at him and gave him five bucks. Oddly enough, on my first return leg toward home this evening, I saw a young male and female couple heading South on their bikes. Both bikes were loaded down with what looked to be sleeping bags and such. Three migrating cyclists in one day. The only riders I've ever seen on the move.
 
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The rains yesterday kept me from riding. I almost got my work done when it started raining again and into the night. It was raining when I got up this morning and I thought oh boy, here we go again. I quit raining around noon and was almost dry enough to mow by one so I worked my way though today's lawns and the one I didn't get to yesterday. I fixed dinner, ate, and then went riding. I ran out of sunlight just a few miles before I ran out of battery. I rode off the remaining charge, using my headlight, and put the bike up. It was a nice night and I saw four or five cyclists while I was riding. I logged my normal four loop 42 mile ride. My odometer read 19,026 miles when I turned the bike off tonight. The last thousand miles took me 25 days where I've been riding a K in less than 20 days. Between getting rained out a few days and less sunlight hours, it has cut down my riding time. :(
 
I didn't get to ride yesterday. I met a friend at the cabin property and I mowed and he ran the string trimmer. We then had a mini party on the deck. It was a beautiful day. I got home and ate dinner and then my son came over. I made up for not riding by riding extra today. I was riding by ten thirty and pretty much rode all day. I saw my trike buddy Tim and quite a few other cyclists this morning but only a couple this afternoon. I saw nobody riding tonight. I was running short of daylight this evening, so after a lap to the town South, I was just riding around town. I was only a few blocks from home when I felt the bike getting sluggish. Sure enough, my back tire was going flat. It wasn't a blowout so I was able to air it up and ride home. I'm sure it's flat by now. It will give me something to do tomorrow with rain in the forecast for all day. I'll fix it in the morning just in case I get to ride sometime in the afternoon. I logged 105 miles today and had a fantastic time.
 
With rain in the forecast for the entire day, not a drop fell here. I found a nail in my tire. How that sort of crap ends up on a residential street is beyond me. I fixed the flat and was out riding around ten this morning. It was a nice morning but the radar showed the potential rain heading this direction. I checked the radar after every loop and ended up riding 45 miles before I came home. I was smoking out dinner and football was on so I called it a day. We ate early and the rain was nowhere in sight so I geared up and went riding again. I was able to ride another 42 miles before heading home to see the Chiefs game. It was a beautiful day to be outside. I suspect the potential rain kept the traffic down on the sidewalk. I only saw two other riders and only a few walkers / joggers.
 
There was dense fog this morning and the humidity reflected that fact. It finally lifted a bit after ten and I went mowing around eleven. Late start mowing made a late start riding and late dinner. I rode my normal 4 loops and put the bike up. I met a bunch of joggers, I'm guessing middle school age, my first loop South. I think I was having more fun than they were. :) I saw a couple of cyclists in town and one on the sidewalk. It was a pretty afternoon to ride and I was glad for the opportunity. Rain is in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday so my riding might be limited. It's a shame I didn't have more daylight to ride today.

My wife went to our doctor this morning. He asked if I was still riding. My wife said at least 45 miles a day. Then she told him I was still mowing lawns daily. I guess he had forgotten I mow. He shook his head in disbelief. My wife then told him "now you know why I go crazy trying to deal with him being idle across the winter".
 
(I typed this last night but failed to post it)

I didn't get to ride yesterday but I tried to make up for it today. It was a far nicer day than predicted and I was able to get my lawns mowed and get in a good ride before dinner. The wind had quit after dinner so I took another ride until dark. I saw a couple of riders on the sidewalk South but saw a number of bikes in town today. It's great to see others out enjoying the day. I only saw one e-bike today and it was a scooter type in town. It was being ridden by a girl in her teens. She wasn't pedaling, just cruising down the sidewalk.

I was thinking about the few riders I see on the sidewalk South tonight while I was riding. Just because miles is what I'm all about doesn't mean everyone is into the same sort of riding. There is merit in riding around in town, taking your time, seeing the different neighborhoods, etc. It's only 4.5 miles to the town South but it's 4.5 miles back. Perhaps that's just a few more miles than most of the riders want to obligate themselves to. And to be honest, once you've made the trek South and back a few times, you've seen all there is to see. It's a great sidewalk with only two roads to cross but that's it. Fields of soybeans and junk in the ditch between the sidewalk and the highway is all there is to entertain the riders. I love the fact that I can just ride and not worry about traffic but I'm beginning to think I'm the odd ball. 🤣
 
I rode again this afternoon and what I could this evening. I logged 61 miles and enjoyed a beautiful day. I didn't see any riders on the loop South, but the joggers were out in force this evening. I see two specimens often and saw both of them tonight. One is a guy that is in top shape. He runs like his life is in danger. His upper body shows that he is a disciplined weight lifter. Perhaps he is in training for something. The other is a young woman that is also in top shape. She is a thing of beauty as she gracefully jogs. If I was fifty years younger, I would definitely take up jogging. :) I tried jogging around the time I hit forty and had that oh no four o feeling. It hurt my broken back so I that's when I started riding again. Between the joggers and the dog walkers, the sidewalk was busy tonight. It was a dandy evening to be outside.
 
I went riding this morning, giving the grass a chance to dry some. I saw the normal amount of riders in town that I normally see while out mowing and saw a couple on the sidewalk South. It was a pretty morning and cool enough that the extremely high humidity wasn't a factor. I rode 32 miles and came home and went mowing. I went riding again once my work was done and logged another 44 miles. There wasn't enough daylight to ride after dinner so I showered and relaxed. It was a beautiful day with mid eighties temp and no wind to speak of.
I had ordered a couple of pairs of underwear that have a sewn in bike saddle that were delivered today. My bike shorts as well as my bike bibs have saddles but I ride so much I'm about to wear out my butt. My father had no butt to speak of and I am a close duplicate of my father. Without any natural padding, I thought I might try double padding in my bike clothing. I rode this afternoon with padded undies and shorts and I think it may be a game changer. My poor butt is so sore it will take some time to know if the added padding is the answer. If not, I'll be buying a gel wrap for my seat. And if that doesn't help, I will have to seek a seat that more accommodates my bony butt.
On my return trip north on the siding of a state highway, to my West is a double set of railroad tracks.
The tracks see a lot of traffic and I often race a North bound train to my city. Today one of the North bound trains was moving far too fast to race. It was loaded with double stacked 40' shipping containers all with The Amazon logo. I counted 72 cars or 144 containers. That's a mind blowing amount of Amazon freight on one track in Kansas.
 
I went riding three times today. I rode this morning. It was beautiful and I saw my trike buddy Tim twice as he was enjoying the morning as well. I saw another trike this morning. It was a fat tire trike that was being ridden by a little old white haired lady. She smiled and waved as we approached each other. She was obviously having a great time. I saw a couple of traditional bike riders and a number of joggers on the sidewalk.
I rode again this afternoon. I rode South on the highway I normally return home on. I rode through the town South and onto the next town South and back. I used to ride that loop a lot thirty years ago. Basically, it is a 30 mile loop. It's a good, uninterrupted ride but it's way boring. I rode the loop a few times before my heart attack on my first e-bike but this is the first time since. It's still boring. :) It is also not a good distance. I want to ride around 40 to 45 miles on a battery. It was a fun ride today for something different. I rode back into town and then hit the sidewalk South and managed to get in one regular loop and back home on the remaining battery charge.
It's difficult to get in a good ride after dinner. It's getting dark so early that there isn't time to really get into the ride before it's time to put the bike up. I made two loops to the town South and then twice around my home area and it was dark. It was a fun ride because the weather was just perfect.
I hated to quit riding. I logged 106 miles of pure pleasure today.
 
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I stayed home and rooted for the Steelers this morning. I went riding as soon as it was over and pretty much drained two batteries before coming home to watch the Chiefs game that I was recording. I grilled out and ate dinner and went riding until dark. I logged 90 miles today.

I had a bit of bike problems with my first battery. The power seemed to cut out or lull some. I stopped to make certain all of the power connections were made and to see if I could find a cause. When I came home to change batteries I took some alcohol and a cotton swab to the battery terminals on the bike. I then rode the second battery down without any problems. I didn't have any problems with the third battery this evening. I hope I fixed the problem and it's not a problem with the first battery I used today. I'll know more after riding again with the battery in question. It could be a problem with the motor. It has nearly twenty thousand miles on it. I would think if it was the motor that it would perform poorly across all three batteries.

It was a beautiful day today and I saw quite a few cyclists out on my first ride. I saw one bike in town that looked very similar to mine. It was a full size bike with fat tires and the battery sitting in a cradle on the down tube. I didn't catch the make but it was in bold letters on the side of the battery. I saw a couple of riders that were on expensive looking road bikes and were decked out in bike jerseys. The rest of the cyclists struck me as the casual rider out enjoying the day with their mate or their children.
I didn't see anyone on the sidewalk while the Chiefs were playing. Might have been coincidence but I had the place to myself both late afternoon and this evening.
 
The grass was super wet this morning so it was eleven before I was able to mow. I mowed my lawns and then went riding. I rode my normal four loops and called it a day. I saw a few cyclists today. A surprising amount for it being a weekday. I saw another full size fat tire e-bike today. It looked brand spanking new or had just been washed. My last loop South I had to ride through a bunch of middle school joggers. It was both girls and boys and there had to be twenty five or more jogging. I had to slow down and get their attention as I approached each group from behind. It broke their rhythm to clear enough of the sidewalk for me to pass. It wasn't good for either of us. Fortunately, I was on my last loop and didn't have to ride through them again.
 
I went riding after mowing today. It was a nice day to be out in the sunshine. I only saw one bike during my four loops. I guess everyone was busy. At least I didn't have the joggers to contend with today. The bike I saw was a full size fat tire e-bike. It wasn't either bike that I've seen recently so that makes three different bikes in less than a week that look a lot like mine. I think that's cool. I found a pair of water pump pliers on my first loop. That's the second pair I've found in the last couple of years.
I was winding up my riding for the day when I found a tablet in the street. It was face down but not broken. It's an apple product and in a case much like an otterbox with a kickstand. It appears to be a business tablet running an hour, estimate, and invoicing software. I found the technician's email address and mailed the dude. He hasn't responded but it didn't bounce. If I don't hear from him, I'll visit his last appointment which was near where I found the tablet. I thought I would find a phone number or the name of the business but there isn't much info on the tablet. I think it's a garage door outfit.
You just never know what you are going to find while riding. I've found house and car keys, a phone, a tablet, lots of tools (one still in it's package), and far more nails than I ever dreamed possible. :)
 
I found an apple address for the guy and emailed the owner again before shutting the tablet off. I never gave my home address but I forwarded my street, my return email address, and my phone number. The owner showed up on my porch this morning. I'm not sure just how he located me but I'm happy he got his tablet back. He was VERY happy to get his tablet back.
 
The tablet owner had not read my emails. He asked if I found the tablet in the grass and my emails both had stated that I found the tablet face down in the street. He had to have some sort of find my i device software running is my best guess. In any event, it all ended well.

I was able to ride after mowing this afternoon. I saw a few bikes in town but only one on the sidewalk South. He crossed the road in front of me and I went South on the sidewalk and he continued North. He was riding a e-trike like I've not seen before. It kind of reminded me of the big wheels my son rode when he was a wee lad. It had a large front wheel and two small back wheels. I didn't get a chance to see the drive train. I mostly got a glimpse from the side and then a full look at the aft of the trike.

I had an interesting ride today. The wind was blowing from the South. I could tell that it was cutting into my battery life and by the time I was starting my second loop I realized I was not going to get in four loops. I kicked the assist down to a one instead of two where I normally ride. I used the gears on the bike instead of the levels of assist to battle the hills and the wind. When I finished my fourth loop I almost had enough battery left to make a fifth loop. I rode around town to drain the remaining battery. Instead of the usual 42 miles, I logged 50 miles. I will admit that it wasn't nearly as fun to ride as normal but it was doable. I couldn't have ridden in one assist at the beginning of spring.

I didn't have to ride through the school track team today. School was let out while I was riding so there were a few walkers from the town South's high school on the sidewalk. I rode up behind and then around a couple of young ladies. They were both wearing shorts that didn't quite cover up their butt cheeks. I guess that's the fashion nowadays. I raised three girls and they would have never left home dressed like that on my watch. I guess I'm now that old fogy I always hated. :)
 
I went for a ride after mowing. I started out and thought oh no... what's wrong with the bike? I then realized that it was still in level one assist. I started to change it to level two but by that time I had built up some speed and the bike felt fine. I decided I'd try to ride my loop entirely in level one and just switch gears for the hills. One loop turned into four loops. I found that level one assist in seventh gear wasn't a bad ride. It was more sluggish than my Iguana back in the day but that was also thirty years ago that I was riding that bike. I ran out of time riding around but I'm guessing I could have gone two more loops. I was riding six or seven miles an hour slower and it was time to fix dinner. My four loops in level 2 assist leaves me with around 18-19% remaining battery. I put the bike up today with 43% battery remaining. It was an interesting experiment and it was doable. I will say that it was more work than play. The assist levels are no assist and then there is eco which in theory compensates for the weight of the bike. Then level one, two, three, sport, and race. Race is a setting that isn't legal in most states and the controller settings have to be manipulated to show the level. I rode in three when I started and into sport for the hills and wind. Since my heart attack I've been riding in two and use 3 for the hills and wind. I find I use 3 less as time passes. I don't see myself riding in one and using two for the hills and wind. It is too much work. I can get a traditional road bike that would be far easier to ride. Race level is crazy fun. I would never ride the sidewalk in race.
It's too fast and dangerous. I rode home in the rainstorm last month in race. I was on the highway siding. I've ridden just a bit here and there in race for the fun of it... and it is fun. It's just too fast for a bicycle. I understand why it isn't road legal in Kansas. For private off road only.
 
I mowed my cabin property this morning. I came home and went for a ride. I only rode 21 miles and came home. Whatever is wrong with my bike was rearing it's ugly head. It was cutting out and then surging at a frightening frequency. I tried all the tricks I know but nothing seemed to change the situation. It didn't get worse but it didn't improve. My back was hurting from mowing the cabin property so it made sense to just come home and pout. I ate dinner and tried a different battery for a second ride. It acted just like the first battery so that eliminated that possible culprit. I rode one loop and was on the fence about coming home but decided I would just ride. If the bike quit me, I would call my wife to come and get me and the bike. Most of the second loop was miserable but then the bike started to behave. I rode a third loop and it never cut out at all. I rode another four miles once I was in town and called it a day. It was almost dark. I don't really know how to proceed. I can't make it cut out and when it cuts out the throttle still works. It could be the torque or cadence sensor going out or it could be the motor. Now that Juiced is history, I don't know if any of the parts can be purchased if I knew what I needed. For now... I ride and hope I don't have to walk back.

I saw something the other day that I found interesting. One day, the soy bean fields I ride by were green and the next day mostly yellow. The weather was the same for that entire week so that wasn't the trigger. I thought... well they belong to different owners, but perhaps the fields were all planted the same day. Today I go to my lease to mow and pass many fields of soy beans that are still green. They are three or four days behind the fields I ride by but only a few miles separate the fields. I'm no farmer but there has to be some reason they are or aren't turning / ripening.
 
olbriar said:
I mowed my cabin property this morning. I came home and went for a ride. I only rode 21 miles and came home. Whatever is wrong with my bike was rearing it's ugly head. It was cutting out and then surging at a frightening frequency. I tried all the tricks I know but nothing seemed to change the situation. It didn't get worse but it didn't improve. My back was hurting from mowing the cabin property so it made sense to just come home and pout. I ate dinner and tried a different battery for a second ride. It acted just like the first battery so that eliminated that possible culprit. I rode one loop and was on the fence about coming home but decided I would just ride. If the bike quit me, I would call my wife to come and get me and the bike. Most of the second loop was miserable but then the bike started to behave. I rode a third loop and it never cut out at all. I rode another four miles once I was in town and called it a day. It was almost dark. I don't really know how to proceed. I can't make it cut out and when it cuts out the throttle still works. It could be the torque or cadence sensor going out or it could be the motor. Now that Juiced is history, I don't know if any of the parts can be purchased if I knew what I needed. For now... I ride and hope I don't have to walk back.

I saw something the other day that I found interesting. One day, the soy bean fields I ride by were green and the next day mostly yellow. The weather was the same for that entire week so that wasn't the trigger. I thought... well they belong to different owners, but perhaps the fields were all planted the same day. Today I go to my lease to mow and pass many fields of soy beans that are still green. They are three or four days behind the fields I ride by but only a few miles separate the fields. I'm no farmer but there has to be some reason they are or aren't turning / ripening.
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Have you tried taking it to a bike shop, to pick their brain and see ??
 
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