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E-Bikes

It was rather warm today. It got into the low nineties and the humidity made it uncomfortable. I was glad to have my mowing behind me so I could ride and cool off. I rode before and after dinner and logged 71 miles. I had something odd happen with the bike. I thought I noticed a wobble in the bike when I applied the brakes the other day. Then it happed another time and then again yesterday. I meant to check it out but kept spacing it off. Today the wobbling was far worse and I isolated the problem to the front tire and brake. I stopped to check it out. I'm not sure why but my front tire was loose in the fork. It has one of those quick cam tensioners that needed tightening. I don't know just yet why or how it became loose but it is something that all bikes with that sort of fastener advises it be checked periodically. The front time has not been off of the bike since I installed the new tires about 5K miles ago. I have checked the cam lever a time or two since but not seriously. I'll watch it a bit closer from now on.
 
I rode twice today but the after dinner ride was cut short with a catastrophic flat. Naturally it was again the back tire that gave it up. The flat occurred at almost the exact same spot as my last flat, just as I was arriving back in my town. I tired to air it up but that wasn't going to happen. I started walking the bike into town in hopes of finding someone in their yard that I could talk into safely storing the bike while I walked home and got my truck. A very kind man stopped and gave me and the bike a ride home. I got his name and number and plan on smoking a pork shoulder for him Sunday unless he turns down my offer. Forty four miles and a half mile hike with the bike today.

I wasn't the only person that had troubles today on the highway South of town. The next to the last return trip to town I saw a truck pulling a trailer that had a small greenhouse on it. I gave it a longing look thinking how fun it would be to hot bed your early garden goodies and how much fun my wife and her flowers would have. I priced such a greenhouse many years ago and about fainted with the price tag. We survived without one. The next time I came back into town I saw the greenhouse piled up in the median. Whoever was hauling that greenhouse will have to survive without that one.
 
I spent quite a bit of time this morning trying to patch my tube. I had a nail in my tire and by walking a half mile or so with the flat I had multiple holes in my tube. I finally gave up. Three patches is my limit before I toss the tube. This was a better than average tube... billed as being thorn resistant. It certainly wasn't nail resistant. :) Besides ruining my tube by walking with it flat, it caused the rim tape (rubber tape covering the spoke ends) to move and fold over in places. I straightened it the best I could. I will buy a replacement tape and install with my next flat.

I have two battery powered air pumps. I carry one in my truck for my mowers and one in my bike trunk. The one in my trunk lost it's mind today.
I ran it yesterday in an attempt to air up my flat. I put it on the charger this morning while I took the back tire off of the bike. When I went to use it the display was flashing and cycling though the different preset pressure icons and the different pressure measurements while turning the flashlight on and off. I tried to turn it off and eventually succeeded but that was messed up too. I finally got it to come back on and it had the same malfunctions...

I mowed my river property this afternoon but managed a wee ride after dinner. I only logged 33 miles today.
 
After working around the house and on a mower I went for a ride. After dinner I rode again. It was a little bit windy and cloudy but rain is in for forecast tomorrow. With that in mind, riding some today was good insurance.
I only rode 57 miles but it was a fun riding. I saw a kid on an e-bike as I was entering the town South. He was across the four lane road on another sidewalk and wanted to race me. I blew his socks off. :) I passed a middle aged couple riding what looked to be brand new e-bikes. I rode up next to the husband and we looked over each other's bikes. I asked how he liked his bike and he hollered back... I am loving it!! I get it... there is something about feeling like a ten year old on a bike that puts a smile on your face.
My last loop this afternoon I ran across my neighbor, who is likely 10 years my senior, stalled on the South edge of town. I called his son for him to bring him some gas and we visited until one of his sons showed up. We have lived next door to one another since 1973 but we rarely visit beyond a hi.
 
With threatening weather, I didn't ride yesterday. I had a Dr. appointment this AM and mowed most all of the afternoon. I then finally had time to unwind with a ride. It was hot, windy, and humid but I was in the mood. I passed a young couple just before entering the town South. I did my normal trick and took the highway siding back North. My next time around I met them just as they were entering the South end of my town. The look on their faces was priceless. :) I only rode 37 miles but I was pushing it the entire time. It was a short but great workout. As per normal, when I get back into town I like to ride a big circle around my part of town as a cool down ride. It adds around three and half miles to my daily ride and I enjoy coasting through town. Tonight I rode up next to another obvious new e-bike owner. We eyed each other's bike and I asked him how he was liking his bike. He hollered back that he's loving it and waved his arm forward and said it just want's to goooooo! Grinning all the while.... I love to see people enjoying riding again.
 
It started out cold today. I actually wore a sweatshirt the first couple of lawns I mowed today. It slowly warmed up but it was very windy from the North. I decided it was just too windy to ride. After dinner the wind had calmed to a rideable level so I suited up and rode 39 miles. I only saw one cyclist riding between the two towns and two riders in town. About the time it was too dark to safely ride the wind completely quit. I can't blame the riders for staying home today.
 
Today was one of those rare days when the weather was fantastic. I finished my mowing and drained a battery. I ate dinner and drained another battery.
I would have gone out again but my butt was hurting. :) I rode 83 miles and shared my loop with a number of other riders later in the day. The nice weather was impossible to ignore.
 
I rode twice today. It was a bit breezy but not bad riding weather. I logged 84 miles today. When I shut the bike off in the shed tonight the odometer read 12,999 miles. I rode over one thousand miles in the last eighteen days. Not too bad for an old man.
Last day of school was yesterday so the kids were out riding today. I'm seeing quite a few little e-bikes that can be but aren't pedaled. The bikes are popular here it seems. It's either the little bikes or the e-scooters that the kids are coasting on. The bikes are faster than the scooters but both move right along. The kids aren't wearing helmets. They aren't required by the state... or parents it seems. Personally, I think that's an unnecessary gamble.
 
On the eve of projected wet weather I did some riding today. It was a good and bad riding day. The good is I met the e-trike rider I ran into a year ago. We met and stopped and visited. It was good seeing Tim again. Though he's an avid rider, he was blown away by the miles I've logged since we last saw one another. The bad is I ran the first battery low, came home and grabbed another battery. I was just getting into the groove when I ran over a nail. It was an instant flat. Lucky for me, I was in town. I tried airing the tire but that wasn't going to happen. The lady that lived where I was attempting to air my tire volunteered to take me home. A lady stopped and also offered to take me home. It's been a long time since I had two ladies fight over who was going to help me. :) I left my bike with the house where I had the flat and the lady that stopped took me home. Both had seen me countless times traveling their street while in town. I thanked the transport lady and then thanked the other lady when I picked up my bike. There are still some very nice people out there! I got home, pulled the back wheel from the bike, removed the nail from my tire, removed the tube and replaced it with a spare that I have patched. I replaced the wheel on the bike and checked my time, thirty five minutes from start to finish. I'm getting faster with all of the practice. :(
 
It rained a bit more than an inch over night and more fell North of here. We needed it and lots more. I rode once I guessed the low spots in my loop were dried up enough to ride around them. Leaving the front fender off makes for a far better looking bike IMO but the front tire will spray me with water. I was smoking out dinner so I was riding and checking on my cook all afternoon. I only logged 69 miles today. Traffic was pretty slim on my loop. I suspect most people had stuff to do today. I did see two guys trying to load a washing machine onto a trailer with a ramp. The appliance was on a dolly and one man was pulling and another pushing when it suddenly rolled off the dolly and trailer ramp and landed in the street with a bang. They were frozen in time as I rode by them. I sensed they were in deep doodoo.

I attempted to repair my flat tube from yesterday only to find it had five holes and maybe more. It only had one hole on the outer / tire side but had a series of holes on the other side of the tube / wheel side. If I could have stopped the instant the nail punctured the tube and pulled out the nail I could have repaired the tube. There is no way to sense the flat and stop that fast and three patches are my limit. I tossed the tube.

I ordered a new portable battery powered pump. The one I had that went South is working but it thinks it is seeing 15 lbs when you turn it on. I have lost confidence in the thing. The new one I ordered is bigger and is billed to have a legible display in daylight. The two that I have are near impossible to read. The pump was supposed to show up today but now it's scheduled for tomorrow. I'm not without a functional pump but it's great to have one in the truck for my mowers and another in the bike trunk.
 
It rained again over night and into this morning. It was afternoon before it was dry enough to ride. I rode before and after dinner and logged 70 miles. I saw nobody riding and only a couple of dog walkers and one jogger. It was cloudy and a bit windy with the temperature just barely topping 70° but I thought there would be a few riders. Not today.
I did receive my new portable air pump tonight and I have it charging now. It is a lot bigger and heavier than the two that I have. It has a USB C out so it can be used as a charging brick. It also has a very bright flashlight that has three modes. One mode is a bright light, one is it's flashing a SOS, and the last mode is a flashing red light. It came with a longer hose that has a quick connector for a schrader valve. That will be handy for it's a bit tricky to screw the hose onto the valve that is between the tire spokes. Another reason I decided on the Fanttik X9 Apex was it takes some effort to change from PSI to BAR or KPa which always seemed to get changed on my old pumps. And lastly the display is supposed to be legible in daylight. My old pumps are impossible to read the pressure or mode or pressure units in any sort of daylight. I hope I never have to use the new pump but I know better.
 
I know you'll get a kick out of this was while I was coming back from the beach on Memorial day, see attached video "All In Line"
 

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I did get a kick out of the video. I was amazed at the number of bikes that had fat tires. I fear that my frequency of flats is due to running fat tires. I likely rode my Iguana back in the late 80's and early 90's as many miles that I have on my RipCurrent S and had zero flats. ZERO! Either we are a lot trashier and careless with what we leave on the road nowadays or the tires make a difference. Fat tires certainly look cool but they were intended for off road riding. I only ride on hard surfaces and road tires would serve me just fine.

It has been boggy all day with rain over night and sprinkles off and on today.
I might get to ride later but it's not looking favorable. It's been too wet to mow as well. Humidity is in the 90% range with no sunshine and temps barely breaking into the sixties.
 
With the temperature right at the sixty mark and the humidity at 88% it finally dried up enough that I went for a ride. I only went to the town South and back twice and called it a day just logging 24 miles. I was cold. :) I saw a fox in town on my way home. When he saw me he did an about face and retraced his steps around the back of a small church. That's only the third time I've seen a fox in town in the fifty plus years I've lived here.
 
It was another cooler boggy day here today. I waited until the grass wasn't soaked in water before I started mowing. Mowing both Monday and Tuesday lawns today took me up to dinner time. I grilled out some hotdogs, ate, and then went riding. I saw no other riders tonight. It really wasn't ideal riding conditions. I logged 26 miles and called it a day.
 
It was cool again today but there was zero wind and some sunshine. It was later in the day when I was free to ride. I saw a couple riding together and a couple of other riders on my first loop South. Rain clouds were on the horizon and it sprinkled a little the next couple of loops and the cyclists were gone. I felt the temperature drop and a slight wind came up from the North so I headed home. I should have ridden some more... the weather seemed to go around my area and it has yet to rain a measurable amount. Such is my luck. It was fun riding today though I only logged 36 miles.
I've been meaning to mention the number of e-vehicles I'm seeing in an affluent neighborhood I ride through on my way to the sidewalk South. What was first just a few has turned into lots of kids on e-scooters and bikes.
The other day I saw five or six scooters in a group on a side street. The kids looked to be middle school at the oldest. Today I saw to young kids on mini e-bikes. I've seen them or other kids riding the little e-bikes. A quick google shows a similar or the same bikes being sold by Walmart for two to five hundred bucks. Just how cool is that? They aren't a lot of bike but man it has to be a thrill for the kids. They can be pedaled :) They look similar to this
images
 
It was far too wet to mow or to ride this morning after an overnight rainfall of over two inches. I spent some time at my son's... getting his sump pump working, and setting up some fans and a dehumidifier. It was late when I mowed what I dared put my mower on and even later when I finally got to ride. I saw a couple of dog walkers and one jogger tonight as I rode 32 miles.
It was getting late and the temperature had fallen into the mid sixties when I put the bike up. I was glad to get some bike time.
 
I rode just a bit yesterday. I finished mowing my weekly lawns that the weather had caused me to be behind. Then I had to mow the cabin property and had to work on my mower before I could start. I went riding as soon as I got home but then my son text that he was coming over to discuss the water in his basement and share his vacation pictures. I only logged 22 miles.

Today I vowed I was going to do some serious riding. I started out around 11AM and was in the middle of my third loop when I had another dang flat.
My wife came and picked me up, I put another tube in the tire, and went riding again. I grabbed a fresh battery and drained it before coming home.
After dinner I went riding again. I saw very few people out today considering the weather was nice. I did see the E-Trike guy Tim this morning. I logged 89 miles today.
 
Today was one of those perfect days to be outside. I cleaned my smoker and patio this morning. I gave my bike a bath. I mowed my yard. I then went riding and then rode some more. It was in the mid eighties with no wind to speak of. I came home when that battery was getting low. I pulled my old bike backpack with a hydration system from the shed and gave it a clean while I enjoyed a cold beer. The only thing I found in the backpack was a flashlight and the missing spare key to the bike I sold to my buddy. I then went riding again and came home and cooked dinner and then went riding until battery number two was about dead. I logged 97 miles.

It's been my observation that the button to push to activate a walk signal at a controlled intersection is not designed for cyclists. I gave up a long time ago trying to reach the button while on my bike. I saw an old man today, very likely my age, dump he and his bike as he tried to activate the crossing light. He was trying to cross over to my sidewalk when he fell and he fell hard. I watched as he slowly got up and gave me the thumbs up that he was okay.

On another forum early this morning I saw a car with custom brake lights that were LED lights and they looked like a fire burning. It reminded me of a 1968 Mercury Cougar that I owned in the early seventies that had taillights that were three vertical bars and they would flash in sequence toward the direction you were turning. I hadn't thought about that car for decades. Late this afternoon, I had that very auto with the same paint job pass in front of me while I waited to cross that street. The car was mint! I haven't seen that model car in near forty years. Struck me odd.
 
There was a big time South wind today. I finished mowing and braved a ride. I only rode 39 miles and called it a day. Just as you enter the city limits of the town South of here there is a bike station. It has a rack to hang your bike on, a nice manual tire pump, and all sorts of wrenches and assorted tools all attached to cables so they can't be stolen without some extreme effort. There was an older couple parked there with brand new bikes. I stopped and offered my assistance. They needed no help, they were just marveling at the bike station. They were on the virgin voyage of their new bikes. Nice bikes but not e-bikes. We visited for a bit before I rode on. I think they were happy to see some support, though not needed today, from another cyclist. It is a like minded community that enjoys helping out another cyclist. I've been helped and definitely want to pay that debt by helping another.
 
I thought I detected a bit of brake problem yesterday and being as I'm rained in today, I gave it a close inspection. The front rotor was warped and rubbing on the brake pads as it wobbled in the caliper. It didn't happen over night. It is basically used up. The back brake looks good but I ordered two new rotors today. They are easy enough to replace. It seems the trick is to order some that aren't already warped. I went with Shimano SLX Rt66 rotors for the brand is known for making quality bike parts. I hope they run true. I could have bought cheaper rotors for one third the cost.
 
I was pretty pooped after mowing two days worth of lawns today with the wet grass and muddy yards. There is a chance for rain again tomorrow so I decided to ride some just in case. I only rode 31 miles and I was the lone cyclist out this evening. It was right around 70° with only a slight North Easterly wind. It seemed like fairly nice riding weather to me.
I had ordered two more heavy duty tube for my bike that arrived today. I'm riding on a patched tube, I have a patched tube in my bike trunk and one more patched tube in the shed. I tossed the last two tubes that went flat. They both had multiple holes and patches. It was time to get some new stock.
When I install the new rotor on the front brake, I plan to remove the back wheel and install a tire liner. The liner will not stop nails but it would have saved me from my last flat that was a piece of wire and a staple. I have the liner... might as well give it a go.
 
I went riding after I mowed my lawns and again after dinner. It was perfect riding weather... mid seventies with very little wind. I only saw one other cyclist while riding. I had a bit of motor problem on my earlier ride. It was losing power ever so often. I could feel the lull but then it picked right up again. I've had the fear for a while that I've put more miles on my bike than it was designed. The big ticket item will be the motor and back wheel and I've been dreading the day I have to replace it. I thought today was the beginning of the end but it was just a lose connection. ...whew!

I never pass up a lemonade stand that kids are running. I stop, I ask how much, they tell me and I say no way... then I give them a fiver and thank them for trying to earn a dollar. I never take whatever they are selling but I get a kick out of teasing them. I learned this from an old man about 65 years ago when I was selling lemonade. It was while leaving this little girl's lemonade shop that I discovered that the torque sensor wasn't working and it was obviously unplugged. The little girl was happy and so was I.
 
My brake replacement went well. The replacement rotor wasn't delivered until 2:30 but I was riding by 3:30. The brakes are made to be replaced. The hard part is getting the calipers exactly centered on the rotor. It is impossible to get a good visual angle to see the clearance and my hearing is such that I can't hear the pads ticking the rotor. I adjusted it the best I could and it must be fairly decent because I gained a few miles per charge on both batteries I used today.
I rode before and after dinner logging 75 miles. I did see some cyclists today. I only saw one e-bike but met or passed five or six other riders. It was a great day to be riding.
 
I had a birthday party to attend this morning so it was around one PM when I went riding. I rode a battery down and came home and made sure that after all the stopping I've done that my brakes weren't rubbing. I then grabbed another battery and rode a bit more before dinner and a couple of loops after dinner. Naturally, the North wind that I had been dealing with all day long pretty much quit blowing when I quite riding. I did see a number of cyclists out enjoying the day today. I saw what was likely a grandfather and grandson out for a ride. They looked to be having a great time. I also got a wave from a gal I see often that has always had me on ignore. She either finally decided that I'm trustworthy or she is confident enough to take a hand off of her handlebars. :) I've likely waved at her a dozen times this year. It's fun to be friendly!

This is garage sale weekend for my city. I'm about to go broke with all of the lemonade stands. :)
 
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