2 Wheels Maybe

Let's start with the boat. [Yes, I know - it does not have wheels, but this is some seriously retro-cool low-carbon transport. Also, it does have pedals AND you can get it as a pedelec! So it belongs on 2Wheels Maybe - right?] Generally, 2Wheels is not a place for those of you looking to spend the big bucks on green transport, but we make exceptions when we run across something extraordinarily cool. You may remember the Budnitz titanium electric bike or the Morgan EV3 .   Well, another one popped up this week - the Beau Laker Pedal Boat.   The TreeHugger Article   Lloyd Alter over at Treehugger posted an article about this really beautiful water strider for two. Our staff is absolutely smitten! While it would not make much sense in this dust bowl, it would sure be nice to cruise around in more waterful places.   At first glance, it looks like a 1950's Chris-Craft wooden boat , but when you take a closer look you see that it's sm...

I got to ride it a few miles last Tuesday, and I was reminded how an e-bike can be a wonderful thing when you're facing a Lubbock summer. It was 99 degrees outside. I was riding into a 15 mph wind. And I was travelling 15mph. And it all felt great! Other than the PAS not working, I knew it was finally, truly, an e-bike I could ride. So I took it for a ride on Wednesday, and it was once again pretty darn cool - for about half of a mile. And then the battery died. Actually, it still had voltage (38 volts) but the amp-hour capacity was depleted. In real-world terms, my salvaged battery cells aren't up to the job of hauling me and the bike more than a few miles. In West Texas terms, they were rode hard and put up wet before I got 'em. So, I ended up ordering a small stack of these from IMR Batteries . So, after the new cells arrive, it's time to rebuild the battery pack (again).  The battery pack folly list: $80 worth of used cordless ...