2 Wheels Maybe

 So, let's say that you are e-bike curious, but you're struggling with the whole idea of being seen as an e-cyclist, or you just think e-bikes are hideous. (Some of them really are.) [Recycled from Mesquite Hugger] Maybe you've heard it said that e-bikes are a form of cheating, and you can maybe see the point. And, yes, if you are competing with people on non-e-bikes, you probably are cheating. Stop being a jerk. Just go find some e-bikers and compete with them. Problem solved. On the other hand, if you're riding an e-bike to (work, school, errands, hang out, etc.), you really are cheating. Here's a short list of the groups you are cheating: the petroleum industry the automobile industry cardiologists endocrinologists the DMV that voice in the back of your head that says you'll never go anywhere I don't know about you, but I think I can justify that kind of cheating and sleep well (maybe even better) at night. Or maybe you just love the simple aesthetic of a...

A lot going but not a lot of posts lately, so I figured a little update and let you know what you might see in the future. I rebuilt my first wheel. This one needed a new hub, so I replaced the old one with a disc-compatible hub. After watching three youtube vids, I spent about 90 minutes lacing it up. The next day I spent an hour straightening, truing, and tightening it. It may sound weird, but it was one of the most satisfying and calming projects I've tackled in quite a while. I can't wait to tackle my next one. (Spoiler alert, it will either be a rear hub motor or a front drum brake into a 26" rim. Stay tuned!) Farewell, Old 9917 The black Worksman klunker unexpectedly found a new home. (Remember - lock up your bike - even at your local coffeehouse. I hope it went to someone who needed it.) A new Worksman to build! (Woohoo!) So, I purchased another frame from my favorite seller on Rat Ride Bikes . Coincidentally, it came with a terrible paint job that matches the reb...

After two years of hauling my less-than-svelte behind around, the Juiced has earned an upgrade in the stopping department. [I wasn't planning on writing about this, but Jim from Jim's Obsessive Cycling Disorder asked if I'd share my results from this cheap caliper swap and I figured I'd just share it with everybody. Thanks, Jim!] See Jim's Brake upgrade here I've been commuting on the OceanCurrent  for two years now. Other than cable adjustments and switching to thorn-resistant tubes, it's been an impressively maintenance-free bike. But the brake pads are almost gone and I wanted to upgrade to hydraulic brakes before winter sets in. So I started looking at ready-made hydraulic brake kits like this: But e-bike brake levers have a built-in electric switch that acts as a motor cutout when you apply the brakes, so the set pictured above won't do the trick. I had to find another solution or pay a much higher price for an e-bike specific set of brakes. A litt...

I recently had the opportunity to make an e-bike video for the National Solar Tour. Over the course of a weekend I shot a few hours of video and edited it down to just over five minutes. (It was great fun and took a whole lotta time!) The hardest part was all the info that hit the cutting room floor. I had a writing professor once tell me that editing meant that I had to get used to killing my babies. That's how I felt with this, even if most of my babies were boring, long winded, and poorly filmed. The same professor told me to write [or create video] about what I know, so I made a video about the e-bike I've been commuting on for two years now - a Juiced OceanCurrent. It's a bike I would happily recommend to anyone; however, it was discontinued two years ago. Find all the South Plains entries here In its absence, here are some bikes that are very similar in specs and price in case you're looking for such a thing: A  sampler of simple e-bikes for commuting (under $1600...

Woohoo! It's here! Click here to see the South Plains Solar Tour Recently the coordinator for the local solar tour invited me to be a part be a part of this year's tour. YES! I am thrilled to be a part of it and wanted to share the work of a bunch of talented and knowledgeable people who are involved in sharing sustainability practices here in the Lubbock area. So, please click the link above to see the local tour. (If you're looking for me, I'll be the dork with a bike.) If you want to see what's going on all across the country, just go to NationalSolarTour.Org . For those of you who are curious about ebikes, I'll be posting a followup to the video on both blogs ASAP. Thanks for checking the tour out. May your day be wonderful and lead to a better future!

[A new minipost series - it seems like every week I'm tempted by a new bike that just came out, but I don't find time for a full post - so let's go mini!!!!!] I've been a big fan of Monday Motorbikes since April of 2015 (when they were still called Bolt Motorbikes).Through each generation of the M-1, I 've watched the bike grow more impressive (and less expensive) and as a plethora of new e-mopeds have become available lately, Monday has kept pace by upgrading the original, by launching a step-thru model in 2019 - the Gateway , and this week they have announced a new top-tank model - the Anza! (Woohoo! This thing is cool and pretty darned affordable!) Find it on the Monday Motorbikes site I love that they've taken the old Puch-Magnum-style frame and adapted it to be a lightweight hardtail e-bike with a rear hub motor. Where the original was more of a motorcycle with pedals, this one is better equipped to compete with newcomer e-mopeds like the RadRunner, the Ju...

[First, the mini-rant - every bike with a motor and pedals is a moped. Whew, I got that out of my system.] This post is about electric bikes that closely resemble those gas-powered mopeds of the early '70s. I both love those bikes (they have wheels!) and I hate them (all those nasty two-stroke gas/oil emissions). I have fantasized for years about converting one to electric, but now I don't have to. Woohoo! The Five Four Big Contenders (No more CTY) Okay, I admit it - I have a positive bias for each of these machines even though I've never seen any of them in person. I've been watching and admiring the Monday for several years now and I find the dual voltage setup very interesting. I ride and enjoy a Juiced bike several times per week and I'm amazed at the Scorpion's introductory price. Rad makes the Radwagon - 'nuff said! And Onyx is the little-known underdog that's making it happen with two one sweet 'ped. One of our earliest ...