2020 : Our Rides in Words, Photos & Videos

[Stefan Mikes]

Thank you, David! I think elevation gain is the factor affecting the battery range the most. True, on the mountain loop, you don't use the motor on descents. You had road escapades involving significant elevation gain. Any comment? Was the last ride with 2 x 500 battery?

P.S. I also wonder... The Vado has the lowest gear of 48:46. I wonder if I can make the steepest ascents (10%) using the Turbo mode.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Yesterday's ride was with the Homage's regular 2 x 500 Wh arrangement.

About a month ago, I mentioned that longer rides were off because the hinge for the Homage's internal battery's cover – more significantly, the mounting point for the second battery (poor design?) had broken. We are still waiting for a replacement hinge from R&M: how long's a piece of string; how long's a wait during this plague year? Anyway, the R&M dealer has strapped up the lid/attachment point and I have kept the Homage away from the roughest sections of the rail trail. Everything is on hold, both literally and figuratively.

The examples (101 & 148 km) were both on the same route as yesterday's ride, but minus the hilly section at the start.

For me, any ride on the Homage (2 x 500 Wh) that is likely to exceed 125 km calls for a third battery for backup. As noted above, the battery brought along in the pannier is there to be used with enthusiasm… and we'd better not forget wind which so often 'picks up' in the afternoon along the coast.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I think I am riding too much between my commute and then the tandem in the evening when it is 92 it was hard today. went along the Willamette river for a bit. but this closing is too much with a 65# tandem if I take the packs off they are 10 pounds too.

. \\\

 

[Sierratim]

Thank you, David! I think elevation gain is the factor affecting the battery range the most. True, on the mountain loop, you don't use the motor on descents. You had road escapades involving significant elevation gain. Any comment? Was the last ride with 2 x 500 battery?

P.S. I also wonder... The Vado has the lowest gear of 48:46. I wonder if I can make the steepest ascents (10%) using the Turbo mode.

@Stefan Mikes 10% grades for my Vado 5 with the 1.3 motor are no problem. I am confident your Vado, with your distance conditioning, would have no problem as well.

Let us know how it goes.

Ride On!

 

[FlatSix911]

My favorite Syd and Macky image... long may they ride

SYD and MACKY

Two pro mountain bike racers, living in a van and traveling the world to race the best races. Doing our best to #bemoreawesome On this channel we share the m...

www.youtube.com

 

[Stefan Mikes]

I hesitate, Tim. The place is located as far as 300 miles from my place, of which 2/3 lead through the most boring of Polish expressways (it is a freeway with the speed limit of 120 km/h while the regular freeway allows 140 km/h), and the remaining 1/3 is an exhausting mountain driving. When I was 37 (and my wife 30), we could drive up there on far worse roads with pleasure and thrill*. Nowadays, I'm getting tired of long driving.

The other matter is that region is very expensive now in August. It is because it is extremely attractive from touristic and recreational viewpoint. I would not dare to ride in the Karkonosze Mts, which are for "eagles". There is either bike ban or the hardest MTB trails there. It is doable to circumnavigate (to use that word) the Karkonosze around their base but that means multi-day credit-card tour. (A normal tourist uses their car, feet, and cable railways to explore Karkonosze).

On the other hand, the nearby Jizera Mts are easier to ride, especially via roads (my route is related to the Jizeras). Additional thrill is the fact more than half of the route is in the Czech Republic, and everybody likes to be abroad (I have to add the Czech have developed even better cycling culture and infrastructure than we Poles).

I think I will postpone the travel to the end of September when my gf returns to her London. I cannot take her to Jizera as she's never ridden e-bike yet and I'm sure she would not manage that trip. (Going to see Copenhagen instead and I swore to her we would be riding rented mech bikes there!)
----------------------
*) Polish roads were in terrible shape back in 1998. I was to go for a scientific conference to Karpacz/Szklarska Poręba at that time. Our first good car was almost brand new, and my (late now) wife Sheila had a brand new driving license We set off for the trip in the evening, and it was raining. I bit my teeth and drove all the way, trying to take the longer but better quality route. The next morning my wife transported the car back home. It was not a 300 but 375 mile driving, the first part through the most scary mountain roads! It was her first long driving! She was so proud of that!

 

[Readytoride]

Yes. I did a 60 mile ride, about the same elevation as yours. Used two 400w batteries:

Apr 26, 2020
#884
One plan, two ebikes, and 61 miles

My level of assist is Sport Mode with a fair amount of Turbo thrown in, so your plan should be doable.

It might not be a bad idea to toss your charger (and extension cord) in your panniers, just in case you stop midway to lunch at a cafe that has an outdoor plug. Never hurts to take advantage of re-juicing a battery pack when the opportunity presents itself. Just a bit of added insurance that you'll have plenty of electrons to get you home.

A question to anybody having the experience:

A 84 km (50+ miles) route on roads, in mountains, elevation gain of 1500 m (4500 ft). I would make it on Vado with two 600 Wh batteries. Feasible in 1 day?

View attachment 60690

View attachment 60691

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes. I did a 60 mile ride, about the same elevation as yours. Used two 400w batteries:

Apr 26, 2020
#884
One plan, two ebikes, and 61 miles

My level of assist is Sport Mode with a fair amount of Turbo thrown in, so your plan should be doable.

It might not be a bad idea to toss your charger (and extension cord) in your panniers, just in case you stop midway to lunch at a cafe that has an outdoor plug. Never hurts to take advantage of re-juicing a battery pack when the opportunity presents itself. Just a bit of added insurance that you'll have plenty of electrons to get you home.

Going there in September! Things will be easier (and cheaper) off-season.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Tide's out (yet again) …

Click photo to view full-size.​

Shorncliffe Pier, Brisbane
80 km / 11.46 am​

Looking north from the yellow X on the map above (post #2186).

Just visible: the twin velcro straps holding the battery lid/mount together. The Homage could have been a five-star ebike; it's a pity R&M spoiled the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar.

 

[Deleted member 18083]

Tide's still out …

Click photo to view full-size.​

Suttons Beach, Redcliffe Peninsula
96 km / 1.04 pm​

Looking north from the black X on the map above (post #2186).

• On the left : mangroves (of course!)
• On the right : The Moreton Bay Cycleway is on the edge of the rock wall – some shelters and a few walkers can be seen.

78 minutes* but only 16 km between photos! Guess who was wasting time having coffee at Mario's espresso express. Clearly the clouds moved in from the ocean faster that I moved up the coast! The fresh southeaster off the ocean was part of the reason I pulled out of the ride early and took the train!

* Which is about the same time as I took between posting these two photos. More adventures from life in the slow lane tomorrow.

 

[RabH]

A question to anybody having the experience:

A 84 km (50+ miles) route on roads, in mountains, elevation gain of 1500 m (4500 ft). I would make it on Vado with two 600 Wh batteries. Feasible in 1 day?

View attachment 60690

View attachment 60691

The climbing will zap your batteries quite a bit but the other big factor is wind, I'm sure if you can pick a day with little wind (not easy I know) it will be achievable! It might be best to have a friend with a car nearby if possible just to be safe, looking at that terrain its not somewhere you want to run out of battery power!

Last Friday I cycled 100 miles in beautiful weather, only 42 miles this time and once again the weather was perfect for cycling! The roads were filthy after yesterday's rain so my poor bike got dirty today, it might not recover!

I stayed very local today as my dad isn't keeping very well at the moment, lots of ups and downs and over 3,000 ft of climbing meant I got a good workout! I have now covered 718 miles this month from 16 rides, my best ever e bike month!

 

[Chargeride]

Visited Llandegla mtb trails in Wales, it was rammed, though strangely its always still quiet on the trails.
I went with the intention of a bit of filming but within a few minutes of tootling along admiring the forest the sheer fun of teararsing along specially constructed forest tracks took over and its been 6 months since Ive visited, so I just stuck the camera on my helmet ...in totally the wrong angle....and went into full turbo mode.
They have done lots of work during the pandemic, all new berms, jumps and tracks through the higher parts.

No that isnt me, I did make a vid but the camera is at the wrong angle.
Its like being a kid again.
Or...ridiculous behaviour for a man of my growth rings.
That was a proper work out even with full assistance and it's a long time since I've made myself feel sick through exertion.
I'm usually very polite on the trails but did get just a bit

'Coming through!!!'

For the stats hungry.
I burnt through a 750W battery in 18 miles

 

[Stefan Mikes]

The climbing will zap your batteries quite a bit but the other big factor is wind, I'm sure if you can pick a day with little wind (not easy I know) it will be achievable!

Does it matter almost the whole route leads through roads cutting deep forest? What I've noticed is the forest seems to dissipate the wind... Also, mountain roads there run among hills that might reduce the wind penalty. Not sure if that would help, yet on my previous mountain rides the wind didn't seem to pose any problem contrary to what I use to experience in bare flatland...

 

[RabH]

Does it matter almost the whole route leads through roads cutting deep forest? What I've noticed is the forest seems to dissipate the wind... Also, mountain roads there run among hills that might reduce the wind penalty. Not sure if that would help, yet on my previous mountain rides the wind didn't seem to pose any problem contrary to what I use to experience in bare flatland...

If its tree lined you should be fine then, they do a great job of dissipating the wind!

 

[Stefan Mikes]

If all goes fine, I & Jacek go together to conquer the Jizera Mts on the first weekend of August. I've pre-booked a hotel in Jelenia Góra/Hirschberg in Riesengebirge/Deer Mountain, which is the sub-region capital city. (The price of an excellent hotel there is far lower than of any hotel in the spa town). Jacek would be driving. We both wonder if the hub-drive Lovelec e-bike would be capable to ride 9% grade ascents, we will see!

Saturday will be the "around the Jizera" loop, and we'll make a far shorter and easier ride from Szklarska Poręba to Karpacz and back on Sunday. There is the Vang Stave Church from 13th century there, brought there by the King of Prussia from Norway in 1842. Another must-see will be the famous road "Bend of Death". Excited!

The Bend of Death in an old German postcard.

 

[RabH]

If all goes fine, I & Jacek go together to conquer the Jizera Mts on the first weekend of August. I've pre-booked a hotel in Jelenia Góra/Hirschberg in Riesengebirge/Deer Mountain, which is the sub-region capital city. (The price of an excellent hotel there is far lower than of any hotel in the spa town). Jacek would be driving. We both wonder if the hub-drive Lovelec e-bike would be capable to ride 9% grade ascents, we will see!

Saturday will be the "around the Jizera" loop, and we'll make a far shorter and easier ride from Szklarska Poręba to Karpacz and back on Sunday. There is the Vang Stave Church from 13th century there, brought there by the King of Prussia from Norway in 1842. Another must-see will be the famous road "Bend of Death". Excited!

View attachment 60806
The Bend of Death in an old German postcard.

I can see why its called the bend of death! It should be a fun trip Stefan, hopefully the weather will be kind to you!

 

[Chargeride]

Well I put a vid together but it's pretty awful becsuse the camera is pointing too low.
Condensed a 2 hour blast into 5 mins and the battery ran out at the end.
Anyway if you can stand it...a little bit of my day.

 

[Chargeride]

Well I put a vid together but it's pretty awful becsuse the camera is pointing too low.
Condensed a 2 hour blast into 5 mins and the battery ran out at the end.
Anyway if you can stand it...a little bit of my day.
It doesnt show the speed very well with a head mounted stabilised cam,but you can tell Im motoring from the look on people faces.
Pushing 18mph up the steep climbs. Probably 40mph gravity drip on the downhills .

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Can't remember... What's your ride, @Chargeride? Amazing video!

 

[RabH]

Well I put a vid together but it's pretty awful becsuse the camera is pointing too low.
Condensed a 2 hour blast into 5 mins and the battery ran out at the end.
Anyway if you can stand it...a little bit of my day.

Amazing trails and another great video!