Coffee with Jazza (A Fast Vado Commute to Warsaw, Afternoon Traffic)
The early afternoon meant riding my e-Trance to the garage to collect my car from a repair. The quick release Fox thru-axle is very practical: It takes only several seconds to remove or replace the front wheel and putting my Monster into my station-wagon is very easy. Soon later, I rode the Monster to the local pharmacy, as there was no chance to park the car in the downtown.
Yet I needed a longer (and pleasure) ride that afternoon/evening. I gave my friend Jazza a phone call and yes, she told me she had already started admitting guests under the condition of social distancing (fine for me!) We have been friends with Jazza for the past 17 years. Now she lives in a very nice house with a garden in a residential quarter of Warsaw, at a very good distance for Vado with a single battery.
View attachment 57456
I travelled light only wearing a backpack. This time, I decided to move with the traffic on main roads, and to move fast. The downwind part was just terrific. I had the Smart Control on and was at Jazza's place in an hour (so slowly only because I was hungry and had to stop at a gas station to buy and eat a sandwich). Often, one hour driving is not enough to get to Jazza's, especially during the afternoon traffic jams.
The drivers were cooperating nicely. Since there are many bike paths around, it is unusual to see a cyclist in the far Aleje Jerozolimskie or in Łopuszańska Street; I am banned by law from the bike paths and have to use the roads with the Speed-Vado. There was only one driver, a young woman who honked at me; I admit I verbally attacked her (she must have heard that as she drove with an open window). I should have honked back at her instead. Sorry!
I need to add the Smart Control was very efficient and left me with 72% battery when I entered Jazza's garage. Jazza has a nice dog (a bitch), 10-months old Bernese Mountain Dog,
Frezja. Frezja is already a large beast (sorry for not taking pictures) and she's so sweet! Coffee was good, we had a nice talk with Jazza after all those months of lockdown...
Electronic gremlins attacked my Vado on the way back. "Error motor" twice, "No battery" message four times. I simply ignored that; I'm normally a good-humoured person and the gremlins must have eventually understood that
(I guess the erratic behaviour had something in common with the Smart Control, which I disabled). The way back was upwind but I found out I had so much of the battery left I could ride in the Turbo mode all the way! Oh my! 40 km/h (25 mph) or more! Upwind!
It really is a guilty pleasure to overtake a road cyclist at 45 km/h when the poor bastard reaches only 30 km/h while fighting the headwind
Ah. I was able to determine the peak power of the Vado with the Specialized 1.2s motor: It was 666 Watts! (37 V * 18 A)
View attachment 57457
Ride stats & map.