PedalUma
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Petaluma, CA
A bike like that doesn’t exista bit about my bike
When I began seriously considering a cross-country ride, I knew I would need a different bicycle. I had completed several shorter tours—100 to 300 miles—on my Specialized Vado 5 Turbo SL, e-bike. It was a fine bike, but I knew it wasn’t built for the punishment that the Great American Wheel Route would deliver. I needed a bike I could lift over downed trees, push through deep mud, and carry across small creeks. It would need to survive rough cattle guards, rocky trails, endless vibration, and the weight of a fully loaded touring setup. (In the first 400 miles alone, I’ve already encountered all of those challenges.) The bike’s geometry had to fit my unusual proportions: a 36-inch inseam paired with relatively short arms. I wanted an external battery so I wouldn’t have to drag the entire bike to an electrical outlet. The motor and battery needed enough capacity to carry me up long climbs, into headwinds, and across 60-mile stretches between charges. In short, I needed a bicycle that was strong, light, powerful, durable, and comfortable enough for this 72-year-old woman to ride across America. My research turned up plenty of compromises but no perfect solution. The bikes with sufficient power and range were often too heavy. The lighter bikes lacked either durability or battery capacity. None could carry the load. Eventually, I became a lurker on an online community called Electric Bike Review (EBR). One contributor seemed particularly knowledgeable about e-bike engineering and physics, so I reached out to him directly. After several emails, he delivered a surprising verdict: “The perfect bike for your adventure doesn’t exist. It will have to be built.” I asked whether he knew anyone who could build it. “Yes,” he replied. “I can.” That is how I met bicycle genius Rick Holstedt of Pedaluma Bikes in Petaluma, California. Rick pointed me toward his Google reviews. More than 100 people had given him five stars. More importantly, after speaking with him, I understood why. In June 2025, I hired Rick to build my dream bike. The first major decision was the frame. Rick recommended a handcrafted touring frame from Pashley, a storied English bicycle maker. We chose the Pashley Prospero, built from Reynolds 631 steel and hand-crafted from bare tubes in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. This is it:
The frame crossed the Atlantic and arrived at Rick’s workshop in late July. That’s when the transformation began. Rick equipped it with a fully programmable 500-watt ToSeven DM02 mid-drive motor, a robust external battery, Schwalbe Hurricane tires, an oversized brake rotor for steep descents, and a Deflopilator to tame the steering when rough terrain or uneven loads try to wrestle the handlebars from my hands, and an adjustable riser stem with more comfortable grips. He used a compact color display that I find intuitive with 5 power levels, over each of the three modes, for a total of 15. He added special pedals that give me amazing grip without the need for any kind of clips. He then added some bling, painting the motor and polishing the crank arms. The ToSeven is a compact, high clearance torque sensing motor. It is about the size of a 1lb coffee can.
He also installed the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden. More than 400 miles into this journey, I have yet to experience a saddle sore. And because every great bicycle deserves a touch of personality, he topped it all off with a brass bell. The result is a Pashley Prospero transformed into a dream machine. The bike is everything I hoped it would be—strong, dependable, remarkably capable and comfortable. I sit in an upright touring position, like an English lady riding the hunt. It’s also handsome. For most of my life, I never understood why people gave names and personalities to inanimate objects. Then I spent days crossing mountains, gravel roads, forests, city streets, and some interstate, totally dependent on this beast. Now I understand. Depending upon my mood, I call him Perrito or APM (more about that later), or simply Prospero. Prospero, the wizard king in the Tempest, made in the birthplace and home of William Shakespeare. Somewhere along the way, we entered into a relationship. And so far, it’s going splendidly. A bespoke bicycle, built specifically for me and for the road ahead. PedalUma Google page: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sm4bFbJ6B1Yqen7q9?g_st=ic Search YouTube for more about Pashley. Pashley, Prospero and PedalUma logos
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