Cheers from the frozen north

[mtatkow]

Picked up bicycling and rebuilding old steel bikes as a "Covid Crazy" summer 2020. Mainly bikes from the early to mid 70's that I could have been riding back in high school. I put down a couple thousand miles between June and November when I was diagnosed with lung cancer (48 years of smoking catches up with you). Surgery New Years Eve 2020 and regained much of my strength between January and April with a '72 Peugeot on a trainer.

My wife started riding with me back in 2020 when she aggravated an old knee injury in a motorcycle accident that September (she rides her own), so we got her an ebike - BH EVO city pro. Big learning experience. Knowing what I know now I would not have purchased that bike. I do not like how the torque sensor / controller configuration on the BH operate, and all components are proprietary. I got fed up and removed everything except the rear wheel and changed out to more "standard" KT components. Major improvement in performance, though still limited at 20mph by the rear wheel itself (all limits are removed from the new controller). [If anyone wants a complete controller and center display for the BH, make me an offer (2019 MY). I also have the TMM4 sensor, but need to swap for a bad one as part of any parts exchange as that is also the hanger for the derailleur.]

As I got back into it late spring 2021 I found my wind was not what it was, so I purchased a RAD Mission for myself, which now wears a larger battery and a two speed front gear set with derailleur. I have a few general issues with that bike, but I generally like it given the dual chainrings (3/48 teeth) I installed, and the range with the oversize battery is quite decent. I shortly thereafter did a conversion of my '75 Motobecane to a front drive, 21speed driveline and 700c wheels. That one is a lot of fun and outperforms either of the other 2 bikes, easily touching 27-30mph on the flats with me peddling. That NB Power "350 watt" motor puts down far more than the nameplate.

More information than necessary in an introduction, but gained a lot of experience with these over the last year or so. The engineer in me keeps me tweaking and learning what more can be done. Looking forward to perhaps sharing some of this with others and gaining their experience as I wait anxiously for the next riding season.

For now - Cheers from the frozen white north!

 

[retiredNH]

Where are you? I'm in frozen New Hampshire - 7 degrees F this morning. I'm using a trainer during the cold months. Road riding is a bit too risky for my taste and for someone well into retirement. The roads around here are heavily sanded and very hilly, with scattered icy patches. Don't want to take the risks. Yes, ebikes are game changers for us seniors with health issues.

It seems you like speed much more than me. I rarely go above 20 MPH, even downhill, but that's partly because roads around here are very windy, and you never know if a truck is backing out of a driveway just around the next corner.

 

[mtatkow]

I rarely go over 18-20 MPH either, only noted the above ability to exceed that level with the retrofit as it seems that the bike manufacturer's seem likely to adhere to the regulations, where the hardware manufacturers leave it up to you, as the builder, to comply.

Madison Wisconsin. I refer to this as frozen hell as I spent the first 46 years of my life south of the M-D line, and somehow got snookered into moving first to Rochester NY, and now here. My wife is already retired, and I am probably 2 years out. High priority if I remain clean for the next year is to get back south where I was used to motorcycling for 9 months of the year, and probably bicycle 11 months. Latitude between St. Louis and Birmingham will suit me fine.

 

[retiredNH]

I rarely go over 18-20 MPH either, only noted the above ability to exceed that level with the retrofit as it seems that the bike manufacturer's seem likely to adhere to the regulations, where the hardware manufacturers leave it up to you, as the builder, to comply.

Madison Wisconsin. I refer to this as frozen hell as I spent the first 46 years of my life south of the M-D line, and somehow got snookered into moving first to Rochester NY, and now here. My wife is already retired, and I am probably 2 years out. High priority if I remain clean for the next year is to get back south where I was used to motorcycling for 9 months of the year, and probably bicycle 11 months. Latitude between St. Louis and Birmingham will suit me fine.

Do you have snowshoes? I find winter to be a magical time. We discovered several streamside trails when we moved here. They're amazing in the winter, with the water flowing through ice formations. True, I don't bike in the winter, but the tradeoff is that in the summer it's never too hot for a ride. We lived in Texas many years ago, and there I figured that folks in most places live indoors for several months each year. Here it's December to February. In Texas it was June to September (OK, 4 months).

 

[Deacon Blues]

Right now I miss cycling, but taking my dog for walks in the forest after a snowfall has its pluses too.