Random Chit Chat

Just did a bit of range testing on the electric bike. Since I wanted to do a 40 mile ride, I threw together some old li-ion cells in a 9s6p configuration and also brought the lead acid pack to use after the li-ions died. Turns out they made it the entire 40 mile trip though, even with low tires and dragging along an extra 25 pounds of lead battery. I got back home, and the multimeter was still sitting around 33v (this would put each cell at 3.7v, which is their nominal voltage.) It was definitely getting pretty sluggish though, with very little acceleration. I'm really quite impressed with how it did. If I felt like it, I could throw both battery packs on and ride all the way to new orleans, 80 miles away. It'd only use about 800whr for that whole trip. I really don't see why electric bikes aren't more popular with the price of gas as high as it is. It's such an efficient way to get around.
 
Last edited:
^ That performance was killer!

Speaking of killer, the Aussies in the house will appreciate this one.
a44RoVv_460s_v1.jpg

Speaking of animals in Australia at the moment one of the supermarkets did a promotion where if you buy certain products you get these animal cards for kids. Everyone was collecting them and people were posting mad to trade on classifieds sites and Facebook pages/groups and it was driving me insane just hearing or seeing about it.
 
Isn't it risky to have an 80 mile trip with a bike? The road is most likely open for cars as well. Flying object are expected.

Be careful.

I do long bike trips all the time. Sometimes multi-day ones where I'll bring camping gear along. The trick is route selection. The best bike routes are secondary use roads with two lanes on each side or a shoulder. Ferries are good for crossing rivers, if you can find one. Sticking toward the outside of cities always greatly reduces the amount of traffic. There's also some other little tricks that reduce issues with cars. The biggest one is riding the middle of the lane. If you stick to the edge like most cyclists, cars will pass extremely close, often dangerously so. If you're more toward the middle, they'll go all the way into the other lane, giving a lot more space. This also helps to avoid potholes, since they're usually toward either side of the lane, where the cars' wheels would be. The downside is that you have to pull over and let cars by if it's a no passing zone or if traffic the other way is heavy. It's also pretty useful to plan your day around the hours people will be the most active. Riding through a city at 5pm would be a nightmare, but if you do it at more like 2, it'll be a lot safer. Night rides are awesome because you can ride for an hour without seeing anybody on some roads. There tend to be worse drivers at these hours, but they're sparse enough that it's possible to keep track of every vehicle long before they'd even pass you. You just need to watch out for cars turning onto the road. I almost got taken out by a truck about a month ago because it flew out of a subdivision onto the road I was on without even slowing down. We'd definitely have collided if I didn't swerve way out into the oncoming lane (luckily car-free at the time.)

I've never actually encountered flying debris, but that is something that always worries me. I tend to pull off the road to let vehicles pass if there's a lot of gravel. Usually that's more problematic when you're following a vehicle at a close distance, which isn't something that happens often when your absolute max speed in 30mph.
 
Last edited:
I ride the bike in the summer everyday. but usually no more that 60 miles. And I don't remember the last time I even wore a helmet. I just see no reason for it :p

You'll come to regret that some day. I don't know anybody who's been riding more than a few years who hasn't had at least one major accident. A helmet can mean the difference between being sore for a few weeks and lifelong brain damage.
 
That's where I disagree. If I get hit by a car, I'd rather it be over with rather then having Hundreds of thousands in hospital bills, and/or have some kind of disability the rest of my life. Just think about it, you on you're daily ride, and bam you get smashed by car, you had a helmet on, you're barely alive, and will never be able to use your legs again. Whereas if you didn't have a helmet, you're dead. Saved everyone a heap of money of trouble. And then, there are the idiots, that are going too fast and gears go out, or is swerving around, or around a corner to fast and land flat on your face. Then 3 things can happen. 1, you land on the side, you help you're head a little bit, not much. 2 you land on your face, helmet did nothing because it's not in front of you. 3 you don't hit your head at all. So there is really only 1 situation that a helmet can help a bit, and even then, if you are so stupid that you go crashing like an idiot, then you shouldn't be on the bike. I was on a ski trip 2 years ago. went down what's called a double black diamond. ran into a spot with a lot of bumps, lost control crashed really bad, landing with my head and back on the ground, and feet still in the air. I completely broke the helmet. It was broken down the middle, and both sides. You could literally just pull it apart. I have some minor memory loss since then, but nothing big. So I've had my experience with helmets. And I also know the spots where they are utterly useless, and can snap your neck right in half if you land too hard on one of the tips.
 
You know, the fact that the helmet broke means that it worked. They're not supposed to be indestructible, their purpose is to absorb as much impact as possible.

Also, it really doesn't have to be that bad a wreck to cause head injury. I got a concussion a few years back, so bad I blacked out and couldn't see for a while. Only other injury was a small wrist fracture. I definitely deeply regretted not wearing a helmet. Also, your logic is totally flawed about the mechanics of a crash. Normally you'd get thrown off the bike, so it won't be from one of two directions. Landing flat on the face is rather rare (and even then, it would take some impact), but I have landed on my back, side, and stomach with my arms sort of reflexively going in front of the chest. The momentum always causes the head to swing down at the ground, hard. I never had any other major injury, but there was definitely potential for head injury. Seriously, wear a helmet. Even in the event that you get completely taken out by a car at high speed, bodily injuries are cheaper to deal with than bodily injuries + a patient in a coma.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom