Bafang mid drive is installed

And I’ve ridden it enough times to come up with a best route to get to and back from Costco.  Still working on determining what the range the battery has.  So far, I had to pedal it the last 1/2 mile, as the battery level went from 50% to 25% within 4 miles, and then died multiple times when using anything except the lowest level of assistance. A manual from Bafang would be useful.

Later got a video, of the display blanking out.  They then let me know of a battery level meter on the battery, itself. And that the console isn’t reliable?

aug20 now keeping track of odometer readings in relation to the 4 LED on the battery, see if they correlate. 

November 2021:  have settled on a range of 50 miles per charge. 

10Sept20: Last charge got to slightly over 42 miles, virtually all on level 1 assist 

Rented a Specialized e-bike.

 Rode it for a total of about 40 miles.  Returned for the ebike store’s opening today. It was in the low 40s so my gloved hands got cold cruising about 20 mph all the time with about an effort usually needed to maintain 10 mph.   The almost 2” wide tires did well on rough roadways. The overwhelming sensation was that it was like being on the front of a tandem, more power than you put in to it so it seems the bike is surging ahead. Hill climbing was the most gratifying, as that motor can climb, even with a load.   Got the Navarro Buzz back and am planning to put a Bafang mid drive on it.  The cheapest way to enter the e-bike world.

Eight is enough ride

My riding buddy and I met at Baker & Spice and I got my Friday Mocha.  Despite that it’s in a SB stainless mug, it did come from the bakery’s espresso machine.  My bike is locked outside in the parking lot.  I also picked up a loaf of the bread my wife enjoys to take back home, that’s it in front of the handlebar bag.  Total (for the whole day) mileage was 22.2 miles with an elevation gain of 1,899 feet.

The mocha, handlebar bag, and Hillsdale Loaf

 We delivered the goods to her and then took a longer ride down to the Willamette River through the cemetery.  It’s amazing how fast going down the same route is compared to climbing the 450 feet.

Then across the river on the 2 year old Sellwood Bridge, with bike lanes in both directions as well as 10ft sidewalks on both sides of the bridge.  It replaced a two lane with one 3 ft sidewalk on the north side, so passing pedestrians and other cyclists was quite the challenge.  The cars, of course, are always in a hurry to get somewhere else, so only the hearty would dare taking a traffic lane.

Then we connected to the Springwater Corrridor, an early rail to trail in this area that now goes from downtown some 22 paved miles to a town called Boring.    We went toward downtown and made the nearly seamless connection to the Vera Katz East Side Esplanade,  Another great piece os cycling/ pedestrian infrastructure.   Crossing the river on the Steel Bridge, the only double lift bridge in a large area.  The train level can rise independently of the traffic deck, when tall ships come by.

Then my buddy needed to pick up fixings for his dinner at New Seasons market at NW Raleigh and 21st Avenue.   From there we decided to climb to the Pittock Mansion.   An early lumber Barron had this mansion built with lots of new features for a house built at the turn of the last century.  It has a rather commanding view over our fair city.

Pittock Mansion grounds

Just a few steps away, through the crowd, this is the view from there.  Even Mt Hood makes an appearance.

View over downtown Portland and Mt Hood

Here’s the “proof” that both of our bikes made it up there.  You have to trust that we rode them.  The last quarter mile is for the smallest chainring on the triple that our Surly Disk Truckers have.  The forward motion is about as fast walking up as it is riding in that gear.    But it’s definitely a huffer/puffer of a hill.

From here we lost a couple hundred feet of gain only to need to make it up again and get to Skyline and descend onto the Sylvan gap, where US 26 freeway crests, and there’s a Starbucks up there.  My riding buddy lives to the west, so we parted and I went south before a screaming descent to get back to where I started.

Seventh 2019 Coffeneuring adventure

Today, another choir practice, and this time it’s from a Seattle’s Best coffee from a vending machine, cheaper and better than the Starbucks affiliate the the VA Canteen service runs.  Total mileage was 9.2 miles and elevation gain of 978 feet.

It’s been colder, so this time with both leg and arm warmers.

Just added the photos on my iPad. Sorry they are all sideways. At least got the order corrected on my desktop PC.    In the last photo of the building, I was headed back home.

The vending machine that brewed it. 

Transferring to my mug. 

A view of the rear entrance.

Sixth 2019 Coffeeneuring Ride Friday

I felt the "need" to get my Friday Mocha and rode over to the west to the next community that has another SB.  Took a more round about way to stay on the quietest of streets and it worked out well.

Round Trip was 4.5 miles and total elevation gain was 422ft.  There was a 10-15 NE breeze to make things seem cooler than the high 50's that is is today.

Coffee, helmet, and Surly against the fence.

At SW Capitol Hwy and 34th Ave Starbucks in Multnomah Village, Portland

Fifth 2019 Coffeeneuring ride

It's a Friday and starting my third week, it's on my training route I call the SW Ramble, it's rouighly an hour long and about 1,000 ft of climbing.  I've worked out some changes to avoid the busiest, narrowest hill climb, so today my GPS told me I'd gone 11.4 miles and climbed 1,254ft.  It took 1:48 including my 27 minute stop to order and drink my Friday Mocha.

It's a neighborhood coffee house in the Maplewood district of SW Portland,  I've been by it many times, but vowed to make it my first visit.  The coffee was good and the place was quite busy with customers.  The building is an old convenience store and Post Office from the past.  the password for the WiFi indicates that is had been a Post Office in 1911.  At that time, it would not have been incorporated into the city limits of Portland.

Some photo evidence that i got there by bike. That's my handlebar bag on the table.  My maroon Surly locked on the noodle outside.and the Mocha in the mug I'd brought along.

A view out the window to the right of me is below and shows that it really is a neighborhood place.

Fourth Coffeeneuring ride of 2019

this time it started out as a ride to the nearest Post Office to send off some items for my better half.  Then back to my old stomping grounds and I was early enough to add some elevation gain to the ride there.  Got the same bike locker and had another choir practice, then walked across the sky bridge to the Starbucks located in the Doernbecker Children's Hospital.  The decorations there are very nice and they really are not flying around the room.  I included the top of my re-usable cup (and got $0.10 off)for having it) is in the foreground.

Distance was 12.1 miles and 1,064 ft of gain.  I finished the coffee while making the return ride back to home.