Riding in the hood.

[deacon]

Thank you...

im back home now and god I am glad. I promised myself that I wasn't going to drive any more. My wife had a fit when I told her that i was going to drive the three hundred miles each way, but I did it anyway. I hope that it was my last auto trip. Way to dangerous out there for me.

 

[deacon]

My neighbor flagged me down to ask about the bike today. I gave him a glowing recommendation for the bikes and this site. I hope he does both, I would love to have someone in the hood to ride with.

 

[Pablo]

Cool - the only guys in my 'hood who aren't "interested" are guys with sons from 6-14 years old......c'mon let the kid motorize his bike!!

 

[deacon]

I have again stopped walking at the mall. I hate walking around in circles. I think I'm going to turn the giant mtn bike back into a one speed bike for the bike/walking path. There is one nasty hill coming home from the path but all the rest is doable. I can even drive to the path with the bike on the back of my car but that defeats the purpose of having a bike. The idea is to completely do away with the car.

I do not wish to ride in my neighborhood on my test route lol. I want to ride that darn bike path through the woods. Even then I need to replace the seat on the big bike with something besides the seat from the sacrificial twenty inch kiddie bike. I can't imagine riding that thing six miles. It might change my sexual orientation.

 

[deacon]

Okay I have decided what to do with the giant mtb. I put the 24" coaster brake wheel on the back. Set it up as a one speed. I left the front brake on the wheel, then I added the 350 watt electric motor. That I have said before. Today I set the motor so that I can swing it up and ride the trail for exercise, then I can swing the motor down and engage it for the return up the big hill assist.. I have a couple of lead acid batteries I can attach to the frame of the mtb. Now they have a very short range usually, but if I ride it only to get home from the park it should be enough.

That should be good enough for me to ride and still get home alive. I don't mind the pain. It's the embarrassment of pushing the bike up hill that I hate. In other words I don't much like getting old.

 

[Pablo]

We demand pictures....................................................of the bike.

 

[Ilikeabikea]

Yea a picture would be great. I'd like to see it................

 

[deacon]

The giant mtb let me down so it is now history but but I did go to the thrift store. Where I bought a 26" cruiser on which all the tires from the giant mt bike will fit. I bought the cruiser for $4.56 I can even buy an inner tube for that.

The cruiser now has the 350 watt engine from the huge mtb. I tested it an everything works just fine. I will be using it for my bike trail rides. YOu know get a little exercise and keep me from walking around the mall in circles.

Then I can drop the engine after I'm finished and headed home to help me up that hill that takes my breath away. And that is not in a good way either. Now that YOu do get pics of.

This is a $4.50 bike. a twenty seven dollar 350 watt motor. 2sla batteries $20 each.. one house type switch to make it go and stop... The drive wheels can be anything at all. If anyone is interested I can tell you exactly how to make a friction wheel for one of the cheap electric motors on ebay.

 

[deacon]

I need to tell this story real quick. I have two sisters who live next door. Both are in their twenties. They see me riding and testing bikes all the time these days. As I was leaving today to test the huge MTB that fell apart on me, I said, "I'm testing a bike I built for excercise ect."

When they saw me pushing it back one of them said, "I like your exercise routine. You ride them out and push them back. I bet that works real well."

I smile and resisted the urge to choke her lol

 

[Ilikeabikea]

Deacon, that looks like a really good bike for a gas engine.....................................

 

[deacon]

To be honest I thought that when I picked it out rofl

 

[deacon]

It's been a fun ride guys but I need to get back to life away from the puter. Take care all and thanks for the information and help all of you,

Especially you Norm. I'll Find you to ask more questions I'm sure.

 

[deacon]

Couple of days ago I took the Sissy out for a spin. I got about two blocks when I noticed a car following me. I pulled over to let it pass. Instead of pass the car containing too large black guys pulled up beside me. The one driving leaned across and said while pointing something black at me. "Hey man how 'bought gettin' off that bike? I want to make a picture of it if you don't mind." He began clicking away with his cell phone.

After he asked How much I would sell it for, I began to breath again.

 

[Norman]

Did you sell it?

 

[Norman]

Deacon you got to post a how to do on electric bikes wiring, motors,battries,and switches. The whole 9 yards ok?
Norman

 

[deacon]

I should have the hooverdam thing is making me crazy. But alas I finally got it so I can ride a little.

by the way I have been riding the exerciser with the elec assist. I like it but man I can run a battery down in a mile these days. Those batteries lasted about a year and now they ready for the landfill. I'm thinking about designing the trailer and elec motor so I can pop the motor off and lock it in the trailer while I ride the bike path. The bike without all that extra weight would give me a good workout I think. Then I could pop it on for the ride home.

Or I could just take the car with the plain ole bike on the bike rack. Seems that would be the most simple but it wouldn't help me reach my goal of zero car use. I should just ride the exerciser in the hood I guess. But then I would look like a street person, not an outlaw motorized biker. I know I know it's all in the attitude but every actor needs his prop lol.

 

[deacon]

So I still haven't made any long trips on the bike. About five miles has been the max so far. I'm thinking I need to plan something longer but do it when I have a backup plan for getting home again. Ten mile out and then pedal ten miles back just doesn't sound like fun to me.

I am trying to find a mirror that I like. So far no luck.

 

[deacon]

Norman and I discussed a battery in the light circuit. It kills the bike when you try to hook it up. It will run your lights and since mine is a rechargeable I plan to continue using it. I got to ride today and it was fifty six degrees. Just a insulated vest and the helmet okay clothes too

 

[deacon]

God I love my bike.


So today I built a luggage rack from a couple of pvc pipes and a broom stick. I put it on and painted it then wanted to see how it traveled. Any excuse to ride the bike.

I went about two miles up and down the roads in the hood. I looked down the road and realized that school was out for the day and a group of 3/4 dozen wanna be thugs were walking down the road taking my whole lane.

I moved over to ride in the wrong lane of course. One of them stepped over to block my way. Now I could swing right and run into the whole crowd of them, or i could swing left and run off the road and screw up my bike or I could just gun the **** out of the bike and hope the kid lost his nerve. Once committed I had no choice. I got within ten feet of him before he jumped out of the way. Good thing there was a car coming up behind him which he didn't see. He sure as **** couldn't hear it over the whining of the bike. One of us would have gotten him for sure.

I doubt that he realized how old I was. Us old guys don't have near as much time to lose as a high school kid.

So I get to the end of the road and realize I wanted to turn around and go back. I had no idea if someone had worked up his courage for another try or not. As i passed them one of them tried to flag me down. Naturally I gunned the bike and zipped by them.

God I love my bike.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

I'd have stopped and administered an old fashioned ass whoopin'.

Not really, but I would have stopped and made 'em think I was going to.