Avid BB7 mounted on Manitou Trance front fork

Here's a shot of the Avid BB7 mounted on the front fork. Now all I need is the brake cable!

More later,
Ambrose

Manitou Trance 3 front suspension fork

I picked up a used Manitou Trance 3 front suspension fork from GCinDC this morning and mounted the disk brake Bontrager front wheel today! Next, the bike goes to the shop to have the new fork mounted!

Interesting and dangerous encounter

On my way in to work on Wednesday, I came up to a stop light with a right turn lane. I stopped at the red light in between the lane that goes straight through and the right turn lane so as to not block right turning cars. I try and be considerate and not be a target of frustration for drivers. I noticed that there was a minivan in the right turn lane. As the light changed, the minivan went straight and cut me off! He went straight in a right turn only lane. I was a bit perturbed, but since it wasn't a dangerous maneuver for me (he pulled out quickly), I didn't let it bother me. As I approached it further on, the minivan was stuck behind a bus. I noticed that he was pulling his car over to the left and it looked as if he was thinking of passing the bus in a double yellow lane! I stopped and watched him do just that! He passed the stopped bus and crossed a double yellow lane!

The thought occurred to me that there are always folks who will push limits or outright break the law. It's wise to assume that this will happen and not assume anything.. Be ever alert and vigilant for bad drivers and drivers who don't regard the law or the safety of other drivers or even bicyclists.

Assume the worst and stay safe!

More later,
Ambrose

First ride of the year April 14, 2010

I finally rode my bike to work on Wednesday of this week. I spent a bit of time to make sure the bike was functioning, however, forgot to check the tire pressure! Both tires were very low, in fact, the front tire didn't have any measurable pressure in it!  It's a miracle I made it safely. The rear tire was better at around 20 lbs, but still very low. It's a tribute to the Schwalbe Big Apple 26x2.35" tires that they worked as well as they did at such low pressure.

I need to start work on converting to the rear motor now that I have most of the parts I need to do the job. I have the front disk brake enabled wheel, the rear motor, the brake adapter to allow me to use the Avid BB7 on the rear motor with disk brakes, the 72V controller, etc. I've also got on order, more spare Bosch Fat Pack cells to complete my 72V conversion.

More later,
Ambrose

A biker and pedestrian killed in Washington, DC in the past week!

Be careful out there, folks!

A biker and a pedestrian have been killed here in Washington, DC in the past week!

The biker was run over by a 5 ton police tank.
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0410/725019.html

The pedestrian was killed by a Volkswagen.
http://blog.georgetownvoice.com/2010/03/30/pedestrian-by-vehicle-at-intersection-of-m-street-and-wisconsin-avenue/

As a reminder, here are my guidelines for safe riding:

1. Always ride with great caution. Don't assume that drivers can see you or care about your safety!
2. Don't take any unnecessary chances. Bike riding in car/truck traffic is dangerous enough. If you take unnecessary chances, you increase your risk of being hurt or killed.goes up exponentially!
3. Be seen! I always ride with all of my lights on. I have 5 on my bike.

• A pair of handlebar mounted MagicShine P7 headlights. One flashing and the other steady.
• A helmet mounted front facing Coast mini-spotlight. I can turn my head and point to whatever I'm looking at so that I have a better chance of being seen.
• A helmet mounted rear Planet Bike Super Blinkie. It has a very intense focused sweet spot that hits a fairly large area behind me and moves with my head so that I increase the coverage area.
• I also have a Walmart Bell bike mounted tail light which I'm replacing with a Super Blinkie clone from China.

I also have my "Blinder" tail lights which I haven't fully implemented yet. It's working, but I haven't come up with a workable mount for my bike. When I have it completed, I'll post a note here. The "Blinder" really does what it's name implies!

Be safe, be seen, be happy!

Ambrose

Tiagra 52T mounted on my TF

I finally took a couple of pictures of the Tiagra 52T crankset mounted on my Tidalforce ebike.

They are really huge and I can pedal much easier now with the bike at full power. Of course, when I step up to 72V, I will probably not be able to keep up again!

I plan on riding my bike to work tomorrow.
Ambrose

Avid BB7 disc brakes front and rear!

I finally had a chance to ride my ebike for a short period of time today. I had to drop my car off at the garage and needed a way to get home. I loaded up the bike into the car and headed to the garage. I rode back home on it in short order!

As for the next upgrade, I picked up a pair of Avid BB7 Disc Brakes from eBay and they should be arriving shortly. I can't wait to mount the rear motor and front wheel with disc brakes. Right now, my V-brakes last only 6 weeks before I need to replace them. With disc brakes, I hope to eliminate this need, at least for a few months instead of a few weeks.

More later,
Ambrose