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Sunday, April 12, 2009

Pimp My Ride



That's a picture of my Hybrid Electric parked next to an especially stupid looking Hummer. Dark tinted windows make it impossible for cyclists to make eye contact with drivers. You're playing Russian roulette when you cross in front of a car that has them. I noticed that this particular Hummer would not move for days at a time when gas prices were high last summer.

A commenter wanted me to post an update on my Hybrid Electric bike. Specifically, he wanted to know how the cheap mountain bike frame was holding out. The answer is just fine. My only complaint is that that the cargo rack has to cantilever from the seat post because it can't connect to the rear wheel axle on a loose tail mountain bike. This minimizes shocks to the controller but puts a lot of stress at the base of the cantilever.



There isn't much to update. I have not made any improvements to the bike for some time, which is a sign that the design is pretty mature. I thought I'd include a picture of my charging station. It normally hangs on the garage wall but I occasionally take it with me on long trips. It is designed so two chargers can fit in each pannier bag. With the flip of a switch I can charge the batteries or draw power from them.

I rode too far on a trip last week and had to limp home without using my batteries. That's the beauty of a hybrid system. I'm not sure how the all-electric car thing will work out because people will over-extend now and then. I suspect companies will spring up to assist electric car drivers with quick charges or cheap tows--part of the new green economy.

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6 comments:

  1. I tried to add your blog to my blogroll on my blog (that's a lot of the word blog), but for whatever reason, blogger did not detect your blog as having a feed.

    You might want to look into the functionality of your feed. And if you're wondering, I did check the functionality of my blogroll. Another google-based blog worked.

    Just thought I'd give you a heads up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hmm, seems that is the result of redirecting biodiversivist.blogspot.com through biodiversivist.com. You should see the feed if you use biodiversivist.blogspot.com.

    Thanks for the heads up.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous1:43 PM

    Love the easy flip idea. How do you wire the chargers together?

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  4. Hi Russ. I was wondering how you connected the batteries when they're on the bike. I'd like to make this conversion on my bike, so and i'm looking around at what other people are doing. This guy fabricated wooden mounts, but they don't seem very robust and durable http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDNHntWYhEI&feature=related

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  5. Drop into this site I put together before you decide to use Dewalts. I can sell you a battery holder if you are sure you want to go through with it. There are no repair shops. You will be responsible for your own troubleshooting and repairs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:05 AM

    Like the blog. And the bike! Sweet :-)

    The guy in the pic (below) is not driving a Hummer, he's driving a national punchline that spews more harmful emissions than Artie Lange after a BBQ binge.

    http://7spiderrico.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-really-you-and-your-hummer-are.html

    ReplyDelete

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