WELCOME to: BJ and Jo Ondo's recumbent trike cycling blog! This blog has information about US, our "Bicycle/Trike History", and our RIDES, here in Colorado Springs, CO., the Pikes Peak Region, State of Colorado and anywhere else our WHEELS take us!
We decided to find out what a new "inline" e-assist system would cost for Jo's TRICE T so we headed up to Angletech to talk with Joshia and Kelvin. Jo's trike came with a Generation one EBO (Electric Bike Outfitters) rear hub e-assist motor and EBO specific battery. As we bought our trikes used, we have NO idea on how old the motor and the battery are, but the battery needs to be recharged after every ride now so it's down to 25-mile status. The motor is getting louder so it's TIME, even though the expense is a lot to get her a newer, more powerful system.
We had them order a 750 W, 48 V, 14 Amp Hr., inline (bottom bracket install) e-assist system, The parts and labor came to $2700 dollars, YIKES, but the cheapest NEW E-Trike is a Terra Trike Charge model, and it starts at $3300 dollars, so we decided to just upgrade her old TRICE T. Hopefully it will arrive soon, and we can get it installed. After paying up, we headed up to catch the Foothills Trail, WOW they had a wildfire out there and it burned from the top of the hillside down to the Asphalt Trail, but the trail is still ridable!!
It's Amazing the houses are still intact and not damaged, the wildfire crew did a great job!
Rode over to the 31st. bike lane and the Midland Trail to Shooks Run Trail, Rock Island Connector Trail to Cascade Ave and finally back at the storage unit! Got appointments on Monday and Tuesday so next ride will hopefully be Wednesday, Happy Trails!!
March 16- Headed north on the Pikes Peak Greenway and up the Cottonwood Creek Trail. We were going to go all the way to the current end of the concrete on the CCT but after getting thru the tunnel on the northeast side of the trail, Jo's battery really dropped in power level even though we charged it! So rode up to the street exit for Austin Bluffs and turned around, heading southwest back to Cottonwood Regional Park and down the CCT, then headed south over to the Good Neighbors Meeting House for our Think bar and iced tea. From there back to the Storage area. Too bad the battery dropped as it was a nice coolish day and the ending of CCT is in a open area that is really to HOT to ride to in the summer time temps!
Stopped at Criterium Bicycle Shop and used their patio area to eat our brown bag lunch
The Pikes Peak Greenway, a bridge over Monument Creek right before Criterium Bicycle Shop
March 17- We head up the Rock Island Trail to do a status check on the new "lighted crosswalk" at the junction of RIT and Murry Blvd. Yea, it's now a working crossing light! It's a real great place as it's really hard to get across 4 lanes of traffic, playing "dodge car"!!
We were going to go to the current end of the trail at a Cul-de-Sac just before Powers Blvd but Jo was feeling hungry so we turned around and went to the Academy Blvd Path over to the Mavrick Station for our brown bag and iced tea lunch. Then headed into downtown and decided our afternoon snack stop would be at Loyal Coffee. Haven't been there for a long time and it's easy parking for the recumbent trikes! From there, headed to the storage unit and the end of the ride, walked home!
Decided to stop at Loyal Coffee in downtown Co. Springs for our iced tea and Think Bar
Notice the "little girl" painted on the wall, it was just Jo and I at a huge wooden table
March 21- We headed up the Sinton Trail hoping the construction at Ellison St. had finally let the trail be open enough to get to Angletech, RATS, it was still closed off, so we had to detour on Sinton Rd. Not the best route as the pull over lane is missing in places but we had really little traffic, so it wasn't so bad. Headed north on the sidewalk of the Garden of the Gods Road. Had the tech's at Angletech check the battery output and do a test on the rear hub e-motor on Jo's trike. We bought our trikes used from them and Jo's came with the rear hub e-assist motor so it lasted 2 years. We went into CC debt big time and ordered a new 48V 14amp hr. 500 W Bafang inline e-assist system, should be in next week to have it installed with a new rear wheel and new 7 speed cassette! I have the same system on my ICE Trike but mine is only a 36V so she will now have the stronger system! :)
Then we headed north got on the Foothills Trail and wow, the wildfire last week burnt the whole hillside down to the asphalt trail before they could stop it!! Followed the trail to the 31st. St. bike lane, which halfway down was closed due to road construction. We jumped on the sidewalk to get to the Midland Trail back into the Springs and Cascade St. back to the Storage unit to end the ride!
Wildfire burn on the Foothills Trail top of the slope all the way down to the asphalt trail!!
That's it for now, tomorrow is Sunday and it's suppose to be a bit chilly so we will be doing a "Food Run" with trike and trailer so probably no video but who knows. Next week is looking much warmer so we should get more videos coming out SOON! All the best!
March 9: Our local area election for City Council is in early April and the ballots were out fast this year. We headed out to the downtown area to drop off our ballots at the El Paso County Building. After that was done, we headed through town over on the Pikes Peak Ave bike lane to pick up, Shooks Run trail over to the Good Neighbors Meeting House for herbal/berry iced teas to go with our brown bag lunch! From there we rode several other trails here and there and ended up back at the storage unit to tuck away the trikes!
El Paso County Building, downtown Colorado Springs, is where our closest ballot box is located.
The start of the Shooks Run Trail, just off the Pikes Peak Ave Bike Lane
March 10: The main destination was Manitou Springs but we wandered here and there on multiple trails and bike lanes. It was a beautiful late winter day, almost 70 F and we were really enjoying being out and about on the recumbents!
March 11: After getting the new drive train for BJ's trike back on the 6th., I noticed that my chain seemed to be "auto-shifting" by itself here and there. We headed back up to Angletech www.cycledifferent.com where Kirk readjusted the rear derailleur and did a couple other adjustments for me. We headed west on Garden of the Gods Road to a Mc Donalds for a big mac with the 25 dollar gift card a rider named Steve gave us on an earlier ride. Again just riding here and there on different trails and bike lanes and ending up at Safeway food store to get a couple of items for lunches and dinner, then headed to the storage unit.
Stopped at the Pickle Ball Courts in Monument Valley Park for nature break and then to the Pikes Peak Greenway
Afternoon snack of a Think Bar and iced tea at Good Neighbors Meeting House on the Shooks Run Trail and then over to Safeway food store and back to the storage unit
