A point and shoot type ride and updates

On Weds. 22nd. of April we headed out for a ride with no particular destination in mind. The day before we moved the trikes out of the apartment and back into a storage unit as it was just too much hassle hauling the trikes up a flight of steep stairs and and thru "not quite wide enough" doorways!! The other thing is that with the addition of a rear hub e-assist motor and battery Jo's trike is now HEAVY and mine when they finish the e-assist install will be a little heavier yet, we are 65 years old and having to do "contorting bending" to get the trikes into the apt. is REALLY hard on my lower back!!!

We did luck out we found another close storage area and it was even "cheaper" for the monthly rent than the last one! :) We've just decided it's the only way it will work now that the trikes will both be e-assisted trikes! So we headed out on a semi-warm but VERY windy day, heading south on Cascade Ave. Bike Lane, with the killer tailwind we got up to 30 mph. the posted speed limit!! ;) Rode that bike lane over to the Colorado Ave. Bike Lane into America The Beautiful Park in down town C. Springs. the park is closed off but it's open around the Julie Penrose Fountain so we stopped and ate our brown bag lunch while sitting on a short retaining wall!! We then headed west of the Midland Trail, we decided to head up the 31st. Street Bike Lane till we reached the Foot Hills Trail that passes outside of the Garden of the Gods entry way. We did run into a big time head wind and with several short/steep spots on the trail it was tough fighting the WIIND.

JoLynn's E-assist gave her a real advantage in the WIND and HILLS so she had to wait for ME, which is becoming very normal now, LOL. I'll be happy to get my e-assist system installed so we can run those inclines at the same speed/pace! We then headed over to Angletech (www.cycledifferent.com) to get a potty break and I paid off the balance of the new 8 speed "freewheel" I had to buy to work with the rear E-hub motor (cassettes don't work?) and a quick adjustment on JoLynn's trike, then we headed down the trail towards the storage area. Pulled the battery as we have to take it home and charge it. Yes, it is a bit of a hassle but much easier than dragging the trikes up and down the stairs!!!

A quick stop on the 31st. Street bike lane for a water break, (it's hard to get a drink while riding when wearing a mask!!)

Heading north on the Foothills Trail to head south at 31st. and Garden of the Gods Road to Angletech!

The trikes tucked into our tiny one bedroom apartment front room, you can see the "Battery Box" and a bit of the rear hub E-motor, plugged in a charging, just waiting for the weather to clear out! :)

Well we got in a couple of short rides and JoLynn got to test her new E-assist and WOW, this is a low end system but it rocks!! I've always had to wait for her at the top of hills or long uphill grades but now she's waiting for "ME"!!! :O She mainly uses the LOW setting and it still let's her get up hills with ease. LOL, I had her dial it up to MED setting and I was having a heck of time keeping her in sight in my Higher end gear set up, (44 chain wheel) 6-7 rear cog and that was on flat land She tried HIGH setting but didn't like it, said it felt "too fast", LOL, thank goodness otherwise I wouldn't see her till she decided to stop of me!

It does add a bit of weight but it's not as bad as I thought it would be, heavy wise. Well since the TRUMP sent us a stimulus check we went ahead and ordered the same E-assist system for ME!! :) We are getting a "upgrade" on the color display as the one she got was VERY basic, mostly lights and a speedo the more advanced one has a lot more features, is easier to read and show's mileage, batter level and we will now have "5 levels of Assist" instead of her current "3 levels"! Sure was a LOT of money between the two E-assist systems, having to change to a "Freewheel" (due to using a Rear Hub E-motor), upgraded displays and more Flat-Protection 20x1.75 Schwalbe Marathon Plus rear tire, + labor of $200.00 on each, it's right at $3000 dollars, OUCH but we figure this would be the ONLY chance we could afford to get the E-assist on the trikes!!

I can tell she really likes the E-assist and I got feeling I will too, I can tell you with with E-assist set up, we are even thinking of trying "overnight or weekend TOURING" again on the open road! It's been a LOOOOONG time since we've done that, last one was 2011. Will give a better report as we get mine installed (ordered today, ship and installation, probably 2 weeks time frame from today).  The ride on the 11th. was 9.63 miles, cut short by dinner plans, the the ride on the 15th. we had errands to run in the AM. so we didn't get started till Noon, by 1PM, the thick clouds of a upcoming Cold and Snow front were coming in fast and brought the temps down quickly as the sun disappeared!! :( Still it was great to ride, even a little one. Hope you got in a recent ride, till next time! :) 

Finally it's going to happen!!!!!

We've been trying to get JoLynn a affordable E-assist system for 3 years, just never could save enough money with all the other things going on and JoLynn retiring from work on Dec. 31st. (2019) so we are now living on our meger Social Security Retirement income so the idea of E-assist for her was fading into the "it ain't gona happen"! Well thanks to Kelvin at Angletech www.cycledifferent.com he found us a barely affordable but way better than we thought we could get E-assist system from EBO, it's a 350W unit and should work well since JoLynn is only 120 lbs. so she doesn't need a 500-750-1000W system just to mainly help "boost" her when tackling the "HILLS" and uphill grades of the local trails in Colorado Springs!

Here is the stats on the system:
EBO Commuter 2.0 Electric Bike Kit

This basic electric bike kit provides a great product at an affordable price.  It averages 20 miles without pedaling at a maximum speed of 20 mph (dependent on the rider and the topography).  Range will increase significantly to 30-50 miles with pedal assist modes.  This kit can be upgrade with the EBO KT LCD3 and integrated controller mounting bracket system.

Specifications:

Battery - 36V 12.8AH Lithium-ion Dolphin Battery (LG Cell) with Mounting Bracket and Charger
Electric Motor – 36V 350W (614W Peak Power) Brushless Geared Motor Disc or Pad Brake Type (Front or Rear Freewheel Type)
Open Sizes - 100mm, 120mm or 135mm
Rim and Spokes Sizes - 26", 28", 29" or 700C
Battery Colors - Black
Electric Motor Colors - Black
Controller – 36V 17A
Clamp Diameters - 22.2mm
Display – LED 890 (EBO/JULET Quick Connectors)  
E-Brake – Two motor disruptor brake levels (EBO/JULET Quick Connectors) Disruptor Sensors are available upon request.
Wiring - EBO/JULETQuick Connect Anti-Water Lines (Wire Harnesses Lengths: 1525mm front motor to controller or 610mm rear motor to controller, 1017mm components to controller)  Other wire harness lengths are available upon request.  
Controller Storage -  Black Plastic Controller Box
Pedal Assist System - 1:1PAS, 8 Magnet Sensor (3 Levels of Assist Modes with LED 890) 

Optional Throttle – Thumb or Twist (EBO/JULET Quick Connectors)
So now we wait for the system to arrive and get it installed, hopefully it won't be delayed due to the continuing Corona Virus up scaling here in Colorado!! :( LOL, I think I'm looking forward to the install more than JoLynn as she feels a bit guilty as we can't afford the E-assist for me. I feel she needs it NOW where I feel I can live without it for 5 more years, hopefully by then it will be even Cheaper and more affordable! :)