Tag: gear talk

October 17, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 380: eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures

So, the ebike works… and my confidence is up! What were my takeaways from the shakedown ride and what are the kinds of rides I’m considering for 2025 and beyond for my electric wonder?

The Pedalshift Project 380: eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures

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eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures

Housekeeping

Live Show announcement! Friday December 6 at 9pm ET/6pm PT – topics TBA, and of course it’ll be the pod for the following week if you can’t make it live. Links and more at pedalshift.net/live.

We have a new adventure lined up in a totally new to me state! Preview episode next week!

Takeaways

The bike works and I might be a better mechanic than I thought

I may have underestimated the range on this battery

I may have underestimated the recharge capabilities of the “slow charger” but maybe not

I need more hand positions (Jones Bar? Something else?)

I really should finish the bike but if I’m cutting cables I want to figure out the handlebars and height first

I’m going to buy all the things to outfit this without borrowing from my other bikes

The Future

I considered bringing this bike for my annual Florida ride, then reconsidered

Positioning an ebike for a ride is complex because transportation has to be by ground or shipping

I want to do more shakedowns before going “over the wall”

C&O to Cumberland and back (or train)

Full GAP/CO

East Coast Greenway segments from DC north and south

Connect OTET to Katy (Dayton-St. Louis)

KC to Denver

Denver to the Pacific Coast

What are you interested in hearing about?

As always we like to close out the show with a special shoutout to the Pedalshift Society! Because of support from listeners like you, Pedalshift is a weekly bicycle touring podcast with a global community, expanding into live shows and covering new tours like this summer’s upcoming bike tour! If you like what you hear, you can support the show for 5 bucks, 2 bucks or even a buck a month. And there’s one-shot and annual options if you’re not into the small monthly thing. Check it all out at pedalshift.net/society.

Kimberly Wilson
Caleb Jenkinson
Cameron Lien
Andrew MacGregor
Michael Hart
Keith Nagel
Brock Dittus
Thomas Skadow
Marco Lo
Terrance Manson
Harry Telgadas
Chris Barron
Mark Van Raam
Brad Hipwell
Mr. T
Nathan Poulton
Stephen Dickerson
Vince LoGreco
Cody Floerchinger
Tom Benenati
Greg Braithwaite
Sandy Pizzio
Jeff Muster
Seth Pollack
Joseph Quinn
Drue Porter
Byron Paterson
Joachim Raber
Ray Jackson
Jeff Frey
Kenny Mikey
Lisa Hart
John Denkler
Steve Hankel
Miguel Quinones
Alejandro Avilés-Reyes
Keith Spangler
Greg Towner
Dan Gebhart, RIP
Jody Dzuranin
Lucas Barwick
Michael Baker
Brian Bechtol
Reinhart Bigl
Greg Middlemis
Connie Moore
William Gothmann
Brian Benton
Joan Churchill
Mike Bender
Rick Weinberg
Billy Crafton
Gary Matushak
Greg L’Etoile-Lopes
James Sloan
Jonathan Dillard
John Funk
Tom Bilcze
Ronald Piroli
Dave Roll
Brian Hafner
Misha LeBlanc
Ari Messinger
David Gratke
Todd Groesbeck
Wally Estrella
Sue Reinert
John Leko
Stephen Granata
Phillip Mueller
Robert Lackey
Dominic Carol
Jacqi McCulloch
John Hickman
Carl Presseault
David Neves
Patty Louise
Terry Fitzgerald
Peter Steinmetz
Timothy Fitzpatrick
Michael Liszewski
Hank O’Donnell
David Zanoni
David Weil
Matthew Sponseller
Chad Reno
Spartan Dale
Carolyn Ferguson
Peggy Littlefield
Lauren Allansmith
Eric Burns
Thomas Pearl
Darrin McKibben
Richard Stewart
Dave Fletcher
Jack Smith
Luke Parkinson
Ryan Patterson
Cyrus Farivar
John Gardiner
Sam Scruggs

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

October 10, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 379: eBike Project – Shakedown Ride

On this episode, I take my new ebike on its first shakedown ride to test its capabilities, from battery life to chain tension to, well… does this thing work? It’s a 40 mile round trip from my cabin in West Virginia to a campsite outside of Hancock, MD on the C&O towpath complete with terrain, headwinds, hills and riverside overnight!

The Pedalshift Project 379: eBike Project - Shakedown Ride

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eBike Project – Shakedown Ride

Housekeeping

Lael Wilcox’s ride is weeks old now but shout out to listener and former guest Cyrus Fairivar for not only meeting with Lael, but getting an unnamed shout out on her pod!

Live Show announcement! Friday December 6 at 9pm ET/6pm PT – topics TBA, and of course it’ll be the pod for the following week if you can’t make it live. Links and more at pedalshift.net/live.

Bike Setup & Preparation:

•Fully charged battery, loaded with two rear panniers, and adjustments for the first e-bike adventure.

•Changes from the last ride: added a stove for coffee and packed some food from Maria’s Taqueria.

Ride Experience:

•Initial observations on battery performance: The e-bike flattened the hills, averaging around 20-25 mph with minimal battery usage.

•Headwind and hill performance: Noted how the pedal assist (at level 4 and 5) made hills easier and allowed for faster cruising speeds.

Comfort Adjustments:

•Noted some tingling in the hands and plans to possibly add bar ends or horns for a better grip.

•A potential move to a more upright riding position, requiring cabling adjustments.

Battery Management:

•Discussed the range and recharge performance, observing that the battery was only down 25% after 20 miles of riding, even with heavy pedal assist.

•Insights on ideal battery storage and how the e-bike’s range matched expectations.

Camp Setup:

•Arrived at camp and shared thoughts on the bike’s potential for longer tours, with plenty of battery for return rides.

•Reflections on camping alone and observations on trail conditions and other cyclists.

The Ride Back:

•Further testing of the battery on uphill sections, confirming impressive performance with ample pedal assist.

•Final reflections on e-bike touring possibilities, noting a vastly improved return ride compared to previous acoustic bike tours.

Statistics

Miles biked: 40 miles
Average Speed on Flats: 23 mph
Battery confidence: 100%
Efficacy of using coffee stirrers as chopsticks: 3%
Flats: 0

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

September 26, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 378: eBike Project – Shakedown Preview

On this edition, we preview a short but momentous little overnight adventure on my brand new ebike… we’ll discuss goals and strategies, plus recharge options and… hey, we’re getting back on the C&O again!

The Pedalshift Project 378: eBike Project - Shakedown Preview

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eBike Project – Shakedown Preview

ebike project

The basics

ebike

full charged battery

Two panniers and maybe the sleep kit on the handlebars

No food, no stove

Sleep clothes only (no additional clothing)

Rain gear only if rain ends up being possible

extra tools – chain breaker, master link breaker, more

The route

Road route from cabin to Hancock’s city park, then onto one of the closer campsites on the C&O

Returning the second day to Hancock for any additional charge ups necessary and then up the hills back

Approx 40 total miles, maybe a bit more if I ride further out on the trail

Why so short?

Need to keep things close in case we have something happen that requires a vehicle rescue

May be a short ride but it has a lot of climbing, long flats where speed is helpful, and more

Trying to gauge how much range this bike and battery has on real terrain

Minimal gear and gas station cuisine

Hancock has plenty of food options close to the city park that has electric

Will bring water purifier for the trail just in case, but likely will have enough water on hand to make things work

Trying to keep the variables to a minimum

Weather

Finally starting to cool down around here!

High projected to be in 70s (24C), lows in the mid 50s (13C)

Rain in the forecast for a couple of days before, but ending that morning so it should be dry but might have wet ground

Down bag, tent, pad… nothing too crazy necessary as we transition into fall

What I’m looking for out of this trip

Ensuring the build is solid and safe – rack, brakes, cables no longer pinched

Testing range on the battery

Getting more experience climbing with the boost

Seeing how “fast” my 3A charger can charge (not a lot)

Getting a feel for a suspension bike

Getting a feel for the tires

Assessing comfort – how long can I be in the saddle?

Assessing need for more add-ons

A chill night on the C&O… haven’t been camping since Oregon this summer!

Pod plans

Single tour journal for the trip (there and back)

Separate takeaways episode to get into assessments, next steps, and potential ideas for 2025

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

September 19, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 377: eBike Project – The Build

In this episode, follow an in-depth, step-by-step journey of transforming a surprisingly decent Ozark Trail mountain bike into the first Pedalshift e-bike (n=3 or 4 if you’re counting). This mega-pod takes you from the initial setup to final tweaks, including component replacements, brake and pedal adjustments, and install of a mid drive motor. I’m hardly a bike mechanic, so will things to go sideways at least once like my typical bike adventures?

The Pedalshift Project 377: eBike Project - The Build

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eBike Project – The Build

ebike project

Hey I got an ebike! Where did I end up?
Decided on build over buy – more flexibility
Decided on new over used – couldn’t find a good used one that wasn’t $$$
Went with a Bafang middrive motor and a 52v 20Ah frame mounted battery – smaller than Brian’s, but still pretty big.
Watched a ton of YouTube videos and bought some tools!
This took me several weeks because the bike lived at the cabin and I was back and forth a bit as I built it
This was a journey… and the episode is a little long, but definitely brings you along tour journals style for how it went…

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

01:54 Choosing the Right Bike for the E-Bike Conversion

05:52 Initial Setup and Component Replacements

10:56 Challenges and Adjustments

18:05 Programming and Configuration

28:45 Battery Insights and Expectations

41:03 Assembly and Troubleshooting

48:11 Rear Brake Discovery

48:27 Chain Installation Challenges

48:30 Nighttime Reflections

49:27 Final Adjustments and Cable Management

50:51 Chain Sizing Tips

51:47 First Ride Impressions

52:32 Handlebar and Screen Setup

52:51 Rear Brake Issues

55:28 Pedal and Crank Problems

58:54 Cable and Sensor Installations

01:01:44 Tire Upgrade

01:04:14 Battery and Range Concerns

01:04:53 Shakedown Ride Plans

01:07:23 Final Preparations

01:16:47 Shakedown Ride Execution

01:25:48 E-Bike Confidence Boost

01:30:36 Closing Remarks and Future Plans

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

June 13, 2024

The Pedalshift Project 366: Ten Years of Pedalshift [Live!]

June 8th, 2014 was the very first episode of The Pedalshift Project, and since then we’ve gone on quite the journey, mostly by bike. On this live episode, we got a bunch of listeners together to chat about highlights from the last ten years, the evolution of the show, and the reveal of the Tenth Anniversary Tour this summer. Recorded live June 8, 2024.

The Pedalshift Project 366: Ten Years of Pedalshift [Live!]

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Watch the show

Top Ten Moments

Honorable Mention Ten

Top ten

10. Social Distancing on the C&O (200-203) – April 2020)

9. Katy Trail (118-126 May-June 2018)

8. eBikes with Biking Brian (345 Nov 30, 2023)

7. First Brompton tour in CA (048 – April 28, 2016)

6. Shifty the Elf makes his first appearance on the very first Holiday Spectacular (Pedalshift 038 – December 24, 2015)

5. First Biking to Disney World (277 – March 24, 2022)

4. DC to Cincinnati (165-169 – May-June 2019)

3. The 2020 Bike Touring Draft feat. Sprocket (207 – June 11, 2020)

2. The Mysterious James three pack (190-192 – January 2020)

1. The Pacific Coast (005, 006, 010 – 2014)

Summer 10th Anniversary Tour Reveal

Oregon Coast Remix

Lincoln City to Crescent City
Classic touring bike (same one I used 10 years ago for the full coast)
All new campsites (mostly)
About a week of riding and no barfing on busses to Medford this time
Tour preview will be hitting the pod in a few weeks!

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

October 19, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 340: Staying Safe on Bicycle Adventures

Look, we all know there’s some inherent risk in bikepacking, bike touring and even bike commuting. Between bad infrastructure and inattentive drivers, we assume some degree of risk every time we’re in the saddle. But as with anything, there are things we can do to make our bicycle adventures safer than by doing nothing. On this episode, some thoughts on all the things you can do to have a safer ride!

The Pedalshift Project 340: Staying Safe on Your Bicycle Adventures

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Safety Considerations on Bicycle Adventures

Route and Destination Safety

Traffic and Road Safety

Gear and Equipment

Health and First Aid on the Road

Wildlife and Environmental Safety

Personal Security and Theft Prevention

Emergency Preparedness

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

October 12, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 339: PDX-SF2x – Takeaways

Weeks after the conclusion of my unusually successful adventure combining cycling and transit, what are my big takeaways? On this edition, the benefit of hindsight helps to put the trip into perspective!

The Pedalshift Project 339: PDX-SF2x - Takeaways

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PDX-SF2x – Takeaways

Day 1’s takeaway – it’s never as bad as you think it is (unless, of course it is)

Disappointed in the bike work but it could easily be my mistake too

The rack bolt shearing off was absolutely saved by work they did too

Not sure if the lost gear inches are worth throwing out a perfectly good cassette. Will have plenty of time to mull it over

Day 2’s takeaway – always be ready for bus racks that are broken or missing

It turned out fine, but it’s a great reminder that reliance on transit puts you at the whims of all sorts of elements beyond the schedule!

Day 3’s takeaway – triple check for that phone (and your wallet and…)

There are 2 things I really need to make sure are on me at all times and really one

Phone can somewhat replace a wallet, wallet can get you a new phone

ID for travel may be most important of all

Phone does so much for so many of us – entertainment, communications, directions

Charger may be as important too

First time I may buy into the no-electronics argument. Overreliance?

Day 4’s takeaway – touring is about people more than biking

The longish bus ride down the coast exposed me to the mini community of the driver and locals that rely on the service

So many of us have multiple options to move, so it’s great to have the perspective of those that don’t and a great driver that facilitates it

Transit does more than move people, and that’s why we shouldn’t demand it drive a profit

Day 5’s takeaways – It’s definitely Newark and connecting systems are magic

It’s Newark, it just is

Reflecting on MJ’s comment about how all of the chances of failure balanced with how the busses from Brookings to Fortuna just… worked!

One of the two or three transit flips that were critical to this not ending with a thud

Day 6’s takeaways – zip ties are non-negotable brings and I’m glad I pushed myself

Zip ties saved the trip and I’m not sure what my options were without them

Day 6 was pretty much my limit but an earlier start may have made it easier, even though it wasn’t possible with the bus schedule

(Another critical bus!)

Day 7’s takeaway – CA gets hot people!

There wasn’t a chance in hell I could have cycled in that

More power to people that do, but I’m actively choosing against rides with any possibilith of that heat and I know that really limits things

Final days takeaways – it was a quick stay in SF but the Golden Gate Bridge is a stellar finish line

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

September 28, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 338: PDX-SF2x – The Final Days

Closing out the final days of the trip, we have another multipart fast forward through some seriously hot towns to get to Samuel P. Taylor campground. After that it’s as much about reflecting on how the ride went as I prepare for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge – still maybe the best finish line in bike travel! How’d the bike do, and will it get back in the bag ok for the return trip home?

The Pedalshift Project 338: PDX-SF2x - The Final Days

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PDX-SF2x – The Final Days

Quick catchup on the tour plans

PDX-SF

Every day has some biking and bussing

Connections are… tight in parts

Fully loaded, but on the light side

Got my bike serviced ahead of departure. We’ll get into that.

Listen to episode 330 for more!

Statistics

Miles bussed 184

Miles biked 31

Number of energy bars I saw consumed at camp 8000

Golden Gates crossed 1

Approximate number of hours of deep conversation with MJ 27

Zip ties still on my bike as this episode drops 4

Flats 0

Next week… October’s best of and the week after, some interesting takeaways from this adventure!

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

September 21, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 337: PDX-SF2x – Day 6, Part 2

Day 6 concludes, one way or the other… from the base of Leggett Hill with rapidly dwindling sunlight, I have the biggest hill on the route and then the dumbest hill on the route right after. Would the zip tied rack hold? Would the heat get the better of me, or would the cool Pacific air power me through the up and down terrain to Fort Bragg?

The Pedalshift Project 337: PDX-SF2x - Day 6, Part 2

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PDX-SF2x – Day 6, Part 2

Quick catchup on the tour plans

PDX-SF

Every day has some biking and bussing

Connections are… tight in parts

Fully loaded, but on the light side

Got my bike serviced ahead of departure. We’ll get into that.

Listen to episode 330 for more!

Statistics

Miles biked in part 2 – 44

Zip ties that were the MVPs of this trip 4

Red Bulls that would quibble with that award 2

Number of restaurants open after 9pm in Fort Bragg on a Friday night 1

Advils that would quibble with the Red Bulls and Zip Ties for that MVP award 2

Flats 0

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!

September 14, 2023

The Pedalshift Project 336: PDX-SF2x – Day 6, Part 1

Day 6 was the big one… a never-before-taken bus fast forward that serves as a critical push to the biggest climbs of the Pacific Coast route. Does the bus exist? Will I be in the right spot? And what’s the weird shimmy I’m feeling in the rear rack?

The Pedalshift Project 336: PDX-SF2x - Day 6, Part 1

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 336: PDX-SF2x – Day 6, Part 1.

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Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

PDX-SF2x – Day 6, Part 1

Quick catchup on the tour plans

PDX-SF

Every day has some biking and bussing

Connections are… tight in parts

Fully loaded, but on the light side

Got my bike serviced ahead of departure. We’ll get into that.

Listen to episode 330 for more!

Statistics

Miles bussed – 25
Miles biked in part 1 – 21
Zip ties used to stabilize the rear rack 4
Red Bulls purchased at the Peg House 2
Flats 0

Music

You’ve been hearing about Jason Kent and his music for many fine episodes. Jason has a new solo album available NOW. Go listen to COMMON TONGUES wherever cool music is available!