Art of the Bicycle III, Fort Collins, CO/Kickstarter

[Josh K.]

Hello Folks, Josh Kerson here from RunAbout Cycles.

We are doing Art of the Bicycle III, here in Fort Collins, Colorado, where we will be showing a brand new E bike design, from Ron Rocha and I.

Their will be 6 hand builders showing new bikes, plus a new fella showing some whimsical circus bikes from New Belgium Brewing...Additionally, we have 4 other artists showing paintings and sculptures too.

We are creating a non profit, Art of the Bicycle Dot Org, to take this show on the road. Please check out our Kickstarter, and possibly pledge a small donation, and please please please, write up a little intro, and send this link to a few friends, or post on your favorite social media... Okay, here it is: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/836 ... he-bicycle

If your in the area, please come by and see the show. I will post some new photos of our new E bike soon. Peace, Josh K.

[Josh K.]

Here is a sneak peak of one part of the frame I am building right now...

It's a pair of tubes that start out at the head tube, and go back past the seat tube, down past the rear drop out, blowing a U turn, coming
by the bottom bracket, and back up to the Head tube again! Just enough room for the batteries and electronics...

Here is a shot of the tubes coming together. Peace, Josh K.

[Josh K.]

Well, we are getting closer, and more and more people are showing up, and wanting to show their bike art.

Lot's of new product to show, and to see. I think that we might have 25 bikes there now.

I am trying to get some racks to have bikes out front, for people to show their own creations too.

Gonna be a cool event, See you there, Josh K.

[Josh K.]

Hi Folks,

We got into our local paper, showing some more info on our art of the bike event.


http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... 2203270326

Check it out, and please check out our kickstarter, just a few days left...

Peace, Josh K.

[Josh K.]

We are setting up for Art of the bike this weekend. Should be good, Lot's of great new bikes on display.

New photo's coming soon, Peace, Josh K.

[kevo]

Josh, be sure to include photos of the bamboo bikes. Thx for following this event.

[Josh K.]

Hey Folks,

Here is a photo of our new electric Mountain bike. It is now on display at our Art of the Bicycle event for the next two weekends.

One of our guys signed for some batteries today, so we know that they are in the shop now.

I love how this bike looks. It feels light, and right. The mountain drive mounted up nicely.

Now to show it to the press, and the public for a few days, before we mount up the Extra Energy.

We have the fuel meter on board now, and need to wire it up...

I have decided that this is the bike I am going to ride up and over the mountains in the Ride the Rockies event in June.

Can't even wait to get this puppy out on a trail to ride. Peace, Josh K.

[IBScootn]

Josh, cool bike.

You mentioned you can't wait to take it out on a trail. But all the trails I see in CO, say no motorized vehicles. What do you know that I don't? I'd like to take my e-bike (even more my e-maxi-scooter) out on the trails.

Thanks

[Josh K.]

Hi Folks,

We have live music coming in to play on Friday and Saturday night, before we take the show down. We must have had around a thousand
people come through on First Friday last week. What a great event! So many cool machines...

So, E biking in the mountains of Colorado. Well, While it does say no motorized vehicles, E bikes have been classified as Bicycles, with
electric assist, not motorized vehicles. The legal classification of the type of vehicle, is what gives us legal right. Bicycles are bicycles.

Now, when a company breaks the rules, and their bike goes 35-40 miles an hour, Well, that is illegal, because they are not following
the rules, which define what an electric bike is. 750 watts, 1 hp, 20 mph on motor alone, under one hundred pounds. As long as it is
a legal electric bike, than it's a bike, and we have right to ride our bikes, where people ride bikes. Plus, if you don't feel comfortable
going on the traditional bike trails with your E bike, you can always go and ride the fire roads, where the jeeps ride, and dirt bikes
ride, as we surely have right to ride on dirt roads, No?

Sure, their will be some backlash, as people who do not know, or understand this new deal. But, change is always hard for people who
try not to think...We have seen plenty of backlash, as we tried to get the E bikes legal on the bike paths, even though we follow the
rules. kinda sad really, but, it takes free-radicals to push the ideas forward. So, we will ride, where we always ride, regardless of
peoples miss understandings. I have a difficulty breathing in high altitude, from years of skiing, and getting sick on the hill. So, I
actually have full legal right, under the American Disabilities Act, that allows anyone who has a disability to use these assistive
technologies to help them to continue to enjoy a way of life that they have. We all have a disability of some sort, if we think about it,
and some are much more than others. Invisible disabilities are difficult to judge, and so, they have no legal right to ask us about
the level of disability that we have. I don't have to carry a note from my doctor, I don't have to hack up a lung, I don't have to show
them photos of the scaring that I have obtained over the years. I don't have to show them anything. I just ride, and I like to ride
with my friends, on single track, up in the mountains, away from the car and truck filled society.

So, I continue to develop electric assistive technologies for people who like to ride. I will continue to ride in the mountains, with other
riders, on public rides, not races. We strive to do the best we can, with our legal limits, determined by the DOT, that it the Department of
Transportation, who defines what we can, and can't ride. I have been fortunate to have been in this game, since around 97, when
Started bolting model aircraft starters onto my racks, with cogs, and running the extra energy through the bicycle drivetrain. Nowadays,
we have really great motors, controllers, and gearing to give us even better abilities. We have ridden up and over Mount Washington,
Pikes Peak, set records, and will do the Ride the Rockies event in June, going 442 miles over the mountains with 2,000 road riders.
It is my intention to bring awareness to the masses, and enable more and more riders to enjoy an enhanced cycling experience. These
are the days folks. We have the best technologies, the best bikes, and the free country to ride. Not sure that it get's any better than
this. Everyone just has to get out there, and spread the good word. Peace, Josh K.

[IBScootn]

Thanks Josh,

Your post got me searching the Internet, and I also saw the 750W, 20mph limit, but I didn't see the 100lb limit, so thanks for that. Gets me thinking of building an e-bike just for trail use. My iZip Trails bike could use a 750w motor upgrade and a lithium pack. Too bad that my 7000W scooter can't use the same trails, but maybe someday. I like you idea on the jeep/dirt bike paths.

[IBScootn]

What's with Boulder County? Looks like they went out of their way to outlaw e-bikes on their trails.

Good luck with the event and your new bike design.