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  1. Zoot Katz

    Amazon plans to use drones!!!

    Let's see, the drone carries five pounds, 10 miles in 30 minutes? How can this be better than a bicycle?
  2. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Rejoice in Pedal There's something about riding a bike that connects us to our environment, in real time, the way a cager doesn't enjoy. I'm lucky iving in a bike friendly city that makes it entirely possible to live without a car. The idea of someday not being able to ride a bike terrifys me...
  3. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Repeat, it's Popular I think that's our favourite canard. For a devout automobilist an ebike may provide some additional exercise but for a cyclist it's a step toward the dark side. Personally, it has led to deterioration of my former fitness levels. And then there was the heart attack...
  4. Zoot Katz

    Engagement rings

    Cover your ass with a prenuptial contract. Then think about spendy jewelry.
  5. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Added up and broken down like that, it's shocking. My batteries too seem to be getting near the end of their useful life. There's likely to be new batteries in the new year. And soon a new controller. It was assumed the halls were faulty. The quickest cure was a sensorless controller. Deeper...
  6. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Receipts in Piles Along with cleaning and reassembling the bike this week, I've pulled out receipts dating back to Sept 2008 and totaled up some of this e-bike stuff. It's hard to recall regular bike maintenance ever costing this much. Justin's shop has gotten the lion's share of the local...
  7. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Revealing Incipient Problems Turd polishing is always more fun than expected! A different fork might soon be necessary. Part of this refurbishment is getting the bike to track straight again. Took the forks in to correct the tip alignment. Noticed cracked paint on the braze. Marked it with a...
  8. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Remedied Inane Plan You're right. I realised my mistake about five in the morning and changed my order ASAP. What convinced me is the greater range possible by using the 3540 in the right size wheel. Sometimes I probably shouldn't be allowed out unsupervised. What was I thinking? Mainly I...
  9. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    The bullet has been bitten. Today ordered a new Crystalyte HS3540, laced to a 26" rim, for bolting into a new Xtracycle. I think it will do fine as long as it doesn't sound too tinny under the bags. Better sealing, lighter weight and closer compliance with standards are what I'm seeking. If it...
  10. Zoot Katz

    New project with a special bike

    Put it in a museum. I'm pretty sure there's not a lot of them. Shaft drives fell out of favour when the roller chain got invented. They've resurfaced from time to time, kinda like the row-bike or step-bike but without the giggle factor. Steal something steel and keep it real. Starting with a...
  11. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Rolling Into Perpetuity A manly hack would just scrap those pussy nooks, weld in Doc's Luke Proof torque plates and turn up the amps. With all the options available, my decision tree looks like a tumbleweed. Setting a budget will prune it. Reality is Pesky
  12. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Really, it's preferred. The 1" steerer tube limits ones choice for boinger forks. There's not much weight on the front except under braking. The Big Apples are enough suspension on the streets I ride. Repairing a forged dropout doesn't inspire much confidence. I'm suspecting the dropout may be...
  13. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Yeah, it's been good bike and great for pickin' up chicks. It's always gotten looks, questions and comments. Now I feel lost without a longtail. Geared hub motors don't much appeal to me but the lighter weight and freewheeling are attractive. Grin is my local shop so it would have to be an...
  14. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    21,377 kilometers. The poor little monster motor has never tasted more than 54 volts or 40 amps. It's always operated well within its design parameters so has proven reliable. Not everybody wants to set the world on fire.
  15. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    The Stokemonkey is a good system but not for me. IMO, aesthetically it's always been a clusterfuk. The Edgerunner design caught my attention a few years ago but I'm debating the usefulness of having a lower cargo deck. Now I'm trying to figure out whether it will work with a Xlyte 3548. My X5...
  16. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    I don't think there's enough room to fit any extra metal in there. Perhaps a new proprietary drop out could be obtained or a facsimile fabricated and welded in.
  17. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    After getting batteries sorted out, it's been very reliable. More like real transportation than a hobby project.
  18. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Thanks for your vote of confidence, dogman. Getting smacked is a daily possibility and these idiots are always coming up with new ways to get us. Yes, the Free Radial is cromo. It's just the racks which are aluminum. Where it's broken is the forged dropout. Any extra weld metal around there...
  19. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Yep The eyeleted stock rim was crudely drilled for the 12 ga. spokes. It was poorly tensioned and the 5300 Crystalite hubs are near impossible to get dished. The wheel was trued, spokes were tightened and stress relieved before being being bolted into the bike for the first time. Only requiring...
  20. Zoot Katz

    R.I.P. le Béte

    Resting in pieces. Resulting in puzzlement. Ruminating imminent purchase. My all-time favourite whip cracked. It's bye-bye le Béte. Routines change when your Xtracycle busts. This dumpster based, sweet riding cargo longtail limo has carried me 21,377 km since being electrified mid Sept.2008...
  21. Zoot Katz

    End of the World. Beginning of a new one. The Life of Amberwolf.

    You're already handling this better than I am. I'm still sobbing, no, no, no. Damn
  22. Zoot Katz

    The psychology of why cyclists enrage car drivers

    Drivers cause 80% of collisions with bicycles. I'm of the opinion that driving a car just makes people stupid.
  23. Zoot Katz

    Revenge of the electric car

    Vancouver's city fleet has been testing some that I've seen on the street. Just the other day a saw a new Cars2Go Smart Car advertising that it's an electric vehicle. I've seen a few private electric cars and trucks in the wild and lots of them at the annual local VEVA REV show. There are...
  24. Zoot Katz

    How to shorten the wheelbase of a Bike E

    Given the choice of a Bike E or a bus pass, I'll walk, thanks.
  25. Zoot Katz

    New xtracycle edgerunner cargo bike - what do you think?

    They're on the website at ebikes.ca
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