Back in the saddle again !!!!

Hi All, newbie here, just getting started!! Last week I bought a used aluminum framed mountain bike at a yard sale for $50. The bike is like new, only used a few times, and not setup or tuned up by the owner. I spent a few evenings greasing, oiling, and tuning the derailleurs, rims, and brakes to get it back in riding condition. Now all I need is to get myself back in shape!!

A good 30 years have past since I have been on a bike, and it shows!! I use to go biking all over the mountain passes of Vermont with a 10 speed racing bike. There was a few times coming down from Middlebury Gap, near the ski area that I approached 60mph, WHAT WAS I THINKING !!! I did call it quits, after getting airborne a couple of times. Well...those days have long since past, and I survived them!!

Well.. to make things easier on me in by old ago, I've ordered Crystalyte's RoadRunner 4820 retrofit system (48v 20amp with a 408 Rear Hub). I plan on going with 4 12v 12ah AGM batteries to start and build a Li battery pack when I can afford it later. As it is, there is a 2 to 3 week wait for a system.

I'll be using the bike mostly for getting up to camp and back, about 15 miles one way and 400ft higher elevation than town. The camp has wind and solar for power, so I'll have no problem juicing up for the return trip, which is mostly down hill Getting to camp is going to be the hard part


Blessings, Snow Crow 8)

Lucky you, downhill home is perfect for EV's. You might have to budget your speed to get there on SLA's though. That is a pretty good ride for uphill. I totally think the new condition garage sale bike is the way to go. It just doesn't say steal me like a shiny new cannodale, specialized or trek. Sometimes the bike never gets ridden since the derailurs come all out of whack.

dogman said:

Lucky you, downhill home is perfect for EV's. You might have to budget your speed to get there on SLA's though. That is a pretty good ride for uphill.

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I'm not sure yet but, there are a few town roads that are no longer maintained and may still be passable with a bike. If so, I can cut the trip in half, about 8 miles one way !! Almost all the trip is dirt road, no matter which route I take. I'm way up in the sticks, in fact, I live where there are more Moose than there are People, and I like it 8)

Yes, Li batteries would be ideal, espeically do to the riding conditions here, I'm not even sure if the SLA batteries can take the abuse of the dirt roads. I haven't bought anything in the way of batteries yet for that reason. I have found a source for "D" cell Li (3.65v @ 1200mAh) for $13.50 each, but not sure of the discharge rate, and/or if I even want to get in to building my own power pack. I need to do some more looking around I guess?

Blessings, Snow Crow

I'd still get some SLA's they can take quite a beating. 8 miles may be fine, and if the 400 feet of vertical is not all in one spot, you may do better than I do. On my 14.5 mile,75% uphill ride home I would allways run out my sla's on a one mile 10% grade halfway home. And I ride inefficient, I like fast.

30 years ago in Veromont? Thats about when I was running around there. Only I was on a tricycle
My dad used to ride the mountian roads to get out to the restraunt though, up around Burlington.

Drunkskunk said:

30 years ago in Veromont? Thats about when I was running around there. Only I was on a tricycle
My dad used to ride the mountian roads to get out to the restraunt though, up around Burlington.

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Sorry I missed your posting! If you're talking kiddie tri, STOP IT, you're making me feel OLD 8) I lived in Florida for a while but moved back because I missed the mountains and the layed back life style! It was hard to get use to all the peace and quiet, after being away for so long :wink: Burlington looked small compared to Boca Raton.

Blessings, Snow Crow