Electric Bikes to Ride Across US

Lock

Lock

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The “Green Riders”, a group of electric bicycle riders will be traveling from Palo Alto Ca., to Washington DC this spring. The group will be leaving Palo Alto Ca., on Earth day April 22nd and traveling a route that roughly parallels the old Route 66. The purpose of this ride is to promote sustainable energy, transportation and lifestyle. There will be events and rallies along the way to gain attention for this idea. The Green Riders team includes a brother and sister team, Oliver Bock and Catherine Bock and Dave Werkley. All of the riders are over 50 years old. The trip and the events will be chronicled on The Green Riders Blog Page. http://thegreenriders.blogspot.com/ the page includes the events leading up to the trip as well as video and photos from the trip and the events.

Kinda getting the idea they plan to do this dragging a minivan support vehicle behind them (sigh)
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tks
llok
 
auraslip said:
Bringing along a support vehicle makes this less cool.
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That was my thinking, although I gather they are bringing extra ebikes for friends to ride along on diff. parts of the trip and interested parties to try out when they're stopped. I note they are only going as far as DC and missing the great State of NY. It'd be great PR to ride all across the US only to be stopped in NY for riding illegal bikes :twisted:

loCk
 
I like how the fatass ICE-powered van has the words "The Green Riders" on it and pictures of bicycles...
 
Yah... it's a freekin' MINIVAN insteada something smaller or at least hybrid...
 
I like the van and trailer. Course I'm biased, see the picture below of my van and trailer.

My planned 2009 cross country trip got cancelled when my brother had his stroke, but taking the van as a sag is high on my list of good things, plus it's got a bed, fridge with freezer (for ice cream), and a toilet, all important when you're 70.

I regularly haul my trike out to the valley to ride with others in Medford, Corvallis, Eugene, and Portland.

Next out of town ride is in Ferndale California (Tour of the Unknown Coast) in two weeks with my grandson, a friend of his, and several of my friends from Medford.

Will be following the Green Riders blog as they cross the country. Thanks for posting the link Lock.
 

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Lock said:
Yah... it's a freekin' MINIVAN insteada something smaller or at least hybrid...
Click to expand...

It would be somewhat neutral if it was the diesel version of the Sprinter and they were burning biodiesel. But if I assume from the red fuel can...
 
Come on guys, don't be so critical about their van. It may be used in their business and was available for the trip. The red gas can is probably used for a generator that charges their bike batteries when camping where electricity is not available, so the van may well be a diesel.

If I could justify it, I would love to trade my 13 year old Ford van in on a new Sprinter van, gas or diesel.
 
Rassy said:
If I could justify it, I would love to trade my 13 year old Ford van in on a new Sprinter van, gas or diesel.
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Oregon... wonderful! I am urban 21st-century North American myself. `Means my daughters were born and grew up metropolitan... Their doctor said they had lung problems when they were little `cause of "air quality"... Always interested hearing folks justify poisoning our young to support their 20th-century lifestyles...
As TD says... Have a nice day
Lock
 
How do y'all think ebikes and parts get delivered...? By Bicycle?

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to have trucks, the Sprinter diesel is about the cleanest utility vehicle available. Fueled by WVO or B100 is icing on the cake.
 
Or the lithium being mined to make the batteries, or the steel and aluminum ore mined and trasported to smelters, then transported to tubing manufactures, then transported to metals distributers, then sold to bike manufactures, then cut/machined/welded at factories, then transported to the bike wholesaler warehouse, then transported to the bike shop (or internet seller, etc) where you buy it. All those steps use diesel or gasoline vehicles.

If you personally see the gas burning support vehicles for bicycles, it doesn't make them less present.
 
Lock said:
Rassy said:
If I could justify it, I would love to trade my 13 year old Ford van in on a new Sprinter van, gas or diesel.
Click to expand...
Oregon... wonderful! I am urban 21st-century North American myself. `Means my daughters were born and grew up metropolitan... Their doctor said they had lung problems when they were little `cause of "air quality"... Always interested hearing folks justify poisoning our young to support their 20th-century lifestyles...
As TD says... Have a nice day
Lock
Click to expand...

I'm not saying any ICE exhaust is good, but do you use perfumed fabric softener? Its some fairly toxic crap and might be just as bad as ICE exhaust. I cringe whenever I smell that stuff on baby blankets and clothes.
 
Hehe... I have no prob w/commercial traffic... just the large private vehicles that clog our streets, impeding commercial traffic and emergency vehicles, running down pedestrians and cyclists, vast sums of $$$ that would be better spent on public transit. Seems selfish to me.
 
I have read journals of many guys riding motorcycles down to southern tip of South America. No support vehicles and when something brakes you get your parts shipped to a local post office/motel/new friend. They do this solo too.

I sort of understand the choice of support truck - but it really does take a lot away from the adventure and accomplishment.

What kind of improvement is an e-bike over bicycle if it needs a support vehicle.

This is a trip in the US - no reason why you couldn't carry a tent and reach a cheap motel 90% of the nights.
 
I met up with the Green Riders when they made a stop at Pete's Electric Bikes in Boulder, CO. to show off their bikes and have another electric bike built up as a replacement for the Pi bike that ended up going overseas to receive an award instead.

The Green Riders seemed like nice folks and although I wouldn't say I totally agree with their green philosophy it was fun meeting them and the nice folks at Pete's.
I snapped up the chance to try one of Pete's Kalkoff Pro Connect... nice bike!

I brought Woody along and he pushed quite a few people around the block as they took their turn trying a pusher for the first time.
The one's I noticed seemed to have that "grin" when they returned :wink:
 
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