GT i-drive 2.0 Build

[GCinDC]

I don't mind riding in the winter. Long Johns, work clothes and a warm waterproof shell make it feel like summer. Plus my commute is pretty fast. :lol:

But oh man, I've just fixed a weakness in the gear and can't believe the improvement in my Quality Of Life:

I'd wanted the $150 Smith ones that I tried on at the store but these were $30...

Now I can ditch the sunglasses that:
- scraped my temples every time i slid them on
- fog up instantly outdoors and EVERY time I stop
- have basically caused me to stop breathing to avoid the fog...
- i would therefore only wear when it's snowing/raining, when 40 mph needles bombard my eyes
- helped but didn't stop my eyes from drying out like raisins - important after lasic (I'd been wondering why everything has been blurry...)

Now
- My face feels warm! :lol:
- And oh yeah, I look even more EVIL.

OTHER NEWS:

Our second storm hit pretty hard, so everyone stayed home. No commute! Bike stayed indoors, but dang, it was dirty! I looked at the wheels: It looked like the salt had corroded the rims around each spoke. Oh it's nasty!! Time to clean up, and bring in the pit crew:
[youtube]zvxqH3VWj_c[/youtube]

I noticed on my next ride that the freewheel wouldn't freewheel! And the chain kept slopping up all over the place. I had to oil the crap out of it, and unfreeze it to get it to move. Even still, every time I coasted the chain slopped up.

So last night I stopped at the bike shop and had them remove 5 links from the chain. I still want to get rid of the rear deraileur, and replace it with a tensioner with enough chain in case I ever need to downshift the front gear - for a super steep hill, or in case I lose power.

 

[dbaker]

Did you remove 5 bad links or just to shorten the chain? Won't the rear derailleur help a bunch if you break down? Is the issue that with the long cage derailleur the chain is down in the front wheel splash zone? I am planning to keep both front and rear. I use high gear to help with speed and stealth. I will need lower gears to manage hills with no power. Did you find any sidewalks to ride on today?

Dave

 

[GCinDC]

Hey Dave,

Yep, just shortened the chain. Because it was always on the 11T cog anyway, it was almost slack.

I've completely REMOVED the shifter AND cable to the rear, so it made sense to adjust the chain accordingly. I'd convert to a singulator if I didn't want to keep the front gears in case of power loss/emergency.. Still can't believe I can pedal 'meaningfully' at 35mph with that cog.

It would be nice to have more clearance through snow/brush but that's a relatively low priority. I imagine by the time I've finished my wish list on this bike, I'll be ready for a new one. :lol:

Stealth? Hmm. Stealth is easy when you only give people a couple seconds to see you. I may as well wear a cape. :lol: Occasionally I find myself side by side a car going up Mass Ave at 30 mph and notice the guy staring over, trying to figure out what's going on..

Interesting commute today: 3 foot high ice banks along the route - Either I had 1/2 a lane to myself (zoom), or two cars squished side by side so I couldn't slide between them. A couple times I was tempted to take the bank and go for a sidewalk... Will have to test. Oncoming lane was pretty open tho. :lol:

Next time I go through serious snow, I'm going to let some air out of the tires.
Duh.... (Still mad I dropped it!)

You commuting with the lipo ride yet??

 

[liveforphysics]

GCinDC- You've got a hell of a well done setup, and you're making awesome use of that LiPo. You've made an ultimate commuter bike. Big Kudos!

 

[GCinDC]

GCinDC- You've got a hell of a well done setup, and you're making awesome use of that LiPo. You've made an ultimate commuter bike. Big Kudos!

Oh my God, I feel like I've been blessed! Thanks, Luke!

But this brings up a bigger question: Am I no longer a nOOb? Have I graduated to the next level? What comes after nOOb status? :lol:

 

[dbaker]

Definitely not a noob! This is your 4th build? Several different battery systems? You reprogram your Infineon! We all have different skill sets we bring and we develop those other skills we need to get on the road. Definitely not a noob!

Dave

 

[GCinDC]

Yeah, you're right. Still feel like a nOOb tho! Maybe I'm a nOOb at heart?

Anyway, this is really build 2. Build 1 was comfort bike w/ GM kit/48V ping. Build 1.5 included 9C & lipo booster... Wife's BionX doesn't really count as a 'build'.

So I woke this morning wondering what Connecticut Ave would look with all this horrible traffic...


I think I'm finally pleased with the video technique: stem mounted (easy on MY neck [opposed to helmet mount], looks like headlight) digital camera (flash memory [no HD stall]), set to 15 fps (minimizes bumpiness and lowers file size!), 640px (decent res, until I get an flash mem HD vidcam!)

Anyway, Part One: Home -> Somewhere on Connecticut Ave... (had to chop 2 minutes between parts)

Notable scenes for busy viewers:
01:06 - Navigating thin path on sidewalk, hardened snow still 18" (enough to snag pedals!) :lol:
03:20 - Garbage Truck trying to get into McD's parking lot but spinning out
08:00 - Riding front crest of one wave of traffic down CT Ave (which is FOUR lanes inbound during rush hour, btw!)
[youtube]ayHDlUDz3pI[/youtube]

Part Two: CT Ave -> Chinatown (AKA, "How to shorten your commute")
02:40 - Ill-advised pass on the inside
04:38 - Cop on left, swerve to avoid passing between lanes
06:20 - 08:17 - Some free sailing AT LAST!
[youtube]0ij6Ju4btQA[/youtube]

 

[GCinDC]

PS. Macro of a dirty, salty spoke. How good can this be for the wheel?

 

[kfong]

That is some crazy ass riding. I don't think I would have the balls to ride between cars like that. Even when I owned a motorcycle, rarely did I go on the oncoming traffic lane. Be careful out there, drivers just don't see bikes, especially at the speeds you are going.

 

[GCinDC]

I really don't think it's as fast as it looks!

FYI: Also perhaps deceiving, during rush hour, Conn. Ave is actually 4 lanes.

I did jump into oncoming lanes a couple of times to get to the front of stoplights.

 

[Hyena]

You're mad dude! Has your wife seen these vids ? What does she think of you riding like that when you have kids to come home to ? I know mine would fire up!

 

[GCinDC]

Point taken... I got a couple good tracks laid down, I'll tone it down a touch...

Perhaps I'll post just scenic tours to avoid controversy, such as this quiet visit to the Capiol this morning: (apologies for the lens mud, it was a raucous commute until then!
[youtube]jD4ibiBWgH8[/youtube]

And oh, what the heck, for those who can't get enough - here's yesterday's commute thru ridiculous traffic. I took Wisconsin Ave formerly an Indian trail that follows the ridge up from Georgetown (tho I'm headed down it). In addition to the route, My Tracks collected some data:


[youtube]FeR6_aNMZK4[/youtube]
[youtube]5hV7ivWzJqA[/youtube]

 

[dbaker]

OOPS! Looks like I missed the action. Been busy with work stuff and kid stuff!

Dave

 

[MrBoots]

Hmmm... at 3:25 of the Post-Blizzard Part II vid looks like you almost ran into pedestrians at the cross-walk while running a red light. I recently saw a guy get knocked unconscious when struck by a fixie-rider doing the same thing here. Can't imagine how nasty a collision with a fully-loaded ebike like your's would be. Please stay safe, my friend.

 

[GCinDC]

...you almost ran into pedestrians at the cross-walk while running a red light.

Really? I'll have to go back and look. Can't nowadays from work... There were few peds on my last commute (I just moved offices), but since finding different routes (last week just for the camera), I encountered way more pedestrians than I was used to, and they dash across intersections before the light changes! Imagine the nerve!

But seriously, I HATE it when I'm walking and bikes whiz past me, so try to be conscientious... I'm actually toning it down, thanks in large part to your comments here. I do relish the thrill, and my commute has been a time of sheer liberation for me, but I want to grow old with my family. So I guess the thrills will come more and more from RC planes...

Anyway, as far as my 'build' goes, imagine my disappointment when the nylon fabric I ordered turned out to be imitation leather. No comments, please..

i thought it would be duffel bag material!

 

[GCinDC]

oh, this moment... the light had just turned but i thought i had it. the pedestrians converged and didn't see me...

i actually searched and searched for the scene after the incident but couldn't find it cause it happened so fast.

not proud of it. :?

 

[MrBoots]

That's good to hear! I'll admit, I'm guilty of running the occasional stop-sign or red-light myself but usually at a snail's pace lol. With a bike as quick as your's, I can imagine it'd be tough to restrain from going all out all the time.

On a side note, to be fair to the fixie rider I mentioned earlier, he was being severely tail-gated by a box truck that would not have been able to out-brake him. Struck pedestrian was buzzed by rider's helmet but came to about a few minutes earlier. Anyway, love the bike and may it provide you endless, safe thrills!

 

[kfong]

I get my thrills trail riding; still have a scar from last year on my shoulder from hitting a tree. I was going a bit too fast but still feel it’s much less risky since I control most of the risk. With a suspension setup like yours, you should check out your local trail parks.

I’ve been hit by a car before on a bike. Nearly took my life, didn’t see it coming. Was a kid at the time and didn’t ride with a helmet. Landed on my shoulder and broke the collar bone, somersaulted in the air. I did a tuck and roll, was going head first into the concrete. More luck than anything that my head didn’t hit the ground. Felt like a rag doll during the impact. So be safe out there.

 

[GCinDC]

I get my thrills trail riding...check out your local trail parks.

Quite a few local trails, but no bikes allowed. I have the vid of the one trail ride, but that was in the snow and imagine I'll get some hiker rage when it dries out... ;-(
There is a bike path/tow path, but passing the bikes on it would get silly. (Right, DAVE??!!) LOL.

PS. Glad to hear you survived the tumble! I've wiped out on many bikes, mostly when a kid in the dirt.

Honestly I'm divided. I know that the second I let my guard down, I'm in trouble! So I almost feel safer being aggressive cause it keeps me hyper-focused. If I were pleasure-cruising, I'd almost surely miss something... Maybe the key is going say 75%?

 

[kfong]

Did you check out http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/ I’m sure you can find some trails within driving range. I'm hooked on trail riding now that I can go up hills without killing myself. I still pedal as much as I can to keep in shape and to extend my range. I was in one of my best fitness before winter. It’s as much fun as skiing to me so I’m willing to do the drive to some of the more technical trails.

 

[MrBoots]

Believe it or not, but safety's actually one of the biggest reasons I'm building an ebike. Last year, I took a tumble after a car sped up on my left to bang a quick RIGHT in front of me - I guess it's commonly referred to as a right hook by bike commuters. I encounter this problem all the time though it's somewhat mitigated by the mirror mounted on my left handlebar. The extra 10mph or so provided by the ebike would allow me to safely occupy the entire lane without holding up traffic on these roads. This way, I don't have to ride the shoulder and constantly get overtaken by impatient drivers.

 

[GCinDC]

Completely agree. And it all depends on roads/average traffic speeds.

I found that at 25 mph on some stretches of my commute, I either slowed down traffic or they passed me slowly, which didn't feel safe... Once I got my first lipo booster, I could claim a lane in earnest, and then I felt much safer!

If I were on the highway, or some of the freeways, I wouldn't feel safe... at least until I upped my wattage...

Thanks for the trails db. That confirmed my suspicion: There's nothing near me!

Should I get bigger tires and start my own trail through the parks?

 

[biohazardman]

Completely agree. And it all depends on roads/average traffic speeds.

I found that at 25 mph on some stretches of my commute, I either slowed down traffic or they passed me slowly, which didn't feel safe... Once I got my first lipo booster, I could claim a lane in earnest, and then I felt much safer!

If I were on the highway, or some of the freeways, I wouldn't feel safe... at least until I upped my wattage...

Thanks for the trails db. That confirmed my suspicion: There's nothing near me!

Should I get bigger tires and start my own trail through the parks?

Me I think you should get some wings and just bypass the whole thing. ;^) Love your vids but truthfully will be glad to see you around a bit longer for yer kids sake so pleased to see you're going to be a bit more careful in the future. Love the talk you had with the officer about yer bike. ;^)
I feel so lucky to have so many marked bike lanes and for the most part wide roads with plenty of room for me and the cars.

 

[GCinDC]

Wings! Where's the thread??

Any RC guys flying in their own planes yet?

Interesting how this addiction transforms!

meanwhile, on the commuting front, I've been a bad dad. Toning it down may be harder than i think...

Nothing particularly special here, except doing downhill on my front lawn cause the back alley is still impassable with snow. :lol:
Oh, and brace yourselves - I went a bit fast past some peds here...
[youtube]xWtY4xDWPi8[/youtube]

 

[gerlewis]

I say keep doing what you do man! Dont self censor or tone it down one bit, you might die at home choking on a pretzel!

Its refreshing and fun to see your vids!

Cool 8)