On the Road | Going to California

[Kingfish]

Greetings

My holiday has been delayed by a day; I just couldn’t get my plans sewn together in time to make it out the door on time, therefore I have pushed my departure out one day to allow calm normalcy to finish the remaining but important details.

Consider this Road Trip of which I am about to explain a bit of a superduper-101 Club challenge!

My original plans were for something much longer… however with Life being that unpredictable stream of events with many choices and confluences, I was caught up into a backwater eddy and anchored for a spell. The primary venture still exists and we are making haste to complete that task with what we have. So let’s get on with the show!

Cue music

We have this annual Family reunion that happens on our property in the forest of the high Sierra in northern California. It’s beautiful country filled with rural farms, charming hamlets, Indian folklore, and lots of old gold mining history.

The initial plan was for me to take my P1 2WD ebike from Seattle towards Truckee (more or less) via the Cascades. I can’t begin to explain the number of hours that went into planning this, but that has all changed. Instead I am in a mad dash to upgrade my commuter P0 ebike to make this Hail-Mary trek across time and space firstly on Amtrak.

The Train will take me from Seattle to Klamath Falls in 12 hours, saving me about 3 to 4 days of biking for < $100. When I arrive I’ll hit a motel, recharge/top-off, and rest until daybreak. BTW – I will be staying at the Cimarron Inn; not the least expensive, and nowhere near the most. Fact is that it’s right next to Elmer’s which has the most awesome Swedish Pancakes served with lemon and fresh lingonberries! Got to start the day right, yes? 8)

The Plan is to hit the supermarket for any last minute items before heading out into the wide open desert for the next 123 miles on this first leg of the journey.

Now – part of my problem in getting this plan together was having custom parts fabricated, a kingly supply of LiPos, and Time. I only got one of my custom parts made in time (the battery box), and only half my required batteries.

Thus I am heading out into the unknown with only 36 little LiPos, on a re-configured 19-year old mountain bike as 20S9P. The batteries will weigh ~46 pounds, providing 74V nominal for 45Ah. I have recently mounted the new Lyen Mini Monster 6FET 116, and the initial test is that I can hit 45 mph with no issues baring the integrity of the bicycle. The rider has little fear

But to get the desired range I will keep the speed clamped to about 32 to 36 mph and that should get me to Fall River Mills in 3.5 hours.
There are opportunities for patristic charging, and I have identified six RV Parks for targets along this 225-mile route, beginning at milepost 55 and ending at milepost 157.

The goal is to get to Greenville in one day. From there I can make the second leg to the campsite within a couple of hours; hardly a stretch by comparison.

Elevations
Klamath Falls is at 4100 feet. I would actually drop elevation to get to Fall River Mills, but there are two 500-foot tall passes; this will be the easiest century I have ever attempted; good road, low traffic, low hills.

The second half of the trek follows the scenic Pitt River dropping down to the junction of Hwy 89. From there I will travel along the bottom of a giant spreading rift towards Lassen Volcanic Park. There are three more RV parks here, with an Ice Cream parlor at the last at the junction of Hwy 44. Now the serious steep climb comes as I rise out of the rift zone and onto the high volcanic plain at 6000 feet towards Susanville and Westwood. At A21, I’ll head south, follow the east shore of Lake Almanor, and then east to Greenville: the gateway between the Cascades and the Sierras.

Pictures and progress will be reported periodically as humanly possible. It’s truly spectacular country!

Happy Fourth of July holiday people! And thank you ES-community for helping make this happen :wink:
Enjoy, KF

 

[justadad1957]

sounds like a awesome trip
stay safe and have a great time

 

[amberwolf]

That does sound like an awesome trip; not one easily taken around here this time of year.

(I killed at least one cap in my controller with the heat, plus the partial-throttle heating I caused, though the controller still works even with the bad cap it's under repair now).

It is odd about the way well-planned adventures usually become an adventure in last-minute improvisation as the original plans fall apart, isn't it?

 

[Kingfish]

I'm baaaaaaaack 8)

Wow! What an awesome adventure this was. Not all went according to plan, however the Mother of Invention and Improvisation saved my bacon more than a few times.

And now, as promised here is the log with pictures...

 

[Kingfish]

Greetings-
This is first day of the log that I began to keep track of noteworthy details and events from the presumed holiday ride to California and back. The format of these details shall include technical and personal information, chronologically.

Preamble:
For many months I had been planning on taking my P1 ebike to California, to Idaho, and then back to Washington, however events leading up to my launch date changed everything and in the final two-three weeks prior to leaving I found myself in a mad dash to convert my P0 commuter ebike for the hail-Mary trip down and back to California. This is the story of that strange adventure.

Initially I had wanted to leave about June 25th from Redmond, WA and travel about 200 miles a day. However I could not get my custom parts fabricated in time, nor could I get the last of my lipo batteries; two show-stopping dependencies that would make or break my best-laid plans. Regrouping, I ran the simulations with the batts I had on hand; a quick calculus determined the best that I could do was about 120-180 miles per day depending on elevation and weather.

I took my commuter P0 ebike and stripped it bare, then rebuilt it for touring. The Plan now was to get the bike on Amtrak, ride from Seattle to Klamath Falls – Oregon (the last stop to handle baggage before Sacramento), and ride out to our family farm in the forest located about 80 miles north of Truckee/Lake Tahoe.

P0: Stripped down and dirty.

Rebuilt and ready to rumble.

Front view. Toolbag: I just had to mount a piece of HD-hardware

 

[Kingfish]

Weeks leading up I had purchased the Lyen’s Mini-Monster (Qty-2) in hopes of using that for my 2WD system. On this day I mounted a single unit to the FWD P0.

3PM - I headed out for a quick demo ride configured as 20S/74V nominal. Start-V = 83.4. New features included the 3-Speed Switch, Manual Cruise control, and new ghetto Magnetic-Reed Switch eBrake. The bike exceeded 45 mph on a flat in two short drives down 4-lane local roads. Satisfied, I returned to my hidden cave for more modifications.

 

[Kingfish]

After working all weekend to get ready, I burned the midnight oil trying to get P0 ready for the trip. However I was running way late; bagged departure. Reset Amtrak & motel for tomorrow (Tuesday). Now I have time to finish the bike. (sic)

 

[dbaker]

Does that front wheel spin on 20s? Are you on a 700c or a 26" tire?

 

[Kingfish]

I am still running late. Threw everything together and left about 7:30-7:45AM.

• Right off the bat I have throttle problems; cutting out/no throttle. It is extremely sensitive. When it works the bike goes like a fracken banshee! Excessive power, chewing through the batts.
• At least six times I have to stop and physically check the bike. The 3-Way Speed Switch is pulsing and acting flakey.
• In Seattle along Dearborn (avenue), the city has ripped up the pavement for repaving; it is rough-as-a-cob and very dangerous.
• I arrive at Amtrak Station at 9:15AM and I am wicked-late ~ grrrrrr!
• I am checked in, but I can’t load the bike ‘cuz I am five minutes too late.

Frustrated, I put the bike back together and leave for Redmond. About two miles later the Lyen Mini-Monster begins to lose power, and by the time I reach the I-90 Floating Bridge I am dead-in-the-water. Controller will pulse-power enough to get me across the bridge at sublight-speed averaging only 14 mph. Now the controller is flagging, in its death-throws, though the CA still works. Leaving the bridge I am struggling to get back to Bellevue – stopping several times to rest. I stopped at Vetco Electronics to get more Anderson Power Poles, shrink-wrap, and wire; this controller is coming off the bike.

(Note: Bike paths run mostly parallel to the freeways)

On the way into downtown Redmond I noticed my left pedal feeling really odd. Almost right in front of the Matador (a nice Tequila bar) the pedal is nearly falling off the bike. WTF?? -> I head to REI directly for emergency repair. The guy applies a helicoil to the left crank for $30. I finally reach home about 3:30-4PM.

Stripped out.

Repaired.

Mounted; good to go.

Conclusions:

• I figured out the ebrake was causing the throttle to drop (this would plague my performance all the rest of the trip, though not as severely). This is my fault.
• Testing the rest of the system with my default original controller with six months of reliable performance proves to me that the Lyen’s Mini-Monster is hosed. Mods to this unit were applied by myself and through Lyen, thus is would be difficult to determine where the error lies.
• The left pedal came loose because I was distracted by my anger at missing the train, and I did not properly tighten the unit. My bad.

We can rebuild it!
Stripping feature connectors off the mini-monster, and ripping power resistors off other sacrificial controllers, I rebuilt my ebikes.ca Infineon 25A 6FET 36V-nominal controller into a 55V-nominal controller.

Crap! I must have been too aggressive, and I tore off a couple of traces from the PC-to-PCB interface. The schematic says I can tap X1=Tx, X2=Rx, and so I make it so. However the USB/Software can’t access the CPU. Running late – I decide to run with the same settings at 37V-nominal for the century-rides that rely on conservative power management. Also applied Regen Mod to R12 for higher volts – but unsure if it took (sic).

Freewheel says top-speed is ~50mph which in real-world should be about 36mph at WOT. Good enough! Got to get to bed as it’s 12:45AM.

 

[Kingfish]

Woke up at 4AM. Sorted in my head what needed doing and at 5AM got up, skipped the shower and went for it.

Rebuilt one battery array harness to accept 15S6P (the other harness could already accept 6P). Re-ordered one battery bag as 15S6P but left the other as 20S5P as I was running late; I only need one bag to get me to Seattle.

Cut out at least 10 lbs from my bike load, and placed more heavy items directly in the battery bags to lower the Center-of-Gravity (CG) for better handling.

Left promptly at 7:45AM in Redmond for a 9:30AM Amtrak departure from Seattle. Bike operated as smooth as glass the whole way in ~ what a champ!

Got to the Amtrak station at 8:45AM ~ plenty of time. Got the bike loaded into the box; all good! I get in line to get on the train.

Bike-outside-a-box...

Bike-in-a-box!

Folks see me in my biking regalia and I relate the saga of the day before, especially about being turned away by Amtrak. As if on cue, not five minutes before boarding the train, the same snotty employee that told me I was too late to board comes right over and tells me that my bike-in-box is 10 lbs too heavy (60 lbs total). I didn’t get angry, though I did give him a look of contempt, and so did the others around me. Wavering, he says “I’ll let it slide this time”. What a little penis. :x

I get on the train. There are two-seats on each side of the aisle; my seat-mate is a bright and bubbly grandmother and we hit it right off. It is a 12-hour train ride through beautiful country though we talked up a storm the whole way; time flew by. 8)

I noted that the train has power so I break out the charger and try charging both batt-packs but no joy. Removed the pesky fan and cover from the S-350-27, re-ordered the boxes placing the S-350-27 unit on the top of the stack (so I could easily have the cover removed), reset all the units to the minimum output which equaled 63V, and tried again: It works! But it seems to charge at 1/2-power.

Amtrak Coast Starlight Route: Seattle, Portland, Eugene, Klamath Falls

Finally arrived at Klamath Falls – Oregon. Baggage handler put my bike at the bottom of the stack, and had piled everyone else’s luggage on top! WTF? I also had a very difficult time getting the left pedal mounted back on the crankarm as the helicoil was coming apart :x ~ grrrrrrrr!

Lost, lost, and more lost trying to figure out how to get from where I was in the town to the motel, pitch-dark, poor lighting, industrial part of town, probably with lurkers ready to knife me… I finally got directions to the motel that made sense. Hooked up charger to top off batts, and walked across the street to Denny’s for a midnight meal (two-eggs, grits, turkey-bacon, bananas and grapes, and large milk). Afterwards, back at room, I hear the charger for the first time (it was noisy on the train) and the device is pulsing, charging at about 1.3-volt/hour which is way too slow WTF? Now I am considering UN-DOING the current mod (R33). At 12:51AM we’re still at 59.4V and it looks like it needs three more hours to finish. I hit the sack at 1AM.

In the middle of the night I hear the charger change tune from pulsing to constant whirl – maybe it was 4AM; I unplug the charger and go back to sleep.

 

[Kingfish]

Went to Elmer’s for breaky but I discovered that my favorite breakfast – Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries – was no longer served by the chain. Bummer-drag: I ordered the Blueberry pancakes, side of Canadian bacon, large milk and OJ instead.

9:10AM - I checked the voltage and it’s 63.2. I had travelled 60.73 miles so far counting the false start to Seattle and back. The CA is cleared for the new trek: Miles = 0. I leave Klamath Falls about 10 minutes later after picking up some sport drink.

10:05AM - I cross the Oregon-California state line. Stopped at Les Schwab Tires for pee break and safety-check. Stats: 60.7V, 22.10 mi, 10.26 Ah. I started out a little too aggressive leaving town. Everything looks solid, and tire pressure is good.

Time? Stopped at about 50.43 miles for rest, drink, snack. Stats: 58.3V, 21.19 Ah. Took some pics.

It didn't seem that far... :lol:

How are my stats, Clyde?

I had the cruise control set to 29 mph which greatly added to the comfort to the ride; the 54-tooth chainring is perfect at this speed – not too slow or too fast. California roads appear to be in better repair than the Oregon roads. Weather has been really pleasant; about 68*F with a modest breeze. Traffic is light, but nearly all of it are huge rigs.

Bike is performing well – though I wouldn’t mind a softer ride. The biggest issue is circulation in my hands – though so far no cramping in the legs.

That mountain in the background is the largest shield volcano on the west cost; can you name it? Hint: It's bigger than Shasta!

Map: 1st leg of the journey

 

[Kingfish]

Time? At 101 miles and 54V, I stopped for a scenic view (see panorama). Somewhere around 55 miles I passed through a USDA checkpoint.

The friendly officer warned me not to camp near the road least I be assaulted and robbed by a roving band of malcontents; I promised that I’d stay in motels. Later at about 80 miles a calf wandered out onto the road to see what was coming towards it (the hub making the unusual sound); I ran my little ding-dong people bell and the calf bolted off the road. Neat! At about 87 miles I began to descend into the farming plains near the town of Lookout; here is where I began to experience a growing headwind. In Lookout, I made a wrong turn but a local taking his toddler for a walk corrected me; enjoyed a brief chat with the guy who seemed quite worldly for being so far off the beaten path. Motoring on…

Mount Shasta and me bike.

Panorama of the Pitt River Valley. Mount Lassen is the snow-capped mountain on the left, and Shasta is on the right. Fall River Mills is about in the center. If you can't see the full image (it looks like it's cropped to me) click here.

Time? At 113 miles I began to lose power (42.7V); suspect LVC or power resistors preventing further operation (this is a good thang). I had to pedal against a very strong headwind to the edge of Fall River Mills. I pedaled up to <redacted> market and right away began lurking for a power connection. I found one almost as I pulled up but it was too difficult to reach, so I pulled around to the front main entrance of the store where I discovered a Pepsi machine had an extra plug-in a foot away. Parking the bike to hide the connection, I clandestinely set up my charger, covering it lightly with a tee-shirt and made like I was tinkering on my bike for the next 90 minutes. The employee break area was just a few feet away, and I got one of them to watch my bike and stuff whilst I used their facilities.

Nice Pepsi Machine 8)

Oohhh, lookie here!

Hidden by tee-shirt, my funky Meanwells mean business

Oh, forgot to mention: When I was on the train the attendant running the snack bar suggested I try the Veggie-Burrito; Man I don’t know what was in that but I had major GI-pain building up. Maybe it was nerves too; I dunno. Gas-X did not help. At one point I was feeling quite ill. WTF?

I also took this time to UN-MOD the shunt/parallel resistor (R33) and I noticed that the charger was working slightly faster. The wind is really picking up and the charging slowed down as I hit the meat of the pack. At 53V …I’m wishing the wind would turn into a tailwind. Charger was getting warm and needs to be in the open so I move it but this exposes my operation.

Anyway – at some point someone figured out that I was siphoning a charge and I figured that my good will had run out, so I packed up and headed on down the road, partly charged to 55.3V – I leave at about 4:30PM.

6PM - pulled over to a <redacted> gas station east of Burney, west of the Hwy 89/299 junction. I espied a power outlet and asked the attendant if I could plug in to check my email, and he says “Oh, I can do better than that; here let me set you up with a private room and direct Internet connection!” (Score!!) I pull the ebike into the room, lock the door, plug in, and took a nap. I rolled in with dregs left on the batts and picked up a charge to 53V when I left; enough to get me five miles down to Burney.

Note: This Meanwell charger setup is for the birds; far slower than anticipated.

7:45PM - Arrived to my room at the Green Gables in Burney. It’s not much to write home about, but the staff was very accommodating given that I did not have reservations. My entire afternoon was blown away literally by headwind. I put the bike in the bathroom where the outlets were easy to reach and began charging on top of the remaining 52.5V. Now I needed to find a phone and get some food. Stats so far: 133.2 miles, 68.14 Ah, 28.7 Watt/mi, MaxS = 35.3, AveS = 26.8, Watt/Hours = 3835.0, Trip-Time = 4:57:24.

Priorities!

I think I have diarrhea, though because I have been eating Cliff Bars the aspects are masked because they absorb water which probably saved me from severe dehydration. Now that I understood what was wrong I knew what to buy: I picked up the Imodium Multi-symptom and took the first dose (this ended the problem, but created a hugely sensitive stomach).

I also had a lot of muscle and tendon ache; my wrists feel hammered and the hands are swelling. I picked up a sack full of raw foods and vegged in front of the boob tube.

8:57PM - the voltage is only 55.3.

10:26PM - my appetite picks up. The room fridge and microwave don’t work; great. Through the rest of the night I am up every two hours to eat, drink, and piss. Lots of joy here.

 

[Kingfish]

5:15AM - noted the charger changed its’ tune and we are at 63 Volts. Slept very uncomfortably. Wrists feel strained and tendons ache though not as bad as last night. My head is stuffy from running the A/C all night to keep cool.

6:45AM - though sore all over, I get up and take a shower, then on to the continental breakfast where I chatted with the nice ladies behind the counter (at least my sense of humor was still healthy). I powered down about three bowls of oatmeal.

Folks at Desk say the wind picks up around Noon to 2PM; hmmm ~ maybe I should wait for the tailwind… I am still experiencing severe stomach problems but the food helps.

8:07AM – Back at room, time to get ready.

9:17AM – Done packing, limbering up, still sore but not as bad as before. Going off to checkout and should be on the road in 5-10 minutes at 63 V.

Time? At 154.9 miles, I take a pit stop, pee brake, and eat. Stats: 60.2V, 79.48 Ah. Wrists still hurt. Distance so far today is about 20 miles.

Time? Stats: 174.7 miles, 57.8V, 91.60 Ah. Stopped for food, pee, rest, stretch on the side of Hwy 44 some distance after climbing up out for the rift zone. After resting for about 20 minutes the insects started chirping off a storm; neat! I am nearly ready to leave and without warning the wind just picked up from nothing to a good stiff breeze; nice tailwind. I figured that I am about ½-way through the battery pack though I still have another 1000 feet to climb to reach the pass. Left wrist still hurts and I’m sore all over.

Time? Stats: 195.8 miles, 56.9V, 100.3 Ah. I am over the subtle “pass” and about 12 miles from Westwood on A21 with a random breeze. Stopped to rest and eat. Applied field-repair to faring and rear brake: Cut holes to relieve the pressure on brake arms as they were slightly pressing against the rear tire rim and creating drag. Left wrist still hurts. I’m nearly there (to my destination for today); about 40 more miles to go. Dang! Two mosquitoes just nailed me! :x

Time? Briefly stopped at the junction of A21 and Hwy 36 for a picture and swig of sport drink.

Time? Stats: 221.1 miles, 55.9 V, 110.6 Ah. Stopped at a vista to snap a pic of Mount Lassen from across Lake Almanor.

That's Mount Lassen way off in the distance.

Are you tired of seeing my bike yet? :wink:

Crackin’ day for riding! Mild breeze, not hot at all; just plain campy. Just before I got here some clown in a beater car lays onto his horn and flips me off. Dude, I am all the way over to the right; WTF? :x The same thing happened to me last night in Burney, except I was in the bike lane minding my own. Only 10 miles to go; almost there!

2:50PM – Arrived at Uncle’s farm in Greenville. Stats: 232.4 miles, 55.4 V, 115.1 Ah. The night before my Uncle told me that this last stretch of road is narrow and busy with traffic. So between Canyon Dam and Greenville I knew I’d have to go fast. About a mile into the slot canyon I espied a logging truck with a load about ¼-mile back so I open up the throttle all the way; let’s see what this lil’ beastie can do! Hanging on and leaning hard into each corner I looked down and caught that I was doing 40 mph; nice! It took a couple of miles for that logging truck to catch me and I pulled to the side to let him pass when I found the room. No worries, mate.

Map: 2nd leg of the journey

Not long after reaching my Unc’s I started stiffening up. Hammered some food down, got me a nice hillbilly shower, and hit the sack about 8PM. Got up probably three times in the night to stuff more food down my face.

So – ever had a hillbilly shower? Both my Unc’s, and my folks (at their property in the forest) have these devices: Big tank painted black, absorbs solar heat, built so you can augment with a fire below for more heat (or for in Winter), pisses out a little stream which is enough to wet you a little more than a cat lick, and if the breeze blows by... yer nuts will rattle up to your tonsils! Yeah, I needed one of these to set me all up for the next day of anguish and suffering :wink:

One of my Unc's cottages built by my cousin.

Pretty country though. I think I’d give a left nut to own a farm here.

Stay tuned... there more to the story.
~KF

 

[dbaker]

Th trick to the meanwell charging is to either mod one so it will current limit to it's rating or to put it in series with another charger that will do the current limiting. When I moved to 18s and 24s Lipo I used sla or lifepo4 chargers in series with a meanwell to do the charging. I have also used a laptop charger (4.5a, 17vdc) with success; don't think there is anything lighter, smaller or cheaper!

Great travelog! Does your uncle have a ferry barge to get that ATV across that river/creek?

 

[swbluto]

Folks see me in my biking regalia and I relate the saga of the day before, especially about being turned away by Amtrak. As if on cue, not five minutes before boarding the train, the same snotty employee that told me I was too late to board comes right over and tells me that my bike-in-box is 10 lbs too heavy (60 lbs total). I didn’t get angry, though I did give him a look of contempt, and so did the others around me. Wavering, he says “I’ll let it slide this time”. What a little penis. :x

Bikes have an amtrak weight limit of 50 lbs? I could swear some walmart bikes were at least 50.

Well, on closer look, the heaviest one I could find on walmart.com was 45 pounds. I only saw 3 models though; I know there's ton more in the store.

 

[Kingfish]

Does that front wheel spin on 20s? Are you on a 700c or a 26" tire?

The controller began to loose power. It felt like one phase at a time was going out until I did not have anything left; it did feel a lot like I had hit LVC, but it happened in 3rds. I have never felt a controller behave like that before. When I got home I checked the batt-array voltage and it was still quite high; there shouldn't have been a reason for the dropout. The power resistors looked appropriate for the usages. I did run tests at 10S on the original controller and it worked fine, therefore I upgraded it to 15S. The reality was that I was between a rock and a hard spot, and I had to choose or loose my opportunity altogether.

I have a second untouched Lyen Controller that I may use for diagnostics. However - in truth, for long treks as a bicycle on a budget 55V-nominal is perfect - though a little bit too hot for commuting (I'm slowing getting used to it).

The tires were 26" rims with Continental Contact Reflex 26x1,75 which I ran at about 50-55 psi.
Hope this helps
~KF

 

[Kingfish]

Th trick to the meanwell charging is to either mod one so it will current limit to it's rating or to put it in series with another charger that will do the current limiting. When I moved to 18s and 24s Lipo I used sla or lifepo4 chargers in series with a meanwell to do the charging. I have also used a laptop charger (4.5a, 17vdc) with success; don't think there is anything lighter, smaller or cheaper!

Great travelog! Does your uncle have a ferry barge to get that ATV across that river/creek?

Meanwells: Yeah, I will want to discuss that in length. This was nearly a deal-breaker for me, especially when I had planned on charging the whole pack in 4 hours. But I don't want to start a gripe session here; let's do that on the related thread:
Configuring a Meanwell 84V charger :wink:

Ferry: Heh :lol: What you are looking at is a stream that runs through the property, and he has a weir at both ends to control the flow for water supply, flooding the pasture, that sort of stuff. Just outside the view to the left and right there are very sturdy crossings for heavy equipment. Every year or two he takes a Caterpillar D5 and cleans out the silt. The part you see makes for a great swimming hole, rope et al. I dunno where the slide came from; ghetto methinks. There's an old dredge in the background that is used to pump water in that part.

I have quaffed many ice-cold Olys sitting there staring at that view; peaceful don't you think?

 

[Kingfish]

Folks see me in my biking regalia and I relate the saga of the day before, especially about being turned away by Amtrak. As if on cue, not five minutes before boarding the train, the same snotty employee that told me I was too late to board comes right over and tells me that my bike-in-box is 10 lbs too heavy (60 lbs total). I didn’t get angry, though I did give him a look of contempt, and so did the others around me. Wavering, he says “I’ll let it slide this time”. What a little penis. :x

Bikes have an amtrak weight limit of 50 lbs? I could swear some walmart bikes were at least 50.

Well, on closer look, the heaviest one I could find on walmart.com was 45 pounds. I only saw 3 models though; I know there's ton more in the store.

Weight Limit: Yes, the limit is 50 pounds. I presume that includes the weight of the box! The cost of the bike box is $15 USD at Amtrak, and $5 USD for handling. One guy I was in line with had his front tire with him because it made his bike too long to fit into the box; evidently he purchased his box from a bike shop and it was too small.

When you take your bike on Amtrak you must:

• Turn your handlebars 90* to align with the tire so it will fit in the box.
• Remove your pedals.
• Get there an hour BEFORE the train departs to give yourself enough time to prep the bike for travel!!!

I became real adept at breaking my bike down

On the trek back from Sacramento I also removed my headlamps and taillights to reduce the weight.

Caveats and Warnings: You have no control on how these Amtrak monkeys load and unload your bike box! If your bike is expensive, fragile, or an heirloom ~ by all means DON'T PUT IT ON AMTRAK! At Klamath Falls my bike box was at the bottom of a huge pile of luggage; maybe this was the cause of my rear tire problems (more on that in the story to come). When I returned to Seattle my bike box had exploded and the bike was falling out of the bottom of the box! Caveat Emptor! :x

 

[dbaker]

Cool! A Google maps screen shot showing where you stopped would be nice.

 

[Kingfish]

Cool! A Google maps screen shot showing where you stopped would be nice.

I'm working on it! However not all the places are spotted by Google: Prior to this trip I tried to make a map for family and discovered that Google doesn't cover the rural routes in this area. But other maps are coming shortly, and more story too 8)

 

[Kingfish]

9:17AM – I will be leaving my Uncle’s in about 10 minutes. He’s going to take my backpack and Goodrum’s Electronics (expressed delivery), a soldering kit, and Fluke up to my next destination for me so that I have about 40 pounds less to carry. Means no daypack on my back either. The charger was left on overnight and the Start-V is 63.5. Stats again: 115.1 Ah, 232.4 mi. I’m not as achy as yesterday but I am still sore.

Gazing upon the relics of another era, I wonder how long it will be before my ebike becomes one of these?

Time? 260.6 mi, 60V, 129.1 Ah. Stopped for food, pee at Rest Stop east of Quincy on Hwy 70/89. Took the Chandler Road to bypass Quincy which was hosting some large Hippie Hemp Fair and Redneck Roundup Guns-n-Butter Hoohaw (this county is confused about a lot of things but don’t get me started). The bypass is rough for cars, but at bike speeds it makes for pure enjoyment; all the traffic went the other direction. I should have taken pictures – it’s just a very serene ride.

I figure that I am about halfway to my destination now; it’s a short trip… relatively-speaking.

Bike is running pretty fast; less load means less stress and fatigue. Still limping around ~ left leg is tight, though hands and wrists feel stronger. No spasms; the new harder seat I traded for last week is working out well in that regard, though it feels like I’m sitting on a pine board. My Unc wanted to give me some sheep skin to cover it: Wouldn’t that be puss’d-out!

Idyllic sitting here; great day for a ride! Time to push on.

12:10 PM – Arrived at the family farm in the woods. 57.4V, 284.7 mi, 144.4 Ah. I was hitting it pretty hard as I got closer. There is one mean-ass hill climb coming in and I had contemplated getting off the bike to let it cool down as I had thought I smelled phenolic compounds from the motor.

The last few miles of road are dirt and gravel; it is rough as a cob and nasty for a car. This is where the front-wheel-drive bike shows its’ weakness. I take it slow as molasses, being nimble and careful to avoid as best as possible the large rocks and divots, but it is really difficult to maintain balance and keep enough speed going forward :|

About halfway along this cobbled route three motocross bikes race by me – no thought given to my safety – I’m buried in a cloud of dust and grit and forced off to the gravelly edge of the road and I lose control of the bike as the front drive pogos over the edge and I wipe out, dropping about three feet off to the side :x GRRRRRRRR!!! This is the first time I have crashed my ebike, ever. Now I’m filthy dirty, bruised, and scraped up – but there’s no blood; I’m lucky. (I still have a bone bruise/lump on my left forearm)

Overall the ebike performed admirably – with the only downer being the gravel road.

Midway Stats:

• 57.5V, 284.7 mi, 144.4 Ah
  8287.7 Watt-Hrs, 29.1 Watt/mi
  Regen 0.2%, 0.3433 Ah Regen, 144.78 Fwd Ah
  -13.6 Amin, 32.30 Amax, 15.0 Vmin
  45.0 MaxS, 26.6 AveS, Trek Time: 10:41:46

Map: 3rd leg of the journey

 

[Kingfish]

Yesterday I was crip’n around like an old man. After I arrived on Saturday I felt great but as the day wore on I began to stiffen up, and by nightfall I could hardly move at all. And I was pretty sore all day on the 4th.

I forgot to add that when I arrived at my Unc’s on Friday that my hands and wrists were so swollen that I couldn’t get my gloves off; he had to do it for me. Today the swelling is less, but the hands do seem bigger. I also suffer from nose bleeds which may be related to either elevation (we’re at 5,000 feet) or the tremendous pine pollen in the air.

Charging: I scavenged a charge off the generator whilst it was providing power to pump water, run the washing machine, and charge the RV batts. We have solar here on several buildings but it can’t compete with the current demands of running the wash, microwave, or coffee machine. Each year we build on more capacity though. My cousin offered to charge my bike off his solar – trickle-charge – but it turned out that he didn’t have an inverter to support the wattage. Wouldn’t have that made for a good pic: Here’s me bike being recharged by solar!

Anyways, while the generator was running the batteries moved up to 58.0 Volts.

Determined that the Meanwell assembly is pulse-charging and not Constant Current, possibly only providing 500W/hr.

Several of my family members pack up and head out, but not before capturing our hillbilly souls in a portrait; we are a goofy-looking lot.

I'm the 4th head from the right.

 

[Kingfish]

Noon – Taking advantage of RV charging. By 1 PM the battery voltage was raised from 58.0 to 58.9.

9:00 PM – Generator started for washing machine; charging bike. At 10 PM, the batteries are at 60.4V.

 

[Kingfish]

7:15 PM – Charging. At 8:40 PM I noted that the battery voltage was 63.0 and terminated process.

 

[Kingfish]

The last of the sibs left on Thursday, so it was just my Ma and Pa, the old dog and me. Finally I got to move into one of the RVs for creature comforts such as a private shower. The radio works in this unit but there’s only one station that comes in clear: KOZZ Reno. These guys play A LOT of Iron Maiden, a band I never got into. But the rest was ok, if not a troglodyte trip to the past

During the day I made myself busy by swinging pickaxe and sledge as I carved out a nice wide path around our pond – mainly with an eye on safety for my aging parents. It was back-breaking work, using different and unused muscles, though captured my appetite and me in shape (training) for the last leg of my journey. Pics...

Before/After: I had already carved part of this trail out when I realized we needed more support, least until the next time when the little monkey-cousins come up to visit and tear the whole thing all up. The Old Dog moseying along in the right, marking periodically.

Before/After: This section was just plain tore up to hell. It scared me to think of my folks slipping here; a disaster waiting to happen. Note that the far end has stumps and a hump of earth to overcome.

Before/After: You can see the right side a little better here; dug out two stumps and moved countless loads of dirt. Now a person can walk around the whole parimeter without fear of falling in, and I made the trail just wide enough to march two young monkeys side-by-side towards the hungry ogre beneath the bridge ~MHahaha!

This is our vessel for crossing the pond: The Q E Too Canoe! In the background there is another section that I fleshed out with support using 2x8's. The yellow sign warns against swimming in the pond with the Freshwater Six-legged Miniature Alpine Crocodile in the water; he likes monkey-cousins too! Hey - got to keep the count down somehow!

Man I was sore after this. At the end of the day while waiting for the water heater to do its’ job I’d lay flat on the floor of the RV listening to AC-DC, Def Leopard, Scorps, or Ronnie James Dio screaming their bloody hearts out. Ahhh – I wonder what the poor folk are doing tonight? :wink:

My RV fridge was overstocked with milk and eggs, so I made/drank eggnog frequently between meals.