Kingfish
100 MW
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
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