This blog is two months in one as September was a bit of a write-off.
OK – why? Well, the cold weather finally made riding difficult due to increasing hand pain (arthritis). So I didn’t meet my lowly target of 200 k for the month.
So I have tried again on October, this time setting the target at 300k. Early on this was impacted by another bout of problem arthritis and some ennui but then the weather started to warm up. 2 days of 30°C really helped !! I am a warm weather person.
Cycling Musing
I’ve had a bit of solo riding recently as Colin has been busy doing other stuff. Cycling along on one’s tod, using well known routes on light traffic days, it’s not unknown for the mind to wander.
Sometimes it’s musing on the paddocks – what’s that growing, why was that decided upon, will the income offset the irrigation cost and so on.
Sometimes it’s about passing drivers – did they ever pass a driving test, that one was very polite, can that car /van/ute/truck even be registered, that car’s exhaust stinks, WOW !! that was close, what a great wave of encouragement.
Sometimes it’s the News of the Day. A shot of Trump coming down the plane stairs makes me wonder if I look that shaky – I am the same age. Can Trump ride a push-bike? Has he ever ridden a push-bike. How will the mid-term elections go? Two war leaders threatening going nuclear. Bugger it, let’s think about something positive !!
A great sunny day works wonders whereas grey skies and impending rain is always a bit of a downer.
Battery Life
I’ve said before that the two 16 amp hour batteries I use with the recumbent are holding up well. Here is another report!
Towards the end of October I did a couple of longer rides on the trike. These rides were not especially long at 35k and 45k respectively but I did tackle them at higher than normal power levels in order to fit them in to a tight schedule. I expected the extra power usage to be noticeable re battery usage and, with the older battery, very noticeable.
In the event they both surprised me by holding up well. Both trips started with the battery just about fully charged and ended with them both remaining around half full. That is charging to 41.7 volts to start and ending somewhere over 37 volts for both. Looks like either is still good for a 50k ride. Take both and it could be a 100k ride.
So, how long have I been using them? The oldest was bought along with the Bafang 250w motor in December 2019 (7 years ago next month) and the second approx 1 year later (6 years old). The trike has covered 16,500 kilometres in that time and I usually use the batteries in turn, swapping them over after each ride. The used one then tends to sit at around 36v until next time it is used when it gets fully charged just before we leave. The internet is full of people who explain how to make batteries last, each with their own method. I’m very happy with how I look after them, especially when I read of other people’s experiences of batteries having reduced performance rather sooner.
I am reminded that the older battery failed after approximately 3 years. It was impacted by a great downhill run on a gravel road which I enjoyed immensely. Both mirrors vibrated so much they fell off on the way down. The battery failed a week later. Luckily Patrick, a friend from the NW Riders group, was able to open it up and found a key wire had detached – probably during the downhill thrill ride. The battery has given no trouble since. Thanks Patrick.
BTW. My first e-bike’s battery lasted 3 years before losing power – I left it for a few months at a low state of charge after a house move, so entirely my fault and I should have known better !
Curb-side Rubbish Collecting
Drink container collecting has continued over the period. It must be the season but there isn’t too much around at the moment.
For the two months covered by this post I managed a 90 container and 50 container recycling sessions. This week I noticed more than a few cans out there after the long weekend just gone. Time for another rubbish run.
With the weather improving and Colin likely to be freed up for adventure soon I suspect our first multi-day trip may be on the cards for November.
Looking forward to testing out this camping set-up in November.
’til next time ……………………….
