27.03.2023 Riding in wintry weather.

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 Monday 27th 26F. A hard white frost but clear and bright so far.

 15.40 5C/ 40F. After pumping up the tires to 4 Bar, I rode to Odense. Via rural lanes as much as possible. To visit as many bike shops as I could. The sky turned navy blue in the west as I headed home. At one point there was 3" of hail slush on the roads with standing water. Later I was caught in a snow storm. With an inch of snow plastered onto my jacket. I remained dry except for my feet. At one point the hail was so sharp on my face that I had to shelter under a tree. There was a drift of hail the size of frozen peas by the back door. As I finally arrived home.

 73km. Average moving speed 21kmh. 50% Tour mode. The rest in Eco mode. The battery dropped from 95% to 19%. There was suddenly loud banging from the rear. The prop stand was swinging by a single bolt and hitting the spokes! One bolt lost. The fasteners obviously needs thread locker. Without the prop stand it is difficult to park the bike anywhere. 

 The hard tires transformed the e-bike into a much harsher thing. The tires had been practically flat! I even stopped to check the suspension was working and not locked out. It seemed to be working as expected. The sole advantage was easier steering at low speeds. I was beginning to do track stands at stops. 😄

 17.15  It has been snowing hard but not pitching. It did settle later.

 21.45 Dinner was poached eggs on toast. I didn't want anything heavy. Not after a late lunch. I had two cups of tea earlier. To ensure I had consumed enough fluids. I was feeling rough.

 It seems obvious now. I was just following a German YouTuber's video on battery range. Range will depend not only on the assistance mode selected. The amount of effort put in by the rider is also a major factor. Speed comes at a price in battery consumption. As does the all-up weight and the hilliness of the route. Temperature matters too. The range shown for each mode cannot estimate how tired the rider becomes as the ride progresses. Nor even how weak they are to start with. The motor will take more of the load. Draining the battery faster.

Carrying a spare battery may only theoretically double the range. It also reduces the effective range by having to drive the extra weight of the spare battery over the entire distance. There is no free lunch. Stock up at lunch and you have added the weight of the food and drink to your own body weight. Carried food will not suddenly disappear as you swallow it. You have merely distributed its weight somewhere else.

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