~o~
Monday 24th 50F. Overcast and breezy. A complete change in the weather after a period of stability from the east. Showers possible. The wind is currently from the SE. The weather is southerly then south westerly later. The radar shows Fyn in a largely rain free area.
There is certainly a lot of mental development for new routines required. Having to put my feet down has been a steep learning curve. Not helped by my high seat. The dropper post is, quite literally, a life saver. I am still very clumsy when coming to a junction or other stop. I need to check carefully for traffic coming both ways. Often with the view blocked by street furniture, vegetation and other vehicles.
On the trike I could just sit calmly checking all around me. Then simply pull away when it was safe to do so. On the e-bike I have so many other tasks demanding my attention. Select a lower gear on the approach. Seat post down. Balance carefully to a stop as if I was riding child's bike. Select a power Mode for lots of assistance pulling away. Place a foot on a horizontal pedal for pushing off. Regain the saddle as I simultaneously move forwards. Before lifting the saddle back up to support me safely with the dropper post.
In the countryside I may have to watch for vehicles around me and more joining from behind at the junction. In the city there are vehicles and lots of other cyclists. Most of whom are incredibly skilled and relaxed after years of practice.
My own physical and mental behaviour, at a stop, is vital to my own and their survival. Fortunately, I am aware of my responsibilities. I know and understand my lack of bike handling skills and my physical limitations.
Just balancing on 2-wheels is still taking far too much concentration at present. I can't always monitor my mirror as much as I'd like. So faster cyclists catch up with me invisibly and silently. When they try to go past I must remain firmly on my line. To avoid drifting into their intended path. Effortless on the trike. Still difficult, for me, on the e-bike.
It all sounds so utterly trivial, mundane and routine. Even boring. Had I ridden a bike more, I would be well practiced in all of this. Honed my bike handling skills with countless repetitions. Under every imaginable circumstance. Then translated that experience to the much heavier and much faster machine. Instead of which, I am having to constantly translate my triking skills and behaviours.
There is often no term in e-biking for what I'd do on the trike without a second thought. The trike suffers no adhesion problems on the corners and rough stuff. I'd simply drift and ride on. The e-bike deviates unexpectedly on surface imperfections. So that I have to counter the changes safely and effortlessly. Loose gravel, potholes and a sunken verge are extremely commonplace. An accident would be a disaster! The e-bike might be left unsecured and unattended while I was whipped away in an ambulance.
None of this is me complaining. Far from it. The e-bike has been a revelation and a [mostly] a joy. I am merely apologizing to myself. For allowing my 2-wheel skills to lapse to such a low point. My already long rides on the e-bike. Are hopefully accelerating my re-education in 2-wheel biking.
Doing all this at an advanced age [76] may well explain. Why [statistically] so many elderly riders come to grief on their shiny, new e-bikes. There is an awful lot to learn. Even for one, such as myself, with huge mileages of keen cycling over a long lifetime. Often riding faster and further than many other cyclists a fraction of my own age.
The road system and traffic have no forgiveness for the slightest failure. Every automaton car commuter expects flawless skills and routines. From everybody else around them. It saves them having to think. While they simultaneously break all the rules themselves. Often while badmouthing a simple mistake by another road user. We all think we are perfect drivers until we become just another statistic. Or make others statistics. By our own, drooling idiocy, impatience and criticism leading to a loss of concentration!
Fortunately I am fully aware of the potential problems. I ride and drive defensively. Just as I was taught to. By a highly skilled instructor so many years ago. My reaction times have slowed with advancing age. I must adapt if I am to survive. The layers of skills I must master on the e-bike will come in time. If I survive and hopefully, continue to enjoy the freedom it offers. Not to mention the vital physical and mental exercise it offers. As a perfectionist I demand nothing less than a high level of competence.
Challenging myself, by this change of transport. Has required multitasking. Like little else I have tried before. I have pulled on my own vast cycling experience and resources. Yet I was still lacking vital knowledge I only thought I owned. I am grateful to my family members and so many others. For sharing their own experience to hasten my conversion to e-biking.
YouTube still remains a valuable fund of knowledge. No matter how Google tries to destroy it from within. With its sociopathic levels of advertising and its monetizing algorithms. Being able to do my "homework." From the comfort and safety of of my computer chair. Has probably saved my life. Or at the very least shortened and flattened my learning curve to basic survival.
It is amazing what one can learn from a few short videos. Advice on how to cycle shop, for example. Doing simple things which have never occurred to me. This, after 12+ years of cycle shopping on the trike. Which is a whole different set-up from carrying stuff on a wobbly 2-wheeler.
Others, who overcame a lack of commercial equipment and built their own racks. People are so incredibly resourceful. Bringing their own skill set and imagination to match perceived needs. To make life so much easier and/or safer. We easily forget. That the 3rd world has used pedal cycles. For moving freight and people for over a century.
9.00. Time to stop waffling and go for a recuperative walk! The wind is already turning South to Southwest. Except when it isn't.
10.00 Morning coffee after my walk. The sky darkened and it started raining just as I came indoors. I saw another lapwing/plover/peewit cartwheeling across the prairie. It must have been 900 yards away but was distinctive and very noticeable for its white areas. It uses distraction tactics. To draw dangers away from its nest. Much like the skylark. All my aches and pains had gone within a few hundred yards. Of walking my familiar route to the lanes.
I was going to test the new and very short handlebar stem but will have to postpone it for now. It seems the 50mm is a fraction longer than the physical minimum of 45mm. Otherwise the handlebars and supporting stem would coincide.
The alternative is an adjustable stem. This has a vertical hinge or pivot. Which can be safely locked at any angle. Allowing the handlebars to rise to any almost any desired height within the range available. The handlebars will perform an arc around this stem pivot. So reach will change slightly with changing handlebar height. The only adjustable stem I have is a long one. 90mm. So I sacrifice more reach for more height.
The major advantage is that I can freely adjust handlebar height. Until a commercial fixed stem, of suitable length, can replace it. Reach [or extension length] will also have to be chose to match. Hinged stems are popular on city bikes. They are considerably heavier than fixed stems.
So this is the next task. Replacing the shortest stem for the long, hinged one. The rain seems to be holding off. Though it is quite windy.
I had to remove the brake and gear levers because the hydraulic lines were crossing and pulling on the other cables and lines. Not very clever. So I fixed the problem while I sheltered from the rain in the greenhouse. It was pleasantly warm in there with plenty of light to work by.
I have ordered a 35º 70mm "high rise" stem/handlebar extension online. 28.6mm steerer x 31.8mm bars. This should offer about 40mm rise with only a modest reach at 70mm. I had already fitted the various stems at full height on the steerer tube. Full stack of spacer rings under the stem each time. I just don't like the stacked look of the steerer tube extension. [Image left]
I could make the existing handlebars rise. Instead of swooping down and back. I'd have to see if this is possible without reversing them end for end. Which would require a lot of work removing every component. Brake levers, gear changer, horn, lights, horn push button, light dip button, Nyon computer bracket, Bosch remote, dropper post lever, hand grips, stem, mirror, etc.. Let's see how well the riser stem works first. I just need to unload my hands before I get long term problems.
The high rise stem, I ordered this afternoon, has already reached the parcel depot for delivery tomorrow! Some online companies really make the effort. Others seem not to care at all.
The Bosch e-bike Connect app has been recording my test rides today up and down the drive. It has also drawn my routes incredibly accurately on the map! Even showing which side of the drive I rode on. Where I turned round and even where I wobbled a circle on the lumpy parking space.
It only slightly spoilt its astounding perfection. By continuing to record a blue blot. Where I stopped to chat to my neighbour without turning off the Nyon. Giving me an extra kilometer I never traveled.😊
While yesterday's recorded route shows where I stopped and retreated on a short footpath, in town. Because I was running over drifted beach sand. All very impressive! Handy for the forgetful, like me. To remember which day it was and precisely where they went.
An interesting feature with the Nyon computer display is the automatic assistance power cut-off when it is removed. This is normally a pay for feature but seems to happen anyway. I pressed the Mode switch repeatedly but could not get any assistance. Not without the Nyon in place and switched on. It would be a brave, or very fit thief, who tried to escape on a 25kg/50lb e-bike without any motor assistance. As the owner frantically chased them down the road!
Replacing the Nyon did not result in these previous assistance attempts being engaged. Primarily, a valuable, extra layer of security. Should anyone try to steal the e-bike.
Plus, rider safety. In not being accidentally subjected to Turbo mode on Nyon switch on. Which might easily catch the rider completely unawares as they pulled away. Should somebody have played with the handlebar controls in their absence.
Dinner was beans on toast. You know what that looks like. So don't need a picture.
~o~
No comments:
Post a Comment