~o~
Wednesday 20th 45F/7C. Overcast. Up at 6am after another restless night.
Museum day, but I may give it a miss. It is difficult to avoid physical labour. When this is precisely the point of attendance. I will have to learn to limit my activities until the diagnosis is completed. Meanwhile, I have to shop for groceries and visit the pharmacy.
I forgot to recharge the battery on the e-bike on my return yesterday. It was down to 14%. The lowest I remember seeing it. Very close to cutting out to protect the battery. 60km is not bad for winter temperatures and using lots of Turbo mode on the hills. Until you think that is only 40 miles in Olde Monie.
Range Anxiety is a serious concern. Since a spare Bosch battery costs a fortune. 6500kr or 5000kr. Depending on source. The Nederlands is much cheaper than Denmark. 5000kr would still buy an awful lot of petrol for a moped. While the e-bike offers near silence and no fumes. So you can hear the birds as you pass and you won't choke any cyclist with smoke. As you scream past them on your modified exhaust.
The e-bike has to be pedaled to get any power. A moped or scooter only needs a push off and then you can pretend to be a sack of potatoes. Or a sack of anything else which takes your fancy.
There is no sign of new battery technology/chemistry filtering down to the humble e-bike. Not for greater speed but for greatly extended range. If the range per charge was doubled then I could use Turbo mode more often. Allowing greater range for the same time. Or a more modest or hilly ride in less time. Resulting in less tiredness.
In the 7000km I have ridden in my first year on the e-bike I have not felt a lack of speed. Though I do have to come right down though the gears on climbs even in Turbo mode. The Bosch system is well respected and hopefully secure against fires. Unlike the countless stories of Chinese batteries spontaneously exploding or burning.
I saw a claimed figure of 100km range on one battery in Turbo mode from one sales outlet. These are clearly garbage numbers. Yesterday I used 73% Sport mode and the rest in Turbo mode. Yet achieved only 60km. The motor provided well over 3 times as much power as I did. 78% : 22%. Remember that I am an old fart and while reasonably cycle fit have rather limited power output.
My maximum speed was 49kph or 31mph freewheeling down a long hill while foolishly crouched low. It was an empty rural lane and I was carefully monitoring my rear view mirror. No amount of pedaling will ever get me above the legal limit of 44kph on the flat. Despite any safety concerns, about high average speeds, I hardly ever see anything above 35kph or 22mph in Sport mode.
My average user power output [input?] yesterday was a meager 59Watts. A racing cyclist average power is around 150Watts. Climbing to 500Watts during a final sprint. So, with full battery/motor assistance in Turbo mode I can match a racing cyclist but I'd have very limited range. While the fit racing cyclist can keep it up for hours. Without fear of prosecution.
However, a racing cyclist would seriously struggle to maintain 25mph. If they were carrying two loaded panniers. With two heavy U-locks and a spare battery. Not to mention the considerable weight of the e-bike itself. With full suspension, fat tires, a large, sprung saddle, wide mudguards, a full rear rack, lights and an electric motor. While the aluminium frame is seriously overbuilt for longevity and safety.
8.00 A walk, I think.
8.45 Back again. Walked off the back pain to the lanes. Lots of bird activity. No wind. I was too warm in my down sweater on the way back. A red kite was circling over home. It seemed unmoved by my presence. Traffic fairly busy.
12.10 Despite the veiled sunshine the greenhouse is quite warm. So I have opened the protected windows. 76F in the greenhouse. 61F indoors. It might help. The kitchen reached 70F/21C. While the living room topped out at 66F/19C.
Dinner was organic sausages, mushrooms, tweggs and baked beans.
~o~
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