How was your day

[oldbike54]

I used to "off-road" on horses Muzz and I was off a heck of a lot

 Horses are either great fun or a giant pain in the ...

 Hi Bill

 Dusty

[balvenie]

Horses are either great fun or a giant pain in the ...

 Hi Bill

 Dusty

Hi Dusty,
Yep, they were fun but slower, which gave me time to get very scared

[Chuck in Indiana]

I grew up on horses. Both ends are dangerous..

[Testarossa]

"a mans gotta know his limitations"

We're the same age.

I'd heard that Dirty Harry quote but didn't think it applied to me. My wife assures me that it does.

[Muzz]

We're the same age.

I'd heard that Dirty Harry quote but didn't think it applied to me. My wife assures me that it does.

And they know best Seth.

Trust me, I are a doctor.

[Muzz]

My wife decided, to take the bull by the horns, bite the bullet etc etc and yesterday went out and got her a foldable electric bike.  She hasn't ridden a bike for 20 odd years and so is a bit nervous.  However, we have a cycle track that runs right by our place so she has been out on it today gently getting used to it.  I had to ride it home yesterday (in the rain) because she wasn't game.  Seems to be cheating a bit to be doing 30 clicks with not much effort.  However, if it gets her out getting a bit of exercise then it's all good.

Her sister lives a couple of kms away, and she has cycleway almost all of the entire distance, so it will be ideal for her to go visit on. (If it ever stops raining...)

[oldbike54]

 ^^^Those electric bicycles are pretty cool Muzz , a friend who I rally with once a year has one , he rides it all over .

 Dusty

[Testarossa]

Three weeks after the dirt-bike get-off the pulled muscles have healed to the point that I can get back on the horse. I needed some ATF for the new dirt-bike fork tubes so I rode the Aprilia Funduro to an auto parts store, 20 miles round trip. Felt good, so I'll resume the daily rides.

BTW I built a couple of ebikes for Gail and myself from our old clunkers and some cheap Chinese hubmotors. Gail uses hers to go shopping, and before the - shutdown we rode the bikes to town for live music events. Amazingly useful. Because of the extra weight I upgraded the brakes and tires. The photo is out of date: I've since upgraded Gail's bike from a 36v 250w motor to 48v 750w, same as mine.

[oldbike54]

 

 Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

About 240 miles of Ozarks goodness today 

[Muzz]

Because of the extra weight I upgraded the brakes and tires. The photo is out of date: I've since upgraded Gail's bike from a 36v 250w motor to 48v 750w, same as mine.

Our laws limit electric pushbikes to 300 watts Seth.  The bike shop where we got my wife's bike from has some really cool electric motorbikes that they are selling as off-road golf carts.  They are evidently putting some through the system to get them registered as a road legal device.  The problem is, our laws are currently written around mobility scooters being the only electric vehicle to worry about.  Even electric scooters are causing legal problems around where to ride them.  Theoretically, you are not allowed to ride them on cylceways (being mandated for being cycles only) which would be the safest solution, but the discussion is should they be on the road or the footpath.  Say no more!   Oldies like me are already up in arms about these things whizzing past on a narrow footpath at over 20kmh.

As an addition, a bike exactly like my wifes came up on Trademe, an unwanted prize.  They guy was 73, had only one leg and had a crook hip on his one "good" leg.  Brand new, full warranty and $800 less than new price.  i an currently in the process of putting down a slab for a shed to store two pushbikes, two electric bikes and the Guzzi.

[Testarossa]

Our laws limit electric pushbikes to 300 watts Seth.

Sounds like that might get you 40kph on flat ground. Great for the Netherlands. Here we have long steep hills. 250 watts couldn't haul Gail home with a combined weight (bike, wife and groceries) of 190 lb. even pedaling madly.

Aside from low cost, building your own lets you simplify everything. You can bypass the pedal-assist mode just by not installing the cadence-counting circuit, and the braking cut-out by not hooking up the brake-lever switches. Might not be legal where you live but do they really police it?

In the big city, anything with pedals can use the paved bike trails. No pedals, no bikeways. It's not kosher to use an ebike on wilderness trails. Hikers don't even want to see pedal-only bikes on their trails.  I will say you take your life in your hands even riding a road bike on any paved "bike" trail in the city now, because of all the people strolling while texting.

[Muzz]

Sounds like that might get you 40kph on flat ground. Great for the Netherlands. Here we have long steep hills. 250 watts couldn't haul Gail home with a combined weight (bike, wife and groceries) of 190 lb. even pedaling madly.

I think I would peak out at 30kph. 16" wheels and the resulting high gear available is the limiting factor.  My dodgy hammies limit my spin ability.

I thought about building my own, but with both bikes being foldies and mine going for not much more than the kit to modify my clunker it was a no brainer.

I don't think I would actually disconnect the brake circuit. I find it quite useful and the boost automatically cuts back in anyway.  The thumb throttle is there for instant boost anyway.

[oldbike54]

 Having a beautiful day , the birds are singing , the sky is somehow a little bluer , as John r stated in his sig line , progress is being made.

 Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

Thankful to be gainfully employed and making a difference. Problem solving for some not as mobile as they used to be clients! It's great to be a vertical transportation consultant. 

[Testarossa]

Our three-year-old killer tabby didn't come home Sunday night -- a full moon. Gail was distraught and stayed up all night waiting for him. On Monday we looked along the roads but found only a couple of road-kill raccoons. 

The scheisskopf strolled in at 9pm Monday evening, hungry and thirsty but unwilling to explain himself.

[80CX100]

Our three-year-old killer tabby didn't come home Sunday night -- a full moon. Gail was distraught and stayed up all night waiting for him. On Monday we looked along the roads but found only a couple of road-kill raccoons. 

The scheisskopf strolled in at 9pm Monday evening, hungry and thirsty but unwilling to explain himself.

     He's too cute and smart! 

     You can't accuse him of being a freeloader when he brings something home to share in the family stew pot   

[Muzz]

Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

[guzzisteve]

Pretty Nice, thanks for asking Dusty. Putting a Stelvio back together after a clutch slowly. A lot of stuff I'm not rushing through, I am retired. Says it all.

[Gliderjohn]

Just got home after a 16 hour day as a poll site judge at our local voting precinct. Last spring was my first time as a precinct worker but this time I was the site supervisor, a bit stressful. Everything went well and quite a good turnout considering there had already been many mail in ballots cast. Chilling with a stout Jim Bean and water.
GliderJohn

[Chuck in Indiana]

Attaboy, John..

[Muzz]

Shed slab went down yesterday afternoon.  Exactly 1 cubic mt. Got a minimix truck in, much easier than mixing it myself and because he had his next job on board as well I was left with no mess. .

Neighbour came and gave me a hand, in and done.  Only problem was that instead of the 16 deg C forecast it struggled to 8.  Final float off under lights at 12-30pm.

Had a look first thing this morning and all things considering, it could be worse. And now for the kitset shed.

[Lannis]

Did a little "forward planning" today.

Fay and I decided that we're not going to make our kids figure out where to plant us when we "cross over Jordan", so we:

1) Got permission from Fay's 94 year old aunt and a 92 year old uncle to be buried in the family plot bought by Fay's grandfather in 1907 in Evergreen, Virginia.

2) Got with the cemetery committee, identified the plot, and marked it with iron pegs (actually four 1 foot pieces of 5/8" threaded rod with fender washers screwed to one end).

3) Went to Simmons Monument Company in Crewe, VA, and designed a granite monument/tombstone for the two of us, wrote them a check, and they'll have it done in about 8 weeks. $2650 if anyone's counting.

I'll bet I'm the only one on the forum that did THAT today.  Anyone else here besides Dave S. already have a stone with only one date on it already set up?

So that's one thing off the "To Do" list.  A little different than laying out a new garage or something!

Lannis

[bacongrease]

  well, hell.....I returned home from the broken belt on the FXR on Needles Highway.  Wonderful.
 The new to me Stone fired right up, but is popping some on decel.   hummmmm

[Chuck in Indiana]

Good.  Dummied up the first wing for the first time. It (sort of) looks like something after all that tedious cutting, sanding and gluing.

[stonelover]

Did a little "forward planning" today.

Fay and I decided that we're not going to make our kids figure out where to plant us when we "cross over Jordan", so we:

1) Got permission from Fay's 94 year old aunt and a 92 year old uncle to be buried in the family plot bought by Fay's grandfather in 1907 in Evergreen, Virginia.

2) Got with the cemetery committee, identified the plot, and marked it with iron pegs (actually four 1 foot pieces of 5/8" threaded rod with fender washers screwed to one end).

I too have a headstone with my name and start date with a dash. It rests on my late wife's grave in her family's plot. Daughter knows where it is.

3) Went to Simmons Monument Company in Crewe, VA, and designed a granite monument/tombstone for the two of us, wrote them a check, and they'll have it done in about 8 weeks. $2650 if anyone's counting.

I'll bet I'm the only one on the forum that did THAT today.  Anyone else here besides Dave S. already have a stone with only one date on it already set up?

So that's one thing off the "To Do" list.  A little different than laying out a new garage or something!

Lannis

[chuck peterson]

Great! Spent 8 hours on a 2 hour job...and wouldn’t want it any other way

Sprockets and chain on the 50year old YaMAha






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[Ncdan]

Horses are either great fun or a giant pain in the ...

 Hi Bill

 Dusty

That’s a fact, we just sold our last one a couple months ago. It was great fun for a couple decades but that chapter in our life’s book is gone.

[Texas Turnip]

Lannis, Thanks for doing the
pre-planning as I know too many cases when the parents died and it was a greedy mess.
My daughters know that i don't want any heroic measures to keep me alive. My body is being donated to science (won't they have fun with that?) and then cremate me and spread my ashes on the road in front of the Oleo Ranch. I like this road as I was either leaving to go on a ride or returning so that made this an enjoyable road.

Perfect planning is when you die broke and the undertaker gets a hot check! I'm close.
Tex

[cliffrod]

Lannis- great to hear about your day.  Some of my projects are pre-need.  Most aren't.  some drag out for years for a variety of reasons.  The current record from first call to actual commission/finished stone is 13 yrs for stone I finished last Monday.  Stone arrived in studio around the first of May.

Anything that can be done to smooth the road for your successors, from cleaning up & eliminating your stuff to  finances/legal to cemetery, is something everyone needs to do.   It doesn't have to be elaborate, just done.