380: eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures

380: eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures

Author: Tim Mooney October 17, 2024 Duration: 37:47

So, the ebike works… and my confidence is up! What were my takeaways from the shakedown ride and what are the kinds of rides I'm considering for 2025 and beyond for my electric wonder?

 

Housekeeping 

 

Live Show! Friday December 6 at 9pm ET/6pm PT - topics TBA, and of course it'll be the pod for the following week if you can't make it live. Links and more at pedalshift.net/live.

 

We have a new adventure lined up in a totally new to me state! Preview episode next week!

 

Takeaways

 

The bike works and I might be a better mechanic than I thought

I may have underestimated the range on this battery

I may have underestimated the recharge capabilities of the "slow charger" but maybe not

I need more hand positions (Jones Bar? Something else?)

I really should finish the bike but if I'm cutting cables I want to figure out the handlebars and height first

I'm going to buy all the things to outfit this without borrowing from my other bikes

 

The Future

 

I considered bringing this bike for my annual Florida ride, then reconsidered

Positioning an ebike for a ride is complex because transportation has to be by ground or shipping

I want to do more shakedowns before going "over the wall"

C&O to Cumberland and back (or train)

Full GAP/CO

East Coast Greenway segments from DC north and south

Connect OTET to Katy (Dayton-St. Louis)

KC to Denver

Denver to the Pacific Coast

What are you interested in hearing about?

 


There’s a particular kind of freedom that comes from traveling by bicycle, where the journey itself becomes the destination. The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures, hosted by Tim Mooney, delves into that experience through a mix of personal stories, practical advice, and wide-ranging conversations. Rather than just a how-to guide, this podcast feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend after a long day on the road. You’ll hear firsthand accounts from fellow bike tourists, each with their own unique tales from the pavement and gravel, alongside Tim’s own reflections and experiments in bicycle touring. The discussions naturally cover the logistical tips and tricks that make trips smoother, but they also explore the cultural and educational aspects of moving through the world at a human pace. It’s about more than gear and routes; it’s about the connections made and the perspectives gained when you embrace a slower, more engaged form of travel. This audio companion to Pedalshift.net aims to demystify bicycle adventure, making it feel accessible and deeply rewarding. By sharing these stories and ideas, the hope is to inspire your own two-wheeled explorations, proving that a bicycle can indeed shrink the world in the most wonderful way. Tune in for a thoughtful, grounded take on seeing the world from the saddle.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
Podcast Episodes
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:03
Transitioning from from the peaceful Toronto Island back into the urban sprawl of southern Ontario is a bit of a record scratch I'll more thoroughly experience when I eventually ride this ride, but a fast forward to a st…
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:54
Toronto! The biggest city in Canada beckoned with its record shops, high energy and criminally underrated cycling on the islands off shore. With a basketball arena parking spot and my kind of weather, TO was ready to wel…
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:58
This portion of the trip was always going to be a question mark - what kind of biking will there be? Will it be fun? Will I be looking too much ahead to more obviously notable places like Toronto and Niagara Falls? Wolfe…
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:04
So the ebike is a brick in the back of my Rav4, but it still works like a normal bike, so let's keep going! But a sudden realization may provide the solution to unlock all the battery goodness, just as another stunning d…
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:23
Episode 404? Isn't 404 a website error? Well part 2 of the Lake Ontario adventure corrects for the very serious 404 we had with the ebike. Still a mystery, but we're recovering and adventuring by bike in amazing towns li…
Lake Ontario 2025 - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:40
Folks, if you've followed this pod for any length of time you know my bike adventures usually have a component that goes sideways. But has it ever happened before a single pedal stroke? Can the Lake Ontario adventure sur…
402: Lake Ontario 2025 Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:52
After years of circling this ride (pun intended) it's time to do a lap of the lake that I've lived near for a big chunk of my early life. Would it have been easier to pick a smaller lake? Sure. But Lake Ontario truly is…
401: LA Metrobike Adventure [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:19
What happens when you've only got one day in Los Angeles, a conference that demands your physical presence, and a red-eye flight back home? You grab a Metrobike and explore, of course! On this edition, it's a whirlwind b…
Spring Break: Filling in the Blanks Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:06
Part 2 of 2. My three day weekend tour was about to be washed out by the remnants of yet another hurricane rolling through the area. And since the C&O isn't exactly the best trail in a soaker, it was a good idea to rever…
Spring Break: Filling in the Blanks Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:54
They say you only live once and some people shorten that up to YOLO, turn that into a verb and make questionable decisions. Sometimes that's a pathway to adventure. And sometimes, it's a convenient excuse to do things yo…