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
379: eBike Project - Shakedown Ride [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:30
On this episode, I take my new ebike on its first shakedown ride to test its capabilities, from battery life to chain tension to, well… does this thing work? It's a 40 mile round trip from my cabin in West Virginia to a…
Best of Pedalshift 137: Fall Touring (Live) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:18
Originally recorded live from Hedgesville, WV, this episode of the Pedalshift Project includes the (semi-doomed) 2018 fall tour reveal and gear tips for your fall bicycle touring. Plus banter with you… because it was liv…
378: E-Bike Project - Shakedown Preview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:37
On this edition, we preview a short but momentous little overnight adventure on my brand new ebike… we'll discuss goals and strategies, plus recharge options and… hey, we're getting back on the C&O again! eBike Project -…
377: eBike Project - The Build [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:34:31
In this episode, follow an in-depth, step-by-step journey of transforming a surprisingly decent Ozark Trail mountain bike into the first Pedalshift e-bike (n=3 or 4 if you're counting). This mega-pod takes you from the i…
376: Oregon Coast Remix Takeaways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:32
The remix is in the rear view mirror, but as always I like to look back and discuss takeaways from every trip. On this edition, ten takeaways from the Oregon Coast Remix, celebrating ten years of the pod! Oregon Coast Re…
Best of Pedalshift 010: Pacific Coast 2014 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:01
In the summer of 2014, I took 6 weeks to ride the Pacific coast from Victoria, BC to the US-Mexico border. I recorded a 2-5 minute audio entry every day for the Tour Journals podcast to share the more detailed aspects of…
375: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 6 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:47
Sometimes journeys have distinct ends and sometimes those endings are a little more flexible. In the penultimate episode of the Oregon Coast Remix we mash together my departure from Bandon and my return a week later a fe…
374: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:38
A short but challenging ride up and over the Seven Devils would be the last days of cycling for James and I on this adventure, but the remix theme gave us new things to try… a new brewery, time in a great town I usually…
373: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:31
If you can't fuel your cycling, you can't ride very far. At least that's what grandma always told me (editors note: she did not). So, waking up in camp without much appetite doesn't really bode well for making very many…
372: Oregon Coast Remix - Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:35
I always say day 3 is when bike tours click in, but don't sometimes exceptions prove the rule? And don't my bicycle adventures always find some way to go sideways? Everything seems to be going just fine as James and I cy…