Fueled by burritos and solar power.
Or is it a new salad dressing? Oh, wait. I see. Never mind. My bad. I wake an hour before dawn and use the remaining charge in my battery to make coffee because my stove is out of fuel. There is only enough charge left to heat the water to 185°F (85°C). It’s not quite …
I depart at dawn. I’m trying a new range-extending technique: ride slowly with minimal electric assist when the road direction and wind allows for maximum solar energy harvesting. Ride quickly with maximum electric assist to get through stretches of road where the sun is in front of or behind me, meaning I get less than …
On my way out of town, a youth in a rusty pick up truck offers the perfect send off, “Nice helmet, asshole!” “Thank you, asshole!” I reply cheerfully. Stay classy, Great Falls. I start the day with a full battery and wall-to-wall sunshine. The first two hours are WOT (wide-open throttle) all the way, averaging …
Today, that temperature is 38°F (3°C). It’s the coldest morning of this trip. My past self anticipated this and packed electric boot warmers. Thank you, past self. I ride on frontage roads paralleling Interstate 15 for most of the day. There is almost no traffic, which is a nice change of pace. https://youtu.be/sgCIcz_kkpg Mid-afternoon, I …
Continue reading "Day 20: It’s Always Coldest Right Before Dawn"
The weather forecast calls for 36 mph (58 km/h) wind gusts. It’s going to be that kind of day. I turn off the pavement onto a gravel road which leads me through a wind farm. Just as you don’t stick solar panels where the sun don’t shine, you don’t stick wind farms where the wind …
Robert and I ride together for a while longer before parting ways. He just flew in from Alaska where he has been working at Denali National Park. I ply him with fresh brewed coffee and instant mashed potatoes and ask questions about biking in Alaska. The green tunnel of trees is replaced by flat grasslands …
Last night, I drank a beer in a city park where I pitched my tent and this morning I’m going across the street to use the bathroom at a gas station. Truly embracing the solar hobo lifestyle. Random motorist, “We saw another bike like yours a few days ago.”“Really? Where was it?”“It couldn’t have been …
Continue reading "Day 15: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish"
Montana, there’s a lot of it to love. Riding along Lake Koocanusa all day today. It was formed by a dam on the Kootenay River and goes from Canada all the way to the USA. Get it? Koo-Can-USA? Is this one of those things that’s so dumb it comes all the way around to being …
I wake up this morning, unmolested by bears in the night. Today is one of two days per year when the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Happy autumnal equinox! https://youtu.be/xzDbq24Pcug I’m perfecting a technique for making a cuppa tea with the least amount of energy possible. Those of you from …
The day starts with what I think of as “Belgian weather.” Just barely above freezing, about 110% humidity, and foggy. It’s the kind of cold that gets into your bones and can only be remedied with a hot beverage, preferably with alcohol in it. The fog is so thick it’s unsafe to ride on this …
SOLAR ebike 