armb's journal

Want: http://www.boingboing.net/2009/06/05/monkeylectrics-full.html

Jamie emailed yesterday evening to say the courier company had left all his batteries in Taiwan, but I went and collected the rest of the bits (including the actual hub motor, not in the photo). Assembly instructions are a wiring diagram and a Quicktime video that claims it can be put together in ten minutes, which is optimistic even assuming that you are fitting to a new bike with e.g. existing brakes or handlebar grips to take off first, but I should get it done over the Christmas holiday.

EDIT: I'm reliably informed that I won't be doing anything to any bike until after the remaining bedrooms have central heating.

This may be the best looking bike ever.
This lugwork is also stunning, in a completely different but equally good way. (via)
(More on the lugged stainless bike: http://waterfordbikes.com/site/tech/dwflame.php)

20+mph head winds cycling in this morning. I mentioned that I was thinking of getting an electric assist motor a while back when the winds were similar. Last week I did actually do something about it, and pre-ordered a kit ( Read more... )

They also had a Vectrix maxi-scooter, which looks very nice, but is £7000 (and needs to be insured and MOTed, even if electric vehicles are zero VED). And apparently getting one registered was quite hard, though the DVLA might cope more easily as they get used to it.
Some reviews:
http://gizmag.com/go/8036/
http://www.independent.co.uk/living/motoring/features/article1999254.ece
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article1744354.ece

I've seen the Outspoken delivery bikes several times recently, including once right on the edge of town by the P&R.
I must try and take up their offer of a test ride sometime. Not that I plan to buy an 8 Freight, but it could be fun to try one.
(Hmm, their website seems to be down. Here's a CCC newsletter article.)

Also the Arts Theatre had a trike with a big advertising board on the back which was stopped not far from work one lunchtime a few days ago - it appeared to be a custom build (very long wheelbase), but the rider didn't know the history. I didn't have a camera with me at the time. (It was advertising The Seafarer at the time, and the rider had leaflets to hand out.)

First of all: Astronomers of Rock.

I still have this theory that while I don't need an electric motor to be able to cycle all the way from home, and on a good day I go fast enough that one couldn't be legally useful, I might do it more often with an assist (and possibly get fit enough then to not need the assist).
I had a look at Cambridge Bike Hire's kit today.
Plus points: it's relatively cheap, compared to, say a Heinzmann, and the Li-ion battery is relatively lightweight.
It's available, whereas would-be Bionx distributers http://www.no-hills.com still say "Coming soon" (and I've just found http://www.powerscoots.co.uk/acatalog/Bionx.html, but that says price TBA).
Airnimal are based in Cambridge, and have now a Bionx on a Joey, so I might look into that (it's also more expensive though).
Minus points: relatively unsophisticated controls compared with the Bionx's proportional assist (sensing chain torque).
The "Jamie's still working on the wiring because they came without instructions" thing.

(They also had a Sakura Mustang, which was fun looking but impractical, and my legs are far too long for it.)

There was a mention on uk.rec.cycling of a Speed Ross on eBay. (More photos of the Ross here, since eBay ones will expire.)
(Mike's Ross was the first SWB recumbent I tried, and I have met David a couple of times before.)
I met him at lunchtime yesterday (and again after work to see his other bikes), then continued dithering about whether it was really a sensible commuting bike. Eventually decided I would try a bid this morning, only to find it had gone up beyond the limit I'd decided on.

On Sunday I took some photos of the bike trailer, did a bit of work mending bits, then tried it out for the first time (taking a box of plastic bottles round the corner to the recycling collection point, and glass to the bottle bank (why can't they be in the same place?)).
It shimmies badly. Bought a couple of rivnuts at Mackays this morning, which I think I can use to improve the sloppy joint. Longer term I think it wants a hitch more like this.

http://simon.nuttall.name/bicycles/journey/index.html

(Choosing the two points nearest the Park and Ride and my workplace, it suggests a route I hadn't thought of. I'll have to try it when I go back to work.)