My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
tired after a night of wrestling for sleep
mws
I settled into silence, prayer, and meditation
ignoring the cold, I mounted my red steed for
an invigorating bicycle ride to the arboretum
then placed a latte made with love by Allie
on a tabernacle at an east facing window
with beams of sunlight enkindling blank pages
I sought words hidden within a favorite fountain pen
I noticed on my bicycle ride yesterday evening how many milkweed pods are now popping open. It is that time of the year. There are about 110 species that occur in the Americas. These plants can grow to about 5 feet tall, usually occurring in clusters and forming colonies. They are perennial plants, which means an individual plant lives for more than one year, growing each spring from rootstock and seeds rather than seeds alone. Over 450 insects are known to feed on some portion of the plant. Milkweeds are the required host plants for caterpillars of the monarch butterfly and thus play a critical role in the monarch’s life cycle. Their beauty is on display all along Spring Creek Trail and the Natural Areas.
This past Thursday I went over 400 miles on the bicycle’s odometer. Which means in 49 days I have averaged a little over 8 miles a day. This includes 5 days of not riding due to rain, my dental surgery and a couple days of logging over 20 miles. I’m finding the 35 mile range on the battery to be accurate. If I ride 8-10 miles a day I need to recharge about every three days. It takes about 2.5 hours to recharge my battery when it’s at 50% or 4-5 hours to fully charge. When using the assist levels I ride almost exclusively in the lowest assist level (it has three levels). I have only used the highest assist level once to make sure it worked. I only use assist level two on one hill that kicks my butt. 😂 There are places where the trails and bicycle paths are flat enough I ride with the assist off. Riding has increased my heart rate and my active zone minutes on my Fitbit. Pedaling on…
The bicycle I’ve purchased is a Trek Verve+ 1 LT which is a lightweight electric city bike. It has a lightweight Alpha Gold Aluminum frame with lowstep geometry, which is what this older guy needs. It has an 8-speed Shimano drivetrain, a Hyena (250W, 40Nm) motor capable of sustaining speeds up to 20mph, an LED Bluetooth controller, and 250Wh battery with an estimated range of 35 miles, which is integrated into the down tube. It also has hydraulic disc brakes, extra wide 27.5 x 2″ tires for stability and traction, ergonomic grips, fenders, and lights. The bicycle weighs 44 pounds, which makes it easy to maneuver and is easy ride without the assist. Being a Class 1 ebike, it has no throttle and therefore I must be peddling to have any kind of assist. Oh, and it’s red! Pedaling on….
So I purchased some new wheels, a Class 1 electric bicycle. I have been thinking about one for a while but never seriously did anything about it, allowing it to remain a fantasy. It has been a part of the idea of simplifying my life and reducing my carbon footprint. I was also highly influenced by a book titled Curbing Traffic that was recommended to me by one of the baristas at a coffee shop. Over the past few years I have driven my car less , using the city’s mass transit and walking. I primarily use my car as an escape from the city, bulky groceries, traveling longer distances or when cold, or inclimate weather convinces me to take the car.
On the advice of a friend and since I had never ridden one, I decided I would take one out for a test ride. Fortunately or unfortunately, it was love at first ride. I handed them my credit card when I got back. I even liked the color! 😁 I made the purchase on August 9th and have already ridden over 200 miles with it. Hopefully, over the next few weeks I’ll share with you information about how it’s working out for me and what I’m learning. So far everything is positive, almost feeling like a kid again. Even though I’ve ridden bicycles throughout my life, this is turning out to be a new experience. I’m 74 years old and wondered if I was too old for this; primarily my strength, balance and reaction time. I am also discovering that an e-bike rides differently, so there are plenty of lessons to learn. Pedaling on….