I’m now a few days into using an electric cargo bike (a Tern GSD) as my primary form of transportation. It’s…awesome.
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by [email protected]
#BikeDiary Searching online after I did this, apparently the problem is incredibly common. If you're somebody who's not mechanically inclined, take it to your dealer. But if you have some tools and elbow grease and mechanical know-how…apparently also take it to your dealer, because you'll bend the seat rails trying to fix it.
I took it to the dealer. They apologized profusely for not warning me about it. No biggie, but I did have to ride on my other bike's seat for a couple of days!
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Carsten Frankereplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
@inthehands back in Germany I biked everywhere, I did not even get a drivers license until I was 27... that all changed when I moved to St Paul 21 years ago. The distances were just too far and not easy to do on a bike. Your post changes that and I am starting to look at the options of electrical bikes. Thank you for that!
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Climate Jenny 2.0 on last edited by
@ClimateJenny
It’s so true!! -
Paul Cantrellreplied to Deb has moved! (see profile) 🇨🇦 on last edited by
@deborahh
Ugh. I can’t speak to your situation, of course, but I will say that it the posture feels •really• different in my body than my other bike. There are still some mobility demands, particularly with getting on and off. But if you’re comfortable sitting at, say, a piano bench, then this might have a chance of working for you. -
Paul Cantrellreplied to Carsten Franke on last edited by
@carstenfranke
Hooray! MSP’s bike infrastructure has improved a lot over the last 30 years, and is still getting better. One does need to plan around it a bit, and anything in the suburbs gets dicey fast. There are some horse riding lessons in our life that would be absolutely unworkable with anything but a car. Still, I know more and more people who are going carless, or driving less, or sharing one car for a whole family. -
Paul Cantrellreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
#BikeDiary This from @ClimateJenny is so, so true: https://mastodon.social/@ClimateJenny/113254906789433356
I also find myself discovering side missions. Today my kid and I stopped by Minnehaha Falls just to look at the waterfall on our way back from an errand. ~17 years in this neighborhood, and I don't think we've ever •once• had a spontaneous quick visit to the falls by car.
Neighborhood businesses are definitely profiting from my spontaneous side missions too!
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Brian Marickreplied to dimsumthinking on last edited by
@dimsumthinking @inthehands I have Strong Opinions about the hale and hearty students who are riding their rental ebikes all around and never bothering to pedal. It’s a red letter day when I see someone pedaling an ebike.
I’m judgmental that way, at least about the Damn Kids.
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Carsten Frankereplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
@inthehands yes, agreed. But it still infuriates me that bike lane markings disappear in the intersections... This is the bike path I took to school every morning... Greatly improves biker safety when it is so clearly visible in the intersection.
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Carsten Franke on last edited by
@carstenfranke
Minneapolis is now frequently extending the green bikeway stripes through intersections when they are present. It really does help. -
dimsumthinkingreplied to Brian Marick on last edited by
@marick @inthehands I so agree - I hate the electric ones that don’t require pedaling
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Paul Cantrellreplied to dimsumthinking on last edited by
@dimsumthinking @marick
Class 2 and 3 (throttle-controlled) e-bikes are scooters, basically lightweight Vespas, and should be treated as such (licensed, not allowed on bike trails).Now that I’m paying attention, though, I notice that there’s a huge number of class 1 / pedelec (ie pedal assist only) bikes on the road. You just don’t notice them because they’re not obnoxious.
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Mark Kornblumreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
@inthehands @tim_lavoie We have stayed a 1-car family despite having two kids in elementary school with all their activities largely thanks to the GSD. We had a 9 year old Mazda 3 until a few months ago when it was totaled in a wreck (everyone is fine). So we've switched to an EV now. We had been planning to keep the Mazda till EOL, just the EOL came a little sooner than we expected
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@inthehands multiple keyed-alike Abus locks. Runs to some dollars. Also security nuts on wheels and seatpost.
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@dr2chase done and doing. Also a Bikebac.
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
#BikeDiary I notice after a week with the cargo bike as primary transportation that I'm getting a •lot• more sun — which isn't great news for this pale-skinned redhead with a family history of skin cancer.
Anyone out there have opinions on bike helmet brims / visors / sun shades? It matters to have 360° of shade, not just the front. “Da Brim” looks promising. Anyone have experience with it? Other recommendations?
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Michael Buschreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
@inthehands My only suggestion is lots of sunblock.
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
#BikeDiary An important reminder here for all of us bicycle advocates from the ever-thoughtful @grimalkina:
https://mastodon.social/@grimalkina/113261303557693460All these different forms of climate action are about each one of us doing what is possible for •us•, taking advantage of the choices we’re individually privileged enough to have. At the societal level, we need to find ways to make more choices and better choices accessible to more people — not to squeeze people into choices they don’t have.
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Michael Busch on last edited by
@michael_w_busch
Story of my life -
Paul Cantrellreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by [email protected]
#BikeDiary I chatted with my parents yesterday about the new bike. As usual, they’re delighted that I’m delighted. We all wondered whether there’s a similar option for them: in their 80s, and very healthy considering, but…energy, back pain, and •extreme• danger from a fall are all showstoppers for them. My 111-mile week last week was very much a product of my middle-aged health and good fortune.
What would a world look like where they could do their errands on…an e-trike, maaybe? A golf cart?
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Paul Cantrellreplied to Paul Cantrell on last edited by
#BikeDiary “Mass transit!!” is the obvious response, but Ft. Collins isn’t even in the outer limits of the urban density universe where mass transit could be robust enough to really serve their needs. We can lament the past century of sprawl-based urban planning, and try to correct for it as we move forward, but that’s a solution on a timescale of…what? 20 years? 50 years? more?
Decarbonization means finding “never replace the old car” choices that my parents could wholeheartedly embrace •now•.
