Month: September 2020

NOT TOO BRIGHT RECHARGEABLE LIGHTS

I readily admit that I have not been a big fan of rechargeable lights. I have had a well known brand name rechargeable headlight go bad on me soon after I paid good money for it. But I think it is mainly because the ones I have tried just don’t last long enough for my needs. They run out of charge before I am done riding. But that is just a part of it.  Another factor is that when they stop working they require a recharging which is impractical while out riding. With lights that run on alkaline batteries I can simply carry extra batteries with me to replace batteries which have ran down and be on my way quickly without further concern. I have found better lights which the battery charge lasts longer. My headlight usually provides two days of riding before needing recharged. Even when the red light comes on indicating recharging is needed the light still works quite well for another full day of riding. Well, anyway I have both types of lights I use so I am covered. My HEADLIGHT although only rated at 300 lumens is an excellent daytime light. I bought it 13 months ago and have been using it almost daily since. I have noticed that recently the charge is not lasting as long as it used to. Now I am charging it pretty much daily instead of every other day. That is what happens with Lithium-Ion batteries when they start to lose their life’s service. The light has held up well thus far … always dependable. So I assume I will eventually replace it with another one just like it. I already have a second one I can switch to at any time as it is mounted right beside of the one I use daily. At only $13 including a taillight which comes with it they are cheap enough. The taillight is quite bright also but the battery charge only lasts about 4 to 5 hours in them. Even so I am quite pleased with these lights for the money. A fellow tadpole trike rider really liked my headlight so he ordered one for his trike. I originally bought mine thru seeing the headlight flashing so brightly on yet another tadpole trike. I was quite impressed at how bright it appears. It really gets the attention of others. Of course, there are brighter lights but why … why would anybody think brighter is needed? I just want to be seen … not blind others and get them upset with me. I already get an occasional complaint about my headlight being too bright. I would rather have it said about me that “I am not too bright”. Hey, …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

MagLOCK PEDALS

“Clipping In” isn’t for everybody. I am among those who don’t like using SPD pedals and shoes. There are various options one can use in place of the SPD system. One option is magnetic pedals and the leader in this seems to be MagLOCK. It is not inexpensive … starting at $110. And that is just for the pedals. You still need to have shoes with a steel plate so the system will work. Regular SPD bike shoes will work and a steel plate and screws comes with the pedals which fits on the shoe replacing the SPD clip. Anyway, MagLOCK offers two different models … their original known as Fort Knox which sells for $175 and Stealth model which sells for $110.

If you are interested in viewing more MagLOCK videos click HERE.

The MagLOCK company offers a rather unique thing. For $135 one can “try out” the Fort Knox pedals which normally sell for about $175. Used pedals  which have been returned are involved. You can read about this program by clicking HERE. You can keep the used pedals for the $135 price or if you want new pedals you return the used ones and pay the$40  difference.

One can add or remove magnets in the pedals to change the magnetic strength. Of course, there is only room for so many magnets inside so there is a limit to increasing the magnetism.

With this system one can move their foot about on the pedal pretty much wherever they want it. That is a big plus for some riders. I have only heard good reports/comments about these pedals. If I were a rich man I might even give them a try. For sure we all need to stay safe out there and …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

DIRECT VS INDIRECT STEERING

Utah Trikes has produced quite a few good videos. Here is one about the subject of direct vs indirect steering. It covers it pretty well and even explains Ackerman Steering.

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TIME OF THE YEAR – AUTUMN

Andy Williams sang concerning winter that it is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, but as for me Autumn is the most beautiful time of the year when the tree foliage changes. Here in northern Indiana where I live and ride it is still too early to view the beautiful Autumn tree foliage. That being said, I received a pleasant surprise today as I turned the corner and saw this …

A single tree has already turned color which makes it really stand out from all the other trees. It caught my eye immediately. God is an awesome Creator. Only He can create such beauty.

Come Autumn I don’t have to look far to see beautiful foliage. This red maple tree is in our front yard and a red oak is nearby. Also burning bushes are always so pretty in Autumn. We have had to remove the two biggest ones we had but we still have a couple of smaller ones.

Yes, I have written about this subject previously. HERE, HERE and HERE.

I don’t like riding thru fallen leaves as they hide the trail and make it a bit dangerous, but I sure enjoy seeing the lovely colors each Fall. All that still lies ahead.

Below is a video I made a few years ago. Unfortunately it isn’t a very good quality video as far as showing the Fall colors. It was a very dreary overcast day so without bright sunshine the colors don’t show up well. Also I was riding holding my cell phone going over a lot of rough ground resulting in a very shaky video.

A few years ago a fellow tadpole rider and myself started removing the fallen leaves off of our favorite trail. We did so for about 3 or 4 years I think before we both gave it up. The city government said that they would take care of it. They have the equipment so it is a lot easier for them than it was for us. They do sometimes and it is appreciated. The problem is they seldom ever do it when I would choose. Like I said, riding on a trail with fallen leaves is dangerous so I like to have them removed. It is all too easy for a front wheel to go off the pavement since the edge can’t be seen. Sometimes there is quite a drop off and may even be an embankment along side of the trail one could find themselves dealing with. The trails I mainly ride are alongside of rivers so that is an added danger should a front tire go off the pavement’s edge. I have not gone into a river yet and I don’t want to. I just want to safely go out riding and take in the beauty of the Lord Jesus’ creation that I may give Him glory for His handiwork. Here is hoping you can also …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

I can truthfully say that “I didn’t know that” … referring to these beautiful colors are always present in the leaves … they are just hidden by the very strong presence of green.

NOT ALL E-MOTOR BATTERIES ARE CREATED EQUAL

My first two lithium-ion batteries I bought for my trike after returning a BionX system for a refund were identical batteries which performed the same … about 60 miles on a full charge. I ruined my original battery riding thru flood water that got deeper than I anticipated (DUH!) That was a costly mistake.

Consequently I ordered a third battery to replace my first one. I did not order the same battery I already had. I checked to see what all was available and chose one that looked and sounded good. It has some extra features that I liked. It has a built in taillight and a 5 volt USB port. It also has a docking head on the front end so it simply plugs in to make electrical contact/connection. I assumed that it would be the same performance-wise. I was mistaken. It is rated the same … 48 volt 20aH … but it doesn’t provide 60 miles of riding like my first two batteries. Fully charged 37 miles is “as good as it gets”. From 60 down to 37 … that is quite a difference. Very disappointing. I contacted the seller about this but got nowhere. It charges up to where it should so as far as he is concerned there is nothing wrong with it. Needless to say if and when I buy a 4th battery I will likely get another one like the first two I bought. My second battery I bought now has deteriorated to where it only provides about 37 miles of riding. That happens as batteries age. So I will likely have to replace it at some point in the future. A friend who has a BionX system older than mine (the one I use to have) tells me that his battery is no longer performing like it used to. He can get his BionX battery rebuilt and in doing so it should be better than it was when brand new providing more miles on a full charge as it will increase from 11.6aH to 14aH. BionX batteries were very high priced. He can get it rebuilt for 1/3 of what BionX charged for it new … and, like I said, have a better battery. I can buy a brand new battery for less than what it cost to rebuild it. Well, that is the truth of the matter. I learned in all of this that not all batteries are created equal. Of course, I don’t know how one can possibly know unless others share their experiences … which is what I am doing here. We all want the best quality we can get for our money. I need to go online to write up a review and rating of these batteries so that others will know. To my way of thinking I got ripped off when I bought this third battery and since the seller won’t stand behind what he is selling it doesn’t bother me to rate him poorly. Summer is nearly over. I hope you have been able to get out and …

ENJOY THE RIDE

despite this PLANdemic we are dealing with.

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

LAST HOORAY (of Summer)

It’s here and it happens every year. Summer is ending and Autumn is coming soon. In some places Autumn was bypassed and Winter weather has already “been there and done that”. Where I live we are experiencing great weather with daily highs mostly in the 70s. People are sure taking advantage of this last Hooray of Summer weather. I certainly am seeing lots of bicyclists, walkers and joggers. Of course, they are doing their usual thing … causing major problems on the trails by not obeying the trail rules. The bicyclists ride quite literally all over the place … mostly in the middle of the trail so that no one can get around them. To make matters worse they “meander” all over from side to side. Just as I am making a run and about to say “passing on your left” they move right over in front of me.

 

That is bad enough but then there are several bicyclists who ride on my side of the trail heading toward me. That is scary and most dangerous.

 

Adding to that bad scenario they are paying absolutely no attention and are not even aware that they are headed right into me with only a couple of seconds to maneuver over to avoid a collision. I don’t know what their problem is but they obviously have one. I would hope they don’t do that if they drive a car. They definitely have an elevator issue … yep, their elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor.

We certainly are living in strange times. I can’t remember this sort of thing ever happening several years ago. Hopefully they will wake up and start riding sensibly and responsibly. If not, sooner or later they most likely will be the cause of a collision. I just hope that if anyone is hurt it will be them and not the innocent party.

Children are the worst offenders out there. They definitely are all over the place. Often their parents are with them but it is just as obvious  that their parents don’t teach them to stay on the right. Even announcing “passing on your right” or “coming up behind you” accomplishes nothing as they still move over right in front of the trail user attempting to pass them. I truly believe that we are experiencing raising up a nation of idiots. It is like their brains don’t function. It seldom does any good to say anything to the children or to their parents. It all comes down to a spirit of lawlessness which has arisen in this world. It  has arisen in fulfillment of bible prophecy in these Last Days before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are certainly seeing it all over. The protests and horrible violence in our streets is the culmination of it. So it should not be surprising that these problems prevail on our trails. We are not going to change it. It is only going to get worse from here on out. Signs of the Times are everywhere. But time is running out. What have you done with Jesus? Have you outright rejected Him? Do you just ignore Him? You can’t be neutral! Jesus said that those who are not with Him are against Him. And being with Him does not mean to simply believe in your head certain truths about Him. Scripture makes this very clear. We must fully embrace Him with our whole heart and being. When I was 30 years old I had a personal encounter with Truth. I wrote about it sharing my testimony (what happened to me). In it I have explained in great detail what happened when man first sinned disobeying a loving God and what resulted which effects every one of us. I explain why we need to be saved and God’s loving provision of the Savior. You can read about it HERE.

Yes, this is Summer’s Last Hooray. Autumn is quite near and Winter is coming all too soon. The same can be said of our spiritual situation … the times we are living it. We have been enjoying summer for quite some time, but it is almost over and we are about to move on into the next season which will start out relatively mild but worsen until we get into the  season where we can suffer greatly if we are not prepared and protected. It is most serious. Those who are not prepared will perish for sure. What will you do with Jesus? Someday your heart will be asking … What will Jesus do with me? Again, the holy scriptures answer that question. How shall we escape if we reject such a great salvation?

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

TRIKE MAINTENANCE TUTORIAL

Although this video is about bicycles much of it applies to trikes. It is a lengthy video as it covers pretty much everything. Here is an index to help if you locate specific topics.

1. 0:25 THE FRAME
1.1 1:00 frame inspection,
1.2 3:59 what frame areas to protect,
1.3 4:53 the bolts – greasing, fastening,
1.4 7:12 the seatpost / the clamp, cleaning, greasing, fastening,
1.5 11:02 the headset – cleaning, assembly,
2. THE FORK
2.1 18:18 fork inspection,
2.2 18:58 the suspension fork basic maintenance,
3. 21:27 DISC BRAKES
3.1 21:41 the reach adjustment (levers),
3.2 22:42 the calipers adjustment (eliminating the rubbing),
3.3 25:57 replacing the brake pads,
3.4 28:33 bent brake rotors – the causes,
3.5 29:35 truing the rotors,
4. 30:49 V-BRAKES
4.1 31:12 how to improve the braking power,
4.2 34:51 the braking pads – inspection, cleaning,
4.3 36:09 replacing the pads,
4.4 37:46 adjusting the V-Brakes,
5. THE CALIPER BRAKES (ROAD)
5.1 45:54 adjusting the caliper brakes,
6. THE WHEELS
6.1 49:53 inspecting the rim, the spokes and hubs,
6.2 52:55 removing the wheel – quick release,
6.3 56:19 removing the rear wheel (derailleur with the clutch),
6.4 57:44 removing the wheel – through axle,
6.5 1:01:02 removing the tire, replacing the inner tube,
6.6 1:07:45 air pressure inspection,
6.7 1:09:15 the hubs – cleaning, greasing, assembly,
6.8 1:18:14 truing the wheel, (longer verision https://goo.gl/gwTokd ),
7. 1:23:54 THE DRIVETRAIN
7.1 1:24:19 adjusting the rear derailleur,
7.2 1:32:39 adjusting the front derailleur,
7.3 1:35:13 the derailleur capacity,
7.4 1:40:12 the cassette – removal and installation,
7.5 1:43:39 the square taper crankset – removal and installation,
7.6 1:49:34 the two-piece crankset removal (e.g. Hollowtech),
1:55:38 the self extracting chainset,
7.7 1:56:57 inspecting the drivetrain, when to replace the chain,
7.8 2:00:12 removing and installing the chain (the quick link and the connecting pin method),
7.9 2:09:12 the proper chain length,
8. THE PEDALS
8.1 2:11:00 the pedals – removal and installation,
8.2 2:14:34 the clipless pedals adjustment,
9. THE CABLES
2:15:49 replacing the housing and the cables – the proper length)

*********

Keeping your trike properly maintained will help ensure that you …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

TIPPING OVER HERE, BOSS!

I have written about this subject previously but I am amazed by the frequency I find of it coming up as well as the disbelief many seem to have that a trike can tip over. They seem to be convinced that a tadpole trike is very stable and next to impossible to tip over. They say that they have never tipped over nor even come close to it. I am not calling anyone a liar but … all I can say is they must lead a very blessed life. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the times I have tipped over. I would need several more pairs of hands and feet to do so. To my way of thinking anyone who rides a tadpole trike and has not experienced tipping over must not do much of anything on it. They must ride slow and carefully … always on even ground. I do all of my own stunts so tipping over is just part of it. Even with several tip overs I still …

ENJOY THE RIDE!

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

INERTIA OR STORED ENERGY … TORQUE SENSOR

One thing I have noticed since I started using my current hub motor which presently is hand throttle only is that when applying electrical power to the motor it seems to store energy somehow and my trike when I let off the hand throttle will and can coast faster and longer than if I were simply pedaling under human power only. It is considerably noticeable. I am not sure what the term is for this. I titled this post Inertia or Stored Energy but neither one may be correct.

 

I have a new (never installed) torque sensor for the bottom bracket (crankset). I bought one when I bought my e-motor conversion kit from Grin Technologies. It required a different crankset than what came on my Catrike so I spent good money to buy one. With my assistance and guidance my LBS installed the torque sensor with this new crankset but the unit was faulty and never worked. Grin Technologies told me that this particular torque sensor has been very troublesome and many have not worked.  Of course, they didn’t tell me this until after I bought it and spent all this extra money to install it. It was a lot of wasted money. Grin Technologies had me send it back to them and they sent me a different torque sensor and, of course, it required yet another crankset. Consequently I never installed this 2nd torque sensor as I just didn’t/haven’t had the money to go thru all of this again. I am considering it now however. I would really like to have true pedal assist and not just a hand throttle. Some hub motors have a torque sensor built into them and are located inside the hub motor. Unfortunately mine does not. I don’t like anything about this “after market” approach as I call it. It is a very poor way to accomplish this. The unit is difficult to install and it is very easily damaged as it has extremely tiny wires which break very easily. That is my story and I am stuck with it as well as sticking to it. I spent the money for a torque sensor initially as I wanted a system that “felt natural” when pedaling. That is still my goal. I need to take the torque sensor into my LBS so they can figure out what is needed in the way of a crankset, discover one and get it ordered. As many of you know having a hand throttle only presents a problem sometimes as it violates some trail rules. Personally I think it is ridiculous but it is the way it is. Remedying this situation will help ensure that I can …

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT awaits you!

MOST VIEWED PAGES/POSTS ON THIS BLOG

I have had this tadpole rider blog now for about 6 years I think (7 counting when I first started it, quit, deleted it and started over). During that time I have posted a lot of different stuff. I thought it might be of interest to readers of this blog to take a look at what are the most popular (most viewed) pages and posts. Here is a captured “screenshot” of the top ones:

I have to admit that I am not at all surprised by the first few but further down there are ones which very much surprise me. One of the ones which surprised me is “Hey mister, can you help a fellow out?“. Another one is ‘The Prayer of an Atheist“. I am very pleased to see it is among the list. I have to admit that it is a struggle sometimes to keep this blog going. All too often I find I am just not motivated to add more posts. And since I have already written about so very many subjects it is not as easy to come up with new stuff to post. It will be interesting to see how much longer I am active on this blog. One thing about it that I like … even when the blog is more less “dormant” for awhile people are still visiting and checking out all the many different postings that are available to view. In fact, when I am not adding new material it sort of forces people to explore what is already here. Well, I don’t know about you but I am about to take off on another trike ride as I am still working at doing as I say …

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT awaits you!