My Bike Electrifies Me

The electric assist kit for my Xtracycle arrived Friday afternoon and my sweetie had it installed by that evening, I rode around quite a bit this weekend to try it out and see how it worked. We did a few test laps around the neighborhood Saturday morning and then I picked up a quick dinner Saturday night. This morning, we went yard-saling and then I visited a couple more on my own during the midday heat.

It works like a charm. I can choose when and how much power to use, and even set a maximum speed (up to 20 mph). The cycle computer, an extra option, tells me how much power I've used so I can keep track of the juice left in the battery as well as determine how far I can go on a single charge. Of course, the amount of juice used depends on how much I use the electric assist.

I did not get this to become a lazy cyclist. I am not going to sit on the bike and let the motor do all the work. In fact, for much of my 20 miles of riding this weekend, I did not use it at all. A slight turn of the throttle can provide a boost for getting up a hill or across an intersection more quickly.

My midday ride was still pretty warm. Moving on a bike, up to 20 mph, is better than walking because of the breeze. However, sitting at a red light means baking in place from the heat radiating up off the black asphalt. The electric assist proved handy today for allowing me to make a couple of lights before they turned red. After about 7 1/2 miles in the heat, though, I was pretty toasted. Future rides should be a little cooler when I switch from heavy jeans to lightweight shorts. I also picked up a new helmet with much more ventilation, and can also cool off by wetting down my hair when I start getting overheated.

I hope to be riding the 10 1/2 miles (one way) to my twice weekly self-defense classes within a couple of weeks. Most of my other trips in town are half this distance so I should easily be able to get outta the car and onto the bike for them immediately. My one caveat is not biking through a summer monsoon storm. The streets of Tucson flood during the sudden downpours and my bike does not come with a floatation device.