A Walk in Fort Worth

We moved the fabulous young woman this week. Yesterday morning the granddog/nephew and I went on an exploratory walk. We took some fun pics, so I thought I'd share. Not a whole lot of Mesquite Huggery stuff, just a good morning walk with good company. Come, walk with us.

Charles "Chuck" Bartowski

Character?

An Austin in Fort Worth?

Electric bikes and shipping-container architecture - Oh yeah!

To boldly bike where no one has biked before...

Bees and trumpets

From the bees to the B Station

Up the Junktion

(not) our house in the middle of our street 

Caliche and plastic attitude!

Can't feature Cow Town without a cow.

For years I dreamed of opening a scooter shop - this would work.

Vintage Voltage Scooters of Fort Worth - hmm.

Lonesome dove

Three Little Birds (and the State Bird of Texas mocking them)

Solar-powered, foot-operated recycling and garbage receptacle

The sun also rises...

...in Fort Worth.

Thanks for strolling with us! May you find beauty wherever you look and may you walk in great company.

PS. Be watching for more on the e-bike shop on 2Wheels Maybe.

Sequel: Electric Cargo Bike Dream (Disappointed in Dallas)

Okay, I got a little closer this time. I got to sit on the thing.

Yep, I went back to Small Planet e-Bikes again.

And this time, it was open. And I was excited.

A young man was sitting behind the desk, very engrossed in a small electronic device. He looked up. I told him I had wanted to see a Yuba Mundo in person. He asked if I realized it was electric. Yep. Very small small talk happened. He went back to his device.

I broke his concentration a short while later by asking if I could sit on it. Sure.

Very cool and massive! (And it was $1000 less than the 2016 price.)

It was indeed a gorilla in orangutan clothing and I had a hard time getting my leg over the Monkey Bars and seat. (I should have taken it off of the substantial kickstand first.) It felt a great deal like I was sitting on a train - uncomfortably large. I don't think I want one. If I were hauling multiple kids or using it in support of a small business, I would want one, but it's more than I need.

Gorgeous machine!

So, I put it back on the stand. Looked around the store. I picked up the E-Motion Roadster. It was seriously light! I admired the Faradays and especially admired their finish and attention to detail - very elegant. I checked out the Stromers. If I were on more of a champagne budget I'd pay a lot more attention to them - very impressive bikes.

I went for another crack at the guy by asking what he rides. He explained that he rides conventional bikes, that he considers himself a little too young, healthy, and financially challenged to ride electric. The conversation did not last long at all.

I looked around a little more - I checked out the Pedegos - very nice looking bikes. I spotted an old Lee Iaccoca electric bike, the ev-Global, in the back corner - very retro cool.

Then I turned around and wandered out the door very disappointed.

I thought (at first) that I was disappointed that I did not get to try out the Yuba, but I soon realized that I was disappointed on a much larger scale.

Here in Lubbock, I answer questions about e-bikes, but there is no one I can ask questions. So, there I was in a place where I hoped people could knowledgeably talk e-bikes, could point out strengths and weaknesses and cool stuff coming out, but this was not that. This was me surrounded by lifeless bikes and a disinterested clerk.

The next time I am in Dallas, I won't stop by again. I'll keep reading Electric Bike Review and Electric Bike Report and looking for a day where I can find an opportunity to see a few e-bikes in motion. Maybe an Electric Bike Expo will get a little closer to Lubbock.

May you find what you're looking for and may the talk be as good as the ride.

News from the Texas Capital: Cargo and Electric Bikes

Austin Bike Farm Website (Lots of cool stuff!)

Recently I wrote about seeing a Yuba Mundo in person in Dallas. I didn't get to sit on it or ride it, but it was quite huge, like really big, like it-might-need-its-own-zip-code type of massive. And that's had me (possibly) looking a little smaller -  that means midtail cargo bikes. My Top 3 on midtails: the Kinn, the Yuba Boda Boda V3, and then there's the exotic Benno Bike. But the only one of those available somewhat locally is the Yuba. Or at least, it was.

A Very Cool Mid-Tail Cargo Bike (Available in Austin)

Very cool bike, but that $4000 price tag definitely scared me away initially

Then I found pricing on the non-motorized version and started looking again.

But then there's the $999 Yuba Mundo V4 and the electrified RadWagon for $1599 plus shipping.

$200 Cheaper on Craigslist! (It's a good thing I've spent all my money on Christmas presents!)

Indeed, it's good to have choices!

An Electric Bike Shop (also in Austin)

While I was poking around the ol' internet looking at the Benno Bikes, I also ran across Rocket Electrics. It's a place that sells mid-to-high-end electric bikes: Easy Motion, Faraday, Felt Electric, Juiced Riders, and Pedego. Some are names that you may have seen here on Mesquite Hugger, especially Juiced Riders. 

Rocket Electrics - Austin

They offer lots of cool bikes. They even rent electric bikes. If you find yourself in Austin, you can rent one and zip around the Zilker Park area. Not a bad way to find out if you want an electric bike or what you want in an electric bike.

Yep, Free Delivery in our very big state - that's quite a bonus

for us Texans out here in the sticks.

So, if you live in New Mexico/Louisiana/Oklahoma, this is not such a big deal, but if you live in my neck of the woods, free delivery and setup in Texas is a pretty big deal (for a mesquite hugger who lives almost seven hours away from their shop.) Texas is a mighty big place!

The next time I'm in Austin, you know two places I'll be stopping by. (Let's hope it goes better than my trip to Small Planet E-bikes in Dallas.)

May you find yourself in a place where green transportation is easily accessible and readily available.