Political Signs: Upcycling and Recycling

Some of the elections are over, and the town is filled with the political sign carnage. Whether your candidate won or lost, the biggest loser is the landfill - thousands of signs headed to the dump. But there is good news for those of you who are concerned. First, coroplast is recyclable. Learn more here, and know that the city of Lubbock does not recycle that grade of plastic, but Texas Tech does. Second, those coroplast signs are free gold for you DIY types.

[If you have any of the larger political signs to get rid of in Lubbock, please shoot me an email - I have some projects in mind!]

It's shocking, but I'll start with a bicycle:

Bike Fenders and Panniers

or a pannier support (where was this a month ago?)

You know that the Mesquite Hugger staff is crazy for birds!

 

Make a Birdhouse

 

This one may be a little sexy for my physique, but I am sure you could pull off the look:

 

A Halloween costume

 

These next two are from Paul Elkins, a guy who knows how to rock the coroplast. Be sure to check out his trailers, power boat, and teepees.

 

Make a tiny tiny house

Kayak!

 

The Honeycomb Hideout never had it so upcycled cool!

 

A foldable playhouse

 

Any excuse to squeeze in a velomobile!

 

A Velomobile

 

This next one could be adapted for lots of stuff - laundry basket, toolbox, recycle bin, luggage...

 

A storage box

 

I love EcoModder!

Make your car more aerodynamic (and burn less fuel!)

 

Absolutely bananas!

or a yellowmobile

 

 

May you do better with what you build than what you would have bought! Be well and upcycle, friends!

So close! A Comuta-Car (Citicar) in Arlington, TX!!!

[Here I go again rambling on about tiny electric cars from the past. It's a sickness - I just can't help it!]

 

 Both images here

Bumped up to 6 horsepower!

 

I have written, talked, dreamed, schemed, and even joked about Citicars, but I have hardly mentioned the Comuta-Car. I guess it's time to fix that. Sebring-Vanguard built Citicars in Florida from 1974 to 1977. After they stopped production, the design was purchased by another company, Commuter Cars, which started building a slightly updated version named the Comuta-Car. (They also produced the oh-so-spacious and powerful Comuta-Van.) They continued production until 1982.

 

This and many more here. You could get a deluxe matched color trailer?!!!

 

 

What's the difference between a CitiCar and a Comuta-Car? The biggest is battery placement and bumpers. The batteries were moved outside the cabin and into the bumpers. (The Comuta-Car grew in length and picked up 1 more horsepower.)

 

Here on Ebay

 

So, here's the reason for the post - a Comuta-Car popped up on Ebay this week, and it's just 300 miles east of here. And so far, it's cheap. (It's cheap because very few of us eco-dorks are drooling over it, and we don't seem to be a wealthy crowd.) So bask in its fixer-upper glory and let it haunt you. Dream of tooling quietly about in this eco-friendly piece of electric history while listening to Blondie on the 8-track. May your black and white dreams turn green!

 

All the same electric car questions almost 40 years ago!

(Find it here)

 

Don't even get me started on this sexy beast!

 

Another Droolworthy Cargo Bike - the Benno (and Yuba news)

Let the drooling begin.

My Number 1 and Number 2 green goals are carbon-free energy production and carbon-free transportation. And I really like wheels. But I can't afford my own solar array just yet. And I can't afford an electric car just yet.

So what's a Mesquite Hugger to do? Pedal. (And hang my clothes up to dry by the light of my LED bulbs.)

But it's hard to pedal everything everywhere all the time, especially when you are a gray-haired old codger like me. Therefore, I still drive a less-than-eco-friendly pickup truck all too often.

I've been dreaming of an electric cargo bike. (You may have seen that around here once or twice.) And that keeps me searching for a machine that will mostly replace the truck. Today I found the Benno, a new cargo bike: 



The Benno - so cargo sexy!

Bike Europe Article (By the way, my biggest cycle hurdle is #5 - weather)

Front Rack

No rack, no motor, no battery (and fairly normal looking)

The electric version is the Boost E. The non-electric version is the Carry On. The company also offers two non-cargo bikes, but we are not worried with those. I have not found any word on pricing, but the components are high quality and Bosch mid-drive motors are never cheap. Still, a Mesquite Hugger can dream!

The Yuba Mundo 7-speed

While doing the search, I also ran across a couple of tempters in the Yuba line-up. First, you can now buy a base-model Yuba Mundo for $999 with free shipping. I didn't know you could buy one that cheaply. And I'm pretty excited about it. (I can just imagine the Mundo with a mid-drive motor added, or maybe even a GeoOrbital wheel - who needs a truck?)

Boda Boda V3 Step Over

Second, you can get a Yuba Boda Boda V3 in a step-over frame (for $600 more - ouch!). I had only seen the Boda BodaV2 ($999) in a step-through, and that version was always a little too PeeWee Herman for my tastes. But the step over V3, it looks goooood!

Boda Boda V2 Step Thru PeeWee's Playhouse word of the day - Boda Boda!

May you reach your green goals without too much drooling and without feeling like a PeeWee wannabe, and may you enjoy the ride!

Saturday Morning Slow-Down; Unfocused Flowers

backyard pomegranate

a short walk
full bag on my shoulder
  scratchy pen
  journal
  bible

breath

breathe

for 90 minutes on Saturday morning
a writer

not those other roles
not those other worries

breath

breathe

scribble joyfully

May your Saturday slowdown you.

Fossil Free Friday: Daymak Beast vs. the Rad Power RadMini

The Battle of the e-bike cattle!

For a while there, the Daymak Beast had the market cornered on oddball off-road e-bikes. (I love oddballs, underdogs, dark horses, and all their ilk.)

But a few weeks ago, Rad Power Bikes announced their new model, the RadMini.

The RadMini

The Beast

Yep, they both have their individual oddballity going on, but they have a lot of similarities too.

The RadMini retains a lot of bicycleishness. The Beast is more off-road scooter with pedals. The Beast has fat scooter tires. The RadMini has fat bicycle tires. They both have some cargo-hauling ability. Both are going to elicit lots of What the !@#$% is that thing? questions. For me though, the question is If I were in the market for an oddball off-road e-bike, which would I choose?

So, let's check them out for price, practicality, capability, daily livability, and oddball fun factor.

A few basic stats:
 

$1499 (+$175 shipping in US)

 

Lots of options on the Beast, but the base model is $800 higher than the RadMini

 

 

So, a few big points for comparison

• The RadMini has the most powerful motor - 750W vs 500W
• The RadMini is less expensive (by at least $800)
• The Beast has a higher voltage battery pack (with a solar charger)
• The Beast has a larger carrying capacity by 75 lbs (350lbs vs 275lbs)

My favorite part of the Beast - 60V solar self-charged battery pack with USB ports

 

My favorite part of the RadMini - it gets tiny for travel

This two-wheeled tractor is a Beast!

 

When it comes down to it, the real question is what do you want to use it for? I would pick the RadMini for urban life. Being relatively light weight and foldable, Rad Power's machine would be more maneuverable, easier to lock up, and easier to store. If you are looking for a bicycle plus benefits, the RadMini is your machine.

 

If you live in the sticks, the Beast looks very useful (and a lot of fun.) Part tractor and part minibike, it's a more substantial machine for backwoods adventuring and heavier yard work. But you are definitely not going to throw it in your trunk and its big-boy scooter looks might draw more attention from law enforcement that may not know quite what niche to put it in.

 

As for me, I'm cheap and I live in town. I'd definitely lean toward the Radmini.

 

(But I'd still rather have a Radwagon.)

 

May your choice fit your needs and your life, and may it help us all to kick this ugly petroleum habit.

So, how about you? (With a survey!)

Rude. Vane. Self-centered. Here I sit in my ivory internet tower droning on about green-ness and such.

But what about you, dear reader? How goes your greening? Any big successes? Any setbacks? Okay, I will quit asking questions so you can click the link below and answer a lot of questions - most of which are still very vane and self-centered, but I tried to filter out the rude ones.

Click here for the survey

 

After May 12, I will share the vaguely anonymous results and we can go on with our lives.

 

May you be happy with your answers! 

Lubbock on a Bike: 2016 National Bike Challenge Begins

For me. it started with a whimper, which is perfectly okay. Today is a strangely cold day, one of those that occasionally sneak up on you here in the Hub City.

The National Bike Challenge!!!

But the National Bike Challenge is not a sprint. It's a long-haul pursuit.

Today I will ride a mile or a little more. From here to the end of September, I hope to do the same every day, and to replace as many car trips as possible, and to encourage as many people as possible to do the same.

This year's awesome hand-me-down steed! Thanks, MN!

Here is to your health. your wealth, your prosperity, and the well-being of everyone you know. Pedal on, friends!