Sidebar Minipost: From Russia with Love?

I never expected to say this, but it seems that Mesquite Hugger has something in common with our new American president - receiving much love from Russia!

I feel like the dorky kid in a teen movie who says he has a girlfriend in another country.

I am going to laminate this and keep it in my upcycled-bike-tube wallet!

Mesquite Hugger is a pretty low-rent blog. A good day around here gets a few hundred clicks, and those clicks usually focus on the most recent posts.

The top 10!

So imagine my surprise this morning when I logged in and saw over 5000 clicks for the day. With a little investigation I learned that there were indeed a few hundred clicks here in the States, but the rest came from Russia. And they're not all focused on yesterday's brilliant post about a pedal-powered pump. As a matter of fact, the most viewed post is about one of my favorite subjects - the Citicar. If you've been around this blog much, you know that the tiny little beast is the pinnacle of the Mesquite Hugger dream!

Vintage Electric Car Profile: the almighty Sebring-Vanguard Citicar!

 

So here's my hope - that the Russians are hoping to copy the design of the Citicar and start building their own version like they did with the Vjatka scooter and the Ural motorcycle. If so, I am all about it!

 

 

I think they should name it the Dorky Park Car. I want mine in blue and gray, like the Vjatka!

 

Or maybe black with flames!

 

May it always be this much fun (and eco-friendly) to be loved by Russia!

Low-Carbon, Low $ Transport in the LBK

Inspired by Exxon's recent sponsorship of the US Secretary of State position, I decided to post some great options for people working at reducing gasoline consumption. All of these were found on Lubbock Craigslist this morning:

 

 

  

The Novarra w/ rack is the other bargain of the week!

 

May you find better options readily available.

A Leaning Cargo Trike, A Confession, and a New (to me) Electric Bike

Okay, I have two cargo bike confessions to make.

The first, and the most pertinent to this post, is that I have never cared much for three-wheeled vehicles, including cargo bikes. It's not a dislike for what they are, it's a missing what they can't do - and that is lean. I love bikes, motorcycles, and scooters the very most when I get to lean while riding. Cornering well on a two-wheeler is an art and a thrill for me. So, each time I've ridden a three-wheeler that doesn't lean, my body and mind have been sorely disappointed.

It's why I lean toward (you know the pun was intended) cargo bikes like the Radwagon, The Yuba Mundo, and the Benno.

So, I thought I'd share with you a three-wheeled cargo bike that does an impressive job of leaning. It showed up on Electric Bike Report recently, and it does indeed look like lots of fun (if you're not sitting in the front getting seasick!)

 link to the video above

For those of you who want lots of details, it's not available yet, it's European, and I fear it will be very expensive. But it is a seriously cool machine...

...and I love the front suspension!

Carqon website - check it out!

Now for the other confession.

I have decided to stop looking for a cargo bike. Yep, I know it's very scandy (Thanks, BB!) but I picked up a new-old e-bike and came to a new realization. It's time to quit focusing on what I don't have. What I do have is one really nice second-hand pedal bike, one really nice second-hand e-bike, two different second-hand bike trailers, and a really crowded garage! I've come to a time when I want to do more with what I have rather than waste time wanting something more. Some day I may end up with a cargo bike, but it no longer needs to be an obsession.

Here she is - a Prodeco Phantom X 500-watt, folding E-Bike.

Yep, it's a very cool bike, especially considering that I picked it up used for a very small fraction of the original asking price. Why was it so inexpensive? Well, the original 36-volt battery pack has a dead pouch or two, so the pack will only charge to 32 volts; this does not impress the controller which demands at least 34 volts. (Low-voltage cutout) That's why there's a silver bullet on the rear rack. It's the battery from the Huff-E Rat, and that battery is doing a nice job on the Phantom.

This is the first bike I have ever owned that has disc brakes and a suspension seat post. They are two luxuries I am enjoying! (But  the cushy seat post feels a lot like having a low rear tire. I will have to get used to that.)  Having 500 watts of power is also enjoyable. The 250-watt setup on the Huff-E actually made me feel sorry for the poor little thing hauling big ol' me around. This motor is a much better fit. (If you're over 200 pounds, go for something bigger than 250 watts.)

That's it for the cargo bikes and e-bikes today. I will keep you posted on how the Phantom is doing. I may even get brave enough to try repairing the original battery. I will keep you posted on that too.

May going green be a good deal, may you appreciate what you have, and may you be well.

As always, thank you for reading this.

New Bike Lanes in Lubbock! (FFFriday Meets LoB)

[Nope, this one won't be all inauguration-day political. You can get that everywhere you look. This one is about choosing better where you are and how you live.]

I agree, Yehuda! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!

Lubbock is about to get a new bike lane, and this is not just a little white stripe painted on a road or a little green sign suggesting a not-so-obvious route. It's the real deal! WooHoo!!!!!!!

Lubbock gets a real deal bike lane and all car drivers will get a black 1946 Ford!

(Find this video and the KJTV 34 story here)

 

The first leg to be built will be Broadway from University to Martin Luther King. It's a nice stretch from the Fairgrounds through Downtown through (North and South) Overton to Tech. I love that it opens up an East-West bike passage. I love that it will serve a lot of bicyclists.

 

I am disappointed when I look at the other lanes to be developed and find that most (if not all) development will be focused in one part of town:

 

Where do we find the existing and proposed MPO routes?

(Are they on this page from May 2000?)

 

I am hoping that learning more about the "MPO routes" will alleviate the disappointment. I ride a lot. I commute to work and run lots of errands, but I don't think I've ever ridden a bike on Broadway or in the Depot District. I have ridden the Canyon Lakes quite a bit, but it's been a very long time since I have ridden to the Canyon Lakes. As I have written in the past, I sometimes ride the designated Bike Routes in town, but they offer very little real-world advantage to a cyclist. And our unprotected Bike Lanes are not a great deal better. I use the ones on Memphis and Flint Avenues more than any others and I see many other cyclists using those as well. (Utica would be a great street for a bike lane as well.)

 

Where I ride (and encounter several other cyclists daily)

 

Yes, I definitely know it's not all about me, but not all Lubbock cyclists are headed to Texas Tech. If we build real bike lanes throughout our city, we will see an increase in bike traffic and a corresponding alleviation of car traffic. More bike lanes will create a bicycle commuter Field of Dreams.

 

From the KJTV News spot, here is a quote from a local cyclist:

 

It's something I've heard a lot too, especially when I'm out in public talking about the advantages of bike commuting. People tell me they've been lifelong cyclists until they move to Lubbock and quickly realize that our streets don't welcome them. Then their bikes gather dust and they adopt the car.

 

Complete Streets Initiative

 

One thing that was mentioned in the news article above is that Lubbock is participating in the Complete Streets Initiative. In case you are wondering about that, here are a few places where you can learn more:

 

You can find a little info in the Lubbock Chamber's January 2017 Newsletter

 

And a whole lot at Smart Growth America

 

I hope to see you soon pedaling up and down Broadway!

 

May you be safer and healthier, and may your city help with that!

 

Thanks, SanFranCyclists!

 

E-Bikes Under $1000: Add Populo to the List

This is the Populo Sport.

I love me some free e-bike shipping!

Let's just get all of the stats out of the way first:

8 levels of pedal assist -  no throttle

free shipping (for the U.S)

20 miles per hour

30ish mile range

36 volts, 8.7 Ah

3 frame sizes

37 pounds

single gear

250 watts

3 colors

$999

This one popped up on Electric Bike Review this week and it's worth checking out if:

you are on a budget

 you keep it on the street

you like to keep things simple

you have to haul your bike upstairs

you dream of having two USB ports 

you are looking for a way to drive less

you like the Propella or the Sondors Thin

Digging the polished frame!

Stealthy!

Nice dash!

Are you intrigued? Tempted? Insanely in love?

Find out more at the Populo website.

May you be tempted away from the gas station!

Making a Complex Problem Simple as Dirt (Part 1)

Around here, we like exploring ways to have a big carbon-reduction impact on a tiny budget. If that appeals to you too, then stick around. We have some life saving to do.

Mesquite Hugger topics mostly focus on reducing the amount of carbon we release into the air (and sea). But this one is different. This post has to do with putting carbon back where it came from - the ground. And it's not some big, fancy, carbon-capture device created by a 16-year-old genius from Huggerville, Ohio. This is something people have been doing (on a very small scale) for a long time. To give you an intro, here is Pashon Murray: (She's so cool!)

The Soil Story with Pashon Murray

"Carbon is not our enemy."

"The problem, and the solution, are a simple matter of balance."

The Pashon Murray Sidebar

I first met (and developed a big-ol' eco-crush on) Pashon in a really brilliant Ford commercial that was an answer to a really obnoxious Cadillac commercial:

Cadillac ELR Commercial

Upside: Anything is Possible

Now wasn't that awesome?!! (It's probably her fault that I want a C-Max plug-in hybrid.)

If you want to learn more about her work, visit Detroit Dirt's website to learn more:

 Detroit Dirt Website

Back to Our Original Focus: (Cliffhanger alert!)

In our next exciting post, we'll talk about how you can get involved where you are in helping to level out the balance! Stay tuned...

Find it here.

May you be part of the solution without having to take out a second mortgage or nearly as much garbage!

Fossil free Friday the 13th: A $1300 E-Bike Cruiser (Juiced)

Juiced Bikes is one of those companies I've enjoyed watching lately. For quite a while, they seemed a one-trick pony. They offered a single bike in a few variations - a very sturdy and accessible cargo bike with some really impressive range options (up to 100 miles!) Then they offered up something completely different - the CrossCurrent, a fast and sexy beast for a very low sum of money - when compared with similarly equipped e-bikes. Then they surprised me by offering the CrossCurrent Air - a slightly stripped-down version of the CrossCurrent with a noticeably lower price.

 

Yesterday, I had a moment of boredom and decided to pop over to the Juiced website, and (Holy moly!) they surprised me again. Yep, there it was: a new bike model, a cruiser they call the OceanCurrent.

 

Striking in red

 

Like their other offerings, it looks like a lot of bike for the money. Like the CC Air, you can get a better deal if you pre-order. So, I thought I'd give you a little glimpse. The OceanCurrent has lots of quality components, a torque sensor(!), a 24 mph top speed, a 48 volt battery pack, and a great warranty. If you order soon, it also comes with free shipping. That's a lot to love in this price range!

It comes as a step-through too! (Go to the site and check it out in Sea Foam!)

The Juiced Line-Up is growing!

I have been wanting this one since it was announced!

Where did that page come from?

 

For you cheap curmudgeons like me, Juiced also added a Refurb Shop page. Besides some great deals, it's the first place I've seen a pic of a step-thru CrossCurrent. Very cool.

So many choices! So, now I'm leaning toward the Refurb CrossCurrent in Red with free shipping and those oh-so-appealing hydraulic disc brakes. If you're giving up the gas, shouldn't you do it on a speedy roadster like this? Really, though, I'd happily ride any of their bikes.

May we all find a low-carbon ride, and may our surprises be good ones!

Lubbock on a Bike: Why I should have ridden today

Beautiful days lately

I rode the bike to work Monday and Tuesday. And I regret not doing so today. Winter and the holidays put a stop to my bike commuting for a bit, and it has felt very good (and strenuously painful) to be back on the bike.

The regret piece comes from this: today is the Senate confirmation hearing for Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon, to become our next Secretary of State. Considering the leader of one of the most environmentally damaging entities our world has known as an appropriate choice for a lead statesman is sickening to me. And I am a cynical man. I fully expect this appointment to be approved.

I don't generally ride for political reasons. I ride to do less damage to the environment and to the people around me. I ride to help my health and my family's budget. I also ride because I enjoy riding and I enjoy being outside. I like getting a better look at the world around me.

I called both of my senators last week and voiced my opinion about Mr. Tillerson's confirmation, but I wish today that I had ridden just to know I had cast one more tiny vote for a world where we work to create a healthier future for everyone.

May we find a better path and may we live to do better.