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.

Fossil Free After Friday: I rode a GenZe 2.0

Our mean boss sent Matt and me out of town to do some work. Don't tell anyone, but while we were out in the real world, we did a bit of eco-friendly sightseeing. We went by Moxie Scooters! (For a scooter-dork mesquite hugger, it's a magical place.)

We got to see and test ride this blue beauty. Moxie Scooters link

I have been a fan of the Genze 2.0 for some time now, but this is the first time I've seen one in person. The Genze 2.0 is the most legitimate electric commuter scooter available in the US. It's built in Michigan, has a dealer network, has a line of accessories available, and it has a proven track record for durability. And, oh yeah, it does not burn gasoline - legit! And it costs less than the new clutch we put in our daughter's car this year. (Eek!)

It even has a real brochure (Moxie info up top.)

What did I think? I loved it! It's quick. I loved the info on the dash. The windshield was more effective than I expected for something so small. The brakes are excellent. It's the easiest two-wheeler to ride I've ever been on. It has throttle, brakes, and a blinker - that's about all you have to worry about. And it is silent. I can't imagine a more peaceful machine for cruising about.

You know me, I love the looks - it doesn't look like any other scooter out there.

Back of the brochure

It's bigger than you'd think - Matt is 6'3"

Dashboard selfie - the gauge cluster is legit! Lots of info, and you have your own PIN number.

Imagine all the junk to fit in this trunk!

For me, there is really only one drawback. The top speed is 30 miles per hour.

And I live in a 50 mph town.

30 miles per hour puts it right in league with most 50cc gas-powered scooters. So, if that fits your need, this thing is a great choice. It has a 30mph top speed and a 30 mile range. (Interestingly, it zooms right up to 30 and then it just stops accelerating. You know there's more there, but it electronically limits itself. My DIY brain was scheming to squeeze another 5 mph out of it. Where's Rusty - who loves to void warranties - when I need him?) 

My newly minted right electric vehicle for the job graph.

The GenZe falls just short of the blue E-Scooter zone.

(So does my home-built E-Scooter, snagit!)

My verdict? Other than the top speed, I love this thing. I even like the blue on this one. Now, if I can talk GenZe into offering the GenZe 40 - 40mph and 40 mile range, I will be straight up in love!

And Matt? He was measuring our company car to see if the GenZe would fit in the back seat - it won't!

If you're in the Fort Worth area and want to see the Genze in person, go see John at Moxie. Please tell him hi! He's a great guy!

May we all find green transport that is this much fun to ride.

Texas Vintage EV Dork Alert: an ElCar in Keller!

I know it goes without saying, but my EV-geek heart leapt a little when I ran across this little beast hunkering silently on Dallas Craigslist. The armature in my brain started turning.

 



That's all, folks!

 

Okay, so there's not a lot of info to share, but there's a 1975 Zagato ElCar for sale in Keller,Texas for $1200. (And it needs some restoration work.)

Keller, in case you are not familiar with it, is in the DFW Metroplex just a little north of Fort Worth.

One thousand-two hundred dollars. Hmm. That's $399 less than a Radwagon or $105 less than a CrossCurrent AIR. (But both of those have free shipping.) Then again, I'll be headed to DFW soon with a small trailer, and the ElCar would fit on a small trailer. It would probably fit in the back of the pickup.

 

But it's gonna need batteries - they all need batteries. (Wait a minute, I have batteries that would get it going.) The brakes will need to be re-done - the brakes always need to be re-done. It's gonna need tires. The little guy is gonna need at least a gallon of Turtle Wax and at least three gallons of Elbow Grease.

 

And then there're all the unknowns - motor, controller, charger, wiring, contactor, potentiometer (throttle), etc.

 

And insurance and registration and inspection and...

 

Okay, I'll pass. The next electric vehicle I purchase (if there is such a thing) needs to be plug and play so that I can actually use it as low-carbon transport. Yep, the ElCar would be a restoration hobby, but not immediate (if ever) transportation.

 

So, okay, which one of you is up for the challenge?

 

Three ElCars on EVAlbum

 

May your green projects lead to greener living.

 

(But, snagit, that thing is dorkycool!)

Lubbock (Street) on a (Rented) Bike: Fort Worth

Don't Blame it on the Rain, blame it on the National Bike Challenge. I found myself in Fort Worth again this weekend and did not want to break a twenty-eight day streak of daily biking. So I busted out the debit card and rented a bike from Fort Worth Bike Sharing for a two-mile ride. Be sure to check out the video on the link to see how it's done. As I usually do on a bike, I had a great time. I even found Lubbock Street and grabbed a quick snapshot to share with you.

It was a very heavy duty bike with a disk front brake and a 3-speed Shimano Nexus hub. I have wondered if a commuter could be happy with a 3-speed. For me, the answer is yes. It had built-in lights, a basket and a rear rack. It even had a built-in cable lock. It was easy to ride and the very broad range served me well both uphill and downhill - so strange to ride in a place with noticeable elevation changes.

what it costs

I must say, it's a very cool system and I hope to take advantage of it the next time I am there. There are a few bike-share stations near the Trinity River Bike Trail, and I can't think of a better way to see a beautiful part of Fort Worth - well, maybe in a canoe, but I have not yet spotted the canoe share rack in the area. So, I will stick with the plan for the weekend that Tech plays TCU. Maybe I can sneak away from the football fans and have a leisurely cruise in a peaceful place.

If Lubbock had a bike-share setup, I'd seriously consider an annual membership. Having a sturdy and comfortable bike at my disposal with multiple drop points would be great. If you are in Fort Worth - or any place with a bike share, give it a try!

“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.” Ernest Hemingway

May your pedal your way to health and prosperity!

Bonus Link: http://www.bikefriendlyfortworth.com/

Recycling: The Reverse Pepsi in Fort Worth!

A little over a week ago, we moved our young'un into a TCU dorm. It was one of those crazy days with people directing traffic and orienting others with where to park and where to get this key and that permit and...and...and... There were lots of pillows and Ikea boxes and only one screwdriver, and it fell apart.

Let's go back to the young'un. She has been fairly gracious about putting up with all the tree hugging and organic foods and all that, but she has never really embraced recycling. She made a cursory effort here and there, but just as much ended up in the trash can as in the recycle bin. A little frustrating to be sure.

So we moved her into the dorm on Saturday morning, and by Saturday afternoon, she had become a dedicated and hard-core recycler! Pepsico accomplished with one big, blue, tardis-like box in the dorm lobby what we had not accomplished over several years.

You get a recycling card and swipe it each time you go to recycle. You get points for each item you recycle, and you can redeem those points for stuff. That's where we messed up - we should have paid her to recycle! Thank you, Pepsico, for encouraging our little horned frog to develop recycling as a habit!

From what I can glean from their website, TCU is the only school in Texas participating in this program.

If you want to learn more, check out the program at this website.

If you are a K-12 educator, be sure to check out Pepsi's program for your little learners to become engaged in this very worthwhile effort.

And, if you want to learn about programs to start or encourage more recycling in your community, check this one out.

May you find a way to teach your young'uns to recycle - if they have not already taught you!