Fossil Free Fiday: Are you ready to Rumble?!! (Electric scooter-ish)

Before we get started, please remember that I am the guy who likes ugly machines. My dream list reads like a nightmare for most: the Citicar, the Econoline pickup, the Kewet, the Leaf, the 'Lectric Leopard, the Spira, the Boxx, the Corvair, the Kurbwatt, the Otis, the MiEV... Yep, the list goes on and on. So, it's pretty surprising when I look at an oddball machine and think, Oooh, that thing's not so pretty. When I first glanced the Rumble in a Derek Markham article, I was none too excited. I didn't even click on the article. Not at first, anyway.



 

The Rumble e-Bike

 

But my curiosity got the better of me, so I went back to check it out. And it started to grow on me a little. It grew on me a lot more when I started scoping out the specs:

 

 

As a matter of fact, I've been watching for this combination of speed, range, and price for a while now. And I've always been intrigued by hub-centered steering. And I really like café racers. Yep, the oddball started looking pretty darned good, especially when compared with the other electric two-wheelers available in the states.

 

Go the website and wait - you'll see the video of the Rumble in action.

 

The crew responsible for the Rumble 

Up to a dime to charge it? I could handle that.

 

Rumble Competitors?

 

The GenZe 2.0

 

I recently test rode a GenZe and I loved it, but at $3000, 30mph, and 30 miles of range, I just don't see it being a good solution for suburbanites like me. (I really liked that big trunk!)

The Super Soco (not available here)

 

If we could get the Super Soco in the States, it would be a similar story - $3000/30/30.

 

Well, I guess that's it for today. How about you? Are you ready to Rumble? It looks like the wait time is about a month. If you order one now, you might just get it in time for Christmas. Hmm. Grizz just got a Santa suit. I can sure see him and all the elves Rumbling around delivering toys.

 

Whatever it is, may your ride get you around cleanly, greenly, and grinly!

 

PS. Just for grins I had to throw in one two more two wheelers for comparison. :-)

 

Two Radwagons Shipped (US 48) for $2998
 

For Green Simpletons (like me) - A Short List for Simple Sustainability

 

Just give me a bike, a clothesline, and maybe a mason jar. Don't worry, though, I won't try to electrify them. Not this time.

 

Okay, well, that's close enough.

Simple stuff. I keep being drawn to simple stuff. And frugality. And minimalism. And figuring out what's really important.

I read a novel in college - Love Among the Cannibals. I didn't get it. I was a just a dumb kid. I may need to go back and read it again. Now I'm a dumb middle-aged guy with at least 5% more wisdom.

I remember a (subplot) new car that broke down on the side of the road in the book. The local vandals immediately started stealing all the parts off of it. They left it a shell. Then the local vandals brought a few of the parts back and got it running again, but it no longer had things like windows and doors.

The professor explained to us the symbolism of getting something (or someone) back to a simpler place, a more stripped down version that has only what it needs - and none of the distractions.

Some days I feel like my pursuit of the green good life is that car, but the local vandals haven't taken all the parts yet.

I really should read that novel again.

Speaking of books, I just ordered a used copy of this book:

The Seven Sustainable Wonders of the World

I learned about it a few months back while following a link trail from a Katherine Martinko article. (I really like KM articles!) The concept has haunted me since. Even this post has gone through multiple drafts that never seemed quite ready to publish. It still doesn't quite.

So, what simples appeal to you? Outside of the seven on the book's cover, what simple things do you depend on to make your life greener and simpler? (No, I won't foolishly try the survey thing again, but feel free to shoot me an email.)

I plan to spend some time over the next few months exploring the idea of what an individual needs (or doesn't need) to live simply (and greenly).

[Blogger note: Part of my quest for the simple will mean less blogging - maybe some miniposts and pics, but there will be fewer posts for a while. Thank you for the time you've spent reading this particular brand of drivel.]

May you figure out what you (and we) need, and may you eschew the distractions that bog you down.

Batteries and Butt-Wiggles! (Two Eco Friendly Trikes)

It all started with Big D's 9th birthday. He's been wanting one of those little folding Razor scooters, so I hopped on the craigslist and did not quite find one, but I did find this:

The Razor DeltaWing Scooter

It was new, still in the box, and not expensive at all. So I took a gamble.

I assembled it in the living room and was very curious about how hard it would be to ride. So I put my feet on it, wiggled my butt a little, and I was off and wiggling.

Video of the DeltaWing in action!

It's probably a good thing that I was the only one there. I spent the next half hour drift-triking through the house and grinning huge. The dogs kept barking that I had lost my mind. Those people at Razor are genius! A vehicle that runs on butt-wiggle! I am quite smitten and I keep thinking that I need a slightly bigger one for my work commute. I wonder if I'm in shape for 10 miles of round-trip butt wiggling?

This morning I hopped over to TreeHugger to see what e-bikes Derek Markham has been writing about, and there it was, the electrified adult version of the DeltaWing, or at least pretty darned close to it:

The DC-Tri

You want details?

• 250 watt
• 15 mph
• up to 30 miles
• $1500ish Kickstarter intro price

If you want more info, check in with Derek over at Treehugger.

 

 

Drifting, 'Roos, and Solar Panels - this video has it all!

I really like the DC-Tri, but I have one small problem with it - no butt-wiggle is required to get it going. Maybe the next-gen version could have something like pedelec built in - the buttelec! (Should I copyright that?)

May you get your butt moving, give up the gas, and save the planet!

A shout out to Derek and Razor! Thanks, y'all!

Some previous Razor fanboy posts:

I found my new dream electric vehicle - move over Tesla

Razor Ecosmart Scooter vs. the Storm Ebike

Razor Does It Again! My new favorite EV - the Street Fighter!

Fossil Free Friday - Electric Scooters

Since Grizz, Mendi, Fester, the Loi-Yer, Double K, and Melissa are headed to the Texas United Scooter Rally this weekend, it seemed like a great day to throw a few electric scooters up for Fossil Free Friday.

Grizz' red Vespa and the Mesquite Hugger E-Vespa

  

Earlier this week, Derek Markham posted about a new electric German scooter. (Or should that be "German electric scooter"? Where's Noam when I need him.)

Derek Markham article on TreeHugger

I'm always excited when I run across a new electric scooter so I popped on over and found a pretty standard little scooter that

• looks a whole lot like a 2006 Yamaha Vino
• has a 28mph top speed
• 30 miles of range
• is available only in Europe. Snagit.

 But, then I remembered that we have a similar scooter available over here. The Genze 2.0.

And the Genze may not be all retro-Yamaha stylish, but it's got a nice list of virtues:

• It's vastly slightly faster (30mph!)
• It has the same range - 30 miles
• No insane Teutonic import tariff -  it's made, or at least assembled, in Ann Arbor Michigan!
• It has a removable battery pack, too!
• You can buy one (in Texas) for less than $3000!
• And, it's a 2-wheeled pickup truck! (You know me and electric pickups.)

(A pretty small pickup truck)

The pickup bed even inspired a weekly contest!

So there you have it - two emission-free electric scooters to help you get off the gas, keep it in the ground, clear the air, and generally make the world a less stinky place.

May you live in a less stinky place that you helped to create!

PS. In case the Genze 2.0 is not your thing, be sure to check out the Fido (my favorite), the Boxx, and the Monday Motorbike. - three very different approaches to electric scooters.

Minipost - Sharing one of my favorite local animals - the JackRabbit

I originally envisioned Mesquite Hugger to be a local wildlife blog, but I never seem to get out to see wildlife anymore, and the wheels got to turning...

But I am a big fan of prairie dogs, road runners, coyotes, foxes, possums, burrowing owls, bobcats, ground squirrels, terrapins, hognose snakes, and, of course, jackrabbits. So seeing this Melissa Breyer article (Thanks, Melissa!) on Treehugger this morning made me very happy, and I wanted to share that happiness with each of you!

Get your 11 Fantastic Facts here

May the riches of the natural world inspire and uplift you!

So, what's it like to own a Nissan Leaf electric car?

Yep, MH is at it with the Nissan Leaf again!

 

Okay, this isn't a full post so much as a see-what-I've-been-saying post that uses somebody else's article to make the point.

 

That somebody else is Sami Grover writing for Treehugger.

 

So, if you're looking for a little first-hand testimonial on what it's like to own a very inexpensive car that costs very, very, very little to operate and almost nothing to maintain, this article may interest you.

 

May you find yourself owning a very inexpensive car that costs very, very, very little to operate and almost nothing to maintain while treading extremely lightly on this earth that we call home.

 

PS. In case you want to see a few other MH articles that tell a little about Leaf(s):

 

Fossil Free Friday: More Inexpensive and (Somewhat) Local Electric Cars

 

Good News: VERY Affordable Electric Cars

 

Pre-Heat: An Unsung Electric Car Luxury

 

Earth Day Suggestions: #1 Burn some electrons!

 

Fossil Free Friday: Electric Cars Exist - Really!

 

(There are more, but I am working on being merciful or gracious or something like that.)

You can't be too cheap or too skinny? Two $800 (shipped!) commuter e-bikes

So, let's say that

• you're cheap
• you're broke
• you live in a not-too-hilly place
• you just can't imagine paying $1000 for any bicycle

(Check, check, check, check. Yep, I fall into all four! If you do too, welcome to the club, my frugal amigo!)

Do I have two bikes for you? Do I have two bikes for you!

So, let's check out the first bike:

Lately we've looked at the Populo, and the before that the Propella. I even got to pick up (it was very light) an Easy Motion EasyGo Race at an electric bike shop in Dallas back in December. And I have to say that they are all gorgeous. I love the look (but not the reality) of a fixie, and these bikes have brought that sleek minimalism into the e-bike world (and have done it at very low prices.)

The Vilano Core

So, let's look at one more -  the Vilano Core. Besides the sleek looks, this bike has one really compelling reason to buy it (price) and one surprisingly upscale and trendy feature (belt drive). You can get one (delivered to your house) for $800 and it has belt drive instead of a chain. Other than those, it is extremely similar to the Populo and the Propella. Strangely, the Vilano seems to be very widely available. I was surprised to see that you can order one from Newegg.com:

See how I managed to squeeze the price, the vendor, the belt drive, and the no-name and slightly underpowered motor all into one pic? (I have mad blogging skills like that.) [Cursor drop and walk away, Mesquite Hugger]

Other than lots of identical vendor sites and the product site itself, I haven't found much online presence or review for this bike. I do wonder why it has a 220 watt motor rather than the industry standard 250 watt and I'd sure like to know who makes the components used in the bike, but hey, it's hard to get too picky at $800, right? So, I am not recommending it (or not recommending it) - just letting you know it's out there. (Me, I would not be brave enough to order one until Pete, Court, and a passel of youtubers checked it out.)

Actually, I do find it a little disturbing how widely available it is:

Yep, you can even order one from Wally World.

On to the other $800 (shipped) bike

This one, on the other hand, I feel qualified to endorse (with a few caveats) even though I've never seen this particular model in person.

Sondors still keeps sending me emails, and each time they make me ponder. I have to say (after getting to know Grizz's sondors Originals) that Sondors offers an impressive bike (for this price range.) The Sondors Thin has me intrigued.

What's red, white, blue, and black all over?

You see, I'm a street commuter, and I just don't feel any need to have the big honking tires. And I would not want to pay for their replacements when it's time. So the Thin makes sense to me. It's 10 pounds lighter, it's thinner, (Duh!) and it has a decent reputation. And this may or not appeal to you, but it has a cult following that can offer lots of tech support and/or hop-up advice. And, it has a 350-watt motor from a well-respected manufacturer. Also, similar to the little speedsters listed above, it's a pretty simple machine. And, of course, you can have one delivered to you for $800.

Grizz's Sondors - in stock form - surprised us both. We did not get to test it with pedal-assist, but we had no problem reaching 17mph (throttle only) and 20mph was attainable with some hard pedaling. For most bike commuters, this machine is plenty powerful, and with pedal-assist installed you should be able to get some fairly impressive range.

One other thing to consider, if you are less than 5'6", this bike will be a stretch for you. The Sondors bikes are tall.

LunaCycle (pictured) and Velomobile Shop offer Sondors aftermarket parts

[A little Sondors aftermarket sidebar - Sondors is the only e-bike I know of that already has brand-specific aftermarket stuff availability, but be careful, most of the aftermarket parts are designed for the fat-tired bike. Threads where Thin owners are frustrated with aftermarket upgrade parts are very common.]

Image from OverVolted

[Another little Sondors Thin/Belt Drive sidebar - when the Thin was originally offered, there was an option to order one with a belt drive, but it added close to $100 to the price. But I have not seen that option available these days. So, if you want one with a belt drive, you may be able to pick up a used one. But be careful, I often see used Sondors bikes for sale at prices higher than the new prices. It pays to do your homework.]

To be honest, in my quest to give up petroleum I have given serious consideration to purchasing a Sondors Thin. If you're looking for a no-frills e-bike on a very low budget, this thing could cover a lot of bases. With the addition of a rear rack, a suspension seatpost, and some lights, it would easily cover my commuter needs.

May you find petroleum-free transportation that covers your needs and does not empty your bank account.

And two more low-cost e-bikes for those of you who like to hang around and watch the credits:

For those of you who want to go super-low price, check out this Treehugger article about the Stark. (Thanks, Derek!)

For those of you who want a high-quality and very capable cargo/commuter for not much more money, check out a refurbished U-350 from Juiced bikes. (If you're gravitationally challenged like me, pony up the extra $70 to go 500 watts.)

Fossil Free Friday: A Cargo Bike Relapse

[Snagit, I blame this one on Derek Markham.]

A few weeks back I made a declaration that I was giving up the (active) pursuit of owning a cargo bike. Since then, it's been cargo bike temptation everywhere I look. But I have mostly avoided the temptation to keep looking.

Until yesterday morning, that is.

One of my coffee-swilling buddies asked me if I missed riding my bike this week. (I have. It's been one of those weeks where the bike has not been the right tool for hauling stuff and people about, so I've been driving the old Dodge.) Then he commented that it would be nice if I had a bike that would haul stuff and an extra person - the extra person in this case is a certain eight-year-old that I take to school most days.

I don't think the coffee guys noticed, but a dreamy thought bubble appeared over my head:

[A woman at church once told me that I look like an older, heavier Adam S.

I don't go to that church anymore.]

The dreamy thought bubble contained my default cargo bike -  the Radwagon. There are lots of cargo bikes I'd love to have, but the Radwagon is always that subconscious first thought when cargo bikes pop into the brain. Mmm...Radwagon!

So, I had a little internal talk with myself:

So, I went back to my normal default dreamy thought bubble, and life was good again:

Yes, life was good again until I turned the computer on. There it was -  a Derek Markham article on TH:

Check it out on Treehugger

Derek, what's the deal? Are you the guy who takes a tres leches cake to a weight loss meeting? You're killing me! Why'd you have to pick the Radwagon? Why not a German postal cargo bike like Feargus used? (Much less tempting)

Check it out on CITYLAB

Or maybe something Scandinavian and way out of my league like this:

The Butchers and Bicycles MK1-E

In case you are wondering...

For me, it's pretty simple.

The more I can do on a bike, the less I need a car (or truck), the less I need to burn gasoline, the less I contribute to climate change, and the less I damage the air that all of us (including the eight-year-old) breathe. So, a bike that can serve more purposes is a better bike than one that can just serve a few. A cargo bike is a pickup, a station wagon, a commuter, and a chick magnet. (I came up with that last part because my wife already told me she will not leave me if I start riding one.)

Also, if it can raise my status in the kingdom of nerds, that's an added bonus!

If you want even more reasons, find fourteen of them in this article:



Check it out on IceBike

(Out here in the 'burbs, Number 2 may not apply, but don't let that slow your roll! ;-)

Okay, I can see it in your eyes - you want to know more. Here are some links to help you see what's out there in the cargo-sphere: (In alphabetical order - they are all very cool!)

• Benno Bikes
• CycleTrucks
• Design Logic Bikes
• Juiced Bikes
• Kinn Bikes
• Madsen Cycles
• Metrofiets
• Pedego Stretch
• Surly (Big Dummy and Big Fat Dummy - best names)
• Virtue Cycles (3 very different styles)
• Xtracycle
• Yuba Bikes

May Derek help us all to make some healthier choices! Somebody sure needs to.

PS. Adam Sandler is a few years older than I am! 

Making a Complex Problem Simple as Dirt (Part 3)

So, here is where you have to decide what is right for you and your situation. (Keep in mind your answers to the Part 2 questions.) Indoor? Outdoor? Hot? Cold? Fancy? Cheap? Recycled? DIY? High maintenance? Low maintenance? The possibilities are pretty vast, and there is indeed something for everyone.

Let's look at some of those possibilities so your idea about compost can be composting nto something good.

Find the whole infographic on Treehugger.

Even more of the Why

Vermicomposting Basics Straight Outa Compton Nebraska (Worms!)

I've deliberately tried this one twice. So far, it has not gone well. Lots of little red wigglers gave their lives in my folly. I still love the idea, but I need to find a way to keep the little guygals at a temp more comfortable and stable than outdoors in Lubbock has to offer.

Super simple composting

Yucky But Useful!

I have actually tried this one, but not on purpose. Last year, I found black soldier fly larvae in one of my two compost boxes. I didn't know what they were until very recently. Who knew? Here I was worrying about the little invaders and had no idea that they were superstars of the composting world. I hope to step it up this year since they help to break down a lot of materials that are normally not acceptable in your compost.

While we do not have may opportunities for municipal composting (except for tree branches and Christmas trees) we do have access to something even better - the Heart of Lubbock Community Garden. Beth (Hi, Beth!) and the crew have a drop-off station at 21st Street and Avenue X here in Lubbock. For those of you who love the idea but don't want to keep up with it, this a great way to go.

Heart of Lubbock Community Garden

(From this rather cool local blog)

Cool Composting sidebar - mealworms eat (and digest) Styrofoam!

 

EPA: Composting at Home (Support the EPA!)

EPA: How to Create and Maintain an Indoor Worm Composting Bin

Little Green Goddess: Composting 101

(Great post for learning more)

Bokashi - brew your way to great compost

The high-tech Mesquite Hugger hot compost system

Happy tomatoes and peppers!

Happy gecko!

As for the Mesquite Hugger home, we do our composting in two shipping boxes turned compost 

boxes. (Have I mentioned that I am super cheap?) We've had great success with very little effort and very little thinking involved. As long as I stay mindful of the green to brown ratio, turn it once per week, and maintain the moisture levels, we get great compost which leads to happy geckos and tomatoes. And really, what more could a Mesquite Hugger want out of life? [Rhetorical answer: Maybe a job with Compost Pedalers where I could ride around on a cargo bike, return carbon to the ground, and keep Austin weird!]

Composter ideas on Instructables

Just in case I haven't thrown enough compost ideas into one post for you, check out all the compost ideas on Instructables. (I love Instructables.)

May something as basic and elemental as recycled refuse lead us all to a better place!