379: eBike Project - Shakedown Ride
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
Release Date: 10/10/2024
398: Florida Coast Takeaways
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
The Florida adventure is in the rear view mirror but I have so many lessons learned from this trip… and I’ll share a bunch of them with you here on the takeaways edition to close out the trip. Hold the date… Pedalshift 400 Live will be Friday April 11th at 8pm ET - 5pm PT. Check out Pedlashift on YouTube or for more. Ask Me Anything for sure, the rest is a surprise maybe to me as well? Takeaways from the Jacksonville-to-Orlando Bike Tour Day 1 (Jacksonville to St. Augustine) 1. A Ferry Ride to Kick Things Off – The journey began with a ferry ride across the St. Johns River, adding a...
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397: Florida Coast Part 4
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
The previous day’s winds having ebbed, it was time to ride a full day again. And with grayer skies and the winds more at my back than my face, day 3 got things back on track. Would last year’s free campsite be as welcoming on this trip? Pedalshift 400 Live Hold the date… Pedalshift 400 Live will be Friday April 11th at 8pm ET - 5pm PT. Check out Pedlashift on YouTube or for more. Ask Me Anything for sure, the rest is a surprise maybe to me as well? Florida Coast Part 4 Statistics Prę dawn cycling sections 1 Miles biked part 1 - 10 Miles biked part 2 - 20.1 Ubers 1 Towns with beach in...
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396: Florida Coast Part 3
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
The previous day’s winds having ebbed, it was time to ride a full day again. And with grayer skies and the winds more at my back than my face, day 3 got things back on track. Would last year’s free campsite be as welcoming on this trip? Pedalshift 400 Live Hold the date… Pedalshift 400 Live will be Friday April 11th at 8pm ET - 5pm PT. Check out Pedlashift on YouTube or for more. Ask Me Anything for sure, the rest is a surprise maybe to me as well? Florida Coast Part 3 Statistics Miles biked - 37.8 Ubers 0 Towns with beach in the name 0 Free camps 1 Flats 0
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Best of Pedalshift 290: Beginner Mistakes
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
I used to do a beginners series on the show (and hope to do another again) but never did a whole show on “don’t make the same mistake I did.” So, on this episode… mistakes to avoid as a beginner!
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395: Florida Coast Part 2
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
There are few rules in bicycle adventures, but I am a firm believer in the one that says you do not taunt the bike touring gods. Day 1 was a breeze, I said! The bike gods respond with a breeze of their own. Would their wrath of headwinds push me to screeching halt on my way to Daytona? Pedalshift 400 Live Hold the date… Pedalshift 400 Live will be Friday April 11th at 8pm ET - 5pm PT. Check out Pedlashift on YouTube or for more. Ask Me Anything for sure, the rest is a surprise maybe to me as well? Florida Coast Part 2 Statistics Miles bikes 30.4 Miles not biked 27.4 Ubers 1 Towns with beach...
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394: Florida Coast Part 1
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
The first day of the Florida Coast adventure starts from the cooler air of Jacksonville, carrying me south through a series of beach towns on the way to a state park outside of St. Augustine with two entrances… the short way has a locked gate… would I be able to get through or have to go all the way back around (complete with extra miles) to get to camp? Pedalshift 400 Live Hold the date… Pedalshift 400 Live will be Friday April 11th at 8pm ET - 5pm PT. Check out Pedlashift on YouTube or for more. Ask Me Anything for sure, the rest is a surprise maybe to me as well? Florida Coast Part 1...
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393: Florida Coast Preview
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
My annual tradition of a winter ride in the sunshine state continues! Unlike past years, I’m shaking things up with the start and focusing on a coastal ride along the East Coast Greenway before turning inland. But the Florida Coast is the name of the game for this adventure, and on this episode we preview the ride! Florida Coast Preview The ride Jacksonville to WDW over 4 days! East Coast Greenway! A ferry! Mostly coastal riding with the ocean over my left shoulder (who knew?) Revisting the Florida Coast to Coast Trail Riding all the way to my finish line resort at WDW (no Lyfts at the end...
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Best of Pedalshift 292: Touring Bike Essentials
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
I ride three different bikes for touring, and each one has plusses and minuses depending on what kind of ride I’m looking for. But if you’re new to bike touring or looking for another bike, what should you be thinking about? On this episode, the things I look for in a touring bike! .
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392: eBike Range Test Takeaways
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
So I successfully rode 75 miles on a single charge of my eBike battery (with a little bit of a top off!). What did I learn from the adventure and what does it mean for future trips with my ebike? eBike Range Test Takeaways 75ish miles is pretty great with a little top off… that’s amazing for the C&O and other reasonably flat terrain! 1.Battery Management is Key •The ride underscored the importance of efficient battery use. Keeping the e-bike battery between 20% and 80% for everyday use is recommended, but for extended trips, charging to 100% proved essential. However, overuse...
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391: eBike Range Test Part 1
The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures
On this episode we ride from my cabin to Cumberland, MD on the C&O towpath to see if we can squeeze 75 miles out of my eBike battery! With only one real opportunity to top off, this is a real test with fairly unfun consequences if I run out… did I make it or did I have to pedal the last bit without that little extra boost? Quick programming note… this episode is a beast, so I’m going to do takeaways next episode… feel free to listen to this one in chunks as it’s over an hour!
info_outlineOn this episode, I take my new ebike on its first shakedown ride to test its capabilities, from battery life to chain tension to, well… does this thing work? It’s a 40 mile round trip from my cabin in West Virginia to a campsite outside of Hancock, MD on the C&O towpath complete with terrain, headwinds, hills and riverside overnight!
Housekeeping
Lael Wilcox’s ride is weeks old now but shout out to listener and former guest Cyrus Fairivar for not only meeting with Lael, but getting an unnamed shout out on her pod!
Live Show announcement! Friday December 6 at 9pm ET/6pm PT - topics TBA, and of course it’ll be the pod for the following week if you can’t make it live. Links and more at pedalshift.net/live.
eBike Project - Shakedown Ride
Bike Setup & Preparation:
• Fully charged battery, loaded with two rear panniers, and adjustments for the first e-bike adventure.
• Changes from the last ride: added a stove for coffee and packed some food from Maria’s Taqueria.
Ride Experience:
• Initial observations on battery performance: The e-bike flattened the hills, averaging around 20-25 mph with minimal battery usage.
• Headwind and hill performance: Noted how the pedal assist (at level 4 and 5) made hills easier and allowed for faster cruising speeds.
Comfort Adjustments:
• Noted some tingling in the hands and plans to possibly add bar ends or horns for a better grip.
• A potential move to a more upright riding position, requiring cabling adjustments.
Battery Management:
• Discussed the range and recharge performance, observing that the battery was only down 25% after 20 miles of riding, even with heavy pedal assist.
• Insights on ideal battery storage and how the e-bike’s range matched expectations.
Camp Setup:
• Arrived at camp and shared thoughts on the bike’s potential for longer tours, with plenty of battery for return rides.
• Reflections on camping alone and observations on trail conditions and other cyclists.
The Ride Back:
• Further testing of the battery on uphill sections, confirming impressive performance with ample pedal assist.
• Final reflections on e-bike touring possibilities, noting a vastly improved return ride compared to previous acoustic bike tours.
Statistics
Miles biked: 40 miles
Average Speed on Flats: 23 mph
Battery confidence: 100%
Efficacy of using coffee stirrers as chopsticks: 3%
Flats: 0