Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

22 Jul 2014
6 Comments

Another For Sale

An old Ford in front of one of the many antique shops in Sandwich, Illinois.

An old Ford in front of one of the many antique shops in Sandwich, Illinois.

Busy, busy, busy. Ten items on my To-Do/Errands list today, and writing this post isn’t one of them. But here it is. It’s here because I used to cover vintage vehicle events of various kinds for a good couple of years (full-time), and almost got it out of my system.

Northern Illinois is a virtual hotbed of vintage motordom. The vintage cars per square mile in the areas surrounding Chicago are unmatched, and there’s some event taking place somewhere five days out of each week every summer. I often had to choose between three major events scheduled for the same day.

So when I come across something like the above old Ford sedan, my knee-jerk response is Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged ,
15 Jul 2014
3 Comments

Quote of the Day

“I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to mis-attribute this quote to Voltaire.”

–  Avram Grumer

(The original quote upon which this quip is based was actually written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall under the pseudonym S[tephen] G. Tallentyre in “The Friends of Voltaire” in 1906, as her own summary of her idol’s attitude.)

Posted in Navel Gazing and tagged
13 Jul 2014
9 Comments

The Evelo Aurora, Part 2

This post is a literal continuation of “The Evelo Aurora, Part I” and is incomplete as a standalone article. You will want to read that first to get a more balanced view, if you have not already done so.

The Evelo Aurora, suitably optioned.

The Evelo Aurora, suitably optioned.

There are only two cautions with the Aurora, traits shared by many e-bikes of this type. First, when you stop pedaling, it will take one second for the sensors to detect this and cut power. I mentioned this earlier. There may be some situations where this may briefly surprise you, until you get used to it. That’s easy.

A second trait is more important, and can be more difficult to get used to. It’s common with a normal bike to coast into a slow, tight turn when maneuvering into a confined area or around obstacles. Then you decide to give it half a pedal just to maintain momentum or help it up a sidewalk ramp, or to take a change in paths. On a pedal-assisted e-bike, this ingrained effort to keep things just right is a bad idea, because the motor will dutifully kick back in at whatever assist level you left it set at. This can be exciting, especially if you are carefully balanced in a tight, slow turn. The unexpected surge of power will put some wobble in that balance. The good news is that instinctively tapping either brake will instantly cut power, rescuing the situation, however clumsily. If you have a lot of seat time on a conventional bicycle, it can take awhile to “unlearn” this habit and substitute a touch of throttle in place of pedaling. The throttle feel is fairly mushy, so learning to feed it in is pretty easy.

if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's that no major frame component is going to snap off anytime soon. The ample welds are of good quality.

If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that no major frame component is going to snap off anytime soon. The ample welds are of good quality.

Fit and finish are very good for its price level, and I didn’t have to correct or adjust anything, which surprised me. Weld quality is excellent, and so is paintwork. The only two pouty moments I had involve Read more…

Posted in Daily Life, E-Bike Pack Mule, The Defiant and tagged , ,
10 Jul 2014
22 Comments

The Evelo Aurora Arrives, Part 1

The Evelo Aurora, BC. (Before Change.)

The Evelo Aurora, BC. (Before Change.)

Even with the momentary hitch in ordering my Evelo Aurora due to a frame color change, the bike arrived via FedEx six days after ordering – not all that bad. It shipped partially disassembled in one carton, a carton which showed signs of manhandling. It was punched through in a non-critical area, but I was still understandably concerned that something might be bent by the lack of finesse in handling the 70-pound monster. Evelo added my comment to the roster, and told me that they are already in the process of upgrading their packaging to thwart the gorillas. It’s obviously in their own best interests to limit the risk of damage.

Off to a worrysome start.

Off to a worrysome start.

But my concern was groundless, as the only damage was elsewhere, a few minor paint scuffs in the bike’s shiny black rear rack frame. I’d be doing worse to it, in time. The bike comes almost ready to go, and all you need to do is mount the front wheel, stick the handlebars on, and screw in the pedals. There are no tedious adjustments that involve functionality. The needed tools are supplied with the bike, along with a basic assembly and user manual. For those who dislike following printed instructions, Evelo promotes viewing their online assembly video for each model.

Although I spent a college summer assembling cheap bikes in a sweatshop decades ago, I took Read more…

Posted in Daily Life, E-Bike Pack Mule, The Defiant and tagged , , , , ,
09 Jul 2014
13 Comments

Defiant Exposed!

New reader Greg just sent me a Google Maps link which shows that the invincible Defiant has been captured in its native habitat in Tusayan, Arizona during a satellite photo session this past Spring. I at first thought it wasn’t, because of too many panels being displayed, but the “extras” are merely shadows of the real ones. But no, it’s my rig, complete with the correct reversed orientation, wrinkled roof, and the Mighty Red Furd with its tonneau bed cover in place. Amazing, huh? I should have been outside nude sunbathing and waving, but too many people driving past would be veering off into the ditch to vomit.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.968187,-112.11822&num=1&t=h&z=20

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, The Defiant and tagged
07 Jul 2014
7 Comments

And a Third Surprise

Not the best part of the show, but it does reveal the surrounding vehicles.

Not the best part of the show, but it does reveal the surrounding vehicles.

Returning back to camp at the Sandwich Fairgrounds showed many big trash barrels peppered throughout the camping area, which made me wonder. Then long before sunset, while I was watching a movie after dinner, a few cars and trucks rolled in and parked in the camping field. A little face eventually appeared close outside my screen door – some little guy fascinated by the side view of the glowing TV screen inside the unlit trailer, looked like. Then his momma called him back. More vehicles came, until the big field was decently full. By that time, I’d cleverly discerned that, incredibly, more fireworks were on tap.

Not unexpectedly, many folks in the field brought their own fireworks big and small, so the pre-show entertainment was constant. One family across from my site lit off firecrackers and such on the gravel path that my pickup was parked near, so I had to Read more…

Posted in Uncategorized
06 Jul 2014
8 Comments

Two Little Surprises

I didn't do time-elapse shots, just snaps. That's a campground light to the right.

I didn’t do time-elapse shots, just snaps. That’s a campground light to the right.

Camping in Sandwich, Illinois does have its unexpected moments. I’ll describe both of the most recent ones out of order, the first being that people in and around Sandwich are seriously into Independence Day fireworks. The night of Friday the 4th was met with homeowners and surrounding farmers setting off their own ware. That’s not so surprising. What was surprising was the Boom Factor. These people don’t settle for the pathetic, fizzing state-approved sparklers, nor the stacato popping of illegal firecrackers. I heard rounds of those maybe twice all night.

No, these folks go for rounds that sound for all the world like an artillery barrage prior to the Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, Navel Gazing and tagged ,
02 Jul 2014
3 Comments

Sunup in Sandwich

"...Red sky at dawn, quick, mow the lawn!" Is that how it goes?

“…Red sky at dawn, quick, mow the lawn!” Is that how it goes?

Not all of the beauty is out west. There’s a decent supply here, with big oak shade trees and venerable old homes in Sandwich, Illinois.

My friend Matt posted a pic of the backyard view from his new (to him) house:

Life is tough, hey? Just not here right now.

Life is tough, hey? Just not here right now.

That photo somehow reminded me of the violent storms that just blew through a couple of nights ago. Fortunately, the winds shifted and hit the trailer on the nose instead of broadside, but the rain was ample for a long time and often went sideways. For the first time, water appeared inside the trailer, dripping from the seam surrounding the bathroom roof vent. Having already been in very heavy rains before, I’m suspecting it was the wind doing something with a marginal seam. After all, it may be a long, single sheet of aluminum up there, but between the punctures for vents and A/C, and the huge deep dents caused by some prior owner, anything goes. Some of the dents are so big that, for all I know, there might be some tidal wave action going on up there! I’ve been holding off on getting a collapsible ladder that is long enough to give me roof access, but finally caved and ordered one yesterday. I already have some good sealing goop in an opened tube, so now’s the time.

The rain here has been frequent and ample since I arrived, to the point that Read more…

Posted in Daily Life and tagged , ,
30 Jun 2014
11 Comments

The E-bike Dilemma

Nope, I didn't choose this one. It's a home-brewed, bike-based electric motorcycle with pedals that's been clocked at 66 MPH. What - do you want to live forever?

Nope, I didn’t choose this one. It’s a home-brewed, bike-based electric motorcycle with pedals that’s been clocked at 66 MPH. What – do you want to live forever?

Choosing an e-bike is normally easy. You know how you want to use it, then pick something that will do the job for you, hop on, and go. But when you need to chop, blend, baste, puree, knead, bake, and broil, you’re forced to prioritize for the base features that can’t be changed, and then alter what you can change to come as close as possible to what you need.

I’ve already outlined a rather tedious and overly-long list of tasks, must-haves and wants in my previous article. I won’t dupe that here, thank your lucky stars. I’ll only mention Read more…

Posted in Daily Life, E-Bike Pack Mule, Mod Squad, Navel Gazing, The Defiant and tagged , , ,
27 Jun 2014
11 Comments

Adieu, Old Friend

The ol' Raleigh MT200, with mods that help me stay on it longer.

The ol’ Raleigh MT200, with mods that help me stay on it longer.

Well, I’ve been trying to use my 1993 Raleigh MT200 as my pack mule over the last two years, as you may know. The goal is to avoid using the $45,000 Ford diesel pickup for errands and grocery shopping trips, campsite scouting and area exploration. I simply won’t be able to afford to replace it unless I’m willing to give up some other costly activity like, oh, say, eating.

The trouble with using the Raleigh has been that my bad ticker limits my range even on level pavement, and I’ve found precious little of that in my travels. As a result, I’ve had to use the Ford for too many short trips that a bicycle could normally handle, and that kind of driving adds up mileage in short order. This violates the Defiant’s Prime Directive, which is purposed to preserve the vehicle over the long haul, as well as decrease fuel and repair costs to a minimum. It also violates my doctor’s directive to get sustained exercise at controlled levels. For me, daily walking is okay a few times, but then gets monotonous. Something in my DNA wants to cover ground.

My realization that the Raleigh wasn’t going to cut the mustard came in Read more…

Posted in Daily Life, E-Bike Pack Mule, Mod Squad, Navel Gazing, The Defiant and tagged ,

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