wake blake

Remember last time we mentioned spinning this "Bike & Battery" part of the blog off into it's own thing? Well, the URL isn't available. We're thinking of alternates (any ideas?) meanwhile, the show must go on. At top, a delivery scooter. What a great idea! Bikes are better for hauling more stuff longer distances, but scooters are great for short distances and compact spaces. Like, delivering food in a city. You might even be able to fit that little cutie into an elevator. Here's another delivery option. Domino's is developing a pizza oven bike. It doesn't actually cook the pizza (this is Domino's after all) but it keeps the pie warm on the way. That high center of gravity is going to make for an interesting ride, especially in high wind or slippery conditions, but I suppose stuffing a pizza vertically into a pannier isn't a great option for delivery. (Not that we haven't all experienced it.) ...

Guys, I promise I have stuff to talk about besides ebikes and batteries.  Or maybe I should spin "Bike and Battery" off into it's own blog, with a proper URL? Because somehow these screenshots keep popping up on my phone. The way fold-down beds keep popping up on concept trucks. Wait, what kind of bike blog is this? One that enjoys thinking outside the box, and appreciates engineering creativity. Here's a Toyota truck concept. It's based on the HiLux platform, which is also the Tacoma platform and the Tundra platform. How are they going to turn a $50k truck into a $10k truck? The answer: leave out all the gizmos and gadgets. And give it a flat bed. Back to bikes. Think this bike train will be under $10k? I do. It probably also won't feature automatic lane detection. Here's a nice looking bit of micromobility. The Envo Veemo. We live kinda close if En...

In the world of ebike buying, there are basically four options.  1. Buy from a known brand at a brick and mortar bike shop. This is what's known as the safe route. This will get you your Specialized, or Trek, or Tern, or Reese & Mueller, or even new brands like Aventon. These offer all of the benefits of warranties and the customer care of a real bike shop. You can also probably test ride the bike and take it home the day you buy it. 2. Buy from a "direct to consumer" brand. These are basically online sales only, where a brand sources a bike from a manufacturer in China, puts their brand mark on it, imports a bunch, and resells them on their website, or on Amazon or Walmart. Sometimes they actually have a hand in the design, but more often not. They usually offer some sort of warranty and customer care, some better than others. A few D2C brands are starting to be hybrids of #1 & 2, like Rad Power Bikes with their retail locations and servic...

Guys, I've got some fantastic news- Guys? Hello? Is there anybody still there? Ok, I know I've turned off some of (all of?) my readers by, um, going on this months long tangent about ebikes, comparing batteries and statistics and not actually having any real world experience, nevermind an outline or point to my writing. Hey, I'm sorry. This is what's been on my mind.  Actually, it was what was on my mind back in April. And I've learned a lot analyzing all of the screenshots I took back then. Amazingly, the backlog is clearing up. But... Oh, there are still a few to go through. The prices on these screenshots are not accurate right now. Today and tomorrow seem like the best opportunities of the year to buy an ebike, as long as you don't mind watching it gather dust until spring while all the new models come out and your brand new bike gets outdated. (If you live in a snow climate area, that is. If you're in a year-round biking area, go...