First ride into work

Warner

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Jun 3, 2008
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Chicago 'burbs
I posted the first part of this yesterday in the wrong area.....

I got tired of making excuses for myself (some of which are actually very valid) and finally rode my bike to work today. It's a 20 mile ride each way. I left my house at 5:34 this morning, not knowing exactly how long it would take to get here. On my route there are two sections of bike path that total about 3 miles where it's pedaling only (those weren't too much fun!) so that slowed my average speed a bit. Here's the good news:

The trip took me 50 minutes total! I pulled in the lot at 6:24 It's taken me that long in my car when there's an accident or something. Typically in the car it's 30 minutes, though.

I made it on less than a tank of gas - less than 20 ounces, so somewhere around 150 mpg.

While cruising about 35 mph down route 72 (Higgins) between Golf and Roselle roads, a cop drove right by me...didn't even give me a second look.

My headlight system worked really well. I did all sorts of calculations to figure out how long my battery would last before needing to be recharged, but you don't really know until you TRY it. This time of year I really only need about 15 minutes, but I left it on the whole way, just to test. The light seems just as bright when I got here as it did when I left my house. It's basically a motorcycle headlight - 55 watts and it REALLY lights up the road. I MIGHT turn it on for the ride home to see if it makes it home....but I don't really want to completely drain the battery either...that's not real good for them.


Will I do it again? I don't know....ask me tomorrow!



Warner



The trip home was what I was more concerned about. MUCH more traffic. It was still quite manageable though! I started off with about a half mile cruise to the start of the bike path, then about a mile and half on the bike path (pedaling only - engine off). Then I started back up and rode the remaining 17.5 miles home. On my ride home down one of the main roads (IL Route 72) West of Barrington road, businesses along that road hire cops to stop traffic for them so they can get out on the road. So I'm motoring along (at 35mph) and this cop runs out into the street and holds his hand up. I thought, "Oh ****!" and hit my kill switch and started pedaling. As I got up to him and was braking, he looked at me and said, "Oh no...not you....you can keep going....I was stopping the cars". Beautiful! Haha! I think my cammo is either REAL good (which I think it IS) or he just didn't care. Someone at work made a good point yesterday when they said, "They see what they WANT to see". They see a bicycle. Anyway, I made it home in less than 50 minutes. I opted to blow off the 2nd section of pedaling on the bike path (about 1.5 miles) and rode on the street that runs alongside the path. I just didn't feel like pedaling!

Warner
 
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Warner, that's a great story. I really thought you were going to say the cop had something to say to you. When you peddle is there any drag or noise with your staton? Keep coming with the updates they. Are great!
 
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Warner, that's a great story. I really thought you were going to say the cop had something to say to you. When you peddle is there any drag or noise with your staton? Keep coming with the updates they. Are great!


Absolutely NO drag from the Staton kit....it's a true freewheel. The drive chain does not move when you are pedaling. The only additional drag is all the extra weight that *I* added! Hahaha!

Warner


PS - My speedo isn't working, but based on my tach reading of more than 8,500 rpm's and my gearing, I'm pretty sure I hit 40+ mph yesterday.....
 
Wow, your making me consider that 2 cycle. I just don't like mixing oil. That's a tough decision.

I don't get what the big deal is with mixing oil? Every 300 miles you go to the gas station and fill a 2 gallon gas can with the correct amount of oil already in it. What's the big hassle with that???

Warner
 
I don't think it would be. The 4 has some traits I like. The 2 more speed. That's the problem. I'm still trying to decide.
 
I don't think it would be. The 4 has some traits I like. The 2 more speed. That's the problem. I'm still trying to decide.

What traits do you like about the 4-stroke? The only one I could think of would be that it's likely a LITTLE bit quieter....but the Mitsu TLE 43 is pretty quiet.....

Warner
 
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