Category Archives: Bike

Half Moon Bay Visit

Shea’s aunt, cousin, cousin’s wife and cousin’s son, from Pittsburg, California (his hometown) were camping in Half Moon Bay. That happens to also be my dad’s old stomping ground from after his retirement from the Coast Guard since he had a commercial fishing boat there. We went out to see them (my first time meeting Shea’s family), which also served to escape the heat wave that was in the Bay Area. For those who aren’t familiar with the various microclimates in the area, the coast is almost always more pleasant during times like this. Surprisingly there was very little traffic for a Saturday, and we even got back in time for some pool time with friends in Vallejo, which was still well above 90 degrees when we returned around 6pm.

While in Half Moon Bay we did a lot of outdoor activities, including taking a long walk along the beach, rode the bikes with the cart for dogs hitched to one of them, which completely inspired me to get one for my electric bike. We also had some food al fresco, and played Rummy Tile, a board game inspired by Mahjong. I didn’t win either game, but at least I didn’t come in last the second time I played!

You’ll see in the videos that I come to a sudden stop at least once to make sure the dogs were okay behind me. They were carefully strapped in, but were probably unsure of what to make of the situation. Shea is filming when I did this so he almost ran into me. You can see it from two perspectives which we laughed about in the end. Fortunately no one was hurt during the making of these videos, least of all the dogs.

Benicia State Park First Bike Trip

I loved how easy it was to access the fabulous Benicia State Park from my house on the paths with the bike just down the hill from our house. I also had no idea that hand gliding was done in this area, although I’ve seen it many times in northern Vallejo where the larger hills are. I didn’t actually see any launch into the air this time, but the hand gliders were erect as they were training in the wind.

Just in time this morning my new MIPS-approved bike helmet arrived. I sent back the purple one because it was not MIPS-certified. I got good advice to make sure I protected my head the best way, although honestly, I can’t tell the difference in design at all.

Today’s ride definitely gave me a whole new perspective on riding in perilous off-road dirt paths. I was so glad to have a fat tire bike and an electric one at that. I love that I can pedal when I want, and I can use pedal assist, without feeling I’d be stuck if I got very tired. I wasn’t sure if my knee, on which I had surgery a number of years ago, would love this kind of action, but it survives the whaleboat rowing which is very much about the legs. The e-bike’s power going up hills on less than perfectly paved roads and the adventures that I can achieve still astound me. It would have taken me days to hike all the places I went in just over an hour. I am also seeing spots up close that I often admired in the hills while rowing the past few years. I’m so lucky.

In one still shot you can see Mount Diablo in the background while I’m at the apex of this hill with the electric tower that connects to the East Bay through high wires over the huge freight ships that go to Benicia’s ports.

GoPro Cam Perspective (Meticulously edited):

My Second EV!

Santa! Surely I wasn’t THAT good this year! Even though I loved the electrical seated scooter you got me, and will continue to use it for lots of practical trips, I really love my new fat-tire e-bike with 1500W for the hilly area we live in. I took it out for its maiden voyage today. I’m still getting acclimated to the power and features. It’s a lot more maintenance than the scooter, but I can literally take this one dozens of miles at a time if I want and surmount any hill that a car can. The views from the hilltops in this area are amazing!

My first EV!

My first electric vehicle was a very affordable scooter. It’s powerful (enough) and very convenient. I’m already thinking of creative ways to use it. I can go to doctor and dentist appointments nearby, down to the marina to row, and maybe even concoct a way to transport dogs in their fully enclosed wagon! It might be a stretch, but I could even transport my kayak on its cart down to the waterfront with this!

My new GoPro is going to go well with this as well!

Put put!

Test driving with the dog cart (no dogs were hurt in the making of this video). Notice it’s empty because I did not want to risk it with the dogs even in this situation, but at least I know there’s enough power to do this.

First ride with Polar in a makeshift front poncho. I will soon order a comfortable dog poncho for the front for him and a few other of the more adventurous dogs that like to travel.