Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 384: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Part 3.

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Housekeeping

We’re shifting the schedule around a bit here as we close out the year… we’re going to delay the final best of for 2024 so we can go straight through to finish the NoDak Adventure with no interruptions. But also…

Live Show! 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.

Best of will be the week of the 19th, then you Shifty the Elf fans? The Holiday Spectacular returns Dec 26th to close out the year!

NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Part 3

Folks, heads up this episode contains zero biking, but the next one does as temps eventually warmed up. And as you’ll hear… probably for the best it was too cold, because one particular TR NP resident was not interested in yielding to any of us….

Highlights:

•Cold Camping Realities: Waking up to 31°F in a frosty tent, layering up for warmth, and reflecting on the joys and challenges of camping in such conditions.

•Wildlife Encounters:

•Visits to “prairie dog cities” and observing their fascinating social behaviors.

•Sightings of deer, jackrabbits, and a variety of birds, including a mysterious pheasant-like species.

•A memorable standoff with “Gandalf,” a bison blocking the road for over 30 minutes.

•Reflections on Theodore Roosevelt: Insights into the history and legacy of TR’s connection to the park, alongside a discussion of his mixed-bag of a legacy.

•Midwestern to Western Transition: Observations on how North Dakota’s geography and culture bridge the Midwest and the West.

•Prairie Dog City Philosophy: The ecological role of prairie dogs and their perception as pests versus vital contributors to their ecosystem.

Takeaways:

•Gear Tips for Winter Camping: Always pack gloves and insulated footwear to keep extremities warm.

•Embracing Flexibility: Knowing when to pivot plans, like transitioning from biking to exploring by vehicle when temperatures and wildlife dictate.

•Respecting Wildlife: Acknowledging the park as the animals’ home and adapting to their presence rather than forcing interactions.

Resources:

•Visit the official Theodore Roosevelt National Park website for information about visiting this stunning location.

•Learn more about the Northern Tier Trail here.

Statisitics

Morning temp range 21-32 F

Percent of “loop” covered 40

Lord of the Rings wildlife namings 1

Prairie Dog sightings 18 bazillion

Flats 0

Pics & Videos

coming soon

 

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 383: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Part 2.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

Housekeeping

We’re shifting the schedule around a bit here as we close out the year… we’re going to delay the final best of for 2024 so we can go straight through to finish the NoDak Adventure with no interruptions. But also…

Live Show! 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.

Best of will be the week of the 19th, then you Shifty the Elf fans? The Holiday Spectacular returns Dec 26th to close out the year!

NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Part 2

Driving North Dakota Adventures

– Reflections on the landscape: vastness, agriculture, and wildlife sightings along the drive

– Observations on North Dakota’s scenic beauty, especially during fall

– Jamestown Buffalo Museum mention and the fascination with the changing golden hues of the farmlands

Arrival in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

– Excitement for the park’s wilderness, iconic buffalo herd, and camping at Cottonwood Campground

– Insight into campground conditions: first-come, first-served, no water or services, and gear preparations

– Planning for a night in the chilly North Dakota weather

Camping and Wildlife Encounters

– Capturing buffalo sightings, exploring the park, and photographing the scenic Badlands

– Cycling experiences within the campground and nearby closed loops, including brief cycling issues

– Observations on the local flora, geology, and prairie dog sightings

Unexpected Gear Lessons and Camping Essentials

– Discussing travel gear logistics: food, fuel, and camping supplies for a no-service campground

– Bike challenges: saddle issues and minor damages to bike parts during transport

– Lessons learned for future trips, particularly with bike handling and protection

Biking and Buffalo Close Encounters

– Memorable encounters with buffalo while biking, and the unique thrill of seeing them up close

– Reflection on safety tips and maintaining distance with wildlife while biking

– Experience of witnessing prairie dogs and other local fauna in their natural habitat

Wrapping up the Day and Reflections

– Preparing for a chilly night with layered gear and warming up with hot food and drinks

– Reflections on the uniqueness of North Dakota’s landscapes and the satisfaction of fully exploring the area

– Plans for a cold morning bike ride, additional wildlife sightings, and beginning the drive back to Fargo

Statisitics

Miles driven 333

Bison sightings 1 herd, 1 lone, um, wolf

Bashed Brompton rack tires 1

Impending temperature drop – 34 degrees F, 19 degrees C

Lighters forgotten, and subsequently purchased 1

Flats 0

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 382: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Part 1.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Part 1

Statisitics

Miles driven 249

Miles biked 0

States visited 49

Number of campers in camp 1

Number of bikes in camp 1 (Mine!)

Dashed expectations for a cowboy bar because Fargo is way more of a city than I expected and really that’s my own fault because I should have done a minimal amount of research into the vibrant community that Fargo clearly is, and for that I’m a bad podcaster and I’m sorry? Wait… is there a number here? 9!

Flats 0

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 381: NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
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Reach out to the show via email, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to join the newsletter too.

Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

NoDak Northern Tier Adventure Preview

The Adventure

Heavily car aided. Very heavily. Like, mostly.

Starting and ending in MSP (there for a work thing)

All camping

Brompton riding daily

Crossing the state TWICE

Urban camping in Fargo!

Theodore Roosevelt NP! Buffalo! Camping! Riding!

Finally getting wheels down on the Northern Tier bicycle route!

Rest stop car camping in the very friendly sleep-in rest stops of ND!

Did I mention the 49th state visit?

Itinerary 

Day 1 

Car rental 

Camping in Fargo and Lindenwood Campground

Biking into town for dinner and all the Fargo nightlife I can handle

Day 2

Pre dawn departure 

Gain an hour driving across the state into MT

Camping at TR NP at Cottonwood Campground

Buffalo herds nearby and sometimes they saunter into camp?

Day 3

Half day at TR NP to cycle a bit

Drive back across the state

Lose an hour coming back into CT

Rest area about halfway to MSP

Day 4

Pre dawn departure 

Get back to MSP and fly home

Gear

Rental car

Brompton

Camping gear that fits in a checked suitcase – going with basics and adding “luxuries” if I can since this is car camping

Stove a must – likely buying fuel in MN or ND

Weather

Not as cold as you’d think for fall

Hoping for dry, preparing for not

How much biking?

It really depends. The idea here is to get a sample, not make miles.

Seeing TR NP at the speed of bike

Experiencing Fargo and its… bike infrastructure?

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 380: eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures.

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Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

eBike Shakedown Takeaways + 2025 Adventures

Housekeeping

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.

We have a new adventure lined up in a totally new to me state! Preview episode next week!

Takeaways

The bike works and I might be a better mechanic than I thought

I may have underestimated the range on this battery

I may have underestimated the recharge capabilities of the “slow charger” but maybe not

I need more hand positions (Jones Bar? Something else?)

I really should finish the bike but if I’m cutting cables I want to figure out the handlebars and height first

I’m going to buy all the things to outfit this without borrowing from my other bikes

The Future

I considered bringing this bike for my annual Florida ride, then reconsidered

Positioning an ebike for a ride is complex because transportation has to be by ground or shipping

I want to do more shakedowns before going “over the wall”

C&O to Cumberland and back (or train)

Full GAP/CO

East Coast Greenway segments from DC north and south

Connect OTET to Katy (Dayton-St. Louis)

KC to Denver

Denver to the Pacific Coast

What are you interested in hearing about?

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 379: eBike Project – Shakedown Ride.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
RSS – iTunes – Overcast – Android – Google Podcasts – Stitcher – TuneIn – IHeartRadio – Spotify

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Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

eBike Project – Shakedown Ride

 

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.

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

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 378: eBike Project – Shakedown Preview.

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Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

eBike Project – Shakedown Preview

The basics

ebike

full charged battery

Two panniers and maybe the sleep kit on the handlebars

No food, no stove

Sleep clothes only (no additional clothing)

Rain gear only if rain ends up being possible

extra tools – chain breaker, master link breaker, more

The route

Road route from cabin to Hancock’s city park, then onto one of the closer campsites on the C&O

Returning the second day to Hancock for any additional charge ups necessary and then up the hills back

Approx 40 total miles, maybe a bit more if I ride further out on the trail

Why so short?

Need to keep things close in case we have something happen that requires a vehicle rescue

May be a short ride but it has a lot of climbing, long flats where speed is helpful, and more

Trying to gauge how much range this bike and battery has on real terrain

Minimal gear and gas station cuisine 

Hancock has plenty of food options close to the city park that has electric

Will bring water purifier for the trail just in case, but likely will have enough water on hand to make things work

Trying to keep the variables to a minimum

Weather

Finally starting to cool down around here!

High projected to be in 70s (24C), lows in the mid 50s (13C)

Rain in the forecast for a couple of days before, but ending that morning so it should be dry but might have wet ground

Down bag, tent, pad… nothing too crazy necessary as we transition into fall

What I’m looking for out of this trip

Ensuring the build is solid and safe – rack, brakes, cables no longer pinched

Testing range on the battery

Getting more experience climbing with the boost

Seeing how “fast” my 3A charger can charge (not a lot)

Getting a feel for a suspension bike

Getting a feel for the tires

Assessing comfort – how long can I be in the saddle?

Assessing need for more add-ons

A chill night on the C&O… haven’t been camping since Oregon this summer!

Pod plans

Single tour journal for the trip (there and back)

Separate takeaways episode to get into assessments, next steps, and potential ideas for 2025

 

Hey it’s the direct download link for The Pedalshift Project 377: eBike Project – The Build.

Subscribe/Follow The Pedalshift Project:
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Have some bike touring or overnight stories to share? Send your pics, audio or a quick tweet – all welcome. Email the show at pedalshift@pedalshift.net or call the lightly-used Pedalshift voicemail line at (202) 930-1109

eBike Project – The Build

• Hey I got an ebike! Where did I end up? 
• Decided on build over buy – more flexibility
• Decided on new over used – couldn’t find a good used one that wasn’t $$$
• Went with a Bafang middrive motor and a 52v 20Ah frame mounted battery – smaller than Brian’s, but still pretty big. 
• Watched a ton of YouTube videos and bought some tools!
• This took me several weeks because the bike lived at the cabin and I was back and forth a bit as I built it
• This was a journey… and the episode is a little long, but definitely brings you along tour journals style for how it went…

00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview

01:54 Choosing the Right Bike for the E-Bike Conversion

05:52 Initial Setup and Component Replacements

10:56 Challenges and Adjustments

18:05 Programming and Configuration

28:45 Battery Insights and Expectations

41:03 Assembly and Troubleshooting

48:11 Rear Brake Discovery

48:27 Chain Installation Challenges

48:30 Nighttime Reflections

49:27 Final Adjustments and Cable Management

50:51 Chain Sizing Tips

51:47 First Ride Impressions

52:32 Handlebar and Screen Setup

52:51 Rear Brake Issues

55:28 Pedal and Crank Problems

58:54 Cable and Sensor Installations

01:01:44 Tire Upgrade

01:04:14 Battery and Range Concerns

01:04:53 Shakedown Ride Plans

01:07:23 Final Preparations

01:16:47 Shakedown Ride Execution

01:25:48 E-Bike Confidence Boost

01:30:36 Closing Remarks and Future Plans