ELF Test Drive

I rode  the ELF 30 miles this morning, over back roads with some hills between Claremont and the Scotland Ferry (which crosses the James River to Jamestown). I used most of the charge in one the two batteries. I pedaled all the way, but used the booster to maintain a comfortable speed of 12-20 mph most of the time.

Hills make a huge difference. Without the booster I pedaled hard to get up hills at 5-7 mph. Downhill I coasted at over 30 mph at times. The booster added about 10 mph to pedaling speed, but I rarely used full throttle. My travel time for the near-30 miles was a bit over 2 hours, plus a 15 minute break at the turn around point. This was very encouraging.

I still have a lot to learn but, so far, I'm pretty satisfied. 60 mile average daily runs seem achievable, assuming I can get the batteries charged before each run. We haven't yet determined whether the van's inverter can handle the ELF's battery charger. A solar charge takes 8 hours of full sun. Many campgrounds don't have electric sites, but that has been an important part of our checking the campgounds on our way here.

The ride is not very smooth. The front wheels have rubber cushions to soften the ride, but even small bumps are sharply felt. It isn't easy to dodge potholes. If I straddle a hole with the front wheels the rear wheel may drop into it. The steering is a bit stiff, and very quick. It's easy to oversteer.

The tablet with the Co-Pilot Navigation program skittered around on the dash panel so wildly I had to fold and stow it away. It still "talked" to me, but I could no longer see its map. We need to devise a better method of securing it.

Ann has figured out how to track my smart phone's RoadID app on her smart phone, on a map, in real time, which could be really helpful as we leap-frog each other on the way home.

I've made the ELF more visible to traffic with wide strips of orange tape on both sides and on front and back. We're going to attach an 8' flag to attract more attention. And we'll add strobe lights front and back. Drivers can hardly avoid seeing me. The few drivers I encountered this morning were considerate. Some gave a friendly wave or a thumbs-up as they passed.

I'm considering some short cuts for our route home. Following the route on our cycling map most of the way to Claremont, the van traveled 2150 miles, about twice the straight line distance. Most of the cycling route is on very narrow, twisty, hilly roads with no shoulders and of course no guard rails.. Most are too narrow for a center stripe, and meeting vehicles may have to almost stop to ease past each other. I enjoyed the challenge, and cycling them would be fun. But I'd prefer to have Ann, with her limited experience, start with easier roads. I'm working on a more direct route using mostly state maintained roads, which tend to be wider and straighter than county roads, yet not so heavily traveled as federal and inter-state highways. There may be some anxious moments as we look for places to camp  or lodge along this new, unscouted route. That's part of the adventure.

We're enjoying our interlude with Don and Kay, and their kids and grandkids, while we prepare for the next episode: Senior Pedal Power!

More later,

Marvin (and Ann)