Dale's Super Cool Electric Bike - Pedigo Trail Tracker

Last week,  I decided to get an electric assist bike.

 I ride a bike simply for transportation and pleasure,  not to get exercise.  I'm trying to avoid exercise, since I get more than enough cutting trees and demolishing buildings by hand.

 Searching the internet, I determined that Pedigo is one of the better if not the best electric bike company out there. There's a Pedigo store in Victoria, so I was able to test one about 10 days ago.

 There are dozens of brands of throwaway Chinese bikes. I tried out a couple of those very heavy scooters. The best one weighs 250 pounds.  It seems like a good machine, but it's something that I could not lift into my vehicle when necessary.

 I was shopping for a commuter, road model but the one that came available very cheaply, turned out to be more of an off roader. This beauty was bought by a man who has health issues and should not be riding a bike at all. It's a Pedigo, Trail Tracker. They sell for $ 4000 Canadian.  I paid $1000 which was exactly the asking price. I tried him on 7, 8 and $900. He wasn't biting.

 No bells and whistles on this rugged machine. Time will tell if it make sense in town. It's a little difficult to get on,  if you're not used to a large frame bike. I tilt it over hard,  so that I can swing my leg over,  without hitting it on the battery.

 The bike weighs 65 pounds. I can easily place it into the back of my truck. I'm currently doing a job that involves tearing down three chimneys and cutting some trees. I used the truck,  to haul the ladders and other tools to the job. For the next four days,  the truck won't move. It will stay parked at the job site and I'll commute 5 km. on the bike.

 There are dozens of little trips that will be done on the bike. Returning movies to the library,  picking up milk and all sorts of things no longer require a big motor vehicle. I expect to use it to cruise around neighborhoods where I have had success finding tree work and to use it when following up on other work leads.

I've already made three stops on the bike today. I priced one job, one trip to Canadian Tire and one trip to the library. It was really all one extended trip, but I had to park three times. This is always a problem for cars at the downtown library.

 In downtown traffic, I can easily outpace the cars,  since I'm allowed to use the mostly empty bicycle lane. The governor is set at 32 kph or 20 mph. I usually pedal a bit when first taking off and to help out on hills. Downhill speed is limited only by fear and slope.

 When I came out of Canadian Tire, there was another Pedigo bike parked beside me. It's called the Boomerang. This is the easiest one to enter of all of their bikes, since it has a big cutaway design. Great for elderly riders. Mine is the most difficult model to mount.

 City commuter bikes, have a wide array of carrying options. Mine has very limited cargo capacity but I'm going to get a trailer. The bike has excellent low-speed torque and is ideally suited for getting a trailer started.

SCORE!!

That is an awesome bike, the fat tires are really nice on road--you can ride over storm grates and expansion joints and potholes that would eat a skinny road tire.

Find yourself some saddlebags or side baskets for the rear rack and maybe a front rack. Way too useful.

I would love a deal like that

Nice bike Dale! Does pedaling charge the battery? Saddlebags are a good idea if you don't mind the look or added weight because they would make your bike wider and more visible to motorists in cars. Are you riding on the street or the sidewalk? You could ride in the ditch with those tires!

Keep watching the adds and don't settle on the wrong thing.

I almost bought this Chinese scooter. For sale at $900. I offered $500. I'm very glad that I was turned down. It weighs about 150 lb. The Pedigo weighs 65 lb. The scooter is 350 watts. The Pedigo is 500 watts. On power alone, the Pedigo climbs hills much faster. I can also pedal while climbing. The scooter has pedals, to make it legally a bike,but they are useless above walking speed.
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Pedaling doesn't charge the battery. That would make no sense on a number of fronts. We are not allowed to ride on the sidewalk. About half of the time, I'm moving with or faster than the cars.

If I use it on trails, I'll take it slow. Many horrible injuries happen on trails. A trailer makes sense for me. There may be times when I need to transport up to 100 lb of tools. The same drive train is used on a cargo bike rated at 400 lb.

I think electric assist bikes make a lot of sense. My friend bought one. Very efficient and actually quite fun. I agree. Test out the quality. I want to get one for my wife, so she will actually go riding a bike with me. She is currently a theoretical bicyclist,as in doesn't actually go.
JohN S
PDX OR

Some purists may think that going electric is cheating. I did exactly zero biking in the week leading up to my purchase. I used it extensively on Thursday and Friday. I'm taking it to work today. The job is a short distance from the beach, so at lunch or at the end of the day, I may go there. Today, I will demolish 2 or 3 tons of chimney. Even if my regular bike was right there, I'd probably not use it. I certainly wouldn't ride it home after a hard slog at work.

While running errands yesterday, I took the Galloping Goose Trail. This wouldn't have happened without the bike. Photos below.

Today, I'm going to try out the turf tires, by riding to the top of Beacon
Hill.

I turned 51 a few minutes ago. Happy birthday to me. ☺

Happy Birthday, fellow fifty wonderful. That's what I tell my students when they ask me how old I am
John S
PDX OR

I like to challenge young people to various physical contests. When my daughter introduced me to her boyfriend, she asked me to refrain from any sort of lifting or speed events. Didn't want to embarrass the lad.

Now, l can bike faster than most. It's like having bionic legs.

I forgot to mention that the bike came with a good lock an an extra set of tires and tubes.

While I was on the Galloping Goose Trail (I've never seen a goose gallop or even trot) a fellow directed me to a hilly area that is set up for mountain bike tricks, training and crashing. I took it extremely slow. This is not something that I plan to do again. Seems like a good way to break the bike and myself. I have all of my teeth and I've never broken a bone. That's how I like it.

Later, I took another scenic route. I'm not riding as fast now. On the first day, I went full throttle, most of the time.
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Correction- I said earlier, that the bike has a 500 watt motor. Most Pedigo bikes have that. Mine is 600 watts. ☺ The governor is set at 32 kph, so it's not any faster. The extra power, helps me get up to speed quickly and to make traffic lights.

Dale Hodgins wrote:While I was on the Galloping Goose Trail (I've never seen a goose gallop or even trot)

They do if chased by an over-amorous muscovy drake...

The bike is a real crowd pleaser.  Most people haven't seen anything like it,  so they tend to come and look at it,  weather I'm on it or it is parked. Some wait for my return. They ask the same thing every time. 

How fast does it go? - 32 kph 20 mph.

How long does the battery last? - 30 to 40 km.

How much do they cost? - A little over $4000. This ends it for most people.
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 My truck has a smooth plastic liner that doesn't scratch the bike. I'm moving to a new job. The bike goes in first, and then ladders and other things are placed on top with empty garbage cans and the tailgate supporting their weight.

 Today is the first time that I've driven the truck in four days.

I have started a new house moving job in Parksville. It's a sprawling oceanfront bungalow.

I'm about five kilometers from the town of Parksville and it's a pleasant ride through nice neighborhoods. The van that I'm living in, hasn't moved since I arrived.
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 At the end of the work day,  I looked across the bay at a peninsula,  and assumed that there would be a public park on the tip of it.

 I use Google maps on my smartphone. I punch in the location where I am, and then zoom out so that I can get a photographic view an unfamiliar neighborhood. The view of the peninsula,  showed a large rocky area with no housing on it.

 I hopped on the bike and in less than 10 minutes,  I was there.

The bike works great on damp sand.

I took it way out on this sand flats during low tide in Parksville. The tires didn't slip at all and the sand was hard enough to support the kickstand. Dry sand is almost impossible to go through.

 There were probably 300 people out walking the flats.  I could sell these bikes. I gave the bike a good cleaning with freshwater after this little adventure.

 It's taken me to lots of nice places that I might look at from a distance, but not bother to go to.

I went back to the rocky beach, to photograph the rocks.

All photos were taken with a Samsung Galaxy 5 phone.

We had a very colorful sunset. I'm really suffering for my art. ☺

Those rocks are an ancient desert... the bedding crosses itself, suggesting shifting sand dunes. The honeycomb weathering indicated calcite cement. I was looking at very similar rocks a month or so ago on the Isle of Arran. Geology geek heaven

I know very little about the geology here. Much of the sedimentary rock contains marine fossils. With numerous glaciations, and mountain building, things have been moved around a lot.

Since cameras no longer require film, I continued.

Beautiful. I hope to go up and explore that area more when I retire.
JohN S
PDX OR

Any time between April and October, the weather is usually good.

Here's a few more.

The bike excels on good quality dirt trails. I'm not into the humpy, bumpy or steep ones. The last shot is a trail in Rathtrevor Provincial Park. My job is 2 km away. They have pay sites for camping. Day use is free. I'll continue to live at the beach front mansion, until I finish and head back to Victoria. The van hasn't moved since I arrived Tuesday night.

I'm looking for another electric bike for my daughter to use. She's doing her practicum work,  to become a school teacher and often has to commute to different schools.  She got a very early start and will be a full-fledged school teacher when she is 21 1/2 years old.

 When my daughter doesn't need the bike, I will put it under any friend who wants to go for a ride. Currently, there is no point in me inviting anyone along since they can't keep up.  I'm faster than Lance Armstrong on steroids.

I have reduced the use of my gas powered vehicle by approximately 75%. It's time for me to start using the bike in my advertising,  for my landscaping business that uses all electric tools.

 When I am parked in a prominent location, there is almost always a group of guys looking at the bike. A mini sandwich board sign or some other contraption,  could give them a chance to read my advertising.
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 Women seldom stop to look at the bike,  unless I'm with it. I can only assume that this is because they would like to talk to the handsome gentleman, with thighs of steel.  😎 There's a party trick that I like to show you. Does anyone have a walnut?😎 There are guys who spend $100,000 on a fancy sports car. Many hope to meet women through this purchase.  Usually, the guy in the car,  is going too fast for these little chats to happen. 😂 I spent $1000, and now I am having friendly conversations with several ladies every day. Single fellows, take note.
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 Two days ago, a fellow came to look at my bike.  His wife owns a Pedigo - City Commuter. I mentioned my electric chainsaws and hedge cutters,  upon which he told me that he had just gotten a price on removing a tree. I beat that price and cut the apple tree, which contained about 150 pounds of apples. Now, I have apples to give away, to the ladies who stop to look at the bike. I give them to everyone else too.....  Single Fellows --- Get on your bike right now.  Harvest some wild apples, pears, plums, mangoes or passion fruit, to offer to the single ladies at the park.  If you can't meet anyone while offering organic fruit, even a Lab puppy won't help you. 😃

Great to see you are getting out on your bike instead of using the truck. I cycle everywhere and very rarely drive our truck. I love cycling no matter what the weather is doing. Today is is raining but it doesn't bother me. I just get wet.

I live in a hilly area of the UK and I have one hill in particular that is difficult to get up. I have to go up this hill every day and it can be a bit of a pain but it feels good when you get to the top. Luckily it is just before I get home so I can have a rest after. I needed a new sprocket for the rear wheel because I broke the teeth of the last one. I didn't have a 17 tooth one in the parts bin but I did have a 20 tooth. It has made it a little easier on the hills but I have lost a little speed on the flat. Not to worry

I have ordered a heavy duty 20 tooth sprocket and a new heavy duty chain to see me through the winter. I snap about 3 chains a year so i am hoping this one will last a little longer. I think it is a BMX chain.

You live in a beautiful part of the world I must say.

Keep up the good work

Paul

Thanks Paul. I've never snapped a bike chain, and I hope that never happens. It sounds dangerous. They must come in different grades. What are Olympic cyclists using?

We have an extensive trail system in and around Victoria. There are lots of nice places along the way. I harvest wild fruit several times a week.

https://permies.com/t/49435/bicycle/Victoria-Galloping-Goose-Trail-system#397300

Dale Hodgins wrote:Thanks Paul. I've never snapped a bike chain, and I hope that never happens. It sounds dangerous. They must come in different grades. What are Olympic cyclists using?

We have an extensive trail system in and around Victoria. There are lots of nice places along the way. I harvest wild fruit several times a week.

https://permies.com/t/49435/bicycle/Victoria-Galloping-Goose-Trail-system#397300

There are a few reasons why I break chains. 1 I cycle on a single speed bike in a very hilly area so i am putting a lot of pressure through the drive train hence the broken teeth on the rear cog. 2 I cycle off road for much of my commute and it is a gritty kind of surface that gets in everywhere and wears stuff out. 3 I forget to tighten my chain regularly. 4 I don't get to do as much maintenance on the bike as as I should so it is mainly my fault I break chains.

Olympic athletes probably change their chains on a regular basis because chains do stretch especially if you are putting a lot of power through the system.

Paul

Those single gear bikes, put a lot of strain on your knees, when going uphill or over rough terrain. You can replace chains, but we each get only one set of knees.

I am not too worried about my knees. I have been cycling every day on a singlespeed for over 10 years and have built up the necessary muscle support I suspect. I also know my limitations.

I do have a 14 speed hub gear that I will build into a wheel when I get too old for no gears but that might be a long way off as i am only 49

paul

I was about 12 miles from home yesterday, when I bought some tools that where advertised on Used Victoria. I got a cordless reciprocating saw,  a large electric drill and I drywall mud mixing paddle for $90 or $60 American.

 A makeshift pannier system was constructed using my U-lock.

 I was unable to pedal and had to stop at a Starbucks to recharge the battery along the way. It takes about five hours to reach a full charge but a 70% charge can be reached within one hour. This makes it possible to use the bike for quite long excursions.