Comments on: Am I The Bike Tester From Hell…

By: BluesCat

BluesCat — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:46:18 +0000

Y’know, Ted, it might just be something with the Kenda tires.

I’ve got Kenda Kwests on my EZ-Sport recumbent. The tread design looks really spare, like on the Kraze tires.

I’ve mentioned … several places … how the Kwests just seem kinda “skatey”. There have been several times when I’ve hit a perfectly dry, clean Phoenix roll curb at a really oblique angle, and the front tire on the Sport seems to skate along it for a fraction of a second before it bites and goes up onto the sidewalk.

On the up side, the Kwests seem to be really smooth and fast … noticeably faster than even the 700c Serfas on my Batavus!

By: Ted Johnson

Ted Johnson — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:45:49 +0000

Mopeds suck.

I’m kind of a lapsed motorcycle guy. As much as I love human-powered transportation, when it comes to motorcycles and scooters (and mopeds, I guess), I always recommend power–plenty of it. The reason is that there are many dangerous situations that can be resolved by rapid acceleration. Sorry, driver who doesn’t see me and is about to kill me, I’m outta here.

To think of an e-bike like the A2B (or a weakling moped) as a motorcycle would be dangerous indeed. The right mindset is probably to think of it as a motorized wheelchair that makes you invisible, and assess your risks accordingly.

By: johncoe

johncoe — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:19:39 +0000

bummer, ted. sympathies. we’ve all wiped out on the cinders; they suck. hospitals suck more tho. sorry you down with more than road rash and snapped phalanges. get well soon.

By: Ted Johnson

Ted Johnson — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:05:01 +0000

My first draft of this post had all kinds of blame in it for the Kenda tires, but I deleted it once I started feeling like a grownup again. But the image of the tire remained. Yes they are kind of square. I agree with Josh. The kind of maneuvers you pull on your regular bike might be over-aggressive on an unfamiliar bike.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:27:11 +0000

Good grief Ted! Text me if you need a Martannes or burrito run. I eat at the hospital quite a bit. It’s nothing special.

By: Josh Lipton

Josh Lipton — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:46:41 +0000

Similar to testing out other vehicles, I’m thinking skis, cars or jet planes, being a test pilot offers up the extra risks of being unfamiliar with the vehicles. We should consider this in our commuter bike test piloting as well.

After my own bike commuting accident last Fall, where I broke my pinky while unwisely taking my commuter bike on a mountain bike trail at night with brakes not working as well as they could have been, I’ve been actively trying to be a more reserved in all of my cycling.

Ted, I wish you a smooth recovery. I think now we’ll both be extra cautious in our approach to the perils of commuter bike test piloting.

By: peteathome

peteathome — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:18:31 +0000

That Kenda Kraze tire looks like it has a really square profile, which is good for traction when you are going straight but lousy for cornering – if you corner too tight you fall right off the edge of the tire and go over. Espcially with somethingt slippery like cinders to get you sliding. But maybe that’s just the picture and the tire has a rounder profile?

Crunching the Breezer bike – that’s just you

Hope your knee gets better qucikly so you don’t miss bicycling in wonderful Spring weather.

By: James

James — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:11:36 +0000

Ted, Sorry about the knee. Hope your back on your feet soon.

It seems to me these new electric bikes like the A2B are the 21st century version of a moped. Mopeds had pedals. I crashed a moped when I was driving it home from the store I bought it from and snapped my leg like a twig (this was a couple decades ago). I was not wearing a helmet when the Domino Pizza Delivery driver hit me head on.

Mopeds suck.

By: Chrehn

Chrehn — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:33:19 +0000

Ted, Sorry about the accident. Take care so that everything heals up well.