Thursday, August 31, 2006

Batman on Ebikes


(click on image to enlarge)

Batman and Robin, the caped crusaders in the metropolis Santa Monica, have gotten an urgent call from the Mayor of Santa Monica on the "Batphone", the hotline the mayor uses to get help from Batman when the city is in danger...


Robin:

Holy electrified wheels, Batman! The City of Santa Cruz is offering a FREE Electric Bicycles Rebates ($375) to anyone who wants an electric bicycle in the city through their Electric Bike Program!
What is the City of Santa Monica going to do to keep up with those high falutting, greens and tofu eating, clean air breathing people? We have a reputation to protect in the greatest city on earth.
Does the Mayor of Santa Monica know about this yet, Batmam?
Batmam:
Robin, the Mayor called me on the batphone this morning. He's gone berzerk. He read about it today, in his daily briefings of the Cycle Santa Monica! blog and he says this is outrageous.
He says the City of Santa Monica will have to get ebikes for everyone in Santa Monica that wants one, pronto.
He wants our help. And he wants us to put this as our top priority.
Robin:
Holy Cranks of Titanium! We have to do something Batman. What are we going to do?
Batman:
I have a plan...
(continued...)


Related Posts
- Ebike San Francisco
- 72 volt Electric Bicycle
- Electric Bikes in China (documentary)
- Ebike Public Charging Station

Recomended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- E-Motor-Assist community forum
- Air-Powered-Vehicles community forum
- Santa-Monica/West-L.A./Venice critical mass community forum

Steven Seagal on Ebikes

Aikido martial arts master and Hollywood Superstar, Steven Seagal, buys ebikes
(A news reports from our friends up at EVUK)

EVUK writes,

"Try telling that to mystical Hollywood martial arts and tough-guy action hero Steven Seagal.
Paul Markham of Thailand-based Ecobrand Exim International - EV entrepreneur and distributor of the Harrier all-terrain ebike(based on the Ecolux Tornado - see below) - has contacted EVUK to report that the actor and Zen-devotee recently paid a visit to Exim's offices in Bangyai to place an order for various evehicles/ebikes/escooters for his 30,000 acre California ranch.

He writes:

"I'm just sending you some photos taken with Steven Seagal recently while he was in Thailand. I first met Seagal last year by accident at the Bangkok Motor Show Gala Dinner(plus Miss Motor Show Competition Beauty Contest!) and he was impressed by my environmental cause here and commitment to evehicles etc.
I was one of the few foreigners there and Steven walked past my table and asked what I did in Thailand. I answered that we assemble and market electric bicycles and vehicle concepts here and he said(quote):
"You are a man after my own heart - an environmentalist" (Zen-vironmentalist? EVUK Ed.)

CVC 406

CVC 406, also referred to California Vehicle Code 406, is where the California law makers define the legal description of a gas powered moded, an electric moped, and an electric bicycle, also referred to as an ebike in the community.

Gas powered mopeds and Electric mopeds are described in section 406(a).

Electric bicycles, ebikes, are defined in section 406(b). (source of the code is from the California Department of Motor Vehicles' (DMV) website (LINK)

(click on images to enlarge)


CVC 406 reads:

Motorized Bicycle 406

406(a)

(a) A "motorized bicycle" or "moped" is any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power,


or having no pedals if powered solely by electrical energy, and an automatic transmission and a motor which produces less than 2 gross brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
406(b)

[note: for operation and equipment of electric bicycles (CVC 406(b), see CVC 24016]


(b) A "motorized bicycle" is also a device that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and has an electric motor that meets all of the following requirements:

(1) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts.

(2) Is incapable of propelling the device at a speed of more than 20 miles per hour on ground level.

(3) Is incapable of further increasing the speed of the device when human power is used to propel the motorized bicycle faster than 20 miles per hour.

(4) Every manufacturer of motorized bicycles, as defined in this subdivision, shall provide a disclosure to buyers that advises buyers that their existing insurance policies may not provide coverage for these bicycles and that they should contact their insurance company or insurance agent to determine if coverage is provided.

(c) The disclosure required under paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) shall meet both of the following requirements:

(1) The disclosure shall be printed in not less than 14-point boldface type on a single sheet of paper that contains no information other than the disclosure.

(2) The disclosure shall include the following language in capital letters:

"YOUR INSURANCE POLICIES MAY NOT PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR ACCIDENTS INVOLVING THE USE OF THIS BICYCLE. TO DETERMINE IF COVERAGE IS PROVIDED YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY OR AGENT."
Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 804, Stats. 1995. Effective January 1, 1996. Supersedes Sec. 2, Ch. 342.



Related Posts:
- Ebikes in California
- Ebike/E-Scooter Public Parking/Charging
- Batman on Ebikes
- Ebike Public Charging/Parking Stations

Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- E-Motor-Assist community forum
- Moped Army
- Trans-Port-Station
- Myron's Mopeds
- Electric Bicycle Laws (wiki)
- Motorized Bicycle (wiki)
- Electric Bicycle Laws (lawGuru wiki)
- Electric Bicycle Laws (Answers.com)
- Electric Vehicles Directory (wiki)
- Santa Cruz County Electric Bike prorgram
- Electric Vehicle Conversio(with Calif section)(wiki)
- Air-Powered-Vehicles community forum

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Wright Bothers

"NOVA: Wright Brothers Flying Machine", bicycling into the sky...
(57 minutes)



Video Description:

The challenge of rebuilding the Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine. Orville and Wilbur Wright were remarkable inventors, mechanics, risk-takers, and visionaries. They designed and built their own wings, steering devices, engines, and wind tunnel. But just how did they construct such an impressive flying machine? It takes a team of modern pilots, builders, aviation experts, and historians joined together to retrace, rebuild and re-fly planes built to the specifications developed by the Wright Brothers a century ago. Vivid footage captures both the Wrights’ own historic flights and the team’s attempt to fly an authentically recreated Wright “Model B.” As modern computer technology meets dusty artifacts, the Wrights’ aviation secrets emerge from the past and seem more impressive than ever. Discover how the Wright Brothers transformed themselves from bicycle mechanics to high-flying inventors who built a machine that changed the world during a mythical flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903, and see how they contrived to refine their incredible aircraft. For more great science stories, tune in weekly to NOVA on your local PBS station.

Critical Mass San Paulo

Video from Critical Mass San Paulo, Brazil, August 2006.

Note: Includes clips of a Pedestrian critical mass, seen on the crosswalk.



Video below(via Google video) is the same as video above.

Ebikes in California

Note from the Author of this post: This post is an analysis of the California Vehicle Code that applies to ebikes, and some other bikes, trikes, and quadricycles, in the light wieght category. It is a work in progress, and your comments and feedback are encouraged. You may post comments "anonymously" if you like. Thank you.

According to the California Vehicle Code 407 (CVC 407), a 3 and 4 wheeled vehicle, used by a senior citizen or person with a disability, is allowed to use these vehicles.

And these vehicles can have a top speed of.... 30 miles per hour.

407. A "motorized quadricycle" is a four-wheeled device, and a "motorized tricycle" is a three-wheeled device, designed to carry not more than two persons, including the driver, and having either an electric motor or a motor with an automatic transmission developing less than two gross brake horsepower and capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level ground. The device shall be utilized only by a person who by reason of physical disability is otherwise unable to move about as a pedestrian or by a senior citizen as defined in Section 13000.


These devices, apparently, can have en electric or gas, or whatever power source they so choose, as long as it has an "automatic transmission" and has less than a two horse power engine. The electric motor is not required to have an "automatic transmission" according to 407 as you can see they distinguished an "electric motor" from other "motor" with the "or".

in CVC 405, they define a "motorcycle" that must have a pison driven engine, that displaces less than 150 cubic centimeters. I suppose that would exclude elctric motors which do not displace any cubic centimeters, or perhaps it would include any motorcycle, no matter the horse power of the engine. According to CVC 405, it is not specifically being described as a device or a vehicle.

<
405 A "motor-driven cycle" is any motorcycle with a motor that displaces less than 150 cubic centimeters. A motor-driven cycle does not include a motorized bicycle, as defined in Section 406.


In CVC 406(a), they say any 2 or 3 wheeled device or vehicle, [NOT four wheel, by the way(see 407)], can apparently have a motor of any size as long as it can not propel the device faster than 30 miles per hour, and has working pedals. If it has an electric motor, the motor can have a maximum of two horse power. And the electric powered devices can have pedals or not, as long as they are only capable of propelling the device up to a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour on level ground. It is unclear what the law would be if this device was a hybrid or had two electric motors.

For example, if there were two electric motors on the "device", would the horse power of each be added together for a grand total, or would they be looked at individually, to determine "a motor which produces less than 2 gross brake horse power"?

406(a) A "motorized bicycle" or "moped" is any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power, or having no pedals if powered solely by electrical energy, and an automatic transmission and a motor which produces less than 2 gross brake horsepower and is capable of propelling the device at a maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level ground.


CVC 406, continues with 406(b), which apparently defines an "electric bicycle", and out in the real world, commonly referred to as an ebike, as a a device with operational pedals, as 406(a) referenced, but with a maximum horse power, presumably, of 1.34 horsepower. I arrived at this number by taking the horsepower of one watt, which is ".00134102209", and multiplied it times 1000, to get the horsepower of 1000 watts.

Also, one horsepower equals 746 watts, so you can calculate the horsepower of 1000 watts by deviding the watts per one horsepower (746) by the maximum watts (1000) to get the horsepower of 1000 watts . For more info on calculating watts and horsepower, see: Motor Formulas

Presumably, CVC 406(a) applies to any elctric bicycle capable of a level ground speed 20-30 miles per hour(maximum level ground speed), and an electric motor with a maximum wattage of 1492 watts(2 horsepower). I arrived at the number by calculating the maximum horsepower (2) by the watts per horsepower (746). It is implied that ground speed excludes human power imput.

Presumably, in either case, CVC 406(a) and CVC 406(b), the device must have two or three wheels. If it is a four wheel device meeting all the other requirements, it does not apply, from my analysis of the code. The only exceptions I could find are in CVC 407, which provides for thier use only to "senior citizen's" and persons with "physical disablities". And even with the exception for these two classes of people, it appears to restrict their use to the same as a "pedestrian", which is defined in CVC 467

Thus far, I have been unable to find any low speed bicycle, either electric, or human power alone, in the CVC (Calif Vechicle Code) book, other than the 3 and 4 wheeled motorized devices for pedestrian use. Thus, it appears that 4 or more wheeled human powered or with electric power assist, are outside the current law in California.


Reletated Posts:
- CVC 406
- Ebike/E-Scooter Public Parking/Charging


Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- E-Motor-Assist community forum
- Moped Army
- Electric Bicycle Laws (wiki)
- Trans-Port-Station
- Myron's Mopeds
- Air-Powered-Vehicles community forum

Solar RC Plane

These are video clips of remote control solar powered electri airplanes.

Plane Taking Off.



Plane fly by's.



Plane Landing



Video Description:

Solar Powered UAV as Senior Design Project for UNLV, designed by myself (Louis Dube) and Corey Ohnstad.

Solar Airplane

"Helios Prototype" solar powered airplane in flight.

It is flying over Kauai, Hawaii, June 7, 2003., as part of the NASA Research. Home base is Dryden FLight Reasearch Center.

Big Green Gathering

Video Description:
Robin Fox in association with FoxRobin Productions presents "The Big Green Gathering" Filmed on location and produced by Robin Fox 2006

This Big Green Gatherin was in England, August 2-6, 2006.

Naked Bike Boulder

Video Clips from the World Naked Bike Ride, Boulder, Colorado, June 2006.

Naked Bike Chicago

Video clips from the World Naked Bike Ride, Chicago, IL, from rides in June 2004 and June 2005.

Naked Bike Portland

Video clips from the World Naked Bike Ride, Portland, Oregon, June 2006.

Naked Bike London

Video from the world Naked Bike (& Skate) Ride, London, England, June 2006.



Naked Bike Spain

Video from the World Naked bicycle Ride in Madrid Spain June 2005.


Video Description:

ciclonudista Madrid 2005. video-documental sobre la ciclonudista del 2005 en Madrid


World Naked Bicycle Ride, Madrid Spain June 2006.

Terrifyingly Gore-ish

From the creators of Futurama comes a terrifying message from Al Gore. An Inconvenient Truth is now playing in theaters.

Crazy Friday Night Skaters...

This video is clips from Friday Night skates in Hollywood, along Hollywood blvd, down some 9 story public parking garages, and in Santa Monica Along Main street.

They meet on Friday Nights at the Santa Monica PIer entrance. And sometimes they meet in Hollywood or downtown L.A. for some different urban terrain to explore and enjoy.

For more info, go to: www.fridaynightskate.org

BTW, the Friday Night Skaters will be having a their ten year aniversary in October 2006. Go to the website to get more details on the where, what, and when.



Here is a video clip from the London Friday Night Skates.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Friday Night Skates

The Friday Night Skate will be having it 10th year anniversary in October 2006. That is just a couple months away.

There is talk within the community of skaters and cyclists, to have a special event in honor of the their tenth year skating the streets of Santa Monica. They have an interest in joining with car free folks, peak oil folks, skateboarders, as well as skaters, and bicyclists, for a fest/party in the month of October.

That might include a special skate cycle ride, with great tunes, for the festive occasion. It might include some exhibitions of some trick skating and biking for the spectators. It might include some costuming up for the occasion. And, hey, it will be the time of Halloween (wink)(smile). It might include some kind of food, and drinks, to mark the occasion. Perhaps the critical mass and midnight ridazz would like to join the fun.

If you are interested in being involved, or knowing where and when this will take place (likely on of the Friday evenings in October) and where (probably Santa Monica, but it could be in Hollywood or ?), contact the Friday Night Skaters at their website or yahoogroup for more info.

Below is a video clip of the Friday Night Skate in Santa Monica, that was featured on Outdoor Live Network TV a few years ago.



Related Posts:
- Skating Santa Monica
- Critical Mass Origin(Midnight Rollers)
- We Are Traffic
- Hannah On Bikes
- Skating and Biking the 110 Freeway
- Skate Freeway

Recommended Links:
- Friday Night Skates (Santa Monica & Hollywood, CA)(forum)
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Car or Bike?

This is a motorcycle retrofitted into a exotic sport car, called T-Rex.

They are Made in Quebec, Canada. They are 900 pounds. They currently cost about $40,000 each. They get the fuel economy of a Toyota Corolla. These vehicles have the same licencing, registration, and equipment safety requirements as motorcycles do. Helmets must be worn, as with motorcycles.

Now can you imagine this thing with electric power train? EV.. Yeah Baby!

Here is an example of a motorcycle that was converted from gasoline to an electric motorcycle (LINK)





T-Rex Tire Burnowt



Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Solar Trikes

This is a video TV News report from "Fox 11" News, in the summer of 2006.

Larry Delfoose, car dealer, is interviewed with his. He keeps a few of his Solar Trikes at the car dealershop, "Integrity Auto", in Oskosh, Wisconson. He sell them for $3000. They can go 15-18 miles per hour and 10 miles per charge. Some can be set up to go as fast as 25 miles per hour. They take 6-8 hours per charge. They can be custom designed.
For more info, go to: www.solartrike.com



Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Bike Airbag

Below is a video demostrating a vest, being worn by a cyclist, which has a safet airbag built into it. The airbag deploys or blows up when the cyclist gets into a crash.

Is it possible, since laws have been put on the books, that cyclists must wear helmets, for motorcycles, and ebikes, and for all people 16 or under, that these same people may, one day in the future, be required to wear some sort of safety airbag vest, by law?

What do you think about that? Do you think it is possible or not. IF so, or not, why?



The video below is of a Zurich advertisement. In it there is a scene of a guy falling off a billboard while working. He accidently falls off the platform. He is wearing a special airbag suit that deplays as he is falling. Presumably the airbag slows down the speed of his fall in addition to cushioning his landing. He gets up and smiles at his fellow workers after he lands. The air in the bags releases after he lands.



Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Emanuel's Gift

Emmanuel's Gift (MOVIE TRAILER)(description below)



Video Description:

This true story will inspire and cause one to act unlike any other... a must see for not only every family, but every person who wishes to better themselves and pay respect to someone who changed the world...and become inspired to do anything they set their mind to. Rent, buy, and share this story today!
-Chris

EMMANUEL'S GIFT A feature documentary by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern. The true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a disabled athlete from Ghana Africa who rode a bicycle across his entire country with one leg. He became a national hero and has become a champion of the disabled for his country.


Related Posts:
- Amputees and Bikes

Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Different Bikes

Sometimes people just like their bikes to be a little different.

And this bike behaves a little different. Takes getting used to. Kind of like reading the from a book in a mirrored reverse

Looks like video clip was from a gathering of bicyclists. It might have been a prelim before a critical mass or midnight ridazz ride.

If you have more info on this bike, please let me know.



Video Description:

Sadly, Kirby's bike was born with a disability... a differential inside its head tube caused this bike to behave strangely. Only one man knew how to ride it.


Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Amputees and Bikes

In this NBC show, "My Name is Earl", there is a depiction of an amputee who rides a bicycle.

I suppose to ride a bicycle with one leg could be very possible, especially with the use of a pedal strap or cage to hold the foot on the pedal. It would probably be easiest if the brakes were hand brakes.



Related Posts:
- Emanual's Gift

Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Becoming Machine

A real life "Bionic Man" becoming one with his machine.



Related Posts:
- Cats and EVs

Think Different...



Related Posts:
- Rocket Boots
- Russian Power Boots
- Optimised Walking

Recommende Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Transportation Alternatives forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- Air Powered Vehicles community forum
- Power Skip
- Poweriser
- Stilt-Werks
- Powerizer Wiki

Monday, August 28, 2006

Elvis On Bikes

Elvis singing about the joy of riding a bike...

"heels on my Heels"

Cats and EVs

Even Cats are beginning to enjoy the mobility the electric vehicles provide.

Here is an example of a cat demonstrating her electric wheelchair of sorts.

She is kind of like a cat cyborg (smile)



Related Posts:
- Becoming Machine

Cat Power

An example of Cat Power (smile)



Video Description:
cat on a wheel by Richard Norton

Favorite Quotes

Some of my favorite Quotes from the Truist.

  • It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change. --Charles Darwin

  • Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. --Leo Tolstoy

  • One of the things I routinely tell people is that if it’s in the news, don’t worry about it. By definition, “news” means that it hardly ever happens. If a risk is in the news, then it’s probably not worth worrying about. When something is no longer reported – automobile deaths, domestic violence – when it’s so common that it’s not news, then you should start worrying. --Bruce Schneier

  • I have learned that it is the weak who are cruel, and that gentleness is to be expected only from the strong. --Leo Rosten

  • It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. --Albert Einstein

  • The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one’s time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all. --H. L. Mencken

  • Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. --Benjamin Franklin

  • Build a man a fire and you keep him warm for a day. Light a man on fire and you keep him warm for the rest of his life. --Slashdot .sig

  • Academics get paid for being clever, not for being right. --Donald Norman

  • You never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist’s office. --Bumper sticker

Motorists Stiffed Again

Well, transportation cyclists recognise many of the benifits of using a bicycle, sometimes along with public transit, can save them lots of money.

There is the savings in gas, parking, insurance, and often time.

The bicycle will be less expensive to repair.

And those guys driving cars, are getting rammed financially again, by auto repair shops, such as the auto repair chain, Jiffy Lube, as the investigative report below documents, by being billed for repair and maintanence services that are never being done.

Those costs can add up. And they can lead to even more damage and expense as a result of those repairs not being done in the first place.

Another reason for folks to consider alternative forms of transportation that are easier on the wallet, as well as their other benefits.

Those alternatives can include, bicycles, electric bicycles (ebike), and public transit, skating, walking/running, all of which can be a lower cost alternative.



And I conclude with a quote by Benjamin Franklin, "A Penny Saved, Is a Penny Earned". And in this case, you can save mulit thousands of pennies.

Related Posts:

Recommended Links:

Ebike Canada

These are some test ride videos on an ebike, electirc bicycle, possibly in Canada.

Note the bike has a Drain Brain mounted on the handle bars.



Mongoos Ebike Review

Mongoose Cruiser Electric Bike Review

Some footage about the electric bike, see the full blog review at http://teazo.blogspot.com/

Russian Power Boots


This is a Russian TV news report on the russian made "Power Boots", also known as "Seven League Boots", or "Quickwalker Boots", or "Saigak boots", which is the russian word for a kind of elk.

The boots were created by a russian scientist Viktor Gordeyev. Each boot includes a single diesel cylinder which is powered by diesel fuel.

The boots can also use biofuels, such as biodiesel, vegtable oil, SVO, waste vegtable oil (WVO).

The boots make it possible for the wearer to increase their running and walking speed up to 25 miles per hour or more.

The news report is in Russian language.



Related Posts:
- Rocket Boots
- Think Different
- Optimised Walking

Recommende Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- Air Powered Vehicles community forum

Sunday, August 27, 2006

New CSM! Image

Before Smart Cars...

Before the "Smart Car" and the "Sparrow", there was this...

Santa Monica Steps

For those that would like to see where some of the trendy Santa Monican's (and tourists from around the world) go for a little extreme walking workout, DJ Chris, in the video below, takes you along for his workout on the world famous Santa MOnica Steps with a little comic releif. (video and map below)


The Santa Monica Step(stairs) ar located near the corner of 4th street and Adelaide Drive. There are actually tow sets of steps, about 200 feet apart from eachother. The Western set of steps is a narrower set, with room for a maximum of two people to walk side by side comfortably. That set of steps is mostly cement steps with a bit of zig zaggin, and trees covering a good portion of them. That set of step is about 300 steps and the equivlent hieght of about a five story building.


The eastern set of steps is about the same height and number of steps, but perhaps a little shorter. That set of steps is much wider, with room for several people climb up and down side by side comfortably.

That eastern set of steps are mostly made of wood, and in some cases the wood is a bit warn out. Recommend caution of that set of steps.

If you are looking for the closest public bathroom of water fountain. Their is a small gas station at the bottom, up the street a couple hundred feet that may have a public accessable restroom, water, and small convenience store for drinks and other items. On the top side of the steps, the nearest public restrooms and water fountain is at the Palisades park, about a quarter mile south east of the steps.

Here is a Map of where the steps are located.(Google Map)



Related Posts:
- Santa Monica High School (SaMoHi) Parkour
- Ped Training (extreme style)
- Freestyle Walking
- Freestyle Peds(French-English captioning)

Santa Monica Critical Mass

Video from the May 2006 Santa Monica Critical Mass.



Related Posts:
- We Are Traffic
- Origin of Critical Mass
- Critical Mass San Paulo, Brazil
- Hannah on Bikes
- "Pedals" bicycle sound system workshop
- Bird's Eye tour of Santa Monica Beach Bike Path
- Skating Santa Monica beach Bike Path(documentary)
- Santa Monica Bicycle Workshop
- LifeCYCLE

Recommended Links:
- Santa Monica/West L.A./Venice critical mass community forum
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Santa Monica Bike Path

Taking a Bike Tour of the bike path from Hermosa to SAnta Monica, from a satelite, bird's eye view, with narration.



Video Description:

A tour of the bike path from Hermosa Beach to Santa Monica, using Google Earth.


Related Posts:
- Skating Santa Monica Bike Path

Biking Santa Monica Mountains



Film Maker's video Description:

"Mac, Dave and I bomb down the Sullivan Ridge singletrack in the Santa Monica Mountains, then the Sphincter Trail (aka Mule Trail) into ... all » Sullivan Canyon. I used a cheap lipstick cam, plugged into a Canon GL1 digital camcorder. The bike (before I busted the frame) was a Santa Cruz Heckler. Moozika by Sum 41 ("Grab the Devil by the Horns...")."

Taking a Swim

Taking a dip in the lake with their Kinetic Sculpture.

The human powered pedal bicycle rides on water, with a little pazzaz and creativity.

Swimming Kinetic Sculpture

Muddy Cruddy Award

Having some fun in the mud at the Kinetic Sculpture Race.

Kinetic Baltimore



The Magic Bus Kinetic Sculpture (Port Townsend Kinetic Sculpture Race)



Port Townsend Kinetic Sculpture Race Parade



Scardy Cat Kinetic Sculpture racer



Some Vintage Kinetic Sculpture Boulder footage, circ 2004.

Kinetic Sculptures 2006

Here are 3 videos from this years Kinetic Sclupture Races, from Arcata to Eureka, California, May 2006.

There are three videos, one for each day of the 3 day race.

Racers build vehicles which must only be powered by human power. They race over/in water, sand, dirt and paved roads, and finally through sloppy, and wet, mud, to get to the finish line.

They are judged, not only on ability to make it to the finish line, or speed at getting their. They are also judged on other things, like speed, art, engineering, mediocre, Best Bribe, Best Pit crew, Splash award, Most Improved, etc. See this years Award winners in action. (LINK)

If you have an interest in watching or participating in a race, as a driver, crew member, or pit crew member, there is another Kinetic Sculpture Race a little closer to Santa Monica, in Ventura Beach harbor in October 2005. For more info, see Kinetic Sculpture Race Ventura

Day 1



Day 2





Day 3


Bicycle Ferris Wheel

This is a video of a bicycle powered ferris wheel. Wheee!!!

Vintage Bicycle Tricks

This is a silent, short, black and white film of a guy doing bicycle tricks riding on a fixed gear bicycle, March 20, 1899 by Thomas Edison

Saturday, August 26, 2006

We Are Traffic

This is Part two, in a series of posts on the origins of "Critical Mass".

In This post we will examine the movie "We Aren't Blocking Traffic, We Are Traffic".(see it below)

This is the video by Ted White, titled "We Aren't Blocking Traffic, We Are Traffic". The story of the origins of "Critical Mass"

To be continued...



Film maker video description:

The beginnings of Critical Mass in San Francisco, the mayor Brown crackdown and the spread of the Critical Mass phenomenon. The beginnings of Critical Mass in San Francisco, the mayor Brown crackdown and the spread of the Critical Mass phenomenon.


Related Posts:
- Bicycling in the Rain (China)
- Shanghai Bicycles
- Bicycles China (music video)
- Electric Bikes China
- Car Free LA
- Skatin' The 110 Freeway (when cars were banned)
- Skatin' San Fran...
- Hannah On Bikes
- Midnight Ridazz (part 1)
- Midnight Ridazz (part 2)
- Santa Monica Bicycle Workshop (speaker - Ryan Snyder)

Recommended Links:
- Santa-Monica/West-L.A./Venice critical mass community forum

Critical Mass Origin

This is the first, in a series of reports on the origin of "Critical Mass".

(Note: Also see video documentary, related posts, and recommended links at bottom of post)

Many of you probably think the origin of "critical mass" was on a Friday evening in 1992, when a bunch of cyclists gathered in the Financial District of San Francisoc, near the Ferry building. And that is what many "Critical Mass" historians say in thier interviews in "We Aren't Blocking Traffic, We Are Traffic".

Perhaps, it started on Thursday night, sometime after the big 1989 earthquake in San Francisco happenned, and knocked down the Embarcadaro Freeway.

David Miles, one of the original participants in the impromptu massing of skaters on the top of the Embarcadaro freeway, after it was closed to traffic, due to the earthquake, says that skaters began gathering on the freeway, to skate together. They started out with about 20 skaters, and grew to hundreds of skaters. They changed the meet up to Friday evenings, to be after work on the end of th work week, and began meeting at the Ferry building around 1991 or so. There crowds of skaters continued to grow to over a thousand a month. They would skate a loop around San Francisco for seven plus miles, and end up at a place to drink eat and party the night away. You can here him tell this story in the video documentary down below.

In 1992, cyclists began to organize mass rides, with meet up at the ferry building on the last Friday of the month, in San Francisco.

Perhaps, It was mass of partying skaters in Sanf Francisco, meeting on Fridays evening at the Ferry Building, and blazed the way, raised the spirit of the hearts of cyclists and other people in San Francisco, which spread through out the world.

And perhaps, it was this mass of skaters that inspired the San Francisco, and Bay area cyclists, to form a mass and party ride of their own.

And perhapsin what we now refer to as critical mass on Friday evenings, was catalyst from those skaters affectionately known as the Midnight Skaters or Midnight rollers, and through out the world, is now known as the "Friday Night Skate", which now happens in cities all of over the world, including in Los Angeles.(I will talk more about the LA Friday Night Skate later)

This inspiration of the cyclists, of which many skaters are also cyclists, through media attention, experiencing the spirit of the Friday night Skaters, on skates and bicycles, may be what gave birth to that the spirit of "critical mass".

[Video Below is a Documentary on the Midnight Rollers - filmed in early 1990's. Includes interview with David G. Miles Jr, one of the founding members of Friday Night Skate.]



To Be Continued... (see Part 2 (We Are Traffic)

Related Posts:
- Car Free LA
- Skatin' The 110 Freeway (when cars were banned)
- Skatin' San Fran...
- Hannah On Bikes
- Midnight Ridazz (part 1)
- Midnight Ridazz (part 2)
- Santa Monica Bicycle Workshop (speaker - Ryan Snyder)

Recommended Links:
- Friday Night Skates (Santa Monica and Hollywood)
- California Outdoor Rollerskating Association(CORA)
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Skating Santa Monica

Dana and Amber take you on journey skating the World Famous Santa Monica Bicycle, Skate path(AKA Santa Monica Bike Path(about 17 miles along the Santa Monica Bay beaches, in Los Angeles County)

This documentary includes, views of some of the bike path hotspots. It includes a guest appearance of the the glittery local Skating teacher performer Debbie Merril, interviews(and a little flirting) with a California State Lifeguard, an interview with an Arlington West Memorial representative(see short documentary on Arlington West Memorial Santa Barbara), pass by of Ashes and Snow exhibit, Muscle Beach, Venice Beach boardwalk, Marina Del Rey, Play Del Rey, Dockweiler beach, LAX, El Porto Beach, surfing in Manhattan Beach, interview with O.T.S. roundhouse Aquarium rep, Hermosa beach, and more, ending their adventure along the bike trail at the Redondo Beach Pier.

To see other films by this film maker, go to: www.turnhere.com

Related Posts:
- Friday Night Skates
- Skating...110 Freeway(when cars were banned)
- Women Inline Skating
- Skating San Francisco
- Origin of Critical Mass
- Bird's Eye Tour 0f Santa Monica Beach Bike Path(Hermosa-Santa Monica)
- CarLess Santa Monica video news report
- "Man Motoring on Hybrid Bike" video news repor

Recommended Links:
- Santa Monica/LA Friday Night Skates(a community skate/ride)
- Santa-Monica/West-L.A./Venice critical mass community forum
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum

Wandering Wheels

(click on pictures to enlarge)

This group, calling themselves, "Wandering Wheels", whom plan and conduct bicycle and scooter tours across the United States(and beyond), have an affinity for starting their tours in Southern California. There most recent Motor ScooterTrip started in Santa Monica. It was a three (3) week tour(June 16 - July 7, 2006), coast to coast, zigzaging across some of the most pictureque places of the United States, before ending the trip in Murtle Beach, South Carolina.

The tour operators arrange lodging, which include campgrounds, motels, and churches. The tour fee includes all the breakfasts, and other scattered meals throughout the tour.

From what I gathered, by looking at the tour costs from their website, the trips cost roughly between $500-1100 per week. And that the tours/trips include all lodging, many or most meels, and other support. Personal spending money, and bicycle and scooter repair is available, but is extra, at a fair cost for parts and labor.

They also do bicycle tours through Florida, Ontario Canada, a tour they dubbed "Fall Breakaway"(through Kentucky and Indiana and a special China tour(next one scheduled for sometime in October 2006) by bike.

Comment about the scooter tour, which the call the "Motor Scooter Trip". The scooter must be 50cc or less, to be "in the spirit of the Motor Scooter Trip". The recommend the Kymco. Well, Here is exactly what they say regarding the type of scooters used on the trip:

"Wheels’ scooter of choice has been the 50cc KYMCO. It cruises at 45 miles an hour. The wheelbase of any scooter you decide to ride is critical concerning trailer space for transporting it to the Pacific Coast and back from the Atlantic Coast. The spirit of the coast-to-coast scooter trip is to use a 50cc scooter. Anything bigger must be cleared with Wheels."
For more information about them, tour dates, costs, etc. Check out their website: www.wanderingwheels.org

Related Posts:
Westside Scooter Club

Friday, August 25, 2006

Stokemonkey

Video of a bicycle with a "Stokemonkey"(AKA Clever Chimp) electric motor assist hauling a passenger.(see video clip below of a Stokemonkey power assist kit being used to haul a 170 pound passenger(Thanks Google Video)

"Electric assist bicycle hauls a 170-lb passenger on a winter day on a path in Madison, WI"




Stokemonkey video:
"One mom, two kids, four bags of groceries, no car"





Link to: Stokemonkey Human Electric Hybrid Drive(not spokemonkey

Believe The Hype

In The August, 24, 2006 issue of the Santa Monica Daily Press (source PDF), there was a front page color photo(see picture on right, click to enlarge).

The Title for the picture read "Scootin' along".

The description of the picture read,

"Six Models from the Do It Outdoors marketing group ride blue electric scooters down Seaside Terrace in Santa Monica as part of an Intel marketing campaign called "Believe the Hype." The scooter can hold an eight-hour charge and an average of 30 miles per hour."
They look a little like EVT electric scooters or Geely electric scooters. Any ideas who the manufacturer and brand is?

And regarding going 30 miles per hour for 8 hours. There has got to be a typo with that, if they are electric scooters. 30 miles per hour for 8 hours would give them a range of 240 miles. Perhaps they meant it takes eight hours to charge and they can go a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour.

I guess part of the hype is in what these electric scooters are claimed to be able to do. Or perhaps those claims are part of the marketing ploy of the guys at "Do It Outdoors".

Here is a blog report on a media event held by Intel on their "Believe the Hype" debut.

Well, it was kind of nice to see more electric scooter, spiffy and shiny, rolling the streets of Santa Monica.

Hmm, wonder what intel has planned for those scooter after they are finished using them for the campaign (smile)

Related Posts:
- Electric Scooter, electric bicycle (ebike) public charging station
- Electric Scooter 1
- Electric Scooter 2
- Electric Scooter Close up

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Ebike Drag Race

Video of an electric motorcycle doing a burnout at a drag strip.



E-Scooter Critical Mass

This is a video of an electric scooter ride, a la "critical mass" style, in the land where 'mass started, San Francisco.

Note, the guy driving the white scooter is "DeafScooter", the infamous electric scooter modifications guru, Craig Uyeda, who winds his own electric motors, and does other modifications to scooters so they can go up to 65 miles per hour. He modifies the brakes, suspension, tires, and other parts so that they are a bit safer at those higher speeds.



Film Maker's Video Description:

electric scooter gathering in san francisco 2002.
A little music video i put together of a gathering of electric scooter enthusiasts in san francisco in the summer of 2002. a good time was had by all.


Related Posts:
San Francisco Green Machines

Folding Ebike

How to fold your ULYZ electric bicycle ? Comment plier votre vélo électrique ULYZ?




Video Description:
A short video to explain how to fold your Ulyz bike. Une courte vidéo expliquant comment plier votre vélo électrique ULYZ.

Ebike The Rainforest




Video Description:

A dirt Ebike ride to the rainforest and down to the Maui Ritz. A 11 mile round trip on electric bicycle(bike) on 6 ah of battery power



Video Description:
45 mph eBike. 3 miles in 4 minutes of a 20 mile video using a total of 6 amp hours of battery power on the whole trip.
Courtesy of EcycleMaui


Video Description:
Riding Ecycle in "Cycle To The Sun" bicycle race up Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii.
See the story on EV World.


Also, see video of "Blowout at 40 miles per hour on ebike, Coming down Haleakala Volcano, Hawaii"(Video Link)

Here is a very interesting story on his ebike(Source):

Solar-powered electric bikes
Clean, affordable energy for everyone
Randy Draper – inventor
By Jan Welda-Fleetham


Reliable, efficient, affordable – all these words could be used to describe longtime Napili resident Randy Draper’s new invention – a simple, long–lasting solar powered electric motor attached to an ordinary bike frame.

The bikes can go “up to 30 miles per hour, create no pollution, are totally silent, can go up any hill, are simple to repair, and the batteries can be recharged with energy from two things we have an abundance of here on Maui – sun and wind,” Randy explained.

I visited his workshop in his home in Napili recently, where he showed me the solar panels and windmill he had set up on his roof about sixteen years ago, and said he has saved over $200 a month on his electricity bill ever since then. At the time, it cost him about $3,000 to get the system fully operating, but he says “it would be cheaper now because some of the components cost less.”

He said he’s “always wanted to do something with electricity,” and in 1993 made an electric motor, which he had patented as an “electric submersible motor,” and used it on a fiberglass kayak that he sailed to Lana‘i and back.

It’s quite an experience just talking with Randy Draper; he leaps rapidly from one subject to the next with amazing speed. His workshop is filled with hundreds of projects, thousands of components, reminding me of descriptions of Thomas Edison’s, bursting with creative ideas and inventions.

Randy says he grew up playing with nuts and bolts; his father was an electronics engineer who made the first starter motors for Boeing’s jet aircraft engines; he later developed guidance systems for the aerospace program while working at Vandenburg Air Force Base in California.

His grandfather owned a bike shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, and later a washing machine and lawnmower repair shop in Provo, Utah; every summer the family would visit, where Randy developed his interest electronics and mechanics.

He says that when he was in seventh grade, he built an electric motor with thread, spools, magnets and wire, for a science fair that was held at his junior high school in Redondo Beach, California. The teacher was so impressed that he asked Randy if he could keep it, and used it for years after that to show to his other students.

Last month Randy had the opportunity to make a bicycle for Maui’s annual Cycle to the Sun, a race billed as the world’s steepest, climbing nonstop from sea level to the very top of Haleakala.

He started building the bike about a week before the race, in between his job as a boat captain on Hawai‘i Ocean Raftings’ snorkeling cruises to Lana‘i, and ferrying Navy personnel to and from their ship near Lahaina. He says “I didn’t sleep for the last 48 hours, didn’t even get a chance to try out the bike or the batteries, but it worked out perfect.”

You can visit www.evworld.com/databases/storybuilder.cfm?storyid=562 to read the article written about it for EV World Magazine.

This article generated an enormous amount of interest in his invention; he’s gotten email from people in Germany, China, New Zealand, etc., and has been corresponding with representatives of several major battery and bicycle manufacturers in the United States about mass producing these bikes for worldwide distribution.

A company called New Energy Electric, in particular, whose co–founders are Carroll Shelby and Lee Eastman, has offered their Lithium/Ion battery technology (as used in the electric Shelby Cobra automobile) is very interested in working with him on these innovative bicycles.

Randy says he could have “a million bikes manufactured in a year or so” if he had the orders for them.

“The ideal situation would be a series of juice stands or snack shops in various locations here on Maui that would be refueling stations with solar panels and windmills on top of the buildings, where you could rent, lease or buy an electric bike.

“You could go to one in, say, Hana, rent a bike and ride to ‘Ulupalakua, trade your battery for a fully charged one, ride to Pa‘ia, Kihei, Lahaina, wherever you wanted to go,” Randy continued.

Retail price would be about $1,000, with an additional $200 a year for batteries. Randy says they would be ideal for ecotours, and that private ranches could purchase them for their employees to use; they could go places that most other vehicles wouldn’t have access to.

So, all in all, this seems like one of those ideas “whose time has come.” If you’d like to talk with Randy, you can call him at 669–7776, or email him at SolarCraft@webtv.net. You can also visit www.EV–Motors.com or www.pleiades–enterprises.com for more information.

“What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible.” – Theodore Roethke

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Wind Power

These Danish Wind electric power generators are huge. There electric generator compartments are the size of a 40 passenger schoobus. The turbing blades have a span of the size of a football field. The turbin generator sits atop aam, that is several stories high.

One of these Hull wind energy turbines can generate enough electricity for more than 750 homes.




Video Description:
"...windmills of the Bangui Wind Farm in Pagudpud."

Dutch Windmil.


Assembling these large dannish wind energy electricity genertors requires very large cranes.


Video Description:
Today, under perfect weather, we watched as all three blades for the newest Wind Turbine in Hull, MA
were installed. It took one hour per blade, just as the Vespas installers told us. Rain moved in after the task was completed.




Video Description:
"This clip shows the construction of a 10Mw wind turbine park in the State of Idaho"

The video below illustrates how huge these dannish wind energy electricity generators are.

Video Description:
A closer look at the installation of the 2. Wind Turbine for Hull, MA. A visit on Sunday, Thursday and lifting of first blade."

Mayors Talking Bike

City Mayors talking "bike".

Well, some do. (wink)(smile)


Video Description:

"Mayor Abramson (Mayor of Louisville Kentucky) promotes cycling in one of the USA's "most bike friendly cities." talks about having a bike summit to improve bicycling conditions.


Memorial Day Bike ride Louisville Kentucky

Dutch Cycling

This video is of rush hour in Amsterdam. A Bunch of bicyclists going to work.

Notice how much background noise you can hear. You can even hear the birds chirping, and the water flowing down the river.


Mini Transportation

In the future, perhaps we will move goods to peopl using mini transport.

Why transport heavy humans(drivers) when the goal is to transport the goods.

These videos demonstrate how remote controlled, mini and micro electric vehicles, can move very fast, at a fraction of the cost of energy, of a car, even a bicycle with human passenger.

Vehicles can be adapted for various weights and for carrying various amounts of cargo.

And as you can see in the last two videos, these RC cars can travel very fast, upwards of over 30 miles per hour in this case. And they sometimes weigh less than a few pounds.

When you need to go to the store, why lug around your heavy body, car, or bike? Just send your little electric Remote control car instead.

Strap a video camera phone to your little RC car. Attach a small lite weight trailer to it, and send it on its way. And while at it you can drive it to the store, talk to the clerk, via your cell phone with rc control.

The little car can reach speeds of 65 miles per hour, at a fraction of the energy of driving any other vehicle known. And because its not having to carry the weight of a human body of a couple hundred pounds, its more nimble and efficient getting to the store and back.

Now, the issue will be... Do you have to have a drivers license if you drive your un manned vehicle to the store? (wink)(smile)

This may be the way many of us doing our local shopping in the future.

It may be the way much of our business is done in the future.

Next thing, you'll need to give your little electric car/robot signing privileges on your VISA card.



Video Description:

just taped a camera phone to a very fast electric rc car. (14T modified corally competition motor) goes up to 60MPH on pavement. no part ... all » of this movie has been accelerated.Thee speed you see is true. RC car Radio Control Indoor drift schumacher mission




Smart Parking Small Cars

Smart Parking policies for small cars, and other small vehicles.

Optimized Walking

This is a video of someone walking, running, jogging, jumping, while wearing the PowerSkip boots.

IT allows for a much faster walk by giving a spring to your walk in addition to increasing the distance of your stride between steps, with minimal increased effort.


Related Posts:
- Rocket Boots
- Russian Power Boots


Recommende Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Transportation Alternatives forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- Air Powered Vehicles community forum

Rocket Boots

"a device that will allow one to run at 25 miles per hour and take strides of 12 feet. They're basically a small diesel engine on your foot, and they only take 40 grams of fuel per 12 kilometers."

"Quickwalker boots (they're also called Saigak boots after a type of antelope)."


Read what the Russians have to say about the Power Boots (link).

Continued below...





This video is of a guy test (driving?) running in a pair of russian made "rocket boots". They were a cold war era secret defence department development project, that was released when the USSR went defunct.

These rocket boots are a prosthetice worn around the lower part of both legs and feet.

There is a single diesel fueled cylinder on the side of each boot. The cylinder piston compresses when the wearer presses down on the ground with their foot.

When the compression reaches a critical point, the diesel fuel combusts and pushes the pison down. This propels the wearer up. when walking, and not running, there is just a spring/air load that gives the wearer a slight springing gait.

These rocket boots can more than double the distance the wearer can jump on each foot when running.

This can more than double the speed the wearer can achieve with less energy output and lower number of steps per minute.

Related Posts:
- Russian Power Boots
- Think Different
- Optimised Walking

Recommended Links:
- Cycle Santa Monica! community forum
- Air Powered Vehicles community forum
- Transportation Alternatives forum
- Power-Assist community forum
- Saghat Power Boots
- Souped Up Pedestrian
- Power Skip
- Poweriser
- Stilt-Werks
- Powerizer Wiki