The Photo Thread

[Tilmann]

Alpine eWheeling Picture Dump

Every alpine town or village has it's "Hausberg" (house mountain). That's where the local kids learn to appreciate looking at the world from high above, train bob sled and ski. Hausberg of my present place of work, Villach, Austria, is the Dobratsch. That's this guy:

2190m / 7185ft high and subject to one of the biggest rock slides in recorded history:

 

Ok, that was in the year 1348 and the temporary lake it caused is long gone, but the scars in the mountain side are still very present. Needless to say, I wanted to go up there and take a close look. Being an EUC addict, taking the car or - heaven forbid - hiking was out of the question. So I charged my trusty Msuper to the brim and chased it skyward:

Yes, I made it to the spectators platform at the site of the rock slide and could enjoy spectacular views:

But, that's where it ended. After a mere 15km ride and some 950m altitude gain, my huuuuge 820Wh battery had dreadful 17% left and the mountain top remained a distant dream. Ad insult to injury: after a nice downhill ride, it was back to 43% 

My new years resolutions to refrain from buying another GotWay until they got their QC act together, survived almost 24h after this devastating experience, and there I was chatting away with my EUC drug dealer of choice (www.electro-sport.de) about a non-bugeted-for-emergency-purchase of a wheel with the appropriate Oooomph for the environment at my new doorstep. Seconds later, I was battling PayPal to send a sizable chunk of money "to a friend".

My girlfriend briefly considered divorce, when this cute package arrived two days later in my absence:

     

With no chance for even the tiniest trial run, my shiny new 2400Wh GW Monster and I premiered in Paris at the 230+ EUC group ride through town. Great fun, but not much of a challenge for the Monster. So:

Tadaaaa - 83% battery left! Dobratsch, here I come!

Yet again, I had to turn around somewhat short of the very top. This time, it wasn't the wheel's fault, but the path turned really ugly and the signs left little doubt, I wasn't supposed to be here:

After all, the views from up there left me with an inkling, there could be another mountain or two around, which are worth conquering, too:

Dobratsch is entirely Austrian, the mountain ridge in the distance spans Slovenia and Italy. All 3 borders meet at a peek in between: Tromeja! And the plan for today was born 

To make a 70km / 1500m altitude story short: https://www.relive.cc/view/1221101970

And here are some impressions from along the way:

The incline was pretty brutal: over 1000m altitude gain in about 5km ride. Mostly squeeze-your-thighs-and-push-it-upwards steep. Two stretches with about 300m altitude incline with no chance to stop for a cool down. WheelLog showed 74°C peak. If there ever was a situation to blow some MOSFETs or fry some connectors - this was it. But, accompanied by the reassuring humming of the fans, the Monster made it up there without even beeping at me. And it proudly displayed 61% battery at the top (42% when back home).

Stupid me, with my newly acquired over confidence in battery life, I forgot (again!) to bring the charge cable for my phone. So, no evidence of the slightly longer ride home (navigating with a dead phone does that).

My verdict after 1 week and 150km of Monster riding: I positively love that beast! Finally a transport, where my battery runs out way before the wheel's does 

Minor downsides: Yes, it is as clunky and as heavy as it looks. I don't want to carry that thing a mere meter. The stock (ACM-style) pedals don't allow mastering steep inclines (up or down) by simple pedal pressure - you have to clench the shell between your thighs and push it up or pull back to manage speed downhill. After a mile of doing that, it turns into an endurance workout. Will try Msuper pedals next and probably mount a bigger plate on top.

With the many serpentine turns I've been doing, I noticed a distinct pedal drop on right turns and raised pedals with left turns. A bit irritating at first, but well manageable after getting used to it.

But all that is penny-picking. Bottom line: it's a phenomenal wheel. Period.

 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Tilmann

[Marty Backe]

4 hours ago, Tilmann said:

Alpine eWheeling Picture Dump

Every alpine town or village has it's "Hausberg" (house mountain). That's where the local kids learn to appreciate looking at the world from high above, train bob sled and ski. Hausberg of my present place of work, Villach, Austria, is the Dobratsch. That's this guy:

2190m / 7185ft high and subject to one of the biggest rock slides in recorded history:

 

Ok, that was in the year 1348 and the temporary lake it caused is long gone, but the scars in the mountain side are still very present. Needless to say, I wanted to go up there and take a close look. Being an EUC addict, taking the car or - heaven forbid - hiking was out of the question. So I charged my trusty Msuper to the brim and chased it skyward:

Yes, I made it to the spectators platform at the site of the rock slide and could enjoy spectacular views:

But, that's where it ended. After a mere 15km ride and some 950m altitude gain, my huuuuge 820Wh battery had dreadful 17% left and the mountain top remained a distant dream. Ad insult to injury: after a nice downhill ride, it was back to 43% 

My new years resolutions to refrain from buying another GotWay until they got their QC act together, survived almost 24h after this devastating experience, and there I was chatting away with my EUC drug dealer of choice (www.electro-sport.de) about a non-bugeted-for-emergency-purchase of a wheel with the appropriate Oooomph for the environment at my new doorstep. Seconds later, I was battling PayPal to send a sizable chunk of money "to a friend".

My girlfriend briefly considered divorce, when this cute package arrived two days later in my absence:

     

With no chance for even the tiniest trial run, my shiny new 2400Wh GW Monster and I premiered in Paris at the 230+ EUC group ride through town. Great fun, but not much of a challenge for the Monster. So:

Tadaaaa - 83% battery left! Drobatsch, here I come!

Yet again, I had to turn around somewhat short of the very top. This time, it wasn't the wheel's fault, but the path turned really ugly and the signs left little doubt, I wasn't supposed to be here:

After all, the views from up there left me with an inkling, there could be another mountain or two around, which are worth conquering, too:

Drobatsch is entirely Austrian, the mountain ridge in the distance spans Slovenia and Italy. All 3 borders meet at a peek in between: Tromeja! And the plan for today was born 

To make a 70km / 1500m altitude story short: https://www.relive.cc/view/1221101970

And here are some impressions from along the way:

The incline was pretty brutal: over 1000m altitude gain in about 5km ride. Mostly squeeze-your-thighs-and-push-it-upwards steep. Two stretches with about 300m altitude incline with no chance to stop for a cool down. WheelLog showed 74°C peak. If there ever was a situation to blow some MOSFETs or fry some connectors - this was it. But, accompanied by the reassuring humming of the fans, the Monster made it up there without even beeping at me. And it proudly displayed 61% battery at the top (42% when back home).

Stupid me, with my newly acquired over confidence in battery life, I forgot (again!) to bring the charge cable for my phone. So, no evidence of the slightly longer ride home (navigating with a dead phone does that).

My verdict after 1 week and 150km of Monster riding: I positively love that beast! Finally a transport, where my battery runs out way before the wheel's does 

Minor downsides: Yes, it is as clunky and as heavy as it looks. I don't want to carry that thing a mere meter. The stock (ACM-style) pedals don't allow mastering steep inclines (up or down) by simple pedal pressure - you have to clench the shell between your thighs and push it up or pull back to manage speed downhill. After a mile of doing that, it turns into an endurance workout. Will try Msuper pedals next and probably mount a bigger plate on top.

With the many serpentine turns I've been doing, I noticed a distinct pedal drop on right turns and raised pedals with left turns. A bit irritating at first, but well manageable after getting used to it.

But all that is penny-picking. Bottom line: it's a phenomenal wheel. Period.

 

This is so funny, and an enjoyable read. Did I miss the announcement  I didn't know that you were going to buy a Monster. Congratulations .

We have a couple of local Monster riders who now use the seat a lot. And this is counter-intuitive, but I can assure you that it's true, the Monster screams up hills effortlessly when seated. And the faster the Monster moves when going up hill, the cooler it actually runs. And I'm talking steep mountain trails. It's very impressive to see a Monster fly by you as you're riding an ACM up a steep trail.

So I would seriously look into buying the seat and learning how to ride it seated. 

[Bob Eisenman]

5 hours ago, Tilmann said:

my present place of work, Villach, Austria, is the Dobratsch. That's this guy

I played a game of online chess recently with 'a guy' from Vienna. He won... I lost over thirty rank points (a great slide for me) and he took over the rank I held , not playing any games since January. There's more to those Austrian Alps than guys on bikes and snow gear. No really... My chess game isn't really that strong, I resigned from the 10 minute 'blitz' match when I realized I was down two bishops and two pawns. ????

https://www.chess.com/live/game/2322784117?username=bpl10553

 

 

Edited October 9, 2017 by Bob Eisenman
addition of content

[Bob Eisenman]

6 hours ago, Tilmann said:

 

To make a 70km / 1500m altitude story short: https://www.relive.cc/view/1221101970

And here are some impressions from along the way:

Very cool to watch!

[Scatcat]

5 hours ago, Marty Backe said:

This is so funny, and an enjoyable read. Did I miss the announcement  I didn't know that you were going to buy a Monster. Congratulations .

We have a couple of local Monster riders who now use the seat a lot. And this is counter-intuitive, but I can assure you that it's true, the Monster screams up hills effortlessly when seated. And the faster the Monster moves when going up hill, the cooler it actually runs. And I'm talking steep mountain trails. It's very impressive to see a Monster fly by you as you're riding an ACM up a steep trail.

So I would seriously look into buying the seat and learning how to ride it seated. 

Getting over 70°C I would get worried. But I do find the thing very impressive. I was out with my friend Stefan Eekenulv, who rides a Monster a couple of weeks ago. We did an afterwork ride, and I noted that he could get his wheel to give the lie to that 1600W is too little for such a big wheel. He accelerated just as fast as me, and while I didn't really push it, I by no means did the slouch thing either.

[Marty Backe]

11 hours ago, Scatcat said:

Getting over 70°C I would get worried. But I do find the thing very impressive. I was out with my friend Stefan Eekenulv, who rides a Monster a couple of weeks ago. We did an afterwork ride, and I noted that he could get his wheel to give the lie to that 1600W is too little for such a big wheel. He accelerated just as fast as me, and while I didn't really push it, I by no means did the slouch thing either.

Gotway wheels overheat at 79 degrees. I've ridden them all in the high 60's, low 70's with no problems.

[meepmeepmayer]

Marty is right, if there's one thing the Gotways DON'T easily do, it's overheating. Maybe someone confused this with Kingsong

[YoshiSkySun]

#Ciclavia2017#CityOfAngels#BeWaterMyFriend

[Rehab1]

My grandson will like the fact that even Alex scraps up his NB. Clear sign of practicing for perfection.

 

Edited October 10, 2017 by Rehab1

[Tilmann]

Update: The Monster Inside

After some fierce abuse, beating my poor Monster up the mountain sides (pls see my "Alpine Picture Dump" a few posts above), I inspected the inside for melting wires, burnt connectors, discolored sleeves or any sign of stress. Happy to report: Nada! Njet!! Nothing!!!    Thumbs up, GotWay, I am positively surprised       

Edited October 10, 2017 by Tilmann

[Demian B]

This is sweet, sweet news and it warms my heart!

[Rehab1]

 

@YoshiSkySun Great photo!

Watch it! Bruce looks a bit pissed off.

 

Edited October 11, 2017 by Rehab1

[Christoph Zens]

On 8.10.2017 at 10:00 PM, Tilmann said:

Yes, I made it to the spectators platform at the site of the rock slide and could enjoy spectacular views:

Great place! Be careful though. Your new Monster may try to kill you with an unexpected move when you ride it close enough to the ridge.

Happened to someone in a car just now, at this very place:

http://www.gailtal-journal.at/chronik/auto-bei-roter-wand-in-die-tiefe-gestuerzt/57555/

[meepmeepmayer]

Ride from last Sunday. Cold (5°C or so), cloudy with the occasional drizzle, only around 55km range (extrapolated) from my 1300Wh ACM where I'd usually get 60km (10°C) or even 75km (25°C, and slower riding). Cold temperatures (and 30 km/h) really ruin battery power!

I started from home in the flat lands, and went South, following the Inn river into it's valley coming out of the Alps. Then back North to a friend's house.

Route (50km). Starts on top, goes down, then up again for the most part of the route.

Nice sand bank after 10 km or so. View is downriver (North).

Panorama. It's just a neat spot. On the dam, there's the bike path.

Path ahead. Mountains starting to get close.

Mountains started on both sides. The left mountain in the distance is a good reference where the following photos were made. Valley coming down in the middle.

A bit further.

Panorama at one of the many boat ramps along the way. You can nicely see the valley's path in the center.

Here I turned around. You can see that reference mountain on the left, to the North.

"100 years toll house bridge Erl, 1895-1995". The other side is Austria, as the river is the border for a bit, that explains the former toll facilities.

Looking North, on the way back, you can see the mountains ending and it getting flat again.

Not many photos, but maybe some nice impressions Cold weather and rain, and riding is still fun!

Edited October 12, 2017 by meepmeepmayer

[Bob Eisenman]

1 hour ago, meepmeepmayer said:

riding is still fun!

And when riding becomes not fun (in the winter) Munich ranks high for Alps skiing access by alternative (to the EUC ?) transportation modes:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/travel/2009/nov/07/skiiing-trip-based-in-munich

 

[Tilmann]

3 hours ago, Christoph Zens said:

Great place! Be careful though. Your new Monster may try to kill you with an unexpected move when you ride it close enough to the ridge.

Happened to someone in a car just now, at this very place:

http://www.gailtal-journal.at/chronik/auto-bei-roter-wand-in-die-tiefe-gestuerzt/57555/

Geez, poor guy! That's hard to explain. I don't recall any place along that road ("Villacher Alpenstrasse") where you can drive right up to the ridge of the rock slide. Pretty much all the way, there's a tree line between the road and the ridge. And car parking up there is on the other side of the road. 

Thanks for the link though 

[Brian Morris]

Tesla decked out and ready for work.

[meepmeepmayer]

Ride today afternoon... view from under a dark cloud towards the mountains in the distance.

And my ACM's new accessory... to match the area I'm riding in here (example picture)...

...a working cowbell!  Hoping it won't be too annoying

Edited October 12, 2017 by meepmeepmayer
grammar

[Tilmann]

33 minutes ago, meepmeepmayer said:

..a working cowbell! 

[meepmeepmayer]

How can you not want a cowbell on your wheel? I'll find out soon.

[Barry Chen]

Rockwheel GT16 just like a lonely excellent poet shine your eyes .

[meepmeepmayer]

There's a green one too!

[nute]

You have access to some lovely riding areas Simon. Guess you have no shortage of skiing opportunities in winter time too. Im very jealous!!!

[Acturbo]

I found me a lighthouse in NC.  I wouldn't say it was smart of me to ride in the 8" shoulder to get there but I made it none the less.  Pretty neat.  

[Pingouin]

Hi guys,

Here a some pics our little group tour, with @meepmeepmayer who came frome Germany to ride with us !