Screw you CFS and FAI, I’m building an electric bike!

Two things conspired in 2010 to finally push me off my bicycle for good.

1) My right hip continues to slide downhill. While I had surgery on it back in 2006, it wasn’t enough and the hip is having arthritis again. Bicycling makes it sore, pop funny, and occasionally stabby.
2) Having my heart rate hit 110 or above for more than 5 minutes kicks in my chronic fatigue syndrome and I feel like crap an hour later for 3-24 hours depending on how long my heart rate is elevated. More here if you are interested: http://www.cfids.org/cfidslink/2007/030704.asp.

But I love two wheeled vehicles. I can’t remember when I rode my first bicycle, but I remember my first moped ride very clearly. It was David (blank)’s moped and it looked a little like this:

I was 14 (legal age was 16) and heck it was a lot of fun. I had taken an interest in small engine repair when I was 12 or so and hated shoveling. We had an old snowblower that my father hadn’t fixed because he would send me out to shovel. I learned to like earplugs, small engine repair, and running a snowblower far more fun than shoveling. My history coaxing life into small motors was traded for being able to frequently borrow the moped. Another friend also bought one so I often had access to one during high school.

But mopeds sort of suck. They are really heavy so most of the power is spent moving the frame around. Not to mention the Moped Hunch (TM). I’m 6’4″ and mopeds aren’t really customizable.

Ow. Look at that posture!

Soooo….

I have a bicycle I can no longer ride, the desire for another ridiculous project since my lathe now works again, and we just finished a release at work so I have a little free time to mess with.

Time to take this beauty and make it pedal itself.