The Pedalshift Project: Bicycle Travel Adventures

It's international exploration time with two feet as we explore England! In the first part of this two-part series, I kick things off with a whirlwind visit to London, exploring Hyde Park, Regent's Park, and Camden Market in search of great music, vintage vinyl, and some proper curry chips. Along the way, I'm testing a new approach to beating jet lag, applying lessons from ultralight bike touring to international travel, and discovering the joys of exploring a new city with less planning and more winging it. Live Show - Friday 11/20 5pm PT, 8pm ET Quick housekeeping before we get going - we had so much fun in the last one it's time we did it again… a special Thanksgiving LIVE show Friday November 20 5pm PT, 8pm ET. It'll be the episode that drops on US Thanksgiving day so we'll definitely have some themage on that. Plus special returning guests… chat room… the works. Let's get ready for the holidays together! The Pedalshift Project 456: Exploring London London: Arrival and First Impressions Flying from Seattle to London and tackling an eight-hour time difference Testing the Timeshifter app to manage jet lag Heathrow Express to Paddington and the advantages of staying near the train station An evening walk through Hyde Park The curry chips side quest begins! Exploring London on Foot A surprisingly excellent fish-and-chips experience Discovering Sherlock Holmes at Baker Street Walking through Regent's Park and Queen Mary's Rose Garden Heading to Camden Market on a busy bank holiday A self-guided Britpop walking tour through Camden Music, Vinyl, and Camden Market Searching for rare '90s records The Stone Roses, The Beta Band, and the soundtrack to exploring London Crate digging and an unexpected score: eight vintage seven-inch singles for £20 The joys of discovering music in the places that helped shape it Ultralight Travel Beyond the Bike Applying bike touring and backpacking principles to international travel Navigating European airline carry-on size and weight restrictions A smaller roller bag, a versatile travel backpack, and merino wool clothing Packing light while leaving room for records and souvenirs Why flexibility matters when traveling between cities Onward to Bristol Taking the Great Western Railway from Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads First impressions of Bristol's industrial architecture and creative character Why Bristol's trip-hop scene inspired this visit Massive Attack, Portishead, and the city's musical legacy Planning a Banksy street art walk and more record shopping An unexpected discovery: Brompton bike rentals! Two full days of Bristol exploration ahead Coming in Part 2: More adventures in Bristol, exploring the city's music, street art, neighborhoods, and whatever unexpected discoveries come along the way.

After two episodes experimenting with electric-powered adventures on the Oregon coast, it's time to look at what worked, what could use some improvement, and what these experiences might mean for future ebike adventures. Live Show - Friday 11/20 5pm PT, 8pm ET Quick housekeeping before we get going - we had so much fun in the last one it's time we did it again… a special Thanksgiving LIVE show Friday November 20 5pm PT, 8pm ET. It'll be the episode that drops on US Thanksgiving day so we'll definitely have some themage on that. Plus special returning guests… chat room… the works. Let's get ready for the holidays together! The Pedalshift Project 455: EV Adventure Takeaways 1. The EV and e-bike combination opens up new possibilities Using a plug-in hybrid as a mobile base camp and an e-bike for exploring creates a flexible way to travel. Drive somewhere interesting, find a place to camp, ride a loop or out-and-back, and move on to the next destination. It's a model that could work well beyond the Oregon coast. Discussion points: The RAV4 Prime as transportation, sleeping quarters, and potential charging station. The e-bike as a way to explore an area without moving the car. The flexibility to change locations without committing to a continuous cycling route. How this combination could work for longer adventures. 2. Climate-controlled car camping is a game changer The ability to run air conditioning overnight makes camping in warmer conditions much more appealing. The RAV4's sleeping platform, battery capacity, and climate control offer a comfortable alternative to tent camping. Interestingly, the cool weather at Beaver Falls meant none of that electric capacity was necessary this time, but having the option remains valuable. Discussion points: The sleeping platform and quick conversion from driving to camping. Preserving battery capacity for overnight climate control. The advantages of sleeping with the windows closed in hot or smoky conditions. Previous experiences using climate control during cross-country travel. Potential for camping in places where summer temperatures would otherwise be prohibitive. 3. Finding overnight parking requires research and flexibility The iOverlander app helped identify a free overnight spot at Beaver Falls Trailhead. It worked out well, but the experience also highlighted the importance of checking parking restrictions, considering security, and having backup options. A little more preparation before arriving after midnight would have made the setup easier. Discussion points: Using iOverlander to identify potential overnight locations. Rest areas versus dispersed overnight parking. The Beaver Falls experience: quiet, comfortable, free. Security considerations, including evidence of previous break-ins. Preparing the sleeping setup before arriving at the overnight location. The importance of backup options. 4. E-bikes fundamentally change the Oregon coast riding experience The climbs around Neahkahnie Mountain and the Arch Cape Tunnel became substantially easier with electric assistance. Maintaining speed uphill and through the tunnel made familiar terrain feel different. The northbound headwinds were also much less consequential. Electric assistance could make challenging coastal routes more accessible and enjoyable. Discussion points: Climbing hills at speeds that would be difficult on an acoustic bike. The Arch Cape Tunnel experience and the advantages of maintaining speed. How electric assistance changes the experience of coastal headwinds. The difference between knowing an e-bike will help and experiencing that assistance on familiar terrain. Implications for riding the entire Oregon coast. 5. Battery range may be less limiting than expected The nearly 30-mile ride between Cannon Beach and Manzanita included significant climbing, yet battery capacity never became a serious concern. That raises interesting possibilities for longer trips, potentially without carrying a second battery. Understanding actual range under different loads, terrain, and assistance levels will be important before committing to a longer tour. Discussion points: Starting with a fully charged battery. Monitoring voltage rather than relying exclusively on the battery indicator. How much assistance was needed on the major climbs. The implications of riding unloaded versus carrying touring gear. Whether one large battery could be sufficient for longer coastal riding days. Charging strategies for multiday touring. 6. The car-and-bike combination could change the economics of touring Free overnight parking, sleeping in the vehicle, and using the e-bike for day rides could make for a remarkably inexpensive adventure. There's also the possibility of using the vehicle as a charging station for the bike, reducing dependence on hotels and other charging opportunities. It's worth exploring what the actual costs look like compared with traditional bike touring. Discussion points: Eliminating hotel costs through vehicle camping. Finding free overnight parking rather than paying campground fees. The cost of driving between riding destinations. Using the vehicle's electrical capacity to recharge the e-bike, assuming a workable charging setup. Comparing the costs of this approach with traditional loaded touring. The tradeoffs between upfront equipment costs and ongoing travel expenses. 7. This experiment suggests a whole new touring format The obvious next step is a multiday adventure using the car as a mobile base camp. Instead of riding an end-to-end route, drive between locations and explore each area by e-bike. This could make previously impractical destinations viable, particularly places without good cycling connections between the best riding areas. There's also an interesting question about whether a single e-bike battery could support more ambitious rides than expected. Discussion points: Developing a multiday itinerary built around several riding locations. Exploring areas that are difficult to connect by bicycle. Using the car to reposition between interesting routes. Testing the approach in hotter climates where air-conditioned camping would be especially useful. Determining whether the e-bike can handle longer days and more challenging terrain. Possibilities for combining this format with conventional bike touring. Wrapping Up: What's Next? The experiment was a success, and there's plenty of room to expand on it. Could this approach work for a longer Oregon coast adventure? What about hotter destinations where climate-controlled camping makes a bigger difference? And how might an e-bike change the experience of a traditional end-to-end tour? The combination of an electric-capable vehicle and an e-bike offers some interesting possibilities for future adventures. This probably won't be the last electric-powered adventure on The Pedalshift Project.

Part two of the EV adventure swaps four wheels for two as I pull the e-bike out in Cannon Beach and put it to the test on a familiar stretch of the Oregon Coast, finding out just how much an e-bike can flatten some very familiar coastal hills. A pretty compelling experiment in electric-powered adventure! The Pedalshift Project 454: EV Adventure - Part 2 The Ride Start/finish: Cannon Beach, Oregon Route: Cannon Beach → Arch Cape → Arch Cape Tunnel → Neahkahnie Mountain → Manzanita → return to Cannon Beach Out-and-back ride on US 101 E-bike with a full battery and essentially no touring load Plenty of climbing, particularly around Neahkahnie Mountain and the Arch Cape area Southbound ride through the Arch Cape Tunnel with maximum assist Turnaround in Manzanita Northbound return into the usual Oregon Coast headwind Post-ride: lunch in Cannon Beach, beach walk and tide pools near Haystack Rock Sidequest: Cannon Beach s'mores Ride Statistics Distance: ~30 miles Arch Cape Tunnel speed: ~20 mph southbound Climbing speed: ~11–12 mph with assist Comfortable downhill ceiling: ~25 mph Highly scientific effort conversion: 30 e-bike miles ≈ 15 acoustic-bike miles Blackberries consumed roadside: significant Hoped for pesticide exposure: less significant Flats: 0

The big project for 2024 is building the ultimate custom ebike. On this episode we go over the three key components to the build, from picking the perfect frame, the right mid-drive motor and a battery that gives range and power. What's better than a project that blends tech with cycling? Originally podcast January 25, 2024.

First of two-parts! An EV adventure on the Oregon Coast begins with four wheels before shifting to two. In Part 1, I take the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid out for a post-concert overnight to see how well my car-camping setup works in the real world before the e-bike comes off the rack for its first Oregon Coast adventure. The Pedalshift Project 453: EV Adventure - Part 1 After catching Suki Waterhouse in Portland, I point the RAV4 toward the coast with a simple plan: use iOverlander to find a free overnight spot, get some sleep in the back of the vehicle, and wake up positioned for the next day's ride. Along the way, I weigh the merits of rest-area camping against pushing farther toward Beaver Falls, talk about why the plug-in hybrid makes such a useful camping platform, and revisit how valuable climate control was during last year's cross-country travels. The sleeping platform turns the back of the RAV4 into a surprisingly comfortable little camper, with battery power available for AC, charging, and whatever else the night might require. The eventual destination is Beaver Falls Trailhead near Clatskanie, Oregon — quiet, dark, free, and tucked into the forest well away from Highway 30. The EV capabilities turn out to be more optional than essential on this particular cool night, but the setup works remarkably well. There is, naturally, a minor early-morning incident involving the vehicle alarm. Because apparently quietly exiting a car you've been sleeping inside is exactly the sort of suspicious behavior modern automobiles were designed to prevent. By morning, the experiment is a success and the RAV4 is packed with a full electric charge, an e-bike on the back, and two possible destinations ahead: Astoria or Cannon Beach. Next time: EV Adventures Part 2, when four wheels become two and the e-bike finally gets its first ride on the Oregon Coast. Topics in this episode include EV car camping, the Toyota RAV4 Plugin Hybrid, sleeping platforms and car-camping setups, iOverlander and finding overnight spots, rest-area camping, climate control while camping, Beaver Falls Trailhead, Oregon Coast trip planning, and setting up an e-bike adventure from Cannon Beach.