Comments for Tiny Choices

Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by Jenn

Jenn — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:47:25 +0000

OOohhhh that Brammo is awesome! Is it a bike? is it a motorbike? Who cares!

PS- stick with your work-from-home deal, it’s way better than commuting, even with a Brammo.

Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by mikea

mikea — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:14:18 +0000

I’ve considered an e-bike as a “get to the train station” option that could leave me un-sweaty for work (if I was to wind up in a commuting job). One of the problems is the laws are varied and messy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws In NY they are illegal right now. There is a law that passed the NYS assembly and is in the state senate awaiting the next step, so I’m hopeful. I think generating while braking or going downhill has promise, it seems to be a controller thing http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_controllers.php , but I’m not so sure I’d like to generate and haul my keister around at the same time.

I’d love to have something like http://www.brammo.com/home/ , but that’s getting away from the whole power assist bike concept (and way expensive!). Which is maybe what I’m more interested in getting out of an e-bike. I’d love something like this http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/10/schwinn_2007_electric_bik.html or even better this super-snot beach comber http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/01/48v_electric_flat_tracker.html

Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by Ed Fry

Ed Fry — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:15:17 +0000

Hi Daniele,

Some models are self-charging, but at the moment most models you find use a combination of your own power and the motor. Surprisingly, there isn’t that much energy left to recharge the batteries even when slowing down — bikes, unlike cars, don’t need that much energy to move them. Remember that last time you had to push a car ;-)

I guess if you had a pedal system that charged the battery on its own, then it would kinda work, but it’d feel kind of odd pedalling at speeds which aren’t proportional to how fast you’re going!

Comment on Tell Me What to Grow by Chaze

Chaze — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:45:41 +0000

The word is out, you have a brown thumb. Try growing a bay leaf tree. It’s a long term grow, but the benefits are outstanding. It will definitely survive out on your fire escape, but maybe bring it in during the snowy months.

Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by Jenn (Tiny Choices)

Jenn (Tiny Choices) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:25:03 +0000

Hey Daniele! The bike discussed in the Treehugger article I linked to does charge while pedaling, though it sounds like there’s still room for improvement.

And re: Google Bike Maps– yea, I agree that there’s room for improvement! But I think it’ll just get better with time, especially if we all use their comment form to suggest better routes!

Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by Daniele

Daniele — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:53:57 +0000

Do you know if there are any electric bikes that charge when you pedal them? Some guy I was waiting with at a train crossing a few years ago talked and talked about how awesome his electric bike was. But when I asked him if the battery charged when he pedaled, he sheepishly said “No, I have to plug it in at night.” As this was a while ago, I am hoping that someone has gotten around to making a self-charging model.

Google bike maps still have a lot of um… room for improvement in New Orleans. Their suggested route for my morning commute went right through some very rough housing projects!

Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by SWING BIKE | Lowrider Design

SWING BIKE | Lowrider Design — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:43:48 +0000

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Comment on Electric Bikes Are Kinda Cool! by Newport Beach, California Bike Shop Near Newport Beach Pier | Lowrider Design

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:34:54 +0000

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Comment on Tiny Tea Choices by ECC

ECC — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:48:13 +0000

What an interesting bit of information! I will be more mindful of that. I actually re-use the paper on the end of the string for Yogi tea and a few others that have cool sayings and things, I put those in my art journal! But loose tea sounds like a good way to go.

Comment on No-Till Gardening? by ~~Melissa

~~Melissa — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:41:37 +0000

I can only speak from my own experience and it may be different for others but I”m a no-till convert. Previously, double-digging and tilling were disastrous in my garden. I thought this might be a way to overcome my heavy clay soil but I was wrong. The earth rebels and gradually puts everything back where it was. And the top six inches of soil are key. Dig deeper, bringing up deeper soil layers, and the system is seriously disrupted. My own experience indicates that it’s best to leave things alone as much as possible.

I agree with Jen: lasagna gardening is the way to go. If you’re impatient, raised beds are also an option. I use them where the ground is sloped and the rain was robbing topsoil.