The Bicycling thread

If they do bring it back, I would also suggest greater fuel capacity. Fuel range was a limiter on road trips and rural excursions. My RT has 50% more range than the Element! I won't complain about fuel consumption, it is a box and you know that can't be efficient. I would give up the moon roof but I think I would want another manual transmission. The automatic was just a little too weak when we test drove it.

We did change into/out of wetsuits in the Element and we simply sat in the rear seat - removing that moonroof was a hassle. It really is a great vehicle for active people. I've rented a lot of SUVs and haven't come across anything better. Many are more powerful or more comfortable but not more functional. We struggled finding a replacement vehicle. We compromised with the VW - I had a 2010 GTI that I really loved but was destroyed in a head on collision. I fell back into familiar habits: we've had at least one VW in the stable continuously since 1987. I bought my first VW (Jetta) 2 months before my first BMW (R65). I stick with what works.

In 1997 we bought a new Jetta 'Trek' model that came with a mountain bike and roof racks. That got us back into bicycle riding . I'm still using those bike rails!

It would have benefitted from a more powerful engine for sure. Damn I want another one and manual is sooo much better. My first was auto and my second manual. I prefer any vehicle in manual.

kurtr11s said:

I've rented a lot of SUVs and haven't come across anything better. Many are more powerful or more comfortable but not more functional. We struggled finding a replacement vehicle. !

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Neither one of us are Chrysler fans but last year we looked at a Pacifica and were surprised how nice the interior was. I figured the stow and go seats would not be comfortable but they were.
The very large flat floor and a sliding door on each side would be convenient.
Not sure if it's tall enough for bikes standing upright.

No carpet in the Element is also a huge plus. People used to say to me "you can hose it out!" To which I replied, why bother? I just let everything dry and sweep it out. Thinking mud covered bikes etc.

Since I was chatting up the VW...

Today we decided to ride around Owasco, our third finger lake this month. We are going to try to finish the rest in July. But riding from our house adds at least 55 miles on to the ride and on roads we've ridden many times - so we decided to drive over to Auburn, which is on the north end of the lake, to start.

We parked in Emerson Park which covers all of the land on the north tip of the lake. In normal summers, they have a theater for plays and other cultural activities. There is a boat launch and some really nice walkways. In August, they normally have 'The Great Race' which is a multisport relay race consisting of a 10k run, 20mile bike and 4 mile canoe (I think they have a kayak division now). This is a big deal in the area and it attracts a LOT of participants. The teams range from elite athletes to folks who found a bike in their shed and are riding for the first time. My buddies and I did it for many years in the late '90s and it was a great time with a fantastic party after the race. The whole city came out for the party. The only leg I ever did was the canoe leg because nobody else knew how to canoe!

Anyway, being at Emerson brought back some good memories. I used to get my canoe partner to bring the boat and I would ride my bike to the race (I would get a ride home because, well, beer...)

Here is the VW with the old TREK bike rails, which are still going strong after 23 years.



There aren't a lot of really good photo opportunities on the ride but this shows the type of terrain. You are mostly riding on a ridge on both sides of the lake. Oh, the route is 32 miles with 1500ft of climbing.



At the south end of the lake is the village of Moravia. There isn't much to Moravia but it is a village that reminds us that our country is the land of opportunity. Millard Fillmore (13th president) was born here into a meager log cabin. There is a state park just south of the village named after Fillmore. Fillmore Glen is a dramatic canyon carved by a small stream over the eons. These features are common in the finger lakes and there are many parks and hiking trails through them. The Finger Lakes Rally is located at Watkin's Glen state park which is similar but located 2 lakes to the west.



Also in Moravia is the boyhood home of John D. Rockefeller. He also was born into meager means and was able to transform himself into the richest man in the modern era.



I'm trying to take motion shots with my crappy phone. Maybe I need a new one.



Back in Auburn we road out to the end of a pier with a gazebo. Might as well take a picture.



Auburn has some interest history as well. It was the home of William Seward, who was Secretary of State under Lincoln (and an assassination attempt was made on his life the same night as Lincoln was shot - Seward eventually died from complications of his injuries). Seward is best known for his 'idiotic' purchase of Alaska , but he was also Governor of NY and two term Senator. His house is now a museum that house a collection of objects he acquired from friends and foreign ambassadors. It is pretty neat place to explore.

Auburn was also the home of abolitionist, Harriet Tubman. All across NY there is evidence of the 'underground railroad' - the Seward house even has hidden rooms and secret entries in the basement. History has kind of forgotten about Millard Fillmore - he may be most remembered for his enforcement of the 'Fugitive Slave Act', that wasn't a good legacy builder.

Michelle gave me access to her photo library - so here is a shot of me in the gazebo. Don't make fun of the shoes, I love them. Notice how far the pier is from shore.

If you look behind the 'Village of Moravia' sign you can see roadside living at its finest. Just down the road a neighbor had one of those political yard signs that said "Any Functioning Adult, 2020". Hadn't seen that before and it made me laugh. I think it was a response to one of their neighbors who was strongly supporting one particular candidate.

shortythorne said:

I ride early in the morning, just before good daylight, and although there are more animals than other vehicles I would like suggestions on front & rear lights for my bicycle. I have a little Trek commuter bike. I have NO CLUE about this, and wanted to ask those who really ride. Also, for no more than I ride, I don't want to spend a lot of money. Do I need flashing, LED, etc.? Thanks, Gail

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Hello Gail,

It sounds to me like you are riding during daylight hours (albeit dim morning light) and are not asking about projecting light by which to see the road ahead. The way I read your question you want to be seen by motorists. Hopefully I have interpreted your question correctly.

You are smart to be concerned about your visibility. Even in best light conditions distracted drivers often miss cyclists. And rarely do best lighting conditions last an entire ride. Usually most rides have a variety of visibility conditions from great to terrible. We ride in the bright sunlight one moment, then under a dark overpass the next, or into a deeply shaded tree tunnel. A motorist can be through the dark of an overpass or shade of trees long before their eyes have time to adjust or the sunglasses get pushed up. Cyclists are especially vulnerable at times like these, as well as during the dim light of morning, evening, or an approaching summer storm.

So just like on a motorcycle, operating "daytime running lights" is a very smart approach. For this purpose on a bicycle, I strongly recommend a combination of blinking and strobing/pulsing lights. You should follow the normal lighting protocols, i.e. white light at the front, and red at the rear.

My approach is to have small blinking white and red lights mounted to the bike at front and rear. But these are not my primary visibility lights. I feel it is more important to illuminate your self than the bike, because the rider's additional height helps to improve visibility greatly. I also want to remain visible if I need to dismount at roadside for whatever reason - - lights fixed only on the bike don't help the rider when they are separated.

I wear a hi-viz vest/harness, with strobing white and red lights affixed front and rear. The front white strobe is positioned left of center on my chest, and the rear light is positioned left of center on my back over my left shoulder blade. This puts them both high-up and "outboard" for better visibility. The hi-viz vest adds eye-catching contrast to whatever cycling clothing I'm wearing. See photo below.

All the lights I use are LED. The lights mounted on my bike are powered by a single CR2032 wafer battery. The white front strobe on my harness uses 2 CR2032s. The red rear strobe on my harness uses 2 AAA batteries.

I run all of these lights at all times while riding. Battery life is very good and I end up replacing them a few times a year. And I urge you to have them running at all times - - even trail riding. I've had too many close calls with pedestrians and other cyclists (usually ebikes) on trails, so anything that improves awareness can't hurt. There is also always the chance of an unexpected trail detour that will put you on a busy road with motor vehicles.

The hi-viz harness and lights attached to it can be purchased many places, but I got mine at the local runners footwear store. These kinds of shops generally carry a variety of harnesses and lights to fit almost anyone's physique and budget.

Saw a group of cyclists coming at us from the opposite direction today. One had a blinking white light. It was very noticeable. I'm going to get one. I have a ton of lights but I want one that is really small and won't get in the way of hand position.

I'm one of those guys who loves flashlights. On motorcycle trips, we probably carry at least 10 lights between us. As I think about it, the number is way higher than that.

Last fall we participated in a Ragnar team relay trail run. It was in the mountains northeast of San Diego and it runs through the night. I think it took our team of 8 people 30 hours to complete it - so a little less than 4 hours each - but each person had a leg that was in the dark. This was new to us so we made sure we were lit up. Below is Michelle modeling our vast array of lighting options. All are USB powered and we had a powerbrick to keep them charged.



It turns out that we only used the chest light (everyone called it our 'Ironman' lights - referring to the movie). Man is that thing bright and it lasts for 3 hours, at least. If I ever ride trails at night, I'm taking that thing. The battery compartment is in the back and it contains pulsing red LEDs. The headlamp is very compact and would be great for rally (finding the john) use but couldn't compare to the chest light. It was good as a backup.

There are a lot of good options and it may be useful to get more than one.

Vark has provided very good options - but just be aware that the li-ion/USB choices are typically much brighter than the 'regular' battery powered ones. For conspicuity it doesn't matter all that much, I will agree.

A few minor adjustments . . .

Somehow in my memory, I remember some ad showing the Chinese tumbling team performing running summmersalts through the open doors of the Element. Has any one else seen it, or did I imagine it ?

- Visiblity has to be learned with the wide door posts on the passenger side, as well as both windshield posts. Coming into an intersection at a low angle can definitely test you.

- I found that 2'x4' rugs from Walmart for the back seat floor and rear floor, made cheap and attractive coverings and dampened sound a bit ..

- Floor mat in front . I would punch holes on the seat side and tie them to the seat frame, mainly to keep the from sliding around.

- My wife drove the Element for six years and didn't put a scratch on it . I finally gave up my "Massachusetts battle wagon Mercury" and took over the Element and put my wife into a sleek new Accord. In the first few months, she hit two poles holes and granite curbing costing two tires and a wheel. It was obvious that her visilbity was better in the Element given the "higher riding height" and significanty shorter hood and flat front.

skibum69 said:

No carpet in the Element is also a huge plus. People used to say to me "you can hose it out!" To which I replied, why bother? I just let everything dry and sweep it out. Thinking mud covered bikes etc.

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A yes, the visibility of the Element. You do get used to it but it is a challenge coming from a car with really good visibility. Our best car for rear visibility: Miata with top down, worst car: Miata with top up.

Here is a picture we took of our local cycle team's vehicle at the 2017 Tour of Battenkill - the last year that it was a pro race. Now it is a Gran Fondo and is probably a better event.

The wheels tell the story of central NY winters.

I imagine those graphics don't help with the visibility issues .

vark said:

I feel it is more important to illuminate your self than the bike, because the rider's additional height helps to improve visibility greatly.

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This is the first light I tried but it's not very bright for daytime use.
I keep looking to replace it with something bright like the one I have on my seat bag.
I need to have something that's still shows up good when not perpendicular to the ground.

Honda ELEMENT Release in 2020-2121 --

Just skimmed through the link given below ..

Engine choices are:
- 2.4 L V-tech (can't complain about that engine)
- Hybrid 1.5 L Turbo - supposed 10 more horsepower over the V-Tech (I think I got that right)
This engine is already used in the CRV and Civic models.

Looks pretty much the same. The article claims the body curves would be sharper and more defined.

Sounds like Honda will once again fill the world with "Love and Elements . . "

RIDERR1150GSADV said:

I think Honda is re-releasing the Element for 2021... https://hondacarmodels.com/2021-honda-element/ Even Scotty Kilmer mentioned it...

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Lee said:

This is the first light I tried but it's not very bright for daytime use.
I keep looking to replace it with something bright like the one I have on my seat bag.
I need to have something that's still shows up good when not perpendicular to the ground.

View attachment 79336

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I’m not specifically familiar with that light. But I do agree with the idea of a helmet light.

However, my concern with some helmet lights is they can be projected in the wrong direction as the head swivels, causing it to be lost from sight by motorists behind you. This can happen briefly at the worst time when you’re glancing over the shoulder to check the approaching vehicle, and also for longer periods if your head is cocked somewhat up or down or turned a bit.

So I would only use the hemet light as a supplemental (every bit counts!) The strobing light I run on my back left shoulder blade has a bank of 5 raised LEDs with a domed lens, so they are visible from a wide viewing angle. Their location on my torso means their position remains relatively constant with respect to traffic approaching from the rear.

Knock on wood these lights have served me well in a busy urban environment, as well as on rides to places like Skyline Drive.

vark said:

However, my concern with some helmet lights is they can be projected in the wrong direction as the head swivels, causing it to be lost from sight by motorists behind you. .

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My concern was the limited viewing angle of some LED lights but this seems to be getting better.

One article I read about the new Element said $22-$28K. Originally I read only US release, here's hoping they release in Canada. Would I take the chance on buying a first year model? Or do I think it will be good based on the original production run.

Does it have A/C? could have used it the last few days!

High pressure system,Saharan dust from ancestors and crazy winds have been the week. Need to set day on weather display

Yesterday


Today, we got home an hour before this reading!


Shorter route and off the road earlier today with Holiday traffic

Never had a problem with the Element's AC. We turned it on every once in a while to make sure it was OK.

But seriously, it is starting get get a bit warm here. Forecast is for 5 days in the 90s next week. We have really high humidity, though. It isn't 'comfortable' like a 90 degree day in Phoenix. So we are also getting out earlier. In late July or early August we'll start our 5 weeks of perfect weather.

Heard the MOV (Vermont) rally is cancelled. That makes me sad - it is a really good time. The bluegrass band on Saturday night are just fantastic. Fire in the fireplace, bonfire in the field, crisp evening air that reminds you that autumn is closing in. The roads, oh the roads... The beer, oh the beer...

I have made more national rallies than I've missed over the last 30 years and just thinking about what would have been last month makes me melancholy. The national news, while not unexpected, is quite depressing. Thank goodness for the bicycle.

Have a great 4th of July, fellow riders. If all goes well, we will be putting in some big miles to get around Cayuga lake. Or maybe something else, whatever sounds like fun.

I did 26 miles of hills this morning and was tapped out by the heat/humidity. Really felt it and had to bail. That was at around 9:30 this morning!

Tomorrow we are heading out early (5 am) for a boat ride and bird watching on Chesapeake Bay. The plan is to be back home by noonish before it gets too darn hot. Then we’ll enjoy some BBQ and hopefully fireworks.

Stay cool and happy 4th!