End of 2025 Rides - Boxing day 26th and also 28th December Local Rides

 Despite the awful weather we have had to finish the year off, there were a few calm breaks that allowed me to get out between Christmas and New Year. 

Neither were long rides, more just to keep the legs turning away from commuting or errand type rides.  

It was boxing day first off and after a lovely Christmas with family I needed to pick up a couple of things in town and also drop off some keys for work, before they were needed on the 29th. It was well after lunch and while I was aware I only had a couple of hours of daylight left I made sure my lights were charged and headed off on the Bullitt cargo bike. A nice ride into town and out the other side to work first, then back into town, pick up a couple of things from the supermarket, stop and take a look at the Christmas lights which might soon be gone and then, with lights on, take a few of the back roads home. All this while trying to dodge a few lite showers.  Good to be out and stretch the legs. 

 

 

The 28th of December seen a break in the rain again and I managed to get out for a few hours for a ride around the coast. Nowhere in particular to be or a planned route so just took one of my regular routes with a few side tracks mixed in.  Again not a long one but just enough to feel like a nice ride and keep the legs turning over. This time I took out the Long Haul Trucker as it is my go to ride when I just want to ride without  having to think about the bike. It is just such a comfortable ride, handles great, fit's like a glove, never lets me down. 

Jamie 

Wednesday 16th August 2023 - Caleb riding the Bullitt Cargo Bike on his own.

 My boy Caleb is growing up fast, seems like only just the other month I was hauling him around on the back of the Long Haul Trucker and Big Dummy, now he is riding my bikes with no problem. 

The Bullitt needed just a slight lowering of the seat and handlebars for him to be comfortable and in the right position. He spent several afternoons after school riding it up and down our quiet rural street getting used to the steering and also the electric assist, something he hadn't ever experienced before. He did great and picked it up in no time and you could see his confidence building with each pass. 

I think his aim is to be able to take it the 5 mile or so over the backroads to where he looks after several miniature Shetland Ponies. Great to see his confidence build and as he rides everywhere now, also to see his independence come on, not so sure about watching my Bullitt ride up the road away from me :) 

Jamie

  

1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th March 2023 - Commuting on the Bullitt and then tidying and finalising run of the electrics

Started on the Sunday previously 26th February where it was such a glorious Sunday I rode my Larry Vs Harry Bullitt up to a friends house a short distance away to do some work to my Royal Enfield Bullet and have a nice mid winter ride on both machines. This Sunday kickstarted a really nice run of weather for us here in the north of Scotland which lasted through to the following Sunday. I managed to get the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday commute on the Bullitt which thanks to the lovely weather and lengthening days was an absolute pleasure and just really enjoyed getting used to the elctric assist and adjusting to try and get the best from it and myself. I was certainly quicker on the commute and more relaxed with it as well. While it is always a better, more relaxed way to get to work and also the ride home letting the worries of the work day dissolve along the way, it was just plain old fun. It will be interesting to see how the commute on my Long Haul trucker will be after a while on the Bullitt as I find I am riding it at a higher cadence than normal, which I assume is down to the assist, so it may speed me up with my accoustic rides. My morning and evening commute, not stressful :) I then spent Saturday afternoon tidying up the electric harness and wires from the controller etc. While I had moved the controller from the outside back of the box to inside the cargo box, I had the connections loose as well as the harness to the front wheel inside the box so to be easy to fix or dismantle should there be a problem with it in these early stages. Besides a loose connection on thursday, every thing had been working fine. So I tidied the wires into the secondary box and moved the front drive harness to underneath the cargo box, waterproofed the connections where needed and then made sure it was all weatherproofed and secure.

18th February 2023 - Back out on the Bullitt - Making the best of a break in the weather

Out again today on the Bullitt as such a nice day after the wild weather of the last week. Trying to get used to the electric assist.

12th February 2023 - Larry Vs Harry Bullitt - Out and about electrified!

 Out and about again this afternoon putting a few miles onto the Bullitt to shake down the electric assist I fitted this week. Game changer in opening up its versatility even more with hauling cargo and commuting. Just a bit easier.

Still feels a bit like cheating but I can live with that on the cargo bike

11th February 2023 - Bullitt finally has electric drive refitted! Time to test ride!

 Out today on the Bullitt.

I managed to finally fix with a new controller and refit the electric motor that was with the Bullitt when I originally got it.

I originally went for a quick test ride just to see how the assist worked but it was running so nice I ended up going all the way into Thurso and around town, visiting Sam in The Bike Shop as he was the one who went through the system and diagnosed the fault.

It ran really nicely, though not ever having done any real miles on an electric assist before, it will take me some time to adjust to. Though I can see in just that short ride how it opens up so many more opportunities for going further a bit easier on the Bullitt.

This initial ride was very good with great stability with the weight of the front wheel now actually a benifit as there is no spin or slippage from the front end.

I have always been impressed with the Bullitt and then after buying one I was even more impressed and have loved the eighteen months I have owned it without the electrics, it has always impressed and exceeded my expectations.

The plan is hopefully to get it setup to suite, with a bit of touring, commuting and a lot of general everyday type hauling for the family.

Jamie

27th January 2023 - New bars for the Larry vs Harry Bullitt

 I finally got round to swapping out my bars on the Bullitt for a set with a bit more reach and also slightly wider.  These are the On One version of the Jeff Jones  loop bars, ironically called the 'Geoff ' bars.

It’s moved the position forward a good bit as on long rides it was feeling a bit too short with the wide sweep feeling a bit close to my body. Often at low speed or when taking off they just felt a bit wobbly now and again. Nothing major but just a bit unstable sometimes when setting off. Not really been a problem as they have been fine for all this time, just felt it could be improved. Plus, I love these bars on my Pugsley and similar bend on my 1X1 mtb, and also have the benefit of somewhere to mount my lights until I re electrify it again.

Short ride but what an improvement, not that it felt bad before, but now just a lot more stable and comfortable. This is especially noticeable when setting off, gone completely is any feeling of instability, no matter how small it ever was, it is completely eliminated now. I think this is due to the width and the fact it is a 3 to 4 inches further forward which puts a bit more weight forward than what the previous setup had.  

Only downside is I must have sat the rear lever with the master cylinder not level when swapping about and level must have been low anyway and it pulled in some air as I quickly realised, I had no back brake whatsoever so now need to top up and bleed the rear brake. 

I am hoping to get the electric drive front wheel sorted very soon and start using the Bullitt for commuting more often than I currently do as well as utilising it more for the weekend runs to town and back. Hopeful to have it ready for the better weather come spring, meanwhile I just have to keep pedalling harder :) 

2nd April 2022 - Larry Vs Harry Bullitt out gravel exploring into the flow country Caithness. Lunch and a cuppa!

 After the less than ideal week with rain, snow and sunshine it was good to have the day live up to the forecast with bright sunshine and little wind for once. Not all great news as the forecast was also for rain and sleet in the evening. So after a quick trip to town for work this morning I headed out just before 12. 

Last minute plan was to drive out towards Loch More and head south on the eastern side of the Altnabreac loop but, I took a last minute detour,  instead of turning west at the old Dalnawillan graveyard I headed south on the rapidly deteriorating dirt road. Went from the flow country up into the hillier country before stopping to make a brew and eat my sandwiches. The road which had been wet clay for the last few miles was getting wetter and more slushy as I went, the increasing wind from the high hills was very cold still and seen as how it had gone 4pm I decided to start heading back. A great day out and yes, I may have been quicker on the Pugsley or Mercian but this was a recce for a camping trip so I rode the Bullitt. A nice relaxing ride and I was carrying quite a lot of stuff to weigh it down.

Made it home for 6.15 which was perfect timing as Heather messaged me that she had made pizza dough and sauce, so fire up the pizza oven and dinner within the hour 
Hope others had nice weather as well. It is now sleeting here so a good call to go today, besides it is tour of Flanders tomorrow 


Jamie