Something went wrong on the way home from work the other day. I think I have blown a fuse. Not sure really! Ego cycle has stopped working.

The new rear tire arrived around the middle of September. Was a breeze to install it now that I have removed the wheel a few times. The new rim is a bit wider and beefier than the old rim and the tire is also a little bigger.

I put quite a few miles on my Ego 2 cycle this summer going back and forth to work. My one-way commute to work is about three miles, so the Ego 2 cycle is pretty much perfect for that kind of riding. And having a recharging station in the parking garage next to the building I work in is also a real plus.

Ordered a new rear tire today. Should be an easier job this time since I've done it a few times now. One thing I will say about the Ego Cycle. I think servicing them is more difficult than it should be.

My Ego 2 cycle is temporarily out of service. It was a hot day the other day and I was riding the bike to the gym to play basketball. I entered the parking lot of the Hyatt Hotel. They have a driveway made of cobblestones. When I got to the end of the cobblestone driveway, I heard a *PFFFFFF* and I thought I had a flat tire. Wasn't a flat tire though! The rear rim had given out from the pounding of the cobblestones.

So now the Ego 2 cycle sits downstairs in my garage until I can get the tire fixed.

Spring is here in Southern California and I have started riding my Ego2 cycle more. I didn't commute to work too much during the winter. I find it much more pleasant to ride when the weather is warm. I got some use out of it on the weekends during the winter.

My dog Gigi likes to ride with me on the Ego2 cycle. She sits between my feet on the floorboard. I need to post a link to a picture of her riding with me! She's a cairn terrier and she rides with me for miles and miles. When Gigi rides with me, I cut my speed back and just cruise along slowly.

There's a park up the hill from where I live and this weekend I took Gigi on a ride up to the park. The park has an enclosed area that is fenced in. People use it for picnics and there's a little raised stage for kids to put on shows.

Now that I own an Ego2 Cycle, my eyes are always on the lookout for 110 volt outlets. Next to the stage I spotted an outlet, so I can plug the Ego2 cycle in while I take Gigi for walks at the park.

I put a speedometer on my Ego2 Cycle in February. I have accumulated about 200 miles since Feb 2004.

The replacement motor showed up before my trip to Seattle last summer. I tried to install the motor before I left for Seattle, but ran into a problem. Was a real bear of a job. One definately needs a set of metric ratchet wrenches to do the job.

There was one problem that really delayed the project. I got the bike apart and removed the old motor, and started putting it all back together. But when I got to the step of bolting the seatpost to the frame I ran into a snag. The bolts that go thru the seatpost into the motor mount refused to take hold in the motor mount. Took me forever to get them to seat. Visibility is like nil down in there so it was all pretty much guesswork. I turned the bike upside down, on its side, etc...

Finally I gave up and set the bike aside and left for Seattle. When I arrived back from Seattle I picked up where I had left off. Amazingly the bolts took hold and I was able to re-assemble the bike. Don't ask what I did differently!

The bike has been running super since then. The front brake needs a little adjusting. Other than that the bike is totally maintenance free which is really nice.

Haven't been riding it to work much this winter. It's more enjoyable to ride when the weather is more pleasant. Looking forward to spring which is just around the corner!

If you are considering an e-cycle for yourself take a good look at the Ego 2 Cycle. The only thing I would say it is lacking is a rear suspension. More and more human powered bikes are shipping with rear suspension these days. I have a feeling there will come a day when all bicycles ship with rear suspensions. The changeover will be gradual, but people will start to see that keeping the rear tire on the ground at all times is a good thing!

Was riding home from work today. Up the hill thru The Summit area of Santa Clarita. When I got to the top of the hill, my Ego Cycle went black. Power cut off. This happened just before Christmas. Have not gotten around to fixing it yet. Weather has been pretty bad in Southern California. Spoke with Ego Cycle tech support and they said they need me to call them on the phone while I am next to the machine. It might be just a fuse has blown.