I've had my Heckler MX for a month now and have been having a blast. I've been able to ride the local newbie trails faster than ever. Yawn. I've been able to expand my regular technical adventures by adding another climb or two to up to the tops of the mountains. That's pretty cool, just because there's more riding and more downhill shredding.
But there are other trails, the ones that are remote, beautiful, fun, technically challenging, and difficult enough to discourage bumblies. These trails are my favorites, but riding them requires commitment. It's serious business. Some people don't come back. Some aren't found for days or weeks. The rattlesnakes, coyotes, and mountain lions aren't much of a risk, but they're out there. I don't do these often, just because I'm not frequently willing to put in the physical effort and stress on my body. But now I'm an eMTB'er.
This morning I ventured out to do one of the most noteworthy in SoCal. I figured it would be easily doable on an eMTB. The initial climb out of the canyon is about 2500 feet of switchbacks. On the Heckler, it was cake. The added power allows easier negotiation of some tight switchbacks. Added power also makes it easier to just power over big rocks that would otherwise require too much expenditure of physical energy. Fun stuff.
I was paying close attention to the battery, as I didn't want to end up running out of electrons mid-ride. That would be a bummer. I burned through 1 of 5 bars before climbing out of the canyon. That was a concern, so I got out my phone and dialed back the assist. For the rest of the ride, I modified my style to use less juice. And at the end of the ride, I had about half the battery left!!!! I think I've figured out good assist profiles and riding technique to provide all the distance I need.
I could go on... but I'm afraid I'm approaching my daily allotment of keystrokes. That's all for today. Here's the pics. Be excellent to each other, and party on.
But there are other trails, the ones that are remote, beautiful, fun, technically challenging, and difficult enough to discourage bumblies. These trails are my favorites, but riding them requires commitment. It's serious business. Some people don't come back. Some aren't found for days or weeks. The rattlesnakes, coyotes, and mountain lions aren't much of a risk, but they're out there. I don't do these often, just because I'm not frequently willing to put in the physical effort and stress on my body. But now I'm an eMTB'er.
This morning I ventured out to do one of the most noteworthy in SoCal. I figured it would be easily doable on an eMTB. The initial climb out of the canyon is about 2500 feet of switchbacks. On the Heckler, it was cake. The added power allows easier negotiation of some tight switchbacks. Added power also makes it easier to just power over big rocks that would otherwise require too much expenditure of physical energy. Fun stuff.
I was paying close attention to the battery, as I didn't want to end up running out of electrons mid-ride. That would be a bummer. I burned through 1 of 5 bars before climbing out of the canyon. That was a concern, so I got out my phone and dialed back the assist. For the rest of the ride, I modified my style to use less juice. And at the end of the ride, I had about half the battery left!!!! I think I've figured out good assist profiles and riding technique to provide all the distance I need.
I could go on... but I'm afraid I'm approaching my daily allotment of keystrokes. That's all for today. Here's the pics. Be excellent to each other, and party on.
