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Electric assist - good thing you have left CrazyGuy!
Mike
The new bikes look lovely/I can almost get that new bike smell😊 I am looking forward to your new adventure!
6 years agoLes employés municipaux ...
// two people in Paris dressed in bright yellow who were not municipal workers // This make me remember one of your blog after assembling your bike in CDG airport where a security guy yelled at you because you had no badge in your
yellow outfits !
You absolutely have to watch the sketch Chevaliers du fiel : ( fiel is gall )
Feuilles, râteaux c'est le chant des Municipaux ,
Feuilles, râteaux c'est bientôt l'heure de l'apéro,
https://youtu.be/YAoKDLIofA4
https://youtu.be/_Mq0pqTvnz8
Les Chevaliers du fiel sont un duo comique français constitué d'Éric Carrière et Francis Ginibre.
I use https://www.flightradar24.com/
I just sent you an e-mail so you can see all the screen shots I did while the Grampies were sleeping in the plane last night, crusing at 39 000 ft with an outside temperature of -68°C.
Yeh, I would be happy to meet you one day on our small planet earth.
Michel, where do you get the tracking image with all the airplanes on it? That was really impressive!
(Also, I hope we have a chance to meet you one day. But this summer I do not think we will be near the Loire)
Oh what a lovely shot! Absolutely love it!
6 years agoAlso the map showing Provence would make a good wooden cutout puzzle for kids.
6 years agoSteve Dodie,
I just saw you waving from your window seat .... 😀
Landed on CDG at 10:40 am.
After 5224 km and 6 hours 33 minutes flight
All screens shots in drop box.
Welcome in Paris
Michel
I put Year in Provence into Dodie's cell phone, so we can listen to it at night. It's fun to hear the place names of towns we are planning to visit. By Tuesday we will be in Paris. Hooray!
6 years agoWe have a French bakery here but their baguettes are only plain.
One of my favorite books is "A Year in Provence." I will be following your trip.
Safe travels.
Marilyn
Doug, it's a slightly convoluted story. Last year Dodie was hit by a car just north of Apeldoorn and her bike was destroyed. By some miracle she was not, but at first she could not walk. Again by good fortune after a week she could mount and pedal an exercise bike that they had at the hotel. With that achievement, I went to a bike shop in town and bought an e-assist model. It's important to note that in Europe e-assist can not have a throttle and is limited in speed. As such they are widely used for touring.
As Dodie continued rapid recovery, the gentle e-assist was all that was needed to keep our tour alive. By chance, the shop I chose had a fine staff that helped us set up the ideal bike and also packaged the remnants of the old bike for mailing home. (It has now been rebuilt by the manufacturer in Oregon and will reappear next year in Yucatan!).
The only glitch about e-assist is that almost half the value is in the battery and the battery can not be transported by plane. Transport by ship is also impractical. So we took the bike home but left the battery with a friend in Paris.
Meanwhile, while Dodie has recovered from the car crash, she is on the list for imminent knee replacement, making her still an e-assist fan. All that sets up the idea of buying and keeping a complete bike in Europe. While it might be logical to buy the bike in Paris where the battery currently is, we developed no confidence in Paris merchants that we talked to last time. So its back to the trusted shop in Apeldoorn, even at the cost of a six hour train ride and adjustment of our whole cycle tour plan. It's a lesson for shop keepers on the value of good service. The shop in Apeldoorn is actually getting to sell two more or less identical bikes, one for me, not because I have any reason, other than if Dodie has a toy I want one too. "It's not a toy, it's a tool", she insists. Yeah, sure.
Steve, as I mentioned in my email, my Dad was in Apeldoorn at the end of WWII... why are you buying bikes there?
6 years agoGlad to see your picture from Uaymitun! Looking forward to seeing your adventures in France!
6 years agoThat for sure a Saint Patrick day bike color
6 years ago
I’m very disappointed. For no earthly reason I had assumed you were getting new Bike Fridays, and was looking forward to tweaking you for losing out - we picked up our new BF’s yesterday and we’re feeling smug about nosing you out on a race you didn’t know you were in.
6 years agoEnjoy your new rides! I’m anxious to hear how they work for you.