to the edge of the Rim

The area around here is called The Scenic Rim and its actually the edge of an old (millions of years old) volcano. Where I live is just back from the remaining walls of that and the plateau (500meters above sea level) gradually recedes over hundreds of kilometers to the west into the deserts of the center of Australia.

In previous videos I've gone up to the top of the range from Killarney to the tops of that (Queen Mary Falls and over to Carrs Lookout) and down to The Head. Today I took the scoot from just near The Head (where I parked last week) and took it right to where it descends down onto the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range.

This is a view from Carrs Lookout to the East showing todays journey with the red line.

Some of it was below the visible edge over there.

Here are the GPS stats

...and the trip video

I mentioned in that video I would provide a link to some of the bird sounds I've previously recoreded in the Rainforest near there so here is one.

You may have noticed the trees there (on my brief excursion) are buttressed ... this is one just near where I parked in there (although not taken today).

Its a fascinating and complex landscape.

I had a brief bit of excitement on the tail end of that above video when I decided to go down and sus out the cows ... a Red Bellied Black snake was out and took some exception to me riding past him (had a bit of a go at me but as I was going fast he kept going his way:

Some Australian language can be heard

As I mentioned earlier this pretty much completes the trip (done in sections) riding my scoot from my house all the way (car lifted some sections) to the edge of the range

All up that's about 30Km and actually I think that if I modded the scoot to have regen brakes then I may indeed be able to do it in one hit, because there are enough really steep down hills which may indeed make it possible. Cos then I could use the regen to save my brakes AND charge my battery for the last bit.

Especially given that I've done some of those bits "there and back" as well (like I rode up to Queen Mary falls and back, and have done the entire top of the ridge and back to Carrs from Queen Mary falls too.

So, there you go ...  a quick tour of the area on a Sunday Arvo.

PS: almost forgot to add in Pete scratchin around on his Beemer

Day Tripper

So this afternoon I thought I'd go over to the next town, which is just across the border into New South Wales, its a tidy little trip for the Mercane with a nice hill climb and some interesting scenery

This is the trip map from my GPS

and the GPS summary of distance, speed and altitude

So an hour more or less to do 20km. That's longer than I'd realistically walk for that trip (although not as long as many hikes I've done) and enabled me to see and experience the afternoon scenery without consuming a whole day or indeed much energy.

At the border crossing there was a cattle grid (don't want the cows walking across the border carrying pests now do we) (and the rabbit wire)

which represents more challenge for my scooter than one may expect watching the cars go over it ... I carried it over.

Countryside is beautiful (even if it is dry)

and its always nice to spend a little time tootling around town

and some local has always got something "that they're gonna  do up"

I like that the wide wheel stays put in thick foliage all by itself...

church was already closed ...

thank god right ...

So having seen the sights (well the touristy ones) I came home and still had 47V showing on the dial

Nice

The Mercanes (Single vs Dual) side by side on the same trip

I've been wanting to do this comparison this way for a while, but only just recently found the editing tools required to do it. So here is both the Single and the Dual motor versions I have on the same trip. There are a few differences but aside from having to kick a few times on the 9degree slope and needing to walk up my driveway its only a 10 or soe seconds difference in trip times.

So, by the time of the top of the first hill it was only about 7 seconds in the lead (not much) and required me to give it a few kicks ... if it was a race then I'd go more power (and torque) but its just a trip to my mates house (usually for a cuppa or an afternoon beer), so a few seconds doesn't really make a big difference.

Is the extra power of the dual worth the money? Well it depends on you and also on the price difference. In Australia that price difference approaches 50% more for the Dual motor.

I've got a few more thoughts on this over on this blog post.

Hope that helps

up the steep bits

I'm always one to be interested to find where the limits of things are, so naturally I wanted to test the Mercane up the steepest long ascent in the area, so I picked this one

My GPS shows that its a bloody steep climb

and you can tell by the drop to walking speed about a kilometer after starting back that something happened!

Yep, I found not the limits of the motor and battery power, but of the brakes!! On that steep descent trailing them relentlessly caused the disc to overheat and I had to walk back most of the way (easier down than up I suppose!) or risk brake failure.

Here is my gopro footage of that.

so ... now I'm wondering about how to use the regen brakes capacity which I understand is in the in the controller in concert with the disc to perhaps get this little baby to its limits.

Or maybe accept that I've pushed it past where it was ever thought of that it could go ;-)

PS: an interesting and worth while read for the brake novice is here: http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/blog/how-hydraulic-brakes-work/

I'll quote the relevant point about brake fade:

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Pad Fade

All friction material (the stuff your pads are made of) has a coefficient of friction curve over temperature. Friction materials have an optimal working temperature where the coefficient of friction is at its highest. Further hard use of the brake will send the friction material over the optimal working temperature causing the coefficient of friction curve to decline.

This high temperature can cause certain elements within the friction material to melt or smear causing a lubrication effect, this is the classic glazed pad. Usually the binding resin starts to fail first, then even the metallic particles of the friction material can melt. At very high temperatures the friction material can start to vaporize causing the pad to slide on a layer of vaporized material which acts as a lubricant.

The characteristics of pad fade are a firm, non-spongy lever feel in a brake that won't stop, even if you are squeezing as hard as you can. Usually the onset is slow giving you time to compensate but some friction materials have a sudden drop off of friction under high temperatures resulting in sudden fade.

Green Fade

Green fade is perhaps the most dangerous type of fade which manifests itself on brand new brake pads. Brake pads are made of different types of heat resistant materials bound together with a resin binder. On a new brake pad these resins will cure when used hard on their first few heat cycles and the new pad can hydroplane on this layer of excreted gas.

Green fade is considered the most dangerous as it can catch users unaware given its quick onset. Many people would consider new brake pads to be perfect and may be used hard from the word 'go'.

Correct bedding-in of the brake pads can prevent green fade. This process removes the top layer of the friction material and keys the new pad and rotor together under controlled conditions.

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I hope you found that helpful.