Particulars on my fat-tire e-bike:

It’s a custom build, consisting of:

• Soma “Sandworm” chrome-moly steel frame
• Single-speed chain drive (no derailleur to need adjustment or break on the trail)
• Bafang BBSHD mid-drive motor
• Luna Cycle 1,000-watt controller and display, with the controller software reprogrammed to 30 amperes of current at 52 volts (1,500 watts, or 2 horsepower)
• Luna Cycle 4p14s 52-volt, 12 ampere-hour lithium battery
• Relatively inexpensive after market hydraulic front forks
• 26 × 4.40 sand tires, running ~5 PSI (pressure depends on sand conditions)
• Salsa “Bend” 23-degree swept-back handlebars (for arthritic thumb comfort)
• More than I can remember at one sitting

Basically, this bike was custom assembled for riding on sand dunes. It’s also comfortable on the beach, and I even use it around the farm to get from place to place instead of walking sometimes.

The Luna controller integrates nicely with the Bafang motor and allows nine levels of pedal assist, which comes in handy for a variety of sand conditions and terrain slopes. The hand throttle is always available for use when desired.

Much of the riding I’ve been doing lately is going out on isolated dunes and seeking out wind-swept contours to surf, climbing to heights and carving the curves and troughs on the downhill run. Sometimes it’s possible to find formations that mimic a road course with banked turns, deep drops into depressions with easy exit slopes, or moguls, small jumps and the sort for some light trick riding. There’s also a fair amount of coastal forest trails connecting various dunes, which provides to opportunity for obstacle course practice and collision avoidance. Crashes are not uncommon, but the sand is pretty forgiving to the falling rider. Bruises are temporary, but good times live forever!
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From Corrugated Iron Appreciation Society on Facebook
Sent to us by David Wills

• From @lloyd.kahn’s Instagram

The 20-by-30-foot truss structure at the Turtle Island Children’s Center in Montpelier. Photo courtesy of Turtle Island Children’s Center

Nine outdoor classrooms designed specifically for the pandemic have been installed at schools in central Vermont, thanks to a Rochester family.

Dubbed the RyanTruss, each structure is basically a series of wooden trusses topped with a corrugated fiberglass roof. Trusses are the frames traditionally employed to support a roof.

After hearing about the need for outdoor classrooms from a teacher at the Stockbridge Central School, Greg Ryan designed a structure that would be relatively cheap and easy to assemble. Ryan, who is currently riding out the winter in New Mexico, has built tiny houses and unconventional buildings.

“I have been intrigued by how strong something could be while still being incredibly light,” said the 52-year-old builder and musician.…

This article sent us by Jon Kalish.

See earlier post on the Ryan Truss here: lloydkahn.com/lightweight-inexpensive-quick-to-build-structures

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/05/1076102464/pakistan-truck-art-painting

From Rick Gordon

I’m going to put on a new roof soon, working by myself. Hardest part is getting the shingles up on the roof. I’m building a gable patio roof at the same time so I don’t want to rent a lift several times to load different roof areas as it progresses. While doing a search for info I came across this:

–Lew Lewandowski

A little blurry, but you get the idea. I’ve asked Lew to send us a video of his version.
Bundles of asphalt shingles are heavy!