BATTERY: [is dead]

Further to the below... damn battery gave out altogether yesterday. Fuses totally intact, but... black out. No blinkenlights at all.

Thankfully, friendly Austrian serviceman set it right in a couple of hours flat. One of the wires had come loose from the ignition - a short circuit associated with it beginning to come loose was what probably blew the fuse last week.

But even being without my Silver Machine for a few hours was scary. And I think it's re-emphasised to me... how much I love my electric bicycle.

It gives me freedom, independence and mobility within a short urban range, which does me for 95% of the trips I need to take. (For the rest, I can get a lift with friends; or avail myself of the fine services of Cityhop.) It gives me a bit of exercise but not too much. I can get to work, visit friends, and do my grocery shopping - even take it into town for shopping and socialisation. It gets me all manner of curious and complimentary comments when stopped at lights. I can steer it through parks and down by-ways to avoid the traffic, or ride on the road like a respectable citizen. If I want to go long distances, taking it on the train is an option. If the electrics break down, I can pedal the damn thing home or to a service.

And, best of all - everyone will be driving these in 15 years time when the oil runs out. So there's the "smug" factor.

It's part of me now. We are a cyborg entity. If I was making the choice again, I might seriously consider getting a more expensive model with a bigger battery; or even an electric scooter, although you can't do your groceries on that, they're more of a problem when they break down, you need to get registration and buy more accessories, etc. But I love Rocinante and we'll stick together.

The terrible trouble with fuses

([] denotes "translated from blinking light speak")

LAST NIGHT

ME: (plugs battery into bike)
BATTERY: [all fired up raring to go!]
BIKE: [no battery. battery plz?]
ME: ??? (takes battery out, plugs it in again, fiddles with key, even unscrews bits of it)
BIKE: [oh, there's my battery! let's rock!]

(cycles halfway across town, when suddenly, on a busy road...)
BIKE: [where's my battery gone? MOTOR STOP NAO]
ME: ??? (takes battery out, plugs it in again, fiddles with key, etc)
BIKE: [no battery. battery plz?]
ME: GRRR!

(cycles rest of way, and back, on foot power alone. Gets home very hot and puffed.)
ME: (consults intarwebz)
INTARWEBZ: Perhaps your fuse has blown?
ME: (lightbulb comes on! takes out both battery fuses, one is clearly blown to fuck. Replaces blown one with spare one I have lying around.)

NEXT MORNING

ME: (plugs battery into bike)
BATTERY: [all fired up raring to go!]
BIKE: [no battery. battery plz?]
ME: ??? (checks replacement fuse... blown. Obviously not big enough.)

(cycles manually to hardware store)
ME: Y halo thar. I can has little glass fuse which can take 25A?
HARDWARE STORE: Sorry, only has big glass fuses of that power, and little glass fuses which can't take that power. Try electronics store.

(cycles manually to electronics store)
ME: Y halo thar. I can has little glass fuse which can take 25A?
ELECTRONICS STORE: Sorry, out of stock. Try auto parts store?

(cycles manually to autoparts store, now getting tired and pissed off)
ME: Y halo thar. I can has little glass fuse which can take 25A?
AUTOPARTS STORE: Sorry, only has big glass fuses. Try electronics store?
ME: GRRR!

(cycles to work manually, hot, tired, 95 minutes late. rings electrobike dealer)
ME: Y halo thar. Fuse has blown in battery. Cannot find replacement.
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Oh, go to autoparts store.
ME: Done that. Did not has.
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Oh? Go to electronics store.
ME: (annoyed) Done that. Did not has.
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Oh? Try speciality electronics store on other side of town...
ME: (weeps silent tears of despair)
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Oh, almost forgot. Has a spare battery for your bike! Come over get fuse out of that and I'll order some more from manufacturer.

(cycles to electrobike dealer)
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Y halo thar! This is fuse.
ME: Looks too little. Right fuse?
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Of course! Got it out of other battery.
ME: Right. Top fuse, or bottom fuse?
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: ... there are two?
ME: *facepalms*
ELECTROBIKE DEALER: Oh, sorry, here is bottom fuse. You were right this one is much bigger.
ME: (plugs in fuse then plugs in battery)
BIKE: [oh, there's my battery! let's rock!]

(cycles back to work, under full power, without further incident)

THE END....?