tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89785420484353518022024-03-26T23:36:09.354-07:00Jim RoalJim Roal's BlogJim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-42180451592248315562024-02-03T14:36:00.000-08:002024-02-28T09:00:40.372-08:00Off-road Trails in Southern Nevada I ride electric mountain bikes and a dual sport motorcycle in southern Nevada. Luckily, over 85% of Nevada is public lands, and there is lots of off road riding available for both motorized and non-motorized machines. I wanted to create this blog post to make others aware of some great resources to find all these available trails. While many of these resources claim to have maps for Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-44044893286863552572024-02-02T14:45:00.000-08:002024-03-14T15:14:16.929-07:00Oops - I crashed I had a fun motorcycle ride plan mapped out. We would start at Apex (a.k.a. Nellis Dunes) and ride across to the Old Spanish Trail which connects to Bitter Springs. Basically the route in purple on the map below. A big loop that returns to Apex.OnX link to North half of planned route: https://webmap.onxmaps.com/offroad/share/content?share_id=01HNNZ4MSD8Z9VKDXGFW01MHRP Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comNellis Bypass, Nellis AFB, NV 89191, USA36.2845505 -114.95939257.9743166638211562 -150.1156425 64.594784336178847 -79.8031425tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-54103774843453742242023-12-24T09:08:00.009-08:002024-01-20T07:57:58.898-08:002023 Husqvarna 701 Enduro 1,000 mile review In Goodsprings, NV at the Pioneer Saloon around the time the bike hit 1,000 milesI bought this bike just 3 months ago and now I have passed 1,000 miles. Being a dual sport, there are many highway miles in that but I ride mostly off-road. Over 85% of Nevada is public land and this is one of the most open states for motorized off-road trails. Now that it is winter, the Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-11132451827291458122023-11-04T17:01:00.014-07:002023-12-02T06:22:49.788-08:00Rider to Rider Communication I bought an adventure bike to explore off-road. I also bought a helmet intercom system from Sena (actually mine if branded HJC but it made by Sena, it is an HJC 10B). I rode with some friends that also have helmet intercoms. This is really grate, pretty much a necessity once you have had it. There is no going back. You can hold a conversation while riding. Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-27152389722956663262023-09-25T20:18:00.000-07:002023-09-25T20:18:40.279-07:00I bought a Husqvarna 701 Enduro I really enjoy riding my electric mountain bike off-road around here. I go every weekend. However, there are more places I would like to explore that are too far to go on it. I do have a rack to carry it with my SUV but that takes work and still the riding range is limited (by me). I started riding with a friend who is also into dual sport motorcycles. He Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-34695368367497108512023-07-29T14:42:00.004-07:002023-07-29T14:45:38.688-07:00Use an old smartphone for bike navigation I enjoy mountain biking off-road and often in areas with no cellular. Sometimes I ride in areas with many established trails that cross each other and navigation would help. I looked into bike navigation but they have small screens, are costly, and many of the features are redundant with my Garmin fenix 6x Pro Solar watch. I also never trade in my old smartphones so I haveJim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-75050889971654649802023-07-01T10:23:00.001-07:002023-07-02T14:50:41.073-07:002010 Mercedes E350 4matic - sold I am selling my 2010 Mercedes E350 4matic sedan. It has 167k miles on it but runs and drives great. There is a slight whine in the drivetrain that has been there for years. The rims have curb rash and some are somewhat bent but it does not cause any problem. It was hit in the back in 2019 but there was no structural damage and we had it repaired at Benishek & Will Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-66672741676561286062023-06-24T15:03:00.009-07:002023-07-29T13:55:09.983-07:00Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra FS Pro 3 - 350 mile updateI now have over 350 miles on this bike, most of that off-road. This bike has been great for my riding style. I have the optional range extender battery which allows me to ride about 75 miles off-road on a charge. My riding includes many long hills and loamy conditions that burn through power too. I have had some creaking noises which sound like they are coming from Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-16306836068636371092023-06-10T09:27:00.001-07:002023-06-10T09:27:54.868-07:00Bought a 2021 Porsche Cayenne We were looking to replace our Mercedes GL450 as it was accumulating miles and it does not get the best fuel economy. As we really loved the GL450 we were looking at newer Mercedes GLS and GLE vehicles to replace it. We drove many of both the GLS and GLE but could not find one that really worked for us. The newer Mercedes seats were an issue, as was the overall feel of theJim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-83881863161413648432023-04-24T15:49:00.007-07:002023-04-28T05:44:42.649-07:00Dream Racing in a C8 Corvette I went to Dream Racing at the Las Vegas Motorplex to try out the new C8 Corvette. I have been interested in the C8 since they announced it would finally be a proper mid-engine car. I drive a Porsche Cayman S which is also mid-engine and it is the best layout for a sports car in my opinion. I like the looks of the C8 Corvette as well. The experience starts with aJim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-43693445053432374732023-04-15T07:37:00.003-07:002023-07-26T12:04:50.702-07:00SunPower Solar System online We had a SunPower solar system installed on our house. It consists of 20, 400W panels, 14 on the East roof and 6 on the South. The total system generating capacity is 8kW. Since the panels are on different roof angles, it is unlikely to get that 8kW since they will reach peak output at different times. We still have net metering here so we did not install a Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-91331459969277312442023-04-07T16:25:00.006-07:002023-04-15T14:45:35.901-07:00Garmin InReach Messenger Review I like to ride my mountain bike up in the mountains. Sometimes I am in canyons between mountains where there is no cellular reception. I decided I needed a satellite messenger so I could always communicate, and for safety. I already have a Garmin fenix 6X Pro Solar watch, and a Virb Ultra 30 camera so I decided to stick with Garmin for this as well. As I was looking,Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-49004724375195869882023-03-25T07:51:00.013-07:002023-04-07T08:37:50.729-07:00Contrasting electric mountain bike hub-drive versus mid-driveI enjoy real off-road mountain bike riding in places where full suspension is a must and fat tires are needed to get through the soft loam. Much of my riding includes long steep hills, some in loamy terrain. I often ride Jeep trails as well as dedicated bike trails. I started with a very inexpensive mountain bike with full suspension and 2-1/4" wire tires. The narrow Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-52595109072606180772023-03-18T19:57:00.005-07:002023-03-25T07:56:52.039-07:00Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra FS Pro 3 - 30 mile review I bought this bake based on my experiences with prior bikes given where I like to ride. I go off-road much more than on pavement. I put 1,200 miles on my Rurui XT10 and learned many things about the pros and cons of hub drive electric mountain bikes. I realized that for my riding I needed a powerful mid-drive bike so after shopping around, I bough this.The power delivery Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-33354950941705183062023-03-05T06:06:00.007-08:002023-03-25T07:57:09.607-07:00New bike on the way I finally ordered a new electric mountain bike. After long research I decided on the Biktrix Juggernaut Ultra FS Pro 3.I have now put over 1,100 miles on my Rurui XT10 and I have learned much about what I needed for where I ride. I chose the Biktrix bike because:Bafang M620 ultra mid-drive is the best motor for serious off-road with steep hills and loamy terrain that I ride in.Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-90110205764576037082023-01-07T09:30:00.004-08:002023-01-07T09:30:59.309-08:00Consumer Electronics Show 2023 I had the opportunity to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this year for the first time. Cat had a display there as well for the first time, showcasing our remote control and autonomous machine technology. CES is a show I have wanted to attend for a long time as I like leading edge technology and electronics. Here are a few highlights I found interesting. Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com03150 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA36.1286087 -115.15154267.8183748638211554 -150.3077926 64.438842536178839 -79.9952926tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-38283682489003564392022-12-30T16:34:00.003-08:002022-12-30T16:37:30.932-08:00Cheat-O-Cycle hits 1000 miles My Rurui XT10 Electric Mountain Bike hit 1,000 miles today. That took just over a year. My first ride was December 11th, 2021 and today is December 30th, 2022. I have had some great rides on this thing. I made several upgrades along the way to make it better suited for heavy duty off-road riding. I still get tons of exercise since it is a very heavy bike Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-50594511001672703362022-12-21T06:10:00.003-08:002022-12-21T09:05:30.346-08:00Mercedes GL450 120k Maintenance The GL450 is now past 120k miles (123k) and due for a few maintenance items. I recently replaced the front brake pads for the first time. My E350 also went 120k before needing front pads. Here are the new versus old pads showing wear.I let them go long enough it also took out the wear sensor (which is cheap to replace).I replaced the spark plugs too. This required a Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-46291447732389829642022-12-12T14:50:00.001-08:002022-12-21T05:50:34.754-08:002013 GL450 versus 2020 GLS450 Our 2013 GL450 when we bought it in 2018We bought this Mercedes GL450 back in 2018 with 64k miles on it. We now have 123k miles on it. With the high cost of fuel, and time for some maintenance, we decided to look at options. First we considered getting an electric car. We settled on the Tesla S and drove several. We almost bought a really nice red 2018 but Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-32744577528670292942022-11-24T05:44:00.008-08:002022-11-24T07:38:26.651-08:00Tighten a loose freewheel on the trail I have had bicycle freewheels come loose while riding, many times and on multiple bikes. Here is a video showing it.You start to hear and feel a knock, worse in some gears that others. As it progresses, it may struggle when changing gears. If you let is continue, it will come apart and leave your stranded. Maybe I am the only one that seems to have this problem Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-63223654533297407512022-11-05T08:59:00.002-07:002022-11-24T07:38:46.333-08:00SEMA 2022 Like last year, I attended SEMA 2022 for the Friday Experience. This is a great opportunity open to the public. Also like last year, I wanted to see what the industry is embracing going forward with the rapid change to electrification going on at the OEMs. When I entered the Las Vegas Convention Center, the line was very long. It was at a different place than Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com3150 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA36.1286087 -115.15154267.8183748638211554 -150.3077926 64.438842536178839 -79.9952926tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-59302494302069583062022-10-30T14:55:00.001-07:002022-11-24T07:38:59.115-08:00Biking Websites I enjoy mountain biking, especially off-road mountain biking. Over the years I have found some handy websites for mountain biking.First of all I use a Garmin smartwatch to track my rides. I had a Vivoactive 3 first, then upgraded to a fenix 6X Pro Solar. I use Garmin Connect and Garmin Explore website the most since they have the most detail for a Garmin user. Since Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-15345277478479661752022-10-07T20:24:00.011-07:002022-12-24T08:17:45.467-08:00Rurui XT10 Gear upgrades I ride mostly off road which includes steep hills, loamy sand and gravel, and technical trails. The original gearing on this bike seemed more pavement focused and the gear ratios were too tight, and too geared for high speeds for me. The original gearing had a 52 tooth chainring up front and a 28-24-22-20-18-16-14 freewheel. First gear was far too high for steep hills and Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-32614983925142464602022-10-02T10:40:00.011-07:002022-10-02T11:32:30.020-07:00Rurui XT10 700 mile update A few things have changed since my last update. The issue where the motor would cut out intermittently got worse. I contacted Rurui support and after many emails, photos, and videos, and tests, they sent me a new display and controller. After I replaced these 2 items, and fixed some damaged motor wires, the bike performs far better. The controller appears to be a Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978542048435351802.post-55456651954349457902022-08-28T13:06:00.005-07:002022-09-08T16:25:32.814-07:00Saying Goodbye to Motorola I bought my first cellular phone back in the mid 1990's. It was a Motorola bag phone. These photos were taken when I finally disposed of it in 2021. It had of course been packed away in a box for decades as these old analog phones no longer work. This thing was a great phone in its day though. In 1998 we were travelling across Wyoming and never lost Jim Roalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05936914552899473277noreply@blogger.com0