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E-Bike Mini Review, Big Nuts and RV Suspension Upgrade


September 8-14, 2019 — Clouds and rain were on the agenda for this second week of September in Wisconsin. During this time we spent three nights in Green Bay and it rained every one of them. On the fourth day the rains continued leading to flooding and street closures in several areas of the city. 

On the day we left Green Bay there was an hour window during which the rains stopped. We used that time to fill our propane tank and visit the dump station at Cabela’s. Just as we finished at Cabela’s and climbed back in the RV, a downpour ensued. The rains continued as we made our way west to central Wisconsin. 

Usually we take the rainy days and stretches in stride but we were anxious to test out our new Lectric XP e-bikes. We ordered these bikes in June and had them shipped to a family member in the Green Bay area. We patiently (not!) waited all summer for them to arrive and for us to return from our East Coast circle trip to receive them. 

The rains finally gave up after we settled into our site in central WI and we were able to take the bikes for a test ride. See below for our mini review of the Lectric XP bikes along with a pictorial of other fun things we did this week. 

All nights this week were free stays with three nights at a casino and four nights at the home of friends. 

Mile Driven – RV

Miles Driven – Car

On the agenda for this week was interior RV maintenance including repairing drawer latches and adjusting slides, scrubbing overhead fan blades and screens, and defrosting an cleaning the refrigerator. We also spent time organizing storage containers and purging unwanted items. 

The cure for drought conditions? Buy new E-Bikes. We tried to test out these Lectric XP bikes on a long ride for several days but the rains kept coming. Grrr!!

You’ve got to love businesses that are proud of their products and the size of their nuts (and bolts). While out sunset hunting in Green Bay, WI we stumbled upon Packer Fastener and had to stop for a photo and a few giggles. 

Oneida Casino serves as our home in the woods while in Green Bay, WI. We stay there every year at least once or twice while visiting friends and family. The casino offers free dry camping in the lot or $15 a night for an electric site. The casino is also home to Vince Lombardi’s Legendary Sports Bar & Grill which features both delicious food and sports memorabilia from the private collection of the Lombardi family. 

It’s suspension upgrade time again on the RV. In June we swapped out the front sway bar for a larger, heavier duty one from Hellwig on our Thor Vegas motorhome. It made a huge difference in ride while in windy conditions and when driving over sloped approaches. With such an improvement with the new sway bar in the front we decided to upgrade the rear one as well. Installation was a breeze and total time start to finish was less than 30 minutes. 

Farmer’s Market Saturday in central WI. Squash, pumpkins and other late season crops were plentiful, hinting that winter will be here in a few short weeks. Hopefully it stays away until we are headed south. 

Finally had a nice afternoon to take the Lectric XP bikes out for a longer test ride. The bikes performed flawlessly! We rode 12 miles on city streets, paved bike paths and a granite/gravel trail that had loose granite stretches, wooden boardwalks, and muddy areas. The 4″ fat tires gripped all surfaces nicely without too much surface tension to bog down the bike. Our ride took us up several hills and one long incline. On a regular bike we would have been at a slow crawl (or walk!) trying to make it up those and likely would have avoided the route altogether. Using the pedal assist on the Lectric XP bikes we zipped up those hills without an issue. The ride was very enjoyable and we look forward to putting many more miles on these bikes. 

Even with the rainy weather we had a great week. Follow along next week as the sunshine returns, we complete upgrades to the RV, and wrap up our time in central Wisconsin. See you then!