I’d be happy just having bikes be viable as an individualized transportation method. I’d much rather a 30-minute bike ride than a car ride every day

I think it’s around 10k but they’re trying to get it lower

Velomobiles are neat but the idea is more practically executed in something like the Electrom LEV

Aging Wheels has a twike and has a couple of good videos of the vehicle

Relevant

Looks like an assassin bug of some sort. Recommend the iNaturalist app and/or BugGuide to help determine more specific information

I gotta ask what’s with the Kermit, Sailor Moon, Heathcliff filters?

There’s a clip of a swimmer doing it without shoes/clips so maybe they’re optional.

It really should be

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Also on Lineage and loving it

The correct answer is ‘moon’ obviously

What time do you take moon lunch?

Fortnine did a great video on this

https://youtu.be/BS9ugdl1FZc?si=JeSBpYtkluCE0rxg

Would it be available to you to rent one of these bikes for a few months (or even less time), just so you can get a feel for the route and if this is some thing that you want to commit to?

See the edit I made to the original post. I did get to try it today, but I won’t have the bike long term. Just the weekend. Good news is this test was in my opinion, a success. I made it to the half-way point in the time I was hoping for and had fun doing it. To me this has at least proved the feasibility of this route.

To be clear on the Specialized requirement: I really have no love for Specialized. However, I do love my bike shop. They’ve supported my racing, my constant component destruction, and they even helped me through a long process of helping me build a custom enduro bike. They’re great and I want to throw them a bone by buying a bike from them. They also sell Salsa and Norco but neither brand seems to have a bike that fits this need, so Specialized it is.

Specialized’s website is dogshit but rough break down on spec levels.

• 3.0 = Smaller battery / smaller motor / 20 mph PA limit / $2700
• 4.0 = Biggest battery / mid-sized motor / 28 mph PA limit / $3200
• 5.0 = Biggest battery / biggest motor / 28 mph PA limit / $4200

I agree the IGH would be ideal but it’s only available on 3.0 (too slow) and 5.0 (too expensive). The good news is I’m not planning on riding (at least this year) while there’s snow on the trail. We typically have occasional melts and I imagine I will get back at it when the trail is clear but I can be flexible. I don’t need to get rid of my car and due to my work, I usually have cars available should it snow after I’ve commuted in. Point is I will have a lot of flexibility with how I commute. I’d just rather it be on a bike when I can swing it.

As for the Haul ST, I have one as a demo currently and tested on the route today (see the edit I made to the post). The Haul is fantastic but I don’t need to carry more than a couple small bags and the range ended up being an issue when I tested it today. This could possibly be mitigated by using a lower PA level but then the other bikes become more appealing again. Typically I take a laptop bag and a lunch bag. I’d maybe need a bit of storage for tools and rain gear but the Haul is just a little overkill for my current needs. Super-cool bike though. Would recommend.

As for the step-through, I wouldn’t mind it but it definitely isn’t a requirement for me. I’ve never met a bike I couldn’t swing over or step over. I think at my height it isn’t really a concern.

I hope this doesn’t come across as just dismissing all your suggestions. I appreciate your input and it’s helping me think through the problem.

It's mostly desert and mountains

Working in automotive development I’ve had some experience with these. You can get used to it pretty quickly, to the point where I was able to do a test of a simulated reverse AEB and consistently come within a few centimeters if the target.

Additionally, a lot of these can be turned off and used as a mirror.

Would I prefer a better ‘greenhouse’/better visibility? Yeah, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. It’s a separate discussion but one I wish the auto industry was having more

I once ate a whole kiwi in front of my wife. That’s the closest we ever came to getting a divorce.