Friday, July 31, 2009

Eco-Travel in Colorado: Boulder, Fort Collins, Estes Park and Pawnee Grasslands

Hiking path in Boulder Colorado (photo by Aaron Dalton)
Hiking path in Boulder Colorado (photo by Aaron Dalton)


This just in - Colorado has mountains!

OK, it's not exactly the newsflash of the century, but I'm sure I'm not the only person who ever flew into Denver (where I'd spent my entire previous trip to Colorado) and wondered whether the distant outline on the horizon was in fact the Rocky Mountain range.

Well, after spending a week in northern Colorado bouncing around between Boulder, Fort Collins, Estes Park and the Rocky Mountain National Park, I can in fact report that the mountains do exist.

(Although truth be told they look remarkably similar up close to the fake mountains at the Disney theme parks, especially the Big Thunder Mountain ride. I kept expecting a theme park coaster full of screaming kids to materialize from behind an escarpment at any moment. Nonetheless, despite the resemblance, I'm prepared to believe that the Rocky Mountains are not just a creation of Uncle Walt.)

And now, with apologies for such extensive throat clearing, I present a few nuggets (pun intended) of information on eco travel in northern Colorado.

Boulder - The Denver Post has described Boulder as a "little town nestled between the mountains and reality."

It's true. Boulder is very close to the mountains - and it is a bit separate from reality. There's a certain vibe here as though the 60's never ended. Strolling around the pedestrian-only Pearl Street Mall on a Thursday afternoon, my wife and I encountered a sizeable crowd sitting in the shade and listening to a duo of folk singers. I don't think I had smelled so much incense in the air since graduating college.

Later that night, in the courtyard of the sophisticated yet comfortable St. Julien Hotel & Spa, a much larger crowd rocked out in unpretentious glee to the upbeat sounds of a Brazilian band, while women and children hula-hooped on a grassy lawn.

Here's the best way I can sum up my experience in Boulder. When the valet at the St. Julien found out I was writing a story on the place, he told me how much he loved the town for its "gentle" vibe. I've never heard anyone else describe their town as gentle, but it really does seem to fit Boulder.

Anyway, back to the St. Julien. With its in-room recycling bins, its use of low-VOC materials (carpets, paints and wall coverings), its use of earth-friendly cleaning products and its decision to avoid any leather products, the St. Julien has a long list of eco-friendly qualities. The hotel's restaurant - Jill's - not only serves a seriously delicious buffet lunch (salads, pizzas, sandwiches, soup, fresh bread, etc.), it does so while sourcing as much organic produce and humanely-farmed livestock as possible, composting its food waste and recycling its cooking oil for the creation of biodiesel. The hotel recently planted an on-property herb garden to make sure Jill's had plenty of locally-grown ingredients for its recipes. Some of these same herbs are then incorporated into the St. Julien's spa treatments. Expect to pay approximately $240-260/night for a room at the St. Julien this fall.

Prickly pear flower in Boulder Colorado's Chautauqua area (photo by Aaron Dalton)
Prickly pear flower in Boulder Colorado's Chautauqua area (photo by Aaron Dalton)

We took advantage of another eco-friendly perk at the St. Julien -- free use of cruiser bikes for hotel guests. The cheery bikes look cute and retro, but the lack of hand brakes may frustrate some riders. That grumble aside, the hotel is practically across the street from an entrance to one of Boulder's nicest bike paths that threads alongside Boulder Creek.

The St. Julien also sits close by the Chautauqua Park area, part of more than 45,000 acres of open space land owned by the city of Boulder and managed by the department of Open Space and Mountain Parks. The Chautauqua area is not only convenient to downtown, it contains a variety of trails leading right up to the famous Flatirons rock formations that serve as beautiful backdrop to the town.

You'll frequently see Boulder appear at the top of city lists for its livability and healthy environment. For example, the town attracts a wealth of athletes who come to train in its sunny, high-altitude environment. But it's the community that really makes Boulder special. The city is proud of its claim to be the first city in the U.S. to tax itself for the acquisition, management and maintenance of open space back in 1967. The city's residential green building code dates to 1996 - another first.

That community has attracted the type of people who own Green companies including Namasté SolarIZZE sparkling juicePangea Organics (previously reviewed on 1GreenProduct.com), Horizon OrganicFiona's Granola and Ellie's Eco Home Store.

The city is considered to be a fine-dining destination. We didn't spend enough time in town to confirm or deny that reputation, but I will say that chef Eric Skokan's Black Cat Farm Table Bistro cooks up some awesome organic and local dishes. I was particularly impressed with the beet salad (sliced paper thin) and the cucumber soup (refreshing and clarifying on a warm evening). Service was warm, friendly and informal - par for the course in Boulder.

In short, it's a bit silly trying to describe everything that's eco about Boulder. Let's just say that Green-minded folks will breathe deeply of the clean mountain air and feel instantly at home. For plenty more Green info on Boulder, visit the Environment page of the Boulder CVB.

Amazing cyclists on the beautiful Peak to Peak Byway - the roundabout route between Boulder and Fort Collins (photo by Aaron Dalton)
Amazing cyclists on the beautiful Peak to Peak Byway - the roundabout route between Boulder and Fort Collins
(photo by Aaron Dalton)

Fort Collins - This college town (home to Colorado State University) has a great reputation. Among the many awards won by the city, residents seem fairly proud of the  2006 designation by Money Magazine, which called Fort Collins the best place to live in the U.S.A.

More recently, the Natural Resources Defense Council placed Fort Collins #3 on a list of 'Smarter Cities' based on environmental standards including use of renewable energy, creation of green space, encouragement of alternative transportation and energy-efficient building techniques.

Speaking of alternative transportation, the 280+ miles of bike lanes and 30+ miles of bike paths have helped Fort Collins achieve a Gold level designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Recently, the city installed new bike racks downtown with the help of New Belgium Brewery, a local institution praised as much for its eco-sensibility as for its awesome microbrews.

Visitors to Fort Collins can take a tour (and tasting) at New Belgium, learning why the brewery's signature beer is called Fat Tire and about the important role bikes play in the company's culture.

I have a lot of respect for companies and communities that are willing to put their money on the line alongside their Green sensibilities. Just as the citizens of Boulder took a hit to their pocketbooks when they voted to tax themselves to preserve Green space, so too did New Belgium's employees take an economically irrational decision back in 1999 when they voted unanimously to give up profit-sharing bonuses for 10 years in order to pay a premium for wind-powered electricity.

Full bike rack outside New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado (photo by theregeneration via Flickr)
Full bike rack outside New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado
(photo by theregeneration via Flickr)

New Belgium also has a sweet policy of giving employees a free cruiser bike on their one-year anniversary with the company.

Meanwhile, the company isn't slowing down on its efforts to become Greener by diverting more waste from landfills and planning installation of a solar photovoltaic array. Basically, I came away super-impressed by New Belgium's ability to turn challenges into beautiful eco-friendly solutions. Faced with the destruction of the state's beautiful lodgepole pine forests by beetle infestation, New Belgium decided to use some of the fallen dead trees to build its new packaging hall. When the company had to find a better way to treat wastewater from its brewing and packaging activities, it built its own treatment facility that captured methane gas and used it to power a co-gen plant that supplies up to 15% of the company's electrical needs.

And did I mention that the beer is pretty tasty? ;-)

Incidentally, Fort Collins also has other well-regarded microbreweries (Odell Brewing CompanyFort Collins Brewery and Coopersmith)  and a massive Anheuser-Busch macrobrewery.

Fort Collins also has an ambitious project underway to create the world's largest zero-energy district. Called FortZED, this district encompasses the historic downtown and the main campus of CSU, aiming to reduce energy demand and simultaneously meet the remaining demand with Smart Grid technologies including wind and solar energy.

Colorado State University also plays a major role in Green research and development. The university's Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory (EECL) looks for ways to make engines more efficient and investigates potentially useful biofuels like algae. If you happen to be visiting Fort Collins with a group of at least 7 other eco-minded friends, you may be able to organize a tour of EECL by contacting Stacy Grant at CSU.

While in Fort Collins, eco-minded visitors might like to sample the yummy organic/vegan fare at Tasty Harmony. I enjoyed the jackfruit taco and the awesome berry smoothie.

If you're looking for a little adventure, Mountain Whitewater Descents offers rafting trips on the Cache la Poudre river, Colorado's only Wild and Scenic River. I'd been rafting once before and had unintentionally gone swimming a couple of times on that previous trip, so I was a little anxious about the ride, but the Cache la Poudre trip actually turned out to be just the right mix of relaxing floating and adrenaline-pumping rapids. MWD's prices range from $49 to $109 per person for half-day or full-day rafting trips. (Since the rafts are human-powered and go downstream with the current, the experience seems relatively benign and eco-friendly for the river. Of course, there are diesel-powered buses involved in bringing the rafts and people upstream to the put-in point, so the experience can't be classified as totally eco-friendly, but MWD does give back to the environment with an annual river cleanup, tree-planting to offset carbon emissions, purchases of wind-power credits (with a goal of being 100% wind-powered) and donations of 2% of gross receipts to non-profit organizations. The company also lives the recycling credo in its everyday life by re-using salvaged lumber and materials in its office and recreation areas.

Oreo - resident cat at the Armstrong Hotel - needs a bigger chair (photo by Aaron Dalton)
Oreo - resident cat at the Armstrong Hotel - needs a bigger chair
(photo by Aaron Dalton)

If you'd rather park your car and spend your time walking and biking around Fort Collins, I'd suggest staying at the Armstrong Hotel, a 1923 landmark that was restored in 2004. With free wi-fi in every room, a great location and free cruiser bikes available to guests, the Armstrong was a great home base while in Fort Collins. Cat lovers take note -- lazy kitty Oreo seems to spend all day snoozing away in the chair next to the front desk and is perfectly happy to be petted whenever you like.

If you want to get out of town and enjoy nature, the city of Fort Collins does have a Natural Areas Program funded by citizen-initiated taxes and encompasing more than 32,000 acres of land suitable for hiking, biking, bird watching and horseback riding - most of which are open from early in the morning (5 a.m.) until late at night (11 p.m.).

Two other quick eco tidbits about Fort Collins. The city has a Climate Wise program to help businesses figure out ways to reduce waste, save energy, conserve water and promote alternative transportation. And in case you're not staying at the Armstrong, there's also a local Bike Library in Fort Collins where you can borrow a bike for up to 7 days at no cost.

Oh and in case you're in the market for a lithium-ion powered tricycle, I just read about a new electric bike shop called RunAbout Cycles that relocated to Fort Collins.


Morning view across lake in Estes Park, Colorado (photo by Aaron Dalton)
Morning view across lake in Estes Park, Colorado (photo by Aaron Dalton)

Estes Park - Estes Park is one of the gateway towns for Rocky Mountain National Park, which gives eco-minded travelers more than a quarter million acres of rugged land with almost 360 miles of trails, 150 lakes and more streams, vistas and wildlife than you can shake a stick at.

If you're looking for non-motorized ways of exploring the beautiful countryside around Estes Park, consider a horseback ride from Aspen Lodge or an exhilirating downhill bicycle tour with Colorado Bicycling Adventures.

(Be sure to wear warm clothes on the cycling tour. I was freezing in just a t-shirt in the middle of July. I also was happy that I'd taken the relatively gentle North Fork tour rather than the windswept, high-altitude Trail Ridge Tour. Plus the North Fork riders get to enjoy the awesomely delicious cinnamon rolls from the Glen Haven General Store.)

If you're looking for a good meal in Estes Park, consider the Rock Inn, which we found to have a comfortably casual atmosphere, welcoming service and even some organic ingredients on the menu (coffee, tea, apples, quinoa, etc.). You might also enjoy the unbeatable lakeside view in the Shores Restaurant at the Lake Shore Lodge hotel.

The clear mountain air and high elevation make Estes Park a lovely place for star-gazing. Amateur astronomers will get a thrill out of visiting the newly-opened Estes Park Memorial Observatory with its 16-ft. diameter observatory dome, its Meade 12-inch LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and its gracious staff. The observatory has two open houses scheduled for August (15th and 29th), but I believe you can make appointments to visit on your own at other times by emailing the observatory directly.

200907_pawnee_grasslands_wind_farm
Timeless shortgrass prairie and modern wind farm practically invisible on the far horizon
at the Pawnee National Grassland (photo by Aaron Dalton)

Pawnee National Grassland - For most tourists, Colorado equals mountains for skiing, hiking or just sightseeing. But the fact is that much of the Eastern section of the state consists of high prairie. Most of this high prairie has been developed for farms, ranches or cities, but you can still see nearly 200,000 acres of the grassland in their native form at the Pawnee National Grassland.

This is definitely the road less traveled. Conditions can be extreme on the grasslands - very hot and dry in summer, dangerously cold and snowy in winter. But if you've got a hankering for wide open spaces and a desire to see something like the views that the first caucasian settlers must have seen as they crossed the plains, the grassland can't be beat.

As a bonus, the Grassland has a reputation as a world-class birding destination where bird enthusiasts come to see raptors, hawks, burrowing owls, thrashers, lark buntings, numerous kinds of sparrows and literally hundreds of other species of birds. Guides to the Pawnee National Grassland urge birders to do their birdwatching from the car so as not to disturb birds or scare them away from nests. Since the Grassland is actually a patchwork of private and public land, staying on the numbered roads is also essential. And since many of those roads are unpaved and not even graveled, be sure to check the weather reports since rains can apparently make many of the roads impassable.

Your intrepid editor hiking the Pawnee Buttes on the Pawnee National Grassland
Your intrepid editor hiking near the Pawnee Buttes on the Pawnee National Grassland

If you come to the Grassland, make a point to seek out the Pawnee Buttes, remnants of an ancient landscape that has been mostly eroded away by the action of wind and water over millions of years. A hiking trail leads to the base of the Buttes - just be sure to watch your step to avoid cacti and prairie rattlers.

If you'd like to spend a night out on the grassland, you can try to get a room at the West Pawnee Ranch B&B. For more creature comforts, the most convenient urban base close to the Pawnee Grassland would be the city of Greeley, an interesting place in its own right that began in 1868 as a utopian agricultural colony founded by Nathan Meeker, agricultural editor of the New York Tribune. Meeker named the town after his editor at the Tribune, Horace Greeley, whose name has become inextricably linked with the 19th Century ralling cry, "Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

Today, the country has certainly grown up and moved on. The countryside that Americans like Meeker, Greeley and others knew less than 150 years ago has mostly disappeared, but remnants like the Pawnee Grasslands endure and provide a glimpse back into another world.

Well...even the view isn't quite untouched. On the horizon, a line of bluffs marks a boundary with Wyoming and a wind farm atops the bluffs provides an inspiring clean energy sight. I think this might be the Ponnequin Wind Farm owned by Xcel Energy.

If your curiosity for the Pawnee National Grassland has been aroused, definitely check out these gorgeous photos of the Pawnee Buttes by Rick Dunn.

(I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked in Greeley, but the town seems to be home to some interesting cultural attractions including Kress Cinema & Lounge and The Greeley Philharmonic - oldest continually running orchestra between St. Louis and San Francisco!

Afterthoughts -

1. Prius - I had a chance to drive a Toyota Prius for the first time in Colorado - not the new 3rd-generation Prius but the second-generation version. I'll save a full review for when I get a chance to test drive the 3rd-generation car, but generally I was very impressed with the vehicle. Green Car Congress notes that the 1st generation Prius had a combined mileage rating of 41 mpg, the 2nd generation car had a mileage rating of 46 mpg, while the 3rd generation Prius has a combined mpg rating of 50 mpg.

Amazingly, even at high altitude and with lots of uphill mountainous driving (and of course lots of corresponding downhill rides), I managed to get over 50 mpg in the 2nd generation Prius. This gives me great home for achieving even better mileage in the 3rd generation car. I found the car's feedback system simultaneously exciting and annoying -- I liked knowing exactly what impact my driving habits were having on fuel efficiency, but I also found that it distracted me a bit from the road, the scenery and the pleasures of driving.

Still, in the end, 50+ mpg can't be beat. I loved driving around Colorado for a week and then topping up the tank for $16 and change.

2. Denver Airport Solar Array - On my way back into the airport to fly home to NYC, I noticed a large solar array on the approach to the airport. This is certainly the biggest airport solar installation I've ever seen and one of the biggest solar arrays I've witnessed firsthand. Information online indicates the array generates more than 3 million kWh of electricity, enough to provide half the energy for the underground train that connects the terminals at DIA.

I also noticed that some of the limited-access highways near Denver allow bicycling on the shoulder of the road. What do you think of that? Clever idea or recipe for disaster?

Monday, July 27, 2009

OHM Electric Cycles - Urban XU500

OHM Urban XU500 electric bicycle
OHM Urban XU500 electric bicycle

I have a new appreciation for New York City's bike messengers and delivery guys.

Most of those cyclists use regular bikes - I was on a brand new OHM Urban XU500 cycle with a long-range 28V 12Ah Lithium-ion powe pack and 250W auto-assist hub and I still felt like I'd been put through the wringer after biking from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Downtown Brooklyn.

OHM says that the XU500 can go 20 miles per hour, but I wouldn't know since I had to stop every few hundred feet to avoid nailing a pedestrian, a cab or a delivery truck parked in the bike lane.

(Most of the time there was no bike lane - then I was just avoiding double-parked cars and trucks.)

And even though the handy NYC Bike Map shows a bike path alongside the East River, the reality (as I was warned by Mark at NYCE Wheels, where I picked up the tester bike) is that the East River path is barely wide enough for pedestrians much less cyclists.

So I ended up racing down 2nd Avenue, then West to Lafayette and south again onto the Brooklyn Bridge, where all the soot and other airborne crap that I'd been inhaling from cars, trucks and buses sent me into a coughing fit that lasted pretty much the entire length of the bridge.

Thank goodness for OHM's electric assist or I don't think I would have ever made it home!

OHM bikes offer four levels of electric assistance - I kept the bike on maximum assist (200% boost) or nearly maximum assist (100% boost) pretty much the entire ride. At that level of assistance, I think I drained perhaps a quarter of the battery over about 10 miles of mostly level biking. That's pretty darn amazing, actually, since it suggests the OHM XU500 might be able to go 40 miles on a charge.

(For comparison's sake, the A2B Electric Two-Wheeler reviewed earlier this month gets 20 miles per battery.)

In fact, it looks like my tester bike performed better than OHM's own specs, since OHM suggests the XU500 should have a maximum range of 24 miles at maximum assist and 29 miles at the next-highest level of assistance.

Update - The battery did drain a bit faster on another day, going down perhaps 1/3 over about about 8-9 miles, so that's closer to the range estimate that OHM provides.

So why did I get greater range? One part of the answer might have to do with OHM's clever regenerative braking technology. Basically, I think this works the same way as on a hybrid car like the Toyota Prius. When you hit the right hand brake, the bike captures some kinetic energy and feeds it back into the battery.

Super nifty.

Even niftier, the OHM Cycles don't just come with an Assistance mode, they also come with a Generation mode. Basically, the Generation mode adds resistance to your pedaling and then captures this energy to recharge the battery. That's right - you can recharge the battery on the fly without waiting until you get home to plug in the bike.

(OHM also suggests placing the bike on a stationary bike stand and using the Generative mode to recharge the battery while simultaneously giving yourself a cardio workout. Pure genius. Theoretically, it seems like you could recharge the battery without ever plugging in the machine.)

And speaking of recharging the battery, OHM says that the battery can recharge to 90% capacity within 20 minutes or fully charge in 3 hours.

I didn't time the battery to 20 minutes, but I did remember to look about an hour after I plugged it in and the OHM's display registered the battery as fully charged. Pretty sweet.

Since I live in Brooklyn, I brought the OHM XU500 up into my apartment to recharge it and park it, but if you bike to work and have the opportunity to store the bike in a secure area, you could easily detach the battery pack, carry it into your office, plug it in under the desk, unplug it a few hours later, store it in a drawer and then carry it down to reattach to the bike for your commute home.

Incidentally, at the lowest level of assistance (25% power boost), the XU500 is rated to provide 55 miles of pedal-assist. So if you just need a little help, the OHM cycle could keep you moving for quite a lengthy ride.

According to the folks at NYCE Wheels (who know their electric bikes), OHM uses top quality components in its cycles including Molicel® batteries, which OHM claims will recharge to 100% capacity over approximately 500 cycles and then gradually decrease to 80% capacity over the next 500 cycles.

OHM has also managed to make the XU500 a good bit lighter than the last electric bike I rode. Where the A2B tipped the scales at more than 70 lbs., the OHM XU500 weighs less than 50 lbs. You'll appreciate that lighter weight if you have to carry the bike up or down any stairs.

What else did I like about the OHM experience? I was happy with the quality of the aluminum frame and the Newport saddle. I liked the fact that the bike had mudguards, a sturdy Topeak Explorer Tubular carry rack on the back and Busch & Muller headlight and tail light for safety. (The system for turning on and off the lights was a little confusing since it involved holding down the same button also used to turn the bike on and off, but with a little practice, I was able to figure it out.)

As you can see, there is a lot to like about the OHM XU500, but is it all sunshine and roses? Not quite.

There were a few ways in which I felt the XU500 fell a bit short in comparison to the other e-bikes I've ridden, namely the A2B that I tested earlier this month and the Muji bike that I rode in Japan.

Suspension - This might not be a fair comparison since 2nd Avenue is a mess compared to most of the downtown streets and the Hudson River bike paths where I rode the A2B, but I definitely felt the bumps quite a bit more with the XU500. Maybe the A2B's extra weight helped it eat up some of the shocks. Whatever the case, I definitely felt a bit shaken up by the time I got home.

(Side rant to whoever dug the trench inside the 2nd Avenue bike lane - Bike riders can feel bumps in the road much more than car drivers! Please smooth over the pavement for real next time rather than just dumping in some asphalt willy-nilly.)

Twist throttle vs. Pedal assist - Some electric bikes (such as the A2B) have a twist throttle mechanism that propels the bike forward even if the rider hasn't started pedaling yet. This sort of 'stealth scooter' action seemed a bit sneaky to me when I was testing the A2B, but in retrospect it makes a lot of sense for city riding since it allows the rider to easily accelerate from a stop at a traffic light. Pedal assist is nice in terms of giving you a bit more of a workout, but I think it's better suited for riders who have the luxury of nice bike paths, light traffic or a rural/suburban route with few stop signs or traffic lights. For city riding, I think I'd prefer twist throttle over pedal assist.

OHM is proud of its BionX torque sensor that it says "automatically responds to the way the rider pedals and provides a smooth natural sensation." Again, the guys at NYCE Wheels had only good things to say about the BionX, but I prefered the more forceful push delivered by the Japanese Muji bike. I suppose the lesson here is that even if you do decide on a pedal-assist bike, you should test a few different models to find out which type of power boost you like best.

Sexiness Factor - I mentioned in the A2B review that the bike was a conversation starter and drew a lot of admiring stares and comments. The OHM XU500 looks more like a regular bike. As such, it probably won't get as much attention. I think the OXM XU500 looks nice, but it doesn't have the va-va-voom of the A2B.

Snap! - Remember those bumps I mentioned on 2nd Avenue? I hit one of them, heard a 'snap' sound and the next thing I knew, the SRAM MRX twist shifter was feeling awfully loose. I rolled to a stop and watched in dismay as a small piece of black plastic fell to the street. Yep, the shifter had broken within about the first 3 miles of riding. Not a good sign. Luckily, OHM cycles come with a 1-2 year warranty (depending on the part of the bike), but it was still more than a little disappointing to have the shifter break so quickly. It made me wish that the XU500 bike had the trigger-type Shimano shifter found on OHM's XS Sport bikes.

Price - The OHM XU500 costs $2,699 through NYCE Wheels. That's the same as A2B's MSRP. And just like I said with the A2B, I still think that's pretty expensive.

(To illustrate the potential for sticker shock here, a New York bus driver opened his door at a stop light on 2nd Avenue to ask me where he could find the electric bike I was riding. He seemed interested -- until I told him how much it cost. I'm just saying...)

If you have a shorter commute, you can save a few hundred dollars with the OHM XU450, which seems identical to the XU500 according to OHM's specs except that the battery only provides 16 miles of assist at maximum power and 20 miles of assistance at the next highest level of assistance. (As mentioned earlier, the XU500 is rated to get 24 miles of assistance at max power and 29 miles at the next highest level of assistance.)

So what's the bottom line? I really liked the fully-equipped feel of the OHM XU500, and I was particularly impressed with the range, the recharging time, the regenerative braking and generative settings. I also appreciated the design, the safety features, the performance of the hydraulic disc brakes and the relatively light weight of the bike itself.

On the other hand, I wish the OHM Cycles were more affordable and that the XU500 gave a somewhat more dramatic assist. Some people might like what OHM describes as the "smooth natural sensation" of the BionX sensor, but I wanted something more obvious and potent. I also was disappointed with the fragility of the SRAM shifter.

Other than the broken shifter, I'd have no hesitation in recommending this bike for a test ride to someone with relatively deep pockets searching for a pedal-assist electric bike.

Where to Buy:

In New York City, NYCE Wheels carries some OHM Cycles and can provide expert advice on e-bikes in general.

If you're not located in New York, you can still order an OHM Cycle through the NYCE Wheels site for a $200 shipping fee.

Alternatively, you can use the OHM Cycles site to find a dealer near you in the USA, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, Germany or Spain.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Toyota Yaris

2009 Toyota Yaris 5-Door Liftback shown in Carmine Red Metallic with available 15-in. alloy wheels (photo courtesy of Toyota)
2009 Toyota Yaris 5-Door Liftback shown in Carmine Red Metallic with available 15-in. alloy wheels (photo courtesy of Toyota)

"Is that a hybrid?"

"What kind of car is that?"

Those are the types of questions you may hear if you drive a Toyota Yaris.

In reality, it's not a hybrid, but it looks cute and futuristic enough that the Yaris can turn heads and get people wondering.

The irony is that while social-climbers might spend big money trying to get noticed, you can zip in under their radar and steal the spotlight in a Yaris for as little as $12,205 MSRP (for the 3-door hatchback version).

The Environmental Protection Agency''s Fuel Economy Guide lists the Toyota Yaris as the miles per gallon (mpg) leader for the subcompact category with a projected 29 mpg in city traffic and 35-36 mpg in highway traffic. (The slightly higher number applies to the manual transmission version of the Yaris.)

For comparison's sake, the EPA helpfully provides a list of 2009 Fuel Economy Leaders for the 2009 model year. The manual and automatic versions of the Yaris occupy positions #9 and #10 on that list, respectively.

Of the cars that occupy higher places on the EPA Fuel Economy Leaders list, all cost thousands of dollars more except for the least expensive version of the Smart ForTwo, which only has two seats and is thus much less practical for families or groups of friends than the Yaris.

In terms of emissions, the Yaris is rate as a ULEV II (Ultra Low Emission Vehicle).

Want more proof that the Toyota Yaris has impeccable eco-friendly credentials? How about the fact that the Environmental Transport Association, a sustainable travel lobby group based in the UK, named the Yaris the 2008 Green Car of the Year based on the car's power, fuel efficiency, emissions and even the amount of noise produced.

Thanks to Toyota, I recently had the chance to test drive a fully-equipped, high-end S version of the 5-door liftback style Yaris. I took the Yaris on a long weekend trip from New York City to the Philadelphia suburbs and back.

I came back from the trip mightily impressed with the way the Yaris handled the usual heavy traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike and the disaster areas - a.k.a. 'uneven pavement' - on stretches of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and pretty much the entire BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway).

Acceleration seemed like sort of a mixed bag. You'll either love or hate the throaty growl the Yaris' engine gives as the car leaps away from stop lights. Merging or passing on a highway can require a bit of advance planning, but you'll be fine as long as you remember you're driving a 1.5 liter, 4-cylinder engine, not a supercar.

At high speeds, the Yaris performed like a champ. In fact, I found the car did better zooming along at 70 mph than at low speeds. Puttering around the suburbs, I found the engine a bit noisy and the brakes a little soft. But cruising down the highway, the engine noise blended into the background and the car floated along with little effort. I've been in plenty of cars that shake, rattle and hum at high speeds, but the Yaris just purred.

As for comfort, I did have to contort my body a little to slide my 6-foot frame behind the wheel. I loved the supportiveness of the seat, but have to admit that my left leg felt a little cramped in terms of leg space. I don't need many creature comforts, but the lack of an armrest got kind of annoying after an hour or two on the road.

The Yaris looks great from an interior design standpoint, particularly for such a low cost car. Moving the instrument panel to the center gives the driver a wide, uninterrupted view of the road. On the other hand, I did find it a little awkward at times to glance to the right to check my speed or figure out if I was in the right gear. (Part of this problem could be solved by tweaking the design of the gear shift so that it's easier to tell what gear the car is in without looking at the electronic dashboard display.)

No complaints on the AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, satellite radio capability and even an iPod® interface.

You probably wouldn't want to transport a sumo wrestling team in the Yaris, but the car can theoretically handle five people with reasonable comfort. There's certainly no reason that mom, dad and three kids couldn't pile into the Yaris for a day's worth of motoring around town...as long as the family didn't buy too many souvenirs along the way.

That's because the Yaris gives you passenger capacity or luggage capacity, but not both. I loved the ease with which I could fold down the rear seats to create a capacious cargo zone into which I slid two suitcases, a bag of laundry, a bookbag, a large portfolio and a few other odds and ends with plenty of room to spare.

On the other hand, when I chauffered my parents around town with the back seats locked into an upright position, the cargo zone shrank to a size suited only for a few grocery bags worth of stuff.

Toyota's engineers did a great job at making the Yaris practical and versatile, but you can't fit a minivan's carrying capacity into a subcompact car. The fact is that you can pick your visiting relatives up at the airport in the Yaris, but you better tell them to pack light or count on carrying their suitcases in their laps.

Other odds and ends -
  • Beautifully compact turning radius (just 30.8 feet on the 5-door hatchback) makes the Yaris supremely manueverable, especially in garages and parking lots. Of course, urban drivers will also love the ease with which they can parallel park the 66.7-inch long car.

  • Nice list of standard features, at least on the S-version hatchback, includes powerful halogen headlamps, integrate front fog lamps, intermittent wipers, CFC-free air conditioning and dual passenger side glove compartments.

  • Comforting safety features including anti-lock brakes, an electronic emergency tire pressure monitoring system and multiple airbags.

  • My father (72 yrs old) commented how comfortably and easily he was able to enter and exit the car without worrying about bumping his head. Judging from the styling and pricing, Toyota is probably aiming the Yaris at the youth market, but the car could be a great vehicle for older drivers too.

  • The car's  'cute factor' can be a conversation-starter, but it can also help in real-world driving conditions. On several occasions, I felt that tough urban drivers let me squeeze into traffic with a smile based on the car's diminutive and charming appearance. (Of course, this friendliness could have been due to my charming appearance, but since I haven't experienced such courtesy while driving other cars, I'm inclined to give credit here to the Yaris.

Bottom line -

As long as you don't regularly need to carry passengers and a lot of cargo, the Yaris could be an excellent car for you. Its price, fuel efficiency and small size (requiring fewer raw materials) make it one of the best eco-friendly options among non-hybrid vehicles.

Where to buy -

Contact your local Toyota dealer to check on availability, pricing and options.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

GeoBulb LED light bulb

GeoBulb II by C. Crane
GeoBulb II by C. Crane


You might look at the GeoBulb® II design as being sexy and sculptural.

Or it may look a little exoskeletal to you.

But either way, it is the low energy consumption of this LED light bulb that should really catch your eye.

In its Cool White form, the GeoBulb II delivers claims to deliver approximately the same illumination as a 60-watt incandescent light bulb while using only 7.5 watts of power! That's almost an 87% energy savings!

With a projected life span of 30,000 hours, GeoBulb II's manufacturer C. Crane says the bulb should last for 10 years of 8-hours-per-day usage. The bulb also comes with a comforting 3-year warranty.

As for the light quality, like many LEDs, the light is very white, with almost a bluish tint. That may sound unappealing, and you probably wouldn't want to use the GeoBulb II for mood lighting, but the fact is that the GeoBulb II is actually fantastic for use as a reading light. Somehow it makes reading printed materials much easier and seemed to reduce eye strain, at least for me.

GeoBulb II by C. Crane
GeoBulb II by C. Crane

(If you don't want such a blue-white light, C. Crane does sell Soft White and Warm White varieties of its GeoBulb II bulbs, but those are only rated as equivalent to 50-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs respectively. We presume these other varieties have some sort of coating on the bulb that 'softens' or 'warms' the light but also cuts down on blocks some of the luminescence.)

The only drawback I can see here is still price. Even after a 15% price reduction, the GeoBulb II will still set you back $99.95. Yowzers!

It's true that the GeoBulb II will save you a lot in energy costs over the long run, but it's still hard to imagine too many folks shelling out $100 per bulb when it's possible to buy a 12-pack of Sylvania CFL bulbs at Amazon for around $24. True, the CFL bulbs use almost twice as much electricity (13 watts) as the GeoBulb II to produce the same amount of lumens (60-watt incandescent equivalent), but on the other hand the GeoBulb II is about 50-times more expensive.

How many light bulbs do you have in your home? I have about 15 in my apartment. That means I could light the whole apartment for $48 with the Sylvania CFLs and have plenty of leftover replacement bulbs. Or I could light the apartment for $1500 with GeoBulb IIs.

$1500 vs. $48. I love the GeoBulb technology - and LED light bulb technology in general - but it's going to have to come down in price to penetrate beyond the millionaire/billionaire demographic.

Hopefully, LED bulbs will get more affordable. Most technology seems to progress down an affordability curve. Only a few year ago, CFL bulbs were rather pricey too. Now they're easily affordable. Hopefully in a couple of years, we'll be seeing multipacks of GeoBulbs for a fraction of the current price.

Where to Buy:


If your recession-era budget doesn't have room for the GeoBulb II, remember that you can still get a Pharox 4-watt LED (40-watt incandescent equivalent) at Amazon for $34.99 or the EarthLED ZetaLux for $49.99 (6-7 watts of power consumption, 50-60 watt incandescent equivalent).

Monday, July 13, 2009

Energy alternatives article from Nature Magazine

Solar panels (photo by Kevin T. Houle)
Solar panels (photo by Kevin T. Houle)


We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming (24/7 reviews!) to recommend this interesting article from Nature on various methods of generating electricity without net carbon emissions.

I came away from the story with a renewed appreciation for the potential of solar power in particular. Consider this excerpt:
Earth receives about 100,000 TW of solar power at its surface — enough energy every hour to supply humanity's energy needs for a year. There are parts of the Sahara Desert, the Gobi Desert in central Asia, the Atacama in Peru or the Great Basin in the United States where a gigawatt of electricity could be generated using today's photovoltaic cells in an array 7 or 8 kilometres across. Theoretically, the world's entire primary energy needs could be served by less than a tenth of the area of the Sahara.

Exciting stuff! Let's get cracking on those giant solar arrays!! :)

Friday, July 10, 2009

cmarchuska eco-friendly fashion

Women's organic cotton and modal mseries t-shirt, part of the cmarchuska eco-friendly clothing line
Women's mseries t-shirt from cmarchuska 

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

I like how Christine Marchuska put a little twist on basic styles with her eco-friendly cmarchuska clothing line to make them a little quirky and interesting, but still versatile and wearable.

For example, the cmarchuska mseries t-shirts have little epaulettes on the shoulder to set them apart from the zillions of other t-shirts out there.  The slim styling on the shirt is comfortable, but very fitted and flattering.

In terms of material, the short-sleeve mseries t-shirts use a 50/50 mix of organic cotton and modal, both of which are considered excellent eco-friendly fabric choices. The long-sleeve women's mseries shirt is made from 100% organic cotton.

Organic cotton is always great, but I have to admit I like the organic cotton/modal blend. The shirt came through my apartment building's industrial washer/dryer circle looking like new. Plus, there's something about the smoothness and softness of modal that makes it feel a bit different and special --just like those spiffy epaulettes. ;-)

FYI, much of the cmarchuska line is made right in New York City's Garment District, but the mseries t-shirts are made in China.

Where to Buy:

You can buy mseries t-shirts ($30-60) and other cmarchuska fashions direct through the designer's website. Some of the t-shirts are plain, while others carry the words "Vivons Vert" - French for "Let's live green!"

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

K2 Eco Skates

K2 Etu men's Eco Skate made with bamboo and recycled PET
K2 Etu men's Eco Skate made with bamboo and recycled PET

I've been talking a lot about the virtues of bikes and e-bikes lately, but I neglected to mention the virtues of other forms of zero-emission, human-powered transportation.

For example, here in New York City, I frequently see people getting around by skateboard and sometimes (especially kids) by kick-scooter too.

But there's another option for those with good balance and an interest in getting shapely, toned legs. I'm talking about in-line skating (a.k.a. blading or rollerblading).

This was a big craze back in the early 1990's (remember Prayer of the Rollerboys?). In 1996, one study estimated that 27 million Americans had become in-line skaters.

The sport has faded a bit since then. By 2007, the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association was estimating the total U.S. in-line skating population at 10.8 million, with the number of 'core' skaters (defined rather leniently as those who skated at least once a month), dropping to just 4.7 million people.

I do think that most people consider in-line skating a sport or recreational activity rather than a bona-fide commuting/transportation option, but the fact is that experienced in-line skaters can probably expect to achieve average speeds of 10-12 miles per hour.

While quite a bit slower than an e-bike (top speed usually governed to 20 mph) and even slower than most regular bikes (13-15 mph average commuting speed according to some very unscientified London data), in-line skating does have its advantages over either biking option.

E-bikes require an electricity input to charge their batteries. In-line skates require no external inputs (other than human muscle power).

E-bikes and regular bikes are both weighty and bulky. Commuters who are unable to bring the bikes into their offices have to worry about where to park the bike and how to lock it. Theft is a concern. By contrast, in-line skates can be unlaced, brought into an office and left beneath a desk or in a drawer.

And of course it's much easier to skate from a home to a train station and then carry the skates onto the train versus trying to carry a bike onto a train.

That said, in-line skates are not without their drawbacks. I'm a real novice skater, but in my opinion, it's much easier to maintain balance on a bicycle than on skates. Stopping on a bike is much easier too (for me) -- and since stopping is a big part of accident avoidance, that makes me nervous about recommeding in-line skating to non-experts seeking to commute in high-traffic areas.

On the other hand, there's something incredibly liberating about inline skating. Bicycling has a certain rush that comes from propelling yourself faster than any unassisted human could run, but there's always the machine with its gears and pedals between you and the road. With blading, it's amazing how just some sturdy boots and a couple sets of little wheels can give you instant speed.

Whether you're considering in-line skating as a commuting or recreational activity, in either case you'd want to choose the most eco-friendly in-line skates.

While most skates are made of plastics and other synthetic materials, the new K2 Eco Skates - the Etu for men and the Maia for women - give you a great Green alternative.

Both skates have excellent eco credentials. Instead of using metal or plastic for the frames that hold the wheels, K2 has chosen to use renewable and biodegradable bamboo. These bamboo frames give the skates a beautiful, natural look. I almost felt like I was skating on a piece of art.

From a design standpoint, I also liked the way that K2 used a bamboo leaf motif on the strap, boot and frame.

(And in case you're worried about the strength of a bamboo skate, numerous sources point out that bamboo has a tensile strength greater than that of some types of steel.)

K2 has also taken steps to incorporate recycled materials into its Eco line, keeping trash out of landfills and supporting recycling efforts by using 100% recycled PET for the liners and laces of the Etu and Maia skates. The mesh on the skates is made from 50% recycled PET.

Thankfully, K2 says all its Eco skates are PVC-free.

I had a chance to test the Etu skate in person. I was happy to find that K2 had used minimal packaging - just a bit of tissue paper around the skates and some recyclable cardboard and paper inside the skates themselves to help them keep their shape. The box itself was labeled as being made of 70% recycled material and printed with eco-friendly soy-based inks.

Fit and finish on the K2 boots is quite good. I was a little disappointed to see that the boots were made in China -- although I suppose that's a good place to find bamboo. But it would have been nice from an eco standpoint if the skate had not been shipped half-way around the world.

The boots feel stable and well-made. I was able to skate comfortably and smoothly on the 84 mm wheels with ILQ-7 bearings (highly regarded on at least one forum).

I'm impressed that K2 says it is working toward a recycling/take-back program for its eco skates. Meanwhile, the company has developed a short DIY tutorial on how consumers can recycle or re-use components from their skates.

Incidentally, the DIY tutorial is part of a very nice section of K2's website that offers lots of information on steps the company is taking to reduce its 'carbon skateprint'. Lots of companies could learn from K2 in communicating the steps they are taking to go green.

Bottom line - An average human walking speed is just under 3 miles per hour (4.8 km per hour). In-line skating provides a zero-emission, relatively low-cost, eco-friendly way of tripling or quadrupling unassisted travel speed. The bamboo and recycled components of the K2 Etu and Maia skates seem to make them the best eco-friendly options in the category. Even better, the Eco stakes also seem appealing from a style and quality standpoint.

Where to buy:

You can purchase both the women's Maia skates and men's Etu skates at InlineSkates.net for $189.95 with free shipping.

Remember that most inline skaters fall from time to time -- especially if you're just getting started learning the sport. Skating and bicycling have many eco-advantages over driving a car, but unlike in a car, you won't have any seatbelt or airbags to protect you in the event of a crash. Therefore, it makes sense to use caution and wear the right safety gear. That's why I strongly recommend that all inline skates protect themselves as much as possible by wearing a helmet plus appropriate pads and wrist guards.

K2 has introduced matching sets of eco-friendly Etu pads and Maia pads ($33.74 each via InlineSkates.net) that incorporate recycled PET materials.

Friday, July 3, 2009

A2B Electric Two-Wheeler

The A2B electric two-wheeler by Ultra Motor
The A2B electric two-wheeler by Ultra Motor


Happy (almost) Independence Day!

Wouldn't it be great if more of us could break free from a dependence on gasoline and cars to get us where we want to go?

As I've mentioned before, I believe that bikes and particularly e-bikes are a big part of the solution. Previously, I had a chance to test an e-bike in Tokyo. Then just last week, Ultra Motor gave me the chance to test ride their A2B electric bike around New York City.

(Special thanks also go to Vespa SoHo, the store that actually sells the A2B in Manhattan and let me take one of their A2Bs out for a spin.)

First things first, how did A2B get its name? I assumed it was because the bike provided an awesome way to get from point A to point B. Logical, but incorrect according to Daniel R. Gonzalez, sales manager at Vespa Soho. Gonzalez says that the bike actually got its name thanks to capacity to carry dual batteries. The built-in "A" battery can carry a ride for up to 20 miles (without assistance from pedal power) at up to 20 mph. Naturally, that maximum range depends on terrain - expect to go further in flat Miami than in hilly San Francisco. If the "A" battery does run out of juice and if you've purchased a spare "B" battery, you can simply flip a switch from A to B and get another 20 miles or so of range from the backup battery.

Batteries apparently take 3.5 to 4 hours to fully recharge, so theoretically you could commute to work on A2B on a Friday morning, leave the bike charging and then commute home to get a head start on the weekend right after lunch.

Here are some more thoughts on the A2B -

Aesthetics - Vespa Soho's Gonzalez pointed out that lots of other e-bikes just look like ordinary bicycles with a (visible) battery attached. By contrast, A2B was designed especially to be an electric bike. The battery is hidden from view and built into the bike's frame. Gonzalez did assure me that it is easy to swap out the battery for a new one at the end of the original battery's lifetime.

Basically, the A2B looks sweet, minimalist and futuristic. It's the kind of bike that will get noticed. Don't be surprised if you meet a lot of people - pedestrians, car drivers and other cyclists - wanting to know what you're riding. People may stare and you'll probably get a few compliments. In fact, single gals and guys looking to meet Mr/Ms Right (or even Mr/Ms Right Now) might want to buy an A2B just for the conversation-starting benefits.

By the way, although Ultra Motor is based in the U.K., its design team is from Germany. Indeed, there is something about the look of the A2B that reminds me of the sleek work of Porsche Design.

The Ride - A2B does have pedals and can move just under pedal-power, but I don't see anything on the Ultra Motor website calling this machine an e-bike. In fact, Ultra Motor likes to describe A2B as an "electric two-wheeler". This is actually a pretty apt description. The A2B's twist throttle system lets you ride around town without ever actually pedaling your legs. It's kind of a stealth electric scooter, albeit one that only goes up to 20 mph.

The top mph rating is important because, according to Gonzalez, anyone can ride a vehicle that only goes up to 20 mph. You don't even need a driver's license (at least in NY State...not sure if the same laws apply everywhere). By contrast, scooters tend to go up to 30 mph and require a driver's license. Anything over that in terms of top speed and you'll need a special motorcycle license.

The A2B electric two-wheeler by Ultra Motor
The A2B electric two-wheeler by Ultra Motor

Anyway, in a word, the ride is awesome. The shock-absorbing front and rear suspension eats up bumps like the Cookie Monster chowing down on a Gingerbread Man. The 36-volt lithium ion battery propels the e-bike away from red lights in a hurry. Disc brakes let you stop on a dime - important when NYC taxi cabs are cutting in front of you to pick up passengers. Frankly, the A2B put a big happy grin on my face for most of my test ride (except when I was dodging trucks and airborne trash on Canal Street).

Now, the A2B may be a beautiful machine, but that doesn't mean that it's faultless. In the spirit of constructive criticism, I'd like to offer the following observations on Things That Might Be Improved in version 2.0:

Weight - The A2B is solid and comfy, but it ain't dainty. The bike weighs more than 70 lbs. Which means that even with a 7-speed Shimano derailleur, you'll still huff and puff trying to propel the bike by pedal power. Since the A2B looks like a bike and has a controlled 20 mph top speed, you can apparently take it on bike paths and into parks, but I still think it works best as a stealth cruiser with a little pedaling from time to time on flat ground to get exercise or save battery power. For comparison's sake, this Elegance e-bike from EcoBike weighs only around 50 lbs. Those 20 lbs can make a big difference. In fact, it's even more impressive that the A2B's motor can move the heavy bike so quickly. Gonzalez says that 1/3 of the A2B's weight is in its battery, so hopefully that part of the weight will come down as battery technology improves. Since the rest of A2B is already made out of aluminum, it's not clear how the bike could get lighter without sacrificing some of its impressive stability and shock-absorbing power.

Battery indicator - A2B does have a three-light battery indicator in green, yellow and red, but I would have liked something a bit clearer that looked more like a gas gauge. Call me old-fashioned.

Twist direction - I like the twist throttle, but I believe you have to twist it toward you in order to accelerate. It seems like it would be more intuitive to twist away and there were several times that I tried twisting away the throttle forward only to wonder why I wasn't getting any oomph. But perhaps I'm ignorant of some universal code of twist-throttling that says throttles must be turned inward and toward the rider.

Bell - OK, some people might say this is silly, but I would have loved to see a bell incorporated into the design. Like any bike or e-bike, the A2B is quiet. A bell would help warn pedestrians and other bicyclists that you're about to overtake them and zoom by at an astonishingly fast speed without any apparent effort. :)

Price - The A2B currently carries an MSRP of around $2,699. When considering cost of ownership, you'll have to think about the battery too. The Ultra Motor warranty guarantees the battery will function for more than 500 cycles at 80% of original capacity. That sounds decent, but given the cost of batteries ($550 to replace the internal battery, $650 for the optional auxiliary battery), I hope that Ultra Motor can guarantee more charge cycles from its batteries in the future - or make the battery cheaper to replace.

$3000+ is a lot to spend on an e-bike when there are plenty of sub-$1000 alternatives. But...sometimes you get what you pay for. A2B is a high-quality machine that looks and rides like it is meant to last. If comfort, design and speed matter to you - and if you're OK with the weight issue - A2B seems like it is definitely worth the money. You'll still save a huge bundle compared to car ownership and you can relish riding one of the top e-bikes (OK, electric two-wheelers) in the country.

Where to Buy:


A spokesperson for A2B also told me that Best Buy will start carrying the A2B soon. Looks like Best Buy is solidifying its position as an e-bike leader...

An Ultra Motor spokesperson says that the company offers useful accessories such as front baskets and laptop bags. It would be nice if visitors to the A2B site could browse a selection of these accessories.