| Rating | Title | Author | Duration |
| 5 | Stuff and Nonsense ‡ | Andrew Seiple | 10h40m ⓘ |
| 5 | Opening Moves ‡ | Cosimo Yap | 12h26m ⓘ |
| 5 | Earth's Gambit ‡ | Cosimo Yap | 10h41m ⓘ |
| 5 | Sacrificial Pieces ‡ | Cosimo Yap | 9h25m ⓘ |
| 5 | Ruthless ‡ | Dakota Krout | 12h08m ⓘ |
| 5 | Scamps & Scoundrels ‡ | Eric Ugland | 11h29m ⓘ |
| 5 | Skull and Thrones ‡ | Eric Ugland | 10h17m ⓘ |
| 5 | War of the Posers ‡ | Eric Ugland | 9h47m ⓘ |
| 5 | The Bare Hunt ‡ | Eric Ugland | 9h07m ⓘ |
| 5 | Eastbound and Town ‡ | Eric Ugland | 8h08m ⓘ |
| 5 | Four Beheadings and a Funeral ‡ | Eric Ugland | 9h20m ⓘ |
| 5 | First Login ‡ | Kevin Murphy | 11h47m ⓘ |
| 5 | Trial and Flame ‡ | Kevin Murphy | 12h12m ⓘ |
| 5 | Shattered Sword (A LitRPG Adventure) ‡ | TJ Reynolds | 13h19m ⓘ |
| 4 | The Land - Founding ‡ | Aleron Kong | 9h49m ⓘ |
| 4 | The Land - Forging ‡ | Aleron Kong | 11h42m ⓘ |
| 4 | The Land - Raiders ‡ | Aleron Kong | 13h10m ⓘ |
| 4 | Sew You Want to Be a Hero ‡ | Andrew Seiple | 13h50m ⓘ |
| 4 | The Right to Arm Bears ‡ | Andrew Seiple | 14h28m ⓘ |
| 4 | Columbus Day ‡ | Craig Alanson | 16h23m ⓘ |
| 4 | SpecOps ‡ | Craig Alanson | 15h50m ⓘ |
| 4 | Paradise ‡ | Craig Alanson | 15h53m ⓘ |
| 4 | Second Story Man ‡ | Eric Ugland | 8h52m ⓘ |
| 4 | Ascend Online ‡ | Luke Chmilenko | 17h56m ⓘ |
| 4 | Hell to Pay ‡ | Luke Chmilenko | 11h11m ⓘ |
| 4 | Legacy of the Fallen ‡ | Luke Chmilenko | 24h1m ⓘ |
| 4 | Life Reset - A LitRPG Novel ‡ | Shemer Kuznits | 24h40m ⓘ |
| 4 | Life Reset - EvP (Environment vs. Player) ‡ | Shemer Kuznits | 21h53m ⓘ |
| 4 | Life Reset - Hobnobbing ‡ | Shemer Kuznits | 15h23m ⓘ |
| 4 | Life Reset - Human Resource ‡ | Shemer Kuznits | 16h15m ⓘ |
| 4 | The Ruined Temple ‡ | TJ Reynolds | 15h39m ⓘ |
| 3 | The Land - Alliances ‡ | Aleron Kong | 11h03m ⓘ |
| 3 | The Land - Catacombs ‡ | Aleron Kong | 12h13m ⓘ |
| 3 | The Land - Swarm ‡ | Aleron Kong | 16h14m ⓘ |
| 3 | The Land - Predators ‡ | Aleron Kong | 46h56m ⓘ |
| 3 | Deathtrap ‡ | Craig Alanson | 15h03m ⓘ |
| 3 | Freefall ‡ | Craig Alanson | 19h19m ⓘ |
| 3 | Critical Mass ‡ | Craig Alanson | 19h25m ⓘ |
| 3 | Trouble on Paradise ‡ | Craig Alanson | 5h48m ⓘ |
| 3 | Black Ops ‡ | Craig Alanson | 16h44m ⓘ |
| 3 | Zero Hour ‡ | Craig Alanson | 17h20m ⓘ |
| 3 | Mavericks ‡ | Craig Alanson | 17h21m ⓘ |
| 3 | Renegades ‡ | Craig Alanson | 17h07m ⓘ |
| 3 | Homefront ‡ | Craig Alanson | 5h58m ⓘ |
| 3 | Armageddon ‡ | Craig Alanson | 17h51m ⓘ |
| 3 | Valkyrie ‡ | Craig Alanson | 19h45m ⓘ |
| 3 | The Quantum Magician ‡ | Derek Kunsken | 13h08m ⓘ |
| 3 | The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World and Other Works | Harlan Ellison | 17h18m ⓘ |
| 3 | Sentenced to Troll Compendium, Books 1-3 ‡ | S.L. Rowland | 29h30m ⓘ |
| 2 | Twinborn Chronicles Books 1-3 ‡ | J.S. Morin | 67h 32m ⓘ |
| 2 | The Dragon's Blade Trilogy ‡ | Michael R. Miller | 45h50m ⓘ |
2021-01-01
Books Read 2020
Below are the books that I read during 2020 and my rating out of 5.
2019-12-30
Books Read 2019
Below are the books that I read during 2019 and my rating out of 5
| Rating | Title | Author | Length |
| 5 | Raze: Completionist Chronicles Series, Book 4 | Dakota Krout | 10h 28m |
| 5 | Guest | E. Stoops | 9h 4m |
| 5 | Tiamat's Wrath: The Expanse, Book 8 | James S. A. Corey | 19h 8m |
| 5 | An Officer and a Spy | Robert Harris | 16h 4m |
| 4 | Ritualist: Completionist Chronicles, Book 1 | Dakota Krout | 12h 6m |
| 4 | Regicide: The Completionist Chronicles Series, Book 2 | Dakota Krout | 13h 3m |
| 4 | Rexus: Side Quest: The Completionist Chronicles, Book 3 | Dakota Krout | 6h 23m |
| 4 | Dungeon Desolation: Divine Dungeon Series, Book 4 | Dakota Krout | 11h 55m |
| 4 | The Society of the Sword Trilogy | Duncan M. Hamilton | 31h 24m |
| 4 | Another Guest | E. Stoops | 8h 48m |
| 4 | One More Last Time: The Good Guys, Book 1 | Eric Ugland | 7h 43m |
| 4 | Heir Today, Pawn Tomorrow: The Good Guys Series, Book 2 | Eric Ugland | 6h 33m |
| 4 | Dungeon Mauling: The Good Guys Series, Book 3 | Eric Ugland | 8h 24m |
| 4 | Four: The Loot: The Good Guys Series, Book 4 | Eric Ugland | 8h 17m |
| 4 | Dukes and Ladders: The Good Guys Series, Book 5 | Eric Ugland | 8h 26m |
| 4 | Home, Siege Home: The Good Guys Series, Book 6 | Eric Ugland | 8h 51m |
| 4 | Galaxy's Edge | Jason Anspach, N.Cole | 17h 22m |
| 4 | Galaxy's Edge, Part II | Jason Anspach, N.Cole | 15h 24m |
| 4 | Galaxy's Edge, Part III | Jason Anspach, N.Cole | 15h 13m |
| 4 | Galaxy's Edge, Part IV | Jason Anspach, N.Cole | 19h 48m |
| 4 | Fall; or, Dodge in Hell: A Novel | Neal Stephenson | 31h 48m |
| 4 | The Authorities | Scott Meyer | 9h 49m |
| 4 | Hard Luck Hank: Dumber Than Dead | Steven Campbell | 18h 24m |
| 4 | Awaken Online: Precipice 2 | Travis Bagwell | 18h 28m |
| 4 | Awaken Online: Apathy (Side Quest) 3.5 | Travis Bagwell | 10h 6m |
| 4 | Survival Quest: Way of the Shaman Series # 1 | Vasily Mahanenko | 11h 24m |
| 4 | The Kartoss Gambit: Way of the Shaman, Book 2 | Vasily Mahanenko | 15h 48m |
| 4 | The Secret of the Dark Forest: Way of the Shaman Series, Book 3 | Vasily Mahanenko | 19h 1m |
| 4 | Shaman's Revenge: Way of the Shaman, Book 6 | Vasily Mahanenko | 16h 51m |
| 3 | Delvers LLC: Adventure Capital | Blaise Corvin | 13h 27m |
| 3 | Siege Tactics: Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series, Book 4 | Drew Hayes | 15h 15m |
| 3 | Galaxy Outlaws: The Complete Black Ocean Mobius Missions, 1-16.5 | J. S. Morin | 85h 6m |
| 3 | Six of Crows | Leigh Bardugo | 15h 4m |
| 3 | My Sister, the Serial Killer | Oyinkan Braithwaite | 4h 30m |
| 3 | Paradox Bound: A Novel | Peter Clines | 12h 31m |
| 3 | Titanborn | Rhett C. Bruno | 7h 23m |
| 3 | Critical Failures VI: Caverns and Creatures, Book 6 | Robert Bevan | 15h 44m |
| 3 | The Second Sleep | Robert Harris | 9h 21m |
| 3 | Awaken Online: Catharsis 1 | Travis Bagwell | 16h |
| 3 | Awaken Online: Retribution: Side Quest 2.5 | Travis Bagwell | 8h 33m |
| 3 | Awaken Online: Evolution 3 | Travis Bagwell | 23h 2m |
| 3 | Awaken Online: Dominion 4 | Travis Bagwell | 27h 46m |
| 3 | Awaken Online: Unity 4.5 | Travis Bagwell | 13h 46m |
| 3 | The Beginning: Dark Paladin Series, Book 1 | Vasily Mahanenko | 17h 17m |
| 3 | The Quest: Dark Paladin, Book 2 | Vasily Mahanenko | 13h 25m |
| 3 | Restart: Dark Paladin Series, Book 3 | Vasily Mahanenko | 13h 17m |
| 3 | The Phantom Castle: Way of the Shaman Series, Book 4 | Vasily Mahanenko | 19h 5m |
| 3 | The Karmadont Chess Set: Way of the Shaman, Book 5 | Vasily Mahanenko | 15h 54m |
| 3 | Clans War: Way of the Shaman Series, Book 7 | Vasily Mahanenko | 16h 54m |
| 2 | Departure | A.G. Riddle | 10h 10m |
| 2 | Dust | Elizabeth Bear | 10h 11m |
| 2 | Space Force | Jeremy Robinson | 9h 33m |
| 2 | Crooked Kingdom | Leigh Bardugo | 17h 58m |
| 2 | One Second After | William R. Forstchen | 13h 17m |
| 1 | The Trapped Mind Project: Emerelia, Book 1 (*DNF) | Michael Chatfield | 19h 47m |
2019-10-24
Atomic Armageddon Graphic Novel (aka comic)
I stumbled across the graphic novelisation of the short film "Atomic Armageddon" that I made about 12 years ago, and found it rather funny. I amuse me, who'd have thought. Give it a read and let me know what you think. Maybe even watch the short film.
2019-02-02
Books Read 2018
Below are the books that I read during 2018 and my rating out of 5.
| Rating | Title | Author | Length |
| 5 | The Happiest Refugee | Anh Do | 6h 31m |
| 5 | AlterWorld: Play to Live, Book 1 | D. Rus | 12h 13m |
| 5 | Inferno: Play to Live, Book 4 | D. Rus | 9h 58m |
| 5 | The Clan: Play to Live, Book 2 | D. Rus | 12h 24m |
| 5 | The Duty: Play to Live, Book 3 | D. Rus | 11h 23m |
| 5 | Dungeon Born: Divine Dungeon Series, Book 1 | Dakota Krout | 12h 32m |
| 5 | Dungeon Calamity: Divine Dungeon, Book 3 | Dakota Krout | 13h 12m |
| 5 | Dungeon Madness: Divine Dungeon Series, Book 2 | Dakota Krout | 12h 1m |
| 5 | The Singularity Trap | Dennis E. Taylor | 11h 23m |
| 5 | Persepolis Rising | James S. A. Corey | 20h 34m |
| 5 | Zodiac | Neal Stephenson | 10h 16m |
| 5 | True History of the Kelly Gang | Peter Carey | 13h 32m |
| 5 | After On: A Novel of Silicon Valley | Rob Reid | 22h 5m |
| 4 | Revenger | Alastair Reynolds | 14 h 38m |
| 4 | Delvers LLC: Welcome to Ludus | Blaise Corvin | 13h 28m |
| 4 | Obligations Incurred: Delvers LLC, Book 2 | Blaise Corvin | 9h 31m |
| 4 | The Battle: Play to Live, Book 5 | D. Rus | 10h 17m |
| 4 | The War: Play to Live, Book 6 | D. Rus | 10h 4m |
| 4 | After It Happened: Publisher's Pack 2 | Devon C. Ford | 12h 11m |
| 4 | After It Happened: Publisher's Pack 3 | Devon C. Ford | 13h 28m |
| 4 | After It Happened: Publisher's Pack, Books 1 & 2 | Devon C. Ford | 12h 39m |
| 4 | Going Rogue: Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series, Book 3 | Drew Hayes | 15h 19m |
| 4 | NPCs | Drew Hayes | 7h 50m |
| 4 | Second Hand Curses | Drew Hayes | 9h |
| 4 | Split the Party: Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series #2 | Drew Hayes | 11h 19m |
| 4 | My Squirrel Days | Ellie Kemper | 6h 14m |
| 4 | King Solomon's Mines | Henry Rider Haggard | 8h 50m |
| 4 | Tomorrow War: The Chronicles of Max [Redacted], Book 1 | J. L. Bourne | 8h 5m |
| 4 | Babylon's Ashes: Book Six of the Expanse | James S. A. Corey | 19 h 58m |
| 4 | Strange Dogs | James S. A. Corey | 2 h 29m |
| 4 | The Vital Abyss: An Expanse Novella | James S. A. Corey | 2 h 26m |
| 4 | Infinite | Jeremy Robinson | 10h 21m |
| 4 | Starswarm | Jerry Pournelle | 10 hrs |
| 4 | Critical Failures V: Caverns and Creatures, Book 5 | Robert Bevan | 9h 33m |
| 4 | Winter Tide | Ruthanna Emrys | 12h 29m |
| 4 | Red Seas Under Red Skies | Scott Lynch | 25h 34m |
| 4 | The Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | 21h 59m |
| 4 | The Outsider | Stephen King | 18h 41m |
| 4 | Will Save the Galaxy for Food | Yahtzee Croshaw | 10h 20m |
| 3 | Our Mutual Friend | Charles Dickens | 36h 33m |
| 3 | The Ultimation: Play to Live, Book 7: Play to Live, Book 7 | D. Rus | 9h 6m |
| 3 | The Long Tomorrow | Leigh Brackett | 8h 27m |
| 3 | Interface | Neal Stephenson, J. Frederick George | 25h 15m |
| 3 | Streams of Silver: Legend of Drizzt: Icewind Dale Trilogy, Book 2 | R. A. Salvatore | 11 h 54m |
| 3 | The Crystal Shard: Legend of Drizzt: Icewind Dale Trilogy, Book 1 | R. A. Salvatore | 12 h 2m |
| 3 | The Republic of Thieves | Scott Lynch | 23h 43m |
| 3 | Shadowlith: Umbral Blade, Book 1 | Stuart Thaman | 7h 37m |
| 2 | Silicon Blood | Arlan Andrews Sr. | 9h 57m |
| 2 | Mother Go | James Patrick Kelly | 9h 56m |
| 2 | Calculating God | Robert J. Sawyer | 12h 4m |
| 2 | The Telling | Ursula K. Le Guin | 6h 57m |
2018-02-24
VelectriX Ascent+29 (2018) e-bike
New bike day! VelectriX Ascent+29 (2018) electric power assisted mountain bicycle.
I moved to a suburb 12km farther out from work (now a 35km trip, 70km return), to a very hilly suburb with no protected cycling paths. I found that I was quite exhausted tackling the nearby hills on my road bike before I even got 5km out. I started cycling less, which ended up effectively being a two year break. I began looking at getting an e-bike so I could start cycling to work again.
I should also note that I live very close to a fairly hard core mountain bike course, and an easy ride to one of the better mountain bike trail areas in the state. I haven’t been a huge mountain bike fan, but the tracks are right there.
I contacted VelectriX directly, who were pretty helpful, answering most of my questions. I asked how many teeth on the front chain wheel, but they didn’t know so I suspected it was the default 36, the Bafang site says there are three options: 36T 38T 42T. I also asked what a spare charger might cost, as I would likely need to charge at work as well as home. The guys at the retail store (99bikes) said that I should be able to make the trip both ways (70km) without the need for charging. Turns out this might not be true in my case. Note that the charger is bulky, but not particularly heavy, I could transport it in a backpack without issue if needed.
There are cables running under and outside the bottom of the mid mounted motor; is that safe? I could imagine a situation while doing the mountain bike trails that this area could easily get scraped. I didn't think that I would be doing that much trail riding, but I'll will update this blog if I start to notice any wear or damage.
There are no included headlamp or rear lights. The specs claim 21kg which I confirmed is the weight without battery, with battery I measured the weight as 23.7kg. After I add a small bag with tube and tools, a head lamp, drink cage, Garmin computer, Cycliq camera-light and arm mount, I get 25.0kg.
The quick-release on the front and back wheels were handy, although I only had to remove the front wheel to fit in the back of my VW Polo. Refitting the wheel took a little effort to line up with the hydraulic disc brakes despite the 99Bikes guys saying it will drop right in and you simply just clamp, I had to push on the wheel while engaging the quick-release.
The mini LCD display has the power button on the front (away side), you’re not going to accidentally power down, and plus/minus button on the back facing you. Holding the plus will active the backlight on the LCD display, holding the minus is the walk mode - pushing your bike along at a crawl. Tapping the minus/plus takes you down/up levels of assistance from 0 to 5. The LCD displays battery status in 4 bar levels, current speed, power assistance level, and trip distance. You reset trip distance by pressing the power and minus button together. The display can be tilted to adjust viewing angle. But that’s it, you’re going to want a GPS bike computer for detailed stats. I like using the Cycliq Fly12 arm that can hold your bike computer on top and your Cycliq Fly12 (camera and headlamp) below.
The fitted tyres are moderately knobbly, reasonable traction on the mountain bike trails where I found myself in full prolonged skid mode down two of the really steep descents. I have my eyes on a set of more road rolling 29” tyres as replacements when the current ones get to their end of life.
The seat is comfortable enough for me, however it keeps drifting downward as I ride, I need to adjust it up 3-5cm every hour of riding. I had this issue on my last mountain bike and solved it by clamping the rear reflector at the base of the seat post. Of course I could just lose some weight too, this might not be an issue for people under 95kg.
The Shimano Alivio thumb gear controls are excellent. Solid rapid changing with forward and backward push to change, and multi-change deep push for going to lower gears. My last mountain bike had a gear changer where you roll the handles … I’d avoid that type. There's only one cog on the chain ring, so all you get is 9 gears, which I initially thought might be a shortfall but works out to be plenty enough for everything except post 45km/h speeds. One less thing to monkey with while you're riding, and fewer mechanical things to go wrong.
Starting out, you probably should have the bike at level 0 or 1 assistance, because at level 5 you might place your foot resting on the pedals and accidentally push - suddenly the bike is off. Thrilling if you’re ready for it, not so much if you’re still in the garage aiming at a car. Note that I added caged / clipped pedals, just because that's what I'm used to and I expect this to be on the road more than trails.
Because of the law, the motor assistance cuts when you go over 25km/h. My Garmin Edge 520 disputes the measured speed but it is very close. When you hit that limit then it is all you and you will feel every bit of the 21+kg of the bicycle, yes - just ease back and let the bicycle help. Remember that most climbs the motor is just assistance, you’re going nowhere fast if you try to let the motor take all the effort. You are still going to get plenty of exercise.
But the hill climbs are amazing. Hills that you know you would not be able to scale without hopping off are now in the realms of conquering, and hills that would have your heart pumping over 180bpm as you struggle and gasp are now so much easier - don't get me wrong, you're still going to get your heart pumping, but the electric assist is so very nice.
I’m sure others must have discussed this, but you get used to the added power very quickly and start to wonder if the motor is on or helping at all. It is. Just set that assistance to zero and see how you go. I’ve only had the bike for a few days but for now it’s level 5 assistance all the time. Maybe as I get fitter I will back off the assistance.
The commute to work was marred by misdirection, thanks to the lack of decent cycling infrastructure in my area. I have to run the rat maze of backstreets or do battle with aggressive work car commuters along the main streets. The local council has a very cool bicycle route planner that knows about all of the cycling paths including mountain bike trails. The planner’s suggestion was to take a direct path through a mountain bike trail, but as it was my first day out ... I’m not doing that, I tried the backstreet route. Half way out of the hills, tired of getting the turns wrong, I switched to the Google maps app, with the cycle option, because I wanted turn by turn, however this was near fatal as I was directed onto the most dangerous and cycling unfriendly road in the area, away from the bike paths and trails. Google might consider some way to fix this. I finally made it to the cycle path that took me the last 25km all the way to my destination. The Bafang max drive smoothed out the few nasty hills along the way, and brought a smile to my face. This ride was pretty damned sweet.
On the down hill sections and the flats, I could keep the VelectriX cadence up to a maximum of about 40 to 45km/h using the highest gear. For comparison, on my carbon road bike I can keep pedalling at 50-60km/h thanks to the nice gears on the carbon. I noted that I started to feel somewhat unsafe on the VelectriX around 50km/h, compared to 70+km/h on the carbon. Clearly mountain bikes aren’t high speed, this is nothing new.
After a ride of 38km of road travel on the VelectriX using level 5 assistance all the way across a good amount of hills, the LCD screen showed the battery level at next to empty. Not really 70km to 110km. The recharge took just under 4.5 hours which was a little more than the advertised max charge time of 4 hours, so I’m guessing the battery was about completely discharged.
After the recharge at work, the ride home was in high humidity and heat. I passed only one other rider who was also on a mountain bike and was very interested in the electric motor. He was surprised at the price, he may have been looking at brand name e-bikes which seem to start at twice the cost. By the time I got home I was exhausted, slapped on the charger and went for a shower then a nap.
The following weekend I thought I might check out the mountain bike trail, because of the commute shortcut potential. The trails wound through beautiful forest with wallabies bouncing about, hill climbs, wide tracks - it was actually wonderful. The motor assistance was excellent. I am sure I had a smile plastered to my face, even on some of the scary downhills. I really wanted to do that ride again this weekend, however a huge rain system settled in, and the region is under a flooding alert. Of course.
E-bikes add fun to cycling by removing part of the drudgery. This is early days for me on the VelectriX, but I love the ride and how the assistance has opened up routes that I would have previously avoided. I am not particularly happy with the battery life (more testing required), the battery efficiency will improve when I fit better road rolling tyres, and as I get fitter and lighter, not so lazy (level 5 assistance all the way!). The real tell is that every time I ride this bike I am smiling.
Bafang Max Drive review by the great guys at ElectricBikeReview.com
Also see a review of an older model of the Ascent+ (rear wheel motor) by ElectricBikeScoop.
Velectrix Ascent+29 (2018)
Sensor/drive: Torque sensor
Display Unit: VelectriX mini LCD display screen
Battery: Samsung 13.2ah lithium ion (@36V = 475Wh)
Performance: Up to 110km's distance per charge (Actual = ~50km with 100+kg rider laying heavily on the level 5 assistance)
Speed: up to 25km/h with assisted power.
Charger: Smart charger included. Maximum charge time 4 hours (or so).
Final note: I am not a hard core cyclist, I just really need something to keep fit. Ideally, I would like to ride a couple times a week. If you're considering an e-bike vs driving a car vs public transport, you'll find that a riding a bicycle a couple times a week will save you money, get you fitter / healthier / happier - and you're outside riding a bike! For me, under two years on the bicycle for a couple times a week will pay for the bike, a function of the outrageous cost of public transport here.
E‐cycling with electrical assistance was associated with increased physiological responses that can confer health benefits : "Systematic review and meta‐analysis evaluating the effects electric bikes have on physiological parameters"
UPDATE: Velectrix no longer sell this specific build, but you might be able to find the same model name. The company seems to have plenty of good options but many appear to be rear hub motors. I had some issues with batteries on my mid-drive: battery was not charging, completely lost its charge, and eventually refused to recharge. Over a few months, Velectrix swapped my battery twice, and on the last time said that the on-bike charging mechanism should not be used. So I charge and store the battery off the bicycle until I want to use it - problems solved. I have not had any issue in subsequent months of usage. Charging off bike is just a simple extra step, I am happy with the process, and very happy with the service from Velectrix. Also note that I replaced the Maxis Pace 29x2.10 tyres with Schwalbe Marathon 28x1.5 because I will be using the bike for commuting, touring bicycle paths, and occasional gravel cycling, but no mountain biking.
UPDATE 2024 (almost 7 years): During COVID-19 my job converted to work-from-home full-time, so I use the Velectrix occasionally for some fun touring. The battery is still holding up reasonably well - I still get over 50km on a full charge (100kg rider using level 3 to 5 assistance). The cycling infrastructure around me is being nicely developed, opening more touring options. I am still very happy with the Velectrix e-bike!
UPDATE 2026: Using the bike a lot more. Battery holding up very well. Changed the seat to a better sprung model with more padding - this has been a game changer comfort wise. Had to replace the clips holding the gear cable along the chain stay (easy). Tighten up the battery holder, always keep the chain clean and lubed, the ride is better than ever. Considering swapping out the seat tube with a suspension version (example: Suntour NCX Suspension Seatpost).
2018-01-15
Books Read 2017
Below are the books that I read during 2017 and my rating out of 5.
| Rating | Title | Author | Duration |
| 5 | Artemis | Andy Weir | 8h 59m |
| 5 | Walk Away | Corey Doctorow | 19h 00m |
| 5 | All These Worlds: Bobiverse, Book 3 | Dennis E. Taylor | 7h 55m |
| 5 | For We Are Many: Bobiverse, Book 2 | Dennis E. Taylor | 8h 58m |
| 4 | Children of Time | Adrian Tchaikovsky | 16h 30m |
| 4 | Magpie Murders | Anthony Horowitz | 15h 47m |
| 4 | The Bone Clocks | David Mitchell | 24h 29m |
| 4 | The Collapsing Empire: The Interdependency, Book 1 | John Scalzi | 9h 23m |
| 4 | The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. | Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland | 24h 28m |
| 4 | The Water Knife | Paolo Bacigalupi | 14h 5m |
| 4 | Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy | Pierce Brown | 21h 50m |
| 4 | Critical Failures III: Caverns and Creatures, Book 3 | Robert Bevan | 7h 32m |
| 4 | Critical Failures IV: The Phantom Pinas: Caverns and Creatures, Book 4 | Robert Bevan | 10h 33m |
| 4 | Critical Failures II: Fail Harder: Caverns and Creatures Book 2 | Robert Bevan | 6h 35m |
| 4 | Critical Failures: Caverns and Creatures, Book 1 | Robert Bevan | 8h 3m |
| 4 | Hard Luck Hank: Robot Farts | Steven Campbell | 13h 13m |
| 4 | The Left Hand of Darkness | Ursula K. Le Guin | 9h 39m |
| 3 | The Science of Supervillainy: The Supervillainy Saga, Book 4 | C. T. Phipps | 6h 5m |
| 3 | The Lost Fleet: Courageous | Jack Campbell | 9h 42m |
| 3 | The Lost Fleet: Valiant | Jack Campbell | 10h 13m |
| 3 | The Lost Fleet: Relentless | Jack Campbell | 9h 45m |
| 3 | The Lost Fleet: Dauntless | Jack Campbell | 9h 59m |
| 3 | The Lost Fleet: Fearless | Jack Campbell | 9h 51m |
| 3 | The Cleaner: John Milton, Book 1 | Mark Dawson | 8h 58m |
| 2 | The Lost Fleet: Victorious | Jack Campbell | 11h 17m |
| 2 | The Death Cure: The Maze Runner, Book 3 | James Dashner | 8h 55m |
| 2 | The Scorch Trials: The Maze Runner, Book 2 | James Dashner | 10h 26m |
| 2 | The Maze Runner: The Maze Runner, Book 1 | James Dashner | 10h 53m |
| 2 | The Regional Office Is Under Attack!: A Novel | Manuel Gonzales | 10h 46m |
2017-01-02
Books read 2016
Below are the books that I read during 2016 and my rating out of 5.
| Rating | Title | Author |
| 5 | The Book of Ralph | Christopher Steinsvold |
| 5 | We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1 | Dennis E. Taylor |
| 5 | Leviathan Wakes: Book 1 of the Expanse | James S. A. Corey |
| 5 | Caliban's War: Book 2 of the Expanse | James S. A. Corey |
| 5 | The Dispatcher | John Scalzi |
| 5 | Forging Zero: The Legend of ZERO | Sara King |
| 5 | Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy | Steven Campbell |
| 4 | Time and Time Again | Ben Elton |
| 4 | The Rules of Supervillainy: The Supervillainy Saga Volume 1 | C.T. Phipps |
| 4 | The Games of Supervillainy: The Supervillainy Saga Book 2 | C.T. Phipps |
| 4 | The Secrets of Supervillainy: The Supervillainy Saga, Book 3 | C.T. Phipps |
| 4 | The Pickwick Papers | Charles Dickens |
| 4 | Raising Stony Mayhall | Daryl Gregory |
| 4 | Nemesis Games: Book 5 of the Expanse | James S. A. Corey |
| 4 | Abaddon's Gate: Expanse, Book 3 | James S. A. Corey |
| 4 | Cibola Burn: Book 4 of the Expanse | James S. A. Corey |
| 4 | The End of All Things: Old Man's War, Book 6 | John Scalzi |
| 4 | Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh | Joseph Conrad |
| 4 | The Mysterious Island | Jules Verne |
| 4 | Golden Son: Book II of the Red Rising Trilogy | Pierce Brown |
| 4 | Fear the Survivors: The Fear Saga, Book 2 | Stephen Moss |
| 4 | Fear the Sky: The Fear Saga, Book 1 | Stephen Moss |
| 4 | Hard Luck Hank: Suck My Cosmos | Steven Campbell |
| 4 | Hard Luck Hank: Stank Delicious, Book 5 | Steven Campbell |
| 4 | Hard Luck Hank: Basketful of Crap, Book 2 | Steven Campbell |
| 4 | Hard Luck Hank: Prince of Suck | Steven Campbell |
| 3 | The Sam Gunn Omnibus | Ben Bova |
| 3 | Bloodfire: Blood Destiny, Book 1 | Helen Harper |
| 3 | Locke & Key | Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez |
| 3 | Cat's Cradle | Kurt Vonnegut |
| 3 | Kindred | Octavia E. Butler |
| 3 | Ex-Isle: Ex-Heroes, Book 5 | Peter Clines |
| 3 | The Halfling's Gem: Legend of Drizzt: Icewind Dale Trilogy, Book 3 | R. A. Salvatore |
| 3 | Streams of Silver: Legend of Drizzt: Icewind Dale Trilogy, Book 2 | R. A. Salvatore |
| 3 | The Crystal Shard: Legend of Drizzt: Icewind Dale Trilogy, Book 1 | R. A. Salvatore |
| 3 | The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury |
| 3 | The Hunter from the Woods | Robert McCammon |
| 3 | The Wolf's Hour | Robert McCammon |
| 3 | Fear the Future: The Fear Saga, Book 3 | Stephen Moss |
| 2 | Dark Matter | Blake Crouch |
| 2 | Ark Royal | Christopher G. Nuttall |
| 2 | The Nelson Touch: Ark Royal, Book 2 | Christopher G. Nuttall |
| 2 | The Trafalgar Gambit: Ark Royal, Book 3 | Christopher G. Nuttall |
| 2 | The Remaining | D. J. Molles |
| 2 | Barrayar: A Vorkosigan Adventure | Lois McMaster Bujold |
| 2 | Shards of Honor | Lois McMaster Bujold |
| 2 | The Harvesting (The Harvesting Series Book 1) | Melanie Karsak |
| 2 | The Lost Starship | Vaughn Heppner |
| 1 | Into the Black: Odyssey One | Evan Currie |
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Books Read 2025
Below are the books that I read during 2025 and my rating out of 5. Rating Title Author Book# 5 Flybot Dennis E. Taylor - 5 Here One Moment ...
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I went into BiLo across the road and noted down the softdrink, fruit juice and water prices (23 April 2006), dropped them into a spreadsheet...
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New bike day! VelectriX Ascent+29 (2018) electric power assisted mountain bicycle. I moved to a suburb 12km farther out from work (now ...
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So you have this iSight camera built into your Mac and you want to make it take images on demand. My first thought was to get Automator to d...