So, because of how I am these days (just turned 65, thankyou) and because this was on the e-recumbent, which is heavy and slow enough at the best of times, but today, it ran out of charge around 40km, about 20km from home. Well shit. that made it a workout. to make matters worse, I can't do a rail bail with the trike, because it's not "factory built" as an electric. It also doesn't matter to PTV authorised officers that the battery was flat and couldn't start a fire by creating an arc on a high fire danger day... Well shit, guess I'm grinding this beast home acoustically. So I did. Victoria only allows rich people's ebikes to use the trains. those expensive integrated systems that use zero standard parts - proprietary, integrated middrives and frames with under-specified batteries in the downtube, that kind of overpriced arseholery. Even a bike shop built ebike doesn't get a ticket to ride, it has to come from a Chinese factory and have a European approval rating. I get the ban on home mods, even the one I did to the old touring bike, now "gone to god." I have an electronics engineering background and I found an ebike kit installation hard enough. selling these kits to the general public should be banned, not bike shop modded bikes. they can get the wholesaler training, can get insurance cover through their business. Also, most ebike piles are LiFePo piles, so what fire risk? You just about have to pour petrol over LFP batteries to get them burning. And you can't even get an engineering assessment done, even. It just won't be accepted. Smalls like Bosch got the Minister's ear before any bike shop or Industry body got a chance to have a say. Proprietary bottom bracket systems be fucked. Bike shops aren't qualified? Be doubly fucked. Many bike mechanics are small engine mechanics, it's what the qualification to work as a bike mechanic requires. So, whinge aside, tweaked heart meds and doing miles on the acoustic restomod, Ms Sedona, even without e-assist, I didn't feel I needed to bail. Even though I've become a bit of a fair weather rider this year. I'm knackered, 27kg of 'bent, battery and Bafang BBS isn't an easy ride without electrons flowing. And, before the ride, I saw a toob by the guys at Grin in Montreal, who have released their regen braking rear hub, which also has reverse on a putton push, better than "flintstoning" to pull a 3 point turn, especially as a clipped in rider. Regen wouldn't have helped today, no big coasting hills, but it would be a huge help for some of the Australian east coast rides and the high country stuff I'd like to do. Anyway, taking 6.5 to 7kg off the trike by removing the Bafang (an e system I was talked into, I wanted a hyperglide hub) might be a start, because my "new" acoustic bike is a way easier ride, even with a pair of panniers on, than the electrified gravel bike it replaced. I could have done the entire 60km ride on that and probably not feel anywhere near this knackered. Modding a $5000+ trike, yikes, scary! We'll see. Oh, and coming home from Bonbeach was a fierce headwind all the way! Most of the rest was a mighty tailwind until the last of the Dandenong Creek Trail. I reckon a rear wheel drive, if any assist at all. If the Grin system isn't too expensive, and reverse "gear" on a trike shouldn't be optional :-)