E-Biking Carnegie Lake to Rocky Hill

Photos from a ride a couple months ago. The lake was created in 1906 by Andrew Carnegie so that the Princeton University crew team would have a place to practice their rowing. It is parallel to but separate from the Delaware & Raritan Canal. The Lake Carnegie Historic District, like the canal, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

D&R Canal trail near Carnegie Lake, NJ. Source: TCM
Restored Bridgetender’s House foundation along the D&R Canal near Rocky Hill, NJ. Source: TCM
Source: TCM
Canal near Rocky Hill, NJ. Source: TCM
Carnegie Lake. Source: TCM

Does a Radmini fit in a Jeep Cherokee?

Yes, although not that easily. One of the selling points of folding fatbikes is their enhanced portability. Folding them potentially makes it easier to carry them in a car without a bike rack. But the ebikes are still heavy, bulky, and take up a lot of space.

On the new (2014+) Jeep Cherokees, the hatch opening is narrow, compared to similar-sized SUVs, and the cargo floor is only 36.1 inches wide between the wheelwells. Even when it’s folded in half, it’s nearly impossible to fit the Radpower Radmini in without putting down the back seats. On its side, the bike takes up most of the cargo area. The low ceiling means you risk scratching the headliner if you put it in upright, although once it’s in, you could probably squeeze a second folded e-bike alongside it. Most of the scratches on my Radmini – and all the scratches in the back of the Jeep – are from loading and unloading the bike.

The official dimensions of the 2019 Jeep Cherokee cargo area are 25.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.7 cu ft with the second row folded down. That’s less than the otherwise similar-sized Subaru Forester, which has 28.9 and 70.9 cu ft of space, respectively, behind the second row and first row seats.

Dimensions of a folded 2019 Radmini. Source: Radpower

More Biking, Less Photoing

Crystal Lake. Source: TCM

Summer’s in full swing, and I’ve been revisiting some parks I last rode in colder weather, including Crystal Lake Park and Cadwalader Park, as well as visiting Tyler State Park in Pennsylvania early on the 4th of July. Too busy riding to take many pictures.

Crystal Lake Park
Tyler State Park. Source: TCM
Cadwalader Park. Source: TCM

The Early 1970s Bike Boom

1971 Schwinn Varsity Sport – For Gals on the Go.

The early 1970s experienced a boom in bike use by adults. Transportation journalist Carlton Reid links the first Earth Day, Watergate, and Baby Boomers in Bicycling Booms During Lockdown—But There’s A Warning From History

Some more context on biking in the 1970s

1974 Raleigh Bicycles catalog