Introducing me and Pete the poodle

 Hello. I am Jef - a fat guy who rides a fat ebike and tours with a phat poodle named Pete, who isn't really fat at all. 



CycleNuts is my ongoing project of passion. Bikations are its latest connotation - long-distance cycle touring vacations. 

My rig is FATSO 2, a 2024 SMLRO XDC 600 plus - a two-wheel drive 2,000-watt fat tire ebike, which is replacing FATSO, 1 a 2020 SMLRO XDC 600, now retired just because a cyclist can never have too many bikes... right? Modifications are super chunky Hummingbird tires, Mr Tuffy tire liners, Yun self-sealing inner tubes, Drift Maniac 11-34T freewheel, Minoura front pannier rack, 21Ah rack battery wired in with a dual battery balancer. There's more stuff, but that's the basic setup. FATSO's GVW with me and Pete aboard was 410 pounds. FATSO 2 probably will be similar - less stored food and water will probably be offset by more motor and a bit more battery - and I am ten pounds lighter this year.

The first Bikation took place in 2023 - a three-day 100-mile bike-camping adventure in Ohio with Pete the poodle and accompanied by my friend, Ben. By its end, I was convinced I would not do that again. 

Time has a way of allowing the cream to rise and the crud to settle. Somewhere along the way, another Bikation seemed like a great idea, so, a longer one in both miles and time, happened in September! One month, 600 miles, four dog chases, and two flats later I was convinced I would not do that again.

But the cream once again rose to the top and by the end of 2024, three new Bikations for 2025 were in the planning - a 900-mile, one-month bikeway/roadway loop in Ohio; a 777-mile, one-month gravel road loop in Ohio; and an unknown-mile, unknown-time bikeway/roadway snowbird adventure to Florida and back this upcoming 2025/26 winter season. I am sure by the end of each of these three Bikations, I will be convinced to never do that again.

Adventure awaits!

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