Howdy all!

I just joined up with the rest of the planet and FINALLY got a digital camera over the holidays. So I put it to good use this past weekend and snapped my first picture of the ol' Box. Man, must have been about 5 degrees when I took this one! Brrrr!!! So please forgive the dirty appearence - it's been too darn cold to wash her!

Haven't done TOO much to her yet. Just got the seat covers, chrome exhaust tip, and of course - the Thule rack. Can't live without it!

I'll post more pics of my winter adventures as they come along. Think SNOW!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/MyElement1.jpg

Nice. Do you have the Thule rack attached to the factory crossbars? Or do they now make a tower that attaches to the holes where the factory rack would attach? [edit] Nevermind. Looking at the picture again, it's obvious that you've got Thule towers. :oops: That's what I get for stealing quick looks at E pictures while working. :lol:

I'm still trying to decide between a roof rack and a hitch mounted rack for my bikes. I like roof racks because they're out of the way and I'm not sure I'll like having to fuss with folding the hich rack down to open the tailgate, but I'm a little worried about the factory roof rack's claimed 70 lb weight limit. Depending on which bike I'm riding on a given day and what my passenger is riding, we could easily surpass that with just two bikes. Also, I think it might be a pain in the a$$ getting the bikes up there without a step-stool of some kind.

Ahh, what to do?!?

Hey there Stick,

For me, the choice was easy. I pretty much bought the towers for a system that I took off my late '96 Civic. The crossbars and acessories all made a good transition over to the E.

Now mind you, I like the overall appearence of the factory kit - hands down. But like you said, the weight limit is just too small for my needs. The Thule (and I'm sure Yakima) system has a capacity of over 200 lbs. - so it's a real load carrier.

You know what's funny though, I haven't been up there to load up my mountain bike yet. I got my E in the fall and it got way too cold - too quick - to go on any real excursions. So the real test will be in the spring. God, I hope it has a 'Pain in the Ass' factor somewhere under 7.5! :lol:

[quote:6e97ddf302=" "] I'm still trying to decide between a roof rack and a hitch mounted rack for my bikes. I like roof racks because they're out of the way and I'm not sure I'll like having to fuss with folding the hich rack down to open the tailgate, but I'm a little worried about the factory roof rack's claimed 70 lb weight limit.

Ahh, what to do?!?[/quote:6e97ddf302]

It seems to me that if all you want to carry is bikes (not kayaks, canoes, etc) then the hitch-mounted is easier. Waaaaaay easier. I'm envisioning making a giant scratch in my roof with the fork of a bike.

Plus, it's out of the windstream (better mileage) and you can put other fun stuff in the receiver as well, like a propeller, school logo, brighter reverse light, cargo basket, etc.

I think if you get the right kind of hitch-mounted bike carrier, you can adjust the height low enough to be able to open the hatch without pivoting down the carrier. Someone posted on this recently. If you search for hitch or receiver and kick, you should find it. I think I saw it yesterday. Or maybe it was on the Yahoo Element group. I'm sure you'll find it.

Bill

for us urban types, those hitch racks kill while parallel parking. i am always wary of parking near suvs with brushguard & hitch rack. i think i'm just gonna weld big spikes on as an aggressive defensive measure. :twisted: one of the beauties of the E is it's end2end miniature-ness. a hitch rack destroys that. a bike mounted on a roof rack would probably make you taller than you are long, though. that might be funny to look at. i haven't actually seen anyone do it yet. if you do it please post total height vs length. personally, i toss mine inside or just ride it out the front door.

. I got my E in the fall and it got way too cold - too quick - to go on any real excursions.
i know for a fact that people ride year round in beantown. grrrrrrrrin-n-n-n & bbbrrrrrrr it-t-t-t! after either working as a bike messenger (4 years) and/or commuting by bike for the 8 1/2 years prior to august (when i got my E), my bike has been sitting around gathering dust a lot this winter, so i can't judge anyone. but... it's all a matter of being in the right gear at the right time. aaahhh, the invigorating feel of goretex from head to toe while icicles form on your nose. i have to drive with my head out the window to get the same effect in the E

I'm a little worried about the factory roof rack's claimed 70 lb weight limit. Depending on which bike I'm riding on a given day and what my passenger is riding, we could easily surpass that with just two bikes
either we're talking gravity chasers or y'all are trying to take the mountain home with you. i guess on the E is one way to get that pesky mountain to muhammad. :D

[quote:6b964ba1b8=" "]for us urban types, those hitch racks kill while parallel parking. i am always wary of parking near suvs with brushguard & hitch rack. i think i'm just gonna weld big spikes on as an aggressive defensive measure. :twisted: one of the beauties of the E is it's end2end miniature-ness. a hitch rack destroys that. a bike mounted on a roof rack would probably make you taller than you are long...[/quote:6b964ba1b8]

And that's why I'm not going to get a roof rack for my bike, but a hitch rack instead. I'll keep the bike rack in the basement unless I'm going out of town (mountain biking or the beach), so that parking won't usually be an issue. With all the covered parking lots around here with very low ceilings, I'd be afraid to take a bike-racked E in there even if the bike *weren't* on the roof rack...

-brendan

[quote:7eceedbe54=" "]personally, i toss mine inside or just ride it out the front door.[/quote:7eceedbe54]

That's what I've been doing for the last 5 months, but it'd be nice to be able to carry 4 people AND 2 bikes at the same time.

[quote:7eceedbe54=" "]. I got my E in the fall and it got way too cold - too quick - to go on any real excursions. [/quote:7eceedbe54]
[quote:7eceedbe54=" "]i know for a fact that people ride year round in beantown. grrrrrrrrin-n-n-n & bbbrrrrrrr it-t-t-t! after either working as a bike messenger (4 years) and/or commuting by bike for the 8 1/2 years prior to august (when i got my E), my bike has been sitting around gathering dust a lot this winter, so i can't judge anyone. but... it's all a matter of being in the right gear at the right time. aaahhh, the invigorating feel of goretex from head to toe while icicles form on your nose. i have to drive with my head out the window to get the same effect in the E[/quote:7eceedbe54]


Yeah, I ride year-round in PA. Mountain biking is my passion... helps keep me fit (and sane! :), so I can't let a little cold weather stop me. Besides, it's amazing what a pair of fleece socks and Sidi Storms can do for one's feet. Temps hovered around 5 degrees during last saturday's ride, and I was warm and toasty throughout. Like you say, it's all bout having the right gear!

[quote:7eceedbe54=" "]I'm a little worried about the factory roof rack's claimed 70 lb weight limit. Depending on which bike I'm riding on a given day and what my passenger is riding, we could easily surpass that with just two bikes[/quote:7eceedbe54]
[quote:7eceedbe54=" "]either we're talking gravity chasers or y'all are trying to take the mountain home with you. i guess on the E is one way to get that pesky mountain to muhammad. :D[/quote:7eceedbe54]

Well, my main ride is a Cove Handjob that's built as a sturdy go anywhere, do anything hardtail. Most of my riding is technical XC stuff. I used to be into XC racing, and my bike was a lot lighter then, but over the years I stopped racing, and grew tired of replacing lightweight parts that wear too quickly. When I built the Cove two years ago, I chose parts that would work well and last a long time, with less concern about the weight. Anyway, I've never put it on a scale, but its probably somewhere between 28 and 30 lbs (depending on the tires I'm running). Two XC bikes wouldn't really present a problem for the factory rack. But...

That said, I have a Planet X Jack flash w/ Jr. T that I use for shuttle runs in Vermont. It weighs ~35 lbs. If I happen to go with someone who's riding a similar set-up or a full-on DH rig, I don't want to have to worry about weight restrictions.

-danawj... does the fairing help keep road grime off your back? i guess you put the fairing on at the same time as the rack, so you wouldn't know about any gas mileage differences?
-i have the basic factory roof rack ( for emergencies ) and my behind definitely gets dirtier than my neighbor's rackless E. i wasn't really planning on putting a bike on top, but i had thought of it in case it became an E-haul. maybe because it wasn't going to be a regular thing, i hadn't given a lot of thought to the load capacity. i had noted it, but not much else. i wonder how the wind factors into that. would a strong wind cause the load to increase?hmmmm...i'm probably unfairly prejudiced against hitch racks already, because of my tetris parking experiences. has anyone seen, or has anyone put a bike on top of an E? hmmm... i'm gonna search it. someone must have done it, but i haven't seen it yet. i've seen racks on top, but no bikes.

Yo Dawghaus!

Well, I don't think the fairing does all that much for keeping crud off the back window. But then again, I've had the thing on there pretty much since I bought it - so I have little to compare it to. I mainly put it on to take care of that wind noise those square load bars create - at virtually ALL speeds :D

Just a sidenote - I just got my E back from the dealer - it's first servicing. In addition to the oil change, I had my rocking seat fixed, and all of the squeeks, rattles, and other annoying noises addressed. My service manager assured me they ran three TSB's on it and everything should be fine... We'll see! I'll let you all know as soon as I get a few more miles under the belt.

Boat Drinks!

Here's a more recent pic of my E in Boston's Seaport district. I took it last week at the end of the Fish Pier just after some showers ended. The kids are sittin' in the back wondering why the hell their Dad is outside taking pictures of his car... they must think I'm crazy :D

Going biking this weekend up in NH, so I'll remember to take plenty of pics of the E in full effect!

Boat Drinks!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/img_0321_1.jpg

Hello again,

Took some photos this past Saturday up at Lake Massabesic in NH. Did some moutain biking with my lady and a friend of ours. It was the first spring-like day of the year where the temps peaked out over 50! Hey - that's big for late February in New England :)

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/IMG0001.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/IMG0002.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/IMG0004.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/IMG0003.jpg

In addition, I took some pics of the front of my E this morning before I left for work. Installed my 'fake fogs' and thought I'd share my results:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/IMG0005.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/IMG0006.jpg

Boat Drinks!

-DJ

Howdy all!

Just had to snap a few photos this morning of last night's snowfall in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Took these at about 5:15 this morning, so please excuse the flash... the ones without the flash you could bearly see my E! I know it doesn't look it, but we got about 10"...

The diggin' out process was GOBS of fun :lol:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJElement0001.jpg

Here's another pic of the covered E next to my girlfriend's Accord:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJElement0002.jpg

Can't believe we got snow afterall... I was convinced we were all done with it up here in MA! Ah well, what can ya do?

Boat drinks!

Hi Folks,

I was ALL over the place this past weekend and just as I was on my way back from Maine I thought I'd snap a few pics of my E. I should really get more artistic with my camera positioning & lighting, but hey, I was in a rush to get back home...

Here's my E in the parking lot of the Kittery Trading Post... Notice all those kayaks in the background just waiting for me this summer!!! And oh yeah - this is the first trip with my 5th windshield - so I installed the Lund Interceptor from eTruckoutfitters.com in an effort to reduce those little 'impacts' down low under the wiper blades. Great folks to deal with and great prices on the Lund. There's a good thread on it out there...

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana1.jpg

Just before getting back on the road to Massachusetts, thought I'd swing by for a little JOLT at Starbucks... Coffee tasted SO good on such a raw New England afternoon:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana2.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana3.jpg

Don't ask about this one.. Just bored and took a shot going over the Pascataqua River Bridge (I-95) that leads into New Hampshire.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana4.jpg

Finally.. HOME! The rain really began to come down and for some reason I thought I'd try to take a pic of the new Silverstars I installed a few weeks ago. I don't think this shot captures just how white they are, but I thought I'd post it regardless.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana5.jpg

Boat Drinks!

-D

Great pix.. thank you for sharing.. looks like your E is having alot of fun with ya'all!

Edit - Deleted

Hello all,

Taking the advise from many E owners on condenser protection, I gave the aluminum gutter guard option a try... I don't think I did a very good job with the cutting, but it seems to have done the trick. Maybe this weekend I'll go pick up another piece and try again for a cleaner look. Took these this morning just as I was pulling out to head to the train station:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/dana12.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/dana13.jpg

Boat Drinks!

I think your gutter guard looks fine. Thanks for posting the pics. I'll be getting my gutter guard probably this weekend.

Back again!

Last weekend I took a quick drip down to Dennis, MA to ride the Cape Cod Rail Trail. It's about 25 miles each way - so it makes for a nice day out in the fresh air... had to leave my baby in the parking lot for the day, but ah well:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana0001.jpg

Here's the trailhead in Dennis - as you can see, not a lot of off-road excitement, but there were a few places to go play in the dirt. And can you belive it - in the first place I pulled off the trail, there was an E parked off in the trees doing some camping... wish I got a picture :(

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana0002.jpg

Here's a small lake I passed along the way.... windy as hell and starting to get cold!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana0003.jpg

And finally - a map of the journey. I'd encourage anyone to do the trip once if you're ever in the area:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Map1.gif

Boat Drinks!

-D

Hello again,

This past weekend, John Han**** sponsored a "Health & Fitness" Expo at the World Trade Center in Boston.. On my way out of work (I just happened to have driven in that day) something grabbed my attention in the parking lot... Check this out! I like the Thule box on top!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana0006.jpg

Thought I'd get it from another angle too - don't know what happened to the back window.. I originally thought that it was removable, but something tells me it broke :( And um... that's my baby in the background to the right :D

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Dana0005.jpg

Boat Drinks! Have a great week!

-D

Hi Everyone!

Yeah, I know I'm using this thread as my own Element proto diary, but what the hell - it's just too much damn fun!

Last week I ordered a Buffett-Style badge/emblem for my baby. I'm not big on bumper stickers and/or stick-ons on my vehicles, but thought this would be cool. If anyone's interested, they can be purchased direct at http://www.happyshark.com.

Finz Up!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Danashark0001.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/Danashark0002.jpg

Hello again,

Just this past Sunday I thought I'd do a little warmup hike up at Mt. Monadnock in Jaffrey, NH. It was a beautiful day for a hike (a little chilly at the summit!) and to get the cobwebs out of the ol' legs for bigger and better things this summer! He's a pic of me at the summit a little after 2pm:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DanaNH0001.jpg

Okay, okay... I know this is an Element website, so here are the pics of my baby after the descent back to the ranger station:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DanaNH0004.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DanaNH0005.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DanaNH0002.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DanaNH0003.jpg

Have a great week! Boat Drinks!

Quite a view from up top!

-brendan

It most certainly is! The peak has a perfect, unobstructed, 360 degree view of the Monadnock region. On a clear day, you can the financial district of Boston to the south, and the summit of Mt. Washington to the north. No wonder it's the second most climbed peak in the world - next to Mt. Fuji! (I THINK that's factual - I read it somewhere not all that long ago...)

But like any summit that's completely exposed, the weather up there can get downright dangerous. We just missed a fast moving system that brought sleet, rain, and hail to those still hanging around at the top. It ended about as quickly as it started, so no worries there!

-D

Great set of pictures. I really like the shark. Will have to think of a similar presentation some day. It is great to see how people are using their Es. A good angle on seeing some interesting scenic and other types of photos.

Really making me want to run out and get an Element.


WmAS1960 (Bill)

The looks remind me a bit of Old Rag in VA (the rocky peak, mostly) though the view there isn't as expansive. It's a nice hike up, with some rock scrabbling thrown in for excitement. :)

I remember hiking up there with a bunch of AOL employees and their friends when Hale-Bopp was in the sky. That was pretty cool...the dandelion wine also helped!

...though the wine did make the night hike back down a bit more exciting than it should have been!

-brendan

Hi Folks,

I'm off to Twin Mountain, NH this week for some camping and hiking in the White Mountains. This is my E's first trip up there - I'm really looking forward to it! The only thing I'm curious about is if I can get a canoe and two bikes on my roof rack (only have Thule 50" bars up there)!

I'll take a few pics once I get all loaded up tomorrow and of course I'll take a bunch more while I'm on vacation.

Boat Drinks! Have a great week!

-DJ

Ok winter is over. How was it??

Cheers..

Howdy all,

Just thought I'd post some pics up of my trip to Twin Mountain, NH and Franconia Notch. Had a great time up there and the E was a dream to have for such a trip. Most of the time I just left the all the doors open for easy access to the gear - and at night I'd throw all the food in there and close 'er up. Man.. miss it up there already!

Here's a pic of the day we got up there - and had to setup the damn tent in the rain. Pretty cool that day - about 50 degrees or so. Managed to fit the canoe and two bikes on 50" load bars. It was a tight fit, but it worked!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0001.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0002.jpg

After being on the trail up to Mt. Lafayette for about a mile or so, you come to the first clearing - with incredible views of the ridge. Here I am looking rather dumb...

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0003.jpg

Took this picture from the AMC Hut - Named Greenleaf - which looks over Eagle Lake at the looming summit (5260') - about a mile away and 1000' feet above us. I took a picture of the day's forcast and conditions as well... Jesus - the winds at the summit were peaking at close to 80 MPH! :shock:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0013.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0012.jpg

This is the sign you see as you get closer toward tree-line.... Just a friendly reminder of where you're about to go - and how to respect the environment:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0004.jpg

Ah... finally made it to the summit. Had to put on about 3 more layers by the time we got up there... Winds were howling out the south at a steady 50 mph driving the windchill WAY down. Looking to south is the Franconia Ridge Trail - part of the AMT. The next peak is a close to a mile away - just to give you a little perspective.. the signpost tells you how far to the next trail junction:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0005.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0009.jpg

Made it to the end of the ridge - time to head back down...

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0014.jpg

After a 3 hour decent... home never looked so good :wink:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0010.jpg

Breaking camp after a GREAT week outdoors - and the E made it SO easy to move everything around:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0008.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0015.jpg

Stopped on our way out of Twin Mountain to take a shot of Mt. Lafayette - and my E across the street as well...

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0017.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0006.jpg

And lastly, we stopped off at Echo Lake to do some last-minute canoing before leaving Franconia... Ah - what a trip:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0007.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/DJHiking0016.jpg

Boat Drinks!

What a beautiful ridge trail! I'm writing down the name in my list of places to hike...wow...

-brendan

Hey Brendan,

Sure is... This was my third trip up there - and it keeps getting better every time. But it makes for a LONG day - so be prepared. It's an easy 8 hours without any lengthy stops - and with good weather. We did it this time around in about 9.5 or so. We just enjoyed the day and took it easy... For more info, check out this website:

http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/whites/lafayette.html

-D

Thanks Dan!

-brendan

I can't believe just how long it's been since my last post. It's incredible how time flies.

Over the last few months, I've been pretty active all over New England seeing friends, hiking, biking, and just all around vacationing. Oh yeah - and let's not forget about work - yippee :wink:

A few weeks ago I took my kids up to the top of Mount Washington to give 'em a taste of what NH hiking is all about. Of course, I brought my E and made a nice day out of it all. I have to admit, the ol' E made it up in style and didn't have any problems with either the terrain or the grade. SUPER views!

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0001.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0002.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0003.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0004.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0005.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0006.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0008.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0009.jpg

http://www.elementownersclub.com/uploads/files/mtwash0007.jpg

Beats the hell out me who this guy is next to my E... Funny - he was actually checking out the interior just before I got this photo all lined up :D

Boat Drinks my friends! Hope everyone had a GREAT summer!!!

-D

By the way Brendan, awfully cute avatar! :lol:

[quote:7813dd12b4=" "]By the way Brendan, awfully cute avatar! :lol:[/quote:7813dd12b4]

Yeah, as Florida Roadie said: "What happened???" :)

Looks like y'all had a FUN trip!

-brendan

Yeah, that sounds like something Florida Rodie would say :lol:

Man, I have't been online in a while! There's SO many new threads out there - good readin' though. Looking forward to hopping back in to the thick of it all. It's been an interesting summer in the E and I have a LOT of stuff to blab about

I see you're still a posting machinE, Brendan :wink:

I am just getting sick looking at that last picture. Maybe it is just the angle of the shot. I would be sooooo afraid. Would imagine it is a pretty cool view though. Was going to put an appropriate smiley at the end but I can't find a green barfing one.

:lol: Very Nice Pics!!!

The one with the kids holding the sticker is Priceless. You can now have a Badge of Honor with it.

8) DasBear

Thanks Dasbear - they're pretty cute, huh? But mainly I took the picture for one simple reason - I honestly had ZERO intention of placing that 'bumpa-sticka' on my E - but also wanted to document the day a little. In all actuality, it was my daughter's idea to snap the picture (but without her little brother) :lol:

Finz up!

-D

oh wow wonderfull pics! I am inpressed,

-Dave

Wow... I haven't been here for a while - What improvements! Is Brendan still the Post King of the EOC? He he he...

I think I'll be back now that my new job is quieting down a bit. Looking forward to getting back into things! Still have my E - 38K miles strong!

-DJ

Yes he is, which is actually pretty crazy considering how long ago his last post was (he's out of the country in New Zealand I believe).