The Grass Clippings Cometh

by Larry Lagarde

A few days before flying out to Interbike 2009, I did another long distance test ride on the IF Reach DC folding electric bike. I'd come to expect no less than 31 miles of pedal assist from this great product; however, on this ride, the battery only lasted for 30 miles. Even worse, once the battery died, pedaling the bike was like cycling through molasses. Without the battery, I was cruising at 13-14 mph, causing me to worry about the level of my fitness (see the speed graph below; click here for all the ride stats).When I arrived home, I dismounted from the bike and glanced down at the rear wheel. To my amazement, a huge clump of grass had become lodged in the rear derailleur, which greatly increased friction and led to both the premature dead battery and the harder than normal pedaling. Here are 2 photos of the grass clumps (click either to enlarge).

So how did all that grass get lodged in the derailleur?
The grass along the levee trail had been cut earlier that day and there were clippings everywhere but the spot where the grass became wedged in the derailleur was at the turn around at Cytec (a chemical plant on the Mississippi River that vents sulphur into the air). I remember trying to downshift as I made the turn in the grass and feeling the derailleur malfunction. It was dark so I couldn't see anything wrong but that's definitely where I picked up the grass clippings.