Beginning of the story
This is the place where our dreams begin. We wait here, we grow up here. It was a joy to ride bikes with my buddies when I was a kid. The small town wasn’t big but we would always ride for a long time, from this end to the other end of the mountain. When I was young, I thought it was very far, but now I don’t think it’s that far anymore.
When I was a kid, I thought it was nothing special but mountains, but now I find it hard to find another place. If I don’t try, there are some things I may never know, what’s on the other side of the mountain? So, I started my riding journey.
Researching cycling equipment options
I started preparing three years ago, from conception to slow practice. Because the journey around the northern hemisphere will have many mountainous climbs that require a cart to move forward. If there is an electric motor to help you move forward, the situation may be better. And not all places have electricity, if there is a solar panel charging, it will provide more convenience to my riding.
I started researching new options to modify that bike of ours, contacting many friends to learn and ask for advice. Finally, I chose a dual motor solution from a friend in Yulin, Guangxi Province, China, and asked him to help me with the conversion. There are two 250W motors on the bike. Two motors can work at the same time, but also a single motor work, to deal with different road conditions. The biggest advantage of this solution is that if one motor stops working, the other motor can still be used. On the other hand, a single motor also saves power.
The last time I rode it, Harry walked a lot of roads very hard. Now that it is slowly getting older, I want to find a better way to take it. So, we started looking for the right pet trailer. A few months later got the first bike trailer that we used for the southern hemisphere ride. I’ll try to do some modifications on top of the trailer to build solar panels, and then I’ll start some riding tests.
Harry and I rode around a beautiful lake for about forty kilometers in the sunny spring to do some tests on our bikes and trailer. I found that the trailer bumps a bit worse when it is on uneven surfaces. I think I need to make a shock-absorbing bike pad to put in the trailer. That way Harry might feel better. I also tested riding with electricity and the fastest speed I could ride was 27km/h. I don’t think riding up to 30km/h is much of a problem. The average speed is currently at 20-22km/h. It’s just that we’re riding without luggage, so I’m looking forward to the speed remaining smooth when everything is installed and the luggage is brought along.
A major problem was discovered during a month or so of riding and testing. The bike’s flywheel came loose causing the overall drivetrain to go down. There was no way to move forward with either human power or assistance. I quickly contacted a friend and discussed the solution online. I finally removed the flywheel and mailed it to him to help replace it with a new one and add welds and reinforcement. When I received the new flywheel and reassembled the car, the car still needed to be tested to find the problem.
After replacing the new flywheel, I tried to ride it again for almost 100km. Everything looks good so far, and the sunset was particularly beautiful on the ride.
Installing Sungold Solar’s solar panel
I received the solar panels from Sungold Solar in Shenzhen. This is one of Sungold’s flexible panels that are lightweight, flexible and very easy to install.The solar panels they provided are 3 pieces larger than I expected. Each panel has a power of 161W, a rated voltage of 28.6V, and a rated current of 5.63A. 
At 3 pm I started charging my bike battery for the first time. The battery charged from 31V to 33.5V in 1 hour, and the maximum current was 2.8A. If I use 3 solar panels in parallel, the current is 8.4A. If I ride to a sunny area, the maximum total power may be more than 10A. I am a bit worried about whether the battery input line can handle such a high current. This is a question I need to confirm afterward. Another way is that I use two panels in series to boost the voltage and lower the current. I need to test if my MPPT can work properly and safely in this case.
As the day grew hotter, I took Harry to the vet to have blood drawn and serum extracted and sent to the designated lab for lab work. Once I had the serum report, I contacted the CDC and sent them Harry’s information to get a pet pass to the United States.
It was a very hot day in the summer, nearly 40 degrees. Thanks to my friend Shi Yu and his brother Xiong Da, who helped me make the aluminum frame for the solar panel. It consists of two solar panels at the bottom and one solar panel mounted on top, with total dimensions of 230 cm by 70 cm and weighing almost 20 kg. All the materials I used are very strong to ensure the frame is strong and durable.
When I test-rode it in the sun, I found that it charged the battery very well. It’s just that the stability of the trailer is not very good when riding on uneven roads. I think it’s because the whole frame is unevenly stressed on the bracket part, and also the overall frame is heavy, so it always feels like someone is pushing and pulling the bike on bumpy roads. I am a little worried that the link bar of the trailer will be damaged soon because of this. We will make some improvements and try more, thanks again, my friend.
After all the trouble Harry finally got his pass to the US, it seems like we are one step closer to our dream and we will continue to work hard toward it.
These days Harry’s eyes are not so good and I am taking Harry to the vet. Trying to find a local hospital with pet eye care was very difficult, but luckily we found one. The doctor tested and found that Harry had corneal edema in his eye. We took some medication and started treatment. To prevent Harry from scratching his eyes again, Harry needs to wear a collar throughout the day. I hope he gets better soon.
Yesterday I came across this picture that was taken at a good friend’s house in Los Angeles when we finished our ride around the northern hemisphere 8 years ago. Amazingly, it’s been so long. I want to say: I want you to go back to the way you were when you were a teenager, but I also accept the way you are now. Because no matter what, it’s you.
To improve the stability of the trailer, I used a German friend’s suggestion. Stack two solar panels on top of each other to reduce the area of the solar panels when riding. So I contacted Sungold Solar again to custom buy two 200W panels and get the panels framed. I found another friend from Rongbang to discuss the design together and finally formed a single-panel stacking plan. I bought the materials and took them to the factory to build them a little bit.
There were still three weeks to go before departure. My friends all contributed ideas, helped look at cars and equipment, and sometimes what one mind can’t think of, we can all think of together. Someone sponsored a new car. With the help of many friends, I put the old car and new car parts together, modified, welded, made, and finally became a “hybrid BMW”. It’s been a long road and I hope it does well.
I would like to thank all the friends who have helped us over the years. Because of you, we can go farther.
Next episode：Episode 2
