Trying the Think Tank Retrospective 30 Camera Bag Bill Booz 2026-09-20 | Trying the Think Tank Retrospective 30 Camera Bag
Bikepacking: Cooking & Sleeping at Claytor Lake State Park Bill Booz 2026-04-24 | Though I’m including this video in this playlist, it involves no biking, only the routines when Bikepacking. I show you how I set up my tent for sleeping and how I cook my meals à la freezer bag. This was on my outing to Claytor Lake State Park near Dublin, Virginia, which I discussed in my last video, “Huckleberry Trail: Christiansburg to Blacksburg.”Three things I was excited to try this trip, besides getting everything I need to fit in my bike bags, were a new air mattress from Kilos Gear that is 4” thick when inflated, a FLEXTAILGEAR Tiny Portable Air Pump that blows up the mattress as well as deflates it. In addition, the Pump has a 5-power light to use at night. And I got another small light from FLEXTAIL (TINY REPELLER S-2-in-1 Portable Mosquito Repellent with Lighting) that also takes tabs that through heat from the unit keeps mosquitoes away and it will hang in tent or go on a tripod to use on a picnic table. The third thing was to try freezer bag cooking. This instead of buying commercial freeze-dried meals. You prepare quart size freezer bags with the dry portions of a meal, for example, I put a cup of instant rice and some dried mushrooms in a bag and when I was ready to start cooking, I added some peas I brought in the cooler I brought since I had the car. Then I boiled water, poured it into freezer bag, sealed the bag after stirring the mixture and then put it in a cozy I had made from a cut out from one of those windshield sun covers. I let it sit for 10 minutes, opened and stirred, resealed and let sit for five more minutes. Worked perfectly!.Tent: a 30+ year old Mountain Hardwear Lightwedge-2Air Mattress: a Kilos Gear AeroCloud UL (kilosgear.com/products/aerocloud-sleeping-pad-ul)Quilt: Sensory4U Ultralight (1.9lbs)Sleeping Bag Top 850 Down Quilt (amazon.com/Ultralight-Sleeping-Bag-Quilt-Water-Resistant/dp/B0DDD6KNW6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=SIFN5NC8U1BY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hKoPe-xmo-He_1GCdwu6u8aIBO2s0I9JiB2UjTceBBxNHrFlx46nK9-i6zdPyKIOivURQvuqM7BLWGc-a9TET5wKP6_lUgQg6osBPe6O2KHS0A4yyYIq3QDUailu_cDjpUpfJXXVe9xhpBUjDb6MPARVwahas5OQg2VGg39rscubmIvdG1-74_ZGaVybXCrCBAHzHkVG_nhGenQYc5U4FHJ0XmC5KWH17J9u6up4Y48.hS9VVpYD5_sRNPCR1I0c_faOwODEQZEOkELhssgncUY&dib_tag=se&keywords=sensory4u%2Bultralight%2B850%2Bdown%2Bquilt&qid=1777042580&sprefix=sensory4u%2Bultralight%2B850%2Bdown%2Bquilt%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1&th=1)Stove: AOTU Portable Camping Stoves Backpacking Stove with Piezo Ignition (amazon.com/AOTU-Portable-Backpacking-Ignition-Wind-Resistance/dp/B07NJYV3NP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1TVUONTU9I77F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BRce2NfPItB6gVD7DllC0TEftKQ1nEALTTRmtUZqvwwrJ7pHoqjdwqaMvsl3jTsdkamRdotFh_d0qXOOFRIV_dlh1EckODGSJdvAejHUk-mh_cm3TBdy2vzvBZc41dXTsWB6oSSU4c3OiY8d5NwYY0YEV2J3CgzrvzatzHPxC4fL0XDdRnLyyhLrrpNoIbFBZZMGFhHS3M6Y6t3ig4JwHoFdtuQv6Or4Ykcyy935HU8.QXpkhS4T6klMhzwxNYSwEEbFvzwIIyE9d9pJkMISGpk&dib_tag=se&keywords=AOTU+Portable+Camping+Stoves+Backpacking+Stove+with+Piezo+Ignition&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1777042694&sprefix=aotu+portable+camping+stoves+backpacking+stove+with+piezo+ignition%2Caps%2C239&sr=8-1)
Huckleberry Trail: Christiansburg to Blacksburg, VA Bill Booz 2026-04-23 | The cycling group in our retirement community is planning to ride the Huckleberry Trail between Christiansburg and Blacksburg, VA, in June. Since I suggested it and knew nothing about besides what I’d read, I decided to make it my destination for my second Bikepacking shakedown outing. The closest state park I found is Claytor Lake State Park near Dublin, VA, 30 minutes west of Christiansburg. As before, I packed almost everything I needed in my bike bags. Since I had the car, I did bring a small cooler with some things but this is the last time for that. I limited my camping to one night as the day before, when I wanted to go, it rained and I’m not yet ready to endure rain. However, what I neglected to check was the forecast for temperatures. Turned out, the high would be 55° with the lows dipping to 31° overnight! Yikes! And, yes, I was cold but I did survive.I rode the Huckleberry Trail on the next day, Tuesday, on my way home.
Shakedown Bikecamping Trip Bill Booz 2026-04-23 | One of my goals for 2026 is to ride 2,000 miles on my bike. Another is to do some of that riding while bikepacking or bikecamping, that is, riding unsupported with all I need carried on my Velotric Breeze 1 e-bike. Before simply jumping into bikepacking, however, I decided that since I haven’t camped solo for 27 years, I need some practice. So I’m planning on several camping outings where I bring my bike and pack everything in my bike bags as though I were bikecamping.This video is of my first outing on this mission. I drove my car to Twin Lakes State Park (Virginia) which is close to the High Bridge Rail Trail that runs through Farmville, VA. First part is about setting up camp but then I take you along on my five mile ride on country roads to reach an access point to the trail. From there it’s about 13 miles over the High Bridge and into Farmville. I have lunch then return to camp making it an about 40 mile ride
Biking to Get Booze and Groceries Bill Booz 2025-11-23 | A short video showing how I swap out my Topeak Trunk Bag for my Topeak Trolley Tote to take my bike - instead of my car - on a run to the grocery store and the VA ABC Store. A weight test for the folding cart but it passed with flying colors!
Torque vs Cadence & 2026 Ride Plans Bill Booz 2025-11-15 | My Velotric Breeze 1 e-bike can use both torque and cadence sensors. A torque sensor responds to how much power you apply so that when you’re in a high mechanical (i.e., derailleur) gear at a good spin, the bike handles more like a standard bike (called these days either ‘acoustic’ or ‘analog’ bikes 😀) and the motor responds to your input by increasing the speed. A cadence sensor, on the other hand, has set intervals as to how fast the motor moves you. With five Power Assist levels, level 1 will generally top out at 7-8 mph, level 2 at 12 mph, etc. up to 20 mph in level 5. My first e-bike - a Velotric Discover 1 - had only a cadence sensor, however, the Breeze has both. I knew this but hadn’t learned how to switch between the sensors when riding. A friend told me how to do it so I took my bike out to give it a try and that’s the focus of this video. Along the way, I share some of my thoughts on long distance, overnight rides I hope to do during 2026.
New Holland, PA Country Road Loop Bill Booz 2025-09-24 | As a follow up to my multi-day bike trip to Somerset, PA, I want to do more overnight rides but in the meantime, my other goal is to go to a location, find a central place to stay for a few days and do day trips on trails in the area. Just east of Philadelphia, PA is one such place. The Pittsburgh, PA area is another as is the Raleigh-Durham, NC area. These places have many close-by rail trails or ones that are within a 30-minute drive. This video is from such a trip. I stayed in New Holland, PA with my brother-in-law and his wife and did two one-day rides, each around 30 miles in length. This video is of a 30-mile loop ride I did from my brother-in-law’s home in New Holland on country roads that took me by beautiful farms and fields of corn and soy bean crops. I used Komoot to find the route. If you search Komoot for routes in the New Holland, PA area, it’s the one named “Leaman Place Covered Bridge Loop from New Holland.” The route took me through or by the communities of Bird-in-Hand, Gordonville, Intercourse and Paradise. I rode this route on a beautiful day in September on a Friday. I started out around 10 AM and did not encounter much car traffic except on the major roads I crossed. The only scary experience was when I had to go on Route 340, the “Old Philadelphia Pike,” in Bird-in-Hand. I walked my bike on the sidewalk under train trestle and, instead of continuing for another 3/4 mile, I crossed 340 and took Lynwood Road to reconnect with the route. I’ve added names of roads I turn on as I make the turn but this not all of the turns as some were cut out during my editing of the captured video. I did this because sometimes when I watch such a video I like to follow along on a map.
Northwest Lancaster County River Trail Bill Booz 2025-09-22 | As a follow up to my multi-day bike trip to Somerset, PA, I want to do more overnight rides but in the meantime, my other goal is to go to a location, find a central place to stay for a few days and do day trips on trails in the area. Just east of Philadelphia, PA is one such place. The Pittsburgh, PA area is another as is the Raleigh-Durham, NC area. These places have many close-by rail trails or ones that are within a 30-minute drive. This video is from such a trip. I stayed in New Holland, PA with my brother-in-law and his wife and did two one-day rides, each around 30 miles in length. This video is of my 29.9 out-and-back ride on the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail. This is a very nice and easy trail right along the Susquehanna River. From where I parked in Columbia, PA, I found it a bit confusing to find the trail though it wasn’t difficult to figure it out after my initial mistake. After a few miles, the trail drops onto Front Street in Marietta, PA, and I didn’t see any indication to turn off Front at Bank Street to rejoin the proper trail. I ended up riding all the way on Front Street to Gay Street where I rediscovered the trail on other side of the railroad tracks that run along Front.
C&O + GAP: Somerset to Hancock Part 5 Bill Booz 2025-09-03 | This series of videos documents my ride from Hancock, MD to Somerset, PA, on the C&O Canal towpath and the GAP to attend a reunion of high school classmates. This video picks up where Part 2 ended at the Pennsylvania Maryland line. Part 5 covers the second day of my ride home from Cumberland to Hancock, MD.
C&O + GAP: Somerset to Hancock Part 4 Bill Booz 2025-09-02 | This series of videos documents my ride from Hancock, MD to Somerset, PA, on the C&O Canal towpath and the GAP to attend a reunion of high school classmates. This video picks up where Part 2 ended at the Pennsylvania Maryland line. Part 4 covers the first day of my ride home from Somerset to Cumberland, MD.
C&O + GAP: Hancock to Somerset Part 3 Bill Booz 2025-09-02 | This series of videos documents my ride from Hancock, MD to Somerset, PA, on the C&O Canal towpath and the GAP to attend a reunion of high school classmates. This video picks up where Part 2 ended at the Pennsylvania Maryland line. Part 3 takes me up to the Big Savage Tunnel then up to the Eastern Continental Divide, the highest point on the GAP trail. After that, it’s, literally, downhill. First to Meyersdale where I ended up charging my battery for an hour and bringing it from 37% up to 59%. After eating my packed lunch in Meyersdale, I continued my ride on the GAP to Rockwood after riding over the fantastic Salisbury Viaduct.In Rockwood, I left the GAP, found my way through Rockwood until I reached Water Level Road which after 7+ miles would put me in Somerset, my destination.
C&O + GAP: Hancock to Somerset Part 2 Bill Booz 2025-09-01 | This series of videos documents my ride from Hancock, MD to Somerset, PA, on the C&O Canal towpath and the GAP to attend a reunion of high school classmates. This video covers my departure from Cumberland, MD, and riding the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) to the Pennsylvania Maryland line. Part 2 takes me past the Frostburg trailhead on my way to Meyersdale, PA, where I will need to charge my battery because the upward grade of the 20 miles to the Mason-Dixon Line drained my battery more than I expected. Whereas on Day 1 on the flat C&O Canal towpath, I was able to ride my e-bike in its lowest power mode (ECO) and with only one level of power assist, from Cumberland to PA I had to use power assist level two.
C&O + GAP Ride: Hancock to Somerset Part 1 Bill Booz 2025-08-29 | On August 21st I drove to Hancock, MD, carrying my Velotric Breeze 1 e-bike on my bike rack. Tracy, co-owner of C&O Bicycle had graciously offered for me to park my car behind the bike shop until I returned on August 26th. I was going to embark on a two-day ride to my 62nd high school reunion (1963) in Somerset, PA. Turns out C&O Bicycle is also the home of the famous “Bunkhouse,” sometimes referred to as the “Chicken Coop!” For $15, I had an inexpensive place to stay for the night. Since I didn’t plan to camp on this trip, I brought my sleeping bag and blow-up pad for this night only. I left them in the car when I left on my bike Thursday morning, August 21st.My destination for my first day was Cumberland, MD, where the 184.5 mile C&O towpath ends. Hancock is close to milepost (MP) 124, so I would ride the last 60 miles of the C&O towpath. Once I arrived at my hotel in Cumberland, my mileage for day 1 was around 63 miles.In the video I talk about the Western Maryland Rail Trail, some history of the C&O CANAL, and my thoughts on using a bicycle as a means of transportation. Thinking of others who ride an e-bike or are thinking of making such an extended trip on an e-bike with no extra battery, I often refer to how far I’ve ridden and how much battery power I had left. I had previously determined that I could set my bike to Eco mode with a power assist (PAS) level of just 1 and my derailleur gear at 6 (a higher gear - my bike has 8 gears) and maintain an average speed of 12 miles per hour on a reasonably flat surface. This consumed just 1% of my battery power.Parts 2, 3,and 4 videos will follow. 3 & 4 were my return trip to Hancock.
Test Ride with Loaded Bike Bill Booz 2025-08-20 | Loaded up my Velotric Breeze 1 e-bike today with what I’m taking on my 2-day, 112 mile bike trip from Hancock, MD to Somerset, PA. Road almost 2 miles around where I live and decided that it was all going to be okay. I estimate that I’m adding around 20 extra pounds (9 Kilos) to the bike. Already see some ways I can improve on my packing choices for my next overnight bike excursion!
Training Ride on the High Bridge Trail, Farmville, VA Bill Booz 2025-08-11 | On August 21st I head off on a 2-day bike trip covering about 112 miles. So, today I decided to do a 60+ mile ride on the High Bridge Trail that passes through Farmville, VA, about an hour drive from my home in Lynchburg, VA. The trail is 32 miles long so my plan was to ride west from Farmville to the trail’s western end in Pamplin, VA. Turned out that round trip ride brought me to 36+ miles. After having lunch I headed east out of Farmville on the trail. The High Bridge itself is on this section of trail. I didn’t ride to the trail’s western end but, instead, turned around after 12 miles so my entire ride would be around 60+ miles.It was a good practice ride as I learned several things regarding my bike battery, my water and food consumption, and taking advantage of the bike’s power assist along with being in the appropriate mechanical (derailleur) gear to get my average speed from 8.5 mph to my desired 12 mph. Next I need to load my bike as I will on my trip and see how I do with my fully loaded bike. I’m riding a 48 lb Velotric Breeze 1 with a front basket and rear (Topeak) rack with a Topeak rack bag with fold out panniers. The bike has three levels of assist (Eco, Trail & Boost) each with 5 Power Assist levels. I used Eco 1 for the whole ride and consumed 61% of my battery power.
Riding the Roanoke River Greenway Trail Bill Booz 2025-08-01 | In this video I ride the Roanoke River Greenway trail in Roanoke, Virginia. Roanoke has a large network of trails I learned so this is a city (an hour from my home in Lynchburg) to which I will return often. I’m riding my new e-bike, a Velotric Breeze 1, which is 15 pounds lighter than my previous Velotric Discover 1. That lighter weight means it handles better for me and I can pedal without using any power assist much more than I could on the Discover 1. Though I had researched the trail and scanned the online maps on the greenways site, I still headed east thinking I was going west. I correct my comments with text overlays where necessary.I was impressed with this trail and with the number of other trails connected off of it. All nicely paved, the eastern end I found more pleasant on a hot, sunny day (in high 80s) than the western end. The western end, though very nice as it rolls through more rural landscapes with occasional industrial sites, is just so open. It would be better, in my opinion, on a cooler or overcast day. I was also impressed with the large number of parks in the city of Roanoke!I changed camera batteries (Insta360 X3 camera) as I was on the western end and did record part of that part of trail. However, apparently I failed to capture the rest of western branch. Clearly user error. Next time.
Bikes Unlimited - Pints After Pedals Bill Booz 2025-06-05 | Bikes Unlimited (BU) is a bike shop in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Jefferson Street. From April until late fall, BU hosts a weeky ride on Tuesdays on the Lynchburg trails. The rides start around 6 PM. Sometimes the group rides west on the Blackwater Creek Trail to the Awareness Garden and sometimes east/north on the Riverwalk Trail across the James onto Percival Island. Once the group reaches that night's destination, a group photo is taken and the group returns to the Trailhead Restaurant attached to the building in which BU is housed. The Trailhead serves all types of beverages - especially beer, thus the Pints, and food.This is a ride for everybody of all ages and capabilities. No bike? No problem! BU makes its rental bikes available to folks at no charge! This video documents one such recent ride. Come out and join in the fun!
WC Pedal Pushers Ride Danville Trail Bill Booz 2025-06-04 | Last year a group of Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg residents who enjoy cycling formed the WC Pedal Pushers. The group, along with the WC Wellness Manager, plans several group outings throughout the warmer months of the year. The ride for May was to explore the Danville, Virginia trails. Eight of the group met at the Danville Farmers' Market and road across the Dan River and entered the main trail. They chose to ride the eastern section of the trail. The entire trail system is almost 12 miles in length, so the group covered about half of it out and back. There are other videos of the Danville Riverwalk Trail but I recommend interested parties have a look at Tom and Gretchen Morgan's "Bent on Bike Trails" channel and view their take on the trail: youtu.be/ftiVDTa1L8w?si=7nNwBqimMtMdqW3B.
First Ride Video for 2025 Bill Booz 2025-05-27 | Finally able to get back on the bike! Cold weather(I'm a wimp) stopped me in November and rotator cuff surgery in February put me out of commission for almost three months between wearing a sling for 6 weeks and physical therapy for 6 more weeks to regain mobility in my left arm. I'm doing much better now and have started riding my Velotric Discover 1 e-bike again.In this video I talk about that and several other things such as a Westminster Canterbury Pedal Pushers ride in Danville, VA, participating in Bikes Unlimited "Pints after Pedals" ride, and finally getting a trailer hitch installed on my 2018 Subaru Outback.
E bike Grocery Shopping Part 2 Bill Booz 2024-11-25 | My wife needed some herbs and things for something she’s making for Thanksgiving, so since temps were in low 60s I decided this was an opportunity for me to finally use my Topeak TrolleyTote which I purchased a few months ago. Our local bike shop, Bikes Unlimited (Lynchburg, VA), convinced me to go with a Topeak rear rack on my Velotric Discover 1 because of its unique “track” system. My Topeak MTX 2.0 TrunkBag with Expandable Panniers slides onto the rack and snaps in so it won’t slide off. So, first I needed to remove the trunk bag and slide on the trolley tote. Our local Kroger grocery store is only 1.3 miles from our home at Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg so it’s an easy ride. I realized as I was heading home that using bungi cords would be a good way to keep things from jumping out of the tote. When I got home, though, I found that Topeak sells a cargo net specifically for the tote so I ordered it. I’ll have that for my next shopping ride!
Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail Bill Booz 2024-11-06 | Twelve Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg residents who are members of the WC Pedal Pushers ventured to the Piney River Trailhead of the Virginia Blue Ridge Railway Trail off Virginia Route 151 on November 4th to ride the 6.8 mile long trail. Chilly temperatures (mid to high 50s) didn't stop them from enjoying a lovely roundtrip ride and then adjourn to the nearby Blue Mountain Barrel House & Smokin' Barrel Restaurant.
Off-Trail Ride on Concord Turnpike Bill Booz 2024-10-30 | Trying a different ride today. Took the normal trails to get to Bikes Unlimited downtown but instead of going across the river to Amherst County, I went on the Concord Turnpike for 2.4 miles then returned home.
Lynchburg’s Creekside Trail Part 2 Bill Booz 2024-10-23 | This is a follow-up video on my previous video of the Lynchburg (VA) gravel and dirt Creekside Trail. I wanted to see how much further after the Thomson Drive access trail I could cycle on the Creekside Trail. Turned out, for me, that'd was only about a 1/3 or so of a mile as there is a bridge over Blackwater creek but one with stairs. My Velotric Discover 1 e-bike weighs 63.5 pounds so there is no way I can carry it up the stairs!
Exploring Lynchburg’s Creekside Trail Bill Booz 2024-10-20 | Here in Lynchburg, VA, we have a nice system of paved cycling and pedestrian trails. We also have several unpaved trails. Some are only fit for walkers/hikers but others are a combination of crushed gravel and dirt. Looking at our Department of Parks and Recreation trail map, I saw that one of the unpaved trails on which bikes are allowed had an access point at Thomson Drive on which there are many doctors’ offices and where our Lynchburg General Hospital is located. I had a doctor’s appointment on Thomson Drive and thought it would be cool if I rode my bike (Velotric Discover 1 e-bike) to my appointment. However, since I had never ridden Creekside Trail, the one with the access point I’d need, I didn’t think that the day of my appointment was the time to test it out. However, I did post a portion of the trail map and the question whether the Creekside Trail was suitable for bicycles in a local Lynchburg group on Facebook. I got many responses and the bottom line was that, yes, though a bit rocky and rough in some sections, one can ride a bicycle on it.The day after my appointment, with beautiful 70 degree (F) fall weather, I set off to explore the trail and to record my full ride so others, unfamiliar with the trail, could see what it is like. Unfortunately, since I haven’t done a ride recording in a few months, I either didn’t turn my mic on or didn’t plug it in tight enough and ended up with no audio! However, the video showed exactly what I wanted to show so I decided to simple narrate it with a voice over. As said, though I chopped the first part of the recorded video that gets me to the Blackwater Creek Trail, I did record the full 2 mile ride (approximately) from the beginning of Creekside Trail from its milepost 0.0 off the Point of Honor Trail to where I turned to ride up to Thomson Drive.
Grocery Shopping with my E-bike Bill Booz 2024-07-30 | The other day I went for one of my normal trail rides but ended it with a stop by our nearby Kroger Grocery store to get a few things we needed. Discovered that the pannier dropout bags on my Topeak MTX Trunk bag aren’t much for big grocery shopping trips. Fit what I bought but not much room to spare. My whole ride ended up being 20 miles exactly, bringing my July total to 145.5 miles and my total miles since April 23rd to 602.7 miles. My goal is to do at least 200 miles a month so I’m afraid I’m not going to make that for July.I tried two new things in making this video. I wear my Apple Watch when riding and turn on cycling workout. The watch then records my rides with lots of accompanying data including a map. The free app (Pro version has a subscription payment), Relive, will read that info and generate a 3D map video of the ride. Second, I record my rides using my Insta360 X3 camera. I typically run the camera like a dash camera when I’m in traffic and I didn’t intend to make a video of this ride. I usually delete the footage right after the ride but today, since I went to Kroger, I kept it. So my second experiment was to try out the Insta360 iPhone app’s AI feature for parsing a 360 video and creating regular 16:9 video clips. It adds music and fast cuts. Those clips make up the first part of this video.
Cycling for Coffee and Exploring Daniel’s Hill Bill Booz 2024-07-18 | Road my Velotric Discover 1 e-bike to bacon Street Bagels yesterday and on the way and on my return I explored the streets in the Daniel’s Hill Historic District here in Lynchburg, VA, through which I ride. The reason is that I’m trying to avoid a section of Cabell Street that’s paved with bricks. It’s very uneven and makes for a shaky ride. So I’m searching for alternative streets to come back home on that aren’t real steep. And the reason I’m doing that is because while riding home last week I stalled when going up a hill and fell with the bike scrapping my knee and banging up my left arm and shoulder. Nothing major, no broken bones but some pulled muscles. This happened because I didn’t anticipate how quickly the street would turn steep! Had I done so, I would have increased my pedal assist level sooner and higher.
Running Errands on my Bike Bill Booz 2024-07-08 | Needed to go to UPS Store to drop off a return to Amazon and decided to ride my bike instead of driving my car the 2 miles there. Going through neighborhoods to avoid riding on busy Boonsboro Road makes the ride 3.5 miles long. Wanted more miles so I went to Linkhorne MS to the Blackwater Creek Trail trailhead and came home my usual way via Rivermont Avenue and logged 11.8 miles.
500 Miles & Trying a New Bike Seat Bill Booz 2024-07-02 | I set a goal of riding 500 miles on my new Velotric Discover 1 e-bike by July 4th. My fist recorded ride was on April 23, 2024. With 3 days remaining and my mileage today at 475 miles, this should be doable. Life and other obligations, however, sometimes get in the way, but I’m still aiming for 500.My right leg and right buttocks have been a bit painful so I’ve decided to try out a new bike seat or “saddle.” Went by Bikes Unlimited, our local 57-year old bike shop in Lynchburg, where I bought my bike. to have them install a Cloud 9 replacement seat. Road on it about 8 miles but went back to store to see if they had a different model. They did and it seems better but. Not a whole lot wider than the original seat or the first Cloud 9 I tried. It’s the “Metroline” model.
Chased by Two Large Dogs Bill Booz 2024-06-27 | Heading to Lynchburg’s Blackwater Creek Trail trailhead at Linkhorne MS but going a different way since last time I went through the Humankind property I was chased by two large wolfhounds! Just documenting this new route.
More Things I’ve Learned About E Biking Bill Booz 2024-06-22 | Another ride on Lynchburg trails as I chat about what other things I've learned e-bike riding in the past six plus weeks since I purchased my Velotric Discover 1.
Commuting with my E Bike Bill Booz 2024-05-31 | Thursday I decided to use my bike to drive to my volunteer spot for the Lynchburg Academy Center of the Arts, where I answer phones and welcome visitors to the adjacent building where we have two art galleries and the theater staff have offices. Instead of riding my normal route to go downtown, I continue in the bike lane on Rivermont Avenue to Cabell Street where I could easily detour to pick up a bagel then return to my route to the Point of Honor Trail and onto the Riverwalk Trail. Then using downtown streets, I made my way to the theater. Total distance was 5.5 miles. Along the way, I give you some historical facts about the Rivermont area of Lynchburg, VA.After my 3.5 hour stint, I headed home and on the way experimented with different 360 camera positions on my bike.#downtownlynchburg #attheacademy #ebike #360video #insta360
What I’ve Learned about E Biking Bill Booz 2024-05-27 | I started this playlist of videos to collect videos in which I share my experience in getting used to and riding the e-bike I got a month ago. Today's video is full of descriptions of what I have learned about e-biking. I do this to document my own journey into e-biking but also to possibly help others who have just gotten e-bikes or who are thinking about it.Hopefully, in this video I have provided useful information on the topic and information specifically about my Velotric Discover 1 e-bike.
Cycling with Bill: Exploring Side Trails off Riverwalk Trail Bill Booz 2024-05-21 | Today's video is a tad long, but shows me riding via a new way to our local Blackwater Creek Trail head at Linkhorne Middle School and then riding downtown and across the James River to explore some dirt trails off the main Riverwalk Trail. In the process, I experiment with positioning my 360 camera extended out in front of me on a selfie stick attached to my handlebar to get the effect of someone filming me from the front.
Riding the Point of Honor Trail Bill Booz 2024-05-14 | Today's 11.2 mile ride took on the Point of Honor Trail from where three of four paved trails meet. The Point of Honor Trail follows along the other side of the Blackwater Creek and ends where the Blackwater Creek Trail and the Riverwalk Trail meet. I also experimented with some different ways of capturing riding footage.
Exploring Lynchburg Trails Bill Booz 2024-05-11 | In today's video I explore some trail sections and trails I haven't ridden before on my new bike. Lynchburg has four paved trails which are all connected. Besides riding these sections, I also start out experimenting with extending my Insta360 ONE X2 camera out in front of me at an angle on a selfie stick attached to my handlebar to see what kind of different view that gives. Don't think it was extended enough to make too much difference but I was fearful that it would tilt forward if I extended it more. Need to experiment further.
Cycling Playlist Intro Bill Booz 2024-05-10 | I've uploaded two videos so far of rides I've taken on my recently purchased e-bike but I failed to introduce this new playlist on my channel. That's what I do in this video. Not sure where this will go, as my first interest is riding this new bike as much as I can. However, my interest in making videos did kick in and recording some rides I take seemed like a good idea. Still trying to figure out what I can contribute to the already huge library of riding videos and product reviews, but I'll figure that out and will, most importantly, try not to bore viewers with continuous footage of trails. Although that can be interesting for folks looking to see what a given trail is like in anticipation of riding it, it can get boring, especially without any narrative or information. Just as with my other topical playlist, I'll approach this one in a similar way. That is, I'll try to share my mistakes as well as my successes in learning how to ride an e-bike compared to a traditional bike; I'll talk about how I outfit my bike to be able to carry what I want and do what I want.
Ride to Test Yi Camera Bill Booz 2024-05-04 | After using the Insta360 One X2 for my first video, I wanted to try out the Yi Action Camera, The Yi shows a 150 degree view and is a very inexpensive action camera to compete with the GoPro. It does the job and I am happy with the audio pickup without using an external mic. For this video I had to ride down to Bikes Unlimited, the downtown Lynchburg (VA) bike shop where I purchased my Velotric Discovery 1 e-bike and some other accessories. The bar end mirror had come in and they were going to install it for me. After accomplishing that and having some time, I decided to ride the Riverwalk Trail to its end and then turn back to return home.
May 1, 2024 Bill Booz 2024-05-02 | Last week I purchased an e-bike. It is the Velotric Discover 1. I’m getting used to riding it as it is quite different from my last bike, a touring road bike that took me many miles. Unfortunately, since retiring completely in 2011, I road it only a few times. Lynchburg, VA, the city we live in, has lots of hills and I am not fond of hills. Two years ago we moved into an apartment at Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg, a CCRC (continuous care retirement community), and bike storage didn’t look promising so I gave my bike and all my cycling gear to my former neighbor. However, the desire to get back to cycling struck me and and an e-bike seemed to make sense since it would solve my aversion to hills. I have only ridden it a few times and I love it. I don’t have a hitch and bike rack for my Subaru Outback so I need to be able to find safe neighborhood routes to get the grocery store and the excellent trail system in Lynchburg. That’s what I’ve been working on my my few rides so far.This video is of a ride I took yesterday (April 30th) to the downtown bike shop where I purchased my bike. I’m using an Inst360 One X2 camera mounted on an unextended Ulanzi selfie stick attached to my handlebar to record parts of the 6-mile ride.
WC Sketching: Sketching 3rd Floor Terrace Bill Booz 2022-06-08 | Finally getting around to do some on-site sketching in our new home, the Westminster-Canterbury continuous care retirement community in Lynchburg, VA. We've been here two months now and are reasonably settled to the point I can venture out around the campus and do some sketching. On this occasion I chose a simple scene of an outside terrace. More to come!
The MaxSmart Tablet Riser Follow up Bill Booz 2021-08-24 | After an experience the other day with my MaxSmart Grip and finding that the MaxSmart Tablet Riser would be a better choice, I decided to do this follow-up video on my video on the Riser the other day.Jenico, makers of the MaxSmart rise, are offering my viewers a 20% discount:Max Smart Notebook Tablet Riser: NS011Y20amazon.com/Drawing-tablet-stand/dp/B01FYO0KJC/?maas=maas_adg_4A20378290DD4C79ABD1126686D109FB_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&ref=sr_1_8&dchild=1&keywords=tablet+drawing+stand&qid=1629752283&sr=8-8Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
My Preferred 12 9 iPad Pro Holder Bill Booz 2021-08-23 | The MaxSmart Grip I've been using for the past year remains my favorite holder for my 12.9 iPad Pro! I use my iPad all day long. I read the news, I browse the web, I read books, I write blog articles, and I sketch and paint on it using Procreate. For all of these uses, my MaxSmart grip is attached! It is especially useful when I sketch and paint. However, I sometimes prefer to have my iPad on a horizontal surface and if I'm out sketching and painting on location that is not always possible, so I like to attach it to a tripod. But to do that I need a way to attach my iPad to the tripod. I've tried many different tablet holders but the only one I have found to be most practical for how I want to work is the GRIFITI Nootle. It's not bulky and fits nicely into my carry bag. What I would really like is a combo of the MaxSmart Grip and the Nootle and I discuss that in this video.The folks at Jenico, the people who make the MaxSmart Grip, are kindly offering a 20% discount to my viewers:Max Smart Hand Grip Code: 5003YT20amazon.com/tablet-hand-grip/dp/B07RV5367Y?maas=maas_adg_BC18C299352D60F9F61921768F431C3A_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maasGRIFITI Nootle: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B019M1C2AI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
The MaxSmart Notebook Tablet Riser Bill Booz 2021-08-23 | The folks who make the MaxSmart Grip asked me to take a look at a new product of theirs and share my opinion of it. The product is a stand or riser for laptops and tablets. It is made of very durable plastic, is very light with a small profile so, one folded, it will fit in almost any carrying bag for your iPad or Android tablet. It has two push-outs and three slots in which to fit them so you end up with six different angles for your laptop or tablet. I show you how all of this works in this video.Jenico, makers of the MaxSmart rise, are offering my viewers a 20% discount:Max Smart Notebook Tablet Riser: NS011Y20amazon.com/Drawing-tablet-stand/dp/B01FYO0KJC/?maas=maas_adg_4A20378290DD4C79ABD1126686D109FB_afap_abs&ref_=aa_maas&ref=sr_1_8&dchild=1&keywords=tablet+drawing+stand&qid=1629752283&sr=8-8Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
The COMICA Boom-X D Wireless Mic Set Bill Booz 2021-03-12 | Discovered a video review I did of an excellent wireless mic set a few months ago and realized I never shared it on this channel. So, here it is! The set is the COMICA Boom-X D Wireless Microphone set and available on Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0859Z8L6R/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_659F9DPFBVC76BEA11Z7.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
Using the Insta360 ONE X2 for a Sketching Session Bill Booz 2021-03-11 | This video is another in a series about figuring out how best to use my new Insta360 ONE X2 camera to record instructional sketching sessions. For it I chose to sketch on my 12.9 iPad Pro using the Procreate drawing app. Lessons learned: (1) sketching in the sun is difficult on the iPad because of glare; (2) with sun glare my iPhone XS doesn’t actually record my sketching strokes on iPad screen; (3) I need to be quiet at points where I will change the view of the camera to allow me to do a jump cut; (4)my COMICA wireless mic set is best wireless recording equipment I have; (5) I need to be sure to leave room to allow for the picture-in-picture frame in upper right corner; and I need to come up with a recording method so what I’m drawing on iPad screen will be visible and useable in final video.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
More Testing of Insta360 ONE X2 for Recording Sketch Sessions Bill Booz 2021-03-04 | This is an impromptu video to do another backyard test of using my new Insta360 ONE X2 camera to record sketching sessions when I’m out and about doing ink and watercolor sketches on location. (Check out my “Sketching with Bill” playlist!) Since it was 60° (16° C) out I decided to do this test at the spur of the moment and used my Apple AirPods as my mic. Turns out that though the work okay they do break up some and using my Comica wireless mic setup is much better and what I’ll use from now on. I didn’t redo the video because I want viewers to hear how they sound. Remember, warts and all!This test also showed I need much more practice editing my captured 360° video in the Insta360 app before exporting a flat version out for further editing in LumaFusion! I need to learn when and how to better use pivot points for changing views and how to better use Multi-view (split screen or picture-in-picture).Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
Getting Used to Recording with the Insta360 ONE X2 Bill Booz 2021-02-24 | This video is kind of a dry run of how I plan to use my new Insta360 ONE X2 360° camera. I took advantage of two good weather days to test my Comica Wireless Lav Mic with the ONE X2 in 360°mode then to try it with my Purple Panda wired lav mic with an extension cable and with the ONE X2 in 150° Steadycam mode.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
Insta360 ONE X2: First Challenge is to Get Good Audio Bill Booz 2021-02-22 | I got my new Insta360 ONE X2 360° camera and before I make any public videos with it I wanted to test the various ways to record audio using it. Though I knew that for my intended purposes just using the built-in mics (there are four!) wouldn’t give me the best audio but I wanted to have it as a comparison. Next I did a recording using my Apple AirPods, then used a lav mic plugged directly into the camera using the mic adapter - this is an accessory not included with the camera. Finally, I tried my preferred method: using a wireless lav mic setup. The one I have that works is really meant - and built - for use with a smartphone but it worked and, beside the directly plugged in lav mic, gave me, in my opinion, the best audio quality.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
New Equipment: Ordered the Insta360 ONE X2 Bill Booz 2021-02-15 | Decided to go ahead and order the Inst360 ONE X2 360º camera. To be delivered tomorrow but I did this video to reiterate why I want to use a 360º camera, especially for my sketching and painting series. I also talk about how I hope to be able to use an external mic with the ONE X2.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
Using the Pivo Smartphone Mount Bill Booz 2021-02-12 | Getting back to making videos for this channel, I purchased the Pivo Smartphone Mount, a device that can be attached to a tripod. You insert your smartphone - I'm using my iPhone XS - either in vertical or horizontal orientation, and launch the free Pivo app. Using the app, you then begin a video recording and the Pivo device rotates to follow you as you move before the camera, that is, smartphone. Brilliant! And, it works like a charm!In this video I explain why I'm giving this handy little device a test and how I plan to use it. Plus, why I'm also considering reentering the 360º camera arena with the purchase of the latest Insta360 ONE X2 model.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
Sketching & Painting Being Portable a Coroplast Drawing Board Bill Booz 2020-08-21 | Being as portable as possible when going out to sketch on location is very important. You want to have just the equipment you need and, though you want to be ready for all possibilities, you want to everything to be as light and compact as possible.My kit meets those requirements. The Coroplast drawing board is extremely lightweight and provides a handy surface on which to sketch. Adding the board with a 1/4-20 T-nut makes the board even more flexible since I can create a portable drawing "desk" of sorts.Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
Sketching with Procreate and a Great iPad Pro Holder Bill Booz 2020-06-25 | Since adding a watercolor brush set from @stayfdraws, I'm loving sketching and adding watercolor using Procreate on my 2018 12.9 iPad Pro with Apple Pencil 2! In addition, I have purchased an iPad holder recommended by @robsketcherman that makes holding the iPad to draw much easier. Finally, I was able to add a pencil holder to the back of my iPad that, when not in use, flattens down so I can still put my iPad into my Zugu case. Perfect!Stayf Draws Brush Set Video: youtu.be/_C_pUPDlahERob Sketcherman Vido: youtu.be/DpgHzJT8TxEMy Zugu Cae Video: youtu.be/8pSvAw98iwUESR Pencil Holder ($10): smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MLVVZQ8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Max Smart Tablet iPad Grip Holder ($22): smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RV5367Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/billboozTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/billboozFlickr: http://www.flickr.com/billboozWeb Site: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.comSketching & Painting Classes: http://www.boozphotolearningcenter.com/sketching-class-list
