Bicycle Ride on Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail

I sold my 2006 Honda Accord EX-L V6 and bought a Lectric XPremium electric bicycle. I took my first ride on the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail.

I sold my 2006 Honda Accord EX-L V6. The car had been sitting on the street or in my garage for a long time, and I was tired of the insurance expense and upkeep. After hours of reading reviews online, I bought a Lectric eBikes XPremium electric bicycle, which arrived earlier this week. I was excited to ride the bike but waited until the weekend to ride it. The bicycle had two batteries that needed to be charged; the tyres needed air, and I needed to read the manual.

The Lectric XPremium has a mid-drive motor which delivers power more intuitively to the rider, allowing the bike to tackle hills and take on more challenging terrain. The foldable frame design accommodates a dual battery system, doubling the range to 100 miles.

Motor: 800 Watts Mid-Drive Motor
Batteries: Two 48V lithium-ion batteries, with a 4-6 hour charge time and up to 100+ mile range.
Speed: Class 1, 2, or 3 eBike with PAS and Throttle abilities with a top speed of 28 mph.
Peddle Assist: Five levels of pedal assist and a half-twist throttle. A dynamic torque sensor measures how fast and how hard I'm pedalling to increase motor responsiveness.
Tires: Puncture-resistant Lectric 20" x 4" fat tires make for a smoother ride. Slime is installed to prevent flat tires.
Weight: Total bike weight is 75 lbs with the 7lb battery installed.
Rear Rack: Rear Rack holds up to 55 lbs and is equipped with mounting holes for accessories.
Shift Sensor: A shift sensor detects movement in the brakes and temporarily cuts the motor output to protect the drivetrain and keep the ride smooth & controlled.
Brakes: 160mm Hydraulic disc brakes provide a smoother braking experience and increased stopping power. They are also equipped with motor inhibitors.
Safety Lights: A headlight and rear brake light combination powered by the internal battery

LECTRIC XPremium
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

On Saturday, after breakfast, I checked the air in the tyres, tested the brakes, adjusted the seat, put on a helmet, and, inspired by Jim Grey, headed toward the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. This is my first time riding a bicycle outside the streets of my development. It was also my first time riding the Lectric eBikes XPremium for more than a few minutes. I wanted to be safe, so I planned my route to keep off busy roads as much as possible. My route took me through Van Horne Park, which sits in the borough of Rocky Hill on the very edge of Montgomery Township.

Spillways on the Delaware and Raritan Canal
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

I rode the Van Horne park trail to Washington Street and then nervously took Washington Street over the bridge to the Rocky Hill entrance to Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. The canal is one of my favourite walking paths. I considered riding the canal into Kingston but wanted to try something different. Several winters ago, the Montgomery Friends of Open Space organised a walk from the canal lock in Griggstown to the canal lock in Kingston. It was a fun but cold walk. A quick look at Apple Maps showed that the Rocky Hill entrance to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park trail was about an equal distance from the Griggstown Lock and the Kingston Lock. I choose to ride north along the canal toward Griggstown.

Delaware and Raritan Canal
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

The air was cool, but I soon warmed up with the effort involved in riding the bicycle. The XPremium has five power assist (PAS) levels, but I never needed to move beyond PAS level 2. With its mid-drive motor riding, the XPremium felt like riding a traditional bicycle. The fat tyre provided a comfortable ride on the compacted gravel pathway. I encountered many walkers, dog walkers and other cyclists. I was nervous each time I had to pass someone coming the other way or when I had to manoeuvre around walkers, but my confidence grew as I pedalled along.

Delaware and Raritan Canal
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

It takes me a long time to recover from hypoglycaemia, and I always feel drained after. I wanted to be sure my blood glucose stayed within range. I stopped to check my blood glucose level and popped some jelly beans. While the jelly beans shored up my blood glucose, I took photos of a man fly fishing his way along the canal. When I looked down to steady myself on the edge of the canal bank, I saw a frog hopping around near my shoes.

Delaware and Raritan Canal
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

I continued on the XPremium, eventually stopping at the Griggstown Spillway to rest and take more photographs.

Lectric eBikes XPremium
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

I enjoyed the sound of the rushing water for several minutes before looking at my watch. The trip had taken longer than I expected. It was time to get back home for lunch. On the way back, I remembered that the XPremium has a throttle. The canal towpath was clear, and I was more comfortable on the bicycle, so I used the throttle for a few minutes to boost my speed. The bike shot forward, getting almost 32 kilometres per hour. This feature was fun and might be helpful on hilly rides. I went back to pedalling.

LECTRIC XPremium
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

I was tired but satisfied when I returned home. The bicycle ride was fun. I got exercise and got some photography as well. I think I understand why Jim Grey enjoys this so much.

Man fishing on the Delaware and Raritan Canal
17 September 2022 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF27mmF2.8 R WR

Griggstown's Delaware and Raritan Canal Lock

Griggstown Lock on the Delaware & Raritan Canal is about one kilometre south of the Griggstown Causeway and about 7.4 km, a 10-minute drive from my home in Skillman. The Kingston Lock is approximately 7.4km to the south. The Millstone River runs more or less parallel to the D&R Canal, with many more twists and turns along the way. I captured this set of images with my Fujifilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 vintage lens, a recent purchase, using an in-camera Kodachrome II film simulation recipe. Except for perspective correction, all of the images are otherwise untouched straight-out-of-camera.

The asphalt, crushed stone, and dirt surface of the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park Trail, part of a transportation corridor between Philadelphia and New York, follows the Delaware & Raritan Canal towpath that dates to the early 1800s. The New Jersey portion of the trail starts in Trenton. It runs along the Delaware River for almost 117 kilometres before ending at Landing Lane, just north of George St. in New Brunswick on the outskirts of Rutgers University. The trail follows the outer eastern edge of the Princeton University campus and passes through Kingston, Griggstown and East Millstone. The waterway is tree-lined, supporting many types of wildlife, including bald eagles, herons, ospreys, and smaller bird species. Walleye, bass, and shad thrive in the Delaware Canal.

Points in Griggstown or Princeton offer canoe rides along the water route. During heavy rains, parts of the trail become impassable from floods. Flooding effectively cuts me off from areas of New Jersey to my east and north, especially if the Millstone River is also flooded.

This is a second entry for Frank Jansen's <a href="https://dutchgoesthephoto.net/2019/08/13/tuesday-photo-challenge-lock/ class="u-in-reply-to">Tuesday Photo Challenge - Lock.

Griggstown Delaware Canal Lock — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Griggstown Delaware Canal Lock — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Griggstown Delaware Canal Lock — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.002 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Griggstown Delaware Canal Lock — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.003 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Griggstown Delaware Canal Lock — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.004 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Griggstown Delaware Canal Loc k— FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.002 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Bridgetender's House — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.003 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Delaware Canal Trail — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Delaware Canal Trail — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.001 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Delaware Canal Trail — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.005 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Griggstown Delaware Canal Lock— FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.008 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019
Fishing for Bass — FujiFilm X-T2 + Soligor 35mm f/2.8 Wide-Auto M42 @ 35 mm, 0.003 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400, ©Khürt L. Williams, Aug 17, 2019

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail Walk with Montgomery Friends of Open Space

Last weekend I went for a walk along the Delaware and Raritan Canal Park Trail towpath with my family. The walk was organised by the Montgomery Friends of Open Space and The D& R Canal Watch. It snowed the night before, so it was cold that morning, but we bundled up and drove to the Kington Lock. The plan was to walk from the Griggstown Lock to the Kingston Lock.

Mary M. Penney, President of Montgomery Friends of Open Space, handed out maps and other information. Our walk guide and board member of the D&R Canal Watch, Bob Barth, explained the logistics of the walk. Some of us would carpool to Griggstown and walk back to Kingston, while the rest started at Rocky Hill.

My sister-in-law, Nilima, my niece Maya, and my other sister-in-law's father-in-law, joined us to walk from Griggstown in Franklin Township. With me were my wife and daughter. My son decided he was too tired for a walk.

As we walked, Bob Barth told us about the history of the canal and towpath and how it was used to transport goods between Bordentown and New Brunswick. Construction of the canal started in 1830 and was completed four later with an estimated cost of $2,830,000. The canal was built by hand by mostly Irish immigrants.

For nearly a century after it opened, the D&R Canal was one of America's busiest navigation canals. Its peak years were the 1860s and 1870s, when Pennsylvania coal was transported through the D&R Canal to feed the city of New York's industrial boom. During this period, 80% of the total cargo carried on the canal was coal.~ Delaware & Raritan Canal History

We walked quickly, occasionally stopping to listen to Bob explain more of the history of the canal and the surrounding towns. We encountered a few large trees that had fallen across the path. It's incredible how much damage Hurricane Sandy did to the forests of New Jersey.

My family and I had a good time and plan on attending other MFOS events.

Mary Penny hands out maps and information about Montgomery Friends of Open Space.—Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8
Nikon D40 + 35 mm f/1.8 @ 35 mm, f/2.8