e-assist stuff

[Kim]

Kim I've not been on't forum for a while, have you been banished from the roads?

A boring over-use and/or bad shoes induced Achilles injury, mostly discussed in the Other Place.  Nothing gory, but enforced rest was required.  Am finally able to walk a decent distance, and now slowly building up cycling duration again.  Turbo trainer means you can get off and stop as soon as it feels dodgy, rather than make things worse having to get home, but it's seriously dull.

(Ob-e-assist: While in principle I have an electric assist trike available, the nature of the injury is such that it wouldn't actually make much difference; it's the pedalling motion rather than the amount of force that's the issue.)

[velosam]

I'm seriously contemplating going e-assist, ageing legs, too many kilos and scenic Pembrokeshire countryside are conspiring to make riding fairly joyless for me. Thought long and hard about a conversion but have decided that there is probably a REASON why touring type bikes with electrickery aren't a common sight.
Looks like its going to be the Raleigh Motus Crossbar.
Yes Kim I know its an "uninspiring hybrid", but if it gets me out on the roads regularly again then who cares. It's got to be better than plugging away on a gym bike or turbo and going nowhere.

Good luck. I just checked it out and it looks OK

[runsoncake]

Just waiting for the weather gods to
calm down so I can test ride a few, but I think it's the Motus for me as that's what the LBS stocks.

[CAMRAMan]

Having sung the praises of converting existing bikes, I now have an off-the-peg bike I bought secondhand off the Pedelecs forum. It's an Oxygen eMate MTB and is really rather good. I paid c.2/3 of the original price and it only had 140 miles on the clock. Surprisingly, it is rather well specced with 27-speed Acera gearing, Tektro Auriga Comp brakes, a Lookin saddle and a supposedly bulletproof rear hub motor. The rest of it is well put together and, the greatest boon of ready-made bikes, the spaghetti is all concealed in the frame.

The battery life is vastly better than the supposedly same capacity one I got with the conversion kit and the controls offer six different power settings in each of three modes. It is also very fast. In Speed mode, level 6, I reckon 25-30MPH on the flat would be achievable, but battery life would be greatly reduced. I run it in Eco mode and can count on 40 miles range at an average speed of 18/19MPH. at legal speeds I'd expect 60 miles & I'm no lightweight.

Rob, a ride on the machine is always on offer...

[robgul]

Having sung the praises of converting existing bikes, I now have an off-the-peg bike I bought secondhand off the Pedelecs forum. It's an Oxygen eMate MTB and is really rather good. I paid c.2/3 of the original price and it only had 140 miles on the clock. Surprisingly, it is rather well specced with 27-speed Acera gearing, Tektro Auriga Comp brakes, a Lookin saddle and a supposedly bulletproof rear hub motor. The rest of it is well put together and, the greatest boon of ready-made bikes, the spaghetti is all concealed in the frame.

The battery life is vastly better than the supposedly same capacity one I got with the conversion kit and the controls offer six different power settings in each of three modes. It is also very fast. In Speed mode, level 6, I reckon 25-30MPH on the flat would be achievable, but battery life would be greatly reduced. I run it in Eco mode and can count on 40 miles range at an average speed of 18/19MPH. at legal speeds I'd expect 60 miles & I'm no lightweight.

Rob, a ride on the machine is always on offer...

I'm going to the NHS establishment around the corner from you on Sat 3 Dec - I may just give you a shout beforehand to see if you are at home.  Do you still have the conversion bike too 'cos that's my preferred consideration at the moment and I'd like to look at it.

Rob

[CAMRAMan]

I do have it, but not in the best of condition. I went to start it one day and - nothing. The various theories and suggestions on Pedelecs haven't helped. One of the plausible ones is that the controller has been tricked into thinking the battery is 48V, so has denied access. A new controller could possibly sort it out, but then the Oxygen came along at a good price & is magnitudes better in every respect.

I'm working on 3/12, I'm afraid. I'll be home about 3.30pm, but it'll be getting dark by then and I doubt the Orbit will be up and running.

(as a total aside, what is the towpath like approaching the Edstone aqueduct?)