When I met 2 Gentlemen on eBikes back in August 2017

I am writing this after an experience I had earlier today & thought I'd shared what I had already posted online so others can read it & help others see the need for good quality infrastructure..

Whilst waiting on the Wivenhoe Trail to see a steam train passing, in the hour I was there I saw 4 eBikes passing & 2 gentlemen riding some of those eBikes stopped to chat & get photos too. Whilst we all were waiting we chatted about eBikes & the gentleman in the hi-viz jacket with the walking stick attached to his eBike normally uses a mobility scooter.

As he explained to me he found eBikes to be better & faster to use & something I didn't consider before when thinking of mobility scooters compared to eBikes. When the battery dies on a mobility scooter especially when using on terrain like the Wivenhoe Trail then you're stuck there as the mobility scooter is too bulky & heavy to push but if the battery dies on the eBike then its light enough for you to push it along & use it as a walking frame.

Now these guys are in their 60s or older & they found eBikes gave them the mobility & freedom to go around town more than mobility scooters ever could & this is why we need to build infrastructure, for these sort of people especially as the aging population increases & why we need infrastructure suitable for all ages & abilities whether they're walking, cycling or using any other mobility aid.

Just like they already have in the Netherlands.

It's 2018 & it needs to be the year of the eBike Cruiser...

Well it is the 1st day of 2018 & what a year 2017 has been & one focus I have had to deal with is the ever changing disability where not just 1 leg is causing issues but now the other one has joined in & that has effected my cycling. End of 2017 & looks like I have more lifestyle changes to come in 2018. So having to make changes in my life to adapt to these changes, like buying a laptop to carry on doing the stuff I normally do on the PC but can't as it hurts too much sitting at the desk. Which I have to thank my family for helping me with with vouchers & cash for Christmas to afford this lovely inexpensive laptop & this is the first blog I am writing on the new laptop.

And as I couldn't cycle today (thanks to my knee), I couldn't go to work due to no bus services so instead I have been working on my newest bike which I recently bought to become the next ebike (the 2nd Electra Townie) by adding the perfect handlebars for me & that is with the addition of the side folding centre stand & rear rack done weeks ago.

 

But that is just the beginning of the many things I need to do to build the perfect ebike for me & that means I need more funds.

So for this to happen I am trying to save what I can & that is a very slow progress when you're working part time & have limited funds, it took well over 6 months to save up to buy the Townie & that was only possible partly coz it was in a sale. So to get the rest of the funds at the rate its going will mean it won't be until 2019/20 before I get a fully functional ebike Cruiser & quite honestly that is too long. I would like to have it fully complete & up & running in 2018, preferably in the Summer.

So in order that I can make this happen I need to sell some of my stuff, especially my existing eBike 'Dutchess' as I can no longer ride it due to my disability changing. It's a lovely bike & atm is just sitting gathering dust & it really shouldn't be, it needs to be ridden.

More about it can be found here: For Sale! One Awesome eBike, my Dutchess. I am looking for £750 & if you are interested then please make me a reasonable offer, if its a price I'm happy to accept then I be more than happy to sell the bike. Tho of course the more I get, the better chance I have to build & complete the next ebike to replace her.

I also have other stuff available to sell to which will help fund the work needed to be done but not enough to cover the whole process to convert the Townie.

A pair of Schwalbe Land Cruiser (reflex) 700x35 that were used on a bike I no longer have & salvaged them. £15/pair.

 

2 sets of Panniers, the all Black throw over one is Basil & the White panelled clip on roll top one is Bikemate. £10/pair

A bike rack/hanger that can hold 2 bikes & folds down when flat, does need some padding added back onto the area where the bikes sit but is in working order. I like £10 for this.

 

There's also a SKS Chainboard, suitable for upto 48 teeth front Chainwheel & was bought for a previous bike (I no longer have) but never got round to fitting it on the bottom bracket. So is still new & unused & would like £15 for it.

I also have a Proviz Nightrider 30l Rucksack, got it as a gift but it's not my sort of rucksack so stayed in its packaging. Would like £40 for this.

And lastly there's The Jawbreaker Multi-tool, another gift which I rather sell than use. New & unused & like £40.

So if you are interested then make me an offer & if reasonable I be happy to accept it. You can comment on this blog where I can read but not publish it or can contact me on Twitter @2_Wheeled_Wolf or just email me on wolfdragonrider@gmail.com. 

I'm sorry if you have read all of this before but I need to sell these to get the next ebike built. I could sell them online elsewhere but that would likely involve charges & less funds for the ebike conversion of the Townie & these are just some of the stuff I am looking to sell & when I get a chance to raid the attic, I will have more to sell to get the next eBike built.

And if you can, please share this blog & hopefully someone would be happy to purchase something to help fund this ebike project.

NOW SOLD! One Awesome eBike, my Dutchess. Updated with new lower price.

Note: Updates to the blog are at the bottom of the blog, scroll to this if you just want to read the update.

Yes that is right, my Dutchess is going up for sale.

So you're asking, if so awesome why is it going up for sale? Simply put my disability is getting worse & finding the shape of the bike isn't getting to be as comfortable to ride for my disability as it used to be. Shame really as I love riding the bike but I'm finding that riding my Cruiser bike without any pedal assistance is more comfortable, easier on my disability despite harder work to cycle.

So the plan is to save up for a new better ebike for my disability, so far I have put some money aside for a cruiser bike but need to sell (reluctantly) Dutchess to buy the conversion kit to make the E-Cruiser.

 

So if anyone is interested I better give the spiel on the bike herself...

Well the bike itself is originally a Momentum Upstart but I have made some additions when I bought her, more about the additions later. It has the road legal 250W front hub motor, 9Ah battery with a simple controller on the handlebar to turn on/off & select 1 of 3 power ratings to use. The Pedal Assisted sensor is attached to the bottom bracket. Bike itself is like basic bicycle frame with 700c wheels & with hub gears. Total weight of the eBike is under 18kg & is why I bought it. The total mileage I have managed on a full charge so far on a good day (with no wind, not to much luggage, legs not playing up, etc) is 45 miles & still had around 25% charge left. So I feel if used on minimum & lil resistance it is possible to get 60 miles on a full charge but not done it myself. To charge battery from flat takes around 6-8hrs.

The additions & upgrades are as follows, when I bought the bike it had no mudguards & generic tyres. So I added mudguards & Schwalbe Marathon tyres.

I also found the 2 gear SRAM Automatrix was a hindrance to the eBike's performance when cycling long distance, so I replaced it with a Sturmey Archer SRF3 hub kit & tidied up the chain & adjusters with new ones. The new hub is a dream to ride with & now sold on hub gears for my next ebike.

 

 

To get a better upright position I have added an adjustable stem & Dutch style handlebars. For luggage I have fitted an Axiom StreamLiner Road DLX Rear Rack which have a carrying capacity of 50kg with a removable USB chargable rear light with built in reflector. Also added a sidestand as I prefer to have one myself. This photo gives you an idea of what it looks like (panniers not included in sale).

Of course as I use the bike, parts wear out & I have so far replaced the headset bearings & both front & rear brakes (all in silver to look nice), as well as the brake levers which has a built in bell on left lever tho I have fitted a rotary bell on the RHS of handlebars.

So I think that is it but if you're interested then please ask any questions. And here's a most recent picture from May this year of the bike.

Now for the price, with all the additions described & the bike itself as well as what I need to get the next eBike I am looking for £750 £600 ono. Anything less & I am going to be without an ebike if sold for less until I can find the additional money & I rather not do that.

The bike has been great for me (especially for shopping) but I need to move onto one better suited for my disabilities.

Update 31st March 2018

It's been a fair few months now & still trying to sell Dutchess, in the meantime I have been working on getting the next eBike started & at the end of 2017 a brand new Electra Townie was selling from a reputable bike shop online for half the price so went for it. And now working on fitting the hub gear on it this month. 

  

So I am now lowering the price I like to sell Dutchess to £650 ono as this will cover the cost of the eBike conversion kit. And I like to sell it soon as like to get the next eBike up & running before the end of 2018.

So if you are interested then you can comment on this blog where I can read but not publish or you can contact me on Twitter @2_Wheeled_Wolf or just email me on wolfdragonrider@gmail.com. Ideally I like to sell locally (so I can keep seeing her around town) but if anyone like to travel & buy her I am happy to accommodate with a cuppa too. :D

Update 23rd August 2019

Well after over 2yrs of trying to sell Dutchess I can now say it is finally SOLD! So pleased it has been sold as I was going to remove it from sale next month & strip it down for parts to use on other cycles. An elderly couple have bought it & it's going to help the elderly gentleman back to cycling. :D

The Electronic Age - Guest blog with Cycling Made Easy.

If you have been following my blogs, you'll know I have had a mobility issue for some decades. This has meant I've had to give up cycling during that time & greatly missed it. But good fortune was on my side & after an operation I managed to improve my health with the help of cycling after a 20yr break. It was hard going & took a long time but after a few yrs I am getting there.
So where am I going with this you may well be asking, well over the years I have thought about the use of electric bikes during the 20yrs break & even when returning to cycling but was put off by the expensive costs, low performances & general lack of knowledge & availability of them. But you cant miss the trend has greatly changed recently with better tech, lower prices, etc. I know my 20yr gap may have been filled with cycling if I had an electric bike that are around nowadays. So when I was asked if I could guest blog a piece on electric bike, I thought yeah that be great as I know lil about them personally, except what I have read in the media.
So I will now leave you to read a piece from Neil at Cycling Made Easy & hope it will help those who were like me in the past, as I feel with better tech & prices the electric bike could help those who aren't fully fit to keep cycling. 

While electric cars hog the headlines with their celebrity owners and government subsidies, electric bikes were already outselling their four-wheeled counterparts by a factor of 62 to1 in Europe back in 2011. 

While the rest of the world has enjoyed electric bikes for decades, the market in the UK has remained small in comparison. 

Ray Wookey, who has been selling electric bikes in Surrey for the last three years, says, “This is a shame because e-bikes have the potential to open up cycling to large numbers of people like older people, people with fitness worries and people with lower limb injuries.”

He explains, “I'm in my sixties. Last year, I completed a 300 mile off-road cycle from London to Paris for the British Heart Foundation. It was tough and if I didn't have an electric bike helping me on my way, I wouldn't have completed it. I want to take part in cycling events for as long as I can. My e-bike can let me do that.”

Customers at Ray's e-bike showroom, Cycling Made Easy, agree. When Nicky Blumfield was diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder that affected her heart, she didn't think she could ever cycle. However, “After 10 minutes’ riding uphill, I was barely out of breath. I could chat with another rider and the dreaded pulse rate was OK! I had a bit of a ‘moment’ as the implications began to sink in: no more feeling left out and miserable.”

So what is an electric bike?

An electric bike is a pedal bike with an added electrical motor to boost the power of your pedalling. This means when cycling, the motor acts like an 'extra pair of legs' providing added power to get you to the top of the hill without you having to dismount and walk.

Can an e-bike help me get fit?

People assume that because an e-bike helps out the rider, you don't get any health benefits. This is not the case! The genius of using an e-bike for exercise is that the assistance stops you from over-exerting yourself. This has two benefits. Firstly, there are fewer chances of strains and sprains.

Secondly, and probably more important, the help from an e-bike means you don't tire yourself out, giving you the energy to go cycling again. In fact, e-cyclists have been recorded cycling five times as frequently as conventional cyclists! Fitness is a habit. Having the energy to go out again and again on a bike is crucial to forming that habit.

What if I don't want the electrical assistance?

Most e-bikes allow you to control how much assistance you get from it. They are fitted with a small control panel on the handlebars. If you are coming back from injury and slowly rebuilding your fitness, you can start with a lot of assistance and gradually use less and less as the muscles and joints strengthen. There may even come a point when you can turn the engine off completely.

What if I can't pedal at all?

Some e-bikes come with a throttle. These are helpful for accelerating away from traffic lights but they are also good for days when pedalling is too difficult or painful, or you need a break from pedalling during a ride.

Can I find out more?

There is more information about electric bikes on the Cycling Made Easy website http://www.cyclingmadeeasy.co.uk/