Bicycles , ebikes , dirty pics and other stuff.

[nigel s]

Promised to start a new thread for this ........so here it is.
35 miles this morning starting with a short section of Weavers Way then by roads and tracks onto the coastal path across the cliff tops.
Managed to get up this for the first time on a push bike, doesn't look much in the pic but is 12 feet up with no run up, the pic was taken from where you have to start from
Stopped at Sea Palling to shelter from the rain, then back home.
The gasgas performed well and still had 57 miles range left when I got back

[nigel s]

Just as a point of interest,
In the pic of the cliff tops , when I was a lad, to the right ( seaward ) side of the cliff was a tarmac road, then a hedge ,then a bit of scrub ground, THEN the cliff.
Coastal erosion is taking its toll.

[Sir Trev]

The village what where I was brung up is on The Weavers Way. Sounds like you're a bit further north though Nigel. As my parents still live in the house they bought in 1967 I may well bring my Cube over one of these days and ride some of the roads I used to as a kid.

[UK_Vstrom650]

I'm starting to think of buying an ebike, mainly because my mate is getting one. I do have a few bikes and the missus thinks that's enough. She's even suggesting I should sell some 

[nigel s]

Sir Trev,
I am near Stalham. The good thing about Norfolk for cyclists is it is fairly flat. But after a full day at work in Feb, say , cycling home in the dark into a head wind uphill, I have a hard time believing it.

Uk- Vstrom650,
Same here, I have 3 clogging up my garage now!
I had been resistant to ebikes, didn't see the point.But as I got older and slower they came more into focus.
I have waited and done my research ( and through having a strom 650 after years of litre bikes, saved up some cash  )
Early days yet , but all the bad bits are gone just leaving the good bits

[Sir Trev]

I grew up in Acle Nigel.

Far cry from the VERY hilly High Wycombe I live in now. But, I can now cruise up one of the many 1:4 hills around here at a steady 10mph once in the right ratio, although it depletes the range a fair bit doing so...

[nigel s]

Bloody Hell Sir Trev, just down the rudd  ....

Can I ask what sort of range are you getting, I have done 50 miles and it is still showing 40 left?
Seems a lot? But I am thinking it may drop quickly as the battery gets below 50% ?

I am running it at medium assist ,at least on the road sections,  and have been up against the 15.5 mph limit , mostly ,not sure if this means I am doing a lot of the work  thus saving the battery or if it uses more 'cos I am going quick?
Not really got a clue ,  all new to me 
But I did equal my fastest time home from work today.............into a head wind.
15.5 mph may not be fast for a road bike, but on a fat 3.5"  tyred mountain bike is bloody quick ( for me ) plus it does it EVERYWHERE.( no 1 in 4s around here though)

Loving it so far.

[Sir Trev]

A 100% charged battery usually shows a range remaining of about 120 miles on min assist on mg Cube. I generally use level 2 of four, and crank it up on the hills, so the 625 Bosch battery really gets me about 60-70 miles around here. A couple of years ago on hols in Ely (a phrase involving pancakes springs to mind) and I got closer to 100, but then I was mostly on min assist for that. The range seemed to drop in a fairly linear fashion on mine but different makes will vary a bit I guess.

If you get over 15.5mph the assist is meant to cut out, so all the power is coming from you. Unless you chip it, which is not that clever if you use the roads, as Daily Mail readers will hate you, tar regular cyclists like me alike, and you'll attract the attention of the Rozzers.  Just like the knobends around here did when they all modded their leased Mercs to crackle and bang on the overrun and caused a nuisance at night. They all got nicked as you don't hear them around here any more. Serves them right [\rant].

[nigel s]

Ta for that Trev.
Seems about the same on mine. Good to know
I have no plans to chip it, warranty is void if I do.
Besides 15.5 is fine for me, especially off road. My shin has already seen the bike is quicker than me on  gnarly single track 


I used to work with a bloke nicknamed Eli ( pronounced in the biblical way , not the town........I knew his name was Nick...so asked his brother how come Eli.
When they were kids their Dad asked  "where do you want to go for a day trip " and got the map out ( shows how long ago that was  ) .
Nick points to ELY and says "Eli I want to go to Eli".
Well ...it stuck

[nigel s]

Uncle Ray,
NUTS,

[nigel s]

I could have put this in "what are you listening to right now " but.......
I like the way he misses out parts of the course
More Uncle Ray,

[The Doctor 46]

I went to a downhill cycle playground in South Wales one time, I can't remember where exactly but about 1 hour from Ebbw Vale. It looked a lot like that in the video. I was amazed at what I saw, sitting with a BBQ burger in my mouth and a bike passing at about 50mph!?!? I was scared for the riders. Brilliant.

I wish bikes and trails like that were around when I was young. 

Thanks for posting.

[nigel s]

God , at 58 , even as a regular cyclist, I would snap in half at the first jump

Ho Hum

[nigel s]

This , believe it or not is a "restricted byway"
Nice ride as the evening closes. Was wearing my long socks this time to keep the nettles at bay

[UK_Vstrom650]

Looking good Nigel. Not sure I'd take the V-Strom down there.

I had a ride on the missus' ebike (Haibike Trekking 4.0) last Tuesday. Have been resisting using it for about two years however as I'm now thinking of getting one, thought I'd give it a go. Apart from the heavens opening within minutes of me setting off (am sure I saw Noah floating by), I did a quick loop around some roads I usually do on my road/mountain bike. Initial thoughts were it makes it much easier to do the loop - my heart rate is usually an average of 166bpm (maxing at 190), on the ebike it was an average of 144bpm although I managed to hit 180 uphill when I was going for it.
I did notice I was out pedalling the motor a fair bit on the ride, and the bike is 27kg so was a bit of an effort on the flats as my average speed was around 17-18mph. I suppose I could just slow down slightly...
By the end of the loop I could have easily repeated it again and probably again, so it does make me think a full bore emtb for some trail centres might help make better use of the trip. May have to start looking at them in more detail.

[nigel s]

UK- Vstrom,
I have found the same thing with regard to the 15.5 cut off. I have to reign myself in.
On mine 10th  (1x12) gear just happens to be 60 rpm cadence at 15.5, I think that is designed in.
 If I keep to that on the road  I and the bike seem happy working together.
I don't check heart rate, but I cycled 35 miles a week going to work and back on a normal bike, not to keep fit as such , but to keep healthy, if you see the difference.
With the ebike , though it IS less exercise just commuting, I find I am using it a lot more, so I am getting a gain.
And it is a lot of fun, which has got to help.
If exercise was boring I probably wouldn't do it so much.

[UK_Vstrom650]

They do say ebikes are a great enabler, and you tend to ride them more so it provides about 95% of normal bike exercise.
I'd probably be better off slowing down to be honest as I tend to go max effort all the time which isn't good either. Also, I tend to drive an hour plus to get to some trail centres but you only get a few loops in before the legs give out - the ebike would probably double that.
The issue I have is not enough hours in the day/week/year to ride the V-Strom and the bikes.

[nigel s]

That is the problem, never enough time.
Though saying that just got back from a ride ,couple of hours.
Luckily I have all sorts  of trails, tracks etc , just on my door step so no traveling in the car involved.
A few pics from tonights efforts .
A NOT abandoned church, but only acessable by tracks ..no road.
The frankly dodgy path down by the canal.
And a swamp that I am going nowhere near

[nigel s]

Another evening ride on the gasgas, not far, 10 miles ?
All on tracks / paths near me, just ambling really. Saw nobody bar  a few hares, a deer and some rooks angry at being disturbed , and an old girl on her horse. She thanked me for turning off my  strobing headlight and giving way( I used to work in a stud so know how some horses are ), we had a good natter, middle of nowhere, just me ,her and the horse , and went on our ways.
Lovely.

[UK_Vstrom650]

That's interesting about the horse and flashing lights. I was covering mine up whenever I came across horses but someone I know who owns horses told me I didn't need to as it wouldn't bother them... May have to think about that again.

I went for an eleven mile cycle ride today on my hardtail - bought it a year ago but haven't quite hit 200 miles on it yet... It's a bit over biked for the local loops but still nice to get out on it.