Well I'm blowed! I have often wondered why an eighty-year-old non-cyclist, living in a tiny one-bedroomed flat in the back-end of London, continues to hold stewardship of a forum dedicated to electrically assisted bicycles.
I think I now know the answer.
Mr. Flecchia, perhaps the time has arrived when you should declare your vested interest in the continued existence of this site.
I have and have never had any vested interest in this pedelecs website.
I'm sure administrators Russell Scott or Helen will be happy to confirm that is the case.
In late 2006 after Russell, a pedelec commuter on an Ezee Torq, had just started this site, he invited me to join as a member. I did and also publicised the presence of his new site on my private non-commercial Giant Lafree support website. That still has a button connecting to here as you can see
on this link.
But that was and is purely goodwill in the interests of e-biking. I only ever met Russell once, in 2007 at an e-bike show at New Milton in the New Forest. The nearest to any reward from pedelecs that I've received is that, in common with some other members, I have a pedelecs "jacket", but the pedelecs logo on mine says "Member number 1", since I was the first to join.
Your accusation shows a total misunderstanding of what I'm about. Money and property don't interest me as my home shows, I've helped other commercial interests in e-biking, both here and overseas,but have never asked for nor received any reward for doing so. You could for example ask David Miall of Wisper, now AMPS, whether I received anything for the past help I've given. Similarly you could ask Tim or Scott Snaith of 50 cycles likewise. Or Wai Won Ching of Ezee Kinetics who I tested a battery for long term. That was due to go back at the end of the term, but he left it with me, though since it was nearly spent that wasn't much reward.
And I don't know where you get non-cyclist from? Though not all years, I've cycled through much of my life, even doing that during my six years of army service which hardly any soldiers did. I haven't renewed my e-bike battery now so don't ride it any more, but that's as much due to lack of time as anything else, other interests that involve much walking fully occupying me.
For example on the following link you can see the project in my local nature reserve which has been occupying me during this last quarter. As you scroll down you'll see my name repeatedly on all the work reports, all of it voluntary work, as is my work on the Natural History Museum website and other natural history sites and physical functions.
FSW Projects
.