eMTB owners photo and ride thread.

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
Proper Winter Conditions

Although I worked three days between Christmas and New Year, I had 18 days off over the holiday period and yesterday was the first chance to ride cross country to work.

Ride to work Jan 21 001.JPG

Having said that I got all dressed up for the weather and at the start of the first track, took quite a lot of it off as the temperature was showing 7* degrees. It was a great ride in, though there were many more people about getting their lock down exercise fix.

I use a tring, tring, bell, and got two comments of warm appreciation from walkers I passed.

Ride to work Jan 21 002.JPG

Another stop for a picture and to lose another item of clothing, exercise does warm you up. After bragging about my new 2.35 tubeless mud tyre coping with a really difficult section last time I posted, I could tell it would be very difficult today so missed it out.

Ride to work Jan 21 004.JPG

This section is part of my winter route which is both very beautiful and avoids a lot of mud. Sadly one of the few proper demanding single track sections has been lost by a land owner blocking it off. I now have to use much less fun tracks to get around their massive surrey pad. I do now drop into a small section of a rocky right of way as compensation before rejoining my old route.

The 10 mile road journey home was around 01:30 in the morning and definitely a bit nippy. The tyres made some quite alarming cracking noises in places where there was a bit of ice forming. There is a short cut close to home I take that is a residential road and not gritted and felt alarmingly slippy. Still no mishaps.

I followed Dom T's advise and treated myself to slightly more middle assist than normal to compensate for the extra drag of my new rear tyre. I probably used about 5% more battery but was definitely less fatigued.

The only thing about using the higher assist was that I was in my top gear and with 12 teeth this is the least resistant to wear if you push too much power through it. I guess it will be an interesting experiment to see if it starts to jump if I continue using higher assist. The rear cassette has now covered 454 miles.

The whole drive train gets hammered in winter used in the way I do as it gets covered in mud going to work, gets a splash of chain oil on the muddy chain, and then ridden hard home, and then sometimes not cleaned as I am too knackered and do not get the time.

Yesterday was the start of 5 late shifts, so if I ride to them all that is 120 miles, with 70 miles off road and 50 miles on the road with a muddy but oily chain.

Good job a 9 speed set up is cheap to replace!
 
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Zlatan

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2016
8,086
4,290
Stayed local (to Rotherham) this morning. Not travelling through to Derbyshire/Lady Bower until restrictions lifted. Last time I was up there busiest I, ve ever seen it..
Great 18 mile route near Brampton Le Northern.
IMG_20210109_124200.jpgIMG_20210109_124214.jpgIMG_20210109_124200.jpgIMG_20210109_132011.jpg

Great ride but very muddy..
 

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georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
Well I am sitting at home on my first day off, of three.

I did take my car to work yesterday as it gave me more time at home with my children.

So I rode to four of my five shifts in the end and rode 94 miles. 54 off road, and 40 on the road. The mileage on the bike is now 12,886, getting very close to 13,000.

More importantly the trips in to work cross country were all fantastic. The bike worked really well, The countryside I travel through is lovely, and the exercise does me the world of good.

Just adding a little higher assist in places coming home overcomes the extra drag of my wide off road back tyre without burning through too much extra battery capacity. I am using about 5% more battery, and get home with my battery showing about 55% capacity left.

The 2.35 back tyre is great off road, adding a lot of confidence inspiring grip, making the on road drag worth the cost.

The beauty of an electric bike is you can overcome the effect of the increased drag by upping the assistance.

I think I will stick with this tyre when the weather warms up as the greater volume of air and ability with the tubeless set up to run at lower pressures also adds some cushioning to both me and my expensive new rear wheel.
 
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Dom T

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 17, 2017
433
377
Shropshire
Happy new year all.
Was thrown off my bike the other day by a very horrible pedestrian on the bike lane, came crashing down...bike fine new light scraped, but me not so good, fair bit of bruising on my right side, no broken bones though.
On a day off stretch for 8 days so hope to get out and about in these Shropshire hills and countryside for a few miles. Just lucky to have these bikes to de-stress his and hers type thing.
His....then mine (him obtaining a new hardtail merida big e 900 after selling the haibike to my brother, now we have 6 shimano batteries and 2 motors).IMG_20180912_120748.jpgIMG_20210105_141849.jpg
IMG_20190205_112022.jpgIMG_20201028_112305.jpg
 
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georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
Hi Dom T, very sorry to hear about your brush with an aggressive pedestrian. The jump to a physical assault can happen very quickly it seems these days. I hope you are feeling better soon.

I am on a short run of three early shifts, with progressively 1 hour later start times each day. Yesterday it was forecast to rain hard so I took my car. Today I rode in on my £100 second hand rear hub electric bike, 10 miles each way on the road.

Despite having to get up earlier and be very organised I feel so much better in myself if I ride to work. It was a nice dry cold day in Surrey today and just right for cycling. My £100 second hand bike had 500 miles on her display when I got her in late 2018, and now has 2,280.

I plan to ride in tomorrow for the last of these three early shifts before just two days off and then back onto late shifts and my lovely off road route into work on the Haibike. Depending on how many shifts I am able to ride to, The Haibike might crack 13,000 miles.
 
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Dom T

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 17, 2017
433
377
Shropshire
Not ridden for near 4 days, desperate to get out, just felt too sore, then as we are both nurses we got our vaccines and I reacted as I normally do to vaccines, very badly. Whereas my hubs got a headache and a sore arm, I got the full on flu feelings with a high temperature all the shivering you could do and felt pants. Shame it was a perfect day to get out on my Voodoo.
13,000 miles that is great riding and a great bike...would you buy another haibike GH as and when needed ?
Welcome Sunstoner, looks like you had a nice day out.
John, happy new year to you, now that looks like fun.
DC hi too.
 

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
What a difference a day makes....24 little hours

I gave my potential ride to work on Wednesday a miss as that was the day Christoph poured down water upon us with a fair bit of wind thrown in...

I had ridden the day before when Christoph was brewing, and had a very nice and dry cross country ride to work.

I did do a very challenging 20 minute loop which I normally miss out in the Winter and had confirmed to me why I miss it out as it wasn't that much fun, just hard work, being both steep, very muddy and with many tree roots to overcome. That 2.35 mud rear tyre however will maintain grip even in thick sludge.

The ride home on the road later was interesting being both very windy and rainy.
I still managed to maintain my average speed but had to use more higher assist to do so and ended up with a record low of 52% battery remaining for my 10 mile journey when I got home. But to be honest it was exhilarating with the rain and wind lashing me and lots of tree debris on the road.

Yesterday however was a lovely cross country ride to work and also a very nice ride home on the road.

Ride to work Christoph 22 01 21 001.JPG

My road ride was nearly as much fun as the off road ride as I flew along and got home with 60% left in the battery.

Mileage is now 12,936.
 

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
After the flood....

Yesterday was the last cross country ride to work, a cold and sunny lovely ride.

Ride to work after thr flood 001.JPG
13th Century Medieval Multi Span Eashing bridge in flood




Ride to work after thr flood 002.JPG

I digress with the musical links but as a spotty youth in 1977 remember going with a couple of friends on the train to London to see Peter Gabriel perform on his first solo tour after leaving Genesis at the then named Hammersmith Odeon where as well as playing the eponymous Solsbury Hill, he played Here Comes The Flood, which fits in with the weather.

This ride was also a challenge as the shift finish time on Thursday was 00:25, before I get changed into my riding gear and cycle 10 miles home, and I can never go straight to bed when I get in, and the time I needed to be at work on Friday was 13:20, under 13 hours later. So getting up sometime after 9:00AM in the morning, and needing to set off at around 11:10AM, was a very quick turn around for me.

I work as a key worker in a safety critical role with a statutory legal minimum rest period between my shifts of 12 hours.

But cycling to work through beautiful countryside provides me with a lot of exercise and is a real mood enhancer.

Ride to work after thr flood 003.JPG

This picture figures a lot in my postings but is a point I have to stop to go through the gate and therefore a picture can be taken without losing much time.

Ride to work after thr flood 004.JPG

I did see some snowdrops coming out so Spring must be coming.

Ride to work after thr flood 006.JPG

Crooksbury Common

Just two days off, like you people who do normal jobs, then early shifts mean 20 mile return trips on the road.

So three out of my four late shifts were ridden to cross country and my round trip mileage for the three shifts was 72 miles, and the bikes mileage has crept up to 12,958.

It needs a wash now.
 
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egroover

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 12, 2016
1,050
635
57
UK
Greetings from South Dorset. Really muddy 2nd shakedown of my newly bafang mid drive conversion 26" MTB yesterday. Mixture of frozen icy mud and pools, and really thick gloopey mud. Got so thick at times, the chain was slipping in the higher gears there was that much mud on the drive train. Still ploughed through and great fun, can't wait until the next outing. Might need to get some longer mud guards

40469

40470
 
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Dom T

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 17, 2017
433
377
Shropshire
Nor I....
We had a great deal of snow but managed to get out today the both of us. His new Merida eBig Nine 2021 hardtail has been blinged up with blue touches and he's enjoying it.
Our day out today was on 22 miles. but mud, wet and ice were on the cards, still lovely day had.
GH, I too have to work 12 .5 hours shifts and the trying to fit in 8 hours of sleep ca be difficult. I only do nights, and as you know we are nurses, sometimes I find it difficult as by the time I've got changed to come home and like you need time to unwind I may only get 6 hours in. However the riding helps me destress greatly, fantastic for my mental well-being.
From thiIMG_20210127_123215.jpgIMG_20210127_123229.jpgIMG_20210127_123221.jpgIMG_20210127_123154.jpg
IMG_20210105_141849.jpgIMG_20210127_100535.jpg
 
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georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
Hi Dom T, I think you hit the nail on the head, it is the real uplift in mood from riding in the great outdoors that at the moment with us all locked away and on our own much more than usual is every bit as important as the exercise.

I started early in the morning today, so rode on the road to work and back, and nearly decided not to as there was every chance of heavy rain when I was setting of at around 04:00am this morning, but committed to doing it, and was very glad I did, as I felt so much better in myself both when I got to work and when I got home..
 
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Dom T

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 17, 2017
433
377
Shropshire
It works so well this kick butt stuff.
I went out on my own yesterday as knew the weather would be too much today and sometimes I really do have to find the motivation, but glad I did. Only 15.5 miles around my familiar route, but it was worth it.
 

georgehenry

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 7, 2015
1,447
1,264
Surrey
Crossing the Threshold.....

13,000 Miles


I have just ridden to five late duties using my Haibike to travel cross country 14 miles to work and then 10 miles home covering 120 miles, and I breached the 13,000 mile barrier when I got home on Sunday and finished last night with 13,076 miles covered.

Ride to work Feb Chill 21 001.JPG

These rides have been interesting as my first ride in on Saturday the 13th of February was when the ground was frozen solid. Despite low temperatures the amount of battery I used on the way to work was as low as in the summer as the solid ground removed a lot of drag and allowed me to fly along with less effort.

In contrast on the way home it was cold and windy and I used more higher assist than normal to maintain my speed and my battery consumption hit a high of 52% used.

That first ride to work was really treacherous and I nearly came a cropper on more than one occasion before I took more care of the frozen ridges of mud!

Ride to work Feb Chill 21 002.JPG

Also on one small connecting country lane I came across a domed section of the road where water had frozen solid over the full width for about 40 meters. I went across very carefully without touching the brakes, knowing that I could be dumped on the deck at any moment.

Ride to work Feb Chill 21 003.JPG

Then the next day as things started to warm up there was in places a thin layer of cold slippery thawing mud on top of frozen ground underneath. Very slippery.

On one evening it absolutely cained it down for the whole ride home.

And each day it got muddier and muddier as the temperatures increased and the ground thawed out.

The last ride yesterday was in thick sticky mud and waterlogged ground in many sections.

I was very glad of the 2.35 mud tyre that I am running tubeless on the back, put on in October 2020, despite the extra drag it gives on the road going home and the fact that it looks like it will wear out quite fast.

I may take it off in the Spring and keep it for next Winter or just wear it out and replace. We will see. Having not run a tubeless set up before I will need to remember to put some more sealant in.

I had thought I might retire this April, but with a secure well paid job and Covid meaning I could not travel or indeed do that much if I stopped working I will wait until I have been jabbed and then review.

Ride to work post chill Feb 19 02 21 004.JPG

Just before it gets washed, the drive train de-greased, and the chain checked for wear before oiling.

My warranty replaced motor, changed when the bike was two years old is now nearly 4 years old and has covered just over 7,000 miles.

The battery is the original one and also still working really well.
 
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