First not sure where to place this posting but no doubt it can be moved if required. My wife and I have just returned from six weeks in France and I took an ebike for the first time to try as additional transport with our motorhome. The bike is a Woosh Bermuda with a 15a battery, I posted a bit about this a few months ago and still as an ebike novice I hope my views do not upset anyone but they are just my opinions. First few ride were along pretty flat canal and river cycle paths, of which there are a lot in France. The bike made short work of this and I was doing rides or around twenty miles, battery indicator showing just one light out after each ride. We stayed for a few days in the Tarn Gorge and I decided to give the bike a stiffer test by riding up one of the roads out of the gorge. The one I chose was out of the village of Malene and is about two miles to the top. The first few hairpins are very steep and I used full assist and down to second gear, after this it eased a little but still steep, I used 2nd and 3rd gear all the way to the top. Arrived ok but pleased as I am a not very fit old bloke and would not even attempt this on a normal bike, two bars on the battery gone after two miles though, although one flickered back coming down. A few more rides then we arrived in the Pyrenees and I decided to attempt a col used on the Tour du France, the Aspin. Did not start right from the valley but around six miles from the top. This is pretty steep all the way especially in the numerous hairpins and again I used 2nd and 3rd gear with maximum assist most of the way, surprised to see other ebikes on the way. I made it, pretty ‘wacked’ but the bike got me there, something I never dreamed I could do only few months ago after giving up my standard bike last year. Battery only just made it though, almost completely flat after six miles but fortunately all downhill on the way back.
A few observations that may be of use to other novice riders. If you are going to tackle big climbs, certainly more than one take a spare battery. If anyone tells you cheap bike with a hub motor will not climb ignore them. The Woosh is a heavy old lump, cost less than £1000, and performed really well, unless you are a serious off roader I cannot see it is worth the average user spending much more than this. I do not see how a more expensive bike could have done any better. I understand you pay more money you get better components but do you really need them, not to climb hills that is for sure. Out of interest just after we entered the Pyrenes we encountered a bike race and stopped at the finish to watch. To my surprise ebikes came through the finish and I wandered across to speak to one of the officials. He told me they had a class for ebikes and tried to explain the rules but my French is not good enough to get them all so will not try to explain on here. The number of ebikes in France is astonishing and in places nearly equalled normal bikes with many being used on motorhomes as we did.
A few observations that may be of use to other novice riders. If you are going to tackle big climbs, certainly more than one take a spare battery. If anyone tells you cheap bike with a hub motor will not climb ignore them. The Woosh is a heavy old lump, cost less than £1000, and performed really well, unless you are a serious off roader I cannot see it is worth the average user spending much more than this. I do not see how a more expensive bike could have done any better. I understand you pay more money you get better components but do you really need them, not to climb hills that is for sure. Out of interest just after we entered the Pyrenes we encountered a bike race and stopped at the finish to watch. To my surprise ebikes came through the finish and I wandered across to speak to one of the officials. He told me they had a class for ebikes and tried to explain the rules but my French is not good enough to get them all so will not try to explain on here. The number of ebikes in France is astonishing and in places nearly equalled normal bikes with many being used on motorhomes as we did.
