Hope to update this with a proper review as the summer months approach. I bought the beautiful Haibike Trekking from Martin at ebikeshop https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/ and a bit like buses it arrived on the very same day as my replacement KTM Macina 2014 model. Also another beautful pedelec.
The pedelec arrived in its massive cardboard box posted to my mum's house on Anglesey as I have no room at all for the box and it simply would not fit into my little terraced house. The bike was already set-up although my biggets problem was wondering how on earth to get this key from the fitted locking bracket on the bike. That feature has become my absolute pet hate and at one point I did try to see if I could lever it off... needless to say the damned thing is built so well I got nowhere with it. Why do I hate it..? It means I need to be organised and remember to take key out to lock bike etc - tendency here not to lock the bike. The key gives the game away quite a bit that the bike is 'electric' to the usually friendly cycling types. Unfortunately any smiles, nods, respect goes out of the window when they realise.. and it is that accursed red key to blame! I had to moan. Hopefully somebody out there in forum lands will let me know how to remove the unit.
The first bike ride home was... bliss. No breakdowns, no issues with the bike at all. I made it home to the other side of Anglesey. It was a lovely ride. I now had 2 days of summer left before I went back to work
Since then the Haibike had been my one and only form of transport to and from work - a total of 15 miles at least. I had absolutely no issues at all although I had hoped the bike would have an adjustable (height) stem but it has these ring things. I did try to fit a height adjuster but it did not fit. Basically I am leaning downwards too much and it does hurt my back for longer rides but that it my arthritis issue not the bike's fault. I have also listened to my partner, after him moaning for 15 years, to raise the height of my seat when cycling (I did check on the Internet, so he doesn't get all the credit). I added a Brookes saddle to the bike and despite being second hand off ebay fitted my derriere very well.
So, had been riding my Haibike each working day for several weeks until I came off the bike. My fault completely. I cycled across the road in darkness to get to the cycle path / pavement but misjudged the closeness of a car lights coming towards me and ended up having to change my angle to being a tighter one and clipped the side of the pavement. I flew, slid, rolled and landed by the fencepost in the hedge a few metres away (cycle clothes are great for sliding!) and the fence post is still at an angle today where I came to a stop. (Must take photo). The Haibike went flying the other way towards the other cars but missed fortunately. Two following cars stopped as they thought I must be injured the way I flew and being shaken themselves also thought the first car must have hit me. That first car did not stop. Anyhow - thinking I was fine I carried on, gathered the bike which seemed fine, and set on my way. I only had 2-3 miles left and one big hill. I realised I was shaken up after a few minutes but at same time chuffed I could get up off a bike like when I was a kid after an accident. The bike did not change gear. Fortunately I managed to get up the steep hill, past the hospital and home. Only once I got home did I realise I had a big hole in my knee and quite a bit of blood down the leg. So, off the hospital. Stitches and all that. Could not move the next day and for a week after. Only part of my body that was not bruised and battered was my head as it did not land on anything but I was wearing a helmet which did not get a scratch on it.
So the Haibike has not been used since before Christmas. Having to stare at it for weeks in the lounge. I eventually replaced the little aluminium thing that the rear derailleur hangs onto as it was bent and made the gears go all over the place and jam the chain. That done I needed to adjust the gears and the clickbox. Unfortunately I made a mess of that and noticed some threading on the end cable by the click box which got so much worse by the time I tried to weave a piece of wire back into main cable. It simply does not do that.
Order two new cables from Martin and spare head unit. (long story there). I now open the sram to replace the frayed cable, cutting the cable one end to let the cable out of the sram gear thing on handlebars. I cut the wrong cable!! I asusmed right hand gear would mean right side cable to click box but another goes into the derailleur. Oops. Added to that faux pas I also managed to make two bits jump out of the sram gears. The coil and a little pastic black screw end bit. No idea where they were supposed to go. I now had to open the left sram as I had cut its cable by mistake. Madness. At least I would be able to see where the coil and black bit would go surely? I opened it ever so carefully this time but the accursed same bits flew out of this side also.
A few hours of Youtube and googling gave me an idea where the coiled spring might go so I did that and just chucked the plastic bit in as well for luck The gears worked. They changed - they worked. It worked. I cycle my bike for the first time in weeks yesterday. It is still beautiful and I hope to do some meaningful (!!!) review, with photos of bits and things, in future weeks. I have since learnt where the little black bung goes and that is now sorted. Just need to buy new cables off Martin for the next time I mess up.
I have just uploaded a short video of the Haibike - and me - crossing Pont Menai in Menai Bridge a few days before the accident. Testing my Youtube settings etc. Typical of me - no picture of the bike at all in video!
Will need to check how to embed it if it doesn't do it automatically....
The pedelec arrived in its massive cardboard box posted to my mum's house on Anglesey as I have no room at all for the box and it simply would not fit into my little terraced house. The bike was already set-up although my biggets problem was wondering how on earth to get this key from the fitted locking bracket on the bike. That feature has become my absolute pet hate and at one point I did try to see if I could lever it off... needless to say the damned thing is built so well I got nowhere with it. Why do I hate it..? It means I need to be organised and remember to take key out to lock bike etc - tendency here not to lock the bike. The key gives the game away quite a bit that the bike is 'electric' to the usually friendly cycling types. Unfortunately any smiles, nods, respect goes out of the window when they realise.. and it is that accursed red key to blame! I had to moan. Hopefully somebody out there in forum lands will let me know how to remove the unit.
The first bike ride home was... bliss. No breakdowns, no issues with the bike at all. I made it home to the other side of Anglesey. It was a lovely ride. I now had 2 days of summer left before I went back to work
Since then the Haibike had been my one and only form of transport to and from work - a total of 15 miles at least. I had absolutely no issues at all although I had hoped the bike would have an adjustable (height) stem but it has these ring things. I did try to fit a height adjuster but it did not fit. Basically I am leaning downwards too much and it does hurt my back for longer rides but that it my arthritis issue not the bike's fault. I have also listened to my partner, after him moaning for 15 years, to raise the height of my seat when cycling (I did check on the Internet, so he doesn't get all the credit). I added a Brookes saddle to the bike and despite being second hand off ebay fitted my derriere very well.
So, had been riding my Haibike each working day for several weeks until I came off the bike. My fault completely. I cycled across the road in darkness to get to the cycle path / pavement but misjudged the closeness of a car lights coming towards me and ended up having to change my angle to being a tighter one and clipped the side of the pavement. I flew, slid, rolled and landed by the fencepost in the hedge a few metres away (cycle clothes are great for sliding!) and the fence post is still at an angle today where I came to a stop. (Must take photo). The Haibike went flying the other way towards the other cars but missed fortunately. Two following cars stopped as they thought I must be injured the way I flew and being shaken themselves also thought the first car must have hit me. That first car did not stop. Anyhow - thinking I was fine I carried on, gathered the bike which seemed fine, and set on my way. I only had 2-3 miles left and one big hill. I realised I was shaken up after a few minutes but at same time chuffed I could get up off a bike like when I was a kid after an accident. The bike did not change gear. Fortunately I managed to get up the steep hill, past the hospital and home. Only once I got home did I realise I had a big hole in my knee and quite a bit of blood down the leg. So, off the hospital. Stitches and all that. Could not move the next day and for a week after. Only part of my body that was not bruised and battered was my head as it did not land on anything but I was wearing a helmet which did not get a scratch on it.
So the Haibike has not been used since before Christmas. Having to stare at it for weeks in the lounge. I eventually replaced the little aluminium thing that the rear derailleur hangs onto as it was bent and made the gears go all over the place and jam the chain. That done I needed to adjust the gears and the clickbox. Unfortunately I made a mess of that and noticed some threading on the end cable by the click box which got so much worse by the time I tried to weave a piece of wire back into main cable. It simply does not do that.
Order two new cables from Martin and spare head unit. (long story there). I now open the sram to replace the frayed cable, cutting the cable one end to let the cable out of the sram gear thing on handlebars. I cut the wrong cable!! I asusmed right hand gear would mean right side cable to click box but another goes into the derailleur. Oops. Added to that faux pas I also managed to make two bits jump out of the sram gears. The coil and a little pastic black screw end bit. No idea where they were supposed to go. I now had to open the left sram as I had cut its cable by mistake. Madness. At least I would be able to see where the coil and black bit would go surely? I opened it ever so carefully this time but the accursed same bits flew out of this side also.
A few hours of Youtube and googling gave me an idea where the coiled spring might go so I did that and just chucked the plastic bit in as well for luck
The gears worked. They changed - they worked. It worked. I cycle my bike for the first time in weeks yesterday. It is still beautiful and I hope to do some meaningful (!!!) review, with photos of bits and things, in future weeks. I have since learnt where the little black bung goes and that is now sorted. Just need to buy new cables off Martin for the next time I mess up.I have just uploaded a short video of the Haibike - and me - crossing Pont Menai in Menai Bridge a few days before the accident. Testing my Youtube settings etc. Typical of me - no picture of the bike at all in video!
Will need to check how to embed it if it doesn't do it automatically....
JRwBmk~$(KGrHqYH-CoEttqNdQ-0BLgCfd(QMg~~_35.JPG)
