Hi,
As a 59 year old heavy smoker who's trying to give up as it's really affecting my legs I was wondering how I'd get more excercise. I started looking at electric bikes and they seemed to be the solution. So stage one was 'Do the Research' and this site has been very good for that.
Stage two was go and see some bikes. Not easy, in that some dealers claimed not to have heard of the bikes they were meant to have. Others had none in stock or very few in stock. Some sounded so disinterested they deserved a kick up the back side.
So well done to VOLT who put me in touch with a dealer not too far away and full marks to the dealer, Colin of Autocyclebits in Uddingston near Glasgow for the demo, and the fact he had an e bike in the window with posters. Woosh tried their best putting me in touch with a customer who was very impressed with his bike but as he lived 3 hours away it was too far away to go and see.
Electric Bicycles - Home in Lochgelly were really helpful and friendly and I had a shot of a couple of their bikes round the warehouse. The problem with a couple of their bikes was the one that old men have all over the country i.e. difficulty in getting their leg over! (I do not like the look of step throughs).
Having thought things through I realised that whilst a full sized bike might be better for long trips it would be too big to keep in the house. So I'd need to buy a shed at another £200 to £300 on top of the bike cost. That left me looking at folders.
There are some great looking folders about and some that look good on paper BUT. Why are there so many with absolutely no provision for a pannier rack or even a decent saddle bag?
After weighing everything up and e mailing and speaking to some very nice people Dave Elderfield of Kudos has convinced me to go for the Kudos Secret Folding Bike. Hopefully it will arrive this coming Thursday and I'll try to put in regular reports on how I get on with it.
As a 59 year old heavy smoker who's trying to give up as it's really affecting my legs I was wondering how I'd get more excercise. I started looking at electric bikes and they seemed to be the solution. So stage one was 'Do the Research' and this site has been very good for that.
Stage two was go and see some bikes. Not easy, in that some dealers claimed not to have heard of the bikes they were meant to have. Others had none in stock or very few in stock. Some sounded so disinterested they deserved a kick up the back side.
So well done to VOLT who put me in touch with a dealer not too far away and full marks to the dealer, Colin of Autocyclebits in Uddingston near Glasgow for the demo, and the fact he had an e bike in the window with posters. Woosh tried their best putting me in touch with a customer who was very impressed with his bike but as he lived 3 hours away it was too far away to go and see.
Electric Bicycles - Home in Lochgelly were really helpful and friendly and I had a shot of a couple of their bikes round the warehouse. The problem with a couple of their bikes was the one that old men have all over the country i.e. difficulty in getting their leg over! (I do not like the look of step throughs).
Having thought things through I realised that whilst a full sized bike might be better for long trips it would be too big to keep in the house. So I'd need to buy a shed at another £200 to £300 on top of the bike cost. That left me looking at folders.
There are some great looking folders about and some that look good on paper BUT. Why are there so many with absolutely no provision for a pannier rack or even a decent saddle bag?
After weighing everything up and e mailing and speaking to some very nice people Dave Elderfield of Kudos has convinced me to go for the Kudos Secret Folding Bike. Hopefully it will arrive this coming Thursday and I'll try to put in regular reports on how I get on with it.
