Help for parts?

[Merv]

Hi all, After nearly seven weeks of convalescing following my E-bike accident. I'm looking for a left side rear brake handle bar lever and brake light switch. The lever has a chrome rear view mirror & arm assembly attached to it, which also has been completely smashed. The mirrors supporting arm is attached to the brake lever's securing clamp ring by it's threaded end and locking nut. The clamp is an integral part of the lever assembly which has completely severed, and looks beyond repair. So I have also lost my left side rear view. The bike was supplied by C.E direct east_ who sell it under their own name as CE Deluxe. Imported from China. An E_mail to them revealed no help as they don't supply any spares for this model!... or undertake any repairs. It's a shame, quite well made and generally sturdy, and prior to being knocked of it, I replaced the battery pack. As to regaining my battered confidence to actually venture out on it again_I'm still not certain! It's back to the battered old Metro. Cheers everyone.

 

[fishingpaul]

Cant help with parts but how about riding on the pavement to get your confidence back,i dont know what it is like where you live but here in birmingham,i would say at least 50% of people ride on the pavement.i know some towns have brought in fines, but if you explained you had recently been knocked off your bike i am sure they would be sympathetic.

 

[rooel]

I cannot help with parts either, but I hope Merv is pursuing a claim for hefty compensation (even if a collision is partly contributed to by a party's own negligence - damages can be apportioned) the proceeds of which will go some way to solacing personal injury and sourcing replacements for the damaged components.

As for riding on the pavement, I doubt if most officious types will listen to an excuse about a recent collision on the roads, so that an on-the-spot fine will most likely add insult to existing injury.

To regain confidence, I would suggest going over the same route (on a map!) to find parallel routes which use legitimate off-road ways, and quiet back streets. They may be hillier and longer, but that is where the assistance of the electric bike comes into its own: a safer ride but not much increase in journey time or effort.

And before relying on the Metro for protection spend a little time perusing the BBC online news reports, where there is daily evidence that four wheeled motor vehicles are not a safe environment in which to travel.

 

[halfmedley]

I too live in Birmingham and have absolutely no compunction in riding (with due care) on the pavements, and have often followed behind police cyclists doing the very same!

 

[rooel]

It seems to be different in Edinburgh: any mention of cyclists in the local evening paper causes a flock of prune-faced locals to complain about cyclists using the pavement (along with the usual stuff about them going through red lights and not wearing helmets etc, etc).

I do not often use the pavements myself, but years ago, I used a short length of pavement near the top of the Royal Mile to avoid a right hand turn in dense traffic, and a female officer standing outside the court shouted, crossed the road, and told me I should not be doing so. I still remember her face, same age and appearance as that middle-aged nurse who attends to Basil Fawlty in the episode when his wife Sybil was having an ingrown toenail removed. Fortunately I refrained from using the response adopted by Basil: "My you are ugly, etc etc..."

 

[flecc]

Time for a reminder, yes you can use the pavement if you are fearful of the road. See my previous post on this:

Pavement cycling

Just do it carefully.
.

 

[halfmedley]

Unfortunately I've seen cyclists on pavements behave as badly towards pedestrians as car drivers towards cyclists. Seems to be something in human nature that fuels antagonism. It's all about risk ultimately, which is the greater, being yelled at by a copper (not many of them around) or being flattened by an inconsiderate driver (plenty of them around)!

 

[Merv]

Thanks for all your replies. Most of the journey takes me along busy country lanes and drivers take short cuts to avoid hold ups at peak times. So footpaths are not an option. I can take an alternative route though for part of my journey using a dissused railway line, it's a fantastic nature walk and goes on for miles. The only problems here are four legged... that bark and go berserk... totally out of control as they give chase, snapping at your ankles or running in front of you. But thats another problem. The terrain along the walk way is made up from smaller grade compressed hard core for most of the route, but for some reason a couples of seasons ago several parts of the old track route had areas of larger grade grey road stone spread everwhere! try cycling over that on an electric bike. With the weight of my the bike it would probably shake apart. No I'm not complaining. We are most fortunate to live where we do.