How many people are using there e-bike off-road?

georgehenry

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Nov 7, 2015
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I did one of my favourite rides today, one that can be very challenging on a normal mountain bike, but almost too easy on the sDuro Haibike.

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 002.JPG

View to St Martha’s across the valley from the Downs Link Path climbing from Great Tangley Manor Farm. Can you make out the church on there yonder hill?

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 003.JPG

Single track approach to Blackheath War Memorial Surrey

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 005.JPG

View towards St Martha’s through the trees from Blackheath War Memorial

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 010.JPG

Start of climb to St Martha’s from Lockner Farm Chilworth Surrey

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 012.JPG

Steep part of the climb to St Martha’s, very challenging when wet on a normal mountain bike, slippers and cigar on the sDuro in eco today.

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 018.JPG

Final ordeal by sand (Challenging when dry on a normal mountain bike) but very easy with some electric help, before the steep final approach to St Martha’s

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 019.JPG

View from the top of St Martha’s from the steep sandy track towards Albury

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St Martha’s Church.

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Approach to Manor Farm Shalford.

Sduro St Marthas Jan 16 031.JPG

Manor Farm Shalford, Big Bull little Bull. No sign of Catherine Ross to offer my handlebars to while singing Rain Drops are falling on my head after all the bicycle is the future!

Type "raindrops are falling on my head butch Cassidy" into youtube and pick the first bicycle scene film for those that don't know what I am talking about.
 
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EddiePJ

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I can't believe just how dry that it all looks. I'm very envious. :(

How many miles was the route?

I dragged the old girl out of the shed this morning, to give it a thorough clean.
With three night rides this week, including one very late one, cleaning hasn't been on the agenda. I haven't neglected checking bolts and lubing the chain etc though.



Whilst cleaning, I also dropped the motor out, as I intend to fit a Rock Shox Reverb, and want the stealth version, so I was trying to work out if I can get the internal hose routing to work. The jury is still out on that one.
I think that I will chance it and see, and when it arrives, it'll give me a chance to carry out the extensive service that I keep meaning to do, and also to replace the gear indexing cable at the same time, and swap the Nyon toggle switch, in favour of fitting the normal Performance Line Intuvia one. All a bit annoying, as I want to stick to my riding every other night regime.
 

georgehenry

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Hi Eddie, the nice thing about Surrey is that although there is plenty of mud and water to be found, you can also choose to mostly avoid it by riding the more sandy areas that drain really quickly, and this route getting you high up onto the North Downs does that. This was only a short circular blast starting at Chinthurst Hill car park and returning there. Probably only about 7 miles or so. It can be easily extended and due to the hill climbs takes longer on a normal mountain bike, maybe 40 minutes on my unassisted KTM 650B. I only had time for a quick scenic blast today. Makes a change from the commuting that my sDuro normally performs.
 

EddiePJ

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I could have done with some of those dry routes this afternoon. The overnight snow and ice had pretty much all but gone, and left a really horrid mess behind. It was quite a struggle today, and whilst the ride was only 17.7 miles long, I only had one bar of battery remaining, and that was after having only used eco and tour.
I always automatically remove my rides from Strava, but kept todays ride as a normal ride, long enough to look at the stats. Putting things into perspective, there were only two recorded stages, one hill which is 1.1 miles long, and my previous best for it was 6.36mins, and today it was 12.14 mins. The second is a flat road section which is .8 of a mile long, and my best for this is 3.16 minutes. Today it was 9.10 minutes, which goes to show just how drained that I was, and also how much rolling resistance that there is from the tyres, which are barely running 25psi.

I cleaned and went right through the bike yesterday, and here it is back to being covered in mud. It's all clean again now, and ready for the first night ride of the week tomorrow. I'm really struggling to find any where remotely rideable, and can't stand the thought of having to take to the roads. It isn't going to happen!

 
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georgehenry

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Hi Eddie, lies damn lies and statistics, but your stats show the conditions must have been very draining. Still a little bit more daylight every day now!
 
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Croxden

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It's taking forever to load this thread due to the size and amount of photos & videos. Could someone start a version two do you think?
 

EddiePJ

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I seem to be getting plenty of saddle time in. Yet another ride tonight.
Just two of us ended up going out, and yep, it was very muddy. Mid ride mechanical issues with my mates gears held things up a bit, and we traced it to moisture which was starting to freeze within the cable. Then within minutes the mud on both bikes was frozen solid, as was the mud on my boots and bib tights.
No washing the bike tonight then! I did have to get the hot air gun out though, to un freeze the battery lock to remove the battery.

Next outing is Wednesday night. :)

 
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soundwave

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soundwave

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tbh i think i could mod the 1 that i have with a bit of plastic tube for the display to fit on to like in the link.

will not look to good tho and be raised higher than it is already.

might try a diif stem but whats the stem width i need?
 

soundwave

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just needs a motor :)
 

EddiePJ

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Seem to be on a bit of a roll this year. Another night ride out of the way, and the next one already planned for Friday. :)

Deep mud had turned frozen solid, and the seemingly endless frozen horse hoof impressions, made for some very wrist aching, wash board effect riding. Add endless frozen ruts into the equation, and the ride quickly became pretty technical, and was definitely a case of heavy feet light hands, and lay off the brakes! Roll on Friday. :)



 
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georgehenry

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Hi Eddie, I rode on Wednesday morning along the River Wey from Godalming to Guildford and found a lot of frozen solid mud sections with lots of ridges and wash board effect as you describe, however the cold sunny morning with views over the adjacent meadows was fantastic. Coming back the same way after my errands it was all softening but not fully thawed for a whole different experience. Still so much better than the car. I forgot the camera so no pictures.
 

EddiePJ

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Sounds a good ride. :)

Working out in the fields this morning, the ground began defrost, and soon had me wishing that they weren't. There is nothing worse that having the top defrost, whilst the rest remains frozen. It just becomes one sticky horrid mess.

I'm hoping that it is either completely frozen, or defrosted for tomorrow nights ride. I suspect that it is going to rain, so it isn't going to great, whatever.
I'm out riding with someone else, and both of us are desperate to build the off road miles up. My goal for this year is 4,000 miles. Any health issues aside, I reckon that it is attainable. :)

My nephew is taking the Macina Lycan out on Saturday, and I quite fancy taking the Ultra 1964 out for play, so that will be another off road ride completed.

Sunday morning or afternoon, will probably see me nip off into some local private woodlands. The first is 500 acres, with no public rights of way, and I can easily knock up 15 miles, without ever going on the same track twice, or seeing anyone. Sadly forestry work has ruined much of it at the moment though. I also have a further 750 acres next door to it as well that I can use, but that really has been destroyed. Most of that damage has been caused by horses.
 

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