Juggling the Stable

[Warwick]

Although I was happy with my Orbit/Panda conversion and very happy with the Oxygen eMate, I was casually on the lookout for an off-the-shelf commuter. I have found one on eBay & just bought it. It's an Ortler Wien. It's got a 7-speed Nexus hub and was a steal at £800, seeing as it is only 10 months old and has a Bosch Active Line drive.

I'm selling the Panda kit in the classifieds and have just bought a Badass 3.4 dongle for the Ortler.

This is a bit of a compromise for a few reasons:

1. The Ortler has v brakes and a coaster brake. I would have preferred disc brakes, but the price won
2. I don't have fond memories of coaster brakes. I like to back pedal to relax my legs when riding, but that won't be an option. The coaster brake does have its uses though
3. The Orbit is a fine bike and I suspect the basic Ortler won't be quite as refined
4. I have some trepidation about setting up the Badass dongle - probably unfounded

However, it's a commuter & I will still have the Oxygen for fun, although its battery is due for recelling and I'm waiting for its rear wheel to be sent off to Woosh for a service. 5000 miles is a good innings for such a hub.

I'm quite excited to be getting a new bike, well new to me anyway, and can't wait to try it out on my commute. The Schwalbe studded winter tyres will be getting used again. I shall be reviewing it once I have got it between my legs...

 

[soundwave]

 

[KirstinS]

Have fun with you new bikes !

Do be a bit careful if badassing a bike with nexus hub. You need to be a bit gentle with them. They are not the strongest on the market for Ebike use


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Trevormonty]

Have fun with you new bikes !

Do be a bit careful if badassing a bike with nexus hub. You need to be a bit gentle with them. They are not the strongest on the market for Ebike use


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I doubt it will be an issue, given Activeline modest power output.

An upgrade to Magura HS11 hydraulic rim brakes would be worth considering. As good as 160mm disc brakes, in some ways even better.

 

[Warwick]

Thanks for the tips. I'll see how it gets on with v brake and coaster brake combination, it has three brakes in total. I have a disc front fork that I could fit, along with an Avid BB7 and a dynohub wheel. I'll get used to the bike before deciding what to change.

 

[RobF]

The Badass dongle adds no power, so no worries about the hub.

In any case, the Nexus hubs are robust, unlike the Alfine 11 which is a bit fragile.

 

[Warwick]

OK, just picked the bike up. It’s immaculate. Some fettling will be needed. The brake cables need adjusting; the lever adjusters are fully wound out. The suspension seat post is like a pogo stick and will be ditched. Apart from that and some air in the tyres, it’s good to go. Well, I just rode it through London, but you know what I mean...

 

[Warwick]

Rather like my Oxygen, this bike had been bought by someone who was never really committed to using it. He was a really nice guy, but he was never cut out for commuting. The tyres had virtually no air in them, which made the London trip from Embankment to Marylebone rather 'exciting'. That has probably caused the cracks in the tyre walls.

Anyway, it's in the kind of condition that you expect a 9-month old, hardly used bike to be in: dusty, but almost perfect nick. I've tweaked the riding position, adjusted the brake cables and made the seatpost sort-of rideable.

I'll commute on it tomorrow, and fit the Badass at the weekend. First impressions are very good.

 

[Warwick]

I couldn't resist fitting the Badass. Took minutes to fit and it worked straight away. Tomorrow is the acid test. I shall now switch this to the Reviews board.