Just took delivery of my first e-bike and guess what...

[Jon Porter]

...the company (who I won't mention just to give them a chance to redeem themselves) who I purchased it from, forgot to include the charger in the box! Aaaaaargh. It brought up bad memories of a childhood Christmas when I got a radio control car but Father Christmas forgot the 8 double As.

However there was one bar of charge in the battery so I went for a quick road climb and singletrack blast. Shocked, amazed, grinning from ear to ear. Now I have to wait until Wednesday to re-charge. Boo.

I'm not sure how these batteries behave so I didn't want to drain it completely and leave it for a couple of days in case it damages it's ability to recharge.

I'll be using the bike daily to ride to work. It's a 6 mile jaunt with 2 miles of firetrack over heath land with views over Poole Harbour. Lovely way to start the day.

I have been doing the trip up until now on my 23 year old Gary Fisher but it's really showing its age (like me) and something seems to go wrong with it every other day. (like me).

I also take my dog with me to work. He's a 9kg Jack Russell/Patterdale cross (yes a Patterjack) and sits in a special doggy rucksack on my back until we get to the heath then he's off and running.

I've started to dread the climbs with the old problematic bike and the extra weight of the dog - plus my power to weight ratio issue, so after I had a go on a friends e-bike I was adamant I had to have one. The latest pringled back wheel was the final nail in the old bike's coffin.

I'm really looking forward to using it - A Cube Reaction Pro 500 - not only for work, but to get back into some cross country riding again in this wonderful county of Dorset!

And of course I'm also looking forward to being part of this growing community too.

Jon

 

[Warwick]

Hi Jon,

Nice neck of the woods you live in. Enjoy the bike and don't be afraid to name & shame

Andy

 

[Jon Porter]

Thanks Andy. This is the longest couple of days wait. Email received saying charger has been dispatched. Unfortunately I can't be in tomorrow so will have to rely on the postie doing the right thing!

As an aside and probably being completely politically incorrect in the world of cycling versus e-cycling, but am I the only one who secretly can't wait to overtake a skinny, lycra clad whippet on a steep hill? Have I strayed into unmentionable territory - am I to be banned from the forum before my battery has been charged???

 

[soundwave]

• i overtake them on the flat and ebikes

 

[flecc]

I the only one who secretly can't wait to overtake a skinny, lycra clad whippet on a steep hill? Have I strayed into unmentionable territory - am I to be banned from the forum before my battery has been charged???

No, they're fair game since some of them say "cheating" when they see us on an e-bike.
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[flecc]

...the company who I purchased it from, forgot to include the charger in the box!

I once evened the scores!

I had an e-bike for a week in 2007 to review it for a company, but when they collected it I forgot to include the charger, so they had a return trip to collect that.
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[Warwick]

I once overtook a courier with a Deliveroo box; boy, did he not like that. He snapped onto my tail and was there inches off my rear wheel. I now know how to swiftly change the Oxygen from Eco to Power mode, did so, and left him for dust up the hill I knew was coming.

There was another eejit who sped up on his fixie as I overtook. He tried matching my speed as we approached a bridge with bollards. I looked over and said to him 'I don't know what you're doing, mate, but I'm pulling over to go through those bollards' and did, so he had to give way.

What is it in their macho minds that can't let someone overtake?

 

[RobF]

Thanks Andy. This is the longest couple of days wait. Email received saying charger has been dispatched. Unfortunately I can't be in tomorrow so will have to rely on the postie doing the right thing!

As an aside and probably being completely politically incorrect in the world of cycling versus e-cycling, but am I the only one who secretly can't wait to overtake a skinny, lycra clad whippet on a steep hill? Have I strayed into unmentionable territory - am I to be banned from the forum before my battery has been charged???

Be careful which road whippet you take on.

Some of those lads can give a decent burst of power for a short period, so might be able to climb faster than you.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Today,I was riding home on my bike today in unrestricted mode because I'd been demonstrating it to a guy and forgot to reset it. Anyway, I saw a youngish guy, who looked like a typical student on a non-electric hybrid bike. I was catching him up slowly up a slight hill, and I was on maximum power. It's a long hill, so I thought I'd soon be past him, but before I could overtake he started standing on the pedals. I was pedalling as hard as could (bear in mind that I can average 18 mph on my road bike on a hilly ride) with 700w showing on my meter and he started pulling away from me. I chased him for about 1/4 of a mile up that hill before he finally relaxed and slowed down. He never looked behind, so I'm sure that he didn't know I was there. it looked like he was just in high spirits.

I had a similar incident years ago when I was on my 500w BPM motored bike with a 30 amp controller. It maxed out at 22 mph on the road. I was pedalling home from work along the old A5 (now by-passed), which is a long straight road, at my normal 15 mph to conserve battery, when a guy similar to the above came past me at about 20 mph. I thought I'd catch him up and have a game staying behind to see what he would do. The problem was that there were no significant turnings off the road, so I knew that this would go on for about 7 miles, but if i stayed at 20 mph, I wouldn't have enough battery to get home. If I overtook him, I'd suffer the ignominy of being overtaken back eventually, so i stayed behind watching him to see if he would tire, but he didn't, so I watched him disappear in the distance.

Moral of the story. Pick your races carefully.

 

[Jon Porter]

Still no sign of the charger. Grrrrr.

One last phone call then I'm shaming if no joy.

 

[Jon Porter]

Charger arrived at last and managed to get out on the bike this morning. Rode to work (I know it's Sunday but lots on at the moment) over the heath with the dog in the backpack for the road bits. Didn't overtake anyone on a 'non e-bike' but had great fun trying out all the setting from Turbo down to Eco BUT I've run into a MASSIVE problem. Image attached - how do I get rid of that brown splattery stuff or should I just sell the bike now it's ruined???

Actually sensible question.... is there any advice on cleaning an e-bike - things that work - dos & donts etc???

 

[flecc]

Best advice I'd give for commuting is fit adequate mudguards and a mud flap on the front mudguard. Then you won't have to wash that mud off.
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[Deleted member 4366]

Dos and donts is easy. Do ride your bike. Don't clean it. What I found is that if you clean a bike, it gets dirty again. If you don't clean it, it just stays dirty. Keep some oil on your chain, though, especially after you've ridden in the rain or snow.

 

[DynatechFan]

people clean their bikes . . . ?!

 

[flecc]

people clean their bikes . . . ?!

Probably one of those silly baseless rumours.

Perhaps bikes with full suspension get washed because the dirt doesn't get shaken off riding over potholes.
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