New eBikes and cyclists

[dcb568]

Hi all. We have put deposits down on 2 R&M Tinkers, to be shipped over after Christmas. We are glad to have found a UK eBIKE site and look forward to reading posts and hearing of adventures and tips.
Happy Christmas.

 

[flecc]

Hi all. We have put deposits down on 2 R&M Tinkers, to be shipped over after Christmas. We are glad to have found a UK eBIKE site and look forward to reading posts and hearing of adventures and tips.
Happy Christmas.

Welcome to the forum, you've chosen two great e-bikes which should give you years of enjoyment. A Happy Christmas and an enjoyable new e-biking year to both of you.
.

 

[Ocsid]

R & M Tinkers, just a tad covetous; lovely, the nuvinci and Gates version?

 

[dcb568]

R & M Tinkers, just a tad covetous; lovely, the nuvinci and Gates version?

Yes as stated and we can’t wait. Have ordered the orange and blue bikes with Thudbuster seat post and looking forward to sorting upgrades and the inevitable insurances

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi welcome
Have fun with the new steeds

 

[Robbieg]

Hi all. We have put deposits down on 2 R&M Tinkers, to be shipped over after Christmas. We are glad to have found a UK eBIKE site and look forward to reading posts and hearing of adventures and tips.
Happy Christmas.

Great choice, my wife loves hers, and I like riding it too! It's a quality machine, solid and well balanced, nice upright position

 

[dcb568]

Great choice, my wife loves hers, and I like riding it too! It's a quality machine, solid and well balanced, nice upright position

Thanks Robbieg. Although I like other R&M models too, especially the Charger GH Vario and FS models, beIng a tad vertically challenged at 5’ 6” (and my wife a little shorter), we opted for the Tinker for the low stand over height, excellent spec and CX power. There are also, several ‘Tinker’ (YouTube) reviews showing the Tinker riding along various road, track and some intense woodland paths and unspoilt countryside, which we are looking forward toward to so maybe some future scenic photo posts

 

[Robbieg]

Thanks Robbieg. Although I like other R&M models too, especially the Charger GH Vario and FS models, beIng a tad vertically challenged at 5’ 6” (and my wife a little shorter), we opted for the Tinker for the low stand over height, excellent spec and CX power. There are also, several ‘Tinker’ (YouTube) reviews showing the Tinker riding along various road, track and some intense woodland paths and unspoilt countryside, which we are looking forward toward to so maybe some future scenic photo posts

Have ridden our Tinker on bridleways, canal towpaths and gravel paths with no problems at all. The wheels are very strong and the tyres do a great job. The longest day ride on the road was 110 miles with panniers, and it handled really well, solid on the road even on fast downhills. I did have a Brooks Flyer saddle fitted though which I prefer to the stock saddle. Great quality machine. We have a Azure blue colour model, paint really tough and looks great, The orange colour is also well nice. Don't think you will have any regrets, have you taken delivery yet?

 

[dcb568]

Have ridden our Tinker on bridleways, canal towpaths and gravel paths with no problems at all. The wheels are very strong and the tyres do a great job. The longest day ride on the road was 110 miles with panniers, and it handled really well, solid on the road even on fast downhills. I did have a Brooks Flyer saddle fitted though which I prefer to the stock saddle. Great quality machine. We have a Azure blue colour model, paint really tough and looks great, The orange colour is also well nice. Don't think you will have any regrets, have you taken delivery yet?

Great to read your update. We live near a largish lake and not far from some woodland too. I’m not sure the tyres will do very well in mud, so I may need to look for another tyre for winter but easier said than done! We have paid the deposit but are waiting for an orange bike to come in, as one blue and one orange will make identification easier. We have seen and test ridden the blue - I love that colour.
I suspect a few more weeks before delivery, then comes the upgrades, lighter lastometer on the Thudbuster and we are looking at buying the Hövding 2.0 Airbag Helmets and maybe a brake light upgrade if possible? Also, will need to buy some Arbus Bordo 6500 locks etc.
All very exciting stuff

 

[anotherkiwi]

Great to read your update. We live near a largish lake and not far from some woodland too. I’m not sure the tyres will do very well in mud, so I may need to look for another tyre for winter but easier said than done!

Depends on your mud, mine of course are the 28" size and they handle the little slippery riding I do with ease. They are so sticky both bike and trike are equipped with Big Bens. Stay away from the Big Ben Plus if you can, they have sidewall splitting issues according to the German bike forums.

 

[dcb568]

Depends on your mud, mine of course are the 28" size and they handle the little slippery riding I do with ease. They are so sticky both bike and trike are equipped with Big Bens. Stay away from the Big Ben Plus if you can, they have sidewall splitting issues according to the German bike forums.

The bikes come with the Big Ben plus 55-406 tyres as standard, without upgrade option. I have looked on-line for better gripping tyres but have found it difficult understanding tyre sizes etc. Plus being 20” x 2.15” doesn’t produce much on-line information. What tyres are on your wife’s R&M Tinker?

 

[Steve Bowles]

Welcome to the R&M brotherhood!

 

[dcb568]

The bikes come with the Big Ben plus 55-406 tyres as standard, without upgrade option. I have looked on-line for better gripping tyres but have found it difficult understanding tyre sizes etc. Plus being 20” x 2.15” doesn’t produce much on-line information. What tyres are on your wife’s R&M Tinker?

Oops sorry. Got my replies crossed

Welcome to the R&M brotherhood!

Thanks Steve. Have you got the Charger, what model? I loved the bike but even the Mixte small frame was a tad large for me But the Tinkers got us both nicely

 

[Steve Bowles]

I have the Charger GT Nuvinci with the 49cm frame. It's a tad large for me, too, but I love it.

 

[dcb568]

I have the Charger GT Nuvinci with the 49cm frame. It's a tad large for me, too, but I love it.

I’m hoping to fit the Tinkers in the back of my C-Max but take out 2 seats. I tried the Charger GH, so maybe the fatter tyres made the frame a bit higher too and with the seat so far forward, My torso was almost touching the handlebar but I agree, what a lovely bike. Strange but the Tinker rides like the Charger, with the only noticeable difference being the Tinkers steering is lighter!

 

[Steve Bowles]

I think a lot of the Charger GT's geometry is adapted to the tires. I wouldn't have anything less.

 

[dcb568]

Have you looked on YouTube. I have watched a lot of R&M reviews but especially liked the ones by Citrus Cycles (Canadian). The Tinker review was excellent as are all his R&M reviews. Also, another good (US) reviewer is Electric Bike Reviews.
I’m a bit limited with 20”x2.15” tyre types but for all but mud, the big bend look brilliant.
I’m still sorting my shed to store the bikes. Big job

 

[Robbieg]

Have you looked on YouTube. I have watched a lot of R&M reviews but especially liked the ones by Citrus Cycles (Canadian). The Tinker review was excellent as are all his R&M reviews. Also, another good (US) reviewer is Electric Bike Reviews.
I’m a bit limited with 20”x2.15” tyre types but for all but mud, the big bend look brilliant.
I’m still sorting my shed to store the bikes. Big job

Hi dcb, have you taken delivery of Tinkers yet? If so how you getting on with them? You got me thinking that maybe my wife's blue tinker might be a bit lonely as Tinkers are better in pairs, so purchased an orange Vario model, picking it up Wednesday. The orange colours is my wife,s favourite so I've inherited the blue one which has the derraillier set up and Jen is looking forward to the variable hub gear set up. Hope you're both enjoying yours?

 

[dcb568]

Hi dcb, have you taken delivery of Tinkers yet? If so how you getting on with them? You got me thinking that maybe my wife's blue tinker might be a bit lonely as Tinkers are better in pairs, so purchased an orange Vario model, picking it up Wednesday. The orange colours is my wife,s favourite so I've inherited the blue one which has the derraillier set up and Jen is looking forward to the variable hub gear set up. Hope you're both enjoying yours?

Hiya Robbieg. Yes we have two blue Vario Tinkers and love them both. We have only managed a few short rides though having bought a higher Gell saddle for my lady, we need to saw 2” off the stem!
On their six week service, the shop needs to relocate the Abus locks to underneath the battery and sort out the lighting on one bike (always on), otherwise no gripes.
I am looking at maybe buying another Gell saddle for me too and am still deciding how best to transport the bikes ie in or outside my C-Max!
Let me know when the orange one come - a lovely colour but too bright for us.
Regards

 

[Robbieg]

Hiya Robbieg. Yes we have two blue Vario Tinkers and love them both. We have only managed a few short rides though having bought a higher Gell saddle for my lady, we need to saw 2” off the stem!
On their six week service, the shop needs to relocate the Abus locks to underneath the battery and sort out the lighting on one bike (always on), otherwise no gripes.
I am looking at maybe buying another Gell saddle for me too and am still deciding how best to transport the bikes ie in or outside my C-Max!
Let me know when the orange one come - a lovely colour but too bright for us.
Regards

Hi and glad you're pleased with your Tinkers. Saddles are such personal things and I shall be putting my favourite Brooks leather one on the blue bike after tomorrow. The seat post on the blue one was also shortened by the dealer when supplied to ensure it would lower enough. However when I ride it I have the seat post a lot higher and as a result I,m finding that it slips down a little after a few miles. This might be due to there being less of the post in the frame, and my weight being a lot more at 94 kilos. Ile have a chat with the dealer when I pick up the orange bike tomorrow to see if he has had experienced this problem on other Tinkers. I will take the seat post along to compare the difference in length between it and the one on the new bike. I might consider swapping them to try the longer one at the higher height to see if it solves the slipping issue. If not I may have to consider changing the seat clamp or possibly adding a shim if that doesn't work. Have you experienced any problems in this area?