Podgy old git with a stingy budget living on a very steep hill
I have 2 homes and at the first one in the UK I have a Gtech city bike and it does everything I need , even light hills, but when I took it to my other home in Germany at the top of a steep hill it was too much for it. I dont wear Lycra or go on cycling adventures. I potter to the shops and post office. Because I have a big box on the back and I am 56 I find a girlie bike more piratical than the Mens mountain bike I had before.
I read up on technical specs and it seems a powerful mid motor with gears should suit my needs. Hydoulic brakes would be nice. Sprung forks too, I had to add those to my gtech as well as the sprung saddle post. After clicking a few buttons and saying to myself " that looks nice" I came to a new price of around 3500 of her majesties finest pounds or around 4000 of the Mickey Mouse notes they use here in Germany. Now I was happy with the 350 bit but not the completely unnecessary extra nought. It therefore appears to be the case I am in the second hand market and all the joys of dodgy / overoptimistic sellers / scrap metal for the price of new. Buying second hand I need to buy something from a reputable make common enough that I can find and buy spare parts. Looking around It seems a Raleigh Dover / Kalkoff Aggatu would be the most likely be a best compromise solution. I like the idea of a Raleigh because it has a little Union Jack on it which will be nice as I am off to buy my Bratwurst. I'm the only Brit in the village and I do like people to know however I realise that if I buy one the only British part will be the air in the Tyres.
Any other suggestions and if the Dover is considered viable then, in these pandemic inflated price times, what would seem to be a sensible budget for the usual old, unknown age unknown, tired looking Dover? Looking at completed auctions , some lucky buyers pay 250 GBP but 400 seems to be more current average and some unlucky buyers paying 700 plus.
I understand the Dover may come with a Panasonic 26v or impulse motor. The Panasonic is not very powerful but is reliable. Many of the adds don't state which motor is fitted. I'm hoping a 26v panasomic can still waddle up a hill albeit slowly . If it doesn't then I guess I could change the cogs to reduce the gearing at the expense of reduced top speed. Is that right? My GTech manages to get up the hill but only with me standing up and pedling very hard so I am assuming anything with gears and a middle motor will be a vast improvement.
Im looking at one on ebay now. I thought I had bought it for 357 gbp / 421 Mickey Mouse Notes, but that was under its minimum price . Its now listed again as 185000040555 with a buy now of 470 GBP. My view is that is a tad more than its worth but not outrageously so. but I would welcome other opinions.
I have 2 homes and at the first one in the UK I have a Gtech city bike and it does everything I need , even light hills, but when I took it to my other home in Germany at the top of a steep hill it was too much for it. I dont wear Lycra or go on cycling adventures. I potter to the shops and post office. Because I have a big box on the back and I am 56 I find a girlie bike more piratical than the Mens mountain bike I had before.
I read up on technical specs and it seems a powerful mid motor with gears should suit my needs. Hydoulic brakes would be nice. Sprung forks too, I had to add those to my gtech as well as the sprung saddle post. After clicking a few buttons and saying to myself " that looks nice" I came to a new price of around 3500 of her majesties finest pounds or around 4000 of the Mickey Mouse notes they use here in Germany. Now I was happy with the 350 bit but not the completely unnecessary extra nought. It therefore appears to be the case I am in the second hand market and all the joys of dodgy / overoptimistic sellers / scrap metal for the price of new. Buying second hand I need to buy something from a reputable make common enough that I can find and buy spare parts. Looking around It seems a Raleigh Dover / Kalkoff Aggatu would be the most likely be a best compromise solution. I like the idea of a Raleigh because it has a little Union Jack on it which will be nice as I am off to buy my Bratwurst. I'm the only Brit in the village and I do like people to know however I realise that if I buy one the only British part will be the air in the Tyres.
Any other suggestions and if the Dover is considered viable then, in these pandemic inflated price times, what would seem to be a sensible budget for the usual old, unknown age unknown, tired looking Dover? Looking at completed auctions , some lucky buyers pay 250 GBP but 400 seems to be more current average and some unlucky buyers paying 700 plus.
I understand the Dover may come with a Panasonic 26v or impulse motor. The Panasonic is not very powerful but is reliable. Many of the adds don't state which motor is fitted. I'm hoping a 26v panasomic can still waddle up a hill albeit slowly . If it doesn't then I guess I could change the cogs to reduce the gearing at the expense of reduced top speed. Is that right? My GTech manages to get up the hill but only with me standing up and pedling very hard so I am assuming anything with gears and a middle motor will be a vast improvement.
Im looking at one on ebay now. I thought I had bought it for 357 gbp / 421 Mickey Mouse Notes, but that was under its minimum price . Its now listed again as 185000040555 with a buy now of 470 GBP. My view is that is a tad more than its worth but not outrageously so. but I would welcome other opinions.
