Switzerland and Italy Motorhome Trip

[eddieo]

Just back from our trip to Switzerland and Italy and had a great time. The E bikes were truly liberating, getting us places we could not contemplate on normal bikes. The hills I had worried about last year were accomplished steadily and without trouble, that is not to say we did not encounter some difficult climbs (particularly in Switzerland around Interlaken) where my wife just steadily ploughed on up sailing majestically past the lycra brigade while I was defeated because of my weight. At these times my son took my bike and sped away! While I pushed his conventional bike up on foot......

Thankfully these slopes were rare! Generally E cycling was really fun even in the heat of the day (33 deg every day in Italy) with the cooling effect of gentle cycling was always enjoyable and never a chore.
We saw a fair few mainly Panasonic E bikes on the road in Switzerland. In Italy (manly generic Chinese bikes) they seem to be favoured by older people and an Italian approached me for info as he was after one for his father. In France they are even available in Hypermarkets (Chinese generic) a reasonable step through design to my eyes, but there was no price on the one we saw and no throttle either! But they seem to be far more popular in Europe then here.

Re mobile communications: my son bought a vodaphone pay as you go sim for £20 for the month. No roaming charges, unlimited texts and 300 minutes of calls......great value IMO

All in all my decision to invest in a pair of Wisper E bikes for our motorhome holidays has been justified, even my wife at last agreeing (she at first argued re the cost) and she is now even contemplating using her 705SE to commute on.

I doubt I will lose much weight anytime soon so would prefer a bike with a little better hill climbing ability and hope with fingers crossed that it might be the new Wisper 906! Anyway here are some bike related piccs from trip......

above the town of Isleltwald, Interlaken, Switzerland

Lake Maggiore Italy

Both these shot in the town of salo, Lake Garda Italy

 

[Straylight]

Nice pics! I love the whitewall effect from the flash in the seccond one Maybe I should get some new tyres for my 905.....

 

[eddieo]

Nice pics! I love the whitewall effect from the flash in the seccond one Maybe I should get some new tyres for my 905.....

They are marathon plus tyres

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Thanks for taking the trouble to post this, Eddie. Looks great. Very persuasive!

 

[Barnowl]

Yes I agree. That really does look like a great holiday. The Wispers look ideal for that trip. You know I'm quite envious.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thanks Eddie

What a wonderful holiday, can I come next year?

Maybe we should sort you out one of the new 500W bikes, oooops i mean 250Wthatjustlookabitbigerthanusual motors. The range is not as high but you can go up the side of a barn.

Best regards David

 

[eddieo]

What a wonderful holiday, can I come next year?

Maybe we should sort you out one of the new 500W bikes, oooops i mean 250Wthatjustlookabitbigerthanusual motors. The range is not as high but you can go up the side of a barn.

Best regards David

We can arrange an e bike camping rally somewhere warm if you like..... lol

500 watt Mmmm.....tempting, but I would not get any exercise then would I?

the 500 watt, would that be on a stock 905?

Anyway I kinda like the sound of the 906 When are you bringing the prototype for Flecc and Mussels to try as I would value their opinion.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

500w

The 500W Wisper is available on order only and has a 12 week wait as strictly speaking it is illegal, although others seem to be getting away with it under the new regulations.

Here is a sneak preview;



Best regards David

 

[eddieo]

The 500W Wisper is available on order only and has a 12 week wait as strictly speaking it is illegal, although others seem to be getting away with it under the new regulations.

Here is a sneak preview;

View attachment 869

Best regards David

You are truly a terrible man..........

 

[Artstu]

Would it get up here without pedalling? 1 in 5 winnats pass

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Cant resist

Here's the 906xc Tourer, Dick rode it today to the studio and reckons it is by far the best bike he has ever ridden, but it comes at a price.



If anyone would like the 1 meg image so you can get into the picture and zoom into the good bits email me at miall@aol.com

All the best David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

You Tubevid

Hi Artstu

YouTube - Wisper Electric Bike Uphill

This was with the old 2008 250w motor on our new 500Ah battery so the 500w on the same battery should take on most hills.

All the best David

 

[musicbooks]

Hi Eddieo,
Looks like you had a fantastic time. Thanks for the story and the pics. I can now use this evidence to convince my wife to go e-bike! The Wispers suddenly look very Italian.. fit right into the landscape. Shame you can't remove the silencers and scream around the hills like the locals

BW
musicbooks

 

[Bigbee]

The 500W Wisper is available on order only and has a 12 week wait as strictly speaking it is illegal, although others seem to be getting away with it under the new regulations.

Which new regulations David?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

New Regs

Hi Bigbee

I have been so busy that I have not re-read the new EU regs to confirm or otherwise. However one of the new ebike producers mentioned to me at a recent meeting, that one can now drive a steam roller through the definitions of what is a 250W motor. Hence making it a relatively easy job to use what was considered to be a much larger motor and badge it 250W.

All the best David

 

[eddieo]

Thanks for the pictures David the bike looks great........Will it have a cycle computer? Kinda essential on an electric bike in my opinion.

Can you confirm when it will be available please

 

[frank9755]

Nice pictures, Eddieo. We had a holiday in Switzerland a couple of years ago, in Interlaken and down by the lakes, so those shots are very familiar!

I remember seeing a lot of Panasonic powered Flyers even back then. From my experience, Switzerland is second after the Netherlands in e-bike adoption.

Frank

 

[david101]

I have to agree with Eddieo, we are also back from a motorhome trip around France, Italy, Switzerland and Germany. The combination of ebike and motorhome is perfect and we used our Kalkhoffs nearly every day. They provide a totally viable means of transport - we never took the motorhome off the various campsites we stayed at, using the bikes for sightseeing and shopping. Its also easy to take the bikes on trains and ferries to get away even further.

Am now interested in getting a small solar panel fitted to the van to charge through an invertor, thus avoiding mains hookup. Any advice welcome!!!

 

[piotrmacheta]

What a lovely holiday. Take a tent, bag and mat on nthe bike rack and you don't need the motorhome!
wisperbikes, is the new 500w bike still speed limited? I'd really like to go over 20mph on my off-road route to work?

 

[eddieo]

Am now interested in getting a small solar panel fitted to the van to charge through an invertor, thus avoiding mains hookup. Any advice welcome!!!

Hi David, Yes a solar panel is the way to go if you are stopping at aires wild camping etc......Someone on my motorhome forum reported that on a 3 month tour, never staying on sites with electric's their 85 watt solar panel kept there 2 E bikes charged as well as everything else.

I don't have one yet but will on my next van. we have 2 leisure batteries and a 500 watt inverter, so could at least charge whilst driving. but we normally stay on a mixture of aires and campsites so it has not been necessary yet.....