The Ching Challenge and Tour of Britain Ride

There is a long thread here that started with Mr Ching of eZee bikes throwing down a challenge to ride one of the ToB stages. He deliberately chose the SW one, Stage 3, as that is the one with the monster hills. (Don't talk to me about Northern grit:) .)

 

The upshot is that there are two rides planned in September. A small group will be riding the actual ToB route on the 10th, the day after the actual race.

 

The following Sunday, the 14th, there is the Ching Challenge itself. This is 5 laps of a 20 mile course in the same area. The event is based at Beaminster in Dorset and I think it is open to allcomers. The contact point is Riggo (Paul) who is on this forum.

 

Mr Ching is only in the UK for a limited time; he will be riding the ToB route, along with a few others from this forum, including myself.

 

The hills are an essential part of these courses. I know that Coops and ElephantsGerald have plotted out the ToB route. Could either of you frighten me by saying what the longest/steepest one is? Riggo, I know you want to keep your course under wraps till the event, but could you reveal what the steepest hill is?

 

Nick

If you insist!

 

Steepest - the good news is... only one '1 in 5 or steeper' (ie over 20%) gradient on the route marked on the OS map (just after withypool) - looks to be around 25% or so and occurs on an ascent of ~100m over ~1.3km (~7.5-8% average gradient) but there are also at least 6 distinct sections on the route with a gradient of between 1 in 5 and 1 in 7 ie 14-20%, 3 of them within 1km on the last climb (cothelstone hill) which averages 10% for almost a mile...

 

Longest - shortly after the descent from North Molton, the route climbs for 5km, ascending 280m, with one section of 14-20% near the foot. There are in addition on this TofB stage 3 route at least 6 other climbs which continue for at least 2-3km and ascend around 80-150m and one of them climbs ~200m.

 

The total ascent of 2000m is probably an underestimate...

 

Since Beaminster is 10 miles from the nearest point on the TofB route (Chard, the start point) and a further 7 or 8 miles from the first TofB climb, and a 20 mile circuit is planned, it seems unlikely that any climbs will be common to both routes.

 

Stuart.

Edited August 2, 200817 yr by coops

250w motors

 

Hi guys

 

I have been following this thread with much interest and I must say not a little amusement!

 

We would dearly like to become involved (if appropriate) but I am still a little confused as to the rules. Please would some one confirm if a 250w motor is going to be acceptable in this event? I have been told by Riggo that it would not, however I was under the impression from the ad on the back page of last month's A to B that the Kalkhoff was also driven by a 250w unit.

 

Could someone please clarify this point?

 

Best regards David

 

(Also posted in main thread)

Edited August 3, 200817 yr by Wisper Bikes

Hi David,

 

If it is the event on the 14th that you are interested in, then you really need to talk to Riggo, although David Henshaw may be able to help. I think, from something he posted in the other thread, that Riggo is now away on holiday for a couple of weeks.

 

I'm not the organiser of the other one, but by all means PM me about it.

 

Nick

Given that 'most' bikes have limited assistance surely it will be won by the fittest cyclist rather then the best bike.

Totaly agree

 

Hi Killjoy

 

I agree 100%, it will simply be another Presteigne, but not as much fun!

 

What we really need is a team of unbiased riders with exactly the same weight, strength, stamina and intelligence..... but until such a bike riding robot is invented I think we are stuck with bulging mussels and lots of lycra.

 

Surely it wouldn't be that difficult with the aid of a running machine with incline capabilities and a motor to turn the crank to simulate a riders effort to make an ebike test rig?

 

Best regards David

Chief eZee Operator

 

Given that 'most' bikes have limited assistance surely it will be won by the fittest cyclist rather then the best bike.

 

Hi,

 

I afraid both you and David /Wisper Bikes are totally wrong.

 

If you read what I first started with, there is no need for any Lycra team to prove anything on the electric power assist cycle (EPAC) , those professional doing the actual ToB already proved what they could do , ca. 4hrs 45 min to finish that 113 miles.

 

On the other hand I am just a simple mortal that is 58 years old, without the electric assist I think 10 miles would be a severe challenge enough for me, and I could absolutely forget about that 113 miles without electric power assist.

 

In particular I wanted to enlighten David Henshaw and hope to re-construct what he has so permanently fixed in his mind about the Kalkhoff Pro Connect and the Panasonic system. He would enough energy to charge thru' the 60 mins. race at the Presteigne event with about 24 miles on level ground, that is exactly what the Lycra team from 50cycles did, but can't expect him to do that with 113 miles, that would put the performance of the electric and bike to the test with riders like myself and a few fellows. Unfortunately 50cycles knows only too well perhaps even David Henshaw wouldn't be able to complete even this 113 miles with 4 batteries on the Pro Connect so they have declined. So I invited David to join us nonetheless with an eZee Torq and have a good day out and review a few things that we thought we knew so well.

 

In anycase you will surely read more about this after the event.

 

W W Ching

Unfortunately 50cycles knows only too well perhaps even David Henshaw wouldn't be able to complete even this 113 miles with 4 batteries on the Pro Connect so they have declined. So I invited David to join us nonetheless with an eZee Torq and have a good day out and review a few things that we thought we knew so well.

 

In anycase you will surely read more about this after the event.

 

W W Ching

 

Mr Ching you are becoming boring with your desparate attempts to undermine the kalkhoff range. From what I remember 50c said they would not compete as you were insisting on 4 batteries and they wanted to use only 3. That should give you a clue about a range which is well documented and based in fact.

 

The way you are using the forum is currently distasteful.

Paul,

 

With respect, is that quite fair?

 

That was Mr Ching's first post in this thread; you can hardly accuse him of going on and on. His postings on the forum are far outnumbered by other manufacturer's or their representatives.

 

Nick

confused...well not befor this a111ce was announced i wasnt

 

Paul,

 

With respect, is that quite fair?

 

That was Mr Ching's first post in this thread; you can hardly accuse him of going on and on. His postings on the forum are far outnumbered by other manufacturer's or their representatives.

 

Nick

 

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i have no personal knowledge of either bike in this "bashing" only what i and others read on here and there are countless and continual e-bike owners of the Kalkhoff who give their own personal accounts of the speed and superb range, there are even i believe owners of both Tork and Kalkoff who have stated the Kalkoff is great, if all the reviews are to be believed then there could only be one possible result if pedal assist was the means of this race, if it was a case of power only then at 22mph the Tork will win but "power only" surely is not what this ride is about....if they both can do 22mph pedal assist on the flat then its a case of who can maintain the pedal assist speed on the hills ?..and then its back to "road legal"...so the Tork cannot do its 22mph power only.......:o ....im getting so confused by all this "bashing" i will be very glad when its run and over....unless there is going to be a very very long thread "bashing" .....

Fun fun fun in the sun sun rain?

 

Re: the first ride on the 10th it this looks like a number of Ezee models including the new Tork will be on the ride. This will be very useful for me and other earlier model owners. We will be able to see the improvements. I also look forward to learning better techniques in power use, I am sure that sharing our experiences will improve my knowledge. Lastly, for some of us it is just for fun and, although it promised to be hard work, I intend to enjoy the day; as I am sure the cyclists on the 14th will do.

One factor that has not been mentioned much if at all on the forum is that, for both rides the scenery will be a nice change from city cycling and may be spectacular.

 

Conal

Edited August 10, 200817 yr by Conal

Sorry to offend you Mr Ching

 

Hi,

 

I afraid both you and David /Wisper Bikes are totally wrong.

 

W W Ching

 

Sorry to offend you Mr Ching, I was simply commenting on the way this is likely to go after reading all the comments your challenge has provoked. I was at Presteigne and witnessed the bulging mussels and acres of lycra sported by the amazingly fit and skilled riders of both the Ezee and Kalkhoff bikes.

 

Please don't misunderstand I think the event could be fantastic and a lot of fun. My point is the result will be as pointless as the Presteigne result when it comes to testing the range, speed and efficiency of an electric bike. If it were more scientific or likely to be as much fun as Presteigne and publicise the use of electric bikes we would be there too........ if invited.

 

Best regards David

Mr Ching you are becoming boring with your desparate attempts to undermine the kalkhoff range. From what I remember 50c said they would not compete as you were insisting on 4 batteries and they wanted to use only 3. That should give you a clue about a range which is well documented and based in fact.

 

The way you are using the forum is currently distasteful.

 

Hi Paul,

Long time no hear !

I second you on that.

I've already added a post, but I found the whole thing boring and childish from the start in fact.

What does it matter its horses for courses.

You buy the ezee range cos you dont want a normal bike and you dont want to, or carn't pedal (disabilities).

You buy the kalkhoof range cus you want to pedal partly with you bike and you dont mind waiting 3-4months + for the delivery.

You pay your money and take your choice.

 

Regards Bob.

The torq 2 rides like a normal bike with no drag from the motor,if you spin the motor up to 17.5 mph with the wheel off the ground it will freewheel for about 40 seconds,as good as the nano motor,it also climbs hills very well so best of both worlds good climber rides like a normal bike without power(apart from the weight of course) and a throttle if you feel lazy,i love mine.

The torq 2 rides like a normal bike with no drag from the motor,if you spin the motor up to 17.5 mph with the wheel off the ground it will freewheel for about 40 seconds,as good as the nano motor,it also climbs hills very well so best of both worlds good climber rides like a normal bike without power(apart from the weight of course) and a throttle if you feel lazy,i love mine.

 

I know Paul its a great bike.

 

As I've said before in a post, how about the customer service challenge.

Deliveries when promised, batteries that last, warrenties that are worth the paper their printed on, basic respect for customers.

Things that providers of ebikes should do, rather than messing around like this.

Wonder who would even finish the race with these tough hills to climb.

Up to now, none of them in my experience.

Bob (Burncycle)

 

"You buy the ezee range cos you dont want a normal bike and you dont want to, or carn't pedal (disabilities).

You buy the kalkhoof range cus you want to pedal partly with your bike"

 

I purchased an Ezee Forza last year and chose the pedelec model, so, at least as far as my bike is concerned, the statement you made above is incorrect. I chose this model because I wanted to pedal - no pedel. no power assist.

 

My Ezee looks so much liike a normal bike that many people at work who often see it don't realise that it has a battery.

 

Conal

Customers have allowed poor service to happen,they have been fobbed off and stood for it,although i have not bought new myself, if i had a problem with a battery on a new bike, i would have been protesting that the bike was not fit for purpose and asking for a full refund,also the seller is responsible for the products they have sold even when no longer selling them,the main problem is we british dont like to complain.

I think people buy their bikes to suit their purpose and preference to be honest Bob. There are countless who bought the Torq 1 quite simply because it was the best, and fastest ebike on the market at a time when there were no pedelecs. Many would still buy it if it were available too .

 

John

Best at the time

 

John

 

I totally agree. I purchased the Forza because it was said (by 50 Cycles!) to be the best (pedelec) available at the time. I have no complaints and accept that the next best thing is probably better than mine. I hope to check this with a 17stone unfit 54 year old on the Ching Challenge riding this year's best thing!

Funny how the best thing available changes to suit what you are selling.best bike available becomes crap when you are no longer selling it.

Now back to the Ching Challenge!

 

This thread is veering dangerously close to previous negative posts. To bring it back to the point, I recently asked Ching (he suggested I drop the Mr) if he felt my derestricted Ezee Forza would drain the battery more than if it was restricted if it was travelling at 15.5 mph or less and all other factors were equal. He stated that the power use would be identical in restricted and derestricted modes. If I can manage the Ching Challange on the Sunday and I travel with other cyclists at the same speed then the only differing factors will be the riders weight, the weight of the bike (the tyres?), the extra batteries, and the "ability" of the bike itself. As I have said before on this forum this ride must give us a good opportunity to measure the strengths and weaknesses of the different bikes. I would be willing to rerestrict it for the day although from what I have read other riders with recently purchased bikes will be able to obtain power assist at speeds greater than 15.5mph.

 

Conal

Edited August 29, 200817 yr by Conal

The best thing available is what suits you best,after buying four electric bikes i am finally happy with the torq 2,it suits my needs perfectly, however other bikes may suit other riders better.

Torq improvements

 

Paul

 

Have you been able to compare the Torq2 to the Torq1, Forte or Forza? Do you know how the the "improvements" actually show in your riding experience? Increased battery range, more power up hills, lighter bike, better ride?

 

Conal

Hi guys,

 

I promised Ching that I would look into the navigation for the ToB ride. Coops, ElephantsGerald, I know you did some work plotting the course. Have either of you got it in a form that can be printed out, or loaded into a GPS.

 

Next questions. What form of route printout do people prefer when cycling? A narrow route strip, a section of chart, a list of turns? What about GPS for cycling. Is there a good cycle model that would do this job, or are they too much bother for this sort of work?

 

Nick

Hi guys,

 

I promised Ching that I would look into the navigation for the ToB ride. Coops, ElephantsGerald, I know you did some work plotting the course. Have either of you got it in a form that can be printed out, or loaded into a GPS.

 

Next questions. What form of route printout do people prefer when cycling? A narrow route strip, a section of chart, a list of turns? What about GPS for cycling. Is there a good cycle model that would do this job, or are they too much bother for this sort of work?

 

Nick

 

Hi Nick

 

I replotted the route kindly provided by Coops on Google Maps into Memory Map software on my PC. I am not directly in touch with the Tour of Britain to verify the route, particularly the absoloute position of the start and finish lines, but it is detailed in all other respects.

 

I use a SatMap on the bikes, mounted at the very top end of the crossbar on either the Torq or ProConnect.

 

The SatMap is very different from a Garmin and by no means everyone's favourite ! However, I enjoy it a lot for cycling in the style of a rambler / explorer.

 

So my normal use is to head off without a preplanned route, following my nose whilst the SatMap keeps an eye on exactly where I am, records where I have been and enables me to download that route into my PC at the end. Along the way, it provides me with distance travelled, average speed, ascent etc.

 

Unlike a Garmin, the SatMap already contains a disk with the Ordnance Survey maps of the area (the more you pay, the bigger the area), so it is not neccessary to download a section of mapping from the PC to see where you are.

 

When you do choose to preplot a route on Memory Map (or other mapping software), then the route is uploaded from the PC to the SatMap as a .gpx file.

 

If you send me a PM with your email address, I can send you the exported route from Memory Map.

 

One gentle word of warning is that Memory Map came out with much more climbing on the stage than Coops had calculated !! Sadly, it is more than I could handle in a single day on either of my bikes, but I am looking forward to hearing the details, particularly for the Torq 2.

 

James

Edited August 30, 200817 yr by JamesC