Raleigh Dover.....only road or

[funkylyn]

Can any Raleigh Dover or indeed Kalkhoff Agattu owners out there advise me ?

I was wondering about the suitability of these bikes on forest trails and tracks.....are they maybe a bit too 'refined' for want of a better word ?

More suitable to streets rather than forest trails ?

In my ongoing quest for my near perfect bike I have been thinking long and hard about my normal usage and its generally on cycle paths/ trails/forests, more than city streets and wonder if this gives the advantage back to the Tonaro/Wisper more chunky/heavier types ?
My current Powacycle Windsor copes with the trails great......nothing coming loose.....not even a puncture....(fingers crossed )

Would appreciate any comments

Lynda

 

[shep]

Lynda

We have a Tonaro and a Raleigh Dover. I love them both but in completely different ways.

The Dover is very refined and is so comfortable, it would handle light cycle type trails, but i would not want to take it down rough tracks or trails, its far too refined for that !!!!! the Tonaro is a powerful bike and Tonka Toy tough but cruder. When i go out riding with my wife, if we are going out on the roads or lanes she wants the Dover, if we are going into the Towns or City or light tracks then she wants the Tonaro, as it is very manoeuvrable, the Dover is a big cruiser !! if big hills are involved they are about even.

The Tonaro is very good on battery use i regularly get 40 to 45 miles to empty from a 10ah and even had 50 before.

The build quality of the Dover is lovely but the Tonaro has a great motor and is really good value for money.

 

[indalo]

For me, that was a most enlightening and informative summary of the respective talents of two bikes very much in my mind at the present time.

Thanks for that Shep.

Regards,
Indalo

 

[funkylyn]

Lynda

We have a Tonaro and a Raleigh Dover. I love them both but in completely different ways.

The Dover is very refined and is so comfortable, it would handle light cycle type trails, but i would not want to take it down rough tracks or trails, its far too refined for that !!!!! the Tonaro is a powerful bike and Tonka Toy tough but cruder. When i go out riding with my wife, if we are going out on the roads or lanes she wants the Dover, if we are going into the Towns or City or light tracks then she wants the Tonaro, as it is very manoeuvrable, the Dover is a big cruiser !! if big hills are involved they are about even.

The Tonaro is very good on battery use i regularly get 40 to 45 miles to empty from a 10ah and even had 50 before.

The build quality of the Dover is lovely but the Tonaro has a great motor and is really good value for money.

Hi Shep
Thankyou so much for that........confirming what I was already suspecting

The Dover had been my favourite until meeting a Tonaro last weekend and after all the excitement I suddenly thought about the refinement of the dover and the dusty state my windsor gets in on my favourite forest tracks....bits of branches and grass sticking out everywhere...... and realised that was possibly yet another reason why the tonaro would win out or indeed a wisper with similar build characteristics.......I just could not visualise the Dover EVER getting like my windsor

So thanks again for your comments.

I wish I had the space and finances to just buy several and have one for every type of journey......what bliss .....

Lynda

 

[funkylyn]

For me, that was a most enlightening and informative summary of the respective talents of two bikes very much in my mind at the present time.

Thanks for that Shep.

Regards,
Indalo

Great minds thinking alike eh Indalo ....

 

[andyh2]

I used to take my Agattu on some pretty rough tracks. CycloX tyres helped and I strapped the battery so it didn't rattle about as much. It was actually pretty capable, not unexpected really as it's great for hill climbing and roughstuff folk have been using touring bikes for off road riding for years.

Battery use is heavy on steep off road up hills. I can't remember how long it would last for but I found it best to assume it would last for a certain amount of time, rather than distance.

The downside was the assist was great for uphill, but I was always pretty cautious going downhill as I didn't want to break it.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Good morning

If you want off road look at the YouTube video for the new daahub from Wisper bikes in stock very soon

the Battery is in his back pack

Also available soon from Wisper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVmmInVwho

More riding and installation video

http://wisperbikes.com/blog/?p=155

Frank

 

[funkylyn]

Hi Good morning

If you want off road look at the YouTube video for the new daahub from Wisper bikes in stock very soon

the Battery is in his back pack

Also available soon from Wisper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVmmInVwho

More riding and installation video

Daahub Installation Video | Wisper Blog

Frank

Morning Frank

I almost choked on my porridge this morning reading your post

I think I may have given the wrong impression of my riding habits.......
I wasnt thinking real ' HARDCORE ' off road !!!!!

As a retired grandmother the idea of true offroading with my battery on my back brought
a rueful smile to my face....|I think my friends/family/neighbours think I'm strange enough for my 'normal'
interests without that

Think more of, say, New Forest tracks......or IS that hardcore offroading ????
If so....WEHAY......here I come
Seriously though......not a bad idea to put the hub on a bike of my choice, but I'd
leave the battery on the bike !

Thankyou
Lynda

 

[Biged]

I have an Agattu, my wife a Dover. We have done cycle tracks, canal towpaths, paths through woods and of course local roads, the local roads probably being the roughest

I have done some real rough stuff on mine to the extent of the wheels becoming clogged against the mudguards (i don't recommend that)

The Dover will be capable of doing anything you can do, plus it has the advantage of looking so good, my wife absolutely loves hers.

 

[funkylyn]

I have an Agattu, my wife a Dover. We have done cycle tracks, canal towpaths, paths through woods and of course local roads, the local roads probably being the roughest

I have done some real rough stuff on mine to the extent of the wheels becoming clogged against the mudguards (i don't recommend that)

The Dover will be capable of doing anything you can do, plus it has the advantage of looking so good, my wife absolutely loves hers.

Aah......thats interesting and puts another light on it......maybe I am crediting the Dover
with too much refinement

Have you changed tyres at all ?

I suppose I was thinking the 700 wheels are more suited to roads and the 26'' better
suited to tow paths etc, but if you find it copes well I shall bear that in mind.
I have certainly enjoyed test riding the dover, though not yet with the bigger 18ah battery and not yet
up any steep hills.
I'm not surprised your wife loves hers.....if I was going on looks alone I would have bought one already
I'm just looking at all possibilities and not wanting to regret a hasty decision.

I think in all honesty I have found my ideal bike in the Tonaro Esprit but with a long wait in store
I continue to investigate all other possibilities.

Lynda

 

[Biged]

Not changed the tyres on the Dover, standard that came with the bike. I changed mine this week to the Schwalbe Big Apples and they are oh so comfortable

I started a thread on the Big Apples, its worth a read on the comments.

So neither bikes have or had 'off road' tyres and both cope well.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Good morning

If you want off road look at the YouTube video for the new daahub from Wisper bikes in stock very soon

the Battery is in his back pack

Also available soon from Wisper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JVmmInVwho

More riding and installation video

Daahub Installation Video | Wisper Blog

Frank

Thanks Frank for putting this video up, I should perhaps explain the DaaHub seen in the film is the early prototype of DaaHub Xtreem which will not be launched until Next year. The Xtreem will be available in 250W and possibly 350W for off road use only. If we make the 350W version the motor will be red with NOT LEGAL FOR ROAD USE printed on the side, we may even take this up to 48V 10Ah and 500W , all being tested at the moment. The standard DaaHub kit will be available in late june.

All the best

David

 

[steveindenmark]

"As a retired grandmother"

I am not a grandfather yet Lynda, but I may be one day.

I just wanted to know how I go about retiring from being a grandfather if I ever get fed up of it?

I am just in the process of buying a Torano Enduro and judging by Phils questions this is possibly going to be the first one in Denmark.

I am looking forward to lots of firsts on the bike.

Coast to Coast and End to End is on my summer list already.

Steve

 

[funkylyn]

I am not a grandfather yet Lynda, but I may be one day.

I just wanted to know how I go about retiring from being a grandfather if I ever get fed up of it?

I am just in the process of buying a Torano Enduro and judging by Phils questions this is possibly going to be the first one in Denmark.

I am looking forward to lots of firsts on the bike.

Coast to Coast and End to End is on my summer list already.

Steve

LOL
Very funny Steve

Believe me....when your grandad days arrive you will NEVER want to retire from them.

Wish you lots of fun with your Tonaro.....I unfortunately have to wait till after the summer before my T.Esprit arrives......but as they say ''everything good comes to he who waits''

Lynda

 

[tribalecho]

I've had a Raleigh Dover for 10 months now (2000 miles+) and regularly cycle, often with daughter on trailer bike, on the coastal paths here in Guernsey - parts of which are very uneven, large and small stones, sand etc. No problem! I changed tyres to Marathon Plus Tours but not noticed much difference from the original.