I think your sentence about the German experience is quite telling. Separation of pedestrian and bike traffic makes a huge difference.... Weather and wind matters, and the British isles, particularly Ireland is always windy. Mainland Europe less so.It is interesting reading your reply. The most unlikely cyclists that are in my family lived in Germany for over ten years, and, unbelievably to me, used bicycles for most of their daily transport, buggy's for the kids until they we old enough to pedal themselves, and trailers for shopping etc. The reason they did so was because everyone else round about used bikes, and more importantly, the cycleways were "off road" so no cars and trucks to scare anyone. On returning to the UK, the bikes were quickly given up, simply for safety reasons.
I noticed, when in Berlin, a whole multitude of weird and wonderful trailers attracted to ancient bicycles making trips to the waste centers at weekends, and a team of cyclists shifting pianos in Seattle. Self consciousness ? What's that ? Is it something that is derived from vanity ?
Why did you buy an e-bike ?
- Thread starter SHAN
- Start date
Initially freedom.. as a youngster, the ability to travel the 5 miles to and from the sea was freedom. As a student, freedom and cost and reliability. I could be reasonably sure of getting to my lectures across a city, at zero cost, without worrying about bus strikes, and the calories spent allowed me indulge in another of my favourite persuits.
As a tourist , in the saddle for up to 8 hours a day, a way to appreciate the countryside, ambling at a sedate 12 miles per hour.
Later an ebike in 2007 from flustration. My workplace reduced the number of car parking spaces... A necessary safety requirement, and then started charging, so an ebike and the 15 minute cycle , saved money, time, and allowed me the flexibility to leave my house when it suited me not them...
And finally full circle. A new ebike, no range anxiety, amble into town and in retirement, an opportunity to savour the locality.
Especially. My commute runs west to east. With a tail wind on my "normal bike" I can sustain 28 mph, usually around 18 on the return, an e-bike makes it a lot easier into the wind, although I do occasionally go past 15.5 mph. After years of experience, my bad weather gear has evolved to as near perfection as I'm going to achieve, so I'm reasonably comfortable in the worst of rain.
Yes, visibility could be a problem , other suggestion would be to incorporate some perspex or other see through material, another problem might be clearance for your feet and chainset.
You could finish your woodwork with Danish oil or wax, it would bring out the beauty of the grain, Danish oil works quite well on the brightwork on my boat.
I harbour thoughts fairing my recumbent too, but it beds in my hall, putting a shell on it would make it harder to manhandle through the door.
Oh for shed or garage!