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  1. RobF

    Cheap for a reason

    Cheap ebikes - much like cheap anything - are cheap for a reason. In only the last few hours on the boards we've had the folder with the battery connector which looks like it fell out of a cereal packet, but is less durable. A Chinese ebike that might catch fire, but no one can be really sure...
  2. RobF

    A new type of tube

    Inner tubes with ends are now available in ebike sizes. I've seen 'snake' style tubes for BMX bikes, but German company GAADI now has a range for 20" up to 28" wheels. Mine has just arrived and it is, well, what it is, a tube with two ends. Main advantage being, of course, you can fit it...
  3. RobF

    My bike enters the twilight zone

    On two occasions my Rose/Bosch bike has lost drive for a few seconds. But I don't reckon it's a fault. Drive has been lost at the same place both times, aside from that the system works reliably. The location is a large crossroads in the centre of Sunderland. I reckon something is...
  4. RobF

    A two battery ride

    I made first use of my second battery in a ride on the C2C path from Sunderland to Annfield Plain in County Durham. It's a long grind up hill from Washington onwards, not steep, but the incline goes on for miles - they used two locomotives on this stretch when it was a railway line. Add a head...
  5. RobF

    Gearing finally sorted

    Regular readers may recall I found first gear on my Alfine 11 Rose/Bosch bike too high. Spinning at a reasonable cadence gave more than 7mph - too fast for steep climbs. My first mod was to change the rear sprocket from 20t to 23t. This improved things, but not enough. I have now changed the...
  6. RobF

    Raleigh Velo Trail - oh dear

    I had a brief ride on a new Raleigh Velo Trail which I thought might be recommendable as a budget buy. But the assistance system let it down badly, 'unrefined' is one word that springs to mind, 'jerky' is another I could live with the modest amount of poke, but the way the power was delivered...
  7. RobF

    Separate speedo on a Bosch bike

    I decided to fit a separate speedo on my Rose/Bosch bike to get a true reading after the dongle cuts in. Treated myself to a wireless one from Halfords, and after the usual bike fettling faff, managed to get it fitted and working. Or so I thought. The new speedo reads as it should - until I...
  8. RobF

    Bosch dongle - free to good home

    Now I have my shiny new compact dongle, would someone on here like the old one? It's true I couldn't get it to work, but the little LED in the dongle flashed as the magnet went past so it might be salvageable. Before we gave up on it, the supplier Badass said the LED was behaving as it...
  9. RobF

    A working dongle - at last

    Readers with long memories may recall I ordered one of the clip-on dongles from Badass ebikes. It was a bit clunky to look at and had a separate battery pack. But worst of all, it didn't work. Fair play to Badass, they told me to keep it and they would send their improved version, which...
  10. RobF

    A faultless bike and a little fettling

    This forum has been looking more like a trade paper of late, so time for a thread about a user's ebike. The user is me and the bike is my Rose/Bosch Xtrawatt trekking bike. I've covered more than 600miles now and have been planning to post an update for some time. Happily, there's not...
  11. RobF

    Combined electric wheel

    This combined wheel/battery and motor claims to be 250W/36V, 11ah, and weigh about 4kg. Impressive - if it's right. FlyKly Smart Wheel by FlyKly — Kickstarter
  12. RobF

    What's happening with the Brompton ebike?

    Is Brompton anywhere near producing a factory ebike? Last I heard the project had been delayed because one of the component suppliers - might have been the motor - had ceased trading. Brompton were sending out regular email updates to prospective customers. I've not seen one of those...
  13. RobF

    Defeated by a hill

    I've just completed the Durham Big Ride and am disappointed to have been defeated by one of the hills. The ride from Durham City towards Consett and back is very lumpy, particularly on the way out. The hateful incline that did for me was Iveston Bank. I got most of the way up, but...
  14. RobF

    Nice bike but no poke

    I've just had a decent go on an A2B Hybrid 24. The good news is it is a very nice bike in lots of ways. Quality components and it looks classy and well made. The keyless immobiliser fob is a nice touch, and the display is neater than some. The ride - as a bicycle - is smooth and commendably...
  15. RobF

    I need a screw...

    ...but only a little one. The screw holding the ebike thumb control on my Bosch equipped bike fell out some time yesterday. I say screw, might have been an Allen bolt. Looks like its a 4mm thread. Length is important because the captive thread is blind and not very deep - a...
  16. RobF

    A big ride

    In this case, the Sunderland Big Ride which I've just completed. About 45 miles, including the ride to and from the start. Very mixed going, road, cinder track, single track, cycle path, rutted mud, you name it, there was a stretch of it. One downside was the large number of those...
  17. RobF

    Maximising battery range

    I wondered how many miles I could wring out of the 11ah battery on my Rose/Bosch bike. To this end, I set off on my Whitley Bay circuit on eco setting - assistance level one of four. There are five bars on the battery meter and each lasts for more or less the same distance. On eco, I got just...
  18. RobF

    Woosh Scirocco 2 - independent review

    MANY buyers will be drawn to the Scirocco due to its long list of equipment and relatively cheap price. But is this a bike which looks good on screen, but performs poorly on the road, or a happy mix of both short and long term appeal? First impressions out of the (very large) box were better...
  19. RobF

    My new bike

    After a few months of looking on and off for a big wheel bike to go with the Brommie, the deed is now done. I am the proud owner of a Rose Xtra Watt Trekking 500. In Rose-speak, that's a Bosch crank drive trekking bike with the bigger battery and the Alfine 11-speed hub. I am also no...
  20. RobF

    Hub gears and chain tension

    Could someone explain to me why chain tension seems to have an impact on the performance of a hub gear. Neither Alex or spinalot on here are cycle mugs, but both have found chain tension to be critical to making the hub gear work properly. But I don't get it. The single sprocket on the...