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A thread for interesting ebikes being offered for sale. Most will probably come from ebay, but they don't have to. I will start the thread with one I think flecc will like - a Giant Revive...

The Ezee Sprint looks closest to your preferred spec. I wouldn't worry about the hub gear, the motor is known to climb well so first gear, you, and the motor ought to get you up anything. Front wheel drive is good because there's less strain on the rear wheel which means less chance of broken...

You could also stuff the pipe insulation in the tyre if your puncture repair fails. Not an entirely flippant suggestion, I saw a roadie get going again with a tyre stuffed with grass pulled from the roadside.

Ebike retailers are still thin on the ground. At least you had something to look at locally, many prospective buyers do not. Where is the shop? Members on here are always keen to hear of new retailers.

There are various solutions to getting the belt inside the triangle. This is from Trek, although I'm not entirely sure how it comes to bits.

Upending a bike to fix a puncture is a bit infra-dig in some roadie circles - one should be able to remove the wheel with the bike upright. Not so easy with a heavy ebike. I have bar ends on the Rose, so can upend without damage. But if it came to it, I might try to remove the rear wheel with...

Your ideal drive train appeals to me, although I would still carry a spare belt. As flecc said, a belt is a pretty good prospect on an ebike or for most ordinary users. Pro racers will continue to use chains because in their environment a fraction of a percent could make a difference of a few...

Makes sense. Another thing that puts me off is belt life. Gates - the maker - claim life to be 'about twice that of a chain'. Not good when you consider spare belts are £80-£100 - if you can get one. The belt also seems very sensitive to tension and alignment. A break may be unlikely, but...

From the 'common questions' section: Can existing bikes be retrofitted with a shaft drive? No. The shaft drive requires a specially designed frame. All of our bicycle frames were designed specifically for use with the shaft drive, ensuring the highest levels of performance and reliability.

Tend to agree. Bike chains have lasted so long because their efficiency cannot be beaten. Properly set up, they produce next to no heat, noise or friction, so all the pedal energy is transferred to where you want it - the rear sprocket. Motorcyclists will tell you shaft drive motorbikes are...

Well done for surviving the Bow roundabout. No substitute for knowledge, so at least you knew to be very careful. There is a set of cycle traffic lights on the main road leading west from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. It is straight, and three lanes in each direction. Trouble is the cycle lights are...

I blame early retirement.

Dynamic say on their website they do not do kits. Weight and efficiency was always a problem with shaft drives. If you believe Dynamic's website, their drives are just as efficient as a chain and only weigh about a pound more.

Another vote for paraffin - less 'oily' then petrol and much, much, safer. We used to give the chain a scrub with a stiff brush with paraffin in an old kitchen roasting tray. Drying the chain thoroughly before relubing is a good idea. Wipe all the paraffin off with an absorbent cloth, getting...

Worth considering a 'snake' tube if wheel removal is difficult. These GAADI tubes are decent - the butted 'join' deals with friction problems from earlier overlap designs. I have one as a spare - not used - and another member posted to say he has them in use and has had no problems. If you go...

A Kalkhoff could be a good choice, not least because they come with big batteries. How much power you will use is hard to judge, and will vary with wind conditions. You say you are prepared to put in the effort, but nearly 40 miles towing could well still be tight on a 10/11ah battery. Thus...

I saw a couple of Aldi cannisters left beside the road. I can't stand littering, so I rather hope they didn't work. The fact the litter lout had deployed two suggests failure. I carry a Zefal cannister, about £5, never had to use it, but it's 'branded', so I'm hopeful it would work. I also...

My Brompton Nano feels a bit weedy in comparison to a Bosch bike, and I imagine in comparison to the better hub motors. The added weight of motor and battery all but kills the portability - it is really only suitable for lifting in and out of the back of the car. A notional eBrommie that...

Happily this forum is largely free of the helmet Nazis who infect other cycling forums. It's being told what to do and how to think that I object to.

I recall Varley batteries in racing cars years ago. They were dry, or at least sealed, which meant they could be mounted anywhere, upside down, on their side, in a box - handy when you building a racing car. Looks like the current ones are lithium. http://www.varleyredtop.com/