Search results

Bosch reckon there are advantages to the small chain ring. Less likely to ship the chain, and better torque transfer - or something like that. Many motorbikes use small rings at the front, so that's where the idea came from.

Any six speed shifter should work because the distance between the sprockets has almost certainly not changed for a lot of years.

Pity he can't spell ascent, or more likely, his spell checker can't understand the difference between assent - agree, and ascent - climb. Likewise scarred for scared.

There was some brake judder on the Raleigh Velo I had a brief go on. Some forced bedding in of the brakes might help - a few firm stops from speed. Try not to lock the wheels and fall off, apart from anything else that won't get the job done.

One of my Bosch bikes, the Rose, is a bit noisier than the other. They are both the lumpy 'old' motor, so my conclusion is motors from the same maker can vary. I also agree with Croxden that either bike can sound louder some days than others. Noise and how loud it sounds in different...

Oh dear, this accords more with my experience. It's easy to say - especially on a forum - ignore the comments, but they do annoy me to a degree dependent on mood and circumstances. Joshing or not, calling me a 'cheat' is akin in my mind to calling me a liar, something which I can't overlook...

Much as I like Bosch bikes - I have two - I don't think one is right for you. You mention 34 miles in windy conditions. It them emerges you are on Sheltland, where I imagine the word 'windy' means something a bit different than it usually does to us softie Sassenachs. The Bosch bikes only...

I thought the CX tyres looked a bit narrow. But if you think what the 'genuine' CX lads can do, it's no surprise you've found they grip so well. I'm guessing they would wear quickly if used for long on asphalt.

I have a Badass dongle on the Rose. It adds a useful amount of assistance to 20mph or maybe a bit more. The motor is still running above that, but by that time a lot (to me) of pedal effort is required on anything but level or declining going. No experience of the wired in dongle, but I can't...

Leaving brands aside, the two systems give a different riding experience. Hub drives either push or pull you along, but crank drives are more like traditional cycling because all the power goes through the chain. How important the difference is will depend on the rider's preferences. I prefer...

Disc brakes torture the spokes even more. A cheap rear hub bike with disc brakes and a heavy rider is a very poor combination. Freegos are decent bikes, but were I the OP, I would look for a front hub or crank drive.

You will be well prepared, as ever. The course would be too much for me, but doesn't look that challenging in mountain bike terms. Putting on suitable tyres is very wise, other than that I think the Haibike will cope easily enough. It will be interesting to hear the reaction of other riders...

Alex, Good choice, the Joe Blow has a lovely smooth, almost hydraulic action which my cheaper pump lacks. It's only a pump, but for the sake of an extra tenner or so over a cheapie, it's worth it.

Very clever I'm sure, but someone should tell the rider the quick release lever on the front wheel should point backwards. This is because a backwards pointing lever is much less likely to ping open if caught on a branch or obstruction. Which is barely relevant to me, but could be to him if he...

I have a red basic track pump from Halffords, works fine. Having said that, I've used a Joe Blow and there's no doubt it has a smoother action than mine.

The dongle doesn't draw extra power from the motor or 'tune' it in the sense most people would understand. All the dongle does is allow the motor to carry on whirring above 15mph. The motor is built for torque. not speed. so the amount of assistance you feel declines as you go faster. You...

I tried a Velo and was a bit disappointed - the power delivery was very clonky and the bike didn't feel as well-made as I thought it should. There have been a few changes to the Velo for the latest model year, so a new one may ride better. A good, possibly very good, thing about the Velo is it...

From a technical booklet downloadable from the Schwalbe website: What does the tire tread do? On a normal, smooth road, the tread has only limited influence on the riding properties. The grip generated by the tire on the road is almost exclusively the result of the rubber compound. Unlike a...

Strange as it may seem, a slick tyre - of the same size and compound - will grip better than a treaded one. This is because the narrowness of the tyre and slow speed of a bike make water dispersal irrelevant, and the slick tyre puts a greater surface area of rubber on the road.

Make sure you have a go on one. I expect you will like it, but it may just not suit you for some reason. A test ride is doubly important for you because I don't think you've tried a crank drive before. I like them, but they are a bit different to a hub drive and not to everyone's taste.