Alien Bikes

[Old Timer]

What mode do you end up mainly using with the alien bikes, throttle or pedelec. One other question, the aurora has the two modes but can you mix them, as i noticed someone said they used the throttle to control the power in pedelec mode. I thought it was one or the other.

What are the assist powers, i am mainly interested in pedelec mode as i do want to get a lot fitter but some of the hills in my area are severe and rule out sensible commuting on a normal bike. If i go round the hills it adds another 4 miles on and things just start to get ridiculous. The e-bike is the perfect solution, thats why i am tending towards the aurora as its advertised as a hill climber and thats the whole problem on my route. I plan on cycling 85-90% of the way on low assist but on the hills all the help possible so i arrive at work in reasonable condition

My other bikes have the pedelec combined with the throttle IE if I`m pedaling and open the throttle the throttle takes control which has in my case been good because opening the throttle gives me just a touch more power which normally sees me over the hill etc. On the aurora there is a switch by the R/H grip (just below) where your thumb rests and this switches between pedelec only or throttle only. Now that is opposite to what I`m used to and was initially a disappointment. After riding the bike for the first time in earnest I began to see the wisdom of the set up. When I set off I use throttle to get me moving while I slip my foot into my strapless clips and as the foot goes in I flick the switch over to pedelec normally with the power setting set to either low, med or high depending on the terrain or my mood for riding. When approaching a junction or corner I usually switch back to throttle for complete control unless I can clearly see that the road(or track) is clear when I`ll just pedal out making allowance for the power the bike has. (BTW the latest Alien road legal kit works the same way)

I`m fussy at the way things work( believe me) and I have no problems using the controls for the bike to do just what I want it to do.(once you get to know it) I make no excuses(or should I say Alien makes no excuses) for the amount of power the bike has. The way I see it, you either want/need a powerful bike or you don`t, if you want the extra hill climbing power (top gear hill climbing if need be) then you have to be prepared to tame the brute at times. For instance approaching a particular spot on route where I know the sand is thick I flick to throttle in a fraction of a second and gain complete control. If I approach a bend on a steep path that I know where it`s good under foot then I just coast in and pedal out and avoid any loss of speed or power, it`s great.

Don`t get me wrong, it`s not an uncontrollerble monster but you do have to just be aware for the first few miles that it could bite you a touch harder than the average but of course you now have the knowledge that I didn`t have and don`t forget, it is a decent bike to ride toboot.