For me, before I buy a car, I research several that I find appealing but a test drive of each on my short-list usually produces a winner and not always the one I really desired.
With bikes, after my first foray into the world of EAPCs where I bought on a whim, I carefully researched the field before purchasing another. I discovered that test-riding those machines which appealed made it easy to disregard some that sounded great on paper....that's silly - I suppose it should read, 'appeared very well specified on paper.'
A couple of days ago, I had a friend round who had enquired about my thoughts on electric bikes as he was interested in the concept. His job means he is desk-bound for most of the day and he drives back and forth to work. His first thought on getting fitter, (he considers himself very unfit), was to buy a bike and ride the 3 or 4 miles each way every working day. On reflection, he decided it wasn't possible due to extremely steep uphill stretches in town traffic on the return journey, not an unreasonable conclusion when you are unfit and haven't ridden a bike in over 10 years.
The upshot was that after I showed him the controls and explained how the power would manifest itself when he rode the machine, he gingerly set off up the road, slightly uphill, and disappeared from my view for a short time. On his return, his comment was a gleeful, 'That was fantastic! - I need to have one of these.' I have known this guy for several years and I have never seen such a smile on his face - he was really overjoyed that the daunting prospect of his ambition to commute by bicycle had just become feasible in his mind.
To that end, I have given him a few pointers regarding where he might look to purchase something within his budget that will provide the necessary power delivery for his needs. As we are both visiting his home town of Southend in a few weeks, (I've never been there!), we will visit Trex Ltd....sorry, Woosh
with a view to trying one of their more powerful but legal machines. He may well wish to consider bikes from some of the other vendors I have recommended who advertise and contribute to this forum.
I know that I was more impressed than I expected to be when I test-rode my current steed, even though I already owned a couple of decent machines so I'm happy to recommend and reiterate the advice so often given in this forum to go and test-ride any machine you fancy before parting with your hard-earned cash. It's not just about power and gearing; the bike needs to fit you properly, rather than you having to adjust your body to suit geometry that always feels like it's designed for someone else.
Tom
With bikes, after my first foray into the world of EAPCs where I bought on a whim, I carefully researched the field before purchasing another. I discovered that test-riding those machines which appealed made it easy to disregard some that sounded great on paper....that's silly - I suppose it should read, 'appeared very well specified on paper.'
A couple of days ago, I had a friend round who had enquired about my thoughts on electric bikes as he was interested in the concept. His job means he is desk-bound for most of the day and he drives back and forth to work. His first thought on getting fitter, (he considers himself very unfit), was to buy a bike and ride the 3 or 4 miles each way every working day. On reflection, he decided it wasn't possible due to extremely steep uphill stretches in town traffic on the return journey, not an unreasonable conclusion when you are unfit and haven't ridden a bike in over 10 years.
The upshot was that after I showed him the controls and explained how the power would manifest itself when he rode the machine, he gingerly set off up the road, slightly uphill, and disappeared from my view for a short time. On his return, his comment was a gleeful, 'That was fantastic! - I need to have one of these.' I have known this guy for several years and I have never seen such a smile on his face - he was really overjoyed that the daunting prospect of his ambition to commute by bicycle had just become feasible in his mind.
To that end, I have given him a few pointers regarding where he might look to purchase something within his budget that will provide the necessary power delivery for his needs. As we are both visiting his home town of Southend in a few weeks, (I've never been there!), we will visit Trex Ltd....sorry, Woosh
with a view to trying one of their more powerful but legal machines. He may well wish to consider bikes from some of the other vendors I have recommended who advertise and contribute to this forum.I know that I was more impressed than I expected to be when I test-rode my current steed, even though I already owned a couple of decent machines so I'm happy to recommend and reiterate the advice so often given in this forum to go and test-ride any machine you fancy before parting with your hard-earned cash. It's not just about power and gearing; the bike needs to fit you properly, rather than you having to adjust your body to suit geometry that always feels like it's designed for someone else.
Tom
