KTM Macina Tour 10+

clintyboy12

Finding my (electric) wheels
Mar 25, 2016
15
6
53
Hi folks
Just taken delivery of my very first eBike and thought I would just jot down my initial thoughts having completed a commute to/from work totalling >50km. This is by far the furthest I've cycled in any one day. My legs are kind of feeling it now but nowhere near like they would be if I had been riding my usual mountain bike!
That said I did ride with a colleague on his road bike, he's fairly keen and with the assist cutting out at 25kph he was just hitting his stride so even up hills I was struggling to keep up! Hopefully that will improve over the next few weeks as my legs (and arse!) get used to cycling again!

I won't go into the tech specs, these are available for all to see if they care to look up, but I will say that :
- it comes with a 400Wh battery
- it is the Bosch Performance line (not the CX which I really wanted though not sure what I would be missing since it's relatively flat here)
- I had the Bosch Nyon computer thingy fitted as a replacement for the Intuvia

First impressions
I loved the boost you get when you first start off. Traffic lights I don't mind stopping at now!
I love the gadgetry of the Nyon and all the STUFF it can show you! Quite distracting!
I hate how complex the Nyon is to connect to various devices!
I hate that the Smartphone Nyon app and PC browser-based ebike-connect are sometimes mutually exclusive!
I hate that you can't add hidden WLANs to Nyon
I hate that the motor cuts out at 25kph

Anyway, enough about that. The bike is great fun, it may look a bit like a boring tourer for someone on holiday (especially next to co-workers road bikes!) but being able to stay in the seat when gliding up a hill is great fun. What I would say is that although the saddle looks comfy my ass certainly didn't think so after completing nearly 30k on the way back home from work today (scenic route gone wrong!). I think some of this is to do with my body not being used to cycling (too much too soon?!) and some of this to do with the extremely unforgiving tyres (Schwalbe efficiency I think). Even with the front suspension unlocked it is pretty harsh over even slightly bumpy ground.

The Nyon device is great to use, very clear text and graphix. The joystick takes a bit of getting used to and when you are riding it can be quite hard to not double / triple press. Got used to just brushing it and getting to whichever screen I needed. I understand why it wasn't made as a touch screen but considering the sensitivity of the joystick I was more distracted trying to select something whilst riding. Maybe I shouldn't have been but why else put the joystick on the control unit!?!
I liked the custom screens that you can set from your smartphone and I have paid for the topographical upgrade to show how far your current battery charge would take you. This seems quite useful if only to reassure myself that I would be able to use TURBO for the last few km's home!

Here is my biggest gripe... the 25kph cutoff. I now see why there is such a big market for 'dongles'. Once you get going, even on ECO assist mode I was easily up to 25kph after which it is my legs propelling the bike. If there are lots of hills en route then this is where the payoff is but on a fairly flat run I can't see the battery being used too much. That said I got into work today not feeling tired at all. A little bit sweaty but I've ridden less than half the distance on my old Ridgeback and have been in pieces!
On the route home trying to keep up with my colleague was impossible, he was ticking along at a lick of 28kph and there I was puffing away as the assist had run out! I guess there may be something to be said for weight and thin wheels! (not to mention conditioned legs!)

In short, I love the bike, especially love the nyon but need Bosch to be on the ball with updates to both the nyon device and the mobile app. So far it seems they are, lets hope another model doesn't come along and this version gets left behind.
Just need to build up the conditioning on the old behind!

Hope this is of help and interest to some of you!
Chris
 
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cyberdyne_systems

Pedelecer
May 8, 2016
153
111
53
Surrey
I think the saddle sore is pretty normal and should improve ;).

I like the fact that the bike gets you up to speed, on the flat it's pretty good to go higher with your own power, if I'm feeling a little fatigue, I reduce the amount of assist and this tends to keep me in the assist area, rather than powering me straight up to the max, but i know what you mean about wanting a bit more :D
 
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stumpy150

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2015
319
143
Yorkshire
I have been riding cycles on and off ( mostly off and trips to casualty) and never had an issue with saddle sore rear end !! Probably because I wasn't putting in great distances - eg more than 10 miles. But since I got my KTM MTB I initially suffered badly with saddle sore - I tried several saddle types From skinny hard ones to spongy big gel saddles until I went to my local bike shop and got my rear end measured. Transpires I was using too wide a saddle so am now back to the original KTM saddle to try again . I was also told that the more you ride the better it gets - your bum will used to it and muscles you never used before will tone up...., so keep pedalling.

I would also look at the type of clothing you are wearing. There are many types of shorts out there and my advice is to shop around until you find one that fits correctly. Also consider what underwear , if any you are wearing . Most cyclists advocate no undwear or very thin undies and not baggy boxers ! Under Armour do some thin underwear- like footballers wear under their team kit.

I initially got some cheap Polaris shorts which are OK for short distances but then- and don't laugh- I was shown some ladies Pearl Izumi Sugar Knickers - knee length shorts. The American cycling forums swear by them
So I popped into a local cycle shop and tentatively enquirered expecting frowns or laughter ,to be surprised that two of the guys in the shop had some and found them very comfy. They are plain black and very comfortable. The only difference is that the pad doesn't come up as high at the front and the padding In the bum area is a bit wider which is ok as I only ride MTB's. So mostly sat upright or stood on the pedals .

I also bought some Madison undershorts also called short liners so you can wear them either under running tights or normal shorts Which is great if your conscious about frightening old ladies in tea rooms when clad in Lycra.

Shop around and find what is best for you
 

clintyboy12

Finding my (electric) wheels
Mar 25, 2016
15
6
53
Thanks for the tip! I do have 1 pair of padded shorts, wore them twice this week and whilst it was better than just underwear they weren't that comfy. Looked at the pearl izumi and they're a bit expensive so I've ordered a cheaper pair of mens 3d pants from amazon and will see how I go with them.

I also agree that my arse will grow accustomed to it, already it isn't as painful as it was just a week ago!

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
 

stumpy150

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 9, 2015
319
143
Yorkshire
FATBIRDS bike shop in Hunstanton have some pearl Izumi quest shorts on offer - free shipping over £20. Just ordered my wife a pair but would advise you try on the shorts before you make a final decision - if you get free returns on Amazon that's great but try and go for a recognised brand as with shorts you get what you pay for

:)
 
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