Hi,
I haven't posted here before, but over recent weeks have been reading the many interesting and informative posts in this forum as I had decided that it might just be possible that ebikes had progressed enough to make commuting to work a possibility as driving is getting increasingly frustrating. A recent check of the car's computer showed I had averaged only 28mph over the last 1400 miles and that isn't all commuting.
As a spotty faced teenager I was a keen cyclist, but it was something I left behind when I got a driving licence and I guess it is 45 years since I have ridden a bike any distance. So, the thought of my aging overweight carcase propelling itself twenty odd miles a day with a laptop strapped to the pannier takes a bit of a leap of imagination. However the idea that an ebike could take some of the strain makes it seem possible that I might get some exercise and progressively get fitter, and possibly go out on a bike with a fair chance of getting home again.
I spent a bit of time over recent weeks visiting some local bike shops, just browsing more than buying, but had a chat with some keen enthusiasts who did nothing to put me off. Last Saturday the kids came up for the weekend and I engineered a trip to Ashbourne where I called in to look at Juicy Bikes' shop and was given a test ride of a folder which put a big grin on my face. That was the first Ebike I had ever ridden and I'm afraid I was hooked.
I was having a bit of a debate with myself over buying a folder or a standard bike, the former, whilst less efficient, seemed made sense to me as l can cover a good part of my route to work using the train. That plan looked good until I found out they just replaced the train into Derby with a bus for the next ten weeks.
However, by lucky accident, last Thursday I spotted an interesting auction on Ebay so I took a punt at it and to my surprise very quickly found myself the new owner of a Woosh Big Bear with 300 miles on it for an incredibly low price. I collected it Thursday from a really nice chap who had bought it to help get mobile after a knee op. but who no longer needed it. Since then I have taken every excuse to use it.
The first ride was a pub crawl around a couple of local villages. On that trip I discovered that the assistance was cutting out well below the legal limit but from posts here I found out how to adjust it (since when I have found the relevant documents on Whoosh's web site).
My longest trip so far was 17 miles this afternoon, part cycle track and part road. Ok, not a great distance for most cyclists, but the bike has given me the confidence to get on it and go, I would definitely not have done that on a conventional bike. I think that for me is one of the great things about a pedalec, you can choose to do much of the pedaling yourself, yet it helps you keep momentum up in traffic. In particular, I think that the throttle on the Big Bear is a great feature, the ability to accelerate away at a junction irrespective of what gear you are in feels so much safer than having to pedal from a standing start. I suspect and hope that over time my legs will do more work and the motor less, but even so, if the battery guage is to be believed the battery still has many more miles in it.
So, that is my progress so far. I really just wanted to post this as a thank you to those other whose contributions here provided so much information.. Without those I would never have felt informed enough to take these first tentative steps. I really do feel that ebikes have reached a point of real practicality as 'alternative' transport.
Already I think I am becoming an ebike evangelist. It turns out that my older neighbour was thinking about one for her many WI and Church activities around the village instead of using the car, so We had words and she is off to visit the Juicy shop to take look. My brother who seems to like dressing pink lycra and very impractical shoes (and who I never quite forgave for borrowing and then selling my road bike in 70's) was surprised when I challenged him to a race up a hill of his choosing. He's not laughing now after starting off with wheel spin on a test ride on the Big Bear, in fact he was out on it so long I thought he had knicked that one too!
Regards and thanks for all the info, keep it coming.
Colin
I haven't posted here before, but over recent weeks have been reading the many interesting and informative posts in this forum as I had decided that it might just be possible that ebikes had progressed enough to make commuting to work a possibility as driving is getting increasingly frustrating. A recent check of the car's computer showed I had averaged only 28mph over the last 1400 miles and that isn't all commuting.
As a spotty faced teenager I was a keen cyclist, but it was something I left behind when I got a driving licence and I guess it is 45 years since I have ridden a bike any distance. So, the thought of my aging overweight carcase propelling itself twenty odd miles a day with a laptop strapped to the pannier takes a bit of a leap of imagination. However the idea that an ebike could take some of the strain makes it seem possible that I might get some exercise and progressively get fitter, and possibly go out on a bike with a fair chance of getting home again.
I spent a bit of time over recent weeks visiting some local bike shops, just browsing more than buying, but had a chat with some keen enthusiasts who did nothing to put me off. Last Saturday the kids came up for the weekend and I engineered a trip to Ashbourne where I called in to look at Juicy Bikes' shop and was given a test ride of a folder which put a big grin on my face. That was the first Ebike I had ever ridden and I'm afraid I was hooked.
I was having a bit of a debate with myself over buying a folder or a standard bike, the former, whilst less efficient, seemed made sense to me as l can cover a good part of my route to work using the train. That plan looked good until I found out they just replaced the train into Derby with a bus for the next ten weeks.
However, by lucky accident, last Thursday I spotted an interesting auction on Ebay so I took a punt at it and to my surprise very quickly found myself the new owner of a Woosh Big Bear with 300 miles on it for an incredibly low price. I collected it Thursday from a really nice chap who had bought it to help get mobile after a knee op. but who no longer needed it. Since then I have taken every excuse to use it.
The first ride was a pub crawl around a couple of local villages. On that trip I discovered that the assistance was cutting out well below the legal limit but from posts here I found out how to adjust it (since when I have found the relevant documents on Whoosh's web site).
My longest trip so far was 17 miles this afternoon, part cycle track and part road. Ok, not a great distance for most cyclists, but the bike has given me the confidence to get on it and go, I would definitely not have done that on a conventional bike. I think that for me is one of the great things about a pedalec, you can choose to do much of the pedaling yourself, yet it helps you keep momentum up in traffic. In particular, I think that the throttle on the Big Bear is a great feature, the ability to accelerate away at a junction irrespective of what gear you are in feels so much safer than having to pedal from a standing start. I suspect and hope that over time my legs will do more work and the motor less, but even so, if the battery guage is to be believed the battery still has many more miles in it.
So, that is my progress so far. I really just wanted to post this as a thank you to those other whose contributions here provided so much information.. Without those I would never have felt informed enough to take these first tentative steps. I really do feel that ebikes have reached a point of real practicality as 'alternative' transport.
Already I think I am becoming an ebike evangelist. It turns out that my older neighbour was thinking about one for her many WI and Church activities around the village instead of using the car, so We had words and she is off to visit the Juicy shop to take look. My brother who seems to like dressing pink lycra and very impractical shoes (and who I never quite forgave for borrowing and then selling my road bike in 70's) was surprised when I challenged him to a race up a hill of his choosing. He's not laughing now after starting off with wheel spin on a test ride on the Big Bear, in fact he was out on it so long I thought he had knicked that one too!
Regards and thanks for all the info, keep it coming.
Colin
