Taken the plunge......

Barrio Barranco

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 24, 2018
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Hi Folks,

The thread title says it all. I live on the western side of the Cairngorm mountains near Loch Insh. Road cycling has limited variation in a "valley" with few roads, and I hate the idea of having to own a vehicle to get variation on where I can MTB- and as many will know the off roading here has a lot to offer that my ageing body cannot cope with (or more importantly recover from!). So I've taken the plunge having tried a Bosch driven Focus Jafira on Tenerife last year. I've just bought a full suss KTM Macina Lycan 271 off of Merlin Cycles....I'm hoping to hack it out on the roads on my old training bikes during winter(on ice spikers for safety) and maybe reserve this for summer expeds/bikepacking further distances and up on to the plateau even (Ie stuff I'd never have done without "assistance") The bike hasn't arrived yet but I'm wondering what advice or tips I should know of before using it, especially in relation to the battery and drive unit? I'm handy with the spanners and will no doubt like to try and maintain it as much as possible by myself. Got the bike at a relative snip and a bonus £300 off on Black Friday....Thanks in advance...!!
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
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30,349
Welcome to the forum, that looks like a great bike you've bought. Keep the battery charged up, lithium batteries prefer recharging to running right down to empty all the time.

The betting is that you'll love using that Bosch performance motor so much that you'll ride it all year round. However, if you do stop using it in the winter, it's important to charge the battery at least every couple of months to keep it in good condition. Lithium battery cells that are allowed to fully discharge can fail.

No doubt owners of that Performance CX motor will give you tips on maintaining that, meanwhile enjoy, you'll soon be wearing the usual big e-bike smile.
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Barrio Barranco

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 24, 2018
281
99
55
Thanks flecc- I'll be reading up as much as possible but it's a whole new world opening up out there...I'll probably give the bike a once over check for adequate grease in the hubs etc. I'm looking forward to revisiting routes I've done over the years ("push bike" being accurate!) and now biking over them....I hate the purist nonsense about e bikes v non e bikes- if you hold that view then ditch your suspension, 36 gears and drivetrain altogether and go back to what the first "bike" looked like. I'm 50 and by no means over the hill but this will prolong cycling hopefully for decades to come and is very welcome....it's gonna get me further and faster and hopefully as you say- grinning at the end not grimacing!!!
 
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