Westoe

If that had been me, the smell would have kept the cat away.....

Sometimes get that way myself. Cycle down to North shields Ferry and cross the river to South Shields. Up through Jarrow and pick the Bowes incline railway route at Monkton then all the way to Tanfield Railway. Back down through Sunniside and the Teams to the river and along the river to home. Nice ride especially down from Wrekenton to Lamesley where you can really let the bike go; but then it is a solid climb all the way up through Kibblesworth to the Railway. I will look out for you - nice video.

Not so much a pimped bike but one that has needed parts replaced apart form the 18t sprocket fitted pre delivery. 1. New 18t sprocket fitted by supplier - suits my riding style better on and off road. 2. New handlebar grips - ones supplied were damaged in transit and would twist under demanding riding conditions. 3. THAT SADDLE - had to eventually concede and changed it for a Maddison Flux same as my other two MTB's - oooohhhh that's better. 4. The Schwalbe Racing Ralph tyres supplied on the bike are not rated as ebike tyres by Schwalbe and after five punctures in the rear tyre in less than a week I changed them for Schwalbe Super Moto X tyres - which are no good in muddy conditions but magic on tow paths etc. 5. The magnet on the rear wheel would not stay in place and the display would regularly give me the error code 503 - changed for a new magnet, no further problems. 6. Rear Axle bolt would not stay tightened especially off road - new one fitted - be warned these are not cheap! 7. I have noticed both my Tektro brake discs are becoming rusty on a bike less than six months old - these will have to go. I have disc brakes on all my other bikes and none show any signs of rust. People say "great looking bike" when they see it but I must admit the shine has worn off the bike for me. I would definitely get another bike with a Bosch system but I doubt it would be another Haibike. Oh, and the computer unit release tab was also damaged during delivery - snapped clean off and only found some weeks later in the packaging. So one day I may have to replace the full unit - another reason I am thinking to change the bike, and buy from a local supplier this time.

I have been pondering over what type of clamp / bottle carrier I could fit to my Haibike which has no mounting fixings in the frame. I tried a clamp on type on the down post from the seat to the motor which I thought to be the best location on the bike but it was too bulky and held the water bottle too far off the frame; even made contact with the battery so it got used on my other commuting bike. I have however managed to get a solution:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Zefal-Gizmo-Universal-Bicycle-Water-Bottle-Cage-Mount-Black-from-10-to-60mm-/141641591865 These attachments enable a normal type bottle carrier to be fitted almost flush to the post. I had never seen this type of arrangement previously. this opens up the possibility of using the bottle fixings to secure things to the bike. So, for the small cost I thought - nothing to loose.

When I saw this I immediately thought - they cannot be legal http://ebike-mtb.com/en/first-look-haibike-sduro-hardfour-rx-and-life/ I am sure you have to be over fourteen years of age to ride an e-bike in the UK. Brilliant piece of kit though - no doubt some lucky lad/lass will find one in their Santa's stocking!

7.999 euros http://ebike-mtb.com/en/first-look-haibike-xduro-dwnhll-pro-and-nduro-2016/

I (tried to) purchased a set of new handle grips off the net from a company trading as BikeInn back in June and heard nothing until two weeks ago when I received a shipping tracker number via email. I had sent numerous emails asking what is happening before receiving the tracker and since, but as yet have received no replies. The tracker now tells me that they have tried several times to deliver but the consignee was not in and that the package has been delivered to a post office - what ever that means! The delivery address is a building with 24/7 reception and security in the middle of Newcastle and we get deliveries from all companies each and every day - no problem. I wish I had paid a little bit more and bought from a UK supplier - lesson learned. BikeInn is based in Spain and after reading some of the reviews about the company I would advise anyone to think twice before doing business with them.

Now that also looks to be something I could try - how much flexibility is there with regard to angles - can you adjust and lock at any angle?

Looks something like what I need - thanks for the reply

Anyone using a handlebar mount for accessories? Are they any good and if so which would you recommend. I want to fit my new lights in front of the Bosch display that resides in the centre of the bar.

Yes, Yes, Yes - showrooms in the sixties had that very smell - you just took me back 50 years!! My father bought Anothony Newley's Sunbeam Rapier when I was a young lad and that stunck of leather - and class. I would roll back those years anytime - great times.

20 days later and no problems. These Schwalbe tyres are perfect for the riding I am doing at present and have given me a lot of confidence in the bike again - I really enjoying getting out and about on these tyres. They allow the bike to roll with confidence and behave themselves even a in a downpour today - no problems. I still wonder why Haibike fit the Racing Ralphs when it is very apparent (to me) they are not are not up to the stresses of off road riding on a decent ebike.

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I have been keeping an eagle eye on the web for a bargain in the front light department for off road use and in preparation for the inevitable on set of the dark Autumn / Winter nights. I already have a cateye halogen bulb set from a few years back which was good in its day but is very bulky and needs to have the very heavy battery pack secured to the bike to work and is really only any good for commuting. So, I came across this offer....... http://startcycles.co.uk/smart-700-lumen-usb-front-light-lam700usb.html I bought two! after Jemma the young girl in the shop in Newcastle demonstrated how good the beam was compare to ALL the major branded names costing two to three time the price and boy were they bright in the shop. I put them on the bike tonight (simples) and have been off on a jaunt in a near by forest trail which is shady even in the brightest of sunshine and was not disappointed. Handlebar mounted they illuminated the full trail under the darkest of canopy and when we came home I had them on the lowest setting (210 lumens I think) on the road and you could see car drivers looking at them and not me - very re-assuring - and they are just great value for money; 1400 lumens combined for under £60!

Nice site with some info on the next generation Xduro models......... http://ebike-mtb.com/en/exclusive-haibike-presents-the-xduro3-collection-for-2016/