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.

Follow Me...................................

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/

Nice one Sherman. I have ridden around Koupio and Siilinjarvi areas of Finland and was there in June for a confirmation. Love the climate and the way the people want to talk to you in English - but hate the Finish Air force - the Mosquito - man the are viscous and seem to prefer the foreign blood.

Ferdinand - that is the type of entry barriers I have trouble getting through. They have a stainless steel side that is about 60 cm or so running around the frame at handlebar height making it very difficult to navigate your bicycle through the gap. To find the right width for my handlebars I found that laying a tape measure along the floor then getting into position to do push-ups with your left hand in the 1 - 10 cm range on the tape; your right hand will automatically go to the correct width for maximum power on a push up. The brain knows what is best when it comes to effort, strength and co-ordination - try doing a push-up with your hands too far apart - difficult to say the least if you try a few at a time. This width should also be the right measurement for maximum control of your handlebars as geometrically it should be correct for best control of the bar - hence mine being 60.6cm.

Since I got my Haibike back in May I noticed how wide the handlebars were compared to my other bikes. I had also had trouble getting the bike on to certain trails which had the metal "anti motorbike" style entrance having to almost dance the bike through them at a jaunty angle. After trying out some different hand positions on the bars and moving the brakes etc. I have been able to find a much better riding position and hand width on the bars. My standard MTB has a bar width of 50.6cm just within my shoulders and always felt a little narrow. My A2B Metro has a bar width of 60.7cm and handles and rides like a dream - even off road to its limit! I decided to trim 3cm off each end of the Haibike bar to a total length of 60.6cm which is perfect for my shoulder width leaving my hands just outside my shoulder when riding the bike. Riding on the road with the new bar width puts you in a more natural position and has made the long rides a little more comfortable. The bike also seams much easier to ride off road - and fits through the "anti motorbike" styles! - it makes me feel as though I am right in the middle of the riding experience and not having to hold a balancing beam which is what the ride felt like before. My arms are not as stretched which means I am not leaning forward as much and does make a subtle difference in the ride. Has anyone else tried shortening their bar width and found a difference in how their bike rides - I am very pleased (and relieved) with what such a small change has made.

Last weekend after doing a considerable amount of road riding I noticed the centre area of my rear tyre was worn down to almost 1mm of tread left. So after researching a few of the tyres other members had recommended I have changed my Racing Ralphs for a set of Schwalbe Super Moto X tyres which are ebike ready according to the Schwalbe site. As the greatest percentage of my riding thus far has been on road trail and old wagon ways I thought these would be a reasonable choice. I have not been disappointed as the ride has been transformed with the tyres adding a certain amount of comfort that was not apparent with the Ralphy jobs. A further bonus is the speed and range has definitely went up. I have smashed my previous best speed - without really trying and after 62 miles done today on road and cross country I returned home with still two green battery lights showing and 42 miles available on the range - amazing. I road the Racing Ralphs with 35 PSI and have the Moto's currently with 30 PSI front and rear. The Racing Ralph's have been retired to the garage and I will get a better set of ebike ready off roaders when I can afford them. The Moto tyres worked out at £16 each form Bike24 with £4 postage charge - http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;search=schwalbe+super+moto+x;menu=1000%2C2%2C103%2C317;product=101819 cheaper than anything I could get in the UK.

EddiePJ - I hope you remain puncture free!! One lad has a Nobby Nic setup the others are on Specialized set ups which I think are Panaracer tyres and the other has brand new Maxis Holy roller 26" which I wish they did in the 27.5" as it appears to be a quality tyre for the trails we do.

"I'm curious as to why you think that the standard tyre such as the Racing Ralph is not suitable for an Ebike." Well SRS, perhaps seven punctures (in two months) on my ebike appose to Zero punctures on the lads with normal MTB that ride the same routes. Hence I sort advise from other ebike riders on this site. It is Schwalbe the tyre manufacturer that do not list the Racing Ralph as an ebike suitable tyre on the Schwalbe web site.

Very interesting read there RobF. Racing Ralph is not in the Schwalbe list of their recommended tyres for ebikes with 27.5 wheel and others. As you quite rightly state this tyre is too light for an ebike and will be changed as soon as I can - probably after the next puncture!!!!! I really fail to understand then why Haibike fit them too such bicycles.

Blimey - 50 mph - you must be superman. I have a 18t cog set up on my Xduro and have achieved 35mph down hill flat out pedals spinning. The bike still handles well off road with the 18t. On the Bosch motor for every revolution of the pedal the inner cog turns 2.5 times so: 18 x 2.5 = 45T on regular bike 27.5(wheel size) x 45 (front cog) / 10 (rear cog) = 123.75 inches (as per regular chain size) X Pi (3.14) = 388.57 inches of wheel rotational travel for every pedal rotation. / 12 = 32.38 feet of wheel rotational travel / 3 = 10.79 yards covered for every one rotation of the pedals. So if 1 mph = 1.46666667 feet per second. 50 mph = 73 feet per second. 2.25 pedal rotations per second. An almost impossible (for me) cadence of 135 rotations per minute. I will be very interested to know how you get on - best of luck.

Thanks for the comments RobF much appreciated and, if and when I do puncture again I will keep it in mind to check the liner. Just for the record the Kevlar liner was manufactured by Panaracer. On the small strip that was left a friend and I could not push a pen knife through the material - it really is super strong. Out again on the bike today and stopped to assist a young lady who had suffered a thorn puncture along the trail we were on - and I did not get one!! I think my luck may be changing - touch wooden area on top of my neck... I am beginning to be able to fix a puncture in the back wheel in my sleep. The pollen was bad today though cycling through the fields along the coast - need a few beers to purge it from my system - sounds like a good idea.

Had to laugh when I seen this demonstration on the same tyre...... No coincidence!!