Wingreen

Many thanks for your reply. Very useful. And thanks for the tips re the alternatives, I might well take a look.

Apologies - I wasn't implying that GPS on a smartphone wasn't free - I had no idea whether it was, or it wasn't. I just wanted to put in "(free)" re the Mio in case there was any confusion with that approach/device. Anyway, thanks for the info re the GPS being free on smartphones. That will certainly encourage me to explore the other options.

I'm with you on this one Chris. I plan a route (I use RouteYou) then download it onto my Mio Cyclo. The Mio is then fixed to handlebars and, using (free) GPS the Mio shows me where I am and flags up next turn etc etc. If I wander off the route (following my nose as it were) it''ll take me back to the nearest point of the original route, if I want it to. Of course, it does other things too. I think its a case of "each to his own". If it works for you, why change. If it doesn't, there are lots of options flagged up in this thread that can be explored.

But making and receiving phone calls not listed?! (OK, OK - those would be covered by "it can do a lot more than that", I know). Looks like I will have to explore a bit more of modern technology!

Some interesting ideas here. I'm sure there are lots of options (and more being developed as we speak). Excuse my ignorance (I'm no Techy!) but wouldn't something on a smartphone potentially be "chargeable" (Don't laugh if I've completely lost the plot - I only have a basic mobile phone!). The Mio Clio can be bought for under £150 (with no running costs) so it wont break the bank and it has a very interesting feature - press a button, tell it how many miles you want to travel, and it will work out three different circular routes of that distance, each of which will bring you back to wherever you are at the time.

I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts and experiences on Sat Navs designed specifically for cyclists. I currently use the Mio Cyclo and have found it invaluable. (Also can work as a car Sat Nav - to get you to the start of your route). The one I have is the Cyclo 300, which I think Mio have discontinued but can still be purchased new if you look around. Its been replaced by the Cyclo 305, which is similar to the 300 but with, I think, a slightly bigger screen. (And, no, I'm not working on commission!)

Hmmm, I guess the frog battery isn't one that is used much in the sort of bike I'm looking for. I think I will bite the bullet, and go for something completely different (I'm thinking Woosh's Big Bear!)

I have been using a folding e-bike for about 18 months but now want to add a non-folding bike to my collection - and one that has more power (for hills) and more Ah, for distance. However, I want the option of changeability between my current bike and the one I will buy - which means I am looking to buy a bike that can use a frog battery, as this is what my folding bike uses. Thanks to help and guidance elsewhere on the forums, I know that a more powerful frog battery has implications for my existing bike - but I can deal with that. So.....just wondering if anyone can recommend a non-folding bike that costs less than £800 and which uses a frog type battery?

Many thanks for your help.

.....but I should have asked, will "any" 36v charger do, as long as it has the right connection/fitting? Or should I be getting one of a particular type? e.g. I've seen one described as "36v 2.5A DC 42V 10Ah"

OK. Thanks for that advice

Great - thanks. Its obviously going to be a matter of "giving it a go" - which I'm happy to do. I suppose knowing how much charge is left (as I cycle) isn't a make or break issue - but I might look into the £3 voltmeter, which, presumably I can fit onto the bike so I can monitor the situation as I cycle. Having said that, the frog battery I currently have has a button on it that I can press to get a rough idea of how much charge is left. I did forget to ask whether the charger I have for the 24v battery would also be appropriate for a 36v one?

PS: I should probably add (unless its obvious) that its the type of bike where the power only kicks in when you are actually pedalling (and switched on!)

Thanks. See attached. Hope that is what you were looking for - its the only "electrical" bit that is on the handlebars

Very many thanks for your reply. The LEDs being on all the time would be a problem (I like to know how much life there is left in the battery as I'm cycling). Presumably the best option would be to change the controller which, hopefully, is quite straightforward. Is there any way I can find out whether my LCDs are "dual voltage"? (And what is the difference between LED and LCD?!) Finally, my ideal would be to have a situation whereby sometimes I could use the original 24v battery and sometimes use the 36v. Is that realistic (sensible!) - even if I I change to a 36v controller and ensure I have a dual voltage LCD?

I currently use a Frog battery, rated at 24v, 8.5Ah. I'd like to use a more "powerful" battery. I'm thinking that a 36v would give me more power (for those hills!) and a 10Ah would give me more "fuel" (I could go further). However, I'm not sure whether a straight swap would be possible. I wonder if any experts or more knowledgeable people here could advise. Are there any risks/problems? Are there likely to be upper limits on the Voltage and Ahs I could go for? (Apologies - new to Pedelecs and I originally posted this in the "Electric Bikes" section but, on reflection, it probably should have been posted in the Technical section)

Based in North Wales and currently just on a (cheap) Tesco Shopper e-bike - although not much shopping being done. I use the quiet lanes in and around Anglesey in North Wales, usually just doing 20 mile loops. I have set out many of these routes on the RouteYou site, which are available to download as gpx files. I personally use a Mio Cyclo cycling gps gadget to find my way around. Link to my area of RouteYou follows (I hope!): http://www.routeyou.com/en-gb/user/view/183700/wingreen.en

I currently use a Frog battery, rated at 24v, 8.5Ah. I'd like to use a more "powerful" battery. I'm thinking that a 36v would give me more power (for those hills!) and a 10Ah would give me more "fuel" (I could go further). However, I'm not sure whether a straight swap would be possible. I wonder if any experts or more knowledgeable people here could advise. Are there any risks/problems? Are there likely to be upper limits on the Voltage and Ahs I could go for?