Reluctant-Cyclist

After much procrastination (mainly regarding spending twice what I had thought I would), I purchased the Gazelle Orange C8 from Take-charge-bikes (powarider ltd) in Woking Surrey. I wouldn't be able to recommend the owner, Steve, enough. Very helpful, nothing was too much trouble. The deed was done at the end of November last year, so I have had six months or so to form an impression of the bike as a whole. The finish is without fault, every detail has been thought out, you won't find anything badly made here! It comes with a fixed lock on the rear wheel. The removable key also fits the lock for the battery, which is located within the rear carry-rack. This bike comes with a full set of old-fashioned mudguards, which I prefer personally, The front light is mounted within the mudguard, and has a switch so that both the front and rear light may be turned off when not needed. The lights are powered by a front wheel dynamo hub. The rear light has a device which is charged by the dynamo, so that when the cycle is stationary, the light stays on for a while ( a very nice safety feature, over the usual dynamo lights I have been used to!) Suspension front forks, and a sprung seat post take out the worst of the craters in the roads in my area of Surrey, while the Schwalbe Tyres have, so far, proven to be puncture resistant. The eight speed rear hub has proven to be more than adequate to the daily commute to work, sometimes, but not often, I have wondered if another top gear or two wouldn't go amiss, but it has been just a passing thought rather than a major irritation. So, What's it like to ride? well I have to say that all the heart ache over parting with twice the money has resulted in getting three times the bike I think I would have got if I'd spent less. I opted for the step-through frame as per my good-lady-Wife's suggestion (this poor old boy finds swinging his leg over such a tall cycle damn near impossible these days due to back problems...) The riding position is excellent for me, and presumably for others with dodgy backs, real old-fashioned sit up and beg, no hint of a forward lean, and the saddle, as supplied has proven to be pretty comfortable over longer journeys. As for the crank mounted motor, it has performed superbly! It is controlled by a switch on the left-hand side of the handlebar which allows you to change between three levels of powered assistance, Eco, sport and power. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't tried them all out and ended up with a huge grin on my face in full power mode, but 99% of the time I keep it in eco mode. At present, the "Gold" battery lasts for a week of toddling to and from work in Eco mode, so that's around 35 miles of urban commute (one very unpleasant hill and one not-so-bad to climb each morning) carting my 15 stone of prime manhood about (if you believe the bit about prime, then you're just plain bonkers) Would I recommend this bike? Hell yes, if you want a superbly built daily road-bike so you can leave the car at home, then do have a look at this make. they really are worth the money!

Well, I've been out and about and have tried a few bikes now. By far the most upright and comfortable has been this Gazelle with the impulse, mid-mounted motor in a 61 cm frame. My good lady wife suggested that a step through frame might be better for me, and she is (as ever) completely right. Steve Mills of Powarider Ltd ( Take charge bikes ) in Woking was Kindness itself when we rocked up to his shop yesterday, and despite his just coming back from the NEC show AND he isn't supposed to be open Mondays, took the time and trouble to explain a few technical issues to us. I'm awaiting further details before making a decision. It's not a brand I'm familiar with, but the build quality seems superb, it is, however, about £700 more than I said I wanted to pay!.

Thank you for your reply! Having spent a small fortune on Osteopaths and suchlike over the years, I can say that cycling seems to do me/ cause me less pain than going to them! However the consensus is that remaining as active as I can will be better for me in the long run. I can't swim (far too painful) and going to the gym is a waste of time (can't do much when there) so it seems that a couple of bursts of 20 mins excersize each way will do me the most good, get me to and from work, and save money in the (very) long run. I will away and look up Cyclezee now. Ta very much for the tip.

I had posted this in the intro section, and was advised to post here, by John Cade as it might get better responses. I was also advised that giving a guide to price range might be wise. I was kinda thinking around the £1000 to £1300 mark. The bike will be used pretty much always on the road, but might go for the odd wander along a local tow-path or two. The journey to work isn't long at all ( about 3 miles ) but does involve an 'orrible hill from the start, then a slow descent into town, with a final hill to finish. Going home is a breeze, apart from the slow war of attrition to get to the top of the original hill!................. Good morning/ evening/ or night (Depending when you read this) or just plain "Hello" I think it's about time I bit the Bullet (or Battery) and threw my leg over an electric cycle. Up to now I have been using a standard Bike, but certain health issues dictate that if I want to continue to reluctantly "enjoy" the health benefits of cycling, I'm going to need occasional help up some hills! To put you in the picture, I'm a 51 year old male, I'm 6'2" tall, I have two damaged lower spine discs and associated problems there-of, I have had one heart attack (due to a change in medication). I haven't used the cycle much this year due to the ongoing pain that it causes. This is, I believe, due to the strain it induces in the lower spine, and I think that some assistance might help. I have been reading through the back postings on this forum and there is a huge amount of information, too-much, almost! so I throw the question into the ring (As many have done so before, it seems) "What bike would you suggest I look at (keeping in mind the factors mentioned above) and the fact that I might want to purchase said machine from a company that might do Finance. I had looked at the Giant twist lite 2, but this seems to be now out of stock. I also read about a Whoosh big bear (?), but I didn't see finance payments offered, also, there wasn't a local supplier (near Chertsey in surrey) So Guys/ Girls whatcha think?

I'll give it a shout in that part of the forum later. Thank you for your reply.

Good morning/ evening/ or night (Depending when you read this) or just plain "Hello" I think it's about time I bit the Bullet (or Battery) and threw my leg over an electric cycle. Up to now I have been using a standard Bike, but certain health issues dictate that if I want to continue to reluctantly "enjoying" the health benefits of cycling, I'm going to need occasional help up some hills! To put you in the picture, I'm a 51 year old male, I'm 6'2" tall, I have two damaged lower spine discs and associated problems there-of, I have had one heart attack (due to a change in medication). I haven't used the cycle much this year due to the ongoing pain that it causes. This is, I believe, due to the strain it induces in the lower spine, and I think that some assistance might help. I have been reading through the back postings on this forum and there is a huge amount of information, too-much, almost! so I throw the question into the ring (As many have done so before, it seems) "What bike would you suggest I look at (keeping in mind the factors mentioned above) and the fact that I might want to purchase said machine from a company that might do Finance. I had looked at the Giant twist lite 2, but this seems to be now out of stock. I also read about a Whoosh big bear (?), but I didn't see finance payments offered, also, there wasn't a local supplier (near Chertsey in surrey) So Guys/ Girls whatcha think? Thanking you in advance, Graham