Jeff Mowatt

I can vouch for the 8 speed hub on the Kalkhoff which seems problem free. I've shredded one or two derailleurs over the years and there's no gear change urgency in the kind of cycling I do. I've read here that the Kalkhoff impulse has a firmware upgrade which improves hill climbing performance but other than taking mine to Loughborough, haven't been able to get a response on how to get the upgrade from 50 Cycles.

Hi All, I took delivery of my Agattu C8 HS in March 2012 from 50 Cycles Reading Tim's account of the firmware upgrade in May, leads me to think that this is something that hasn't been done on my bike. If not, how can it be done? Jeff

For my 2012 Agattu, the velcro attached pannier from Lidl was satisfactory for me. Jeff

Thanks guys for the info, As I was in the local town today I took the wheel with me and they found me a Kenda which was more suitable as an off road tyre. At 700 x 38c a little wider than the original.and surprising good uphill on damp grass I just discovered.

According to the Kalkhoff website, the wheel size is 28" for this bike, a C8 Impulse HS That's all it says.

Thanks both, There are several widths I notice with 700c tyres, going up to 40c. Can you tell me which is suitable for the Agattu and can a wider tyre fit the same rim?

I've been thinking of changing them since delivery. For some of the grit and stone tracks here in the Forest of Dean they're not entirely suited. I was a little disappointed on delivery that they were so narrow for such a sturdy bike. Had an inner tube burst on me today on rough ground and I was wondering if anyone could advise on somethin more robust with more grip on the treads. I think the rims are 700c. Jeff

Thanks flecc and funkylyn, This big German bike reminds me of my own 'Inbetweeners' holidays. People would walk up to me, with my red face and start conversations in German, to the amusement of friends. The bike should suit my image.

The brakes are very good Before buying, given my weight of 110kg, I felt that a bike like this should have disc brakes and was deterred from buying until realising that the hydraulic brakes fitted were far superior to what I'd been used to with cable brakes on my budget priced Schwinn mountain bike. A couple of years ago, it was riding this old bike which made me realised something was wrong. Cycling about 4 miles uphill I'd needed to rest repeatedly and eventually realised that my health was failing. I was diagnosed with leukaemia a few days later. Fortunately there are some excellent treatments nowadays and within a few weeks I was able to get back in the saddle, though recently a relapse means I have to change from the drug I'd been. So the pedelec is for me, something of a distraction that will give the opportunity to get outdoors, away from inward thoughts. Something for my mental as well as physical well being. Given the current circumstances, I won't be testing the bike to the limits of its range but no local hill, so far, has defeated it. At 6ft 1in I chose the 55cm frame. It's big. I had to lower the saddle to be able to reach the ground comfortably and it won't go lower. So trying for size would be a good idea, if in doubt.

Yes, on Impulse :-) Though a long considered impulse. The battery showed full charge in less than two hours. I just took it for a short spin to get the feel. Very quiet I thought on the power assist.

The sight of a TNT van made me a little apprehensive, but it was unharmed as far as I can see. Its the Agattu 8C HS to be specific and with 5 lights on the battery I guess I'm ready to go. Looks pretty sturdy and well put together.

This is a question about cycling in general. The area in which I live has a great number of tracks, some are are part of a designated cycle route and a considerable amount of funding has been put into developing these. The problem is that while this serves tourism well, the locals who have need for a safe cycle route to the nearest town have been somewhat neglected. There is a railway track but this one is used by a historic railway organisation, mostly in summer and on weekends but with few journeys overall. Clearly there's a safety issue if shared use was possible, no doubt requiring fencing. The railway however have taken a non-cooperation stance, which is to say that it's against rail regulations. OTOH, they've recently received a sizeable grant from RDPE via the local council who are asking them to produce the evidence of these regulations. I'd like to know from anyone out there if there's a precedent anywhere for shared use of the space alongside railway track. Jeff

On being blackballed You are right Alex as I know from personal experience. I run a business which uses profit to fund humanitarian projects, a social enterprise and our work focusses on Eastern Europe where we began challenging corruption with an article about children in institutions. Ukraine: Death Camps, for Children [July 1 UPDATE] | Maidan Howls of denial were followed by ID impersonation and claims of drug abuse and child molestation. A smear campaign has been hosted on Google for the last 4 years claiming we aim to steal aid funds by hoaxing an humanitarian crisis. We've made progress however, in spite of the smokescreen.

Petitions to 10 Downing Street A reasonable idea Hermit if I hadn't had a bad experience At the risk of going off topic on my own thread, here's what I petitioned a while ago, before the credit crisis Petition to: Pay on Time. | Number10.gov.uk Clearly I did request something and it seemed a rather strange response, until I read of a new scheme from Lord Mandelson shortly after, which as we now know didn't work. Jeff

GPSies site Another more complex site which seems to have the ability to plot one's own off road routes: GPSies.com - GPS, Tracks, Strecken, Touren, Konverter: Wandern - Walking - Laufen - Inline-Skating - Cross-Skating - Handbike - Fahrradtour - Rennrad - Mountainbike - Motorrad - Enduro/Quad - Cabriolet - Auto - Skilanglauf - Ski alpin - Skitour - Sch

An interesting chance find today, that's worth sharing. CycleStreets: UK-wide Cycle Journey Planner and Photomap A useful feature, I thought, was the ability to save routes as KML files for Google Earth, making them shareable. I'll be back with one to share. Jeff

Sustrans A good idea Flecc, thanks.

Ah Yes TT Thanks Alex, Yes I'd forgotten them but have to say that my last post on their forum about another matter seems to have been the last contribution for many months. Actually I run an organisation which does campaign on sustainability issues, albeit more focussed on economic issues. P-CED :: Sumy I've been building a site for our local parish plan, so that could be something to sit alongside the campaign for improved local broadband and social enterprise for instance Parkend & Whitecroft Community Plan :: Social Enterprise Jeff

Here in the Forest of Dean where old rail routes from the coal mining past have been turned into cycle paths, some are rather disappointed by recent news. There's to be a £500,000 investment in developing a bridge and car parking facilities around a cycle centre but locals involved in the local community plan where there's a need for safe cycling routes to a local town feel neglected in that it does nothing to address the need expressed by many residents, for a route between the town of Lydney and nearby villages. To provide such a route would also mean a link up between commuter rail services and the tourist track, for incoming visitors as an alternative to encouraging cars into the cycle centre. I'm now thinking of where might be best to try and raise a petition about this. Any ideas anyone?

Agattu Classic vs Front Hub Is there an advantage in this new F model which appears to have a torque sensor on the pedals yet power the front wheel? I guess the experience of starting off on a steep hill and flipping over backwards may be a risk with too much power on the rear wheel. Perhaps another consideration for off road use, for better control on slippery surfaces? Any thoughts? Jeff

Thanks guys Thanks all for the responses which would seem to be pointing me firmly toward the Augutta or similar from Raleigh, for the suspension feature. Another quick question as I'm unlikely to try before I buy. If I measure the frame of my current bike from under the crank bearing to the point where the seat pillar is inserted its about 57cm. Is this the way that frame size is determined? Jeff

Hi all, I'm in the Forest of Dean where we have a lot of off-road gritted tracks. I'm using a hybrid non-electric bike now, which is good for exercise but hard work as I've rocketed up to 17st since stopping smoking. I'd like to extend my range and comfort . I look at all the Kalkhoff models on 50 cycles but nothing indicates which one might best suit my needs, or indeed much difference between their respective specs with the same motor and battery. I'm inclined towards hub gears for simplicity. Had the use of a Currie Izip a while back, which is pretty basic in comparison I know, and though it could climb with a combined weight of 150kg, for example 550 feet over 2 miles, that would just about flatten the battery, and me. Jeff

Thanks Tony, they both look better quality than the original Jeff

I shredded these this morning as they collided with the spokes of the rear wheel. It's a 7 speed Shimano SIS unit which looks fairly normal and the unit fits directly on the IZIP frame with a threaded bolt. Can anyone advise whether I can substitute any directly connected 7 speed derailleur as replacement? I don't seem to be able to find the identical unit on the web anywhere. Jeff

Stopped a year ago Age 57 and cycling but became aware of my lack of fitness when moving to a much more hilly area. That and general concern for health persuaded me.