miker71

My bike replaced my car as local runabout. We were a two car family - now we have one car. The financial freedom of the ebike (after initial purchase) is great - I hope they don't become too popular else they may become viewed as a source of revenue to HMRC, beyond the VAT payments on associated parts. The freedom of riding on the road, or riding on the pavement, or through the woods, that's great too. I do have a longer term view of perhaps stepping back into the world of tax and insurance by getting an escooter in a few years once they've matured and gained longer ranges - I don't know what torque is like on those things either, I'd hate to get caught pushing an escooter up Portsdown Hill ...

This is all I know- Gocycle Chip Tuning Software - denmedia (see the last comment - google translate may be useful)

Had a similar experience myself, though a smaller thorn and a slow (overnight) puncture so I didn't realise straight away. This is a view from inside the kevlar tyre, the brown thorn almost centre of frame- http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6015/6194611010_c985d56409.jpg So, yes, I slimed it and all is well once more. http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/6194627630_537a99290b.jpg

I won't pretend I read the entire thread but I find the motion of interest. I think there'll always be a market for zero admin personal transport. That is, capital cost of the vehicle followed by no further direct payments (including low maintenance). The problem is, the economy thrives on taxes and service industry to churn money around (errr, yeah, forget the crushing global deficit for a moment as proof of how well that system ultimately hasn't worked) - so something that isn't taxed beyond initial purchase, low maintenance and street legal - the ebike. I was in the market for an e-scooter but the whole registration, lessons, road-tax, MOT, just put me off. I already know how to ride a bicycle and now I have one with a throttle without any hassle (nor the speed, but that's a compromise - and make no mistake I still use my feet to pedal!) If my personal finances ever recover I'd be in the market for an electric car. The whole EV category has the potential to be highly disruptive to established way of doing things. I think energy breakthroughs will be akin to breakthroughs in semiconductor technology - smaller, faster, cheaper, cooler. It's already happening with solar, though the efficiency is still pretty abysmal it has improved and may improve more with more eyes, more effort, more focus. Oh, and I noted RM AUCTIONS - an early car from 1884, capable of 38 mph, 20 miles on tank of water. Shift happens.

Pre-sliming and its equivalents has worked for me and my kids. We'd ride out in the woods and they would get a puncture (usually a thorn) every time until I treated the inner tubes. Personally I go for kevlar tyres and pre-slimed tubes when I can. It can get messy if you get a big split rather than a puncture. I've also seen tips about using a seat-belt inlay Seat Belt Bike Tire Hack - BikeHacks

Looks good to me. If I was in the market for an ebike I'd definitely consider it. I recently (within the last couple of months) got a black gocycle. Part of my rationale is that it's easy to pedal when the battery runs out. So although it has a pedal-assist range of approx 20 miles (which is quite low I believe) if I am caught short it's not a huge deal since I am reasonably fit. Before I got the Gocycle I did look closely at the A2B offerings but ultimately concluded that they were too heavy versus the range (on paper). I'd also want to know I could pedal the A2B up a hill with a depleted battery, and I wasn't sure I could. I'd class the A2B machines as closer to mopeds than bicycles. American muscle car vs European supercar. Both have their markets ....

If you use motor+leg power to get above the motor's top speed it does get noticeably quieter - but all the time it's "pulling" it is audibly whirring. If the motor is not engaged then it's as quiet as most other bikes. When in freewheel there is also some minor what I call "spoke noise" which I think is related to the gearing/transmission/disc braking mechanism - just reminds me of that "tink tink" noise my old Raleigh Grifter used to make when freewheeling IIRC ... but practically I never hear that when riding the Gocycle, only when getting it out of the shed and walk pushing it (same with the Grifter).

This video gives you an idea of the sound it makes- http://gocycle.posterous.com/gocycle-around-the-block-video People can definitely hear you coming if there's not too much traffic around.

I use my e-bike as a runabout so wear whatever I happen to be wearing. If commuting the 6+ miles into town then I will take a change of clothes, but still wear whatever I happen to be wearing when riding to get there.

I bought one of these - mainly because it makes a loud noise if tampered with. It's quite heavy to carry around in a backpack is the downside. Kabrus Alarmed Cable Lock for Securing Bike Bicycle Garden Gates Motorbike Bicycles Motorcycle Scooter Motorbike accessories / Secure Motorbike helmets with Alarm Coil Lock / Motorcycle spares / Bike Accessories: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

Bear in mind that the Gocycle is my only frame of reference for an electric bike. My purchase was based on research based on my own personal requirements (primarily to commute about town and light off-roading). Lightness was a big factor for me (so that I still have a bike in the event I no longer want/need an ebike), as was having a throttle. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Visually appealing (to me at least), comfortable, light. I would refrain from classifying this bike as foldable, and describe it more as stowable. I certainly won't be stowing it very often, but if I need to then it does compact down quite well. My first time using the throttle, put a big grin on my face, I suspect all ebikes will have this effect! There is no denying the Gocycle makes an audible whirring, which personally I find quite satisfying. It took me a few days to adjust the Gocycle to fit me more comfortably. I'm quite short. In doing this I did manage to shear a screwhead from the locking screw on the head nut. At least it sheared in the locked and adjusted position, but, really, it does make me wonder about the overall durability (I was using the supplied Gocycle torque driver). The magnesium alloy is cast in white - I know this because the black is easy to scratch and it's white underneath. Such blemishes do not really concern me, I always wanted the Millenium Falcon when I was kid anyway. If you don't want a bike that looks "used" avoid the black Gocycle! I got two punctures in two days. I changed the slicks for some kevlar based tyres. The new tyres add a few grammes of weight and additional all-weather tread but I have not noticed any perceptible drag. The Gocycle is quite well geared, with 3 gears. It could maybe do with an additional downhill gear because it very quickly gets impossible to add any meaningful leg power downhill. The Gocycle has a 34mm seat post so more standard 31mm seatpost mounted panniers won't fit. The Gocycle luggage arm seems to be a discontinued accessory. If you don't like conversations, avoid the Gocycle. Several people have made remarks about the Gocycle and struck up a conversation with me. Even hardcore cyclists who wouldn't be seen dead on an ebike are able to say good words about the design of the Gocycle. Seems to draw the BMX crowd too, I guess that's the 20" mag wheels. Although it seems I have listed a bunch of mostly negative observations, the Gocycle remains my day-to-day bike and hopefully will see me through many thousands of miles. I've experienced very similar durability issues on other pushbikes I have owned so I am not particularly put out by my current sense of how durable the Gocycle may or may not be - but have also marked it down based on how easy the black is to scratch. This is my first step onto a path that I expect to lead me to a full road EV (thus the requirements for throttle rather than only pedal-assist, etc). However, what I love about ebikes is the zero admin - no registration, no insurance, no tax etc.

A few more observations (honestly I will tie everything into a review sometime!) - The Schwalbe Marathons do not introduce any perceptable drag I could detect though the tyres are definitely a few grams heavier than the factory slicks. There's a USB port on the front fork. I don't remember seeing it until I swapped the tyres - which makes me wonder if a blanking plate has come loose and fallen off and now lost. It's very exposed to wet weather, even I know electronics and water do not mix! http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/5713660070_312b356aec.jpg Not sure why it took me so long to find this #gocycle USB port. Have I lost a covering flap?? by miker71, on Flickr I got around to riding the bike with the battery removed. Without the battery installed this is a very light bike, the vast majority of its weight is the battery - so I'm looking forward to battery technology improving and maybe some sort of weightloss/powergain upgrade in a few years (hopefully without needing to buy an entire new ebike!)

why not do both? i don't mind the trade posts so long as it is clearly signed as such. blogs can then be a channel for the featured products and brand awareness. i for one would stick them into my RSS feed aggregator. markets are conversations, after all

I'm at PO7

Last day of my commute today (I'm attending a course - exam today!) - it's been a real blast. Got some Kevlar tyres on last night, I'm not a fan of the slicks since I got a flat down a gravelly (and possibly flinted) off-road cycle path. Will find out today if the grip has an perceptible adverse affect on performance. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/5713736372_3308bf3b7c.jpg Schwalbe Marathon with Kevlar Guard now on #gocycle by miker71, on Flickr

Okay, this afternoon I planned to do a circuit up, over and around Portsdown Hill ... however things did not go to plan! Gocycle battery killer - Road biking trip | EveryTrail Check the stats profile where the blue line shoots up on the far right side, representing a gradient - the Gocycle began to struggle until I released the throttle and then that was it, game over! No way I could peddle the thing up this hill. (For the record, I have never taken my push-bike tourer anywhere near Portsdown Hill and don't intend to) http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/5707454352_43a71688ea.jpg Screen shot 2011-05-10 at [May 10] 16.41.31 by miker71, on Flickr Still, a nice ride back I intend to try this another day, without releasing the throttle no matter how slow the motor goes. Tomorrow I begin 3 days of commuting to Havant which is much gentler/shorter inclines.

When I was doing my research, the LifeCycle showed up on my radar for pure power/range: About The LifeCycle Electric Mountain Bike "it has the Hi Torque Xtension motor that is exclusive to LifeCycle. No other electric bike has this special motor. And this motor is powered by a Lithium 37Volt 17Ah Battery" HTH

It's definitely a hill I want to give the gocycle a work out on. I'm not sure if I've ever cycled anything up that hill, certainly the thought of pedal-power alone is a massive psychological barrier! I intend to go a few more places and record the metrics on Everytrail.com and then pull everything into a review as impartially as I can manage. Today I went with my daughter to Havant, I needed to figure out a route to Langstone Technology Park where I am attending a course next week - naturally I want to use my gocycle for the commute each day. So I used an iPhone app called Bike Hub to plan the route - following the route was challenging but did allow me to discover some cycleways I knew were around but never knew where there were. However, this took us off-road and as we approached Havant, I realised I'd got a flat!! Instagram This was slightly disappointing, but stuff happens. As far as I can tell, the inner tube is not kevlar or any such and there is no "slime" inside. Luckily there is a Halfords in Havant so I stocked up on inner-tubes and slime. Changing the inner tube was a relative doddle because it was not necessary to remove the wheel. I also managed to get the tyre off without my trust spoon handle. My daughter helped her old man pump up the tyres to a more conservative 40psi (previously it was at 60psi for maximum roll). Instagram Anyway ... For the way back I chose a road based route. Langstone Technology Park to Denmead - Road biking trip | EveryTrail - speed dictated by my 9 year old. One disadvantage I've found with the gocycle is it has a thick saddle post which means most seat-post pannier racks will not fit. A front pannier just seems weird to me. So, backpack for now ...

The BBC story is here BBC News - 'Range anxiety' may hamper take-up of electric cars On second viewing they do seem to be saying that an unquantified number of the 3000 electric cars on British roads have owners who are "anxious" about, say, doing an 80 mile round trip on a quoted 100 mile range. So, anxious like running you petrol tank into reserve, I get that. So basically there is an opportunity for anyone to resell their mains electricity to EV owners. It's not like the infrastructure doesn't already exist in domestic form, I guess entrepreneurs willing to resell their domestic mains power are not yet clued up about the government's delays (whatever the causes may be). And there's always breakdown recovery. Actually, that's one advantage of the Renault system of leasing the battery - you can swap it out in service stations, or your breakdown recovery service could change it at the side of the road I would expect. I agree that throttle-only EV range still has room for improvement, it's taken for granted that a petrol car will easily get you 500 or 600 miles on a single tank. I also think electric cars are too expensive, it's cheaper up-front to buy petrol.

I accompanied my 9 year old daughter to the sweetshop (I was on the gocycle, she on a cheerful kids non-electric bike) using pedal power only. No denying the gocycle qualifies as a heavy cycle, but I really didn't notice this at the low speeds travelling with my daughter. No problem bunnyhopping up and down kerbs (I've inflated the gocycle tyres to the 60psi recommended for maximum roll), I weigh around 14 stone for reference. What I wasn't prepared for - whilst I waited outside in my sandals, shorts and t-shirt a couple of young teen-aged BMX-ers struck up a conversation with me. They were very intrigued by the gocycle and despite the fact I told them it was not really a bike for heavy duty stunts their eyes lit up at the McLaren association and design pedigree. As an EV advocate and someone who understands how facets of marketing work, this kind of conversation is invaluable in getting EV mindshare. I saw a story earlier on the BBC website that people have "range anxiety" when dealing with electric cars. What utter bunk!

Here is the same trip, my very first outing on the Gocycle: Gocycle Denmead pedelec ebike - Road biking trip | EveryTrail It's 3 minutes quicker than my non-assisted Claud Butler Regent (20-something gears, I forget), but comparing the two profiles clearly shows the Gocycle is NOT geared for downhill acceleration. I was using electric assist sparingly other than on inclines. I also found the Gocycle needed some further tweaks, I was riding with the saddle too low and tyres under-inflated. So I will definitely be recording that trip again after adjustments. This is the first bike I've ever had as an adult with fat 20" wheels and I was pleasantly surprised at the human-powered pedal acceleration and excellent manoeuvrability at low speeds. One downside I fear is security - because the bike so easily disassembles I'd be nervous leaving such a conspicuous bike around a city centre out of sight for any length of time. I've purchased an alarmed lock&chain to counter that somewhat. Once I've ridden it about a bit more I'll give a more informative review.

Yes, I agree that test rides would be useful - but until pedelecs/ebikes get more mindshare leading to more marketshare it's a major mission for me to get to any dealer with stock (I realise there is ElectricBikeWorld.co.uk at Southampton and Cytronex at Winchester) - I'm really annoyed at myself for missing Portsmouth's Love Your Bike Portsmouth event last year when Gocycle were there (also a sponsor of the event). Anyway, the deed is done and I should take delivery of a Gocycle tomorrow. I have some longer term ideas around Gocyclocross ... Like most ebikes they seem to keep a decent re-sale value so if it's really not for me I'm prepared to make a small loss in the name of supporting British engineering (and partial manufacturing as I understand it). Certainly looking forward to ditching my cycle clips. I certainly intend to post my thoughts and a review after I've done a few of my 10 mile summer circuit on it. Denmead cycle 5 - trip | EveryTrail

Just want to say I have found this forum invaluable in researching pedelecs etc. I'm one of those 'casual' uncommitted cyclists who has recently ditched his car due to telecommuting and the fact the better half has a toyota lucida. Really interested in using a pedelec/ebike as the first phase of my transition of mindset to throttle controlled EV (ie, two or four wheeled EV capable of motorway speeds). But that's in my future. I guess what I'm saying is that I want to get used to plugging in my transport in overnight Although I telecommute, I do want the freedom a runabout can give me. Rather than a car, I figured I'd get an electric cycle and avoid all the admin and expensive maintenance that a 'proper' road vehicle brings. I live very close to the countryside in a somewhat suburban village called Denmead, about ten miles from Portsmouth. Things are quite hilly around here (close to the South Downs) and although I am reasonably fit and go around on a trusty tourer, I do believe I would go out more often and further afield with a little battery power to back me up on particularly steep inclines. I am seriously contemplating the gocycle despite the lack of enthusiasm for it here! There I said it. And if you think I am a design loving, Apple toting, lazy fool - well, you'd be half right