trex

Outside the Single Market and inside the Customs Union is the solution that the government seems to be heading to, if they cannot negotiate a transitional period. What many leavers do not see is that Customs Union suits cheap labour member countries like Turkey and will cause many banks to relocate. Whichever way you spin it, the three brexiteers don't have much of a job.

the government still hasn't got a plan so what else can they say? official forecasts are gloomy.

no. A Bafang Max powered bike costs about $850. Woosh would have to sell it at around £1,400. Not their market. The current Woosh range uses already 5 different motors for different riders weights, Bafang 120mm SWX for lightweight, 160mm SWX02 for medium weight, 180mm BPM for the traditionally built, plus two crank motors, TCM for lightweight and GSM for heavyweight. I like crank drives but from woosh point of view, geared hubs reduce the support risks due to derestriction. The crank drive bikes can easily be abused through derestriction. a hub motor will reduce its output when you go over about 19mph. I would rather spend the money on mechanical components.

dev8h has tested almost all the Chinese geared hub motors in the European market. He's the motor expert on this forum. I tend to compare motors on published data. Climbing ability depends very much on the controller Amp rating. On steep hills, all motors will warm up. The larger motors have an advantage here. The maximum gradient that a geared hub motor can safely climb is roughly estimated by this formulae: Max gradient = 2 * controller Amp * battery volt / (bike and rider's weight in kg) The crankdrive motors can climb steeper gradient because of gearing.

that is the acronym for Big Powerful Motor, a class of 180mm geared hub motors for legal e-bikes. mind you, they are not particularly big or powerful but biggest and most powerful among legal ebikes. The best example is the well respected Ezee motors. The Bafang BPM is on the Big Bears. There are about 10 other popular brands but lesser known. They run usually with 20A controllers but can easily take 30A continuously.

that test isn't fair. the direct drive setup has 500W more and the gradient is within the effective working zone of that 2000W motor. If you lower the power of the direct drive to 1000W on the direct drive setup, it will stall on that hill while a legal Tonaro or a Bafang BBS or a woosh Krieger (TCM motor) would still climb it on throttle alone. Direct drive motors are good for speed but not for steep hills. Crank drives are good for both but you have to select the right gear and adapt your cadence. Geared hubs like the BPM are good for keeping to the same cadence (and heart rate) on any terrain.

you need tyres with puncture protection layer like Schwalbe Marathon Plus: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-marathon-plus-road-tyre-smart-guard/rp-prod24544?gs=1 The kevlar armoured tyres give some protection, mainly against potholes and glass, but not enough against thorns. You need extra 3-mm thick and hard rubber for that.

the independent has this story: 60 tory MPs signing a letter urging Mrs May to opt for hard brexit. They (those MPs) are as full of contradictions as ever. Those who vote for brexit need more free trade deals like a hole in the head. It's excessive free trade that is responsible for the disappearance of their well paid manufacturing jobs. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sixty-tory-mps-demand-theresa-may-commits-britain-to-a-hard-brexit-a7426811.html In their letter: “The UK is ideally positioned to catalyse a new global trading system which works for everyone.” Since when brexit sponsors like Bamford and Dyson worry about keeping manufacturing jobs in the UK?

it seems clearer as Mrs May prepares to trigger article 50 that brexit will not have a huge effect if and when it happens. I think the battle has moved on since Ms Gina Miller won her case. The current fight is whether we stay in the Single Market, if not, EU Customs Union. Anything harder brexit, parliament, the lords and second referendum will block brexit.

AKW's bike is quite nice really. Not long ago, the Marin Fairfax SG2 IG with Nexus-8 was on offer for £299. It's no longer on special offer but they may come back by the time you return to the UK. http://www.sunsetmtb.co.uk/shop/index.php?product_id=4801 Get a BBS01 with 15AH downtube battery from Woosh and an Suntour NCX SP12 seat post to complete, total cost about the same as the Big Bear, £1,050, but with Nexus hub gear.

yes, I agree. I think Chinese bikes are only competitive when costing under $700 ex factory, that's £1500 in the shops. Above that, savings on assembly in China become insignificant.

I'll ask Jim @ woosh if he can drop a hub gear into the Big Bear seeing that a few people may be interested. Here is how it's done on the Sunbear: the fixing is a clip. Note the dropout. http://wooshbikes.co.uk/2015/sunbear/6-800.jpg

http://inktank.fi/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/borishanging.jpg http://inktank.fi/n-countries-boris-johnson-offended/

by and large, customers are happy with the smaller ring on the Sunbear but a few pointed out that they could do with a larger ring, especially if they derestrict the Sunbear.

I only answer to a hypothetical question. The Sunbear is currently out of stock until probably July next year because of shortage of storage space. There is a demo Sunbear somewhere in Southend if the OP is interested when he comes back to the UK.