JimB

Bikes finally arrived last Friday and been out on them twice this week - 16 miles of pretty flat trail then another which was cut short when, after a rapid ascent of the steepest slope I've ever cycled up, my bike stuck in its lowest gear and started flashing it's one blue eye at me - well the 'Harmony' controller actually. Pedalled a couple of miles back to the car with cadence of about 200! If all else fails RTFM! But with three of them and over a hundred pages I'd missed the simple instruction to hold down the 'harmony' selector for 5 or so seconds to enable the system to calibrate itself which it did when eventually back in the home street. First impressions are - GREAT! Easy to pedal with zero assistance, extremely quiet and no messing around with gears (apart from the above). Only done 4 miles with heart rate monitor but first impressions again are excellent. Was going to do a longer solo run tomorrow with more demanding terrain but Matt from 50 Cycles is coming over to fit a replacement controller on my wife's bike as the original arrived with a cracked casing...but hope to assemble enough info for a more detailed (if somewhat non technical) appraisal soon. Jim

Only a few days to go now I'm told. Jim

Not much use to you yet Dave (as usual) but I've got a couple (Nuvinci Harmony) on order from Kalkhoff and have just been told I (we!) should have them within 7 days or so and weather permitting I then hope to engage in some serious testing. Having the benefit of having two batteries should allow me the luxury of being able to test range in various conditions without having to risk cycling up Peak District Alps without power - at least until the other half discovers she's got a new bike in the garage! Jim

Nice one Alex! Only trouble is.......gave away our push bikes and still no sign of the electric ones! Jim

This is the one I have; Atera STRADA DL 2 to 3 bike carrier (UK lights) no. AR2602. ...which does exactly what it claims. I see they have one promoted for electric bikes now; Atera STRADA E-bike 2 bike carrier (UK lights) no. AR2686. ..which looks exactly the same as mine but probably can't be extended to 3 bikes (not that you would try to put 3 electric bikes on the back!). Easy to fit and remove and will tilt back easily even with the bikes on to allow easy access to the boot. Click through to the fitting video. Jim

Check the 'C' description. A 20C battery can be safely discharged at up to 20 X it's nominal capacity and a 130C at 130 X. So a 5000mAh 20C pack can deliver 20 x 5 amps = 100 amps and the same capacity 130C could deliver 130 x 5 amps = 650 amps. The higher the 'C' rating the higher the performance of the cells (in theory at least) therefore at higher cost. Jim

It's Severn Trent Water who control that. It is indeed a fabulous cycling area; Peak District Cycling Hub Derwent, Cycle Hire Centre, Bike Routes The information Centre there is run by employees of Severn Trent Water who may not be personally motivated to respond. There is also an established bike hire firm on the site of the main car park (Fairholme); Derwent Cycle Hire: Peak District National Park Authority JimB

Alex - I love gadgets and learning how to do 'things' but I have to say that reading your on-going story of this project usually depressed me as I could empathise with your frustration. I am pleased to say that I also empathise with your obvious relief that the job is finished (apart from some tinkering) and quite justifiable pride in what you have achieved. Fantastic! JimB

Gee whiz Alex, this looks highly impressive! Does all this stuff require any cooling? Jim

Me too! JimB

Trouble is a pound of olive oil holds about 3,620 calories. Unfortunately 'health' and calorific values are not always good bed fellows. JimB

But if you've got the 'Think Bike' sticker on your car Eaglerider it's OK....it's like having the habit officially on prescription:cool: Some thoughts on the Pedelec badges; e-bikers do it with batteries! AC/DC e-Cyclist unplugged For some areas of the North - e-up me duck e-bikers keep going longer! Maybe not:eek: JimB

A couple of weeks ago I went into James' in Chesterfield and found they had 3 / 4 Trek / Giant e-bikes. When I asked if they had any details about them the reply was 'no mate, it's on the web site but best go to the manufacturers site and have a look....' And retailers winge that the internet is killing their businesses! I ended up doing a 400 mile tour in the car to have a look at some. BTW, I know it's true about Yorkshire complainers - I worked in Sheffield for a number of years...and even worse have to watch 'Look North' for local news! Welcome to the forum by the way. JimB

Sometime just after the middle of the month I believe. I'm champing at the bit! Jim

Nice one Alex! Lidl and Aldi do various types of polycarbonate sports sun glasses as part of their offers. Aldi had simple ones in last week @£4 or thereabouts and I bought a couple of pairs. If you have an Aldi handy it might be worth a look to see if they have any left. They are not large items and are a comfortable fit. Jim