Beach

http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Electrics.png Hi Shemozzle, Yep. I was able to use your link, (with diagram), to confirm that my machine has got both the updated controller and the required two wire ignition setup rather than the older three wire arrangement. OK. 2011. That means my own machine might only be a couple of years old! I don't think I'll investigate Eva's age any further. I've established she is the newer, more recent edition of the Euro and that is good to know. As for the sensor test results ... The machine appears to be fine. Full lights indicate all is well ... I'm sure. And ... the reason the third LED, 'C', dims is because it represents the throttle. It dims or blinks when the throttle is activated just to show a user that the self test has acknowledged the command from the throttle. (That is my guess anyway). The first LED, 'A' represents the pedals in the self test and also stays lit ... until the pedals are revolved ... and then, as an acknowledgment of that action, the self test dims / blinks that LED representation. I'm guessing that if there is a fault with any aspect of the machine, (Battery, motor, throttle, etc), then a user wouldn't get the all clear with all LEDs blazing and there might not be a reaction, (a dimming or blinking) with a faulty component. That must be why the manual relates a problem and recommends a solution, (i.e change the switch, change the battery, change the throttle), if a light stays on.

As of today, being of aluminium construction introduced in July 2005, Eva could not have been any older than 8 years, 6 months and 27 days! Furnished with the information from Shemozzle regarding her self test components, the fact that Eva can self test herself at all does mean her maximum age can now be reduced downwards to between 5 and 6 years. (The self test feature not coming in till 2008). Do we have the actual date or month the self test, (new circuits?), were introduced? Do we also have the date when Powabyke ceased manufacturing the Euro?

Good evening, Shemozzle, Yes. I'd read about the incompatibility issue with the ignition and upgraded controller but would never have thought to associate that snippet of information with this current issue so thank you for the information. I'll need to straighten the sensor disc, (check that the sensor disk wobble isn't caused by the crank wobbling itself), and then, after testing, I will know if I have solved the problem. If I haven't, I'd need to investigate the ignition to see if I do have the right wiring arrangement for the right ignition type. Close inspection of the Powabyke label covering the electronics panel reveals that the corners of the label have been lifted ... presumably to gain access to the screws to remove said panel. I'll not get involved with the controller / ignition switch options yet though ... Self test With the ebike's stand perched on a huge volume of Encyclopedia Britannica, the front wheel was in the air when I did the self test. I held the throttle fully open, switched on and the red LEDs rippled up and down on the control panel three times and then the the bottom two, (lower left), lights stayed on ... as did the top three lights, leaving LED three off and unlit. From left. (Capitals =ON. Lower case =OFF). A. B. c. D. E. F. This is with the throttle still full on - but after the test, when I release the throttle, LED c turns on so I get A.B.C.D.E.F Ah. The Powabyke document I am looking at regarding self testing procedure, explanations and diagrams is for the 24 speed Commuter, a subtly different version of my own machine. Does that matter? Are the testing procedures the same? Matt Farlane's instructions / explanations regarding the LED options is very ambiguous. I'm a clever chap and assume a full set of LEDs on, (after removing my hand from the throttle), after the self test is a good sign ... though LED C goes out when I twist the throttle open again! What do the test results mean? Please enlighten me, Shemozzle.

A close friend of mine, and the guy who fabricated most of my metal and stainless steel prototypes during the R & D phase of my former business, is a genius with stainless steel, having built up quite a lucrative customer base with the RIB, (Rigid Inflatable Boat community) ... and other customers and businesses. It has crossed my mind to ask him to create a new frame, in stainless steel, to enable me to build a sand bike version of my current machine with the spare wheels and battery pack I have waiting for such a project. I could use a beach ebike version normally to motor to a favourite beach, leave the battery pack with a friend, (or bury it in the sand or shingle), and then allow the fat tyres to take me over actual sand and shingle by normal human pedal power. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/PlannedBeacheBike.jpg A naked, stainless steel Fat Sand Bike version of a Powabyke Euro. After cycling several hundred yards to my favourite bass or rock fishing location and enjoying the experience, I'd expect to cycle back along the the shore, reclaim the battery pack and motor home again. Stashing the battery pack isn't even an issue because most of my angling and detecting locations are devoid of humanity anyway and very few folk venture far off the beaten track along our coasts so security or fear of anyone stealing the lumpy battery pack is not really an issue. I'm in no hurry anyway. I'm still euphoric and excited contemplating introducing Eva to my summer coastal haunts! :-) Can't wait ...

I very rarely use internet links on posts but I'm tired and it'll give me a chance to test another feature on the Pedelec text editor. If it works, this link will show you the kind of look, (and eBike), I'd like to create using a Powabyke frame. Well. I included a link but my post ghosted out. (Perhaps because I linked to a commercial site). Just google "Sand bikes" or "Fat sand bikes" and soak up those amazing, fat sand bike tyres! Awesome. Eh?

Re your minor surgery comment. What an intuitive thing to suggest, Shemozzle. With further inspection, and no online feedback regarding the matter of the correct manufactured angle of the sensor bracket, (Perpendicular, at 90 degrees to the frame or angled at 19 degrees), I've reached a conclusion myself. I feel that the bracket may well have started life at 90 degrees ... and think it has taken a knock. It must have been a fairly hefty one to bend such a short, stubby component. Why do I think this? Well. Having tinkered with the slightly out of true sensor disc, I've discovered that it has no more strength or integrity than a tin jam jar lid and, further, I have discovered that the disc, while firmly and mechanically secure on the chainset, can actually be shifted along the axis away from the, (bent), sensor and bracket ... by between 5mm - 6mm. Not much of a gap, we might ponder, but with the disc aligned back to this possibly original position, the bracket and, more importantly, the sensor could reclaim its possible true alignment without the threat of the spinning magnets hitting it. Lastly, on detailed close inspection, I've discovered that the so called 19 degree angle of the bracket is actually a less severe angle of, perhaps, only 7 or 8 degrees, (mostly), but with just the tip of the bracket twisting the extra degrees and visibly showing as a more severe angle. Put succinctly, (a discipline I'm not very good at adhering to), if I shift the sensor disk by 5mm outwards towards its left hand pedal, the sensor bracket might be straightened and then I could address the out of true aspect of the jam jar lid of a sensor disc. I presume the bracket may be aluminium and prone to crack or break off if bent back without some care and consideration so I'll be chatting to a steel fabricator friend to address that issue. Mistake Until this post, I had been describing angles using the percentage sign, (%) rather than describing them in degrees! Sorry about that.

As for the serial number. On my machine, it is situated on the front of the frame just below the handlebar stem. It reads P26SXXXXX followed by 5 numbers. (Last 5 numbers replaced with crosses here). Will the P or the 26 or the S or the five additional numbers help me pin down a date of manufacture?

I do like your suggestion(s), d8veh. :-) Thank you for furnishing me, (us), with your thoughts and diagrams. I'll read and absorb the information again in a minute ... just as soon as I've posted these words! You've possibly hit the nail on the head re the sensor disc alignment. At the very least, you are echoing the same thoughts I had written earlier! (Below). ---- Right ... (Written before d8veh replied). Sensor Arrangement We already know the orientation and arrangement for the sensor assembly on my particular machine. The sensor cable presents horizontally and connects to a similarly horizontal, external, sensor that senses spinning magnets on sensor disc. Note. This arrangement is different than the photo in the Powabyke technical manual which depicts a cable entering the centre of what I describe as the crank housing situated right underneath Eva's belly. Uninspiring smartphone pic, (below), shows Eva's belly with horizontal, external arrangement of sensor assembly without cable entering up in to the crank case. That fact should aid us in establishing Eva's age. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/5Evasunderside.jpg The following pic shows the general arrangement. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/1Sensordiskarrangment.jpg These next two images show the, perhaps, suspect mechanical alignment of the sensors disc. In one revolution, the magnets get as close as 1mm to the sensor head for half a revolution but produce a gap as large as 3mm in the other half of the revolution. Oh ... and just to confirm ... all of the sensor disc magnets are present. None missing. I wonder ... I'm starting to get a warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy! :-) I'm guessing that, perhaps the low speed turning of the pedals produces enough of a signal for the sensor disc, via the magnets, to intermittently sweep past the sensor head, (for at least half a revolution), and, at such a low speed, that action happily prompts Eva with a spike of voltage to encourage her to start her motor when pedaling above 3.3kph ...or when pedaling backwards. BUT Once the machine starts to roll more than an initial 3.3 kph, perhaps the magnets spin too fast to maintain a 100% constant contact with the sensor ... and poor Eva loses all contact with reality! A bit like her owner does sometimes! :-) The pedal assist feature may be failing simply because the sensor disc is wobbling and not aligning correctly enough to sense the magnets. Certainly not at speed. How could it? Their magnetic influence is more than 3mm from the sensor head for 50% of the time they are orbiting the sensor head. It is raining cats and dogs here so, while I might ponder straightening the sensor disk, I won't be testing the mental though experiment just yet. Anyway, I may be wrong about the whole premise of my tentative conclusion. Time for a cuppa. UPDATE. Yippee! While I had been preparing and writing the above text, d8veh had already thought a similar thing as me regarding the 1mm contact and sensor / sensor disc integrity. And thank you, shemozzle. I found your suggestions and links very useful. You also, d8veh. The variable throttle suggestion will be followed up. Thanks. I haven't rectified the power assist issue yet but feel hopeful that a straightened sensor disc may resolve the problem. I'll update this thread accordingly, if or when I can confirm the issue has been rectified.

Good morning, Shemozzle, Thank you for your comments and advice. You are just in time for a game of Spot The Difference! http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Dualsensorpics.png I'd found what I thought might be a possible cause for my pedal assist issue... but eventually thought myself back out of the idea. I had noted that the bracket the sensor protruded through, (pic right), was bent by 19% compared to perpendicular ... but assumed it was supposed to be perpendicular and a neat 90 degrees when originally fabricated. "Is that how it is supposed to be?", I pondered. When I created the 3D model, I assumed that the bracket was perpendicular and depicted it so in my original diagram. (In yellow in the left hand image above) ... but I was not sure. Anyway, as I had stated earlier, the 3D models and images, while useful, needed to be viewed as art ... even though I'd tried to create them to within a couple of mm of accuracy where I could. Responding To Your Comments In a moment, I'll bring Eva into the kitchen, inspect her, take some photos and get the serial number from her base. I'll also try to age her ... though would welcome any additional hints and tips regarding manufacturing date if members have such information to share. I am only going from memory but I believe I read somewhere that there was a change of sensor location at some point. Don't quote me but I'm vaguely remembering that older Powabykes have the sensor entering right underneath and into the crank via a rubberized sleeve as seen on page 5 in the first PDF Euro technical manual you kindly directed me to. (I'll explore the other links in a little while). Eva's sensor, (as originally shown on this page), does not follow that protocol, instead it pokes out the side of the crank to acknowledge the spinning magnets on the sensor disk as they pass by. And forgive me. I incorrectly showed the original technical line diagram of the sensor / sensor disk misaligned! I've corrected that now, (below), just in case a member assumed, from the original pic above, that the sensor / magnets were as far away from each other as my first, wrong image suggested! Amended, accurate depiction of sensor. (Below). http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/REVISEDDIAGRAM1Sensorsideon19degrees.jpg Procession Incidentally, I note that the sensor disk revolves with a procession that wobbles just a tad coming to within 1mm of the magnets at its closest orbit and only about 4mm away at its farthest orbit. This means the magnets, under their current arrangement with the 19% angled sensor bracket does appear to be correct because, if the bracket was to be realigned perpendicular at 90%, the sensor would strike the rotating magnets themselves when the mechanism was in motion. Eva's Birthday? In July 2005, Powabyke apparently began manufacturing the Euro with an aluminium frame. Technically, in everyday situations, aluminium, like copper, isn't regarded as being magnetic though, in physics, every element of matter becomes magnetic when placed in a strong enough magnetic field! Eva's frame is not magnetic in the regular, traditional sense so I'm assuming she was born after July 2005. Right. To the kitchen for an inspection. Back later.

Fascinating thought, d8veh, and no doubt do-able ... but I am in no hurry, (personally), to dismiss the actual battery pack, (and SLAs), because the very weight of the whole machine is a fundamental requirement for my own, individual lifestyle and needs. Eva is probably the same weight as a lithe, petrol moped ... and that fact suits me very well because it means that I don't always get an easy ride, (pun intended), or rather ... I need to work and exercise and apply myself diligently when cycling, (rather than motoring), with her ... or when shifting, pushing or generally having anything to do with interacting with her when she is not under harness. Keeping fit matters to me. I've discovered, joyfully, that I now get more exercise with my eBike than I have ever done with my mountain bike, primarily because, instead of dismounting when facing impossible hills, I find myself still aboard ... and still pedaling! I take your point though ... and yes, she would still be an awesome and robust carthorse ... even with some TNT sticks of lipos in the battery compartment ... and it is encouraging to think she might improve performance as you suggest. That does sound like something I will need to consider. ... but not with Eva. I'll possibly pursue that with Eva's sister! As I've just related above, all I need is another Powabyke frame and I can create a second, lightweight, leisure version. (I already own all the fundamental spare parts to create a new one). I hadn't considered your option. Rather, I had considered how I might meet my ultimate dream of actually traversing, not just the coastline roads and paths, but the actual shingle and sand beaches themselves. No. A heavy Powabyke will not cross pebbles, shingle and soft sand but ... having used the battery power pack to arrive at a destination, there is nothing to stop me removing the pack and venturing onto a beach without it. For example, a girlfriend of mine lives one minute away from the steps leading down to one of my favourite bass fishing haunts. My pack would be safe until I returned to collect it. Remember the opening first paragraphs of this first, original post?? I wrote; "Each morning, wherever we are on this spinning rock, nature delivers us a brand new sky and we have an opportunity, maybe even an obligation, to make the very best of such a gift. Sure. We may not always see the world that way but each of us have interests, passions or objectives to fulfill, even if that thing called life sometimes gets in our way or threatens to stall or halt our immediate plans or aspirations every now and again. Holding a dream or goal or some obscure desire to accomplish something, (aside from some hard wired instinct of nature), may be considered to be a unique human characteristic, though perhaps it is the raw, driving force in every living thing on Earth. Whatever it is, it is fantastic when such things are realised." One of those dreams, d8veh ... Heck, one of the most important of them ... was to imagine and visualise actually doing, on an eBike, what I had often done on my regular mountain bike ... but at greater distance - with wider scope, especially where fishing, photography or metal detecting was concerned. My second Powabyke will have fat, low inflation, (capable), sand bike tyres and it will enable me to actually navigate the very fabric of the beaches I currently walk, cycle or drive to. The difference is ... once I arrive at a beach location, the heavy battery pack, (with batteries), can be discarded, (temporarily), and my weighty eBike immediately becomes a Sand Bike! And the space the battery pack took up? I'm already creating a tackle box, (using thin marine ply), to nestle in the same space the battery pack occupied. After experimentation, a final tackle box will be created from glass fibre matting and resin. Haven't got time to create a special image of a sand bike version here and now but we already know what a Powabyke looks like without its battery pack. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Sandbike2.jpg The former battery pack space becomes a resource, a place to install Thunderbird Two style pods like ... for example, a custom made tackle box, additional tools, yep, extra lipos, or, in my own case, an advertising medium to promote my services! OK. I'm settling for tackle box for now but ... a Powabyke just screams out to be modded! :-)

http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Moneyshot1.jpg I like to create 3D photo-realistic art. This is Eva although she is far from finished! Life In 3D ... With A Technical Query I did promise to upload a thread relating to my first real adventure with Eva, the preloved but newly acquired Powabyke Euro I purchased last week but, before I entertain you with such flowery prose and mischief, I need to call upon the Pedelec hive mind to ask for some technical guidance. Truth is, the two posts, when viewed side by side, will relate to each other because the original purpose of the first foray out into the wild hills of my glorious Jurassic Coast, was to tax my machine to within a hair breadths of her life ... and, yes, though we ended up facing mortal danger together, we did both eventually return back home with honour, dignity, limbs and components intact. There were issues though ... Well. One main issue but then, that was the purpose of me caning and disciplining her so fiercely. I mean ... I had to ... I needed to ... establish what my little pony could handle, cope with and ... endure. So ... for now, I want to address something you folk will already know as pedal assist. Pedal Assist A Powabyke Euro has two ignition settings. a) The first click of the keyed ignition provides power via the throttle once a speed of over 3.3 kph is achieved via routine pedaling. (The feature kicks in even when pedaling backwards). b) The second click of the keyed ignition provides power when pedaling is constant but the power ceases the moment pedaling stops. I'm presuming option a) allows for unfettered, constant power no matter what the rider is doing and that option b) intelligently saves the motor, (and batteries), from being taxed when a rider is choosing to cease pedaling. (Freewheeling). I say presumably because I have yet to experience Eva intelligently gauging my own input or lack of input. I therefore assume, as valiant as she has been, that there is an issue with either the pedal assist sensor or the ignition associated with option b) i.e Pedal assist. A Technical Aside I've familiarised myself with the sensor arrangements but include my own diagrams and 3D images to show the sensor set up just in case some members are unfamiliar with the mechanism. I enjoy playing with photo-realistic software and animations, such pursuits being a hobby of mine though note, while the whole thing is just about to scale, my Powabyke 3D model should be viewed more as art rather than being 100% technically accurate! Here is the sensor, (below), highlighted in red. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Powabykesensor.jpg Here is the sensor disk, (below), also highlighted in red .The round components are magnets. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Powabykesensormagnets.jpg Here is a cool image of the chainset / sensor assembly, (below), showing the magnets on the disk. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Chainwheelandpedals.jpg ... And here is a sexy, full frontal image of the sensor, (below), highlighted in yellow and juxtaposed with the sensor disk http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Powabykeviewofsensor.png My Thoughts / Queries The first click of the ignition works fine. I mean, sure, I can start to pedal, (above 3.3 kph), and, on throttling up, the motor kicks in. The second click of the ignition ... makes absolutely no difference. (It delivers exactly the same function that the first click offers. There is no intelligent feedback between Eva and I ... meaning she just doesn't know whether I am pedaling or not! Bad Eva!!!! Deduction Now ... One of my 'Heroes of History' is the philosopher Socrates (He died 399 BC) ... and Socrates, while never ever having written anything down, is attributed by Plato to have said that "The answer to a question is often found in the very question being asked". If I apply that maxim, I can deduce that the actual sensor, (highlighted in yellow above in pic 4), must be working, sensing the revolving magnets in the sensor disk ... or, otherwise, Eva wouldn't know to start delivering power once she sensed that she was travelling at more than 3.3 kph. The actual sensor must be working just fine ... mustn't it? Therefore ... I'm assuming ... I'm guessing ... that the problem must lie with the ignition switch, not the sensor assembly! Yeah. I know. I could have just asked a straight question like, "Why doesn't my pedal assist Powabyke Euro actually pedal assist?" ... But where is the fun in that? :-) Seriously. I need the issue resolved. I pushed Eva for 10+ miles outwards and upwards the other day, including tackling a couple of really long 11% hills and, (according to Google Earth's statistics), a section even steeper still AND, instead of turning back from my planned destination to complete a taxing 20+ mile round trip, I chose to drop down 587 ft to sea level, return via a crumbled, potholed tank track running parallel 20 yards to the sea, (for a couple of miles), before climbing back up to the high coast road ... though eventually feeling Eva start to hurt and wilt ... as dusk beckoned ... still 5 miles from home. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/zSolgoestobed.jpg I captured a wonderful sunset ... but was nearly stranded far from home. Had I had the benefit of true pedal assist, I feel I would have made the journey home without having to nurse the pair of us the last couple of miles. She still supported me, though. I was able to pedal and freewheel back down long stretches of the coast road, giving her batteries a rest, and she carried her own weight via her throttle during the one time I had to dismount up a final steep hill, (just a couple of miles from town), before she rallied and took over again ... finally bringing me home with her last few brave, courageous volts. Is the sensor suspect or failing? Is the ignition likely to be the problem? Your thoughts, comments or wisdom will be appreciated by both Eva and I.

Hi Eddie, For sure! As I stated earlier in this post, I used the collective experience of Powabyke owners on this forum, (and the positive comments of other contributors here), to do my own homework before determining that a Powabyke Euro, or similarly styled Powabyke Commuter, would meet my needs. (I decided I didn't need the fuss or complication of the Commuter's extra gears). I needed the hill climbing grunt. I wanted a robust machine ... and I just loved the design of the thing. Actually. Your comment about holding a desire to own one as a keep forever eBike allows me to correct something I stated earlier - and it might encourage you to seek out a mint machine yourself. Earlier, (during this thread), I said that the average price of a Powabyke Euro was around the £350 mark. Let me correct that comment. The average price I've seen, as a wish or hope by those selling them, is indeed around that figure BUT, of three mint looking Powabyke Euro's I watched last week on eBay, one sold for £150, one sold for £215 and the other, (a 21 speed Commuter), sold for £300.50. Another tidy 'Spare or repair' model reached £103.99. My memory isn't serving me so well at the mo but I think that machine needed new batteries. (Pause) Yep. Just checked. "Batteries not taking a charge". Nevertheless, that too would have probably become a desirable commodity, (for under £200), allowing for the expenditure on brand new batteries. Collectable ... and built to last. I'm delighted with mine ... and, with the spares I got with it, (Both spare wheels and a spare battery pack with spare batteries), all I need is another Powabyke frame and I could build a second one! :-)

Hi Scimitar. Thanks for calling in. :-)

Fabulous dwelling, Flecc. I love the quirky, ancient stairs! :-)

Hi Dynamic, Hi trex, Yep! I'm a genius :-) and yep, as either a fixing, fastener or anchoring device, the thing can be configured in a hundred ways for a hundred or thousands of applications. ... but give me a break, guys. I still own all the worldwide patents, the tooling etc etc but ... it damn near destroyed me and I simply will not allow the thing to manifest anywhere in my world again. Find me a deep enough hole and I'd throw the whole venture down it. Yes. Of course I am proud of it, as a device, as a mechanism and a technology ... my technology, and sure, as it's father and creator, I'll never stop loving it but ... I don't need conversations or suggestions as to it's commercial worth. It's like kind of raking over hot embers that might re-ignite and burn me. That memory. That aspect. That side of it hurts my head and makes my heart feel heavy at the very contemplating of the subject. I'm being gentle and respectful but ... I'll pass on any more queries or questions ... cos otherwise, it'll distract me from more worthy thoughts and or pursuits on here. My profile pics are quite ambiguous and only really give a hint that I am or was a 'successful' inventor. (Most never make it). That was fine and, anyway, I always show that sort of material on my profile. Heck. Why shouldn't I? I've done something cool ... but I never, (normally), actually discuss it online. (I did state to Neptune that he must have caught me on a good day ... ) Less of the 'retired', Dynamic. I'll have you know that I am still a fit, youthful 50 something!!! Ha ha.

Hi Wissy, I'm, no doubt, smitten and bias in regards to the charms of 'My Little Pony' of a Powabyke and obviously, already, have a soft spot for her ... but yes, I feel she is old enough, in years and with regards to posterity, to be viewed in some nostalgic way ... Obviously, time and technology has marched on but she still performs the job she was created to do, extremely well, and could now even be described, design wise, as having a cool, retro look to her. And, like a VW campervan, she radiates the promise of being able to deliver adventure, happy pursuits and good times!

Hi Jimod, Of course you are right regarding the 'making time for stuff' and, as I related in my comment(s) to a8veh, it was wrong of me to make such a judgmental, crass comment. I'm sorry if I offended or rattled others with my insensitivity. I apologise. Good evening, Ken, Ken wrote, "Being able to easily tackle any hill led me to lots of places I hadn't been since my childhood. Old schools. playing parks, reservoirs etc" Well, Ken. Today, I followed and pursued exactly that philosophy and stretched Eva and myself to the point of delivering the pair of us to the absolute outer edge of our West Dorset playground. I'm saving the details of this afternoon's adventure for a fresh post so won't reveal many details here but, put it this way, I found myself so off the beaten track that I started to have serious concerns about my welfare! Set off at 1pm today with specific dreams, objectives and goals ... to learn just how far my new cyborg, man/machine body and mind could reach ... and have only just made it home. I'm in one piece but feel a bit like the protagonist in "The Truman Show", having now explored up to and beyond the physical limits of my Brave New (Pedelec) World. Post to follow ... once I have processed the adventure, photos and overall experience. Well trex. Yes, I suppose you might describe the device as a latch and that is one of its features. Here is one embodiment of my technology that meets your latch description. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Latch.jpg The gravity fastener has a blade that temporarily dislodges the ball when it is introduced to the chamber, temporarily knocking it aside. The fastener with the hole in its centre then fully engages and the ball is then able, acting under the influence of gravity, to drop back into the hole, fastening, anchoring or securing fastener in chamber. To remove or unlock the device, all that is required is a mechanical, (or other means), to temporarily nudge the ball away again ... and the fastener can be removed. I developed the idea after remembering how folk used to catch monkeys in the wild. They would put fruit in a hollow tree and wait for a monkey to arrive and discover the fruit. The monkey would put it's hand in the hole, grab the fruit ... and then its balled fist would be too big to come back out! The Greedy Monkey would refuse to let go so ... it was trapped! In my products, the fruit is represented by the ball. The monkey's hand is represented by the Gravity fastener ... and the hole in the tree is represented by the Gravity chamber. Catching monkeys and starving them of water, was a great way of finding hidden springs in the wild. On releasing a parched monkey, tribal folk would then follow it ... knowing that the monkey would lead them to its own water source! Aesop told a similar story 2500 years ago regarding the 'boy and the filberts. The little boy tried to steal nuts from an open necked jar and, as with the monkey, once the boy grabbed his prize, he too fell under the same bewitching spell. In Caribbean countries, mothers warn their children about 'not being greedy' and relate the same Greedy Monkey story. The moral being, try to grab too much in life can leave you with nothing at all. Quite poignantly, (and ironically), it was my striving for success with my Greedy Monkey universal mechanism and manufactured products that eventually resulted in my losing all I ever held dear in this world. Anyway, thanks for taking an interest, trex. Good to read your comments, flecc. I'm cheered to learn that you are familiar with Dorset ... and, yes, although tourism is one of the life bloods of this little county, it can still seem a double edged sword. We need the trade and revenue this jeweled chunk of England brings in but, well, I growl a bit when I step out into the mayhem of our Saturday market and have to walk in the road simply to be able to avoid the throngs of visitors cramming our pavements as they shuffle, quarter normal walking pace, 5 abreast, mooching about the town's street market stalls or pointing and ooh-ing and ah-ing My cottage is down a 17th century passageway. The alley is quite dark but, from the street, tourists can see beyond the passage to the explosion of flowers I grow at the top end of my 165ft garden. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Montagegardenjpg.jpg It is a regular photographer's trap. They see the vibrant, rich pastel colours of the flowers juxtaposed against the ancient flagstones and the dark alley and feel compelled to take pictures. A couple of years ago, I wandered out from the conservatory to my newly laid patio and found a Canadian couple setting up a tripod and camera equipment in my garden! Basil Fawlty style, I hollered at them with a ... "Would you like some sandwiches perhaps ... or some jam and cream scones ... or will you be settling for a cup of Earl Grey???" I sound terrible, don't I? I'm not though ... and, as you may have already worked out, I hold an almost psychotic love for my fabulous, quirky little town and every last inch of its history, geology, topography and environs. As you rightly point out, off season is incredible. I sometimes cycle ... Hah, I mean I used to cycle, (traditionally), to Eype beach in the autumn, to seek out the last of the bass before they sulk off to deeper waters offshore and I'd not see another living soul. Actually, even in the summer, Eype beach maintains that kind of remote magic because it is not even very populated then ... aside from when the schools break up ... or when we are having a particularly blistering hot season. Incidentally. Today, in planning my adventures, (as is my habit and way when communicating on a forum), I specifically had you folk at Pedelecs in mind ... so prepared accordingly. I took with me a regular digital camera, my trusty Huawei smartphone camera and a further Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini smartphone camera, to give them a technical workout and to be able to furnish a future post with images for your entertainment. And now, after having a cuppa, I shall drop into euphoric, creative mode and craft a thread for you. It is my intention to be far less verbose in the next original post. The idea will be to tell a story in pictures ... but I can't guarantee to keep my enthusiasm in check! I will try though. :-) I'm aware that, while I may hold a passion for such distractions, not everyone might share that view ... and maybe such self indulgence is irritating to others more interested in discussing the technicalities and mechanics of the hobby or pursuit. We know the golden rule of internet communication though, don't we? If you don't appreciate a thread, (or poster), just pass it by! :-) Thanks Jimod, Ken, trex and flecc. Time to put the kettle on.

http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/perigreemoon.jpg West Bay. West beach on the rare occasion of a perigee moon. (A Supermoon). It only happens once every several years but this is a photo, a quite unnerving photo, of West Bay ... experiencing a massive, uncharacteristic, really, really, really low tide. (Way lower than regular spring tides). Somewhere inside my mind I was thinking ... "It isn't going to turn into a Tsunami, is it?" Hey ... Hi Kenny :-) Thank you for your super acknowledgements. It is really nice to learn that you are enjoying the posts. Mmmmh. I have an inkling that I'm more likely to be a passing meteor burning bright for just a few short days rather than finding myself in some permanent orbit here. But who knows. Have a great evening. Kenny. That's nice, flecc. Hi d8veh, Well. With our shiney new twin piers and the curtilage of the harbour greatly extended, the Bay is even more of a pleasure or treasure than it was before and the increase in the number of bass fry, (who have now adopted the outer harbour area as a nursey), probably means that the overall bass population should steadily rise over the next decade or so also. Currently, Chesil beach is giving up the odd double figured cod, I say currently, I actually mean 'as of a couple of weeks ago' before the devastating floods, storms gales and rain hit us. It is probably fishing even better now though, after having the seabed churned up this last week or two.. My goal, over the coming months, is to fish, record, photograph and write an account of the first several miles of the Western end of Chesil as viewed from the eyes of the wandering soul persona I shall need to adopt for the role. Would not ... could not even attempt it without my eBike. Ha. Anyway. I should stop broadcasting the merits of my own unique part of West Dorset. I get frustrated with the existing teeming hordes of summer visitors as it is without inspiring or encouaging even more of them! "Move along please, nothing to see here!" :-) -- Yes, I like those old Powabykes too! :-) So much so that I remained determined to specifically and exclusively track one down! Those are some impressive figures, d8veh. Here are mine! Well ... in a minute or so. Aside from tinkering with and rebuilding a little generic Chinese eFolder back in November of last year, I had never ever as much as looked twice at an electric bicycle, let alone ride one. I rebuilt that Chinese thing with a secondhand ... was it anM109 motor? Can't remember and am not going to Google it ... It was a round, black 250W motor thing anyway. I bought a couple 12v 4.5ah Lucas SLA's off the net. I sourced the controller and ethrottle thing from China and, Bingo, in next to no time, the scrap of rusty red ejunk I had bought from the guy down the recycle centre, (the tip), had become a pure, well, artic white folder with two black wheels! I rode it twice ... around a public car park ... and then I parked it up at the bottom of my Zen garden ... which is where it calmy resides and will reside for the foreseeable. The new machine? I've ridden it three times so far. 1.A trip to the the wild downs and cliffs. 6.2 miles. 2. The 'motor test' down to the Bay and back. 4.23 miles. 3. A 1.1 mile trip there and back to a supermarket.. 12 miles. It is fascinating to ponder though, that the eBike is merely the facilitator of my, already fully formed ideas and aspirations. She is merely the hammer that drives home the nail of whatever dream, scheme or adventure I may be on. --- Yes. I'm sorry if I offended you regarding my 'persistent poster' comments, d8veh. If I'm truthful, which of course I am, I can admit to being a bit of a PP myself in the past, though on serious or philosophical web forums, (not on niche sites like this), and I was possibly a pain in the **** sometimes, dashing to every new original post or thread to comment ... to spray my literary musk all over it ... just to let folk know, (or to remind them), that I was still there. And yes. I used to boast about how many Serious Stuff or Forum threads I had posted and actually played the game of ensuring 'Beach' kept his threads popular and in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at all times! Sad really. It is a kind of 'big fish in a small pond' syndrome ... and yes, I have had that ailment myself! :-) But hey! At that time, several years ago, even the wheel had fallen off the cart I was going to hell in and I guess the forum feedback (and online company) was a kind of therapy of some sort. Actually. For me, this is quite a novelty. A niche interest for sure ... but the very nature of the cyborg type machines we use and have a common interest in, does allow for a broad church of chat, conversation and debate. Hi peerjay, Thanks for looking in. :-) Good Evening, Dynamic Position, Yes. 100%. You are absolutely right about the Powabyke. I do indeed see it as being a sturdy, robust steed. Yes. It had to be able to carry beachcaster, spinning rod, all the tackle, my food, water, etc and, yep, at least one of my detectors. And yes, further amendments are planned. A 5 bolt, 40T chain ring will be added behind the existing ring to enhance the gearing for a calmer, less feverish 'on the flat' pedaling experience. So far, a quick release bracket for my digital cameras has been added ... and security, aside from obvious visible deterrents, now also includes smartphone / internet security. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/DSCF4578.jpg Ha ha. Gravity ... And to address neptune's query as well ... No. My own technology his nothing to do with zero point. My devices and manufactured products simply utilise gravity to create a variety of ground based, wall based and overhead fixing, security and / or anchoring devices ... via the use of just one moving part ... Typically, a stainless steel ball although the ball could be soluble, activated by solenoid or WiFi control or by any number of additional means. Depending how a system or product is needed, the device(s) and the technology can be configured for just about fastening, anchoring or security situation. Feel free to peruse my American patent, (XXXXXXXXX), but be warned, you have to scroll down quite a way before the patent begins to use real English. Ha ha. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/patx.jpg And ... please appreciate that the diagrams are just that. They are there to furnish the (granted) American patent. Technical drawings. That's all. Sorry. Changed my mind re my patents. This Pedelec site throws our posts out publicly. I'll happily throw up one patent diagram, (Part of the UK patent - above), but not the full document. I'll show you an actual product instead. (Below). http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Prototypes/render-44.jpg Garden ornament style invisible, tamper-proof security system http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Prototypes/render-83.jpg Same basic Gravity product but now configured as post system. http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Prototypes/render-63.jpg Cutaway to help folk get there head around my simple but ingenious technology! :-) There. I have NEVER responded to unsolicited requests to see or discuss my patented technology so you must have caught me on a good day, Neptune. Seriously. Remember what I wrote above? I mean ... That Thing ... That technology just about destroyed my happy, perfect little life ... and has near put me in a box. I'm proud of the technology and obviously feel comfy enough to relate aspects of it, (and aspects of my life also) ... BUT ... it's my Frankenstein. It is a monster that never quite leaves the room. It "effed" me ... yet, in so many other ways, it still kind of defines me. Now please promise me ... No more questions about That Thing. Hi trex According to some, the 11 dimensions needed to make one of several embodiments of string theory work, (in part), suggests that, yes, we could have other universes, (including microscopic ones), right here, right next to us ... just as we already have thousands of radio waves right here, next to us ... String theory requires the concept of extra spatial dimensions to exist but the philosophical theories of the subject remain a complete dog's dinner at some levels so insert however extra spacial layers you like in place of the 11 I have quoted. A quick look online quotes 10 ... and then 5 ... and then ... Ha ha I often go to sleep with a podcast of quantum theory, string theory, astronomy cast or something equally fascinating whispering in my ear, (that stuff or just a good old fashioned recording of Coast2Coast), and find myself being mesmerized to sleep by the baffling, almost impossible to comprehend ideas involved! :-) Thank you, EddiePJ, Yes. Already, I feel my task is nearly done ... having, (I hope), re-animated and redeemed the good name and reputation of a fine, valiant, and I could almost add, loyal little electric bike that we should all respect as a true classic example of the genre. Like the Mini or VW Campervan, I thing the Euro, (and the near identical looking Commuter), deserves to be acknowledged for turning so many folk on to the pursuit. Right. That's me done. It's raining cats and dogs here in West Dorset. Thanks for the comments. Over and out.

That's lovely of you to say, DC. Thank you. :-) I do have quite a list of topics and threads I have wanted to present ... but had been unsure just how well my particular style of communication might go down. I'm an old hand at internet rhetoric ... though none of us can expect to cater for all tastes so ... DC. I really appreciate your comments. And thanks, d8veh, Geebee, Cyclezee, and Mike also, for contributing to and sharing my Brand New Sky. Beach

I should call you "Neighbour", John! :-) Yep. The machine is perfect for me. Meets all of my particular requirements. The test I did by just throttling to West Bay, the harbour and back, without offering or helping to pedal was one experiment but I plan to venture along Chesil beach to a location called West Bexington, a fab sea fishing venue ... in fact, one of the best in the country. I caught a 12lb 9 oz cod there, (38" long), when I was a boy! The beach at Abbotsbury, a mile further on, (about 8 miles from Beach cottage), is more of a challenge though. To go by road involves riding up and all the way down a huge hill ... but there is a crumbled concrete tank track between Bexington and Abbotsbury running parallel with the beach, (laid down in WW2), so I may attempt to avoid the huge hill by, instead, navigating the tank tracks at sea level get to Abbotsbury. And that is the point ... These things are easy by car ... but the whole idea of doing stuff 'off road', well, that was always part of the dream of owning and using an eBike. I work for myself. That means I can drop everything and head to the beach just as soon as the word goes out that the vast shoals of mackerel are hitting the beach.

http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l572/On-The-Beach/Useme.jpg Here she is. (I actually took these photos with the intention of presenting them on this forum). Is that a tidy PowaByke or what? And just look. She carried me the 500ft uphill ... through rain sodden fields and all! And you see the beach below? I catch bass and mackerel from that shore ... and the cliffs below are teeming with giant starfish fossils and similar 400 million year old 'stuff'.

Ha ha, very funny, DC. No ... but I guess the concept isn't quite so wacky these days! Maybe, in about 60 or 70 years, we'll start to feel the discomfort of having to support the billions of us ... with oil running out ... and then we'll start to hurt. Folk talk about 'alternative green power' taking over but there is no way on this Earth that any other current commodity can deliver the 600 'man hours' of labour that 1 gallon of that rich black treacle delivers! I'm feeling quite smug though. Apparently, Eva will deliver me 20 - 30 miles on about 5 pence of electricity.

Thank you for the welcome, Mike. Yes. Correct. Powabyke Euro ... in pristine condition. The important thing to bear in mind is that, partly by trawling this very site over the last several months, I kind of organically came to the decision that the Euro would be a good choice to assist me with the hills of West Dorset. Could have bought any number of machines off of eBay or Gumtree but ... reading the comments on this very site ... I came to learn that PowaByke would deliver the torque and grunt to meet my specific needs. Average price of a decent Powabyke Euro on eBay? They tend to sell for around the £300 mark. I got mine from an elderly gent who had looked after the machine lovingly since new. I bought it for ... £150. But that is not the whole story. The gent also gave me some spares. Powabyke front wheel, (Motor) Powabyke back wheel. Both wheels with kevlar tyres. Plus ... spare battery pack complete with batteries that have not yet died! The other batteries in the actual bike being about a year old. All that, Mike, for £150. And she is fantastic. Just as many, if not most of you folk on here, said she would be. And sure. The big battery pack makes the machine a bit quirky looking, (though the whole pub I frequent thinks she is amazing), ... but, I'm a bit quirky also, (and I'm an inventor), so ... Ha ha! Sure. I'm quite defensive but ... I mean, the machine performs fabulously, and more importantly, she meets and exceeds all of my personal requirements. I live ONE MILE from Chesil beach, the fabulous Jurassic Coast. I have some of the most fantastic scenery and some of the best sea fishing spots just a few minutes away. You can't imagine the fun and adventures me and Eva are going to have! :-)

Ha ha. Thanks Cyclezee. :-) You just won't believe it. I mean ... I had so many amazing plans, you know, for when I actually got my eBike? Her name is EVA. I call her Eva because I have a smartphone based personal assistant, (superior to iphone's SIRI), and, mated with an app called 'MapMyRide' on my Android phone, Eva, (my virtual smartphone assistant), logs and records my adventures! And, thanks to the genius of Google, she talks, (and understands me), using a posh, plum proper English voice! (I had to pay extra for that but it's kind of cool!) When I go out, Eva, (the personal assistant), talks to me, telling me how I am doing, how many miles I have ridden and ... if a text message comes in via my smartphone, vocally relays the message ... and even asks me if I want to reply to the message. I'm cycling along, Eva reads out the message and then asks me, "Beach. Do you wish to respond?" I can verbally utter "No" (while I am happily zapping along), or say "Yes" ... in which case whatever I say is transformed into a text based reply ... and sent! I've had Eva, the Android virtual assistant, on my phone for several months but now I've got the eBike and "MapMyRide", I've kind of decided that Eva the Android personal assistant is part of the eBike experiment ... hence my bike is now ... EVA! Yeah. Let's run that back just one more time. My eBike is intelligent. It has the computing power to tell me my speed in MPH, produce a map of where I have traveled and talks to me when I have mail, a phone call or some meeting I need to attend. Also, (this is mental) ... I have another smartphone, (given to me by a friend), that is hidden on Eva, (the eBike). When I go to Morrisons to do some shopping, I 'arm' the spare phone and a satellite gets a lock on it. It means that, if Eva, (the eBike) was moved or stolen, I get an instant phone call to my regular smartphone ... and I can track wherever the bike goes in real time. Just this evening, (well, last evening), I printed out a label stating, "INTERNET TRACKING ENABLED" ... along with a sentence stating "This machine is protected with smartphone, internet and WiFi security" ... and I used my hot laminator thing to produce the business card warning sign - which I then cellotaped to the eBike. --- You want some of what I've got? I'll say it now ... really quick. I was blissfully happy in love and married for 20 years ... until I invented something quite extra-ordinary. I got a bit famous, did all the celebrity thing but ... when I looked up, my happy, lovely, blissful marriage was over! :-( I cracked up, (mental health stuff), then my body gave me a DVT, (Google it), and, after several years repairing and rebuilding, I promised myself I'd never let business or stress or fuss or anything ever bring me down again. I'm poor these days ... but, I swear, you will not find a more content human being on this planet. And the most amazing thing? I know I've healed because ... what I've just told you took only a paragraph! Wind back six or seven years and it might have taken a dozen pages! You can have some of what I've got ... simply by letting go and realising that most of the stuff we fret about ... just isn't worth the adrenalin! Thanks for the lovely comment. Chris :-)

Back to d8veh's request for more clues regarding my choice of eBike. The question is actually the perfect foil to allow me to comment upon perceptions of what an electric bike is ... or should be. --- I understand forum culture. I appreciate the wealth of knowledge that any online community can radiate or share ... as a font of expert knowledge, general guidance or as a kind of social glue to bring folk together. I don't, however, appreciate the views of folk who dismiss or write off a particular genre or brand of machine purely because they, themselves, have deemed it fails to meet their own expectations. The critique is meaningless. Such folk are not privy to the needs or aspirations of others. They are merely engaging in, what I would have to label as, eBike snobbery. Sure. I made an earlier comment about avoiding 'generic Chinese eBikes' but that was in reference to a practical issue regarding sourcing parts, not labeling a type or make of eBike inferior. I thought, in presenting my requirements and needs, eBike wise, that my eventual choice might have been quite obvious ... but that choice, my choice, possibly fell into the niche of being shunned here on this forum. I suppose that qualifies as a clue regarding the choice I eventually made, --- Make no mistake, I engineered this original post to showcase exactly this issue. The issue being ... some folk pedal their keyboard way more than pedaling their pedelecs. Truth is ... it is not the remit or obligation for anyone here to offer thumbs up or thumbs down to a particular type or brand of machine. A commuter's needs will be different that a recreational eBiker. An off road enthusiast's needs will be different than a shopper's requirements. A retired person's goals may be different than a teenagers aspirations. The eBike business community here would echo my observations. An electric bike is a fabulous resource to utilise. It should be a seamless extension of its owners dreams and aspirations to the point where using or riding it should seem and feel a natural extension of daily life ... just the same way folk hop into and drive their cars. Would it seem appropriate to tut tut and chastise someone for driving a Toyota rather than driving a Ford? No. Of course not. As my friend Barry White said, "Different strokes for different folks". OK. A final clue as to my determined choice of eBike? (Now realised). This robust Land Rover of an electric bicycle was promoted and marketed from a company based in the Southern part of England. If you don't get that clue ... well ... --- Thanks for responding. Your forum seems a bit quiet but ... it is Sunday now so maybe some of you will pop up during the day. Nite nite. Over and out. Beach