chess

i have the charger too. at the end (2 months ago) the battery took me about 14 miles on a charge using mixed full and econ settings, fair hills. chess

sparc battery i have a sparc battery but no longer use the bike in electric mode. if you wish to pay the postage you can have it. the battery is not the lithium type but the older Nimh sort. chess

back on track I heard this week that the government, in an attempt to do less with carbon and more without, is hoping more people will cycle instead of driving. Perhaps this is a good time to let 'them' know the dangers; wet white lines, car drivers(!), 35 ton lorries, roundabouts etc and try to get more cycle paths and cycle lanes marked on roads as well as the idea that if there is an accident an unprotected cyclist did not attack the car (probably) chess

Fit bike with clockwork motor. Live at top of steep hill and work at top of next. whilst running downhill motor is wound up and hey presto it helps you up other side - reverse to come home. chess

I go to work on mine, any day I'm not too lazy (14 miles) or its not icy! Also to the shops, about 8 miles and sometimes just out round the - lanes for fun. chess

Hurray. have done it. Finally put an image onto the site, I hope! this one is deserved, but not by me. All the best Flec chess. [ATTACH]590.vB[/ATTACH]

image-in Many thanks Flec for your reply. I suppose that makes it more than 10000 now! chess

Could anyone let me know how to put images onto pages. For example: I had created a cetificate for a certain member's 10000 birthday ! as a word file, but found that it was too big. I thought about trying to put it on asa an image file but don't know how to. Thought it best to ask rather than remain ignorant. thanks in hopes of understandable replies chess

I use a helmet that has a wheel adjuster for size, tried this before purchase, and a visor for sun and rain. I find the visor very useful. I stapled a small led light to one side of the visor and thus have some extra light up high facing rearwards. chess

Thanks for the extra info re studded tyres Caph. I had not expected to run at full pelt downhill on ice! The spikes sound too much like a need in countries where snow and ice stay longer than in UK, (I'm glad about that though) chess

I join the majority age group at 58. I had'nt ridden a bike for years (lots of years) and as work is 14 miles an electric bike is VERY useful. chess

ice tyres Thanks for the reply Caph. It sounds as though studded tyres are the thing for winter wear for bikes. I will look out for some. chess

just slipping along Hi All Fell off on a small side road a few days ago on ice as a few of you have done. It was the camber what done it! the front wheel simply slipped away a little, paused to let me know the inevitable and down I went, smacked my head hard on the road-glad for helmet but pulled a muscle in neck and had a few bruises. So, down to the purpose of this message. I did not know that studded tyres existed for bikes, are they good enough then to use on icy or slippy roads in the usual way or does one have to apply some cautionary speed limits and not go down hills? I would be interested in any further info as I was hoping to use my bike over the winter but the fall has made me cautious. Chess

sparc no led's lit I own a sparc. It is interesting to read the comments of people who own other bikes and look at it in photos. The control wire is plug in at both the controler and the motor ends. Try pusjing them home as thy may have come loose. I have no trouble with my biike, including dealing with Halfords which was a concern! chess

Carrera Spark Update I have now ridden the Spark about 500 miles, mostly to work but a few rides for pleasure. I am still pleased with my purchase and have no trouble at all with the bike or its motor. I fitted a rear rack as well as mudguards. On several journeys I have ridden through some heavy rain and spray from passing cars and had no problemswith the electrics. I carry the charger to work, it is small and light, and recharge before coming home. I find little difference in travel time between slogging along and sitting up and taking in the scenery! Odd really, perhaps due to cadence? chess

sram leds I have a sparc machine and when recently purchased the leds all went out, except the red one, as with yours. I did two things: checked that the control cable plugs were both securely fixed in at both ends as they do come out, and on my bike this sometimes happens to the one fitted to the control unit when I let the handlebars slip right round, and recharged the battery. On refitting the battery all worked well. I hope these simple, and perhaps 'teach your grandmother to suck eggs' solutions work. chess

Here is how the morning went: Load up fairly new electric bike with spare day clothes, puncture outfit, rain gear (nasty weather report), books, and other small stuff. Then set off 14 miles to work with a fresh breeze straight in the face (why is the wind always in cyclists face?). Just about 1 mile before arriving at work last of three leds goes out-so about two miles left. Arrive to find power cut which last all day! Ride almost unpowered bike home. Surprised by how easy it was to ride using power in short bursts up steeper parts of hills, when down into bottom gear. Its a Carrera sparc machine and seems to be geared about right for the long gradients in coastal Essex. Still, one gradient is about five miles long. Battery is on charge now! Perhaps next time I'll ride in econ mode to work! chess ps Sram gear ratios are labelled in literature as; 68%, or 128% what does this signify?

I second that having just bought a Nimh battery powered bike. Also, glad to hear that I do not have to ride round and round in circles to discharge my battery after every ride! chess

location I note from the googlemap site that several other e-bike owners live in essex, as I do. Post code is CO5 area is Tiptree chess

carrera Spark Have been out for the second time on new purchase, a carrera Spark bought from Halfords. Part of the reason for choosing it was price-on their web site they offered it for £100 pounds off and another 10% off on top-could'nt resist as I had seen and ridden the bike a few days earlier. Well I went out tonight for the second run on it to flatten the battery, NiMh, 8Amp hr, small and neat. Yesterday I had done about 10 miles and two of the battery lights had gone out so tonight I expected to get 4 or 5 miles more and indeed the last light went out at about 4 miles but the bike continued to usher in power unabated and I had to give up as it got too dark after 6 or 7 miles with no sign of the power shutting off. I had out pedalled the motor several times and had selected the hilliest part locally but still not much. I have no doubt that it will take me to work on speed(!) mode, 14 miles and the battery is easy to remove to charge. So far very pleased with it. Only downside was that it had no mudguards, easy to fit, and it won't readily rake a standard rear rack because of the rack which carried the battery behind the seat. Last of all its the first bike I have ridden which has suspension-great stuff, chose rough bits to ride over just to test it out, childish but fun!

flat bars v drops one other, and cheap, thing you can try to gain a narrower riding position is to slide the grips inwards about an inch or two on flat bars (old value measures) and add the bar ends mentioned; although I find these are useful in only two instances; 1 when upending the bike they protect the 'stuff' now attached to the handlebars and 2 when pulling hard up a hill. chess ps I have ordered and expect to get my electric bike in a couple of days-a carrera spark. Look forward to it.

halfords tyred oldosc True but Rooel indicates that Halfords can be ignored (YES!) re spares and repairs and I am capable of any of the normal repairs required, used to build bikes when younger as in the 'old days' no-one could afford new ones.

Hope you and the bike heal well. It is worth checking the bike over for bent bits before riding but you probably know that. chess

thanks flecc, I have contacted Rooel. Another member contacted me about the cytronex (sounds like an air freshener, which as I would use it instead of a car I suppose it would be!). This sounds a good bike and I liked the look of it. the posts indicate it rides well and the small battery would indicate it would be best used only for help on hills. I will also try to find out more about it. chess

cytronex thanks for the comments re the cytronex. do you happen to know whqt the order time is? I will certainly check the site out. chess