myelectricbike

Life Goes On

2011-05-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Its been a while. I have been renovating the house. Not much time for writing.

Also, not much time for cycling! But I am back on the bike now.

At present I am using it for gentle exercise. I damaged my back a few years ago. Most of the time I am fine, but occasionally I do something stupid, like trying to lift our ride on mower out of a bog. About 6 weeks ago that happened and my back flared up again. This time I obviously did some more serious nerve damage. I not only had the normal "I can't stand or bend over properly" . I also had the "I can't walk properly".

For a long term running addict that is a real problem. So as a substitute I have taken to cycling, my two year old up back (instead of the running stroller).

I love this bike (have I said that before?) The exercise is so wonderfully even and comfortable. Plenty of work with no excessive strain - perfect for what is rehabilitation. The infinitely adjustable riding position puts no strain on my back and takes the pain out of my leg. All of this exercise has been on our bumpy dirt roads and the bike feels very assured and comfortable.

I was expecting the joy of owning this bike to diminish with time. I can tell you it hasn't. I love every opportunity I get to take it for a spin.

Questions From Anne

2010-12-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Aled, Brain from Civic bikes suggested I email you as I am considering buying this bike myself. As they cost a lot of money I am interested to know if the bike can do what I need it to do. How effective is the bike when going up reasonably steep hills. Does the bike handle them reasonably comfortably? Have you had to do much of that hill climbing? Brain tells me you are very happy with you purchase. I would really appreciate your feedback on this one and any comments you might like to make about the bike. Any feedback would be appreciated. Kind regards!

Anne, I do a lot of hills where I live. I also spent a couple of days cycling around Newcastle in the days after I bought the bike. It is hard to explain the assistance the gazelle provides. It does not do the cycling for you, but it makes the cycling much easier and very enjoyable around town. If I want to, I can work just as hard on the gazelle as I would on my normal bike - the only difference is that I would be traveling much faster. If I want to, I can sit back and let the gazelle do most of the work for me. All I need to do is to shift down a gear or two and keep my legs going gently around and the bike does the work.

For example, I took my son (18 months), put him on the back and cycled from Mayfield West down to Nobbys Beach, South to Bar Beach and then east to Hamilton on Glebe Road and Beaumont Street where I stopped for a coffee. It was a warm spring day and when I arrived at Hamilton I had only raised only a light sweat. Not bad, when you consider some of the hills on the way!

Anyway - have a look at www.myelectricbike-aled.blogspot.com. I have been updating it when I ride the bike, so there is a lot more information about my impressions there.

Aled

Another Day Another Trip

2010-10-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

I really love this bike.

Just another trip to town. This time for a meeting of the Gloucester Project. This is a not for profit community organization that is trying to promote sustainable local economic development through agriculture - among other things.

It felt right turning up on a bike - not in a car.

The meeting went well and though there was the 30k cycle before it did not leave me wasted. In fact I felt energized. I was also really looking forward to the ride home.

I'm averaging about 25 kph over hilly terrain and using about 2/3 of a battery to cover the 30 k into town using the boost setting . No problems with recharging the battery in town and recharge times are about what Gazelle quotes.

Interestingly, the batteries, even after weeks of storage while not in use, were fully charged when I took them out of storage.

I must admit that I was tired by the time I got home. This bike is no free ride, but it is a comfortable tiredness, rather than being stuffed. Not bad for a 60 k ride after more than a month when I had no opportunity to ride at all.

WHEELY Big plans-by Jasper

2010-09-06T01:13:00.000-07:00

Our plans for the future are to buy everyone in the family an electric bike, but there is one setback.

That is the cost. We wont be able to buy five (and eventually six) bikes at about $4000 for each. Thats $20000 in total, and we wont be able to afford that, not unless we do something dramatic.

Something dramatic like selling the car.

Thats our end goal, and the 'end' is in two years time. Were still unsure whether to do something that dramatic but dad wants to.

Im not so sure. I don't want to ride 30 k's to get some vegemite and beer.

The delivery Gazelle

2010-08-04T01:11:00.000-07:00

Last major initial test for the Innergy - can I deliver herbs on it? Not so much a test for the bike, but for the whole concept - can we can the car?

Herbs are fragile, our road is rough, Australia can be hot, and my buyer wants fresh herbs - not pesto.

The morning was cold. My hands froze as we picked the rocket and dill. But the temperature was in the high teens by the time I hit the road. We packed the herbs in buckets and then put them in the coolbox on the croozer trailer.

Six kms of bumpy lumpy dirt later and I opened the box. Riding the road had rattled me but the herbs looked fine. A few bruised leaves where they rubbed the bucket edges but otherwise undamaged.

The remaining 24 km was sealed. The herbs were just as fresh when I reached the delivery point. Total trip time was an hour and a half (I stopped to pick up some raspberry canes at the garden centre).

More important - I was still fresh. I had the energy to attend a two hour workshop before cycling the 30 km home.

The only drama was a loose nut holding the trailer mounting bracket. I had to stop and loan a spanner off someone to tighten it. I will monitor that.

I reckon I will be able to transport about 100+ bunches of herbs in one layer in my current cool box - or about 10 kg. With the trailer and cool box that would be a total load of around 30 kg. I already know I can comfortably pull 50 kg on the Innergy. With a longer trailer and coolbox I suspect I could more than double the herb payload.

Some Serious Questions

2010-07-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

When I first thought of purchasing the Innergy I had a number of concerns about its use in my circumstances. Here are the concerns with my impressions following a few serious outings.

How long will the batteries last?

I have run the bike on ECO most of the time. That has been more than enough assist under most circumstances. The batteries lasted 60 km on a full charge cycling with a light load (10 kg) over flat to undulating sealed roads. Over mixed dirt and tar, carrying about 20 kg, including a 6 km hill in 1st/2nd gear, I got just under 50 km. With more serious hills and towing a lightly loaded trailer, running a mix of ECO and BOOST the range has been closer to 40 km. Running the bike on BOOST with some big hills, 20 kg of gear and 6 km of dirt, the battery was just about done in 35 km. Fully laden with the groceries (trailer plus 40 kg load), using BOOST up the big hills and the battery does the 30 km trip from town to home which includes an overall altitude gain of 400 m.

Or course - all of this depends on what level of assist you set the ECO and BOOST at. My ECO has been set at 65% of the 250 watt motor's capacity. With less assist I would be able to get proportionally more range. But the current settings work well for my circumstances.

What about the gear range?

I had the choice between derallieure and hub gears. I wanted hub to minimize gear and chain maintenance. The tradeoff was range of ratios.

Even with significant weight on the bike and on dirt roads with steep hills the gears aren't limiting. Under light loads I generally don't use first gear. Under moderate loads and with hills, first and second get a workout but I never feel limiting. Under heavy loads (towing 50 kg of trailer and groceries) the steep hills challenge first gear. I have not had to walk yet, but I have had a decent workout.

For my use, I will fit a larger rear sprocket. I would prefer to spin up hills rather than grind. This will lower the 8th gear. This is no loss as I have not really used 8th gear in its present ratio.

How will it handle the dirt?

Great! I have done close to a third of my riding on dirt including our home road which is in terrible condition. There has been no significant wheel spin even when climbing steep hills. I have reached downhill speeds of up to 50 kph, covered corrugations and even hit the odd pothole. It is not a mountain bike but it is quite happy on the dirt. It is no problem to average about 19 kph on the dirt roads. My only comment is that under very rough conditions at speed (over 30kph) I did notice the unsprung weight up front.

What about the roller brakes?

No complaints at all. They had more than enough feel and bite for their intended purpose. Even under fast descents and with load I never feel like I need more brake. I have had one emergency stop and the brakes stopped me dead.

General

This is an unconventional bike for Australia. It looks so strange and is so understated. Neither are a problem for me.

I love the ergonomics! The easily adjustable riding position is fabulous - it is just fantastic for the back/neck/shoulders to be able to sit upright and then with the flick of a lever to be able to lean forward to put in some serious effort. The saddle is the best I can remember riding on. The rack is very confidence inspiring. Both my younger children love the bobike seat - they want to ride everywhere with me. The integrated lock is so convenient. The lights work a treat and I love being able to ride through puddles without getting muddy.

The Weekly Shopping - Country Style

2010-07-24T01:22:00.000-07:00

This was D-day.

The whole purpose of buying this bike was to travel to and from town doing the chores - delivering herbs and doing the shopping for our business. If it didn't work for this then we have wasted our money.

I was nervous. The Croozer trailer fitted well. Two batteries charged for the Gazelle, I set off on the the 27 k trip. The first 6 k are dirt - and pretty rough and hard dirt. Not comfortable on any bike - including my dual suspension mountain bike. But the Gazelle was fine, and at least my butt didn't take a hammering. Once on the tar it was a very pleasant ride over the hilly terrain. I didn't even notice the trailer, but I did notice the power assist.

I arrived in town in a little over an hour, ready for a coffee and the shopping.

Shopping complete I loaded the trailer with 37 kg of goods - this is a serious utility trailer. Add to that the 11 kg trailer and I was set to pull 48 kg over the 27 km home, including some steep hills. I was still nervous.

I need not have been. The Croozer was very stable and didn't effect the handling of the bike at all - either walking or cycling. Slow, fast, tar, dirt it just tracked comfortably behind. Definitely easier to handle than the BOB I used to use.

And the Gazelle - I love this bike.

The power assist is fantastic. I still had to work hard up the steep hills - but what would you expect - with me on board we were trying to get about 150 kg up some serious slopes! I could feel the pull of the motor all the way, and as soon as the steep incline eased I could relax and let the bike do its thing.

The dirt with a full load was much more comfortable than unladen. I was home in a little under an hour and a half. I averaged about 19kmph on the trip home (about a 400 m net climb). The trip used the best part of 2 batteries - perhaps 15 to 20 km of spare range. That was what I expected considering the load. I didn't try and conserve battery power at any stage.

But the most amazing thing was that I was still relatively fresh. I completed the whole trip before lunch and then spent the afternoon working on the farm. Overall I estimate I averaged about 5 - 7 kph faster than I would on my high spec mountain bike. I also suspect that I only used about 60-70% of the energy.

That is exactly what I had hoped for. Enough assistance to make the 60 km round trip with load in less than half a day and with enough energy left to do normal things. Don't get me wrong - it was still serious exercise, but I was not wrecked at the end.

The only thing I am going to do is to add a couple of teeth to the rear cog so I can spin a little more comfortably on the steep bits. Apart from that - this bike is a serious utility machine - and I can't think of anything I would want to change. Magic!

City on Innergy

2010-07-21T00:42:00.000-07:00

The first day was all about checking the capability of the Gazelle in the city. First stop breakfast.

My 9 year old daughter on the rear seat and panniers on the rack and it was off to find a bakery. This bike is amazing. It took no more effort than a leisurely solo ride, and provided a good deal more comfort and convenience. I didn't even notice my 25 kg daughter or bags full of shopping on the back.

No more gearing up for the ride. Just street clothes. The inbuilt lock is perfect for a short shop. For the longer time away, the plug-in chain leaves the bike securely coupled to any handy permanent post. I did not miss the wheels off - D-lock puzzle that has been my cycling life to date.

The next job was a leisurely ride to morning coffee. The seafront of Newcastle has some fairly precipitous hills. No problem. Toddler on the seat and despite the hot sun I could only raise a light perspiration getting up first gear climbs. Don't get me wrong - you still have to pedal, the motor just means that you don't have to work hard. Then swooping down gave me the chance to work out the roller brakes. All doubts about their adequacy were more than settled. Fit for purpose.

The motor control system is fantastic. The power comes in almost seamlessly. The seating and handlebar positions can be adjusted in seconds, so I could choose my favorite sit-up-and-beg position for getting around town. The height of the bike put me above the average car, adding to what was fast becoming an ethereal experience.

A quick spin at night proved the lights more than up to the job - they even turned themselves on for me! And despite leaving at the same time I almost beat the car-bound family back to the motel. Tania said that I looked like a spaceship from the back.

There is no doubt. If I lived in the city I would already have my car up for sale. This thing is just so capable and so much fun that I would not want to drive. Both the kids loved being on the back. My 9 year old will not stop pestering me to take her everywhere I take the bike!

Bagging the Gazelle

2010-07-20T03:31:00.001-07:00

The purchase was made through Civic Bikes in Newcastle in negotiation with the guys at Gazelle Australia in Sydney.

Ebikes are not big in Australia (that's why I'm blogging), and I suspect this was the first Gazelle Innergy that Civic had sold.

Regardless, they did the required Gazelle training and did a fabulous job of building the bike. They also fitted the Bobike child seat that I had ordered. The seat will let me cart our smaller children on the back if I want.

The day I picked it up I requested a few minor adjustments and we decided to make a change to the way the child seat was mounted. The Civic crew handled these short notice modifications very professionally and within a matter of hours the bike was ready to ride.

What I Think of my Loony dad

2010-07-20T01:27:00.000-07:00

I think my dads a nice sort of person with good intentions for the earth and the people who live on it. I think the ebike is a good idea because if you live 30 k's out of town and you have to go in for quick things like to just grab some vegemite or beer (dads crazy about vegemite and beer) you dont want to drive 60 k's total just to get that stuff.

He must be pretty serious though because hes bought a trailer (nice and big so he can fit all his vegemite and beer in there).

The crusty old codger wont let me have a ride though, he says its too big. Whatever. Nothings too big for me.

Choosing the E-Bike

2010-07-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

We wanted to 'can the car'. But we live about 30 kms from our local town (Gloucester, NSW). How do we make cycling a practical alternative? We were looking for a utility ebike that would work in our real world.

We were caught between three bikes - the Gazelle Orange Innergy, Wisper 950SE & Ezee Torq. On paper they were hard to split

Tania and I made the 600 km round trip to Sydney to ride the three on the same day.

Verdict?

All three were good bikes and would probably have done the job. In terms of performance, they all had plenty of assist. But there was no question. The Gazelle was the most sophisticated, integrated and bike-like. Add to that the questions about Chinese quality control and batteries (for the Wisper and Torq), and the location of service centers... there was no doubt we both preferred the Gazelle.

So then it was just a matter of the cost differential. The Gazelle retailed for $A3950, the Wisper for $A3350 and the Torq for around $A2650. Add an extra $A800 for the extra battery for the Gazelle (to give it the same range as the Wisper) and it was much more expensive.

For me, the Gazelle's thoughtful design and quality build are well worth the extra money, as is the 2 year battery warranty and the company's reputation.

But if I'm honest, this whole 'can the car' thing is a leap of faith.

I would much rather take a leap of faith with an object of beauty. I would much rather leap with a company that has a solid track record. I'm sure the Gazelle will still be working in a couple of years. And even if it doesn't fit the bill I know I will enjoy riding it!