Electric anyone?

[Ivor Cave]

Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter months?
The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm water proof clothes can be
worn without over heating are a big bonus.

Ivor Cave

[Nick Kew]

In article <694c31-h94.ln1@hn-solutions.info>, one of infinite monkeys at the keyboard of Ivor Cave
<ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote:
> Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike

You mean a MOtor-assisted PEDal Cycle?

Nope. But in the past I've ridden a motorbike, and I know that gets seriously chilly in winter,
without the benefit of pedalling.

Even the better-lights advantage is no longer so compelling as in the days of Ever-Broken
bike lights.

--
Axis of Evil: Whose economy needs ever more wars? Arms Exports $bn: USA 14.2, UK 5.1, vs France 1.5,
Germany 0.8 (The Economist, July 2002)

[Andy P]

"Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote

> Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter months?
> The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm
water proof
> clothes can be worn without over heating are a big bonus.

No, but I easily overtook one yesterday. How fast does yours go? Might be a way of getting my
girlfriend out on a bike but she'd still be a danger to other unsuspecting road users. I also saw on
a visit to London the other week a bike (of the normal pedal variety) fitted with a small petrol(?)
engine. Couldn't quite see how the wheels were being driven but it looked pretty nippy. Anyone know
anything about these?

[Mr R@T \ -Lsqco]

"Andy P" <andy@andy100.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:bjvr54$329$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> "Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote
>
> > Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter
> > months? The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm
> water proof
> > clothes can be worn without over heating are a big bonus.
>
> No, but I easily overtook one yesterday. How fast does yours go?

Unless he's "hacked" the hardware, by law they are limited to 15mph *max* (AFAIK anything else and
you need a moped license or whatever). And they must carry heavy storage batteries. I saw one once ;
a fairly bizzare machine originally designed in the Punjab(!), it weighed a ton. I bet it must not
be fun pedalling this if the batteries give out half-way through your ride!

> other unsuspecting road users. I also saw on a visit to London the other week a bike (of the
> normal pedal variety) fitted with a small petrol(?) engine. Couldn't quite see how the wheels were
> being driven but it looked pretty nippy. Anyone know anything about these?
>
I've got this book which is a copy of a Gamages catalogue from *1912/13* - and petrol-driven
"auto-cycles" are in there. Europeans also used similar designs (and may still do in some areas),
although again I believe the law considers these things to be mopeds (in which case you might as
well just get a Vespa or similar); anything else on the roads would be electric.

Also some chap in Reading who is part of the hippy collective who build bicycle powered sound
systems has built his own electric bike. Haven't seen the machine yet am advised but he uses it for
regular transport so I guess it is a viable option.

I have to say I prefer the conventional kind at the moment. Plenty of life in these knees yet...

Alex

[Pete Biggs]

Ivor Cave wrote:
> Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter months?

No, I enjoy using human power all year long.

> The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm water proof clothes can be
> worn without over heating are a big bonus.

The ones I see are incredibly under-powered for climbing hills - any hills.

~PB

[Simon Brooke]

"Mr R@t \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]" <ratsnest23@sovtel.su> writes:

> "Andy P" <andy@andy100.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:bjvr54$329$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
> > other unsuspecting road users. I also saw on a visit to London the other week a bike (of the
> > normal pedal variety) fitted with a small petrol(?) engine. Couldn't quite see how the wheels
> > were being driven but it looked pretty nippy. Anyone know anything about these?
> >
> I've got this book which is a copy of a Gamages catalogue from *1912/13* - and petrol-driven
> "auto-cycles" are in there. Europeans also used similar designs (and may still do in some areas),
> although again I believe the law considers these things to be mopeds (in which case you might as
> well just get a Vespa or similar); anything else on the roads would be electric.

Probably a Velo Solex <URL: http://www.velosolex.co.uk/ > - yer actual two wheeled equivalent of
Monsieur Citroen's amazing Tin Snail. Every French teenager's dream. A small, noisy, single cylinder
engine mounted in front of the head tube drives a rubber roller and the whole contraption (motor,
roler and all) is lowered onto the front tyre. The basic machine is a robust and heavy step through
pedal cycle. You can pedal them, but I wouldn't want to pedal one very far. In France you certainly
used to be able to ride them without any license at all, but in the UK they count as mopeds and you
need a license and a helmet.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; of 90+ years of protection, but a cure for cancer, only 14? -- user 'Tackhead', in /.
discussion of copyright law, 22/05/02

[Andy P]

"Simon Brooke" <simon@jasmine.org.uk> wrote

> > I've got this book which is a copy of a Gamages catalogue from
*1912/13* -
> > and petrol-driven "auto-cycles" are in there. Europeans also used
similar
> > designs (and may still do in some areas), although again I believe the
law
> > considers these things to be mopeds (in which case you might as well
just
> > get a Vespa or similar); anything else on the roads would be electric.
>
> Probably a Velo Solex <URL: http://www.velosolex.co.uk/ > - yer actual two wheeled equivalent of
> Monsieur Citroen's amazing Tin Snail. Every French teenager's dream. A small, noisy, single
> cylinder engine mounted in front of the head tube drives a rubber roller and the whole contraption
> (motor, roler and all) is lowered onto the front tyre. The basic machine is a robust and heavy
> step through pedal cycle. You can pedal them, but I wouldn't want to pedal one very far. In France
> you certainly used to be able to ride them without any license at all, but in the UK they count as
> mopeds and you need a license and a helmet.

The thing I saw was a small engine mounted on a front suspension MTB as an after sale add on.
Something like this but it seemed a lot smaller to me.

http://www.motorizedbikes.com/gallery/genshaw.html

[Chris French]

In message <bjvr54$329$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>, Andy P <andy@andy100.freeserve.co.uk> writes
>"Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote
>
>> Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter months?
>> The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm
>water proof
>> clothes can be worn without over heating are a big bonus.
>
>No, but I easily overtook one yesterday. How fast does yours go? Might be a way of getting my
>girlfriend out on a bike but she'd still be a danger to other unsuspecting road users.

There is a fair bit of work going on with electrically assisted bikes (unsurprisingly in Holland). I
think there is probably a niche market for these things.

>I also saw on a visit to London the other week a bike (of the normal pedal variety) fitted with a
>small petrol(?) engine. Couldn't quite see how the wheels were being driven but it looked pretty
>nippy. Anyone know anything about these?
>
At a Steam Fair a few weeks ago they had a small display of old motorbikes etc. One of them appeared
to be a bog standard pedal cycle of some sort that had had a small petrol motor added on (can't
remember front or rear) it appeared to be just lowered onto the top of the wheel in some way to
drive it. With he normal (1950's?) bike brakes etc. it looked 'entertaining ' to ride.

It loked liek this was some sort of commercially produced add-on for a standard bike.
--
Chris French, Leeds

[Ivor Cave]

chris French wrote:

>
> There is a fair bit of work going on with electrically assisted bikes (unsurprisingly in Holland).
> I think there is probably a niche market for these things.
>

They seemed very popular on the isle of wight when on tour there in august. The shop in newport sold
a few different ones. When I got mine it was by mail order. The 15mph top speed may seem slow but
the average speed is close to 15mph as it never slows and is quick to get to 15mph.

Ivor Cave

[Andy P]

"Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote

> The 15mph top speed may seem slow but the average speed is close to 15mph
as it never slows
> and is quick to get to 15mph.

What are they like going up hills? Can you still do 15mph?

[W K]

"Simon Brooke" <simon@jasmine.org.uk> wrote in message
news:871xuk1lab.fsf@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk...

> Probably a Velo Solex <URL: http://www.velosolex.co.uk/ > - yer actual two wheeled equivalent of
> Monsieur Citroen's amazing Tin Snail. Every French teenager's dream.

From the average age of current users that must have been the teenagers of 1930.

[David Hansen]

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 10:42:20 +0100 someone who may be "Andy P" <andy@andy100.freeserve.co.uk>
wrote this:-

>What are they like going up hills? Can you still do 15mph?

Depends on the model. A to B Magazine is the best source of information on the various sorts.
http://www.atob.org.uk (http://www.atob.org.uk/)

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

[Mr R@T \ -Lsqco]

"W K" <hyagillot@tesco.net> wrote in message news:bk1lko$pr6$1@titan.btinternet.com...

> From the average age of current users that must have been the teenagers of 1930.

apparently they are popular with nuns in France. However, the nuns in Reading prefer pedal power and
old Raleigh Roadsters - they must be made of stronger stuff (both the bikes and nuns, who seem to
last forever). I was in a Catholic primary school in the late 1970s; some of the same nuns were
there in 1994!

Alex

[Ivor Cave]

Andy P wrote:
> "Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote
>
>
>>The 15mph top speed may seem slow but the average speed is close to 15mph
>
> as it never slows
>
>>and is quick to get to 15mph.
>
>
> What are they like going up hills? Can you still do 15mph?
>
>
If you pedal as well you don't slow down I always pedal anyway to keep speed up.

Ivor Cave

[W K]

"Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote in message news:694c31-h94.ln1@hn-solutions.info...
> Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter months?

dunno, but it looks like a "yes" to the first part.

> The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm
water proof
> clothes can be worn without over heating are a big bonus.

Lots of clothes with big zips is what you're after.

[Pete]

On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 20:31:51 +0100, "Andy P" <andy@andy100.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

> I also saw on a visit to London the other week a bike (of the normal pedal variety) fitted with a
> small petrol(?) engine. Couldn't quite see how the wheels were being driven but it looked pretty
> nippy. Anyone know anything about these?
>

I have one fitted to Dawes Streetlite. It's a 32cc Honda engine with a friction drive to the rear
tyre. Needs to be registered as a motorcycle (Q plate) with tax and insurance to pay.

Pete

[-Lsqnot Respond]

On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 19:22:56 +0100, Ivor Cave <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote:

>Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter months?
>The ease with which wind can be ridden against and the fact that warm water proof clothes can be
>worn without over heating are a big bonus.
>
>Ivor Cave

I bought one for my wife so that we could go for rides together at a speed of over 6 mph. For
distances under 15 miles it really worked. On hills, towing a trailer with two children she could
leave me for dust.

More importantly, it broke her 'I don't cycle' mentality'. She now rides a normal bike and for
riding together we have a tandem.

[G.Harman]

On Sat, 13 Sep 2003 20:49:27 +0100, "Mr R@t \(2.3 zulu-alpha\) [comms room 2]"
<ratsnest23@sovtel.su> wrote:

>"Andy P" <andy@andy100.freeserve.co.uk> wrote in message news:bjvr54$329$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk...
>> "Ivor Cave" <ivor@ut2003-server.com> wrote
>>
>> > Am I the only one or does anyone else on here use an electric bike during the dark winter
>> > months?
>>
I use one depending on my mood. Boring trip to the shops in town I like the ability to accelerate
across junctions and around roundabouts. On a leisure ride I make full use of the Rohloff and leave
the battery at home.

I think a lot depends on the machine. Some are constructed as electric bikes and in my opinion are
underpowered ,short range Moped substitutes. May suit some people who want something for short
journeys without the hassle of getting a licence. Most ones I have seen have riders who are
reasonably advanced in years but have not become incapacitated too the extent of having an electric
pavement buggy.

Others are pedal cycles of all various types to which a motor has been added. There are good kits
available and mediocre ones. My own machine is a fairly reasonable aluminium framed Hybrid with
discs and Rohloff hub and comments from others say it looks a smart bike. Not many realise it is
electrically assisted until they look closer. Remove the power pack and its almost a pure pedal
cycle again. Had it built by Kinetics in Glasgow who specialise in the Heinzmann motors.

>>
>> No, but I easily overtook one yesterday. How fast does yours go?
>
>Unless he's "hacked" the hardware, by law they are limited to 15mph *max* (AFAIK anything else and
>you need a moped license or whatever).

I think I understand what you meant, but others might interpret that differently. The power assist
should on a legal version cut out at 15mph. If you are in a position to pedal or use gravity to go
faster than that you may legally do so .

>I have to say I prefer the conventional kind at the moment. Plenty of life in these knees yet...
>
>Alex
When I damaged a limb i found the motor useful.

I originally got an electric assist bike because I just wanted a vehicle to be a car substitute for
a few short journeys. was not interested in bikes or cycling. too many memories of steep hills and
rotten weather cycling to school along country lanes 30 years ago. Std bad weather kit a gaberdine
coat As I got fitter I found that pure pedal mode was actually enjoyable and cycles were more
advanced than an old Triumph roadster.

Then I broke an ankle at work .got unfit again. However it was fun watching peoples reaction at
somebody on crutches mounting a bike and riding away with the sticks clipped along the cross bar.

The first machine a Heinzmann equipped Claud Butler got stolen ,in unusual circumstances. So I
replaced it with something more custom built . Almost did not bother going electric again but the
ankle occasionally goes weak again so I do find it useful. There is also the fun factor of passing
stationary traffic uphill without pedalling.
G.Harman