Successor to the Giant Lafree electric bike?

Tim 50cycles wrote:
([email hidden], that's [email hidden])

Quoted message said:

What do you think?

I think this tastes a bit like spam...

Tim
--
Sent from Birmingham, UK... Check out www.nervouscyclist.org
'I find sometimes it’s easy to be myself, but sometimes I find it’s
better to be somebody else.' - Dave Matthews 'So Much To Say'
My 'reply to' address is valid, mail to the posting address is dumped

Tim 50cycles said the following on 04/12/2007 00:06:

Quoted message said:

What do you think?

I think you should post this to an electric moped group, not a cycling
group.

--
Paul Boyd
http://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Paul Boyd said:

Tim 50cycles said the following on 04/12/2007 00:06:

Quoted message said:

What do you think?

I think you should post this to an electric moped group, not a cycling
group.

I don't agree. Electric assist is fine by me on the group. They are
covered by the same traffic regulations as pedal power.
For some people, they enable them to continue riding, when age or other
disability prevents it. For others, the extra speed provided by the assist
is useful.

However, a trader (Tim 50 cycles) popping up with a first post of "hey
folks, buy this" will be dismissed as spam, regardless of whether its
on-topic or not. Conversely had he engaged in discussions about cycling,
his information about a new vehicle would probably be quite acceptable.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

Paul Boyd usenet.is.worse@plusnet said:

Tim 50cycles said the following on 04/12/2007 00:06:

Quoted message said:

What do you think?

I think you should post this to an electric moped group, not a cycling
group.

--
Paul Boydhttp://www.paul-boyd.co.uk/

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without moving
a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am blatantly
plugging here is a pedal cycle.

Yes, that was my first post but it won't be my last. I like it here
already.
Tim

I promise to engage in such discussions from now on, but the fact is i
discovered uk.rec.cycling and decided to post because I'm in the
trade.
Tim

Quoted message said:

However, a trader (Tim 50 cycles) popping up with a first post of "hey
folks, buy this" will be dismissed as spam, regardless of whether its
on-topic or not. Conversely had he engaged in discussions about cycling,
his information about a new vehicle would probably be quite acceptable.

- Nigel

In article said:

I promise to engage in such discussions from now on, but the fact is i
discovered uk.rec.cycling and decided to post because I'm in the
trade.
Tim

Reading responses and accepting criticism is a good start towards
not being dismissed as just a spammer. Now, about that top posting:
http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/T/top-post.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top-posting#Netiquette_Guidelines

"Nigel Cliffe" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Paul Boyd said:

Tim 50cycles said the following on 04/12/2007 00:06:

Quoted message said:

What do you think?

I think you should post this to an electric moped group, not a
cycling group.

I don't agree. Electric assist is fine by me on the group. They are
covered by the same traffic regulations as pedal power.
For some people, they enable them to continue riding, when age or
other disability prevents it. For others, the extra speed provided by
the assist is useful.

I agree - although there's probably a charter for this group somewhere
in the archives, for the pedants 🙂
I'll certainly be looking at an electric assist when my Piaggio X9-250
gives up the ghost, to supplement the real bicycles in the garage - but
apart from A-B there doesn't appear to be a reliable source of
information / sensible discussion. (Yes - I've seen some of the Yahoo
Groups).

Tim 50cycles said:

http://www.50cycles.com/agattu_spec.shtml

What do you think?
All the best,
Tim
50cycles

Get the price to £999 and you'll sell these by the boatload as the
Travel to Work scheme expands.

More than that, and it won't even get onto the radar in comparison.

fboab

Tim 50cycles said:

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without moving
a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am blatantly
plugging here is a pedal cycle.

do these plug-in-powered-pedal-assist thingys you sell have a legally
enforced topspeed ?

big_one said:

Tim 50cycles said:

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without moving
a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am blatantly
plugging here is a pedal cycle.

do these plug-in-powered-pedal-assist thingys you sell have a legally
enforced topspeed ?

ISTR 17mph being mentioned.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Tim 50cycles said:

http://www.50cycles.com/agattu_spec.shtml

What do you think?
All the best,
Tim
50cycles

Quoted message said:

Get the price to £999 and you'll sell these by the boatload as the
Travel to Work scheme expands.

Quoted message said:

More than that, and it won't even get onto the radar in comparison.

Interestingly, the Giant Twist Lite sold for £899 right up until they
stopped making/selling them in 2006. It was only the top of the range model
with Roller brakes (which this German bike doesn't have) which was £1199 and
a middle of the road model, also with roller brakes was £1099 - this was for
a world recognised brand with dealers all over the UK - definitely not
something that can be said of this. I agree with you fboab and the price
seems high to me also.

Paul

big_one said:

Tim 50cycles said:

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without
moving a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am
blatantly plugging here is a pedal cycle.

do these plug-in-powered-pedal-assist thingys you sell have a legally
enforced topspeed ?

They should do.

If the bike exceeds either the power-assisted top speed (15mph), total power
output (250W), or the weight limits(40Kg), it becomes a small motorbike.
Then it requires Construction and Use certificate for a small motorbike
(which it will not get), numberplates and VED, and the rider requires a
moped/motorbike license and motorbike helmet.

http://www.atob.org.uk/electric_legal_.htm

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

In article said:

big_one said:

Tim 50cycles said:

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without moving
a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am blatantly
plugging here is a pedal cycle.

do these plug-in-powered-pedal-assist thingys you sell have a legally
enforced topspeed ?

ISTR 17mph being mentioned.

EU rules limit to 25 km/h, UK EAPC limits to 15mph, but reviews show
that being a few miles per hour over the limit is fairly common.

I can do my commute at a faster average speed than that, but I can't do
it that speed every day, depending on headwinds and how I'm feeling.
I have an electric kit (not one of Tim's) on pre-order.
For someone who can happily cycle that speed the whole time already, they
are pretty pointless. Most electric bikes I see are being ridden at
less than 10mph with no pedalling at all, which is unlikely to be of
interest to any readers of this group - but they aren't all like that.

And discussions like "Sustrans - useful links, or part of the conspiracy
to get cyclists of the roads" are just as relevent to assisted bikes
as pure/"proper" ones.

Tim 50cycles said:

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without moving
a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am blatantly
plugging here is a pedal cycle.

Yes, that was my first post but it won't be my last. I like it here
already.

You'll be very welcome as long as you contribute to the discussion and
restrict your plugging to when it is relevant to what's being said. I
think you'll find any commercial benefit coming your way will be
greater if you follow this course in any case. You will get a
reputation as the helpful electric bike specialist rather than the
electric bike bloke who keeps spamming the group.

Of course electric assist is relevant to uk.rec.cycling. I believe
these bikes offer a way for many people to get out on bikes who
otherwise couldn't or wouldn't.

--
Dave...

In article <[email hidden]>, Paul Murphy
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Tim 50cycles said:

http://www.50cycles.com/agattu_spec.shtml

What do you think?
All the best,
Tim
50cycles

Quoted message said:

Get the price to £999 and you'll sell these by the boatload as the
Travel to Work scheme expands.

Quoted message said:

More than that, and it won't even get onto the radar in comparison.

Interestingly, the Giant Twist Lite sold for £899 right up until they
stopped making/selling them in 2006. It was only the top of the range model
with Roller brakes (which this German bike doesn't have) which was £1199 and
a middle of the road model, also with roller brakes was £1099 - this was for
a world recognised brand with dealers all over the UK - definitely not
something that can be said of this. I agree with you fboab and the price
seems high to me also.

Kalkhoff is as well recognised as Raleigh in parts of Europe - we used
to sell a few of their bikes to plug holes in our range, and never had
problems with quality or support. Obviously they're not as big as Giant
so their price on niche products isn't going to be as competitive, but
it's not really fair to compare a product that is no longer available
with one that is.

In article <[email hidden]>, Mike the unimaginative
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I agree - although there's probably a charter for this group somewhere
in the archives, for the pedants 🙂

Apparently not:

http://www.usenet.org.uk/uk.rec.cycling.html

In article <[email hidden]>, Alan Braggins
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Most electric bikes I see are being ridden at
less than 10mph with no pedalling at all,

I thought that was illegal - to qualify as electric assist they have to
be pedalled before the motor kicks in.

On Wed, 5 Dec 2007 04:13:55 -0800 (PST),

dkahn400 said:

Tim 50cycles said:

Well, these are pedal cycles with an integrated motor rather than
something you can sit on, turn a throttle and whizz off without moving
a muscle. We have those as well of course, but the bike I am blatantly
plugging here is a pedal cycle.

Yes, that was my first post but it won't be my last. I like it here
already.

You'll be very welcome as long as you contribute to the discussion and
restrict your plugging to when it is relevant to what's being said. I
think you'll find any commercial benefit coming your way will be
greater if you follow this course in any case.

I just want to add that the OP can mention the delights (dubious or not)
of his shop in a short sig (no more than 3 or 4 lines). This is the
accepted way of attaching some slight advertising to the message.

--
Andy Leighton => [email hidden]
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_

Rob Morley said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Alan Braggins
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Most electric bikes I see are being ridden at
less than 10mph with no pedalling at all,

I thought that was illegal - to qualify as electric assist they have to
be pedalled before the motor kicks in.

Well you are correct but I would say that the majority I have seen have
worked as Alan describes. I guess it just isn't a big enough policing
priority.

--
Andy Leighton => [email hidden]
"The Lord is my shepherd, but we still lost the sheep dog trials"
- Robert Rankin, _They Came And Ate Us_