On Sunday 26th June we held another successful E-Bikeshop Owners Club Ride. At one of the clubs favourite trail centers - Swinley Forest in Bracknell, Surrey. We met for 10:30am in the main car park. A initial brief with all riders and we were straight onto the Blue route at Swinley forest, the Blue is a family orientated trail and gives us a good chance to warm up. Great to see some old faces back out for the Summer rides! We filled the trail as usual with our whole crew, the group quickly evens out with the fastest riders at the front and naturally through to the back with each rider's ability and fitness level. The Blue route is mainly man made trails which undulate across the forest with high banked berms, climbs and descents. Every time we visit Swinley Forest the trails change as the trial builders open new sections and close old sections. It had been raining the week before, but fortunately the forest is well drained / looked after and the trails were fast and smooth as usual, it's a great place to ride all year round! We followed the Blue trail for approx 4 miles before joining onto the Red. The Red is a little more technical with some more natural sections, fast flowy, lots of berms, small table top jumps and segmented sections that cross fire roads in between, which is a great chance to regroup and have a quick rest. As we found out alst time the 'Jump Gulley' is now closed so we skipped passing this on this occasion and followed the red all the way to the downhill sections in the middle at the top of the hill. Many riders had 2-3 rides down different runs, each offering something different in terrain. The best bit about being on the eBikes is being able to swiftly climb back to the top after each descent so we could get a few runs in before continuing onto the Red trail. After a quick rest stop, a natter and a chance for everyone to catch up we continued to follow the Red trail which goes on for approx 11 miles, before joining back onto the Blue section and head back. The last bit of the Blue is really fun with really fast flowy sections that whisk down the side of many hills, after rising the Red for many miles, you can ride the Blue with ease and just enjoy the trails at a faster pace. Conclusion We all made it back safe and sound to the cafe. After a long ride which travelled approx 16 miles with lots of ascents and descents a much needed cup of coffee and slice of cake was in order for the team to build the energy levels back up. No mechanical issues at all on this ride which was great, kept the group fast flowing, a couple of off's but fortunately everyone was back on their feet and no injuries sustained. All in all a great ride with a great bunch of guys. Really looking forward to the next one now! The next electric bike ride will be at Friston Forest at the end of July. Already live on the club events section, you can sign up now. We will of course publish all the photos of this ride on the ebikeshop club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased a eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
It's always nice to get good customer feedback post purchase. Here is a review of the 2016 Haibike xDuro HardNine RC sent in by one of our customers after owning the bike a while. Introduction I have been watching and researching Ebikes for about 3 years. I have been following the Ebike shop for a similar amount of time. During this time I established that the crank drive motors are the way forward – put simply they are the most efficient. With the recent addition of the larger capacity battery – The Bosch / Haibike combination seemed the best option for me. Where to get one? I could have purchased the xDuro HardNine only and/or Local (I live in South Wales) but after watching the market and the activities and achievements of Martin and his E-bike shop I felt it prudent to travel up to see for myself – what they are like in the flesh. Needless to say, I was not disappointed – These do not come with a small price tag, but if you are looking, you are probably considering purchasing one. If you are at that point, then you are likely to be in a position where you can finance (buy outright or on finance) an E bike. Providing you make the right choice at the beginning – Full suss / Hardtail / Commuter and ultimately the correct size/fit bike I cannot see that anyone would be at all disappointed…. In fact, if you feel anything like myself, you’ll be flipping amazed ! First Impressions It started out by everyone else getting a go with grins from ear to ear before me…….. Flippin’ Nora – What a Machine !! I’m flabbergasted! It's Phenomenal! Like I said, my boys wanted first go….. well I could get them off it, neither could I get the smiles off their faces!! I’ve spent most of the day showing and letting work colleagues have a go! Setting the scene I live on a hill…… so each person was going to the bottom and riding up effortlessly…. Grinning… The Hill I live on is Caerphilly Mountain and for those that know it, know it’s bad enough to walk up, buses and cars have to drop a cog or two to get up there…… Yup, I went up it effortlessly……on tarmac…. Then there is a section of common land that takes you up to a Trigg point…… I flew up the gravel/lose track…… for a 22 stone bloke…… A quick charge last night and it was ready for this morning’s commute into Cardiff……. YaY All Hills are Flat ! PS. South Wales is not Flat….. I am overweight and appreciate that the distance/capacity of the battery will be affected…… i.e. total assisted miles will be reduced. HOWEVER, having said all that – I did have a point clarified for me which when it was, the penny dropped….. The battery is only used when assisting (sounds logical) So when I am travelling over 15.5mph – the miles left in the battery will remain the same, until such time as I slow allowing the motor to kick in again…… so to say you only have XX miles left on the screen is tosh……. Ride it and use the motor for the inclines….. you can go for milesssssss. Where does the fun end? This morning, day 2 of ownership, I chose to take the shorter route that takes me over the local mountain into Cardiff……. - as soon as I pulled up on the drive after cycling home from work on my new bike, and even before I could stop Strava and take my coat off, my young son (number 2 son) was waiting with baited breath ready to ask for a go of my bike…… of course I let him have a go….. On his return, Number one son had heard I was home (Strange as he can never hear us call him for tea, when he is on his Xbox) and was readying his shoes to have a go as soon as Number 2 son returns…. Ha ! Needless to say, I did need to recharge the battery ready for the day 2 commute.. Conclusion I live part way up the mountain….. so whichever way I go I always have to climb to get home….. but keep that for later….. My best time to go up the mountain so far is about 15 mins and that’s a mile (half mile of climbing, then it flattens a bit….) So this morning, a 4.5mile commute to work over said mountain……….. Total time on the eBike was 14.5 mins….. Yep, 14.5 mins (and that included negotiating some fools in traffic queues and a stop at a traffic light). My best time has been about 27 mins… as after a climb up any mountain you are always rewarded with a nice downhill section. Anyhow, it’s a 400 odd foot climb over a mile and a bit……. It took me 7.5 mins to complete the 1.2 mile climb this morning…. YaY! I was happy to have hit 42mph (Strava) on the way down the mountain – as suggested by my speed coming down the mountain, it’s a reasonably decently high mountain to climb. Can’t wait for the ride home now…… and the local MTB club beginners ride is out tonight….. so a good ride home and a few miles of single track to look forward to. I’m Loving E-Bike Ownership Into my Third week of ownership and I’ve commuted to work for nearly all the days…. Plus I’ve managed to squeeze in a bit of fun on the way home…. And managed to get out with the local MTB club last Wednesday for their ‘Beginner rides’ – It was CLEARLY not for beginners! My thoughts about whether the bike could manage 22 stone of Welshman has been thrown by the wayside on some hill in South Wales !!! I have a 3-4 mile climb coming home which I find a breeze now. Also, living in Wales, whichever way you ride, there are generally hils….. I can ride up the hills but it often turned into an Anaerobic session for my quads….. whereas now, It feels like I’m 10 stone lighter and I’m getting the Aerobic/cardio session that I so dearly missed! Granted, I’m probably not going to get the miles out of the battery as it’s probably working a bit harder…… but we’ll work on the weight to power ratio slowly…. For the person that considers themselves overweight / clinically obese / big boned – Whichever best describes you (I’m technically Clinically obese) – The only thing that will slow you down with this bike is either your riding skill or forgetting to charge the battery before going out !! Thanks so much to Phil for his words on the - Haibike xDuro HardNine RC 2016
We take a look at some of the new exciting Bosch eBike 2017 electric bike components. For 2017 Bosch make some changes to secure themselves as the eBike market leaders. We see Bosch eBike systems move forward year on year. With the most radical change last year over to the new higher performing Bosch CX eMTB specific motor & larger range batteries. As the latest battery and motor tech was only just released late last year we expected to see some revisions in other areas, focusing on charging, software and user interface. The official new Bosch eBIke components will of course be launched later this year at EuroBike, but until then we can take a sneaky peak at some of the new features: Bosch eBike Purion Display 2017 The new Bosch Purion display will predominately appeal to electric mountain bikers looking for a more compact display that will avoid any impacts and spills. The Bosch Purion display will also appeal to other genres of cycling and neaten up the handlebars in general. Its compact assembly resembles the first ever Bosch classic display. A step back from the larger Nyon display, this new unit is just enough to navigate the assistance levels and view all important on board parameters including speed and battery capacity. Notice the new Bosch Purion display is an all-in-one component. It merges the normally separate display and bar controls into one compact assembly located to the left that controls everything. It still features a USB port but this is just for dealer diagnostics and no longer can you charge auxiliaries like mobile phones etc. The new Bosch Purion backlit display is visible in low light or at night time and is navigated by fewer buttons. The power button to the top and walk assistance button re-located to the bottom. The battery capacity, speed and assistance mode are shown as standard. To scroll the assistance levels is just a quick tap of the plus or minus button and to navigate into further functions like range, distance, total odometer and when the next service is due the buttons are depressed for longer. We still think the features of the larger Nyon display will appeal to those more techy riders that make use of functions like the extra fitness tracking and satellite navigation features. Buy the Bosch Purion Display here - Performance Display / Active Display. Summary Advantages: +Compact Display +Cleaner Cockpit +Backlit +Lighter Weight +Retro Fittable Disadvantages: -No USB Charging -Less Functions Bosch eBike Nyon 2017 Updates Bosch has released significant incremental updates to the Bosch Nyon controls. With each update comes changes based on user feedback on eBikes across Europe. Every now and again Bosch release major eBike updates with the 2017 update being like no other. The eBike user interface has already taken a pretty radical design change which some users may have already noticed when updating their Nyon display a couple of weeks ago. Along with many visual revisions the major 2017 eBike changes are in the mapping with advanced controls to do with electric bike battery charge state and range. The Nyon can now take into consideration topical changes in the environment to ascertain better predicted eBike ranges. It will also take into consideration the assistance mode selected and even things like the conditions of road surfaces or off road resistance. We also see Bosch moves forward in the social aspect of Nyon for 2017 with things like gaming and more social media integration. Now Bosch Nyon users can stay more connected and share more than ever before. Some new features are added to the Bosch Nyon Online Portal, along with a fresh look as explained in more detail further down this article. Summary Advantages: +More Features +Gaming +Social Media +More Range Control +GPX Disadvantages: None - Same platform, better usability! Bosch eBike DualBattery 2017 Want more range? Bosch have the answer with their 2017 product offering, which now introduces the flexibility to add 2 Bosch power packs to your electric bike inventory. Bosch have 300Wh, 400Wh and the later 500Wh battery options in their range. With the new Bosch DualBattery option, you could effectively have the range of up to 1000Wh in sync. The new Bosch DualBattery cabling allows anyone eBike to take up two batteries, thus doubling your range! This unique setup allows both eBike batteries to be charged and used together, as one battery gets low the system can automatically switch between the two. This new Bosch DualBattery system will be popular with longer distance touring cyclists along with utility bikes, cargo electric bikes and alike throughout 2017. This setup will be officially launched later in the year and as such will be limited to OEM manufacturers using this on their Bosch electric bikes. So for the meantime you can't officially just add on another battery to your existing Bosch eBike as the bike itself will require modifications to the frame in particular. Worth noting here that the Bosch Dual Battery setup is not restricted to dual frame mounted eBike batteries, but can also be more versatile in accepting a pannier rack mounted battery and frame mount in tandem meaning much more convenient installation to manufacturers of future Bosch 2017 electric bikes without manipulating frames too much. Summary Advantages: +More Range +OEM Integration +Automatic Switch +Also Rack Mount Disadvantages: -Not Currently Retrofittable Bosch eBike Compact Charger 2017 Also new for 2017, Bosch release a new compact eBike charger that will be compatible with both the current 2015 / 2016 Bosch Active & Performance eBike systems and batteries. The new Bosch compact charger is a lot smaller any will be suitable for those wishing to take it out with them for a longer duration in the saddle, in particular long distance riders & eMTB'ers. With a 40% reduction in size to the already small Performance charger it'll take up a lot less room in any riders luggage bag or a back pack. It's also 200 grams lighter than the standard charger and thus only weighs in at approx 600 grams! As with all positives comes a negative and the new 2017 Bosch compact charger will take a fair amount of time longer to charge your battery. With the current charger charging a 500Wh battery full in approx 3.5 hours, the newer smaller charger will take around 6.5 hours. You can also use the new charger with the older Classic batteries using this Bosch Adaptor. Buy here - Bosch Compact Charger. Summary Advantages: +Smaller +Lighter +Compatible With All Bosch eBike Systems Disadvantages: -Longer Charge Time Other Bosch eBike 2017 Changes We will report back after the official launch with smaller revisions to the Bosch eBike ranges, but until then we do know that the following has also been revised for 2017: Walk Assist: This will be updateable so that the user doesn't have to hold the button down for continuous walk assist support, rather now you can switch walk assist on by a double tap and then a single tap to release. eShift: Electronic shifting will be compatible from more manufacturers across more ranges in 2017. In particular the ability to link up Shimano Di2 with auto downshifting and along with other manufacturers like NuVinci and Sram. The Bosch eBike system and gear changes will be more connected in 2017. Online Portal: Some of you will notice the Bosch Online Portal has been recently updated with a fresher look, now there will also be more functions to work hand in hand with the extra Nyon functions listed above. The user will have the ability to export routes in GPX format and also allow the user to create new routes out of previously un-recorded rides. You can now also see more parameters into each assistance mode and how they have been used across the ride. What do we think? Obviously we will be able to tell you a lot more after extensively testing the new components and performance tweaks later this year after their official launch but in the meantime we see many advantages. In particular riders with the DualBattery setup this would have been handy to have access to over a year ago when we set the new World eBike Distance Record! Although Bosch state it's not retro fittable, we are fairly confident our advanced in house eBike technicians will find a way! The new small Bosch Purion display setup is an obvious step forward for many riders in particular eMTB'ers but we feel some will still want the usability and functions of the slightly more in-depth eBike Nyon display. Whilst were on the Nyon, lot's of users will eagerly await the new updates for smoother operation and advanced functions on their electric bikes. The only thing we are not too sure about is the new Bosch Compact eBike Charger, whilst some will see this as a definitive advantage, we feel the weight and size reduction comes at a huge cost of charge time. The Bosch eBike charger is already one of the smallest chargers on the market! What does this mean moving forward? Well, not a huge change for 2017, but in fact some smaller revisions to user controls which will obviously be retrofittable as the end user specifies. So going into the 2017 Bosch electric bike ranges the actual Bosch eBikes (aside from DualBattery) will be the same in respect of power, assistance and range. Utilising the same motor and battery configuration we can tailor each eBike to the customers specification by way of fitting the new Purion eBike controller or the Bosch Nyon and visa versa. Keep an eye on our blog for more updates along the way, in the meantime, check out our range of eBikes here: - Latest Bosch Powered eBikes.
In May we all got together again for a very sunny E-Bikeshop Owners Club ride across Peaslake in the beautiful Surrey Hills. A great day out on the electric mountain bikes! We met at 10:30am at Holmbury Village Hall car park. After setting the eBikes up and a brief we were ready to set off with this ride being led by Team Leader - Ken. It was quickly noticeable how many of us there were with over 20 eBikes and also 3 of the guys from the Crank Cycles race team joined us to see if the super fit guys could keep up with us on eBikes for the day on their analogue bikes! A couple of late arrivals set for a huge group and a mega ride. Not only did we have a great group with a mix of different riders, abilities, sex and fitness levels but we were joined by about 5 new members to the club for their first ride on their new electric mountain bikes. Out of the carpark we were met with a killer climb, in fact we climbed for what felt forever! In reality it was probably only a few miles but up steep inclines, certainly something to get warmed up with. It was apparent that we had all become very accustomed to our electric mountain bikes, in fact probably take it for granted as one of the race team guys on a normal bike was physically sick when we finally reached the peak! God I remember those old days! We then led onto a real fun jump valley with twists and turns and some easy table top jumps, some members getting more confident with each go with lots of airtime to be had on their eMTB's, even the novices had a go which was great to see and everyone enjoyed it. A few more trails and we led onto the famous Summer Lightning trail which actually goes on for miles, not many pictures here as we were all having way too much fun to think about stopping. But a fast, long fun bit of singletrack that never seems to stop. Great stuff! Half way along we stopped for a pitstop, catch up, and bite to eat. A much deserved rest stop for the Crank Cycles Team boys who had really struggled to keep up this far, but fair play to them for doing so. Also a great time to try our eBikes and make new converts! We then led onto some more modest tracks, paths and bridleways for miles to head over the Surrey hills and to the other side to see what it had to offer. This included the 'Barry Knows Best' trail which is a fast undulating trail that flows down the side of a big valley. Lots of fast technical bits to keep the heart pumping. Once over the other side of the hills, we found our way to the famous Peaslake center which offers a fantastic cafe so a great opportunity to stop for tea, coffee and a slice of cake. Some riders headed off from here to get off early, whilst 2/3 of the group then continued up back up to the top of the Surrey Hills, all the way to the top where the fantastic view (pictured in the header) can be had at the peak, here it is again incase you missed it! Then back down onto the famous 'Yoghurt Pots' with fast flowing twists and turns through lots of bomb holes is fast and fun. Along a couple fire roads to the 'Telegraph Poles' trail and then a short ride back down to the car park. Conclusion Overall a really great ride, with lots of mixed riding across fire roads, paths, trails and more techy sections. Well done to team leader Ken for leading and keeping everyone together. It was a great chance to put the electric mountain bikes through their paces and also apparent that we could cover the whole of the area in one day on eBikes being able to dart from one side to another which clearly wouldn't have been feasible / so easy on regular bikes. A big turnout and no mechanicals which always helps. Plus no accidents or falls at all on this ride so everyone came away really happy, a great day out all round with great people and fantastic weather. What could be better. So nice to see so many new faces and the continued growth of the club overall. Finally well done to the Crank Cycles Team boys for keeping up the whole day even if they did have 'jelly legs' and struggled the next day. Top work! Electric bikes next time boys eh!?.. The next electric bike ride will be at Swinley Forest at the end of June. Already live on the club events section, you can sign up now. We will of course publish all the photos of this ride on the ebikeshop club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased a eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
Have you picked up the latest issue of T3 magazine yet? If not, then go grab one! The 'Best Electric Bikes Rated' makes for a real good read. Here the test winner - Haibike xDuro Urban. In the latest July issue T3 magazine took three world class eBikes and road tested them to the max. This included our Haibike xDuro Urban RC road bike, the Gocycle G3 and the ETT Trayser. T3 Says: Once you've ridden the Haibike, you'll never want a normal bike again. Side by side T3 reviewed the bikes and competed at 3 stages - Design, Power & The Ride. Read the full review below. We are really pleased to not only see 2 out of 3 of the bikes in T3 magazine are bikes that we offer, but to also come 1st and 2nd. With the Haibike winning overall first place and the Gocycle leading second. T3 Rates: The Haibike offers a perfect blend of power and battery life, with optimum gearing to suit. It also looks great and is fantastic to ride - even more so with the optional Nyon computer. Garage-dreamers will love the removable battery. Both with 5 star overall reviews and both winning all 3 of the major tests. This is a real feat! Find out more about the electric bikes featured: Haibike xDuro Urban & Gocycle G3. Credit to the guys over at T3 Magazine who clearly know their tech. Makes for a great read.
We are pleased to announce that Bikmo Insurance has just awarded E-Bikeshop as chosen bicycle retailer of the month!.. We are proud to accept the badge of honour! Bikmo partner with some of the leading industry cycle shops to offer a premium cycle insurance designed by cyclists for cyclists! Offering policies designed specifically around riders is the key to their success. Bikmo stated: Our ‘Retailer of the Month’ for June goes to one of the UK’s top destinations for power assisted bikes. As the cycle industry has seen a huge surge towards e-bikes in recent years, we’ve also noticed a dramatic uptake in customers adding e-bikes onto their insurance policy at Bikmo We too have seen an uptake in our customers insuring their precious steeds. We think with higher ticket items like electric bikes it's important to know your covered and most want the added peace of mind. Let's not forget eBikes tend to be a fairly big purchase and people rely on them more, that's why it's important to offer a eBike specific policy that meets these needs. Bikmo went on to say: We visited our June ‘Retailer of the Month’ in May and were super impressed with how slick their operation is. By scheduling one-to-one appointments with new customers, they’re able to provide the utmost information and advice as well as also allowing customers to test ride the bikes before purchasing. We can now also offer live quotes at the time of purchase to give the customer an instant idea of any insurance costs associated. Many actually pleasantly surprised the relative low cost. Bikmo concluded: The after care is also top notch, and to save time and get you back on your bike quicker, these guys even deal with warranty issues in-house meaning if your battery or motor pack up, you don’t have to wait for any middle-men or couriers. So, without further delay……we’re awarding our ‘Retailer of the Month’ for June to….. E-Bike Shop Thanks so much to the Bikmo team for offering such a great service and also choosing us as their retailer of the month.. Bonus! As "Retailer of the Month" our Bikmo customer discount has been increased from 5% to 10% for the next month (that's the whole of June). Find out more about the services we offer & insure your eBike today by visiting our dedicated page - Bikmo Electric Bike Insurance.
A preview at the newly launched Shimano Steps E8000 eBike system for 2016. This revolutionary system from Shimano is designed specifically around electric mountain biking. It's great to see a big competitor like Shimano join the market with an eMTB specific system. Up until now, the Shimano Steps system has been designed around city riding and thus has not been supported for electric mountain biking. A player like Shimano could be a game changer?.. Following a big launch, last year at EuroBike Shimano clearly put a big push on their standard Steps system, but we were anticipating Shimano to come out with a new system specifically for the mountain bikers, so let's take a look at some of the new features: Shimano Steps Motor Drive Unit Following the integrated look, the Shimano Steps E8000 eMTB motor is small and compact. Using a slightly different design to its competitors the drive unit is held in a triangle formation allowing for a slimmer bottom bracket width, better q factor (just 175mm) and a secure, efficient and direct power output from the rider to the cranks. The compact E8000 Motor has integrated cooling fins to disperse heat efficiently, a technology which derived from some of the newer Shimano disc brake systems. Plus it look's good! The way in which the motor is designed and integrated means frame manufacturers can position it just right to reduce chain stay lengths keeping things tight and nippy on the back end. This will add to the rider's manoeuvrability on the bike and ride like a typical mountain bike in respect of handling. It offers 250w of continuous output power and a whopping 70Nm of torque which gives good progressive power to the rider. This is adjustable with the power outputs as the rider can set and change the assistance mode whilst riding on the fly in 3 options - Eco, Trail & Boost. The Shimano Steps eMTB system also features a walk function should you ever walk next to the bike it'll push itself along (also handy for oiling the chain!). Using a more conventional but dedicated crank setup with technology from the Shimano hollow tech cranks. These are offered in 2 variants - A lighter hollow arm or a solid arm based on rider preference. The regular sized chainring on the front (34t or 38t) gives the rider easy compatibility between regular sprockets and chains which we will delve a little more into further down this article. Shimano Steps Battery Power Pack The newly formed slim power pack slots neatly into the downtube of the eMTB. This appears to slide in from the side rather than slot in from above allowing it to be mounted into smaller frame sizes. We also hear that although this is currently frame mounted there may be options to integrate into the frame in the near future. Shimano advertises a rattle free mount that should withstand even the harshest of conditions. The Shimano Steps E8000 eMTB battery has a larger capacity of 500Wh. We are still awaiting range figures based on the system's efficiency, but as with all things Shimano we expect it to be good. You should be good for a lifetime of around 1000 full charge cycles. The 500Wh power pack has 5 green LED's at the top to show current charge state and allows the user to see capacity when charging at a glance. Worth noting the Shimano Steps battery is also offered up as waterproof so no qualms when catching the odd rain storm or when cleaning the electric mountain bike. Shimano Steps eBike User Display / Controls Keeping in with the look of Shimano Di2 displays the eBike specific colour LCD version gives a clear and simple readout to the rider. Credentials like speed, assistance mode, power & battery capacity offer a crisp picture at a quick glance whilst out attacking the trails. The smaller display is neat and compact and just does the job it's intended for. Also integrated into the new display is gear selection and we'll delve a little more into this further down. It's also worth noting that the new E8000 eMTB display is smartphone/tablet compatible via Bluetooth, where the rider can change settings & customise the eBike to their liking. Nice! The handlebar mounted controls on the left act as the riders assistance selector for the rider and keeps in look with the current Di2 setup and looks. It means the rider's cockpit will be clean and sleek with potentially a Di2 shifter on the right and the assistance selector on the left. Quick sharp and precision shifting between assistance modes on the fly should be a doddle with the large grippy buttons. Shimano Steps Integration / Compatibility As with all things Shimano, the clear advantage is perfect seamless compatibility and integration with other popular controls. The fact that this system will work seamlessly with Shimano 11 or 10 speed cassettes, standard chainrings and Shimano chains is a big bonus. It means the user knows exactly what will work with each component. It also makes for handy transfer across to the normal Shimano drivetrains which users are already familiar with. Where this really means a lot is in the integration, with electronic shifting taking off and Shimano's already proven Di2 system firmly established, the clever bit will be with the synchronised electric shifting and motor assistance to create an all in one system to the rider. For example, a Shimano XTR Di2 Rear mech will be fully compatible with the system, using the power of the Shimano Steps system, information passed through the motor/controls and quick electric shifting to offer a completely integral system. Perfect! The new Shimano Steps system uses the well established Shimano eTube setup to communicate between components. This open system allows easy installation of extras like shifters, derailleurs and lights by simply unplugging existing parts, plugging in a Y-cable adapter and re-connecting the components. How does it compare? Likely to be a big question, so moving forward it'll be mostly compared to big system providers like Bosch & Yamaha. The motor is around the same size as it's competitors if not slightly smaller whereas the battery appears slightly bigger. It's clear it's designed in direct competition at both of the above. The power is similar between systems although the new Bosch CX will be slightly higher in torque, in real life conditions it'll be difficult to tell over specification on paper. Check out our Bosch / Yamaha comparison here. Some features of Bosch and Yamaha have clearly been taken into consideration to combine into a powerful system. The big chainring and side mounted battery are similar to the Yamaha whereas the controls/smartphone communication is more comparable to the Bosch. Offering 4 assistance modes seems to be the preferred figure too across Shimano, Bosch & Yamaha eBike systems. Battery capacity is on par / if not more than some, obviously depending on how efficient the motor and drivetrain are. We will be able to do a more comprehensive comparison article as the official facts and figures appear. What do we think? We believe the Shimano E8000 eSystem will exceed on the gear shifting integration and smaller display/controls. Although the Bosch system is also compatible with gear integration, the Shimano will be an easier switch and more brand specific. Having tested a Shimano Steps system with integrated Di2 gear selection early last year, the shifting was seamless & really made sense. It's fully interacted with both the rider & the system: If the battery power and signals already exist; it makes perfect sense to use them to power / control all aspects of the bike - An all-in-one system! It's also nice to see a big player like Shimano back in the game, with the launch many years ago of the first ever standard Steps system it never really took off, it's nice to see Shimano have been working hard to produce more modern specific city / eMTB systems that work for different riders needs. We are sure the eMTB specific system will live up to the Shimano name. When can you get it? Well, it's just been announced this week at the Lake Garda Bike Festival as a preview. We are sure Shimano will have a lot more to offer when it will properly launch at EuroBike later on this year (August) where we expect to see the first Shimano E8000 Steps eMTB's. What does that mean to the end consumer? Manufacturers will already be working closely with Shimano to produce prototype bikes in time to show off at EuroBike. You'll be able to get your hands on actual bikes later on in the year, we'd expect at least October time 2016. See our Shimano E8000 equipped Mountain Bikes here - Shimano Electric Mountain Bikes.
On Sunday 17th April the E-Bikeshop owners Club ventured up to Cannock Chase for a great new ride location. What a fantastic day of riding it turned out to be! Best one yet?.. Many of us ventured up to Birmingham the night before and stayed at the Hilton hotel. We met for dinner on the Saturday night, followed by drinks and a good night's sleep (apart from the fire alarm going off at 5am in the morning!). Breakfast served @ 8am and then ready to ride. As a few of the fellow owners club members tend to travel down south we thought it only fair we schedule in a ride further north to even the odds. We are glad we did! We saw a few new faces which was great as always and some new technical terrain to ride. We met in the car park for 10:30am. After some new bike handovers and a natter fellow member Bernie briefed us for the day's ride. We nominated him team leader (because Ken wasn't there) because this is Bernie's home ground, so he knew his way around! We also invited Alex from eMTB coaching along to ride as this is also a local one to him, so nice to be led around this time. Top work chaps! A couple of us were on brand new bikes too so eager keen to get them setup, bed them in and start enjoying the trails. Out the car park and we were straight onto the Red trail which is essentially a big figure of 8 with a road crossing at the centre. The trail led straight out onto some boardwalk wooden structures which were fun and fast rolling, then onto some twistier singletrack. Lots of small rock gardens, small drops and tight twists made for a fun and flowy ride. Following on we entered 'Devils Staircase' which was fast looping turns down the side of the hill with small drops which made for exciting more eventful riding. After a short break, we crossed the road onto some climbing. In fact I think it was called 'Lung Buster' which was a long gradual climb to the top with tight trees to manoeuvre your bars through. Fortunately we are all on eBikes so the climb was fun over strenuous and we were up to the top in no time to enjoy the views. The next trail was great - The Monkey Trail. In fact we all decided to climb back up and do it again, lots of long sweeping berms and bumps you could get some decent air off if carrying enough speed. Here's a quick video of the strenuous climb: We then rode a few more singletrack sections before getting back to the road crossing and stopping for a cake and coffee. At this point (what usually happens) a few chaps were inquisitive about the eBikes so we let them have a quick go followed by smiles and a 'where can I get one of these?'. Then we crossed back over the bridge to complete the remaining sections that Cannock had to offer. Some more technical trails with small slab rock drops, tight trees and small wooden boardwalk crossings made for miles of fun all the way back to the visitor center. Conclusion In total we travelled approx 16 miles including the few trails we went back and did again, it's fair to say we had absolutely amazing weather with blue skies and the sun shining all day! Everyone absolutely loved it and we'll definitely be going back again soon. We had a couple of mishaps including one mechanical (quickly resolved) and a couple of falls, but everyone got straight back up and made it home safely. I think it's fair to say it had been one of the best rides yet! A great bunch of people although we were missing a couple of regulars (due to injury). All in all we had a great time with great company. Really looking forward to visiting Cannock Chase again. The next ride will be at Peaslake at the end of May. Already live on the club events section, you can sign up now. We will of course publish all the photos of this ride on the club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased a eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
On Sunday 27th March the E-Bikeshop Owners Club visited Aston Hill bike park. Of which turned out to be a wet & muddy ride around the XC track and around the surrounding forest. We all met in the main car park @ 10:30am. Aston Hill is a paid site, so after we all paid up and got the bikes setup, a quick briefing followed and we were ready for action. I counted 13 riders in total, so good to see so many people out on a rainy day. It was also great to see a few new faces, as the club grows this seems to be a common theme, so it's nice to meet new people and share the same passion we have for riding. It also makes for a mix of abilities to go out riding together. The plan was to head out and follow onto the green marked XC route to get warmed up. Then a few members could attack the DH sections if they were feeling ambitious. Unfortunately a wrong turn lead us straight onto a black run and thus a rather tricky descent down to the bottom of the hill. It's worth mentioning it had been raining non-stop the day before and the sticky mud / chalk conditions made it hard to even walk down the side of the hill, let alone ride the trails! I get the feeling a few of the new members were thinking: "What the hell have we signed up for!". Fortunately we all made it to the bottom (some sliding down on their backside I might add!). At the bottom a quick regroup led straight onto the Green XC trail. Which was much to the delight of many! I must admit at this point it was raining further and even the short steep climbs of the cross country route led for some tricky spots. A long climb to the top meant we could enjoy a little of the single track as we snaked up the hill. Fellow member Bernie's bike decided to play up at this point, fortunately we were on hand to rectify a small issue at the top, but it left him somewhat out of breath to say the least! As we were all sopping wet, the XC route was almost to the point of being un-rideable as they were so sloppy wet decided for a quick change of gloves and jackets at the main car park and led into the woods opposite for a longer run over some more natural terrain. This took in a mixture of road, bridlepath and forestry tracks. One track in particular was fast flowing and led to lots of mud splatter. Literally some were unrecognisable at the bottom of this trail! It's all part of it I suppose and glad everyone got stuck in! Unfortunately about an hour in the group was split at a junction and we got completely lost as one group went one way and the other another way. This led to a load of confusion with people darting off as we were trying to communicate and re-group. At this point we had covered many miles and we were at the limits of the bikes, so we managed to find a road and coordinate everyone to meet in a local town. On arrival we all had a well deserved bacon sarnie and much desired hot chocolate. Before a short road ride back to the main car park. Conclusion This ride was unlike no other! For one the weather was not on our side, as everyone knows this can spoil a ride before it's started. The trails had not had a chance to drain and this left a lot of sloppy mud everywhere we rode. The fact that we all got split up didn't help either. A lesson learned on this one I think. On the plus side we all returned safely and at least managed to get some miles under the belt. Plus not forgetting the social side and a good natter in between! Finally well done to the Cooke's in particular - Alli, Nigel & Julia done so well. We thank you for staying well spirited, keeping up morale & continuing to ride the duration of the ride. The next ride will be different - Promise! Really looking forward to the next ride, which will be at Cannock Chase at the end of next month. Already live on the club events section, you can sign up now. We will of course publish all the photos of this ride on the club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased a eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
We set out to take a look at the top 5 best looking electric mountain bikes for 2016. Remember we're not talking budget, components or specification. Just looks on this one! The new season is upon us and the eBike frenzy has taken off. With more and more manufacturers on board & some model ranges doubling in size we thought it only necessary to take a look at the top 5 (our opinion!) best looking electric bikes. Following a visit to EuroBike it's clear that it's now hard to find a manufacturer that doesn't offer something eAssited. Now time to round up the top 5: No1: Haibike xDuro DwnHill Pro We like that fact that Haibike have gone balls out on this one, not only does it look great, but it actually makes perfect sense if you sit back and look at the bigger picture - To go downhill you have to go uphill first, forget the uplifts or any of that walking lark. Why not ride up?! No2: Scott E-Genius 710 Plus Yes - You could argue that someone tripped over with a box of highlighter pens in the design room at Scott. But the 'in thing' is bright and vibrant at the moment. Scott certainly set the trend here with the addition of the +PLUS tyres. No3: Haibike Carbon Ultimate The Haibike Full Carbon Ultimate couldn't go without a mention not only because it looks the business, but if we are talking about the best looking bikes, who doesn't love carbon? From the wheels, frame, post, bars, saddle and even the cranks.. It's carbon heaven! No4: Lapierre Overvolt SX 800 Designed by 10 times world champion. Nico Vouilloz set out to create this full 170mm Enduro rig with clean lines that follow front to back and sleek finish this deserves to be in the top 5! We love the colour scheme on this one as much as we love the setup! No5: Haibike sDuro Full FatSix Either Haibike have gone bonkers or there's some logic behind it. Either way, rocking around on this badboy certainly sets the rider apart from the crowd. A full suspension fat bike! Spec aside this bike looks the nuts. We're sure it'll grip the trails as much the attention it attracts. Conclusion Yes, Haibike clearly headline here with 3/5 of the top spots! Be it their beautiful integration of the Yamaha & Bosch eSystems or the crazy lines and graphics. But their are also some new cards on the table with decent finishing kit and sleek lines. Here's a quick vid of Guido Tschugg rocking out the DH bike above in a little town in Croatia: One thing that is clear that eBikes have moved forward a hell of a way in the past few years. No longer is your stereotypical imagination of an eBike a shopper with duchess handlebars. But now anything up to a fully blown DH bike! We like the way things are moving. With this comes more adopters, more people that 'get it' and of course more people out riding - Which is the main aim of the game at the end of the day! Ready to ride longer, harder & faster? Click here to begin your eBike journey now.
On Sunday 28th February the E-Bikeshop Owners Club visited Bedgebury Forest Trail Center for the first time on an action packed day of riding across the Kent single track & XC. We all met in the main car park for 10:30am and after a quick setup on the bikes and a ride brief we set off. A couple of the owners club members had arrived early and already got a lap in before we set off, which was good because we could decide on which route to take. It was nice to see some new faces on this ride too, with some owners not long owning their new electric bikes so excited to get out and explore to put their new steeds through their paces and of course mingle with other eBikers. We all share the same passion! We decided to cut out the Blue section as this was mainly a family route consisting of flat fire roads, so we set off and after a short ride up a couple of tracks we were onto the red. A new member to the club was able to offer some guidance as this was his local trail center, so it was nice to be able to have someone confirm the routes etc, made day easier, thanks! It's noticeable that Bedgebury has spent some money on restoring the trails and it's clear a lot of hard work has gone into the routes. On the first bit of singletrack we entered their was fast rolling berms, a rock garden and short switchbacks. This set the pace for the day. Fun! The red route is approx 13km (8 miles), there is also a Black section that leads off the Red as you cross a fire road, we decided that we'd do the standard Red trail once, then go round and do it again to include some of the Black sections the second time round. Halfway round the Red it was noticeable that although the forest is a fairly small place and not hugely hilly, the actual terrain / gradients were actually pretty tiring, the routes plotted through the trees were marked out well with plenty of signposts and trail start and end checkpoints. The guys have done a great job reforming this trail center. Some trails had man made rock gardens within them, some downhill, some flatter and some were on gradient. The uphill rock gardens were surprisingly tricky as they zapped most of your energy, fortunately we all had the extra grunt of the eBikes to help out! After a lap of the Red we had a little break to natter and chill and then set off for another lap. First we followed some directions to the 'Bike Park' but unfortunately on arrival it's clear it was no longer had had been flattened some time ago. Fortunately we had the extended Black sections to think about and keep the excitement flowing. At one point Ken was lagging behind and as we waited decided to show off his wheelie skills, at this point (when everyone was watching) he decided to pop a wheelie straight off the side of the trail and ended up.. You guessed it spilled on the floor. More practice next time ken! The Black sections were not that hard to be fair. Albeit the big rock entrances and a few smallish drops here and there, everyone enjoyed them! A few places on the red were really flowy with high berms and switchbacks, this was real fun to blast down and at one point we had a massive flowing train from top to bottom consisting of about 15 riders. It's worth noting we took a avid MTB'r & non eBiker out with us on this ride. His impression before getting on the bike was the typical "your all cheats" (never ridden and eBike mentality) after 5 hours of riding his words were: Once dialled in, you're tearing up the trails. Great fun, grinning from ear to ear! Finally we took the 'Cake Run' that followed back down to the car park. This run was excellent and really fast, with lots of twists and turns and mini jumps. Once of which goes between two trees and you hold your breath as the handlebars only just seem to fit between them! Conclusion Throughout the whole day we didn't have any mechanicals, not even 1 puncture. Which was ace! The weather was once again on our side, we warmed up fairly quickly on the trails and the sun made an appearance on a few occasions too. At the end we were a few short who had to dart off early, but we stuck the bikes aside and grabbed a coffee and cake at the fabulous lake setting next to the car park. It was good to catch up with everyone and share a little banter of the day's riding. It's safe to say we were all pretty zonked after this one, the route wasn't massively long but it was certainly tiring! Really looking forward to the next ride, which will be at Aston Hill Bike Park. Already live on the club events section, you can sign up now. We will of course publish all the photos of this ride on the club page in the next few days, don’t forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased a eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
We grabbed one of the new Lapierre Overvolt FS 700 2016 eMTB's to play with at our local trails to see how well this eBike performs & give it a full review. Let's start by saying we'd been thoroughly excited by the 2016 range of electric mountain bikes from Lapierre. With an eMTB range that's more than doubled in size and now with the Bosch / Yamaha options offering something for everyone. Lapierre have been high up in the regular bike game for some time now, but it's nice to see them taking the electric mountain bike scene seriously. Even Nico Vouilloz (10 times world champion) is on board as Lapierre's chief in testing and design, he now rides a eBike! What do you get? Let's firstly look at what you actually get for your money? For a sub £4k eBike, three thousand seven hundred to be precise you get rather a lot: RockShox Pike's up front with a Monarch RT at the rear to match. Full Shimano XT 11 Speed coupled with Shimano disc brakes on matchmaker clamps. A Mavic wheelset on Formula sealed through axle hubs wrapped with Schwalbe's finest Hans Dampf tyres out the box. The bike is then finished of with Nico Voulliouz's very own signature bars and an Easton finishing kit. Electric wise you'd need not ask for any more. It features the brand new Bosch Performance CX line motor with increased torque and assistance. You also get the top spec 500Wh Bosch eBike battery pack for extended days in the saddle. Introduction First and foremost, let me get this out the way; we had an upcoming E-Bikeshop Owners Club ride and I knew this shiney new Lapierre FS700 eBike was due in any minute. Fortunately it came in time and after some brief fine tuning the bike was ready to roll. However, on the day I was a little nervous having given up my other eMTB to a colleague to ride while I rode the Lapierre FS 700.. The reason why I am mentioning this is because I really like my regular eMTB, I know exactly what it does, how it rides & I feel it's perfect. So from here the Lapierre had a lot to live up to, I was dubious that I wouldn't enjoy it as much and as ride time is becoming more and more rare for me these days, every minute of it is valued! Ride Time I took the FS 700 to Peaslake to explore the Surrey hills, full of singletrack, twists, turns, climbs, jumps and trails. The perfect place to put the Lapierre eMTB through it's paces. Straight out the car park a daunting climb sits ahead of us. Bosch CX system It has been raining the previous week so the surface was real sloppy, fortunately the Hans Dampf tyres kicked in here and I found the increased torque of the new Bosch CX motor completely take the sting out of the climb, staying in the saddle with the weight over the back end the bike flew up and just kept on pulling all the way to the top! I am used to riding the standard Performance Bosch motor and the CX was noticeably different, smoother, torquier and quieter under strain. Even giving it a hammering across the Surrey Hills in typical UK weather! Suspension Now to the singletrack downhill riding, I had previously had a quick tinker with the shocks to set up for my weight. At this point I have to say I have been a Fox suspension man for many years so was keen to see what RockShox; in particular the Pike's had to offer. The front end felt lighter than I was used to with the bike popping over roots and drops with ease. I could tell why Lapierre have crossed their OST+ rear suspension design over from the famous Zesty and Spicy bikes. The rear end hugged the trail and zapped up every bump I could throw at it. The rear Monarch did well to ensure maximum traction was felt without bogging when getting back on the pedals hard. Let's not forget the dual stage setting on the rear, should you wish to dart up a fire road with ease by locking it out. The Pike's really took me by surprise, I see why so many trail riders voted to bring back the Pike's and why they were a sell out last year! I felt the forks a lot lighter on the front end and seemed a little more progressive, they soaked up the trail, felt smooth and although some say their isn't as much adjustment as the Fox Float's I'm more of a just-get-on-and-ride kinda guy. In fact I left the compression damping fully open at the front and just let the bike do the work all day! I thoroughly enjoyed riding the setup, no quarms there. Drivetrain / Brakes I was really excited to try out the new Shimano XT 11 speed setup. Having only ridden Sram 11 speed on a previous bike of mine I am a Shimano guy at heart so was looking forward to the new XT equivalent. As with all things XT you come to expect super sleek components with hints of silver polished surfaces and smooth crisp operation. I have to say the new 11 Speed XT is just that. Moving away from 2x10 setups and onto the more versatile 1x11 the wide range cassette really gives you maximum versatility and optimum gear ranges both bottom and top. The extra range of 11-42 over traditional 11-36t setups mean that that extra gear or so was present when climbing, although I didn't use the 42t much of the ride it really came into it's realm when I passed 5 other eMTB's on a climb of which I was the only one who made it up without stopping, the light 42t worked in harmony with the extra torque of the Bosch CX motor to step it up a notch and allow me to spin freely up the climb with ease. Needless to say the bottom range of the gears meant I could hit maximum attack on the flatter fire roads to get to the next trail section swiftly, I didn't find myself running out of gears at either end of the spectrum. Lapierre have matched the drivetrain with Shimano disc brakes on larger rotors on the FS700. As expected the servo action of the Shimano levers felt smooth and progressive and allowed a decent amount of modulation to come to a halt quickly without locking up. Whilst these were faultless for the UK singletrack I was riding, I'd imagine they would fade a little for alpine riding on long descents. But for the type of rising I was doing; short bursts of single track, fire roads, technical sections and climbs they were great. Finishing Kit The Lapierre Overvolt FS 700 is finished off with Easton stem, seatpost and Nico's own design signature bars. I liked the wide and pinned feel to the bars and the shorter stem (I was riding the Medium frame) which suited me well. To round off the components, Lapierre have spec'd the bike with a Mavic wheelset on sealed through axle hubs and wrapped these with the famous Schwalbe Hans Dampf tyres which my tyres of choice anyway.. Ideal! Conclusion The Lapierre FS 700 performed well and exceeded my expectations. It was felt light for an eBike and really flowy, the bike is well balanced and a little air time just came natural on the bike. Without feeling front or rear end heavy the bike was a whippet to ride. A short video opportunity: You'll notice in the pictures, the only thing I changed was the straight saddle post to a semi release dropper post, in fact it's about the only thing the bike is missing. Adding a decent set of pedals and a dropper made this bike complete. It left me wondering why they didn't factory fit a dropper... But then I remembered that the bike is only £3700 and rivals its competitors by hundreds considering the spec: XT 11 Speed, Pike RC's up front, Monarch at the rear, Mavic Wheels, Hans Dampf and not forgetting the latest and greatest Bosch Performance CX motor and highest capacity 500Wh battery pack. What more could you want. This is a killer bike for the swag! Hope you enjoyed the review. Check out the full spec here: Lapierre Overvolt FS 700 2016 eBike.
On Sunday 31st January 2016 the E-Bikeshop Owners Club visited Peaslake to check out some new hidden trails that we had not ridden before. A fun filled day with a great turnout. We met at Holmbury village hall at 10.30am where there was enough parking for us all to gather. After setting the bikes up and a quick brief we were all excited to set off and get riding. For a late Jan ride we had 13 people attend this ride with a couple of new faces included too. This ride was led by fellow E-Bikeshop Owners Club member Ken also part of the 100% club!. Ken and Chris ride the Peaslake area frequently, it's their local play heaven, so they had planned out a new route for us to tackle that also included two new trails! This time of year the trails can get very muddy, we had plenty of rain in the previous week and a late January ride was set to be a sticky one. Considering it was supposed to be raining all day, the weather actually held off and we didn't see a spec of rain all day, awesome! The first climb out of the car park was a little ambitious, with a steep climb over slippery mud, it set the par of what to expect, but to our surprise the trials were impressively flowy with only sticky parts in some places. We rode up to a the famous 'Yoghurt Pots' trail first which to our surprise was actually closed for trail maintenance. So we then headed straight over to 'Telegraph Row' which we have done before in the summer but this time round the terrain was a lot different and it almost felt like a completely different ride. This then led onto a new really slippery trail that cambered through the trees and ended with a muddy bog which I don't think anyone actually managed to pedal out of! Unfortunately a time to rest naturally came at the end of this trail and club member Bernie had a puncture. So after a quick pitstop and some arm pumping inflating a new tube, we were back up and riding in no time. After a few short climbs we headed over to the 'Barry Knows Best' trail. Which we all loved last time we were here. The trails had loosened up a little since we last visited, but despite the soggy ground, the trail was still fast and flowy with lots of berns, twists and turns down the side of the hill with some extra jump additions should you wish to take that line. We all enjoyed it so much most of us decided to ride back up and do it again, whilst some stayed at the bottom to catch some breath and a few snaps. From here we then crossed the road and headed up a killer climb called 'Heart Attack'. Yes, you can guess why it's called this, it really is a shocker. Fortunately we all made it up on the eBikes, but it's still hard going even with the assist! Once at the top we rode a short distance over to a new trail Chris and Ken had found that darted off in a sly opening in the trees. It's one of those trails you could easily ride past without noticing, fortunately we had the boys local knowledge as we navigated down this one! This trail was a little more demanding with fast flows, drops and jumps should you wish to ride it fast. If not you can easily navigate around them. We played here for a while as a few of the members quickly gained confidence and decided to practice some air time! This trail was fantastic, we actually rode up from the bottom and did it again, that's the beauty of being on eBikes I suppose! You can tackle the climb again to find the fun descents and repeat them as many times as possible! From here we took some more trails over to the Peaslake village store to grab some refreshments. At this point, Ken decided he had left his keys at the top of the last trail, and asked to pinch my brand new Lapierre 2016 bike I was testing to blast over and find the keys. A while later he returned with a smile on his face, at this point I thought he had found the keys, but he said they weren't up there! We later established they were in his bag the whole time! A great ploy to get some extra ride time on my new test pilot! After a slice of cake, coffee and of course a natter we headed back up the hill and rode 'Barry Knows Best' for another time, we then headed over to 'Yoghurt Pots' to find it was back open so we had a blast going down that. Finally a few of us extended to route to include one more trail that involved a demanding climb to get to, but once at the top we enjoyed a fast long trail back down to meet the others back at the car park. Conclusion All in all it was a fab ride with the usual lot and some new faces which was nice. It's great to see so many out on the bikes in January, it'd be easy to take a pass when looking out the window, but the weather held off and we all had a blast! It's worth noting the ride didn't go trouble free, we had a couple of mechanicals: 1 Puncture, 1 snapped chain link & one bent hanger. Ken also had an error on his bike, but we think it's because he rides too fast! Many thanks to all who came, glad everyone enjoyed it, a special thanks to Chris and Ken for leading the ride, the banter and being such all round great chaps. Really looking forward to the next ride, of which we are already planning for... We will of course publish all the photos on the club page in the next few days, don't forget to tag yourself in them. The E-Bikeshop Owners Club is a closed group of riders, if you have purchased a eBike from us and want to get involved, please get in touch.
We are proud to announce a new world electric bike long distance record has now been set by e-bikeshop.co.uk sponsored - The E-Bike Cycle Tourists. After 901 hours of e-biking over 220 days at an average of 75 kilometres per day across 12 countries, the e-bikeshop.co.uk-sponsored e-Bike Cycle Tourists have set a new world e-bike long distance record. On January 20 Gary and Rachel Corbett passed the old mark of 16,047kms (9971 miles) – which was set by German Maximilian Semsch who circumnavigated Australia in 2012 – in the Algarve region of Portugal to officially claim the coveted world long distance e-bike record as their own. Over the past nine months they have cycled through England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Spain and Portugal and are due to fly to Cyprus in early February where they will continue cycling while waiting out their Schengen and UK visa exclusion period. Far from calling it quits now that they have claimed the record, Gary and Rachel have recommitted to continue cycling, with the aim now to have cycled at least 25,000 kilometres by the time they return to Australia in August 2016. From there the plan at this stage is to continue e-biking in Australia during the Australian 2016/17 summer before travelling to the USA in 2017 to continue their record-breaking ride. With at least two more years of e-biking in front of them, who knows what their kilometre total will be when they finally call it quits! The bottom line, Gary said, was to eventually set a record that will take someone else a “hell of a lot of cycling to break”. The e-Bike Cycle Tourists chose to ride Haibike xDuro Trekking RX E-Bikes with the Bosch Performance crank drive motor and 400wh battery system for the record attempt and are towing Tout Terrain Mule single wheel trailers. Since setting out from the e-bikeshop.co.uk shop in Farnham on April 23, 2015, Gary said both of their Haibike Trekking e-bikes had performed brilliantly and had not missed a beat while riding across all sorts of terrain in temperatures ranging from below freezing to more than 40 degrees. “While we have gone through a lot of consumable items such as brake pads, brake rotors, tyres, chains, chain cassettes, rear wheels and a Sram hub, the Bosch performance crank drive motor and Haibike e-bike combination on both bikes has not missed a beat, it has been amazing,” he said. The only thing that had to be replaced was a Bosch controller on one of the bikes and this was only after it was damaged after the e-bike fell over. Wherever and whenever possible during their travels Gary and Rachel have promoted e-bikes as a fun, healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport. They said the interest in their e-bike long distance record attempt had been overwhelming, with people at times queuing up to talk to them about their trip and their Haibike e-bikes/Tout Terrain trailer combination. “We have also done radio interviews, have been featured in several newspaper stories and in specialist e-bike/cycling magazines, the interest in our trip has been amazing,” Gary said. “We have also had people – mostly in the over 40 age bracket – who have emailed us to tell us that we are an ‘inspiration’ and that our trip has motivated them to purchase an e-bike and to start cycling after a break of many years or to switch from a traditional bike to an e-bike. “This is fantastic given that all we are doing is what we love to do – cycle, but I guess we have proven that if two people of our age – 60 and 57 – can set a world e-bike long distance record, then e-bikes are suitable for anyone of any age – no matter what distances are cycled.” Both Gary and Rachel also said they were personally delighted to have set a new world e-bike record after cycling for an average of 75 kilometres per day during 220 days of cycling. With just six days of wet weather cycling during that time, Rachel said they had been incredibly lucky with the weather. “I think we are the only people in history who have cycle toured in Scotland and never saw rain,” she joked. “We also only had one day of rain in Ireland, which was amazing given the dire predictions before we arrived from so many people of what we could expect from the weather.” Above all else the e-Bike Cycle Tourists claim they are delighted to have proven conclusively that it is possible to go long distance cycle touring on an e-bike. Gary said they were told by many people before they set off that what they were planning was not possible due to the daily drama of having to charge their e-bike batteries given the decision not to carry a back-up solar charging system. “While it is true that we did have reservations before setting out about how easy it would be to find mains electricity outlets on a daily basis to charge our Bosch batteries, the truth of the matter is that we should never have worried,” Gary said. We discovered that there are always many charging options available from campgrounds, cafes, friendly farmers, e-bike charging stations and even when all else failed from people whose doors we knocked on. When you have to get out of your comfort zone to get your batteries charged it is amazing how many wonderful people you meet who you would otherwise have never spoken to. “On different occasions this led to complete strangers offering us accommodation, meals, showers, coffees, maps, bike servicing and in Ireland a call out was even put out over Facebook for the e-bike community to show us a “real” Irish welcome. The result was a long list of people throughout Ireland who selflessly offered all sorts of assistance. “We have had such an amazing time over the past nine months that we don’t want to stop, we intend to keep pedalling and to continue to promote everything that is great about e-biking.” With thanks to both Gary & Rachel (The e-Bike Cycle Tourists) above for the interview.