The Velotard Thread.

[Keef]

More redundancies at wiggle/CRC, staff told the last round of redundancies will be in March, it’s now officially winding down selling stock off when it’s gone that’s it shutters up and closed.
Mike Ashley looking at buying nukeproof brand and the Wiggle IP

 

[Keef]

In completely unexpected news, wiggle/ chain reaction bought by Mike Ashley, includes Nukeproof, Vitus, DHB, and lifeline brands, will be confirmed later

 

[Derby Wolf]

Thinking of doing Cycle to Work, anybody who posts in here done it?

We've moved house and are no longer a ten minute walk from work so doing this is the sensible option and it looks like getting fitter will be a by product of it.

With current fitness levels enough to make Doherty blush I'm thinking of getting an electric bike and hopefully as I use it more I will need the support of the E bit less.

I know the saying goes 'like riding a bike' but I'm going to try and go back to basics with it so am open to all recommendations/advice. Cheers.

 

[machin05]

Heard nothing but good things about ebikes, but don't have any first hand experience of them so can't really recommend one make over another I'm afraid.

How far will your commute be?

 

[The Bear]

My mate uses his from Burton to Derby and back for work, including going along the A38.

I can't help with models, etc. Depends how much you want to spend.

 

[Tredman]

Thinking of doing Cycle to Work, anybody who posts in here done it?

We've moved house and are no longer a ten minute walk from work so doing this is the sensible option and it looks like getting fitter will be a by product of it.

With current fitness levels enough to make Doherty blush I'm thinking of getting an electric bike and hopefully as I use it more I will need the support of the E bit less.

I know the saying goes 'like riding a bike' but I'm going to try and go back to basics with it so am open to all recommendations/advice. Cheers.

I’ve done cycle to work 3 times. Works well, make sure you can order quickly as the voucher amount needs to match the purchase amount exactly. I got caught out last time as the bike price changed in the intervening time after requesting the voucher (actually went down but I had to make it back up which was surprisingly hard - ended up having to order 12 bolts).

 

[EpsomWolf]

Thinking of doing Cycle to Work, anybody who posts in here done it?

We've moved house and are no longer a ten minute walk from work so doing this is the sensible option and it looks like getting fitter will be a by product of it.

With current fitness levels enough to make Doherty blush I'm thinking of getting an electric bike and hopefully as I use it more I will need the support of the E bit less.

I know the saying goes 'like riding a bike' but I'm going to try and go back to basics with it so am open to all recommendations/advice. Cheers.

Some thoughts to a similar question from a few months ago:

Not really any personal experience but I know a lot of riders who use them so some anecdotal thoughts, albeit it from an off road/mountain biking perspective:

Firstly, everyone that has one thinks they are fantastic, absolutely no doubt about that. That said, there are ongoing maintenance costs which can be quite sizeable, and I think the nature of the design is such that home maintenance is not really possible even for a fairly confident ‘tinkerer’, so there’s definitely the potential for increased costs on top of the hefty outlay.

Naturally for that reason the guarantee length is critical, particularly with the battery because (unless I’m mistaken) the bike is effectively finished once the battery is kaput, so a bit like an electric car on lease you’re buying yourself peace of mind for a period of time. You might find yourself on the painful cycle of upgrading again and again but that seems to be the way with electric transport regardless. I don’t know anything about the schemes you’re referring to but if there’s an opportunity to capitalise then it’s certainly got to be worth looking at.

One last thing, in the clubs there is a lot of excitement about the new generation with smaller, lighter motors. These mean the bikes are much easier to throw around on jumps and trails and are now really pulling in the younger riders that want to go harder and faster without compromising on the centre of gravity balance. Wouldn’t necessarily be an issue on a commute to work but I thought that was interesting and a sign of real progress nonetheless.

Hope that makes some sort of sense!

A few months on from that I’d just add they are increasing in numbers all the while. A few of the diehards still scoff a bit at those going the e-bike route but to be honest, they’re swimming against a changing tide. Definitely reiterate the point about ongoing maintenance costs and warranty, and to drill down into the detail of that even more than the bike itself.

They’re clearly not a cheap option or the panacea for everything, but if you can afford it or can capitalise on the CtW option then it sounds like a great idea.

 

[Derby Wolf]

Heard nothing but good things about ebikes, but don't have any first hand experience of them so can't really recommend one make over another I'm afraid.

How far will your commute be?

Google Maps has two routes, 'best route' is 5.7 miles and the other is 4.5 with 5 minutes difference in journey time. The better route takes me through proper cycle routes on green spaces by Pride Park so I'd be inclined to stick to that while I build confidence etc

 

[EpsomWolf]

That’s such a perfect distance for an e-bike commute. With the electric assistance the difference in distance would be no issue whatsoever so the nicest and safest route would be the default setting for sure.

Thinking about it there’s someone in the club who struggles with the steep climbs and sets the assistance level to ‘Turbo’, which naturally gives maximum output but rapidly reduces the range, but bloody hell, they take off like an Exocet missile. On your sort of distance you could potentially use maximum assist all the while and once you’ve got your confidence up give Bradley Wiggins a run for his money.

See if you can get a good test ride or maybe even look into hiring one for an hour or two. It’s a sizeable commitment buying one but in your position could be ideal.

 

[Keef]

Halfords do Ebike trials, was £200 for 6 hours, obviously you get the £200 back when you return the bike unless you’ve wrecked it.
Should be long enough to see whether you like e-bikes and you could try the commute on it.
Buy the Ebike from your local bike shop, the service will be a lot better than halfords

 

[lemonjelly]

Thinking of doing Cycle to Work, anybody who posts in here done it?

We've moved house and are no longer a ten minute walk from work so doing this is the sensible option and it looks like getting fitter will be a by product of it.

With current fitness levels enough to make Doherty blush I'm thinking of getting an electric bike and hopefully as I use it more I will need the support of the E bit less.

I know the saying goes 'like riding a bike' but I'm going to try and go back to basics with it so am open to all recommendations/advice. Cheers.

Good luck, & if you go for it please let us know how it goes!
I have a 3.5 mile journey. Downhill/ flat to work which is fine. Uphill back. As I am getting older, am considering an ebike more often.
I started cycling to work for similar reasons to you. My life became far too sedentary! As well as the fitness benefits, I also found I saved a lot of time not sitting in traffic.