From XC60 to Porsche Macan or BMW X3?

[Arianne]

Norco, that information will be used next time we visit Keswick. We have left now and are hunkered down at The Inn in The Lake at Glenridding - it's chucking it down!

I know the path you refer to under Cats Bells as we walked it yesterday returning to the launch at Hawes End. The electric bike hire seems like a good idea, try it first!

Have a lovely time on your hols.

Best wishes,

Arianne

[simonjedrake]

Originally Posted by Arianne

The electric bike hire seems like a good idea, try it.

Electric bikes are very common over in Europe & USA, but now taking off in the U.K. The technology has made great advances over the last 5 years and has consequently plateaued which makes it a good time in the product cycle to make that initial move.

I am very much into purchasing products that have inspired design features (Apple, Sonos, Volvo, etc) hence had been put off ebikes by the clumsy way the battery was just placed as an ugly "lump" on the downtube like an afterthought. But 2 weeks ago one of the major global players in the cycle world - Trek - who have been an innovator in ebikes for some time brought out their new 2018 range which have the battery incorporated into the downtube as part of the design. A quick test ride last week lead to the 1st two purchases in Shropshire of the 2018 models, and when picking mine up yesterday I met another couple who have ordered another two......but as with all good things in life you get want your pay for.

Have a look and get to your local dealer for a test ride.
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/b...-bikes/c/B512/

PS.
This thread is taking on another new direction........my link to Volvo is that I always have to fit a tow bar to allow a tow bar mounted Thule Cycle carrier for my bikes.

[janusz]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Electric Mountain Bikes? I like the sound of that! Price range for accessing this most modern of innovation? I am genuinely interested.

MTB and Catsbells are incompatible. I know MTB can be extreme but this one ain't gonna happen! When you're faced with a rock wall it's enough to be thinking about yourself, your wife and the back packs. There's no way I could have a bike too!

We have some excellent MTB trails near us - Glentress near Peebles and Innerleithen too. They even have a mini cable car at Innerleithen that carries the bikes up, I think. I've done Glentress. One hell of a slog on the ascent but what a white knuckle adventure coming down. Great.

Arianne

Electric MTB bikes? Oh well... heres my story.
I love MTB ... Last year during one of my South Downs spins (thats how I call 50miles+ long bicycle trips in South Downs park), I have completed 2 miles steep climb from the river level onto one of the highest hills in the park. On the top I thought: okay next to the momument (of someone who loved South Downs and asked his family to bury him there) I will rehydrate and have a quick snack. Climb took its toll as I was seriously tired from pushing hard up the hill. Then, perhaps a mile from the top I have noticed a really bizarre view: a gentlemam in his 60s pedaling towards the top without any effort whatsoever. I thought: well, fair enough, I have met pros here before and I know how it feels like to be overtaken on steep climb by someone who spent his life pedalling. I can push hard for a mile or two perhaps but then I have to slow down for a bit. Pros carry on for another 50 miles...
So with a bit of bitter taste in my mouth I was waiting for the gentlemam mentioned earlier to reach the top, pass me and show how pros do it... then...
...a high pitched whine appeared. My jaw dropped and stayed in place for another minute or so. Gentleman in his 60s rached the top, said "hi" and carried on towards the other end of the hill. He was cycling on electric MTB that took care of all the hard work needed to climb the hill. He simply enjoyed the view or so it seemed to me.

Perhaps I am a bit oldschool but I believe that the view from the top is the reward for the hard work done on the climb, but.... on the other hand perhaps (again) the gentleman used to be pro cyclist. Now, the energy is gone yet the spirit is still well alive and kicking. A little bit of innovation helps to fill the gap left by the energy. Not a bad thing!
My perception would be a bit different I guess if I saw someone in his 20s cycling on electric in SD

[Arianne]

Right now I am having a problem with the front tyre of my basic, push bike!

I returned from France to a flat tyre. Mrs A kindly dropped the front wheel (quick release system) down to Halfords. They replaced the inner tube.

But then, on my test run, I noticed the sidewall of the tyre had failed, causing the new inner tube to protrude like a blister. The tyre was around 20yrs old!

So Mrs A ..... yes, you guessed correct. Isn't she wonderful?

Wheel was collected and it now has a brand new Continental tyre. So, yesterday I popped it onto my bike. But the profile of the new tyre is too great and the tread rubs against the inside of the suspension bridge above the wheel.

Aagh. It feels like the Woman Who Swallowed a Fly. My next stop, if I follow this tale and trajectory is to buy a new bike!

So the wheel will have to go back to Halfords again. Although I stupidly popped the receipt wrapped around the spokes into the recycle bin (which was emptied by the Council this morning), Mrs A has a copy in her purse (automatically promoted to hero status for that so I will forgive her for all the times that the driver's seat is left in the forward position with a pair of ballerina shoes abandoned under the pedals).

Honestly, I thought that it was easier just having the Bike Hut people at Halfords do the work rather than me. How tough can this simple task be?

I see a whole new industry spawning for service and maintainance of electric bikes. If my dealer ever loses their franchise then they might become an authorised dealer for the electric bikes!

Regards,

Arianne

PS. How I miss an SUV. The Jaguar XJ saloon is a wonderful car but far less practical. I cannot pop my bike in the back and take it down to Halfords. I can't pop it in the boot when I get back to the station and it's raining but Mrs A is waiting there as she did in the Volvo XC60. And I cannot quickly whizz my dishwasher that died a few weeks ago across to the Recycling Centre. There are a lot of things that we do with our SUVs that you miss when you haven't got one anymore.

PPS. You also look a complete plonker arriving at shepherd's cottages and farmhouses in the rural Scottish Borders in an XJ. Yes, it will make it up the rutted track but, in this part of the world, a Suzuki Jimny is cooler than an XJ in such circumstances. No wonder they don't sell many XJs despite Jaguar making the dealer always have one on display in the showroom.

[simonjedrake]

Originally Posted by Arianne

Right now I am having a problem with the front tyre of my basic, push bike!

I returned from France to a flat tyre. Mrs A kindly dropped the front wheel (quick release system) down to Halfords. They replaced the inner tube.
But then, on my test run, I noticed the sidewall of the tyre had failed, causing the new inner tube to protrude like a blister. The tyre was around 20yrs old!
Wheel was collected and it now has a brand new Continental tyre. So, yesterday I popped it onto my bike. But the profile of the new tyre is too great and the tread rubs against the inside of the suspension bridge above the wheel.

So the wheel will have to go back to Halfords again. Honestly, I thought that it was easier just having the Bike Hut people at Halfords do the work rather than me. How tough can this simple task be?
Arianne

Interesting problem, but with a simple answer.

As all normal bikes - especially those 20 years old - will have the same size tyre on the back as on the front, what about looking for the tyre dimensions of the rear tyre (especially the 2nd part = the width) and quoting that to Halfords as the size required.
But if the rear is also 20 years old I would seriously look at replacing that one at the same time.

As members of this forum we have seen over many years the regular debates on which axle to put your best tyre on, well the same principle applies to bikes as well!
Presume you will be looking for winter tread with you low mileage or perhaps studded ones for your Scottish Winter like this one.....https://www.acycles.co.uk/schwalbe-m...SABEgLo6PD_BwE

[janusz]

Well I would expect halfords people to read the data on the old tyre and then replace it with new one of the same size...

[Arianne]

^^ Hmm, me too.

Very funny about the winter or studded tyres. And before you ask, no I don't rotate my bike tyres front to back etc.

But your suggestion about the rear tyre has got me thinking Simon. I will tackle this huge, complex and important task at the weekend.

The power of the Volvo forum. Is there no end to its wisdom?

Arianne

[norco]

Halfords don't have the best reputation for bike mechanics. They sold me a seal kit for my front fork servicing that was completely wrong despite quoting model etc. If it's a MTB going off road more than firetracks, Maxxis is the go to brand for many. In the Lakes l use a Minion on the front and Ardent on the back and it's a great combination, seen on lots of bikes at Whinlatter. Whatever brand tyre lasted 20 years should be making car tires too! Going back to cars, Tuscany is full of cars on winter or all season tires, locals and others. Our weatherproofs seem a little soft on the back but ok in the Lucifer heatwave.

[Crockers]

Hi

Join the pedelecs forum at pedelecs.co.uk. Great crowd good banter and you'll learn a lot too. Trek is a top make, but so are Haibike, Cube, specialize, Scott, all depends on your preference of motor. Seems the rube battery is Bosch new 2018 offering. Other great motors are Shimano STePS, Brose and Yamaha.

One of the top makes is Riese and Muller who use the Bosch system.

You'll love the bike. I found it gave me the ability to go for long rides again and has increased my fitness as you still have to put in to get out. Great for cardiac patients and those with mobility problems too.

[simonjedrake]

Originally Posted by Crockers

Hi

Join the pedelecs forum at pedelecs.co.uk. Great crowd good banter and you'll learn a lot too. Trek is a top make, but so are Haibike, Cube, specialize, Scott, all depends on your preference of motor. Seems the rube battery is Bosch new 2018 offering. Other great motors are Shimano STePS, Brose and Yamaha.

One of the top makes is Riese and Muller who use the Bosch system.

You'll love the bike. I found it gave me the ability to go for long rides again and has increased my fitness as you still have to put in to get out. Great for cardiac patients and those with mobility problems too.

Thanks Crocker.
You are very well imformed on MTB's as you are on Volvo's.
Dead right about the latest 2018 Bosch battery being the rube one, this is the system Trek are using in their latest Powerfly 2018 eMTB's only released last week on 1st August.
I took my new bike out today on some interesting MTB trials with lots of climbs up & down the LongMynd hills in Shropshire and was literally amazed by the range of this bike. All Bosch systems have had a new firmware update available from 01/08/17 that introduced a new Power profile called eMTB which auto adjusts the delivered power according to your own input - much like an auto gearbox in a car. In this new mode after 20 odd miles plus I am sure another couple of vertical miles it still showed another 28 miles left in the tank/battery........though much less in my own personal "tank".