Post by Jim on Oct 5, 2020 9:32:55 GMT
Oct 5, 2020 8:21:01 GMT @tonyc said:
There is of course a very convenient and easy transport idea ... no danger of theft or loss of power ... no fittings to the boat required ... no heavy lifting on or off the boat ... and no specialist equipment needed other than good boots.
And increased fitness is an accidental side effect
Rog
But joking aside, I totally agree that walking is obviously the best bet for any shorter distance- in fact with all the rain and overgrowth, the state of the towpath near Brinklow is such that I wouldn't chance riding a bike on it at the moment.
But I do have a slight issue with my knee that kicks off if I do more than a couple of miles walking, so I prefer to ride a bike if I know its more than that kind of distance. I'm sure there will be loads of boaters with these kinds of niggles who prefer biking to walking for longer distances.
But its the longer range of an ebike really appeals. For example I needed a bike cover and a decent front light, and since I've stayed put last week I thought I'd try to find one nearby. But the nearest Halfords is in Rugby (along with all the other shops you need), about 5 or 6 miles away, and in the steady rain that would be a pretty miserable walk, not to mention painful after the first few miles.
A normal bike will do that distance and back with no real problem, even with a few hills involved- but then there are also the times I want to get to a town 10 miles away but not be sweaty and tired when I arrive. That's where a 500 or 1000 watt ebike really comes into its own.
I wont have a car after March, so whatever bike I get will have to do everything. Short and long distance trips, plus allow me to get there reasonably fast, wearing normal clothes and not be sweaty and tired on arrival.
For harder, more cardiovascular exercise you just turn off the power assistance and it suddenly turns into a 30kg, fat tyred lump of metal - and you can get all the exercise you need moving that along.
I've never been a fan of public transport really, even though it is a valid option (and essential on longer trips). Its a mindset thing, I think. When I first started work I cycled the few miles rather than wait around for packed buses- its a personal preference thing I guess.
But without a car, I don't want to be too limited in terms of where I can get to, and how quickly.
If there is a shop or a town I want to visit 8 or 10 miles away, I want to be able to just jump on the bike and be there in half an hour or less, and with minimal effort.
For me, at the moment, an illegal ebike seems to offer the best all round compromise.
I'm just in the throes of fitting some gadgets to my bike, 36v, front light, horn and USB socket. Small thumb switches for the handlebars.
I've not yet got the 36v rear light.
I just had to put twin connectors on the 36v wires out of battery, through a 3a microblade fuse, to a pair of 5way wago connectors. (small lever lock cable connectors).
All the cabling will store neatly in a small zipped money belt pouch zip tied to the handlebar stem.