Powerbykes

in message <[email hidden]>, Mick.

(') said:

Hi all,
I use a powerbike,
http://www.powabyke.com/

I have a 24 speed commuter.
Can we talk about them here or is there another group that covers
them? I do pedal all the time, and find it a boon in both daily trips
to work, and going in to town to shop also riding into the country to
take photos etc.

I find that I am always looking for a higher gear, is there any
changes that can be made?

Since the essential drive train seems to be a standard Shimano 8 speed
triple, yes; either by changing the cassette to one with fewer teeth at
least on the smallest sprocket, or by changing the chainset to one with
more teeth on the largest chainring.

An eight speed cassette will cost around fifteen quid for a basic one.
To get the exact ratios you want you may have to spend a bit more.
To allow us to give you more detailed help, tell us how many teeth there
are on your smallest current rear sprocket (if eleven or twelve then
that's about the smallest you can get so replacing the cassette won't
help; if 14 then replacing the cassette may help). Also tell us how
many teeth there are on your current largest chainring, and what is
written on your front deraileur (the little curved cage which moves the
chain across the chainrings, usually clamped onto the seat tube).

Moving to a larger chainring almost certainly means moving the deraileur
up the seatpost, and may mean you need a new deraileur mechanism. So
although you can certainly fit a bigger chainring, it might get
expensive. At worst you might have to replace bottom bracket, chainset
and front deraileur which definitely would do the job but would be
expensive.

--
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"Mick." <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I use a powerbike,
http://www.powabyke.com/

I have a 24 speed commuter.
Can we talk about them here or is there another group that covers them?
I do pedal all the time, and find it a boon in both daily trips to work,
and
going in to town to shop also riding into the country to take photos etc.

Hello Mick - not sure if you'll get much joy from most here, as they all
appear to be committed to real thigh powered bicycles ;-)

Within the electric bike world many also look down their noses at the
Powabyke range - I have even come across this from dealers - who mutter
about their dodgy electrics and generally shabby build quality - though I
suspect this may have been to earlier versions of the range.

Having said that, if any bike does what you want it to do then it's right
for you. IMHO there can be a certain charm in simple agricultural
engineering - witness the fans of that Russian made "1950's BMW" bike the
Ural. 750cc of hunkiness that weighs a ton but can be stripped down and
repaired with a couple of spanners and will cheerfully burble down the
dirt-track at 60mph all day.

Did you buy the Powabyke new or s/hand? If new did you look at
alternatives - such as the .50Cycles range or the Giant Lafree?

http://www.50cycles.com/index.html

If you did look at both I am wondering why you went for the 24-speed
commuter, with a relative heavy lead-acid battery over say the NiMh powered
7-speed eZee Sprint, about which AtoB wrote:

" One of the best electric bikes around. Light, long-legged, the fastest in
its class - it should wipe the floor with the opposition at... nearly 2,000
miles on long-term test and it continues to work well."
AtoB, July 2004

Look forward to hearing more about you and your bike. Nick

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

Quoted message said:

"Mick." <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

I use a powerbike,
http://www.powabyke.com/

I have a 24 speed commuter.
Can we talk about them here or is there another group that covers them?
I do pedal all the time, and find it a boon in both daily trips to work,
and
going in to town to shop also riding into the country to take photos etc.

Hello Mick - not sure if you'll get much joy from most here, as they all
appear to be committed to real thigh powered bicycles ;-)

Within the electric bike world many also look down their noses at the
Powabyke range - I have even come across this from dealers - who mutter
about their dodgy electrics and generally shabby build quality - though I
suspect this may have been to earlier versions of the range.

Having said that, if any bike does what you want it to do then it's right
for you. IMHO there can be a certain charm in simple agricultural
engineering - witness the fans of that Russian made "1950's BMW" bike the
Ural. 750cc of hunkiness that weighs a ton but can be stripped down and
repaired with a couple of spanners and will cheerfully burble down the
dirt-track at 60mph all day.

Did you buy the Powabyke new or s/hand? If new did you look at
alternatives - such as the .50Cycles range or the Giant Lafree?

http://www.50cycles.com/index.html

If you did look at both I am wondering why you went for the 24-speed
commuter, with a relative heavy lead-acid battery over say the NiMh
powered 7-speed eZee Sprint, about which AtoB wrote:

" One of the best electric bikes around. Light, long-legged, the fastest
in its class - it should wipe the floor with the opposition at... nearly
2,000 miles on long-term test and it continues to work well."
AtoB, July 2004

Look forward to hearing more about you and your bike. Nick

A little background, 60 year old male with dodgy knee on 3 to 5 year waiting
list for operation
(and I work in a hospital! ;-)
Has car but short route to work better by bike!
as I said I do pedel all the time but the battery helps on the many hills
here on the Isle of Wight.

there is only the one (as far as I know) dealer selling battery assisted
cycles here,
I dis do a scearch on the web but found only the powerbike and some that
looked like duel seat scooters
I chose the 24 speed commuter becouse I am rather heavy, and this was the
largest in the range.
I have now looked at the: http://www.50cycles.com/index.html link and mine
was dearer than them!
I would have liked a folding one too, too late now!
alouth I have not tried any others I really enjoy riding this one, and they
are quite popular here!
I wiil count the sprocket tomorrow in daylight and report back.
Thanks,
Mick.

On Sun, 3 Oct 2004 18:42:07 +0100, "Mick." <[email hidden]>

wrote in message : said:

the battery helps on the many hills here on the Isle of Wight.

A memory from way back: arriving at Ryde pier on the ferry, push the
bikes along the pier (which has planks that run along, so large gaps
running in the direction of the wheels), got to the end of the pier to
find a vertical hill ahead and a sign saying "Welcome to the Isle of
Wight, Bicycle Island!"

Guy
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