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Saturday 21 June 2014

Bike problem

Bike.1, my usual bike, has a loose hall connection, and I'm reluctant to keep using it because if the intermittent problem that can be fixed by wiggling the wire, becomes a more permanent issue, I could be stuck in the middle of a circuit with an unpowered bike, which isn't a disaster, but it would be annoying.

I have five other bikes I could use instead while I fix it, and I wonder which one I'll use?

Bike.2, also a Haro, weighs 52 pounds.

Bike.3, the Everest, running a brushless motor with no halls (which should, theoretically, make it slightly sticky to get started after a halt), 51 pounds.

Bike.4, the green 20-inch wheel Synergie, running a 6 Fet 3077 and therefore needing 10s battery, 47 pounds.

Bike.5, the silver 20-inch wheel Downtube, with Sturmey-Archer gears (which means you can't change gear while pedalling, but you can change gear while stationary), with a two-leg stand (a big plus, because with a one-leg stand, a bike isn't stable enough to be left standing on rough and/or soft ground, so if I can't lean it against something while stopped, I have to lay it down ... which also means I have to lift it up, and those 50-pounds bikes aren't light! The motor is a brushed motor; just two power wires and no halls needed, 43 pounds. People tell me that a brushed motor isn't as good as brushless, but the main reason seems to be that one day the brushes will need to be replaced, which won't be easy.

Bike.6, the Forza. This is the only non-folder, so it's not convenient for caching because A) I'd have to carry it on the car in a bike rack, not inside, and B) it'll have to be lifted over metal kissing gates whereas the folders can just be folded through. 49 pounds

So, on the whole, I think bike.5 will be the choice. I'll give it a quick run today, to check that it's good to go.



2 comments:

  1. Yeah Bike.5 looks like the way to go. What color is it?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Silver. But it wasn't the way to go, see next blog ...

    ReplyDelete