Time waits for no man.

 

Naked: No assist.

It's true. Time marches along regardless. You cannot change it or fight it. You cannot go back, only forwards and as it passes we try to become more accepting of the fact that, one day, it will run out for each and every one of us. That's the very reason I'm starting to write a new blog. A new phase of my life has started. Riding2Recovery, although always ongoing, is now in my past as a new and fresh part of my life begins. As time passes, we start to adjust to new ways of doing things. I can still cycle happily on two wheels without any kind of assistance, so why have I chosen now to start riding what most call an electric bike (trike in this case)?

From my perspective, it's a no-brainer. The rides I have always enjoyed are those in wild places where the terrain hurts and the physical/mental demands are high. The rewards for winching yourself slowly up some pass or other brings huge rewards as the ground falls away and you pedal seemingly skywards. Even along the coast, especially here in the South West, the roads are folded into climbs that cyclists from anywhere else in the UK find incredibly hard work. Just ask anybody who has ridden Lands End to John o' Groats and they almost always say the hardest part was Devon and Cornwall.

As a younger person you attack these hills with vigour, finding great satisfaction in making it over the top. As you age this becomes progressively harder and although I can get up the hills I take much longer to recover and have started to lose the enjoyment of cycling because of the effort expended each time I go out and about. I have also noticed that places I used to ride frequently, I now avoid, and I began to wonder why that was?

Lightweight hub motor. The downward loop on the electrical cable is to help stop water ingress.

Enter the Pedalec, or Pedal assisted electric bike that we see more and more of on our roads and trails. You still pedal, but a sensor picks up your effort and an electric motor helps you out a bit depending on the motor and the level of assistance you dial into it. Clever eh? Some say this is cheating. I don't get this argument, unless you are competing, when it definitely would be. Many people now ride who wouldn't have given it a second thought for precisely the reasons I have stated above. What is more, they are loving it from what I hear. So there we have it. I have gone to the dark side, electric assist, and I have to say I love it. So why is it so appealing? That is the question I want to ask today. 

Some people say you should simply  buy a lighter bike as you age and that is as beneficial as electric assist. There are lots of reasons that this is a good idea. It keeps your bike simple. It allows you to feel still part of the thing you used to do, almost unchanged. If you lighten your equipment as well, many tour well into their eighties and beyond. So why change, making you bike far more complex and heavier in the process?

This is a question for each of you. I have already answered it for myself. For me the thinking went along these lines. Given my history: manic over-use of physical faculties and consequent slow deterioration of what's left of them, my body now demands that I care a great deal about how comfortable it is when outdoors. Where some can lighten there camping equipment, I have found I need more comfort, not less. That always means more weight, especially if durability is also a requirement.

Battery and controller behind the seat. This is a Frog Battery, made for folding bikes.

In order to use a small, light tent, I need a tarp or something so that I can live outside and not be confined in a space that requires me to fall sideways into the mud after several hours of being cooped-up. The days of getting out of a small tent elegantly are long gone and I still have some dignity to maintain. This equipment all weighs something and super-light bikes won't carry it without complaining or braking spokes and the like. My recumbent trike isn't bothered by carrying stuff. It's like a mule, slow but sure.

Secondly, I cannot survive on a pack of cigarettes and several beers any longer. thankfully. I need decent food (and no cigarettes) and that is something I have to make for myself as eating out regularly is beyond my budget. I should add that I lo ve camp cooking and wouldn't ever be without a stove or my beloved coffee in the morning. There are not likely to be tours using B and B for me, due to the cost, and although Warm Showers is appealing sometimes I like to spend my evenings quiet and reflective outside my tent. So, I basically now have more clutter than I used to get away with in the days when taking the right climbing equipment meant more than anything else. 

The next part comes to us all at some, often different, points in our lives. Having lived through a long, tough mental battering, that I'm still fighting, it has taken its toll physically and mentally. I don't wake full of energy, ever, these days. Getting going is more and more a battle of mind over matter. Something that makes this easier appeals hugely. Something like electric-assist. I now get excited at going riding again and are even thinking about another long distance ride.

Now there are books written about what to choose and what is best for what in terms of electric bikes. I know, I've got one. But sooner or later, you have to decide your needs and take that step. Buying an electric bike with a world renowned German or Japanese motor is possibly the best way in some respects, but the cost... Ouch! You do get what you pay for and nobody wants to buy twice if they can avoid it, but right now those types of machine are way beyond my budget, especially given that I also want to ride a recumbent trike for it's sun-lounger type comfort and a view ahead to die for (think Imax).

Ready to rumble

Another reason for my wanting to go down this route is that I wanted to learn something new. My father was an electrical engineer, whereas I'm reasonably ignorant of all things involving electrickery. That is a major challenge for me then? I would eventually like to extend this to the point where I'm riding a solar recharging trike. That thought was inspired by The Sun race, but there's a lot of learning to be done before then  though as I am still learning the basics of ebike construction. 

I like the idea of getting what I need from the sun and the way things are heading, the UK may become much more viable in terms of being able to use reliable solar energy. I'm also sure the technology will improve hand-over-fist in he next decade or so, by which time I hope to still be riding. Teresa and I have already agreed that flying isn't a way to travel for us, but our bicycles are sacrosanct for the way they allow us to feel part o nature again, rather than just in it.

There are many choices you can make, even right at the start of your ebike journey. These would take up the space of several more articles, of which there are already many well-informed versions online along with the inevitable plethora of 'how to' YouTube videos, some of which are excellent. I'm not at the point where  need an almighty shove yet, so I've settled on  a simple 250 watt, 36 volt rear-hub conversion kit and fitted to my KMX Kolt, recumbent trike. 

Fitting it was fun, aside from a couple of minor problems. I enjoyed the whole process from start to finish. It left me feeling that anybody could do this and that the support I got from China, and especially  from  Anna at GreenBikeKit.com during the whole process was excellent, so much so that I've ordered another kit for Teresa's bike.

Beautiful photograph taken by Teresa Golding on our first campsite as we travelled around and over Dartmoor.

The first ride was really interesting. It can best be summed up in one word: WEEEEEEEEEEEEE. That was how it left me feeling. I've already become really attached to my KMX. It's full of fun and character. Adding the motor has just made it even more so. The step choices on the motor go from: 'a gentle breeze' to 'what hill' levels of assistance. Most of the time I just bimble around without using the assist. The extra weight hasn't effected the trike as it's as low an central as I could get it. The hub itself feels virtually friction-free when the motor is off. 

There is no doubt that the hub motor would bog down on steep enough hills with lots of weight, but it's plenty strong enough for me at this point in time. Much more importantly, I'm ecstatic about riding again. It isn't leaving me so exhausted that sleep is the only answer. I can now ride more often and more importantly to me, further on each ride. I grin each time I use the motor and I thank my lucky stars for Chinese exports. 

See you next time. :) 

The author on Dartmoor with an electrically assisted grin after the climb up from Ashburton.