Lightweight e-bikes, capabilities and transport

[Rolfe]

The shopping list currently looks like this. (It seems that my local bike shop is in for some custom.)

Replacement handlebar shank to raise the handlebars
Prop stand
Chain guard of some sort
Lights
Basket
Phone mount for handlebars
Fit the reflectors that came with the package but which the lads at Ribble couldn't do!
Tilt saddle slightly back

I'm not sure if all of these will be possible, but we'll see. The instructions with the bike were to get a bike shop to check it over, especially the gears, after about 50 miles, to make sure everything was bedding in OK. I can do 50 miles over the next month or so and then take it in after New Year to have that done and talk about these mods.

I think it should come with lights, a prop stand and a chain guard. The Fiido does! I was also due to get a free phone mount with the Fiido (Hallowe'en offer) if I'd gone through with that purchase. But the Ribble is the better bike overall and hopefully these things can be addressed.

I've never before met a bicycle saddle where you couldn't adjust the tilt. I like a slight backwards tilt to avoid sliding forwards on it. But as far as I can see this one is fixed in a horizontal position. I'll have to see what can be done about that. At least the saddle is more comfortable than the one on the test bike!

 

[Archev]

The shopping list currently looks like this. (It seems that my local bike shop is in for some custom.)

Replacement handlebar shank to raise the handlebars
Prop stand
Chain guard of some sort
Lights
Basket
Phone mount for handlebars
Fit the reflectors that came with the package but which the lads at Ribble couldn't do!
Tilt saddle slightly back

I'm not sure if all of these will be possible, but we'll see. The instructions with the bike were to get a bike shop to check it over, especially the gears, after about 50 miles, to make sure everything was bedding in OK. I can do 50 miles over the next month or so and then take it in after New Year to have that done and talk about these mods.

I think it should come with lights, a prop stand and a chain guard. The Fiido does! I was also due to get a free phone mount with the Fiido (Hallowe'en offer) if I'd gone through with that purchase. But the Ribble is the better bike overall and hopefully these things can be addressed.

I've never before met a bicycle saddle where you couldn't adjust the tilt. I like a slight backwards tilt to avoid sliding forwards on it. But as far as I can see this one is fixed in a horizontal position. I'll have to see what can be done about that. At least the saddle is more comfortable than the one on the test bike!

Hope they’re all lightweight

 

[Rolfe]

Yes, it will increase the weight a little, but it still won't exceed the weight of my present bike as far as I can see. Prop stand, chain guard and basket are the only things with significant added weight to them anyway.

 

[MrPeaski]

Congratulations on the new bike, just a couple of things to help you settle in.
Don't worry about not having a gear display to see which 'number' gear you're in, go by what feels right. if you're moving slowly, you'll naturally want to select a lower ratio, and consequently a higher ratio when moving faster. You'll soon find your natural cadence and shift into a gear that helps you keep it.

As for the 'handlebar shank' or stem on a modern bike, you adjust the height by moving any fitted spacers above or below it, but there is very little adjustment to be had. Looking at the picture of your bike, the stem can be flipped over which should give you about 10mm extra height, it looks as though any spacers are already under the stem.
If you want extra height, ask your local bike shop for an adjustable stem, so that it can be angled up further.

Your saddle can be angled forwards/backwards by simply loosening the large bolt underneath, there will be 'ratchet' type system that stops the seat rotating if the bolt isn't quite tight enough, the bike shop will be able to sort this for you.

I can't quite see, but the frame may already have a mounting point for the kick stand, either between the rear mudguard and the seat tube or on the left hand chainstay. If neither are available a universal one could be fitted, but they tend to clamp around the chainstay tube and may not fit that well depending on the shape of the clamp and tube interface.

As for a chain guard a simple plastic cover that only covers the chainring itself would be an easy option, a full chainguard would be more difficult depending if there are mounting points on the frame available, or if a universal fitting kit comes with it.
I've only fitted them to bikes that have the mounting points and a dedicated guard to fit the frame

HTH

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks! I haven't been able to get on the bike again because I have a nasty cold and at the moment Christmas is on hold. As is everything else.

I expect I'll get used to the gears thing. I can certainly feel when I'm in the top or bottom one, because it won't move any further. I also realise that I can change down either one, two or three gears at once depending how far I depress the gear lever, which is good.

The guy at Ribble Cycles suggested swapping out the handlebar stem when I asked him about it, and looking at my two bikes sitting up against each other it's the sensible thing to do.

I am not sure about the angling of the saddle. I'm used to the type of fixing you describe, with a large bolt and the ratchet which lets the thing be angled as you say. However the fixing on this bike seems different and I'm not sure it it's built to be moved or not. I didn't look that closely at the time as it was pretty cold.

I'll just have to see what's possible as regards prop stand and chain guard. My last bike came with a prop stand and I was very used to using it, but the one before that didn't. My problem at the moment is that I automatically kick out looking for a stand and of course there isn't one. I'd probably be OK with just a cover on the chainring, but we'll see what the bike shop says. Next month.

 

[MrPeaski]

Trust me, you can adjust the angle of the saddle
I looked at the pictures a bit closer and it looks like there are 2 silver allen head bolts underneath the seat clamp. both of these will be loosened enough to allow the teeth within the clamp to release and then you'll be able to tilt it back. Probably no more than 1 or 2 teeth.
I've marked the fixing bolts on your pictures.
Your previous seat clamps may have had a bolt at either end so you loosened 1 and tightened the other to tilt the seat.
The folks at the bike shop will know how they work so don't worry

 

[Rolfe]

I think I see what you mean now. (Sorry, still getting over a nasty cold, not firing on all cylinders here.)

 

[Archev]

I think I see what you mean now. (Sorry, still getting over a nasty cold, not firing on all cylinders here.)

Commiserations it’s awful when you feel down. Get well soon.

 

[Ian Key]

I think I see what you mean now. (Sorry, still getting over a nasty cold, not firing on all cylinders here.)

@Rolfe How's the nasty cold? Are you OK as you don't seem to have posted on the forum since before Christmas?

 

[Rolfe]

I'm OK. The cold kept coming back for another bite, then the meddling busybodies at Justice for Megrahi wanted me to write an article to slap down a prosecution lawyer who was getting a bit uppity and that escalated a bit. I now have an entire book to re-proofread for an eBook reissue. Such is life. But here I am, thanks for not sacking me!

 

[Rolfe]

As for Hilda, we're getting on well. I've just done local runs on tarred roads (not that well tarred, some of them), but she's going up hills like a good 'un. The last time I had her out I went up to the reservoir that's about 400 feet above the village, and 3.5 miles away. I got the whole way without having to dismount, although it was a close thing at one point. The run back down was great, just as well I was wearing a woolly hat that ties on.

I've had to use the old pannier from my other bike because no basket (yet) and I haven't managed to fit my decent panniers because the carrier struts are a bit chunky for the clips, but hopefully I'll get them on later.

 

[Archev]

As for Hilda, we're getting on well. I've just done local runs on tarred roads (not that well tarred, some of them), but she's going up hills like a good 'un. The last time I had her out I went up to the reservoir that's about 400 feet above the village, and 3.5 miles away. I got the whole way without having to dismount, although it was a close thing at one point. The run back down was great, just as well I was wearing a woolly hat that ties on.

Sounds like a happy purchase The bike looks quite purposeful perched there.

 

[Rolfe]

What happened next was not photographed. When I lifted her away, both gates swung right open, "Please keep gates closed at all times" notice and all. The bolt just slipped open and the bit at the top that holds them securely wasn't in place. I had a bit of a wrestling match to get them closed again, then put that handle down to keep them that way.

 

[Rolfe]

Well, well, this is even better than I'd hoped.

She lifted in easily without even having to take the wheel off! It was the lad at Ribble Cycles who said, as he was helping me load her for the journey home, I think you might get that in there without removing the wheel. I know there's 180 cm to play with if you move the front seat forward, and so I measured the length of the entire bike. Comfortably less than that. Someone in this thread suggested trying it rear wheel first and that seemed like a good idea.

It was absolutely easy peasy. She's lighter than my other bike, and even with the wheel on lifted in quite easily. It wasn't so unbalanced a lift, and the handlebars didn't flail around wildly, and the front mudguard wasn't in danger of being bent, and the best lifting position kept me well away from the chain too.

The difference is really the car, though. The MG4 has a longer load bed than the Golf had, despite not being any longer overall. That's what lets the bike go in in one piece. My other bike would also go in, quite obviously (it's actually a couple of inches shorter), but the weight might be a little more of a problem.

 

[Archev]

Well, well, this is even better than I'd hoped.

View attachment 34653

View attachment 34654

She lifted in easily without even having to take the wheel off! It was the lad at Ribble Cycles who said, as he was helping me load her for the journey home, I think you might get that in there without removing the wheel. I know there's 180 cm to play with if you move the front seat forward, and so I measured the length of the entire bike. Comfortably less than that. Someone in this thread suggested trying it rear wheel first and that seemed like a good idea.

It was absolutely easy peasy. She's lighter than my other bike, and even with the wheel on lifted in quite easily. It wasn't so unbalanced a lift, and the handlebars didn't flail around wildly, and the front mudguard wasn't in danger of being bent, and the best lifting position kept me well away from the chain too.

The difference is really the car, though. The MG4 has a longer load bed than the Golf had, despite not being any longer overall. That's what lets the bike go in in one piece. My other bike would also go in, quite obviously (it's actually a couple of inches shorter), but the weight might be a little more of a problem.

Fantastic, nothing stopping you now.

 

[Rolfe]

Well, there is the weather...

World, oyster. Since the bike will charge from the car's VtL, range is really unlimited. The footwell space behind the passenger seat, where I keep the big box with all the kit, is still clear. The passenger seat also, for the cool-box, and the passenger footwell for boots and day-rucksack. (Or bike panniers, as it may well be from henceforth.) Flight bag and other bits and bobs will load in the footwell behind the driver's seat and around the bike quite easily so long as the bike is loaded first.

This also solves the problem of keeping the camp spot, in most situations. Park up, unload the bike, lock the car and use the bike to get around locally. The bike will obviously have to stay outside overnight, so I'm adding a very sturdy bike-lock chain to the shopping list. Something long enough to pass round one of the car's wheels, I think.

I have had one run off-road, which was successful as far as it could be. The old Roman road that parallels the A702 between Carlops and West Linton is a decent bike run in dry weather. I was warned off it at this time of year but went anyway. The problem was huge puddles the entire width of the track that had frozen over with about an inch of ice, then a vehicle had driven through, smashing the ice and scattering slabs of it everywhere. The puddles were also trying to freeze over again. I got off and walked. Luckily I had anticipated this and was wearing very sturdy waterproof shoes.

But, Hilda got up the hill to Windy Gowl farm which was steeper than I had realised (I'd only ever cycled it the other way before), having previously also managed the hill up to South Mains from the Harlawmuir burn, which had to be taken almost from a standstill as the road surface at the bottom of the dip, over the culvert, was very poor.

Coming down the West Linton side of the Roman road was rough and dodging the puddles on the downhill slope tricky, but I got more and more confident of Hilda's ability to handle that sort of terrain. Her tyres are narrower than those on my other bike, but they seem to have just as much grip, and once I got on to The Loan down into the village I was riding through some of the smaller icy puddles without any trouble.

Summer is looking good.

 

[Archev]

Well, there is the weather...

World, oyster. Since the bike will charge from the car's VtL, range is really unlimited. The footwell space behind the passenger seat, where I keep the big box with all the kit, is still clear. The passenger seat also, for the cool-box, and the passenger footwell for boots and day-rucksack. (Or bike panniers, as it may well be from henceforth.) Flight bag and other bits and bobs will load in the footwell behind the driver's seat and around the bike quite easily so long as the bike is loaded first.

This also solves the problem of keeping the camp spot, in most situations. Park up, unload the bike, lock the car and use the bike to get around locally. The bike will obviously have to stay outside overnight, so I'm adding a very sturdy bike-lock chain to the shopping list. Something long enough to pass round one of the car's wheels, I think.

Love it. I’m kind of busy rebuilding my fence and sweeping up my greenhouse. I’ve a tarpaulin over the garage roof and that’s all keeping me away from the Citroen transformation.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm still waiting for the insurance company to get back to me, after I couldn't take their first call as I was driving at the time. We'll see what happens there.

 

[Ian Key]

Well, well, this is even better than I'd hoped.

View attachment 34653

View attachment 34654

She lifted in easily without even having to take the wheel off! It was the lad at Ribble Cycles who said, as he was helping me load her for the journey home, I think you might get that in there without removing the wheel. I know there's 180 cm to play with if you move the front seat forward, and so I measured the length of the entire bike. Comfortably less than that. Someone in this thread suggested trying it rear wheel first and that seemed like a good idea.

It was absolutely easy peasy. She's lighter than my other bike, and even with the wheel on lifted in quite easily. It wasn't so unbalanced a lift, and the handlebars didn't flail around wildly, and the front mudguard wasn't in danger of being bent, and the best lifting position kept me well away from the chain too.

The difference is really the car, though. The MG4 has a longer load bed than the Golf had, despite not being any longer overall. That's what lets the bike go in in one piece. My other bike would also go in, quite obviously (it's actually a couple of inches shorter), but the weight might be a little more of a problem.

You need an up to the front seats boot liner to protect the interior from mud and scratches. Rhino do them for the MG4 from about £113

MG - Up to Front Seats Boot Liner

ekm element element reference ExtendedLinerDesc edit button YES output start output end element name default answer output default This is an answer

rhinoukbootlinersltd.co.uk

I've got one for the dogs and despite their best efforts it's kept the car clean.

 

[decrep]

Summer is looking good.

Yep, looks like Caliban and Hilda are going to be a great team for you.