Raleigh Modum with the new Bosch Smart System

Recently arrived in the shop is a demo model of the Raleigh Modum ebike. It’s a small-wheeled  bike, ideal for shopping or commuting, but also eminently suitable for exploring the countryside. It’s got a 5-speed hub gear, so there’s no risk of the chain falling off, and no risk of damaging a vulnerable derailleur. At the same time, the gear range is perfectly adequate for even the most challenging hills – after all, that’s what the Electric Assist is for.

However, the main innovation is that the electric assistance is provided by the next generation Bosch componentry, known as the “Smart System”. What this means in practice is that you can tweak the support levels available from the motor (Drive Unit), and also communicate with the bike by means of a bluetooth connection from your phone, using the Bosch “Flow” app. For example: using your phone as a GPS, you can  plan routes and the directions are shown on the display. Furthermore, as and when software updates for any of the components become available, you can download them straight to the bike from your phone without having to visit us or any other bike shop. (Having said that, we’re still absolutely here for you for any update needs if you’d prefer to visit, and of course for regular servicing.)

Other interesting features of the bike include a handlebar that can easily be turned so that it’s in line with the bike – convenient if storage is required in a hallway or other narrow space; and a “Dropper” seatpost – which works a bit like a gas strut in an office chair, meaning you can lower the saddle so that your feet are flat on the ground when the bike is stationary, but raise it for a more efficient pedalling position when you’re in motion.

Added to that are a sturdy rack for carrying up to 25kg, and integrated lights powered by the 500 Wh Powertube battery. RRP is £3,399.00

Call the shop to arrange a visit if you’d like further details or to go on a test ride.

Raleigh Motus GT Low Step

Here at bikebikebike.bike we’ve been selling and using ebikes for over 20 years. We specialise in models from Raleigh equipped with market-leading equipment from Bosch. These models are:
Raleigh Motus
Raleigh Motus Tour
Raleigh Motus Grand Tour and
Raleigh Centros

More Information

The “electrical” components of an ebike (as opposed to the bikey bits) consist of i) the Drive Unit, ii) the Battery and iii) the Display; and Bosch make a variety of these with characteristics suitable for different environments: the final retail price of the ebike reflects the particular specification of each of these, plus of course the quality of the underlying bicycle componentry. RRPs range from £2199 to £3099.

Drive Units
For these utility ebikes, there are three Bosch Drive Units, namely the “Active”, the “Active Plus”, and the “Performance Line”, offering progressively increased levels of “torque” – ie pulling power. The higher torque versions won’t make you go faster (you don’t get any help at speeds higher than 15mph) , but they will give extra oomph on steeper inclines. Each Drive unit has four modes of support, Eco, Tour, Sport, and Turbo.

Batteries
The amount of energy a battery can carry is measured in Watt Hours. Typically, the capacity of an ebike battery will vary from 300WH to 750WH. This measure is the most important, but by no means the only, factor in determining the range. Other factors include the type of Drive Unit, the type of riding conditions, the size and weight of the rider, and Bosch has an interactive website to estimate the range based on these and other parameters. This can be found at https://www.bosch-ebike.com/en/service/range-assistant/

Display
Bosch has several types of display, of which the two found on our Raleigh ebikes are known as the “Intuvia”, and the “Purion”. Both types enable the user to control all the functions of the ebike, but the Intuvia has a larger screen with more features visible at the same time.

Biggest Selling Model

Our biggest selling model is the Motus Grand Tour, which combines good quality bicycle componentry with the Active Plus Drive Unit, a 500WH battery and the Intuvia computer. It seems to be particularly suitable for the steep terrain of the Teifi Valley and the surrounding coastline and countryside where we are faced with not infrequent 25% gradients. This model comes in a variety of Step Through or Crossbar frame sizes to suit most people sizes, and in a derailleur version at £2699 incl VAT, or a Hub Gear version at £2799 incl VAT.

For further information or to make arrangements for a test ride on the Motus GT or any bike, please get in touch by ringing us on 01239 621275

Early Daffodil with view to Fishguard Bay and Strumble Head behind

Some of the daffodils are just coming out, some of the snowdrops too. Spring is in the offing.

Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklyn are now memories, but Storm Putin is currently raging.

Stocks of ebikes are good right now, we have models in various sizes and quantities, from  Ridgeback ,Forme and Raleigh, including a good selection of the LIMITED EDITION Raleigh Motus Tour Plus  equipped with the Bosch Active Plus Drive Unit and 400Wh battery. The newly revamped Motus Grand Tour (very similar but with a 500Wh battery) is going to be hitting the showroom floor in the next couple of weeks.

Stocks of hybrids and childrens bikes are also (mostly) in good supply now, just waiting for the evenings to lengthen, the temperature to increase.

Although the COVID situation remains very serious, it feels like the problem is now understood better, the vaccination programme is being rolled out successfully (here in the UK at least), the prevalence of wilder conspiracy theories has receded, and the end, although not imminent, is in sight.

In terms of bicycles and the Active Travel phenomenon, we are still waiting to see whether last year’s upsurge in bike sales, particularly e-bike sales, will translate into a meaningful change in the way we look at transport in general, and and our reliance on cars in particular. It is still the case that many short journeys ( 3 miles and under) are undertaken by car, when a bike, an e-bike, or legs could do the distance in a very similar timescale.

While electric cars are an absolute necessity in helping to reduce fossil fuel emissions, their contribution is only helpful in journeys of medium to long distance. They are not the answer to the other major problem of 4 wheeled vehicles – namely congestion caused by their proliferation, because an electric car takes up just as much space as a petrol or diesel powered one, and while it may not be belching out noxious fumes, it is still greedily grabbing a disproportionate amount of road space and marginalising other road users. It is here that walking and cycling can come into their own

We’ve had a busy year, so have all the other bike shops, so it seems; so busy was the year that  the whole of the usual annual supply of bikes disappeared in a couple of months and everybody has been trying to play catch up since. Not very successfully I must admit, because stocks are still very limited and the supply chain doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going, call it Corona, call it Brexit, call it the Suez Canal.

Gleeful hand-rubbing at the piles of gold pouring into the coffers has turned to frustrated hand-wringing and apologetic phone-calling to prospective customers whose bicycle delivery recedes into an uncertain future.

But temporary gloom must make way for an optimistic future – the Active Travel phenomenon is slowly but surely encroaching into the cultural mainstream, and bikes, electric-assisted or leg-operated, will play a big part.

But as James Meek wrote in the London Review of Books:” we might find ourselves wondering why, if the world is capable of mustering so much financial and material firepower to fight Covid-19,…., it can’t muster it for other purposes.”

In terms of the cycle industry, the Bicycle Association and others made strong representations that outdoor cycling while maintaining sufficient distance from others can make a positive contribution to maintaining health and fitness in the fight against the virus. The Government listened and exempted bike shops from having to close when the general lockdown was imposed.

Consequently we are open, and are going to remain open as long as possible, for repairs, sales of bikes and electric bikes and parts and accessories, and will maintain our usual opening hours of

10am to 5pm. Monday to Saturday

We are being extra vigilant with regard to hygiene, and in general will only have one member of staff in the shop at any one time.

We welcome customers old and new, who are making purchases for Active Travel bicycle journeys or for exercise purposes

BUT : we want to preserve social distancing inside our premises.

SO, BEFORE entering, please look inside and if there is another customer already in the shop, please wait outside until they have left.

RALEIGH MOTUS TOUR STEP-THRU (DERAILLEUR)

More and more, potential customers are becoming real customers when they try out an ebike and see that as well as being for fitness and recreation, it can be a real alternative to the car for short journeys. We stock the MOTUS and CENTROS from Raleigh, a range of bikes eminently suitable for ACTIVE TRAVEL.

The MOTUS comes in three models – the MOTUS, the MOTUS TOUR and the MOTUS GRAND TOUR.

RALEIGH CENTROS GRAND TOUR X-BAR (HUB GEAR)

And similarly the CENTROS is available as a CENTROS, a CENTROS TOUR, and a CENTROS GRAND TOUR.

Successive models in each range have higher levels of specification, more and better accessories, and higher capacity batteries or more powerful motors. Starting at £1800 for the MOTUS and £2350 for the CENTROS , they will soon pay for themselves in added convenience and lower motoring costs.

Ring or call in or email to arrange a test drive to check their capabilities and delve into the finer details.

bikebikebike.bike

is the new name for New Image Bicycles. Same old management, same address, just a new name. In this age of dots and digits we’re confident that it will take us for’ard to the sunny uplands of cultural bicyclism that are surely just around the corner. The new shop signs were made by Mark at Cardi Banners and have met with universal approval so far, and feature the new otter logo, reflecting Cardigan’s association with that magnificent river mammal.

Park Tool PRS-33 workstand easily holding an electrically assisted tricycle

We’ve just installed a Park Tool PRS-33 powered workstand in the workshop. With more and more ebikes being sold or requiring servicing, the PRS-33 makes short work of lifting their heftyish weight from ground level up to working height.

Pictured on the stand is a Jorvik electrically assisted child-carrying tricycle. This would have been difficult to work on with a conventional stand, but is a piece of cake with the new contraption.

The clamping mechanism of the PRS-33

Of course, our workshop is equipped to carry out work on any bike, electric or not, of any age from early 20th century to the present day.

35 years of experience fixing bikes.

I was reminded of this when the bicycle in the accompanying photograph was brought into the shop for a fettle and a service…