Fred & Bev from Down Under Australia

[Fred Hillier]

Hello all

Thanks to all who have made theis forum possible.

We are new to this forum and we too have shared some of the problems associated with having elect assist. In 2015 we purchased two Tern fold-up bikes in Switzerland and every year since then we have taken them to Europe and ridden many of the bike paths, The latest was the Velo6 in France. Last year we purchased two Add-e motors in Austria (where they are made) and they proved successful to a degree. The motor drives by friction onto the back wheel and the battery is the size and shape of a water bottle. Great concept but they are difficult to adjust and unfortunately they are in some respects unreliable.

So we are now looking at installing two eZee conversion kits (from Glowworm Electric Bikes Sydney) with the hope they will do their job and keep us moving. It seems the eZee company makes a motor that will drop into an 80mm wide fork which is necessary for our Tern bikes. We do not want to change our bikes as they have a certain nostalgic value taking us to most European countries from Morocco to Sweden. If any member has had any experience with the Ezee or Add-e conversion kits we would like to hear from them.

Bev and I are not young, I am 77 and we need assist especially when we have a full load including tent, sleeping & cooking gear plus other stuff for up to six months touring (our total gear weight is around 15kg). Interested parties can read about our experiences on www.tbeartravels.com Search Archives September 2017 (shows Add-e setup and the history of the bike) then search Observations from the Saddle of a Bike and read on.

Bev and I are well travelled and we use the Couchsurfing organisation and if any members are in Australia anytime let us know you can stay with us anytime.

Interesting to read about fellow travellers on ebikes...it is the future and we look foeward to reading this forum.

Fred and Bev hillie

 

[indianajo]

Welcome to the site.
You certainly get around. I'm just beginning to fantasize about road tripping on the bike, since the wind can't pull me down to 5 mph the way it will without electricity. I did my previous camping out of a five ton truck in the Army. Lots of heavy, all weather gear.
Europe from a bicycle! What a thought. I'm afraid to drive in the left lane, but on a bike it wouldn't be so weird. And there are plenty of back roads in europe, they didn't pull up their streets when they put in the Autobahn/Autostrada. US 66 is totally destroyed except for bits & pieces, you need a book to find those. There is possibly some culture involved in camping in easements in Europe. If I set up by the side of the road here in the US, yehoos would throw coffee cups and beer bottles at my tent. KOA grounds and national park campgrounds stink from the sewage lines of the winnebagos.
Good luck with the 80 mm conversion. I just burned 2 days with a grinder knocking down the shaft so a hub motor would fit in a 135 mm frame with washers inside the frame (to prevent pinching from collapsing the motor covers). No thrust washers inside these ****ese bargains, by contrast with a shimano/suntour derailleur.

 

[Fred Hillier]

Indianajo

It is possible to stealth camp in Europe but you have to pick your places such as in forests and reserves. You have to hide yourself too (well out of sight). We even have a green tent so as to blend in with the surrounds. It is also possible to camp on farms after asking permission of course. It is a good idea to carry a translation card with 'is it ok to camp on your place for one night' in the language of the country you are travelling in. If you go in season there are plenty of reasonably priced camping areas and another thought is 'pod camping', it's very cheap and don't forget Couchsurfing and there is the Warmshowers organisation too. (free accommodation provided by fellow cyclists).

Going to look at the 80mm fork motor today....I will give a report.

Fred and Bev