Pedelecs..........and getting away from the van. (Part 1)

This is a tale recalling our foray into the joys of electric bike ownership, which I thought might prove useful to others considering the same. Our bikes are pedal assisted bikes (pedelecs) and not the throttle assisted or power on demand type of electric bike, the use of which, are now forbidden in many countries.

A pedelec (from pedal electric cycle) is a bicycle where the rider's pedalling is assisted by a small electric motor; thus they are a type of low-powered e-bike. However, unlike some other types of e-bikes, pedelecs are classified as conventional bicycles in many countries by road authorities rather than as a type of electric moped. Pedelecs include an electronic controller which cuts power to the motor when the rider is not pedalling or when a certain speed – usually 25 km/h (16 mph) – has been reached. Pedelecs are useful for people who ride in hilly areas or in strong headwinds.

Our Ponies at the racetrack

In the beginning.........

Our very first motorhome (a Sprite Firebrand 600) was only about 18ft in length which made it fairly easy to park in most public car parks. Where possible we would choose parking-spaces on the outer fringes and if possible reverse the van over the verge edge. Utilising the rear over-hang of the motorhome in this way allowed us to fit entirely within one parking space and thus conform with the parking regulations.

This approach meant we could always get fairly close to local amenities, visitor attractions and the like. With two young children in tow, together with all their baggage, this was the perfect scenario for short breaks and days out. However, as the children have grown, our vans have grown too and the capacity to park in the local pay-and-display have now long gone! As is often the case there has to be a compromise in these things and the price for onboard living comfort comes at the expense of convenient day-time parking.

Initially, parking in coach parks with our tag-axle motorhomes did not pose too much of a problem, especially when visiting attractions, theme parks etc. as these parking areas are never that much further away than normal car parking areas. The boys were happy to walk and we didn't mind either the extra distance, often it was to our advantage anyway parking away from the crowds!

However, as the boys were spending increasingly more time at home and leaving the two of us to travel alone, it soon became evident that parking out of town centres (even utilising campsites) for our short-weekend breaks, we were not really getting as much out of our trips away as perhaps we ought to.

My thoughts on a scooter (as a way of solving the problem) were immediately kicked into touch by her ladyship, not least because of the basic 'two fatty's on a bike' ramifications, but also we envisaged a scooter as our single source of transport would inhibit our capacity to explore independently of each other if required.

The sensible (and workable) solution was a bike. But neither of us were particularly enthusiastic about cycling. Sure we had done it in the past when the boys were younger, but the hassle of getting the bikes on and off the rear mounted bike rack, the security issues and actually pedalling them, gave us sufficient reasons not to take them with us on our travels anymore.............however, that was all about to change on a vacation to the Black Forest in Germany.

Components that make our bikes, E-Bikes

It was Easter and we'd made for Europa Park in Germany for a few 'theme-park' days with the boys before heading further into Germany for our family vacation. Whilst staying on the Stellplatz at Balinea Thermen in Bad Bellingen I came across some electric bike hire information specifically targeted to visitors of the Black Forest region 'Cycle with Power' and interestingly, there was a hotel in town that was hiring.

I'd noted in recent months the growing number of motorhome owners referring to electric bike ownership on the various internet forums and had even seen several such bikes scooting about on our travels. 

The general consensus appeared to be that these e-bikes were a revelation and provided a new perspective to their owners when out and about in the motorhome. I was somewhat intrigued and had tentatively looked at various makes and options as a viable option for us to consider. I knew that if I could convince her ladyship into trying one, then they might just provide a solution to our transport problems.

Kalkhoff E-Comfort Hire Bike....comfy, big and very heavy!

Hiring one of these new e-bikes for half a day was just 11 Euro's per bike (including cycle helmets and pannier's) and all that was required to complete the hire was a photocopy of my passport and confirmation we had a Konus Guest Card.  Surprisingly no deposit or security was asked for and we were duly presented with a pair of £1500+ Kalkhoff E-Comfort bikes...........we were off!

Well, to say we were both impressed would be a bit of an understatement. After a few cautionary laps of the Stellplatz (to get the hang of pedal power) we were ready to discover lands afar....and before we knew it the bikes had propelled us effortlessly off along the Rhine river and 20km away from our motorhome residence; this was well and truly unchartered waters!

The afternoon flew by and the bikes performed faultlessly, providing plenty of power assistance when needed (mostly up hill), but really came into their own for the last few miles returning back to the motorhome. In total we covered almost 40km and still had charge left in our batteries.....I can't remember the last time we even got close to those distances on a push-bike!

After returning the Kalkhoff's we both agreed that the hire experience had been a positive one and that these e-bikes were certainly worth investigating further upon our return to the UK. The following day whilst letting our backsides recover we reflected upon the hire experience, the Kalkhoff bikes and more importantly how we might manage to accommodate two of these bikes onto the van.

First on the list was transportation. These e-bikes are not light, in fact many are 25kg+ which is a fair weight (even with battery removed) to be lifting a significant distance off the ground - which is where our external cycle rack is fitted. To mitigate the height issue I did consider fitting a 'Sawiko Bike Carrier' to the motorhome, which makes loading bikes at a lower level far easier.

However, the issue of security was once again a deciding factor and considering that a couple of these bikes can total several thousand pounds leaving them exposed on the rear of our van was not something we were particularly happy about. The security aspect, combined with exposing the bikes to the outdoor elements whilst travelling, meant that transportation of any new purchase would have to be within the van.......consequently, we were no longer looking at 26" wheel bikes, but more than likely 20" ones and (aghast) maybe even a folding one!

This rationale was confirmed after further reflection on our hire experince with the 26" wheeled Kalkhoff e-bikes. We recognised that cruising along country lanes or cycle paths was one thing, but manoeuvring such a big heavy bike through city centre crowds, over footbridges or accessing trains was going to be far easier on a small wheeled bike.......so it was clear to us that a 20" wheeled bike was going to be the best way forward.

Let the hunt begin........Part 2 to follow!