Recent comments

Toby - if you had the reg number of the truck you could pass it to police and the firm was operating a defective vehicle and that it was being driven without due care and attention.
Like I said in a previous thread abut Patel's death, this firm seems to have a poor safety record. All road users are at risk and not just cyclists. Given that the death of the Japanese businessman is the second fatality the firm has been closely connected with I expect the company is now going to be hit very hard indeed. It's a shame two people have had to pay the ultimate price for this to take effect.

It only works when it's raining..coool

It really is unbelievable that, in general, drivers who have been repeatedly convicted of serious offences are still allowed to drive. Do they ever get life bans? Why is driving considered as if it is some kind of human right?

not often an entire forest comments on road.cc. and one of my fave forests at that.

here's one from andrew smith, he say:

"Each panel is a separate colour from the Shutt logo, simple but eye catching."

Interesting idea. I'm probably doing about 2 turbo sessions a week at the moment. I find it difficult to make it much past the hour due to boredom. Wander if it would be more fun turning up and spinning with some others at local bike shop...

Definitely like the local ride hub thing too. My current LBS does proclaim to do this, but they are pretty snobby about who they invite to come along. Would be great to put the ride timetable front and centre, like a chalk board in a pub showing what on that week.

The company might be "very sorry" but actions speak louder than words.

This evening, along with another cycle commuter, I was "buzzed" by one of Thames Materials' Tipper lorries on Boston Manor Road in West London. The driver presumably thought it was ok to only give cyclists a few inches of passing space despite there being ample room to pull out safely whilst overtaking us.

I then watched as the same lorry was driven straight across a mini roundabout that another cyclist was already crossing. The tipper lorry didn't have any working lights on its rear number plate and the plate itself was smeared with muck as was the tipper lorry fleet number - rendering both illegible.

As it passed me I noticed that the lorry didn't have the top mirror on the offside cab mirror cluster to give visibility of the blind spot and also didn't have any "how's my driving" type signage on the rear.

If the owners of Thames Materials are genuinely interested in road safety they could make a good start by:

1. Educating their drivers.
2. Fitting blind spot mirrors and joining a "How's my driving" reporting scheme.
3. Taking steps to check that their fleet of vehicles comply with the law by having working lights and clean number plates and punishing drivers who fail to report defects on company vehicles.

how long would a scaffolding last if their scaffolding kept falling into the street killing people.
would we accept 1 or 2 deaths a year...I bloody doubt it.

Hi Dave

Many thanks for the review so far. Black batteries are certainly something we are looking into, as you say to blend in with the bike.

Please bear in mind the 50mile range was tested by the German manufacturers under the following conditions:
- Average speed of 21km/h
- Medium assist mode
- Carrying a total weight of 87kg / 13.9 stones

By all means if you are travelling plenty of steep hills on the highest assist, the battery charge will run out quicker, likewise if you travelled on a majority of flats in low assist, the battery will last even longer. It will be interesting to see the route and gradient you take and how the battery stands up to your testing. The bike frame is made from lightweight aluminium and comes in at a total weight of 21.kg, great for travelling even with the motor turned off.

Comments are appreciated.

@Ush
- Rear attachment is in fact Pletscher's EasyFix rack that allows easy integration of a childseat, basket or bag. There is a short demo video on their website- music optional.
- Brake behind the front fork. The research and design that went into this from our manufacturer was to ensure more effective braking and avoid annoying brake squeal.
- Onya front end loader does look like a good utility vehicle and I'm sure will be great for deliveries and carrying heavy loads such as children- the equivalent of attaching a trailer to our bikes. The 20mph limit as Saul states, is for the US, whereas in the UK the legal assist limit is at 15.5mph.

@Aapje
- Thanks for observing the over-heightened rear rack. This demo bike has been in the field for the last few months so uncertain as to when this was meddled with, although it couldn't have been long ago as it was clearly horizontally aligned in our previous review. Please see pic here: http://www.spencerivy.com/testimonials.php. Not quite sure what the reason for this over-adjustment on this particular bike is.
There are other pictures of our correctly fitted rack: http://www.spencerivy.com/products1.php

I should say that the people that will benefit the most from electric bikes are those that are currently put off cycling due to long distances or steep inclines- although I'm sure these are the reasons why some of you love to cycle. The aim of electric bikes is to get people out of their cars and onto two wheels. Think of it as a moped, except more practical, cheaper to run, easier to park, better for the environment and better for your health- you still have to cycle!

If anyone would like to arrange a test ride to see how the bike performs with the Panasonic system, please do drop us a line.

If all goes well with my attempt on the Etape this coming year I could be sniffing around this as the next challenge-sounds amazing! Now is it crawling before running or running before walking?

/back to turbo/

Ta. All this black and white stuff is sooooo last decade.