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The first ride (Nov.2003)

A nice sunny and dry November day in Vancouver – the right time to test the EPS Smart-E bike. I chose the hybrid model. (that’s one of benefits of being a dealer – I can choose ;-)

The total trip was 24 km – it's a good thing that Smart-E console provides all bicycle computer capabilities: speed, odometer, etc.  All the time I was using the 4th, the highest level of the motor assistance (200%) because I wanted to test the range.  I cycled the False Creek, English Bay, and then the Stanley Park. At the first it was on the seawall – flat and very moderate hills, but against the wind. Then I decided to climb to the
Prospect Point (the place above the Lions Gate bridge) – a pretty good and long constant climb.  During the ride I've never needed to go into the lowest gear. Actually the lowest was front gear 1, and rear 3, mostly 4.  Okay, I am in relatively good cycling shape, but my weight with all cloths is 84 kg, and I am probably 10 kg overweight for my height (175 cm).  On the way downhill I used a slight press on the rear brake lever just to have generation and not any real braking.  Pressing a brake automatically activates the 4^th generation level (the highest).  Depressing the brake returns the bike into the previous mode. The generation is really powerful enough so it was slowing the bike down to almost crawling speeds.
On the way back to my place on Helmcken Street I had a nice short but really steep hill (that part of Hornby Street between Beach Ave. and Pacific Str.) – it was really easy.
All in all I am really impressed.  I had 24 km in the 4th level, against the wind the significant part of the time, and then that long climb in Stanley park, and the battery still has some power left. (recharging after this ride took less than 3 hrs)

This is just a first test, and more tests will follow. In any case – this first impressions are very good, and I think this is probably the best (and the lightest) pedelec today.  This bike (and the System) is not for people who do not want to pedal, but it's a definite treat for cyclists.  The EPS got that right balance in terms of assistance, weight, and practicality.  I am also really happy to say that this is a Canadian product and currently available only in Canada.  Now we are the envy for the rest of the World.   

Cypress Mountain Test is the ultimate challenge for us 'normal' cyclists -- the constant 5% grade up to the skiing area.   Actually, just to get to the first View Point is a huge task to any regular biker.  All of this makes the Cypress Bowl Road a perfect place to test capabilities of a power assisted bike.  I wanted to see how far I can go with my good old Infinity rejuvenated with the Smart-E.  I already stated that my fitness is not exemplary at all, although on this Summer day I can claim 'just' 80 kg of the total weight.  The assistance level was set to 4, the highest one, meaning that the motor should give twice of my effort, up to its limits of course.  So the trial started ... and it was pretty exhausting.  My overly optimistic speed of 22 km/h dropped very soon to 13 km/h.  At that speed I got into my rhythm, sweating like crazy, but going at the pace that I could tolerate.  I did not stop at all until the first viewpoint - 6 km distance.  The battery indicator was showing the half of the charge.  That was a very short stop, just a brisk view on our beautiful city and then I continued.  I started to feel every meter of the road, but my pace still remained at 13 km/h.   Of course I was watching the battery indicator and almost begging battery to die, so I can return ... and check the re-gen capabilities on the way down.  Finally at 10 km and 200 meters I got just one small dot on the control console.  I did not want the LCD to go blank so I decided to stop and to go down with the re-gen mode set to 4 -- again the highest level, but now for charging the battery.  My initial speed was first below 20 km/h and the charging bars on the display unit were showing pretty good charging.  As speed was increasing the charging seems was going down.  At one moment I was going over 40 km/h so I stopped, using brakes, of course.  Starting again, and the charging was looking good at slow speeds, but as soon as speed was increasing charging indicator was going down again.  I am not sure if this is because of the protection in the charging circuit, or the battery was still hot from my ride uphill.  In any case, my ride down was much faster, and very soon I was at the point where I started.  The battery indicator was showing one third of the full charge, which actually is not bad at all, and it was much faster charging then with a regular charger.

This was absolutely a non-scientific, and a pretty ad-hoc test, but it still proved to me that the Smart-E is an excellent system, and  I am once more convinced that this the best system in the 'pedelec' (pedal assist) category.
 

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Last modified: 20-Jan-2008