E-bike an exhilarating way to go
The first time on a Trek Powerfly 5 e-bike was absolute magic.
A couple of gentle pedal strokes — not knowing what to expect — and all of a sudden, you had a new best friend who was pedalling with you, pedal stroke for pedal stroke.
It was as if you were riding a tandem (two-person) bicycle and your partner behind you was a super athlete. It was exhilarating. It was like riding the Honda CB750K without the sound of a motorcycle exhaust.
Hiking-cycling buddies Lawrence and Maggie had just returned from a bike-andbarge adventure in Croatia, and had a chance to try out different e-bikes there.
As soon as they returned to Kelowna, they bought matching Trek Powerfly 5s from Fresh Air Concept at 555 Groves Ave. in Kelowna.
Of course, all of their biking friends, including the Sheriff and Constant Companion Carmen, wanted to try them out. The Sheriff didn’t want to give his back to Lawrence while CCC was far up the Okanagan Rail Trail by this time.
So the Sheriff had to see long-time acquaintance Marty Tymm who he met 15-plus years ago when Tymm was teaching cross-country skiing at Kelowna Nordic Ski Club. Tymm helped the Sheriff choose and then properly fit a Specialized Sirrus Sport hybrid at Fresh Air Concept two years ago.
“We sell Trek and Specialized brands which is really good for us because they are like-minded, but they do things a bit differently in their own way,” the Concept manager explained as we cruised the showroom.
Both brands do not do anything with a motor in the back wheel, he said. “I’m sure people who are selling them would disagree but I think it is old technology. There are some potential hangups with them. I just find the centreweight being so far back in the bike makes them handle a little bit funny.
“If you can get a bike that has better centre of gravity, better balance and handles more like a regular bicycle, it's going to ride like a normal bike.
“With all the weight on the back, it does make it feel kind of fishy (tail-heavy). We want new people who are getting into this, people in general (who are not full-on bike nerds) who are more comfortable getting on a stable-kind-of bike.”
A mid-mount motor placed between the bike pedals and a battery mounted on the downbar (the angle bar between pedals and handlebar) minimizes that extra weight and impacts the geometry of the bike the least, said Tymm. “Honestly, you sort of forget it’s there.”
Tymm and his wife both bought Trek Super Commuter +7 e-bikes as an alternative to driving a gas-powered vehicle this summer.
“We used to have a motor scooter but I found my wife was kind of nervous about riding in traffic, even staying on the shoulder. We’re bike people so we're used to being on the bike path. It’s way more comfortable for her. She just wants to get to her office and not be all sweaty. Parking is always an issue.
“She rides home from the far end of Rutland to the Mission with the system turned totally off and she gets a great workout. If you pedal them with the system off, they do ride well on the flats. They feel like a regular bike 100 per cent. They just happen to have a little push to give you assistance. The range is so good now too.”
Some models from other manufacturers have a regeneration feature — reversing the polarity of the motor — so pedalling with pedal-assist turned off re-charges the battery (but also reduces the overall range). Marty Tymm, manager of Fresh Air Concept holds his Trek Super Commuter +7. He and his wife bought a pair of the e-bikes to get around the city instead of taking their gas-powered vehicle.
“However, if you lost power to the battery, the motor would think it was in regeneration mode and now you have a bike that has cement loafers on it. Luckily, we’ve been able to resolve those issues but it was big head-scratcher,” said Tymm.
Both Trek and Specialized keep their pedal-assist system simple and efficient. “If you take the battery out of it, you can ride it like a regular bike. Nobody’s ever done that but the talk is there," he said with a laugh.
Manufacturers now produce a wide range of regular bikes. All of those — except road bikes — are now available as a pedal-assist equivalent.
“There are options for pretty much everybody out there. Mountain e-bikes have exploded with such a variety of full-suspension bikes that are 100 per cent as capable as their non-powered brethren,” said Tymm.
The first e-bikes “were awful,” Tymm recalled. "They were close to 100 pounds, they were ugly as all get out, had lead-acid batteries, old analog technology. But customers who got on them loved them.”
As for the range, one Fresh Air buyer, a slightly-built woman, has gone as far as 175 kilometres on a single battery charge. And charging the battery? “If you know how to plug in your cell phone, you'll be fine with one of these,” said Tymm.
The two big, established bicycle brands: Trek and Specialized, started to get into e-bikes roughly 10 years ago, added Fresh Air owner Jim Bates.
“At that time, we kind of dabbled in it but it really started to gather some market traction about three or four years ago, particularly in Europe.”
With the evolution of lithium-ion batteries and motor technology, “they started to make some pretty impressive products at quite reasonable pricing a few years ago. They’ve really started to ramp up. We made a major commitment as a business last year so this is our second year of a major commitment into pedal-assist bikes.”
Both are engineer-driven and privatelyowned companies "which make fantastic bikes," said Bates. “We’ve had a great response.” Bates has a full-suspension mountain e-bike “that I'm have a lot of fun with. It’s just super-fun. And with our demo bikes, we’ve been taking people out for some nice rides whether it be on the rail trail or just visiting a couple of wineries. “It’s just really enjoyable.” After those interviews, the Sheriff had to go on a demo ride with Tymm who suggested we try the flats of KLO Road and then the steep hill leading up to McCulloch Road. The pedal-assist was a Godsend (especially when it was turned off to gauge the difference). The ride back down the hill didn't need the assist (we were going faster than 32 km/h) but when there was a headwind on the flat section of KLO Road, it was again a Godsend.
***** Constant Companion Carmen led a Central Okanagan Outdoors Club hike upstream of the Mission Creek Greenway phase three (Field Road to Big Rock, Scenic Canyon Regional Park) last Saturday.
Not as interesting as phase three (Black Bear and Pinnacle trails are still officially closed), but exciting to think the Greenway could eventually extend there.
On Sunday, we joined members of the Kelowna Canoe and Kayak Club in an unofficial training afternoon at Whiskey Cove in Lake Country.
Volunteers Morag and Andrew were available to provide assistance as we all practised wet exits, self-rescues and assisted-rescues.
You have to see a new re-entry technique to truly appreciate it but it involves pulling yourself back into the kayak cockpit by reaching over to the far side of the coaming and pulling yourself (facing down) partially onto the back deck.
One leg is already inside the cockpit and you carefully slide the other leg in while your other hand maintains the weight on the paddle-paddle float. Slowly roll over before grabbing the paddle and float. *** If this week's record-breaking heat in the valley was getting you down, you should have driven up to Silver Star Mountain Resort where temperatures were about 10 C cooler at the summit than in the valley. With heat expected to return next week, everyone can get some relief at higher elevations.
“Warm air moving in from the south will drive temperatures into the mid-30s for the Okanagan Valley, but temperatures will remain in the 20s for areas above 1,500 metres,” Wesla Wong, the resort's meteorologist, said mid-week.
She is reminding everyone to drink plenty of water and stay well-hydrated. For a cool treat, gelato and sorbet are available at Town Hall in the village.
***** You can enjoy an evening at Kopje Regional Park in Lake Country while marveling at one of the wonders of the universe during the Perseid Meteor Shower Watch tonight.
The doors to Gibson Heritage House in the park will be open for tours and there will be activities on the lawn outside between 8 and 10 p.m. Then, you can lay out your blanket or unfold your lawn chairs and gaze at the shooting stars between 9:30 and 11 p.m.
Kopje Regional Park is located at 15480 Carrs Landing Rd. in Lake Country. Headlamps and flashlights are recommended as there is minimal lighting in the park. Organizers say if possible, celestial watchers should carpool as parking is limited.
There's no charge and no registration is required. Just bring family and friends to join regional parks interpreters for an evening of galactic fun.
***** The provincial government has released the 2018-20 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis, which details the most current rules and regulations for hunters in B.C.
The synopsis includes regulations and information that aim to ensure the conservation of wildlife or habitat, maintain or enhance recreational opportunities and address safety concerns.
The province updates the synopsis every two years based on the most current information on wildlife populations and sustainable use as well as consultations with a wide range of stakeholders, including conservation and hunting organizations, and local governments. The new rules are in effect until June 30, 2020.
The synopsis is available online and in hard copy at sports stores, outfitters and other hunting licence vendors throughout B.C.
You can read the 2018-20 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis at: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/recreation/fishing-hunting/hunting/regulations-synopsis
J.P. Squire, aka the Hiking, Biking, Kayaking and Horseback Riding Sheriff, is a retired Okanagan Weekend reporter. Email: jp.squire@telus.net.