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From The Sunday Times
December 9, 2007
Bike Clinic
Q Being 6ft 4in and 17 stone, I’m suffering repeated wheel-spoke breakages. Are heavy duty spokes available, or could you recommend a reasonably priced new wheel? My bike is a two-year-old Scott Roadster S3. – JB, Buckingham
A This is a common problem for heavier riders. I suggest you have a rear wheel built by a competent bike shop. Specify that you want single-butted spokes on the right and double-butted on the left for added strength. If they can’t do this, try Paul Hewitt Cycles (www.hewittcycles.co.uk ) or Spa Cycles (www.spacycles.co.uk ).
Q A group of us have been cycling together for more than 30 years. Unfortunately, one of the guys now has heart problems; he has been cleared to cycle, but is very slow and has to walk up hills. Can you recommend a power conversion kit for his bike, so he can continue cycling with us? – JO, from Glasgow
A There are many electrically assisted bikes available, and most are truly dreadful – heavy, underpowered, limited in range and unpleasant to ride. But there is a handful of reasonable kits that can be fitted to conventional bikes. A good starting point for looking at some of the better hardware is www.egopt.co.uk . And with the advent of lighter, higher-capacity batteries there are now some good electric bikes to be had. The Ezee Liv (www.50cycles.com ), at £695, is good value. Before making a choice, your friend should look at www.atob.org.uk , the website of irreverent magazine A to B, which provides good information on electric bikes.
Send your bike clinic questions to ingear@sunday-times.co.uk