E-Bike Cycle Tourists Named as ‘Haibike Heroes’
Jul 27, 2016
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By Gary Corbett
As the E-Bike Cycle Tourists have clearly discovered over the past few months, it is amazing what can happen if you persevere at a passion in life for long enough.
Take our ongoing world e-bike long distance ride as a classic case in point.
Not even in our wildest dreams did we ever expect to be still pedalling our Haibike xDuro Trekking e-bikes 15 months and 25,700 kilometres after setting out from London in April, 2015.
Basically the goal was to better the existing world e-bike long distance record of 16,047kms, have a great time exploring mainland Europe and the UK and then head back to Australia after 12 or so months.
But clearly that isn’t how things have panned out.
Not only are we still cycling, but as things stand at the present time we have no intention of stopping any time soon.
So what happened to change our plans so drastically?
Basically our e-bike adventure gained a life of its own, with the key being that word ‘perseverance’.
As we persevered day after day and month after month to clock up more and more kilometres, ever-increasing numbers of people from around the world started to sit up and take notice of what we were doing.
Slowly at first, but in ever increasing numbers, emails started to appear in our inbox from people around the world – mostly in the 40-plus age group – telling us how our e-bike adventure had “inspired” them to purchase their own e-bike so they could complete their own e-bike adventure of days, weeks and, in at least one case, a three month journey on route 66 across the USA.
It was fantastic, we thought, that our journey could have such a positive effect on so many people … in a way it made us feel like e-bike industry pioneers.
But then something even more unimaginable happened – emails and Facebook messages from people firmly entrenched in the e-bike industry.
Sure, we are cycling our ever-reliable Haibike xDuro Trekking e-bikes, but that hasn’t stopped people involved with just about every other brand of e-bike in the world from either following our progress through our regular Facebook updates or by contacting us directly.
And then something happened that clearly proved the worth of our perseverance to pedal our Haibikes so far – Haibike, the leading e-bike manufacturer in the world, agreed to sponsor us.
So, as our regular Facebook followers already know, that is how we came to be in Schweinfurt in Germany at the annual Haibike dealers’ conference over the past week.
Haibike Heros from left to right: Maximilian Semsch, Gary Corbett, Rachel Corbett, and Susanne Brüsch
In recognition of our ongoing efforts we were officially named as “Haibike Heroes” along with fellow e-bike adventurers Maximilian Semsch, Susanne Brüsch and renowned mountain bike racer Guido Tschugg.
How good is that!!
Collectively we all represent different segments of the Haibike e-bike product range.
It was Maximilian Semsch’s record of 16,047 kms that was set in Australia in 2012 that we broke to claim the world e-bike long distance record as our own, Susanne Brusch, through her company Pedelec Adventures, pushes herself and her Haibike e-mountain bikes to the extreme on adventure e-bike tours and Guido Tschugg is well known worldwide as a legend on the mountain bike racing circuit.
For our part we represent Haibike’s xDuro Trekking range of e-bikes that are ideal for touring, commuting, hybrid, trekking and road riding styles. In the main people who purchase these bikes are in the 40-plus age group, so as luck would have it given our ages in our early 60s and late 50s we perfectly fit the demographic of the Haibike xDuro Trekking e-bikes.
So there you have it, who would have thought when we set out 15 months ago to enjoy a trip of a lifetime on e-bikes that we would not only end up sponsored Haibike riders, but ‘Haibike Heroes’.
Amazing!!
Here are some pictures from the E-Bike Cycle Tourists recent visit to Haibike headquarters:
The Haibike presentation of their Heros.
Here’s a look at just some of the many Haibike eBikes!
Haibike SDURO Trekking frames at Haibike HQ.
Stay tune for more from the E-Bike Cycle Tourists as they continue their eBiking adventures!
P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!
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Haibikes are great bikes, but many world travelers need a less expensive and less powerful bike that they can hop on a bus, train or plane with. One that is not for setting world records, but for traveling the world on the cheap. Making their dreams come true without emptying their pocket books.
I will be in my 70’s when I travel around the world on an e-bike, so I am still searching for the right bike.
So far I am leaning towards a sturdy folding e-bike with a TSA legal battery pack. I don’t plan to maneuver any challenging terrain or tackle any weather extremes, although I know I must be prepared for any challenges that come my way. I also have problems with balance, so I have been looking into electric folding trikes, as well. Maybe even Haibike will delve into these areas and prices will adjust by 2018.
Are you using a solar system to charge the bikes? If so can you give us some data on it and performance numbers for the bikes and what they carry. I have 737 miles on a Bafang 750W center drive system with an aftermarket Lekkie Bling Ring sprocket. (Without replacing the original steel sprocket, off-set Will be an issue.) Battery: 50V (9P) Triangle Pack, High Energy-29E, 50V 24.8Ah. (18.8 lbs.) The Bike is a Panamericana, fully suspended, steel tour bike with 26” wheels, manufactured in Germany. Power is transmitted through a Rohloff 14-speed, speed hub and sporting hydraulic disc brakes. I have climbed 30,717 feet, 50 hours moving time in 33 total rides. Longest ride: 55.9 miles in 3.28 hrs. Elev chg + 1746 / – 1726 ft. (Note: I charge the pack to 80% and have never depleted it trying to extend the life of the battery so additional performance can be achieved.) The bike has been setup in a training/everyday configuration. Two full front panniers 20 lbs. each, an over full bar bag 6 to 10 lbs., two mirrors, umbrella, K-bar, 5 lbs. of Bluetooth speaker, GPS, 6’ cable lock, Litelok, dynamo and high density light, rear side-stand, leather seat bag and leather mud-flaps on full fenders, and water bottles. In this configuration she weighs 120 lbs. Rider weight is 300 lbs. The battery has been charged 15 times. Using the 8Fun motor has more of a learning curve than you would guess. Because I am using a Rohloff hub I disconnected the break lever cut-out switches. They were causing more problems than helping anyway. BUT, I stop peddling to shift, 1st to 14th and back without peddling. Quiet, smooth and 100% sure. Coming to a fast stop at a mistimed light would lead to a multi second power time-out and often a cpu lock-up (error 30H), leaving me floundering at the intersection. The power IS either on or off. The least peddle movement will activate the drive at whatever assist level it is set for. Applying torque to the peddles is only necessary if you wish to conserve battery or once at top speed to go faster. Unlike others I notice no drag from the motor when set at 0 PAS (assist)… but, my bike weighs 117 lbs. without my ass on it. Distance is of utmost importance to me not speed. I am truly hoping to reach distances of 100 miles as training progresses. I have mine set for levels 0-9 in pedal assist. I only use levels 0-3 all the time, most of the time, a lot of the time. I have found that using anything above PAS 3 is a luxury only. To feel the wind in your face. Speed is very very addictive. And distance is most important to me. I peddle with PAS when going uphill at all times. This sounds obvious but remember there is a throttle to bypass the peddle assist. On level ground you can pause peddling, feather in the throttle and actually increase speed a mile or 2 an hour, hold it there until you reach an incline that would bog the motor down or until the battery runs dry. To combat a head wind, you can go to a higher PAS level, peddle harder, use the throttle, or… down shift and KBO like you don’t have a motor. How Far OR How Fast. I use the throttle as little as possible knowing that it all decreases my maximum possible distance. But I can’t describe the feeling of timing an intersection correctly, going to level 9 on PAS, shifting to 14th gear and sailing through the light with little to no effort.
I just don’t understand what the big deal is with the riding of an Ebike…..here and there………..I road a regular 1o speed road bike,
about 20,000miles all over the U.S. of A.,from 69′ until around 1980 when I got my first MTB a 21 speed TREK,I thought it was expensive,I also got a ”B-O-B single heel trailer” and proceeded to ride all over until 97′ when I got my first trike,then I became a male “Nanny” for 4 children in 2 family’s and at one time carried 6 kids on my trike…I could ride my trike loaded with children from Western Eugene-through town to North SpringField—faster that their parents could drive it in their cars……I don’t understand what the addition of an electrical motor makes???
Correct, you don’t understand. If you had taken a covered wagon across the U.S. in the 1800s and were still alive today would you do it again or maybe upgrade to a Car or train, maybe even one of those new fangled Aeroplanes? Innovation is like good Kimchi, if you try it and don’t like it, don’t eat anymore.
Ahmen!!! Well Put. Why would anyone follow Ebike news if they don’t ever want any part of it? I guess that’s the part I can’t understand. Speculating with conviction is a dangerous substitute for hands-on data analysis.
It’s not about the speed. Many racing/road bikes pass me all the time while riding my Trek Conduit+. Just because it has a motor does not make it faster. It’s about the exertion, in particular going up hills. There are some hills that I needed to get off my bike and walk up. Now, I fear no hill. And, if I feel a need for the exercise, I just turn the motor off. My ebike gives me more options. When confronted with a hill, I can shift to a lower gear, or I can bump up the level of assist (3 levels), or both.
With a Rohloff Speedhub (14 gears) and the BaFang programed to 9 levels of assist rather than just 3, I can fine tune any incline or head wind that comes my way, and this is all regardless of what type or style of bike. It also allows me to ride further than I normally would and know I can make it where I am going.