Steve L.
Austin, TX
With some more riding under his belt, Steve has updated us with another great review:
I have a Dahon Speed D7 on which I installed a 250W Bionx system purchased from you. I've put about 350 miles on it in recreational riding since June of 2008, about 8 months ago. This was a very good investment for me, both in terms of fun and exercise. Just like the brochure says, having a Bionx kit really does make you want to ride more. I generally ride around Austin on one of the hike and bike trails (some are cement and some decomposed granite), bike lanes, and sidewalks, though of course in strictly residential areas I'm comfortable using the street without bike lanes. I'm 60 and had heart stents put in nearly 4 years ago, after which I increased my daily walks for exercise. The bike lets me change my form of exercise.
I generally take weekend morning rides up to 22 miles or so over a 2 hour period. Only once have I ended up with a drained battery according to the meter, though in fact I didn't fully run out of juice. Often I combine my rides with errands to the hardware store, market, etc., thus cutting down my gasoline usage. I've gone to the neighborhood pool, the library, and other places also, but many times I just ride for the fun of it. With spring approaching I'll be taking more regular rides than I did over the winter. When the weather turns nice, I can't resist the urge to take a ride.
Once in a while I'll turn off the Bionx electric kit as I don't think I'm really using it much, and then I notice how much I am using it. It really smooths out the ride. I started out by setting it to level 4 (200% assistance) but now generally leave it at level 2 (50% assistance), once in a while going to level 3 (100% assistance) if I see a big hill up ahead. My biggest hill is the one back to my house, so after 2 hours in the saddle I'm glad to have a boost to help me make it home without draining MY battery. It took a few rides to get used to the smaller wheels on this bike, but I've had it up to 39 mph (going down a steep hill) without incident. Obviously I can't pedal that fast with the gearing I have. I really like the 'jackrabbit' starts I get when taking off when the light turns green. I feel quite comfortable in auto lanes at lights, since I can scoot across the intersection quite rapidly. Thanks for selling me such a fun product! Need an electric motor for bicycle, get the BionX, you will not regret it.
