The national Aide for a bicycle / e-bike finished a couple of years ago ISTR but there are still Aides in some regions and departements. For example Île de France gives 400 euros. If you find more than one at national, regional, department or even local level (eg I suspect Nantes may have one) you can usually stack them.
Bikes and e-bikes are likely to qualify if you find anything where you are. Just make sure if you have any ambitions towards an EV that you keep what you apply for separate from any Aide going for an EV. As at one point it seemed one portal was used for both in some places.
For those interested in an electric that also folds, so can go on public transport : If willing to spend around 5K the Brompton T-Line titanium is excellent electric or not, the new Brompton G-Line Gorilla costing 2500-4000 will go offroad, so is suitable for London potholes comes in both electric and manual versions, and regular Bromptons P-Line and C-Lines electric or not cost less. Always orderable in France too. They are sent from UK Duty Prepaid so nothing extra to pay on delivery. Brompton.fr
If you can wait a very few months there are often substantial reductions on electrics at summer end. Big brands or Lidl.
Last year I got a new Look roadbike. Light as a feather. Because of a carpal tunnel op gone wrong, I reluctantly went for disc brakes and Shimano Di2 electronic gears. 24 of them. Now I know that I will never go back to mechanical shifting or rim brakes! I’m 82, much too young for an E bike.
Happy riding y’all out there!
Checking in. I ride much less than I used to but I still get out. I find it wonderful mental therapy to be out in the countryside, gently pedalling away. I don’t ride today as I used to though. In the past, I think I was too focused on distance and performance. Indeed I think I went through a bit of an identify crisis, wondered why I was doing it and nearly gave up entirely. These days I think of myself as someone who rides a bike rather than a cyclist (the difference helps me reconcile, it’s not simply semantics) but I do see myself as an old school roadie. I can’t see I’ll ever get a gravel bike, but maybe an electric one one day. I’m wedded to my steel framed road bike for now.
I know what you mean about steel frames. I kept all mine. I have a Peugeot from the 70’s, a handmade Willi Moore with Reynolds u531 Prob tubing, I used to race time trials on. A 1950’s Motobecane with triple chainwheel on a 3 speed Simplex hub. Heavy as hell but still works. Totally French. Balloon tyres. . A Bianchi aluminium framed 10 speed Campag and a Freddie Grubb from the 60’s with Campag Nuovo Record and tubs. I always was a Campag man. It’s not all about the bike though, as Lance Armstrong’s book states! Oh I forgot. For wet weather, I have a static bike in my buanderie. Good luck. Keep safe.
Ditto. My ‘newest’ bike - bought for sportives and the like. I’m not competitive by nature but I did like the buzz of taking part. Also have a fixed wheel bike that I love just for the difference. It’s in its element around where I live; miles of country roads with next to no traffic so little need to unclip/stop.
I rode time trials on a Trek alu frame ,carbon forks. But my favourite bike is my Setavento titanium custom built tourer with carbon forks. It’s unique, the guy who made the frame apparently died on a trip to China to source the titanium. I never had that verified, but the company disappeared. My wheels are hand built by Pete Matthews, he is still making wheels. They have never gone out of true in 18 years!!. A French mechanic did drool over them and the hub once.
Always good to hear of peoples new bikes. And you’re now a fan of electronic shifting and disks (even just in the dry?). Which Di2 did you take / was given - 105 ? And how do you find the Shimano change versus campag?
And just for your info, in case you didn’t see it, there is a new road bike 13 speed campag disk electronic groupset for around 2.5K GBP - been out a year. Based on the gravel one I think. That’s a helpful reduction from the super record EPS at 4K.
I would add, if you just want a get-about e-bike, don’t be seduced by a carbon frame, yes they are lighter, but by the time the motor is on the bike it is a minimal gain and carbon is quite fragile, if you ever have a crash, you really have to get the frame assessed, at great expense, as they do crack quite easily. The life span of carbon is probably only about 10 years. I would never buy a second hanf carbon bike or frame for this reason.
Also if you have a rear hub mounted motor and you get a puncture they are a nightmare to repair on the road, you can get e-bikes where the motor is crank mounted, much easier to fix punctures and if you don’t like leg- over bikes or a lacking flexibility then a step- through would be a good choice.
I really couldn’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on a bike. I’d have to be very wealthy. No disrespect nor judgement intended on those that can and do though. It’s all a matter of personal choice after all. My bikes suit my purposes and needs perfectly, even if I do browse lbc for old carbon exotica from time to time!
I have a late 70s/1980 Raleigh Competition that I love to bits. The ride is again is something different, the thinner steel 531 tubing giving a feel unlike my other bikes. It may outrage purists to say that I changed the original brakes (Weinmann) for Campag Mirage (I had in the box of bits) and this required drilling the fork crown, but I decided to take the risk because I wanted stoppers that worked. I’m all for retro authenticity but I like to ride rather than collect!
In my case, my budget wouldn’t stretch that far but, yes, I take your point.
I would definitely go for a step-through and one that could be fitted with panniers so I could do the shopping sans car. And definitely one that has mud guards - I notice that several electric bikes don’t have them.
I’d also think about a folding electric bike, something that could be put into a hatchback and taken to, say, the Canal de Midi for a cycle along the towpath.
You don’t need rear mudguards if you have panniers or even a rack for panniers. My bike is fitted with panniers and, as I don’t have a car, it is the shopping bike.
I have cycled most canal towpaths in France, not with an e-bike , but I’m sure you can go a long way on one charge as you would only need the assistance on level 1 or not at all most of the time.
It is truly amazing how the e-bike has opened up cycling to so many people who wouldn’t dream of cycling otherwise.
Yes they do. You might have to travel a bit depending on where you live but they certainly do exist, and can be very well attended. Places to just window shop even, look at all the lovely old stuff, the exotica etc. Just search for ‘bourses aux vélos’ to see what’s around you.
I often pass De Ver’s cycle shop in Streatham and gasp at the prices. I’m not in the financial position to pay those sort of prices, but good luck if you are. I only have one bike, a modest Decathlon Triban but it suits me. I love riding and the ability to cover quite some distance under my own steam. I’m still managing the hills but might be looking at a hybrid when I reach 80 in a couple of years!
I can’t say if they are going strong but they are going. One thing I am curious about is that I have never been wealthy enough to afford top of the range
things - 60 grand cars, £100 bottles of wine, 5 grand bicycles. Would I be able to fully appreciate them? Would a £100 bottle of wine give me ten times the pleasure of a £10 bottle? Would I know if I rode a £5000 bike not being aware of the cost of it? I suspect probably not.
