This is the bike with no name. It’s a Focus Aventura 2 6.8 with the touring accoutrements, lights, mudguards, rack – all the things. It’s also the first e-bike at the Palazzo and has the gigantic battery for all the range. This is all new territory for me and so there has been a learning curve.
First, it’s a mountain bike with 29 inch wheels which puts it a long way from the ground. But with such big wheels its very forgiving on most terrain which is awesome. Plus, it’s very heavy and while the rack on the roof of the car is rated to support the weight, I can’t get the bike up there. Because its big and heavy there are places it’s not wise to go I discovered. Also, because its heavy and has tubed tires I discovered it’s not an awesome idea to launch it off the ground as this will certainly result in a flat tyre. This happened, sad face and it’s also a pita to remove the back wheel because mudguard. Tubeless tyres will be fitted in the fullness of time and that will solve the risk of flatting when bottoming out. And the rear mudguard is essential to the integrity of the rack so that’s not going anywhere. The front one though may be replaced with something shorter and less susceptible to poor conditions however avoiding poor conditions might be the smarter move.
TBWNN being big and heavy got properly bogged owing to extreme mud and took three people to extract it. The mudguards which are excellent in the rain and creek crossings are an absolute liability when the ground turns soft. So I learned to avoid mud.
The next thing to conquer was range anxiety. It has the big battery, even with using all the grunt range is not an issue, that is all. Using the more powerful modes is only infrequently required as it happens. Also one must choose wisely how much power to apply because too much can be a real issue on a steep climb as it can overpower gravity and cause a calamity. And its fine to ride with the motor off I discovered that time when mud dislodged the speed sensor wheel and killed the motor.
So, its big, comfy, capable, will carry a load, will go far, laughs at steep grades, does not like mud, needs tubeless tyres. Perfect for what lies ahead.
