Trailspotting Biking Gear
Trailspotting skinned Lectric XP 2.0 with homemade 2nd battery holder.
We're only occasional cyclists - mainly to explore the many rail trails around New England. Still, in response to questions we receive about the bikes that you see in our photographs we thought a short article would be helpful to provide some answers.
The revellation that we could buy three folding bicycles and fit them all in the trunk of our VW Jetta made the decision easy for us, particularly as the cost of the bikes was equivalent to paying just for a bike rack and hitch to be installed. Carrying them in the trunk also meant we could travel for multiple days with the bikes secure in the back, without worrying them getting stolen from a bike rack. I often now routinely keep one in the trunk for convenience. Another advantage we found was that the bikes are easy to adjust to any size and age of rider (from the age of around ten). The main disadvantage is that these folding bikes with 20" wheels are slightly less comfortable than a full-size ride, but we're happy to live with that.
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Zizzo Via The US-based Zizzo Bikes company have a range of products and are known as a reliable source for budget bikes. We chose the Zizzo Via because it features fenders and hybrid tires as standard, and we've found them to be great at handling unpaved trails and even more rugged terrain. Which is saying something considering I'm a 6'2" and 220 pound lump of a human and I've been riding a stock Zizzo for a few hundred miles now. Link: Zizzo Via at Amazon |
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Lectric XP2.0 Lectric Bikes is a popular manufacture of reliable electric bikes on the cheaper end of the scale. The XP2.0 has a 500 watt motor mounted in the rear wheel, and the standard battery gives us around 25 miles of trail riding in pedal assist mode. Weight is heavy at around 61 lbs but we removed the cargo rack and fenders to reduce its heft a little. To reduce range anxiety I bought a second battery and fashioned a battery holder that is fixed to the frame behind the seatpost. Link: Lectric Bikes |
Our Zizzo Via bikes on the Goffstown Rail Trail.
To round things out we thought we'd suggest some equipment useful to folk starting out on their biking journey. You can use this as a checklist, or click the Amazon.com links to products that we have previously bought and used. Note that we don't recommend a handlebar phone mount as the vibrations from them have been known to damage smartphone cameras. Also, to avoid scratches and damage when transporting folding bikes, we recommend a plastic water bottle cage and low-profile bicycle bell.
• Bike helmet
• Bike lights
• High-visibility jacket
• Pump or CO2 Inflator
• Repair kit & tire levers, spare tube
• Multi-tool
• Low-profile bicycle bell
• Water bottles & cages.
• FlatOut tire sealant & Valve core tool
• Seat post bag
• Handlebar mirrors
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