Happy Birthday!

 

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY!

Saturday March 5th  - Riese & Muller Supercharger 2 GT is one year old and has clocked 7497 kms. So to celebrate it's birthday a 60km day tour from Monmouth was planned  with a cake baked by the Fairfield Flyer to add to the occasion (his Victoria Sponges are to die for!) But as they say  "the best laid plans.....

As the weather has been so awful last week, with the arrival of some dry conditions on Friday I decided to head off to Porthcawl.  Everything was going swimmingly well until after my coffee stop at the Cafe in Rest Bay.  No power assisting my pedalling and an error message on the display screen - ERROR CODE 500. Out came the phone a quick Google search for  Error Code 500 told me that there was an internal drive fault and that resetting the display might cure it.  Tried the reset - no such luck!  The next suggestion was very helpful...If the problem persists, take it to a Bosch Dealer.  So I phoned my Bosch Dealer who told me to bring it in for them to put the bike on their diagnostic machine.  Problem being that I'd bought the bike in Bristol and as it is still under the warranty it had to go back there!  Porthcawl to Bristol on a ebike weighing 32kg with no power would have probably have meant I may have made it back home for Christmas 2023  I considered the easier option of trudging as best I could to Bridgend (16kms away) to catch the train back to Llantwit Major - this would probably have meant I would have made it to Bridgend by Easter 2022.   I went for the easiest option - phone the 4th Rescue Service - Sue and get her drive my car to Porthcawl with the bike rack!  During the hour wait I popped into ONIT Sports, the bike shop in Porthcawl, who were very helpful and offered various ideas as to what might have gone wrong with the R&M. Sounded like a new motor which will have to come from Bosch in Germany - I'd been through this very scenario when I had a Cube Acid 500, which needed a new motor after less than a year's riding - that time the bike was off the road for 6 weeks.

 Sue duly arrived and the trusty steed (not so trusty Bosch motor!) was mounted onto the tow bar and driven  home in time for a cup of tea and to make the arrangement to take the bike to Bristol on Monday, where hopefully it will be fixed very soon!  

So, no birthday celebratory ride... no cake.... no candles....no Saturday morning bacon butty....

but here's the route we would have done.... and will no doubt do in the near future!