The replacement motor showed up before my trip to Seattle last summer. I tried to install the motor before I left for Seattle, but ran into a problem. Was a real bear of a job. One definately needs a set of metric ratchet wrenches to do the job.

There was one problem that really delayed the project. I got the bike apart and removed the old motor, and started putting it all back together. But when I got to the step of bolting the seatpost to the frame I ran into a snag. The bolts that go thru the seatpost into the motor mount refused to take hold in the motor mount. Took me forever to get them to seat. Visibility is like nil down in there so it was all pretty much guesswork. I turned the bike upside down, on its side, etc...

Finally I gave up and set the bike aside and left for Seattle. When I arrived back from Seattle I picked up where I had left off. Amazingly the bolts took hold and I was able to re-assemble the bike. Don't ask what I did differently!

The bike has been running super since then. The front brake needs a little adjusting. Other than that the bike is totally maintenance free which is really nice.

Haven't been riding it to work much this winter. It's more enjoyable to ride when the weather is more pleasant. Looking forward to spring which is just around the corner!

If you are considering an e-cycle for yourself take a good look at the Ego 2 Cycle. The only thing I would say it is lacking is a rear suspension. More and more human powered bikes are shipping with rear suspension these days. I have a feeling there will come a day when all bicycles ship with rear suspensions. The changeover will be gradual, but people will start to see that keeping the rear tire on the ground at all times is a good thing!