The Bike

I visited the cycle show at the NEC in Autumn 2013. After trying out a number of e-bikes on the track I selected the Ansmann FT15 trek for my trip. Having previously owned a Kalkhoff Agattu I was impressed by the build quality and by the power delivery of the Ansmann. It can be ridden as a tourer without the support of the front hub motor, or can deliver 6 levels of quiet but powerful support to supplement my pedalling. Here it is with Ortleib panniers and the Garmin Touring Sat Nav. I have yet to fully load it with everything I will be carrying but have done practice runs with the panniers filled, mostly with Supermarket shopping!

(click on the pictures for a bigger image)

So far it has lived up to my expectations. I have ridden up to 40 miles a day, about what I expect to do on my trip. The battery has retained its charge well. I generally use Eco mode (level 2 of the 6 levels of power) and have yet to exhaust the battery on a day’s ride. I find that my bottom has had enough for the day long before the battery gives out!

Here is a link to the Ansmann website: Scroll down to the FT15 to get the spec.

http://www.ansmann.de/en/e-bikes/e-bike/pedelecs/front-wheel-drive/