Segway - Fun off road!

On Saturday I got the chance to have a go on a Segway. Electric bikes are legal on the road and are classed as a bicycle but a Segway is only legal on private land.

Nevertheless I thought it would be fun to have a try, and the opportunity arose on Saturday whilst I was in Scotland. Balance has never been a strong point of mine, I am fine on a bike but other balance type activities often see me sprawling on the ground.

I was a little apprehensive to start with but there was some excellent instruction on how to get on and off, and how to start and stop!

Once I got going I was off! It was very easy to steer and control the speed by leaning. The ones at the event were speed restricted as it was only a small arena and everyone was a novice.

They did however have a timed lap competition in aid of the local hospital radio - despite my best efforts I am sorry to say I was not a winner.

After my ride I was discussing Segways and Electric Bikes with one of the organisers and as I was "in the trade" he de-restricted one and let me have a go behind the arena - brilliant!

The Segways at the event were provided by SegwayEcosse who operate them on forest trails at Blair Castle. They were brilliant fun for zooming about off road.

How would I compare Segways to electric bikes as a transport solution?
Well, Segways are not currently legal on UK roads whereas an electric bike is, and I think that for distances I would much rather be sitting on a bike than standing on a Segway. But for occasional off road fun, yes, I think would go to a centre where I could have another go.

Electric Bikes - down in the clay workings!

I have been wanting to go to the Eden Project for a long time, the pictures that I had seen of the ‘biomes’ looked really interesting. When they contacted us and said that they wanted to put on an electric bike event I was very excited about the prospect of going and having a look round.

The site looking lovely as we arrived on Friday afternoon

The whole thing is built in an old china clay pit so there are lots of slopes, a couple of sections have been set aside for testing out the bikes. There is a flat tarmac area for an initial test and then an option of some gentle slopes on a circular route or a more extreme hill climb. The event has really got local visitors and tourists from around the UK talking about the benefits of electric assistance.

A very large bee! at the side of the test track.

I have had a couple of opportunities to have a look round. The domes are quite spectacular from the outside and the inside. The engineering is rather interesting with hexagons and pentagons fitting together to create the domes. The ‘rain forest’ dome has a platform up in the roof with a suspended stairway up to it giving a birds eye view down onto the tops of the trees.

Looking up at the suspended platform

Around the grounds there are all sorts of planted beds with flowers and herbs. Coming at this time of the year many of the trees and the summer flowers are not out yet but the spring flowers are looking good.

All in all it has been an enjoyable experience with some excellent photo opportunities!

Beautiful leaf patterns

Even the robins here at the Eden Project liked the Dash

Wales was wet but fun!

The weather might have been cold, wet and windy but the welcome was warm at the Hay-on-Wye Bike Fest at the weekend. Sunday morning the gusting winds meant that the marquee required extra ropes and stakes to keep it grounded but the event continued in good spirits.

The response to electric bikes was great, even in the wind and rain on Sunday visitors came to test ride the bikes on the short hill. The gusting head wind really showed to advantage how electric assistance can make all the difference.

We were particularly impressed by the attitude of the many avid cyclists who were entering the organised rides. Electric bikes are often derided by keen riders as cheating or completely unnecessary, but that was not the case this weekend. Everyone was interested in how they worked and really understood the benefits. They were keen to applaud anything that got people out on two wheels. 

Saturday evening we had the chance to have a quick trip round to look at the scenery. We nipped up to the stone circle at Hay Bluff and came back down by way of a picturesque ford.

Hay-on Wye Bike Festival

We are really enjoying the scenery here in Wales even though the hills are a bit misty at the moment. When we arrived in the area yesterday evening we were amazed to see snow still on the tops of the Black Mountains, they are looking particularly picturesque.

Snow on the Black Mountains

The Hay-on-Wye Bike Fest sited in the grounds of Hay Castle is a brand new event organised by Drover Cycles and Hay Tourism. Drover Cycles is a Batribike official dealer and we have come to support their event with a range of our electric bikes for visitors to test ride.

We are looking forward to seeing lots of people over the weekend.

Pink primroses

Hay Castle

The Green Trees of Woking

I was out and about in Woking on Friday and came across these bizarre trees. I thought at first that it was some sort of art installation, there were about twenty weird green lollipops dotted around the car park. My second thought was that perhaps Sainsbury’s were being kind and protecting them from frost or pests.

I had called in to the café at the supermarket for a cuppa and a piece of rather yummy chocolate cake. Driving round the access road I was struck by the appearance of the trees, they looked quite surreal in the chilly sleet.

I asked an assistant in the café about them. She said that she had been out for a few days and they were like at that when she came back. She thought at first it was some sort of St Patricks day stunt!

The reality is actually quite sad. The nets are to keep the birds from nesting in the trees, which will then be cut down. Apparently there will be a replanting programme though.

I much prefer the idea that they are some sort of installation art!

Spring has arrived!

The spring equinox happens at precisely 11.02 GMT this morning! The sun will be exactly over the equator and the day and night are exactly the same length.

The spring equinox heralds the official arrival of spring and temperatures start to rise. Well that’s the theory anyway! Last year we had such a brilliant March with temperatures more like summer that somehow we all thought that it would happen again.

Perhaps it’s better having such a cold start to the year. I’m really hoping that it means that the summer will be super. That aside it is not unusual for the weather to be cold at Easter. I definitely remember it snowing at Easter 2008, I was away in my caravan and when we woke on Sunday morning the world was white!

Many of the spring flowers don’t seem to be put off by the weather. The crocuses are fabulous and the daffodils are just starting to open. It won’t be long before we are basking in glorious sunshine.

Sunny Start to the Day

Even with the overnight snow it was looking particularly beautiful at Batribike this morning. We have a couple of Trike deliveries to do so it was great to load up in the crisp sunshine.

A new delivery of the popular Trikes last week means that we are particularly busy this morning.

The Trike is a sought-after part of the Batribike range. The twenty inch wheels and narrower wheel base make it easy to manoeuvre and fit through doorways. The tilting feature is great too making it ride like an ordinary two wheeler and corner easier than a non-tilting tricycle.

Unfortunately once we were out on the road we were into blizzard conditions!

Aside from the blizzard the teasels are looking marvellous. The wind has blown the snow onto them and they are now fluffy white lollipops waving as we go past.

Lets hope the snowy conditions will be short lived and the sun is out again soon.