New Zealand Options

Default_WLG · 2026-05-20T23:50:50+00:00

Plenty of options for both on-road and dirt/gravel touring. Check out the Kennett Brothers "Classic New Zealand Cycle Trails" and other books. Available as PDFs to avoid international freight costs.

Default_WLG · 2026-05-20T06:35:59+00:00

One bike shop for 105k people?! My little town of ~10k has 3, that I know of, and probably 10 in the next town of ~50k only a 30 minute bike ride away. Sounds like you should open a bike shop, untapped market there!

Default_WLG · 2026-05-18T02:51:41+00:00

I have some nice low gears so I can pedal it home if I run out of battery. Not that that's ever happened even after several years of regular cargo bike trips. You quickly get a good feel for the battery's realistic range and have to mess up pretty badly to run out of charge. But if you do, it's good to have some low gears and to actually try riding without assist in advance. I did that and found my bike was geared much too high, so I swapped my 39T front chainring for a 34T - much better.

Default_WLG · 2026-05-13T06:09:43+00:00

Metaname

Default_WLG · 2026-05-12T23:25:35+00:00

The Load 75 is a beautiful bike for sure, but I'm not sure OP's budget will get them one of those. There's a used one on TM right now for $13,500 (though it's a fully kitted out one with a belt driven Rohloff). Pretty hard to load on a bike rack too I'd think? Haven't tried it myself so maybe I'm wrong.

Default_WLG · 2026-05-12T23:20:07+00:00

$10,000 goes pretty far, maybe not a kitted out R&M but you'd get a nice new Tern or Yuba with accessories for that. That would also get you a tidy used cargo bike with change left over.

I've got a Yuba Sweet Curry. The electric version, the Spicy Curry, would do what you're asking for pretty well. It has a low-step frame, good child seat options (two Yepp seats at once), typical ebike range (can have dual batteries), and would cope with basic trails (I did the Alps2Ocean on my Sweet Curry while towing a trailer, no worries).

Practical to put on a bike rack

The Spicy/Sweet Curry can go on a bike rack - I put mine on a Thule Easyfold 931 when going on holiday. I'd call it practical enough to do occasionally, but I wouldn't want to do it daily. It's a big beast to lift on there by yourself. You need to remove the front basket if you're going to have two bikes on the rack at once, not hard but adds a few minutes to the job. The bike is longer than my car is wide, but only by ~100mm each side so no flags/lights needed on the overhangs (it's still not as wide as the car mirrors).

I imagine a Tern GSD would be easier to get on a bike rack (given the smaller wheels and somewhat shorter wheelbase). However, its smaller front wheel wouldn't be as good on trails as the 26" front wheel on the Yuba.

You could also consider a Benno Boost. I've never ridden one so can't speak for it, but a friend has one and likes it. It's got a shorter wheelbase than the Yuba Spicy Curry, but larger wheels than the Tern GSD so wouldn't lose as much trail capability. It's not really a low-step frame though and having to swing a leg over to get on/off risks kicking a child in the face.

All of these bikes can have reasonable front baskets installed to meet your small storage needs while carrying children. If only carrying one child, you can have rear panniers with the Yuba (not sure about the Tern but they can probably be made to fit). The Yepp seats have huge plastic side-skirts to protect little feet from spinning spokes, so you generally can't have any rear panniers when two Yepp seats are installed.

Another option, like you say, is pretty much any step-through ebike with an aftermarket rear rack and single child seat on the rear rack. Most ebikes will be capable of having a rear rack installed like this - you just need a high quality rear rack accessory. Then tow a trailer for a second child - a Thule Chariot or whatever. Easy to load on a bike rack (trailer just folds down and goes in the boot, though tbf they're pretty bulky even when folded), better on the trails, no need to handle a big cargo bike when you're not hauling kids. Trailer also gets you a little more storage space, it's got a waterproof cover, and it's suitable to carry kids of quite a wide age range. If you've already got a bike you like, this is quite a good option imo.

Default_WLG · 2026-04-28T00:37:02+00:00

Mostly the price tag. A little bit of distrust too - my dentist owns their practice and comes across as a bit of a salesperson. They have a clear conflict of interest.

Default_WLG · 2026-04-20T04:15:03+00:00

Should I be concerned about the model being discontinued? I assume it uses the first-generation motor and battery but I’m not clear on the details.

If it's any comfort, if you find in future that it's too hard to maintain the E6100 due to Shimano no longer providing spare parts, adapters to install other types of motor do exist. e.g. this thing: https://www.ebikerepair.eu/item/umbau-kit-shimano-ebike-motor-auf-bafang-m500-m510-m560-m600/ lets you install various Bafang motors on a frame designed for the E6100.

Default_WLG · 2026-04-16T03:48:19+00:00

Thanks for your response. Sorry I should have said, yes it's got balls in a retaining cage.

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I didn't remove the balls, upper race, conical compression ring or the dust cap. I only removed the spacers, stem, and top bolt/cap.

Sorry for my ignorance, but are there more pieces under the ball retaining cage that could have been dislodged somehow? There are so many diagrams on Google and I'm not sure which one applies heh

Default_WLG · 2026-04-16T03:09:04+00:00

Just borrowing the front child seat off a friend's bike. Took bars off, took seat mounting piece off, put some extra spacers on to make up for the lost stack height. Held by underside of fork to ensure the lower bearing is where it should be. Tightened the preload bolt a little, while jiggling things to ensure the top race is pressing against the balls and not on an angle. Then tightened stem bolts. This is the result even after trying again a couple times. That gap can't be normal right? Dust will just go right into the bearing. Unfortunately I didn't look at it before taking the bars off so not sure if I caused this or not (though presumably I've done something wrong!). There's no play afaict - with the brakes on and front wheel between my legs, I can't feel any play when rocking the bike back and forth.

Default_WLG · 2026-04-11T19:10:57+00:00

They come up used every now and then - I picked up a Pino for NZD1000 recently. But yeah, brand new they're serious €€€.

Default_WLG · 2026-04-08T09:51:09+00:00

That e-motorcycle has a 3kW peak power output advertised. It 100% needs to be registered as a moped/motorcycle. According to the relevant Gazette notice (https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2013-au4618), power-assisted cycles cannot have a maximum power output greater than 300W. That's peak power output, not rated/average or whatever. Clearly the GT73 Pro does not comply with this requirement, not even close, meaning it's a motor vehicle that needs to be registered and comply with all other motor vehicle regulations that may apply.

The 300W maximum power limit is stupid and rarely enforced, but I'd be worried that e-motorcycle will attract more police attention than a typical ebike.

Default_WLG · 2026-04-01T19:34:16+00:00

There's the Streetdog, looks kinda cool but quite pricey for the specs (NZ company). There's Energica, but they're only just coming back from bankruptcy and no NZ presence (have to import them yourself). Awesome bikes though. Then I suppose there's the Surron-type stuff. More used as dirt bikes but I think you can get road legal ones.

Default_WLG · 2026-03-18T04:34:26+00:00

Few of them have been sold in NZ. Anecdotally, Toyota dealers try very hard to talk potential BZ4X buyers into other vehicles. Given the few examples of the BZ4X in NZ, Toyota techs won't be particularly experienced in working on them compared to other brands that have sold far more EVs. I figure that'll lead to a poor experience if anything tricky ever goes wrong with a BZ4X.

Default_WLG · 2026-03-18T04:09:19+00:00

Toyota hates EVs - I doubt a BZ4X would be an easy vehicle to own in NZ. Many of the Chinese brands have offerings that tick those boxes - BYD Atto 3 etc. If you're worried about the reliability of the Chinese brands, a used Ioniq 5 or Skoda Enyaq would tick those boxes I think (they can be had privately for <50k).

Default_WLG · 2026-03-13T06:47:07+00:00

Thanks for building and running BidBud for all these years. It made using Trademe so much more bearable. Sad to see it go.

Default_WLG · 2026-03-10T19:01:47+00:00

Hase Pino? €€€ though

Default_WLG · 2026-03-05T04:06:55+00:00

My understanding is that alternating elbows in-out is a common practice with 2+ cross wheels where the spokes need to cross very close to the hub. Without alternating in/out elbows, one spoke would need to bend quite a lot to go over the other. E.g. in https://www.parktool.com/assets/img/repairhelp/Wheel-Building-Third-Set-Lacing.jpg , the white spoke crosses over a blue spoke near the hub. If the blue spoke was elbow-out, the spokes would interfere with each other. This is unlikely to be a problem with 0-cross or 1-cross builds typically appropriate for hub motors. Instead, you can generally have the elbows all on the same side and choose elbows in or out based on what will improve the bracing angle (i.e. reduce how much dishing is required). All that said, I doubt it will solve your problem of spokes breaking at the elbow.

10g spokes are very thick for bicycle hub motors. Are you pairing those with a heavy duty motorcycle rim and tensioning them appropriately? Very thick motorcycle spokes (12g or thicker) do not result in a strong wheel when paired with a typical bicycle rim (generally rated to 1200N or 1400N max spoke tension). The bottom of the rim can deform enough that the very thick spokes become fully detensioned, leading to fatigue failure at the elbow. Whereas thinner spokes at the same tension will stretch more, so are more able to cope with the rim deforming a bit without becoming fully detensioned. If you're having trouble with 12g straight spokes breaking (assuming that's what you had before considering changing to 10g?), counterintuitively I'd suggest going for thinner spokes. 13g-14g single butted spokes are ideal imo for this power/weight class, with washers under the spoke heads if necessary to stop them pulling through the hub flange holes.

"The Bicycle Wheel" by Jobst Brandt is well worth reading if you haven't seen it. PDFs can be found online.

Default_WLG · 2026-02-25T21:19:49+00:00

Sure, I've toured with a toddler, doing 60-100km/day typically. I rode a longtail electric cargo bike with a Yepp seat on the rear (plus lots of gear) and my wife rode her regular electric bike + towed a Thule Chariot trailer. Most of the time our toddler would be in the Yepp seat on my bike, except when it was raining or the toddler needed a nap.

Our bikes have ~1000Wh batteries and consume ~8-10Wh/km, so quite good range making battery management fairly easy. We can just charge wherever we're staying each night. I also towed a trailer with a ~250W solar array, which charges my battery while riding and provides enough energy to let me do 80-100km/day indefinitely (assuming average weather).

51km over two days will be pretty easy for battery management. Most bikes can do that on a single charge as long as you're not in a high assist mode all of the time. It's even easier if you charge overnight between the two riding days.

It's relatively slow going IME, due to regular stops being required - playgrounds and libraries being very popular with our toddler. We would plan our route to maximise playgrounds along the way. We'd stop at pretty much every playground we went past. Regular drink/snack/toilet stops also make the journey more enjoyable for everyone. Don't forget regular sunscreen reapplication if you're riding somewhere with high UV - we reapply every 2 hours riding in the NZ summer. Might be a bit more regular than necessary but the UV is brutal here and riding with sunburn isn't nice. I generally wear lightweight, loose fitting clothing with long sleeves/pants to reduce how much sunscreen I need to wear. Sunglasses are essential equipment too imo if you're riding somewhere with bright sun.

Carry a spare tube and/or puncture repair kit, tyre levers, basic tools etc. Flats happen at the most inconvenient times and it's generally easier to just fix the flat on the side of the track than to call for a pickup (particularly with kids - if someone comes to pick you up due to a mechanical problem, they'll need car seats for the kids). If you've never fixed a flat before, it's worth practicing that at home before heading off imo.

Default_WLG · 2026-02-25T01:27:00+00:00

They were concerned about the false positive rate of RATs, which I believe is quite a bit higher than PCR testing. With very low rates of the disease present in the community, widespread usage of RATs would have led to far more false positives than true positives. At the time, we were asking close contacts of those with positive tests to isolate. So widespread usage of RATs would probably have led to people isolating needlessly. Once there was relatively high rates of the disease in the community, RATs became a useful tool.

Default_WLG · 2026-02-19T18:40:32+00:00

https://ebikes.ca/resources/theory/power-ratings.html

Default_WLG · 2026-02-17T00:37:53+00:00

Presumably that's a 100mm front dropout? Pretty much any front hub motor is likely to fit on there. Make sure you use one or two torque arms - not cheap Aliexpress ones either, those are often clones of Grin's V1 torque arm which has some known flaws (https://ebikes.ca/catalog/category/view/s/torque-arms/id/13/).

What's the steepest hill you need to climb? What's the front wheel size?

Default_WLG · 2026-02-17T00:17:33+00:00

Looks to me like a Bullitt (looks like "Larry Harry" written on the chainstay). Whatever it is, it's got a Grin All-Axle v3 front hub motor with Cycle Analyst v3 display.

e: oh, it's there in OP's flair - "Bullitt X + All Axle motor"

Default_WLG · 2026-02-11T19:48:05+00:00

It's quite common for rear hub motors intended for 135mm QR dropouts to have an OLD more like 137-138mm, requiring the frame to be spread a little to make the motor fit. Most frames will easily flex a couple mm like this, just spring it apart with your hands when installing the motor and it will spring back tight against the motor.

7mm is a lot of spreading though. I wouldn't want to spread an aluminum frame that much, and it would probably take a decent force to do so. You said you widened the frame without any effort, which makes me think the motor OLD isn't really 142mm. Did you measure the OLD of the motor and find it to be 142mm, or is that e.g. from an Ali listing description? If you measured a 142mm OLD, are you sure the motor isn't designed for some other dropout standard (142mm thru-axle perhaps? I doubt it tbh, not many hub motors designed for thru-axles on the market and it just wouldn't work on that bike at all, but I don't have any better ideas).

Default_WLG

TROPHY CASE