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Electra E-Bikes at Denman Bikes

Category: Featured Items

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At Denman Bikes, we stock only quality e-bikes, which function well as regular bicycles but also provide the help you need when you need it with their electric drive. One of the brands we carry is Electra, the original cruiser bike company.

Electra Townie Go!

The Electra Townie is the quintessential cruiser bike – wide, comfortable tires, a simple drivetrain, and comfortable frame geometry. As an e-bike, the Electra Townie Go! also comes equipped with powerful disc brakes for all-weather stopping power. The premium Electra Townie Commute Go! comes fully equipped with larger, higher-volume tires on larger wheels for maximum comfort, hydraulic disc brakes, a low-maintenance 8 speed Shimano Nexus internally geared hub (never have your chain fall off again!), fenders, a front and rear rack for maximum carrying capacity, and integrated front and rear lights.

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These e-bikes are powered by a Bosch Active Line 3 bottom-bracket mounted electric motor, taking you to a maximum assisted speed of 32 km/hr. Its lightweight and powerful lithium ion battery lasts 40-120 km on a charge, depending on usage, and charges fully in 6.5 hours. A handlebar-mounted cycle computer selects from four assist modes, and shows other details such as battery life, speed, trip distance, and more. The electric system on these bikes is fully sealed, requires no maintenance, and features a manufacturer warranty.

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Handlebar-mounted Bosch cycle computer

Starting at $2749, the Electra Townie Go! is a comfortable, smooth ride; it’s made for cruising and good times and is available with both a step-thru and a step-over frame. The fully-loaded, premium Electra Townie Commute Go! is $3699, also in both a step-thru and step-over frame. Call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try it out for yourself today!

Electra Loft Go!

The Electra Loft is a sophisticated, classic bicycle which would be equally at home in the cafes of Paris or of Vancouver. Its clean lines give it timeless style, and its simple drivetrain, light weight, and step-thru geometry make it a pleasure to ride. The Electra Loft Go! comes upgraded with hydraulic disc brakes, front and rear racks, and integrated lights.

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The Electra Loft Go! features the same Bosch Active Line drive system as the Townie Go!, providing the same consistent power over long range.

At $3899, the Electra Loft Go! is a classic European-style city bicycle. Call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try it out for yourself today!

Electra Ace of Spades

Electra is known for stylish cruisers, and the Electra Ace of Spades Go! is the pinnacle of their offerings. Its sleek matte-black frame will turn heads wherever you go, but looks are only the beginning when it comes to this bike’s features.

The Ace of Spades Go! will get you up to speed with an 8 speed drivetrain, with a simple low-maintenance Shimano Nexus internally geared hub. To slow you back down, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes provide powerful all-weather braking performance. This bike has fat balloon tires and a sprung leather seat for maximum riding comfort.

This bike’s functionality is backed up by the same reliable, long-lasting Bosch Active Line drive system that powers the rest of Electra’s e-bikes. Not only can you cruise in style, but you can do so at speed without breaking a sweat.

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The Electra Ace of Spades – the simplicity of a bicycle with the moxie of a motorcycle

At $4299, the Electra Ace of Spades Go! oozes style and baditude; it’s the ultimate cruising machine. Call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try it out for yourself today!

Opus e-bikes at Denman Bikes

Category: Featured Items

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At Denman Bikes, we stock only quality e-bikes, which function well as regular bicycles but also provide the help you need when you need it with their electric drive. One of the brands we carry is Opus, a Canadian bicycle brand from Montréal, Québec.

Opus Grid

The first electric bike we’ll talk about is the Opus Grid. This bicycle has the simplicity of a single-speed bike: never worrying about a dropped chain, never trying to find the right gear or being in the wrong one, and decreased maintenance. The limitations of a single-speed bike, however, are overcome by the Vittoria E-wheel rear wheel, which assists with the power you need. This rear wheel combines three groundbreaking innovations to deliver a cutting-edge e-bike experience: first, it is entirely self-contained, with charging accomplished via regenerative braking; second, it connects to your smartphone to manage trip data and adjust settings; third, these combine to decrease your cycling effort by 30-40%! This simple, self-contained electric propulsion system also helps bring down the weight of the bike, making it one of the lightest e-bikes on the market.

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In addition to the electric bike functionality, the Opus Grid has a host of other features and components that make it a pleasure to ride. It comes equipped with a kickstand, and a front rack with rack stabilizer keeps you upright and stable even when laden with heavy items. The nimble 26” wheels have comfortable high-volume tires that will makes rough roads a breeze. And finally, the internal cabling complements the clean matte black of the frame, which is offered in step-thru and regular.

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A trip to the grocery store with the Opus Grid

At only $2499, the Opus Grid is a mean, clean, city-riding machine. Call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try it out for yourself today!

Opus Connect

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The Opus Connect is a step-thru European city-style bike powered by the Shimano STEPS e-bike system. This features a high-density lithium polymer battery which powers a bottom bracket-mounted motor. This system also incorporates built-in lights, which are controlled from a detachable speedometer and cycle computer mounted on the handlebar. This system offers three levels of assist: eco, normal, and high. As seen in the picture of the cycle computer, high will get you moving pretty quickly indeed!

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The Shimano STEPS cycle-computer (yes, that is 32 km/hr!)

The Connect features a 9-speed Shimano drivetrain and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes for all-weather stopping power. In addition to integrated lights, it comes fully equipped with a rack and fenders. This bike is equipped with everything you’d need for Vancouver riding – while Vancouver stays wet, you’ll stay dry as you zoom through the city.

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The Opus Connect keeps Vancouver wet – but you dry

At $3499, the Opus Connect is a fully loaded city cycling machine – if you want a slightly less pricy option, there are lower power options without fender, rack, and lights starting at $2999. Call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try it out for yourself today!

Opus WKND

Our final Opus e-bike offering is the Opus WKND. A sportier alternative to the Connect, it features the same Shimano STEPS e-bike technology, Shimano 9-speed drivetrain, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, and full suite of accessories, but in a package more suited to multipurpose riding. A suspension fork provided a bit more comfort, skinnier rims and tires add speed, and a more aggressive riding position and frame geometry add efficiency and improve handling.

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At $3499, the Opus WKND is your choice for conquering the city, for riding trails: for exploration and fun. As with the Opus Connect, lower power options without fenders, rack, and lights start at $2999. Call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try it out for yourself today!

Why E-Bikes?

Category: Bike Trends, DBS Community, Pro Tips

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Have you ever found yourself wishing you could ride your bike to the store, the park, to work, but it’s a little bit too far? Or gone shopping on your bike and ended up buying things that are a little uncomfortably heavy? Or do you need the range of a car, but hate parking in Vancouver? (who doesn’t) If so, an electric bike might be right for you!

Electric bikes have come a long way since their conception. As early as the 1890s, US patents were being filed for electric-assist bikes, and e-bikes were available to consumers in a variety of configurations. These early e-bikes, however, were heavy, due to the materials in use at the time, and specifically due to the lead-acid batteries used to power them.

E-bike 1932 (by Philips & Simplex)

E-bike 1932 (by Philips & Simplex)

Luckily, today we live in a different world. Advances in materials have made quality e-bikes lighter, more powerful, higher range, and more pleasant to ride than ever before. Modern e-bikes often have frames of high-strength, low-weight aluminum, optimized geometry for the bike’s expected style of riding, powerful, compact motors placed in optimal drivetrain configurations, fully weather-sealed components, and energy-dense, light, fast-charging lithium-ion batteries.

What this means for a potential e-bike user is that not only do quality e-bikes ride like a normal bike, but they also provide the assistance you need, when you need it. Need to go that extra 10 kilometers? You can. Filled your bags too full of groceries? No problem. Want to go on a long bike ride with your fit friend, child, or grandchild? You’ll leave them in the dust. Hills getting you down when you want to go down to Spanish Banks? Leave it to an e-bike to get you back up.

As for maintenance issues, quality e-bikes are built with weather and wear in mind, so maintenance on the e-bike components will be minimal. In addition, the electrical components of all the quality e-bikes we sell come with at least a two year warranty. Legally, an electric bike is considered a regular bicycle, as well, so you won’t need any more safety equipment than you would need with a regular bicycle. However, one thing this entails is that the e-bike motor can take you to a legal maximum of 32.2 km/hr on level ground; if you’ve ever gone this fast on a regular bicycle, you’ll know that is pretty fast.

A modern e-bike (https://www.flickr.com/photos/testlab)

A modern e-bike (https://www.flickr.com/photos/testlab)

So, to conclude, who are e-bikes good for? In Vancouver, e-bikes are good for everyone! Many of our quality e-bikes come decked out with everything you could need for Vancouver and its weather – most have rain-defeating fenders already fitted, and some come with cargo transportation components ready-fitted. No matter your cycling experience, check out our catalogue of e-bikes, call (604) 559-9494 to book a test ride, or come down to Denman Bikes at 2607 Main Street and try out one of our e-bikes for yourself today!

PRO TIPS: INTERNAL VS EXTERNAL GEARS

Category: Uncategorized

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INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL GEARS: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

When shopping for a bike, you may notice that they are advertised as having either  “derailleur” or “ internal” gear systems. Ever wondered what the difference was?

The simplest explanation  is that derailleur systems are external, while internal are – you guessed it – on the inside.

But first, let’s get our terms straight. What are gears?

Gears and Speeds

It’s helpful to think of gears as “speeds” – a bike with 7 gears is a 7-speed bike.

Lower numbered gears are the low gears (slower/easier), and higher numbered ones are the high gears (for going faster/harder).

“Shifting” means going from one gear to another.

Derailleur (External) Gears

Ever noticed that thing that hangs down at your rear wheel? That’s a derailleur. It’s a french term referring to the literal derailment of the chain.

In an external gear system, the rear derailleur literally “de-rails” the chain, moving it to different sized rings to achieve different gear ratios, or speeds.  Because it’s on the outside, it is important to keep it clean and properly cared for.

Rear derailleur system

Pictured above: A rear derailleur system

 

Internal Hub Gears

In a Hub Gear system, the gears are enclosed within the bicycle’s rear hub. You’ll notice that the rear wheel hub on an internal system is much larger than usual.

In general, an internal gear hub is less maintenance because it is a sealed system. You can also shift gears while stationary, which is great for gearing down at a light before heading off again.

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Pictured above: An internal hub system

 

Which System is Best for Me?

Take a bicycle with each system for a test ride. Find out what you prefer. Generally, it will come down to your personal preference, the system availability of different bike models, your maintenance expectations, and your budget.

Some find that an internal system is a smoother shifting experience, and prefer the low maintenance of the hub. Others are happy with the cost effectiveness and tried-and-true derailleur.

If you’re in the market for a low-maintenance city bike to ride to and from the grocery store or the occasional Sea Wall cruise, an internal system would be a great choice: say a Loft 7i.

If you’re after a light, fast and easy-to-customize commuter with an ample gear range for tackling hills on your way around town, an external system would be a great way to go – like with our Brooklyn Lorimer or Opus Orpheo models.

At the end of the day, they are both great systems – the fun part is choosing your bike.

So get out there and get riding!

New Commuter Jackets from Levis!

Category: Bike Trends, Featured Items

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