Have you ever been suddenly stranded, because of some problem with your e-cycle?

This past week I had a date with my wife (perverse, I know), and we had to do a little shopping, before going to eat, etc. When we came out of the store, I could not get the alarm to turn off on my machine. The motor/wheel locks when my alarm is on. My wife's ride is chained to mine. Very loud and sensitive alarm system, my bike has.

It is getting late, and I decide to go back into the big store to look for a tiny eyeglasses screw driver to open the bike's remote control, and a battery for the thing. The big department store is about to close, and it is unlikely I will find both needed items.

At the last minute I decide to duck into a small consumer electronics discount store nearby. The owner hands me the right sized screwdriver, he has the correct battery. In under 10 minutes from the discovery that my bike is "frozen", I am back on the road, and the evening unfolds perfectly.

Rare that such crappy luck turns around so quickly and completely. Tell us your stranded story? One more scary?

3-hour cruise cheers!

I had read your stranded story a couple of days before I found myself stranded.... Which was yesterday.

Riding my regular route to work my bike suddenly went slower and I could here the flop flop flop sound.

A flat rear tire, of course.

I walked my bike 1.5k to a Shell station. Luckily this station had a free air pump since I had no loonies. Long story so I will sum it up with "Lessons Learned"

1. ALWAYS carry a tire patch kit. I didn't.... long story
2. If you have never repaired a bike inner-tube, print out instructions and keep them on your E-bike. I hadn't.
3. Have the tools and understand how to use them to remove the tire and access the inner-tube. I was clueless.
4. Once you remove the tire, patch the tube, and refill the tire, make sure it is not leaking. I didn't and drove 2.5k before it went flat again.
5. Always make sure you don't have more than one puncture especially if you ran over a screw. Read #4.
6. Screws can poke your tube in many places. If you find another hole, don't assume that was the last one
7. Use soapy water to check for leaks before you re-install the tube for the 3rd time.
8. Finally, be patient when watching rubber cement dry. Just don't breathe it in or you will forget step 31

Ride safely and have FUN.
Ray

Sudden flats in the middle of a trip are no fun. That is why we have started keeping a can of instant aerosol flat tire sealant in our rear compartments, Mrs. Jamin and I.. Check this out: http://www.slime.com/... Works for tubed and tubeless, bikes, e-bikes, motorcycles . . see the "How much slime per tire" chart.

BTW - even with a new batt, the remote for the alarm died last night AGAIN, when we were locking up near the Varsity on Bay . . to see Woody's new film . . You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger. Fortunately, the alarm wasn't frozen in the on position this time (see title post at head of this thread). Was able to get home - and switched to spare remote. Hope this is not going to happen again!

rolling cheers

I had read your stranded story a couple of days before I found myself stranded.... Which was yesterday.

Riding my regular route to work my bike suddenly went slower and I could here the flop flop flop sound.

A flat rear tire, of course.

I walked my bike 1.5k to a Shell station. Luckily this station had a free air pump since I had no loonies. Long story so I will sum it up with "Lessons Learned"

1. ALWAYS carry a tire patch kit. I didn't.... long story
2. If you have never repaired a bike inner-tube, print out instructions and keep them on your E-bike. I hadn't.
3. Have the tools and understand how to use them to remove the tire and access the inner-tube. I was clueless.
4. Once you remove the tire, patch the tube, and refill the tire, make sure it is not leaking. I didn't and drove 2.5k before it went flat again.
5. Always make sure you don't have more than one puncture especially if you ran over a screw. Read #4.
6. Screws can poke your tube in many places. If you find another hole, don't assume that was the last one
7. Use soapy water to check for leaks before you re-install the tube for the 3rd time.
8. Finally, be patient when watching rubber cement dry. Just don't breathe it in or you will forget step 31

Ride safely and have FUN.
Ray

Where would you like me to start? I've had three flat tires, three dead batteries ( at least hehe) and one losing my keys. The most annoying were the flat tires since they occured far from home and involved pushing the bike back home. In most cases the dead batteries were close to home so rather than pushing I went home picked up my mountain bike, biked back to the locked e-bike, took out the removable battery pack & took it home via back pack to charge it! Once charged I reversed direction, reinstalled the battery and drove home. Oh and by the way I had one hand on the throttle and the other on my mountain bike which I "tandomed" like an outrigger to be sure both means of transit were safely back home. passerby must of thought I was stealing one or both lol. The losing keys involved locking it at work and getting my condo maintenance man in his van to pick it up. I did have a spare key for the lock but had to get a new ignition key. Woe is me! Anyway relatively smooth sailing since then.

Where would you like me to start? I've had three flat tires, three dead batteries ( at least hehe) and one losing my keys. The most annoying were the flat tires since they occured far from home and involved pushing the bike back home.

My sweet fack, John, you've had a run of crazy bad luck! You only need to lose your keys twice more for things to even out, eh? 3-3-3 triple hat-trick at stake.

In most cases the dead batteries were close to home so rather than pushing I went home picked up my mountain bike, biked back to the locked e-bike, took out the removable battery pack & took it home via back pack to charge it! Once charged I reversed direction, reinstalled the battery and drove home. Oh and by the way I had one hand on the throttle and the other on my mountain bike which I "tandomed" like an outrigger to be sure both means of transit were safely back home. passerby must of thought I was stealing one or both lol.

You must be in great shape, brave and super thrifty! I would've hailed a taxi, put my machine in the trunk, and dealt with everything at home.

The losing keys involved locking it at work and getting my condo maintenance man in his van to pick it up. I did have a spare key for the lock but had to get a new ignition key. Woe is me! Anyway relatively smooth sailing since then.

John, did you know that our friend Lubo carries a full extra set of batts (maybe two!) on his 3-year-old machine, that he works harder than a rented mule? Soooo - extra batts, a spare key tucked away and a magic can of Slime http://www.slime.com/... ~ and we might all avoid these vexing vehicular vicissitudes, say wot?

the-dogs-bark-the-caravan-moves-on cheers!

Well 1 ebike service repair defect later, the wheel ripped off the back of the bike when I hit the brakes and stranded me in etobicoke :( I live in Oakville.

Anyway I had to walk it all the way back to my house while holding the back end off the ground cause there was no wheel attached. I think it was about 13.6 kms according to the trip computer lol.

Since then the guy closed the shop where I could get it fixed under warranty, so ever since I've been paying out if my own pocket to fix it since.

As of now it is still sitting in my garage not running :(

EARLY in the season, when the weather was still cold enough to have an effect on the plastic... I rode to the grocery store and on my way back I stopped at an intersection just before my street and when I turned the throttle nothing happened, then I noticed my lights were out too. I quickly pulled the bike onto the side walk and flipped the breaker off and back on thinking that was the issue, but no.
I walked the bike 1 block back to the house, and started checking connections. The connection where the battery plugs into the controller had come loose. (this isn't one that normally gets touched, I think that the cold weather slightly shrunk the plastic and with enough vibration it popped apart.

I fixed that with a zip tie. :)
That connection won't come open without wire cutters or scissors now.

Other than that the only stranded situation was when I tried to ride more than the battery could handle. I ended up walking the bike up hills and riding down.

CAA to the rescue-


Caa just sent me a letter saying they are offering a special CAA for bikes!

I will let you know more after I sign up.

I pushed my heavy motorino for about 4 miles one day cause I ran outa juice.

Hart attack city -without a flat.

Just a thought, you could have called for a cab van then you did not have to walk the 4 miles - just over an hour I bet, probably more with the extra 150lbs.