Kalkhoff E-Bikes — Fan Of… #115

Hi all 😁 Feel free to join in this weekly challenge whenever you find yourself thinking “I’m a fan of…” (see below for how-to).

This week’s Fan Of… Our Kalkhoff e-bikes which are totally awesome & have changed our lives.

My wife & I are just entering our 10th year without a car & couldn’t be happier about it. Up until last year, we went everywhere by public transport or on foot. Last year, with the pandemic, came major travel restrictions, especially so on public transport. As restrictions have started to lift, we are still not overjoyed by the prospect of sitting in an enclosed space with others to travel & have become confined to where ever we can get to on foot.

Until last month, that is, when we took delivery of our 2 new Kalkhoff Agattu 1.S XXL e-bikes (the shot below was taken the day after we got them) & we couldn’t be happier with them 😃

These are primarily designed as commuting bikes, but the version we bought can easily be used for touring. These two are beefed-up versions of the standard Agattu, with Shimano’s E6100 motor (with 50 Nm of torque) mounted in the crank, 621 Watt-hour capacity batteries, giving a range of up to 230km (under ideal conditions) & an upgraded frame capable of hauling 170kg. These are pedal-assist e-bikes, & as they are European models, there is no magic button to press to make the bike go with no human input. We ride these bikes mostly without assistance, but they do have 3 levels of assist to enable you to get up the toughest of hills, even when hauling shopping back home! They also have a “walk assist” function, which uses power from the motor at a very slow speed to enable you to push the bike up steep or un-rideable bits when loaded down.

Since getting the bikes, we have made ample use of the nearby canal network to get around, & are starting to see a lot of the local area & attractions that we never even knew existed. We of course set about “geeking” our bikes for long days out in the saddle. Expect many, many, many more (Police Academy reference 🤣) posts in the future featuring our bikes & our travels with them.

Meet Stormy & Kali, couple of weeks after we got them. Stormy is mine on the left, Kali is Susan’s; & of course Godfrey & NeeNee had to get in on the action 😂.

Next are some of the features of these bikes (Stormy modelling 😂).

Fully “geeked” out bars (featuring Shimano computer, phone holder (for maps), bell, Klik Fix front mount for a basket, the basket’s for my camera gear, water & Godfrey & of course, wing mirror).

Moving back, we have the Shimano motor, Shimano Nexus internal gear hub, comfortable touring saddle, seat bag for tools & puncture repair kit, rear pannier rack, twin panniers, rear reflector & LED taillights).

One of the great things about these bikes is that they come with an integrated frame lock. These work off the same key as the battery & straight away make them difficult to steal (they also weigh 27kgs & are quite cumbersome to carry with no crossbar). When you add in the Sold Secure Gold (security rating) chain locks & the Sold Secure Diamond (highest rating) D locks, our guys are pretty safe. For the most part though, one of us usually stays with them.

…and finally, a few shots of our bikes on recent days out 😃

Join me again next week for some wildlife down by the canal 😃

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1. Create a Fan Of… Photo Post.
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Have a great week 😁