It’s been a full few weeks. The move to Carnforth has meant more space for bikes, better roads for test rides, and – as expected – fewer people walking past the door. But the work has kept coming, and as E-Radicals heads into its third year, I’ve had the chance to get stuck into some of the more interesting projects that have been waiting.
One job in particular has taken up a good chunk of November: a new Load5 75 cargo bike with a range of customisations including fitting new suspension, along with Busch & Müller Turntec indicators. The indicators aren’t a standard fit on Bosch e-bikes, so it meant custom wiring and a fair bit of problem-solving. It’s exactly the kind of work I love – bikes configured properly for how people actually want to use them, not just assembled from a box. But it’s also a reminder that this work takes time, and I haven’t always been realistic about how much.
Which brings me to something I need to say clearly: if you’re waiting on service work from me, I’m sorry it’s taken longer than it should have. I’m working through the backlog now and making good progress. But I won’t be booking any new service work until the New Year, and when I do start again, I’m going to be more careful about not overcommitting. I’d rather give you an honest timeline than a hopeful one.
Speaking of indicators, I have to give a brief mention to the new Hyp-E helmets from ABUS, the most advanced of which features front and rear lights, plus a rear brake light and indicators! We have a demo model in the shop that you’re welcome to try out.
In other news, there’s been a lot happening with the bikes themselves.
Riese & Müller have refreshed their core range: the updated Delite5, the new Charger5, and the just-announced Nevo5 are all now arriving with Bosch’s latest motors and the option of their new 800Wh battery. I wasn’t expecting our Nevo5 demo until February, but R&M have brought things forward and we should have one here just before Christmas. We’ve also got Charger5 and Delite5 demos ready to ride now. There’s a lot of new Bosch tech to talk about too – enough that I’m planning a proper write-up in the New Year rather than trying to cram it all in here.
I’ve also added a new brand to the shop: Estarli. They’re a British company designing award-winning bikes that are manufactured to a genuinely high standard – not a budget alternative, just a different approach. We’ve got their e20.X folder and e28.X commuter/leisure models in the shop now, both available for test rides. If you’ve been curious about electric bikes but found the premium end of the market daunting, these are well worth a look.
Gazelle have updated several of their models too – the Orange, Grenoble, Medeo and Ultimate are all refreshed and all available here. And from Tern, there’s a new belt-drive version of the Vektron folding bike due in the New Year, which I’m looking forward to getting my hands on.
One last thing: you might have seen speculation before the autumn budget about potential cuts to the Cycle to Work scheme. Thankfully, that didn’t happen – the scheme remains unchanged, and it’s still one of the best ways to spread the cost of a new bike. Worth knowing if you’ve been weighing things up. One thing the news caused me to revisit is the incredible statistic from a five-year study of 250,000 UK commuters showing that regular cycling cut the risk of death from any cause by 41%.
That’s it for this month. The shop will be closing for Christmas on Saturday 20 December and reopening on Wednesday 7 January. If you’d like to book a test ride before then or just have a chat about what might work for you, drop me a message or give me a call.
All that’s left is for me to wish a very Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate, and all the best for a more peaceful and prosperous 2026.
P.s. If you struggle with cold hands in the winter like me, I’m still aware of no better solution than a good pair of bar muffs. We’ve just received new stock of both the Cycle Muffs from Oxford Products, and Madison’s new lighter weight and less bulky Handlebar Mitts. I’ve used Oxford’s Cycle Muffs in nigh-on arctic conditions and found them to be so effective that I don’t even need gloves underneath!
