"My name is Jean, I live in Kentish Town, London and am in my mid 80s. 

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My husband, George and I have been riding Moulton bikes for over thirty years. We use them for every day transport as well as for day rides and for longer bike tours. Mine is an AM7 (blue) and George’s is a New Series. I have always found it hard to keep up with George, particularly on hills. For several years we solved that problem by using a tandem for bike tours in France, Holland, Scotland and elsewhere. See our blogs here. But after the tour to Scotland in 2013 we decided to give up the tandem.

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By 2016 I came to the conclusion that I needed an electric bike and I tried out a beautiful Dutch Gazelle bike: the controls were very effective but the bike was very heavy – there was no way I would be able to lift it, even into a train.

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We then contacted ARCC who we had heard were retro-fitting Moulton bikes with electric power assistance, asking whether they would let us try one of their adapted Moultons and whether they might be able to convert my AM7. We had a very prompt response and I was soon test riding an ARCC-adapted Moulton TSR in London. The controls were even more responsive than on the Gazelle and I immediately became convinced that an ARCC-adapted Moulton was exactly what I needed. But I also knew that for everyday transport I didn’t need power assistance.

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So I had a decision to make. Should I get the AM7 converted? In this case I could use it with or without the battery and controller but I didn’t fancy having the front wheel made heavier by the motor and I was hardly going to change the wheel on a regular basis. 

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We were fortunate to find a used TSR 8 (green) in very good condition and at a good price. ARCC were ready to carry out the conversion and arranged for us to leave the TSR at their London office. Two weeks later we picked up the power-assisted bike and went off on a ride in Essex to try it out. 

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The pod controller provides 12 different levels of assistance and I picked the fourth and found that I was easily able to keep up with George – even passing him on some of the hills. The 4 amp hour Bosch battery lasted almost to the end of this ride. With the fast charger it can be re-charged in about 40 minutes. 

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ARCC have been really helpful with any assistance we have needed. First in providing full instructions as to how to remove the front wheel. In 2018 when the power supply became intermittent, ARCC collected the bike from London, fixed the problem and serviced the bike, returning it to our house within a week. Last year we heard about the ‘Pod Lock’ and ARCC attached the lock to the pod controller with a rapid turn around. 

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I am very happy to have just the assistance that I need which has enabled us to continue bike touring, for example in the Outer Hebrides in 2018 and in Holland last summer. This summer, as we’re staying in London and are avoiding trains, we have done a day ride each Sunday to one of London’s attractive open spaces including Walthamstow Wetlands, Greenwich and Richmond Park. 

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I am still using the fourth setting so I have plenty of power in hand. I find the trick of holding the brakes for a quick start really useful at traffic lights. I have kept the controller on the ‘A’ setting and still haven’t explored the offerings available under “A+”."

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Jean