THIS VIDEO
This ongoing Video Diary by myself John Neal, sometimes known as John Longcroft-Neal, as the whim takes me.
TODAY’S SUBJECT is a review of my estarli E28 electric bike after 16 months and 1340 miles. Spoiler alert – I give it 9 out of 10.
Shout out to Dave Allen at Allens bikes, Leighton Buzzard.
GENERAL STUFF
I am retired from two careers of primary school teaching when I was deputy head of a Middle School and Primary School, and as a self employed Chalkboard Artist from 2002 until I reached the grand old age of 65 in 2016. Since I retired it’s like a second childhood but with more expensive toys.
SORRY BUT my website does no longer exist. Use these links below to buy my FOUR FULL LENGTH VIDEO $10.00 (approx £7.50) directly via Fastspring
1.a
’ Better Handwriting for Adults’
http://sites.fastspring.com/jwrenimages/product/betterhandwritingforadults
2.
‘More Handwriting for Adults’
http://sites.fastspring.com/jwrenimages/product/morehandwritingforadults
3.
‘Introduction to Chalkboard Art’
http://sites.fastspring.com/jwrenimages/product/introductiontochalkboardart
4.
‘More Chalkboard Art’
http://sites.fastspring.com/jwrenimages/product/morechalkboardart
I have also written a book ‘Cursive Handwriting for Adults’
published by Ulysses Press and can be purchased from:
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA
My FACEBOOK Page https://www.facebook.com/Johnnealartist
I play guitar and write songs and have written about 14 songs for the local BBC radio station. I run a weekly (weakly) evening Acoustic session at a local pub and have been doing so for 14 years now. I also started an afternoon acoustic session in a quite large cafe in Nuneaton. Both premises were former songwriting clients of mine.
Much of the music I use on this channel is taken from epidemicsound.com free to use on Youtube for a reasonable monthly fee, and sometimes I suffer you with my own music.
Gear that I use:
DJI Mavic Mini 3 Drone.
Iphone 15 Pro for camera, generally front facing so I can see myself in frame. Super quality especially if I keep the lens clean.
Go Pro11
Gimble is a Q2 Smooth by Zhiyun, I ought to use this more often because it was expensive.
Canon G7mk2
Sony IC recorder
Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone
Rhode videomic to do voice over on computer
Video editing with Final Cut Pro X
Polarduck Mini Tripod for mobile phone. This is so good and under £10.00 I bought two.
Lamcou bendy leg tripod
Smatree Tripod / mono pod
Mono pod is a Manfrotto Compact MMC3-02 and is very useful for getting high angles that look like low flight drone shots and so easy to carry on my bike along with the mini tripod.
My bike is a e28 Estarli electric bike.
https://www.estarli.co.uk/
Money from ARTWORK SOLD will go to the MONA FOUNDATION
for details see https://www.monafoundation.org
I am a follower of the Bahá’i Faith and some of my philosophical ideas may show through in comments that I make, but, by and large, I’ll not make direct reference to my beliefs.
FACEBOOK:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131048357093583
See www.bahá’i.org
To hear my Bahá’i INSPIRED SONGS, (and others) GO TO:
https://soundcloud.com/jrwren/sets/bahai-inspired-songs
I also enjoy gardening but lay no claims to have any expertise, and you might catch me out in the countryside of Warwickshire and nearby Leicestershire on a walk with my wife or on a bike ride.
Please comment below to inform further plans for my vlogs. I’d love to hear from you. If you don’t you will just get whatever bubbly ideas float to the surface of my slightly muddled elderly mind.
4 Comments
I bought one of these (in red) partly after your initial review. I'm also pretty happy with a couple of niggles, the major one being the fact that the bottom bracket failed after 350 miles. It took a few weeks to get a free replacement from Estarli as apparently, it was an early bike, so in the end the whole system had to be replaced.
I'm not sure if the front suspension works as it feels pretty rigid when riding on the local roads. But the brakes and gears etc are great and the bike itself feels pretty solid. I commute 16 miles a day to work and have managed to unlock the speed restriction so I now get power up to around 20mph which transforms it!
Hi John not commented for a bit, liked this video. Just thought I could mention a few ideas to you as regards to one of your problem's mentioned in the video…namely punctures. I have mentioned these to you in the past, Slime Scab patches, you don't need to take your wheel out, just take the tyre off and apply a patch, pump up and off you go, also you can get Slime Smart tubes which are an innertube with green slime in which when punctured just remove the offending object, the inner tube will then seal itself, a quick pump up if any air loss and then you are off again. Do you mind me asking, but when riding and filming are you using a selfie stick, therefore riding one handed? You can get a mount from Topeak called an Omni Ride mount that fits on your handlebar bracket , you then get a rubber holder for whatever size phone you have and it can then be positioned at whatever angle you want, leaving your hand free to ride both handed. Hope to probably see you around the lanes John.
It does seem odd that it wasn't originally fitted with UV-resistant gaskets and ties. I would certainly address that when you come to replace them. Oh, and the non-stainless screws are criminal, especially in an exposed part. They'd have been replaced at the first sign of rust were it my bike. Don't let those go too long! You'll never get them out.
Hi John have you sent your video to Allen’s and the manufacturer to see what they have to say.? I am sure they would appreciate the feedback.