When I was explained the concept behind the Barodeur I was instantly intrigued. Most people were exploring the upper end of the e-bike market but here was a product that was planned clever and tough for our rugged terrain. “A farmers e-bike”.

 

I’d never ridden a fatty and only had limited time on an e-bike so I was a bit sceptical at first and in fact it took the first ride to get settled. There was no time to waste though as I was hosting a large event – The Sabrina Love Foundation Challenge at Kurland Estate in 3 days time and had the entire trail network to check, fix and add signage. I was hoping this beast would make things easier…

 

Fast-forward 3 days, 129km and 2400m elevation and my project was complete and the two days racing was a huge success. This bike outperformed itself. I guess it was not designed to ride flowy downhills, rail berms and haggle its way over rooty climbs but it synched them all, with some to spare.

 

I soon came to realise that starting and stopping an e-bike on the incline (for place bunting or adding signage) is really not easy. This thing has weight and it was quite tough getting in that first pedal-stroke on steep starts. Well that was until I discovered the “Throttle”.. Yes, a real-time throttle. I guess one could abuse it, but wow it made steep starts a whole new thing. In fact every time one gets on the bike, a little throttle gets the whole thing going nicely. Quite awesome!! I don’t know another bike like it. Warning: Throttle chows the battery.

 

On the battery. I charged it three times because I couldn’t afford to run low for the event and didn’t know the capacity. It made a huge difference to ride in assist 1 or 2 mostly and use 3 and 4 for steep climbs or hard bits. No. 5 is like cheating! And at cost to the battery. I guess I easily got 50km on assist setting 1 and 2.

 

The carrier rack is really solid. We strapped on a small crate with chainsaw and tools and got to where we needed. Later I strapped on sign boards and hammers etc. It worked like a small utility vehicle, but funner.

 

This bike is also low maintenance… There are no fluids or ‘fixes’ that specifically need expert bike technicians. It can be stripped and fixed on the farm. Even the front fork is coil as opposed to fluid. It’s a bit harsh but very sensible and seems to cope fine on varied terrain.

 

The uses for this kind of machine are endless… Framers, Warehouses, trail-builders, supervisors, security, anti-poaching, organic farming (No CO₂ ). Etc.

 

JOHAN VORSTER

10.1.2020

 

Hakahana Trails, Flow Trails, Kurland trails.