14.10.2024 eBay to restrict e-bike and battery sales.

 ~o~

  Monday 14th 47F/8.3C. Bright overcast. Promised to be dry and sunny. A moderate northwesterly wind going westwards after lunch.

 Finally up at 7.30 after more strange dreams. It seems I am learning to just lie there and doze.

 I am looking for storage furniture for the kitchen. So a tour of the charity shops is indicated. Failing that I shall have to fall back on IKEA. If I ride the e-bike to the city I can park easily. If I go in the Morris I can cover much more ground but may struggle to park nearby some shops.

 I saw a YT video claiming eBay is banning the sale of e-bikes. With many imports lacking European authorization, having severe fire risk problems and offering highly illegal speeds it may well be true. 

 Well, it seems eBay is restricting private sales of batteries and bikes from the end of October in the EU because of fire risks. The UK Independent claims there have been 155 battery fires in London this year alone. Almost double that of last year. Several deaths have been caused by battery fires. Including a woman and two children who died in a fire after a battery was bought online. 

 There is a danger of poor quality or incompatibility between chargers and batteries. YouTube has lots of "tuning" videos. Where a complete amateur recommends increasing the performance of e-bikes to highly illegal standards or power, voltage and speed. Tuning chips are readily available online for most popular machines and motor types.

 eBay is stipulating only authorized businesses may now sell e-bike batteries and products on their site. The insurance companies are claiming huge numbers of lithium battery fires occur. Perhaps as many as 1 in 9 UK residents have suffered fires across all types of products using lithium batteries.  

 8.45 Going for a walk to ease my lower back pain.

 9.15 Back from a short walk. I was doubled over to start with. Tried a few bending and toe touching exercises without benefit. Walking backwards didn't help. So I walked down and back up the neighbours' sloping drive and that did the trick. On my return I dragged both recycling bins back with me. The traffic was unusually light. It is quite possible that some shops will be closed for the holidays. Perhaps I should just go for a "fun" ride instead? 

 15.15 Returning from an 84km ride. I left about 11am for the coast near Fåborg. The ferry looked tiny from across the water. I had to change the battery when the first dropped to 25%. Twice I was caught in spray drift from farmer's spraying right beside the road.

 Yet again I suffered from saddle soreness. Which was eased by taking a break each a hour off the bike. I would stop and munch a micro Corny bar and drink a carton of apple juice. While I deliberately paced up and down. It seemed to work. At least for a while after each pause. 

 I think the problem is increased sensitivity to sitting on a hard surface. It may be that the flesh in my sit bone area has thinned. It may be folded and being squashed or just provide no padding. My use of the Brooks B67 after various failures with other saddles has not been very positive. I have tried re-tensioning and Proofide to no avail. The obscenely expensive Assos bibs are thickly and firmly padded. Again, this provided no greater comfort and was a complete waste of every penny.

 I can still remember saddle soreness from my teenage years. Back then the chamois was real and the shorts made of wool. All intended to absorb sweat. Not provide much padding. I rode a Unica Nitor saddle. For its lightness compared with the alternative, leather Brooks. None of the 30-odd saddles I have ever ridden over the years was comfortable after a few miles/kilometers. As a footnote: I cannot personally recommend eating Brussels sprouts the night before a long ride. Nor the human anatomy as an effective hovercraft.

 Dinner was free range, poached eggs on toast. From my nice neighbour's pretty hens.

  ~o~