Karmic in St. Croix
Today’s post is simply an unsolicited email we received from one of our newest customers. We asked Tomás if we could post it on the Klog and he replied, “do what you like with it.” So here it is for you to enjoy.
I live on the Island of St. Croix in a chain known as the Virgins, 1,200 miles S.E. of Miami, Florida. This 84 square mile mountainous place has been my home for decades and will remain so until the end. The end, “he says”? Yes because in May I will make 70 years so I have less time to spend than what has been spent. In spite of that age however, although I am not in tip top shape, I am active and get quite a bit of exercise mainly with work related projects on my small estate in the mountains and fooling around with my friends. I admit to habits some would call bad but we don’t think that way down here. Life without rum and an occasional smoke isn’t life for many in the Islands.
I had ridden bicycles off and on for years, but not recently. While visiting daughters in Virginia I had the opportunity to ride the Virginia Creeper Trail which runs 40 miles from White Top Mountain to Abingdon (mostly downhill) and a portion of the Capital City Trail, Richmond to Williamsburg. Gear ratios be damned, I don’t go uphill as I once did. Returning home I started researching ebikes. To make a long story short, some were too expensive, some too heavy, some too ugly, some too cheap but Karmic’s Køben S was just right. I contacted Hong Quan in California and soon had an Eddy Current Orange S en route to my shipper in Miami. A week ago, after inland shipping and a long ocean voyage, I received my crate.
Unpacking the bike the first thing I noticed was the extreme quality of the fabrication. The frame is a work of art, flawless welds, well executed cable attachment points and a stunning Eddy Current Orange paint job set off with black spokes, rims, tires and front fork. The components from hydraulic disk brakes, NuVinci 380 hub, crank motor and more are all first rate. Set up was minimal and other than a flat footed mistake on mounting the bars, all went well and Hong was instantly available when I needed help sorting out the bar placement. I had a beautiful bike sitting on my gallery, but, would it help me up the hills I face here. I had to wait until today to find out.
The bike was transported out East End road to the cutoff for Cramer Park and Point Udall beyond. The road quality is good but it rises from Sea Level to quite an altitude in less than four miles with the last mile being very steep. I mounted up with the assist level set at 3 (of a possible 5) and started along my way. On the flat spots with the NuVinci set for flat travel, I felt like a speed racer clipping along at 20/21 mph. The smaller hills were a piece of cake and when peddle pressure became too great, I twisted the NuVinci control for a lower ratio and kept on moving. I admit to having doubts that even with the assist I would be able to make the final climb. As I approached it and started up, I went to a full 5 setting and gradually lowered the ratio as the difficulty increased. At some point on the steepest section I realized that I was going to make it with margin for more me and less assist (next trip). Arriving at the top, the furthest East point in the United States or its Territories, I was elated.
If I wanted to avoid effort I would have purchased a motor bike. Instead, what I wanted was a pedaled bicycle with enough assist to keep me going but enough effort to work the muscles. With the Karmic Koben S, that is what I have and with the ability to infinitely adjust the gear ratios with the NuVinci and the 5 assist level selection on the crank motor, the possibilities are endless, says one old guy with a fine ebike.
— Tomás E.
