Baffling Bike

I've been on a couple of rides - to either end of our road, a few hundred metres in either direction; longer down the hill to the train station. It seems to be performing ok, apart from the list of noises I have yet to get used to. It took two trips to the local bike mechanic to check the assembly, and adjust the brakes and gears. The second trip was a re-adjustment of gears and an attempt to stop an ear-piercing whine which the back brake still refuses to abandon. We are seeing if it will go away with use, if not, we'll replace the bit that goes over the disc. Another $70 dollars including labour, but as it's my some of my stopping power, I don't begrudge it at all.

 I find it quite attractive in a rather imposing, industrial way! It is also a smidgen tall for me... but with the seat-post suspension I can't put it any lower.  Not something I'm willing to give up, either! It's not as painful on the seat as I was dreading - but I still intend to break (my butt) it in slowly, 1/4 to 1/2 to an hour over the next week or two. The fact that it sunk to a frost-generating low this morning has absolutely nothing to do with my retinance to ride to work!
    I did promise to ride it to our community garden meeting this Friday, about 1/2 way to work, so a good practice run. It IS rather fun racing down the hill on the hardest gear with the power up full blast, pedaling, and obtaining a quite respectable speed! Going uphill is delightful, that 'pppush' from behind feels quite decadent! The 'motorcycle power' as I term it, does not cope with the hills at all, it runs down slower and slower until I pity it and change over to the Pedal Assist. It is only 200watts, so I can't expect too much! I have read of a campaign to raise the limit on power for electric bikes, but as yet that's as high as it goes.