It is early days for me as an electric bike owner, but here goes. The build quality of the Forte appears to be good. The bike is well balanced and feels very stable when in motion. There is no doubt that fairly good engineering and quality parts have been used in its construction. I have been impressed with the battery life, as I fully expeced it to have run flat by now, as I have been riding it in powered mode a great deal over the past two days. I think I have covered around 20km so far. The gears are very good indeed with good ratios and very easy change mechanism. The bike control systems such as power assistance on/off, battery power on/off etc. are well thought out and effective. However, time will tell how good the quality of the switch gear is. Pulling power of the front mounted motor is good on the flat, but I have yet to test it up hill.
Weaknesses:
The front brake judders badly when in use. This would be my main criticism. This appears to be due to a combination of front wheel drive and front suspension. The effect can be disconcerting at times. There is no doubt that this should be improved. I find the saddle a little hard, but this is a personal thing. Finally, the bike is expensive, only time will tell if it is worth the money. Other than the things previously stated I can find nothing else wrong with the bike.
Summary:
The Forte appears to be a good bike. It would be an even better bike if it did not suffer with the front wheel judder as badly as it does. It is still early days, but I am smiling at the moment and hoping that the judder does not get any worst. At the point of writing I am not unhappy with my purchase, but watch this space, I will keep you posted.
Overall Rating:
(8/10)
Reviewer:
Stephen van Scoyoc
Purchased From:
50 Cycles
Purchase Price:
£1,345
Time Owned:
4 Days
Local Terrain:
Moderate Hills
Strengths:
The review I write a new owner of the bike might be different from the one I write in a few weeks or months and both would, perhaps, be useful. The build quality of the bike itself is excellent and the components seem competent. The motor is strong and smooth, the battery system state of the art. The weight of the bike is good as well, very manageable. The bike handles well and the brakes on my bike have been smooth. The luggage rack is solidly built and the seat seems very good quality. The pedelec feature is a bit odd to get used to, but I find that I like it very much and do not think I will miss having a throttle or other override.
Weaknesses:
The bike was delivered with loose fasteners and one missing screw on a fender. The rear light did not work. The gears were not properly adjusted. The reflector on the rear wheel and the magnet for the speedo were loose and had slipped down the spokes. The quality of the computer and electrical switches/controls are low. The bell is very poor quality for a bike costing £1,345. While the Pedelec feature is good, the control for it is dire--essentially a dial that is not fully visible to the rider and is very difficult to operate while riding and bumping over the road. Very much has the feel of an afterthought added on as the cheapest option. I question how well it is shielded from the elements. There should be a "kill" switch located near the grip as the machine will continue to power for some distance after pedaling has stopped. This can be a surprise when attempting to stop and the only option is to nail the brakes while the motor hums to a stop. I get the feeling that the cheapest components were used for add ons in order to hype the features on paper. If fitting the cheapest speedo why not also fit a cheap mirror for what is clearly intended to be a road bike? Customer support for the faults on the bike was underwhelming and a real disappointment after an encouraging experience during the purchase over the telephone. We'll see if that experience changes.
Summary:
I think this bike has great potential and will serve me well provided the electrical system can survive the environment. I'm impressed by the build of the fundamental bike, less so the accessories.
Overall Rating:
(7/10)
Reviewer:
Bill Murray
Purchased From:
50 Cycles
Purchase Price:
£1,345
Time Owned:
2 Months
Local Terrain:
Very Hilly
Strengths:
The Ezee Assistance Factor dial lets you set the degree of contribution from the motor as you ride - from minimal on the flat to max on a steepish hill - and it does the job well.
Set at max and the bike is exhilarating - 20 to 25 mph is a fairly easy to achieve on the flat with some rider effort. With hills it is up to the rider by using gears and motor whether effort will be needed or not...in the right gear and set at max the bike cruises up relatively steep derbyshire hills with hardly any effort by the rider. My partner and I have done the Longdendale trail (20kms flattish ex train track bike trail) - the battery indicator was still green. In fact I haven't managed to come near to discharging the battery yet.
The bike seems well made using quality materials and so far (note I'm not using it too intensively though) (and touch wood )- has been faultless.
Weaknesses:
The instructions for the battery / motor and the basic bike were somewhat unclear and a tad basic. Not a jot of help over basics, like adjusting the handlebars,( for example)
I've wished for another gear or two to go to when cruising along...but these are small criticisms.
Summary:
I'm using it to have fun....and to get a bit fiitter...and on both counts the Forza is proving absolutely ideal.
Overall Rating:
(9/10)
Reviewer:
Kevin Stephenson
Purchased From:
50 Cycles
Purchase Price:
£1,345
Time Owned:
5 Days
Local Terrain:
Flat
Strengths:
Very comfy for short riders very good front front magura front brake
Weaknesses:
Kept cutting out some nights worse than others had to return to 50 cycles exchanged for a torq cheap unbranded fork heavy unprecise gear changes lots of chain whipping about still waiting for £150 refund from 50 cycles.
Summary:
perhaps I had a bad example of a forza it was cutting out frequently while riding I prefer the torq although its been to wet to try it out i've had it over a week.
Overall Rating:
(7/10)
Reviewer:
Conal O'Rourke
Purchased From:
50 Cycles
Purchase Price:
£1,345
Time Owned:
7 Days
Local Terrain:
Some Minor Hills
Strengths:
The range of 30 miles plusand the the solid build quality
Weaknesses:
None other than cost
Summary:
I bought my bike from 50 cycles and James opened up especially on Saturday to allow me to collect it. It was prepared immaculately for me and I was given advice about initial battery charging that was simple and easy to follow I used the bike to travel to work and, after a recharge, back home, a 60 mile round journey, and it is superb. It allowed me to contribute without getting tired out. I was very impressed with all aspects of the ride.
Overall Rating:
(10/10)
Reviewer:
Charles Perry Hebard
Purchased From:
NYCE Wheels
Purchase Price:
$2,200 (dollars)
Time Owned:
2 Months
Local Terrain:
Moderate Hills
Strengths:
lots of torque. Long lasting battery. Fast. Fun
Weaknesses:
Chain has jumped off twice when a bump was hit. battery charger quit and was immediately replaced by the dealer.
Summary:
I have only driven ny car once since the purchase of this bike. Parking is no longer an issue. I am saving loads on time amd gas. I LOVE this bike.
Overall Rating:
(10/10)
The opinions expressed are those of the authors/reviewers only. They do not represent the views of www.pedelecs.co.uk
Comment #1
(Posted by steve) Rating
You don't seem to publish any reviews that aren't 100% positive ie mine!
Admin: All reviews are published on the site! It may be because we didn't receive it so please resend. Also we will be using the Reviews section in the forum and redirecting to the appropriate review.
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