new Extraenergy test

[Miles Hellon]

The reports read more like advertising copy..... not very reassuring

[Leonardo]

Yes, I don't know what they are doing... a lot of mistakes also ("Matra" is said "Very Good" on the home page while it is just "Good" on the pdf and on Aktiv-Radfahren; the test of the Koga Tesla published on Aktiv-Radfahren is missing both from the English pdf and from the home page; the 2006 test of the old Giant Twist has been deleted, but I think it holds its meaning even though Giant doesn't sell it any more...)

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edit: It's a pity because it seems me that on the other hand most of the bikes with the "Very Good" - Flyer, Gazelle, Heinzmann (Estelle & Smike), Bionx (Kit & Used) - are more of less the state of the art of the pedelecs in Europe. Am I wrong?

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@ flecc
I agree. It is misleading. The HS Flyer isn't street legal in Italy too. As far as I know, in Swizerland (not EU) and in Germany (EU) it is legal but - like the Swizzbee - as a "mofa" not as a pedelec, and requires some kind of licence and insurance. In Italy however I don't think anybody would check the max. speed of a pedelec: police control hits only bikes going without pedalling.

[JohnInStockie]

Wouldnt EU law take precedence (could it be argued) or is it a mis-print do you think?

[Ian]

It's likely that the bike has the relavent type approvals and is therefore fully street legal anywhere in the EU, but it won't be classed as a pedelec and it will require a licence, insurance etc.

[flecc]

I guessed the same Ian, but in an electric bike report, I expect the references to be in that context, so street legal throughout Europe means 15.5 mph pedelec, not referring to motor vehicles. Agreeing with all above, I think there's much that's sloppy and to mistrust about the whole report, a wasted opportunity.

The main value for me is the added detail on certain bikes, odd facts that are difficult to come across normally, but their performance data I treat with suspicion. Their use of up to 6% hills in particular is laughable. For me hills only begin at 10%, anything below that is just a slope.
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[Ian]

Having had a good like at the Extra-energy site it seems they don't really differentiate between bikes that don't need type approval and those that have type approval. It seems they don't consider the additional legal requirements this brings to be any kind of problem which to me is another example of their detachment from the real world, along with their defintion of hill mentioned by Flecc in the previous post.

[Erik]

I think the good Germans at Extraenergy should pull their fingers out and post some results.

On their homepage they keep postponing the expected date of publishing. I feel that publishing the results in June is to late for people wanting to buy a bike this year.

[fishingpaul]

Regarding the sanyo motor (birkenstrad) used on the giant suede and other giant bikes, i feel it is very underrated and it left me looking for better after reading very poor reviews, it helped pull my 17.5 stone up some very challenging hills,although without power it has a very noticeable drag,under power i think it is equall to most legal motors.