lendmeyourear

Hi, I am on my second electric bike, a Wisper 806 Classic bought new in the summer of 2013. My first purchase 4 months earlier was an ebay 16" wheel folder for £325, not a bad little bike but a harsh introduction into the realities (exaggerations certainly, some may say downright lies!) regarding the range of electric bike batteries. (20 mile claimed, actual 7 but on full power admittedly). I wanted a folder so I could put the bike in the back of my people carrier, drive 18 miles, park for free, then cycle 2.5 miles to work. Basically OK but then a major back problem put paid to lifting much of anything, so after a 3 month hiatus I changed tack. Cycle 3 miles to the station, park the bike, hop on the train.

I bought the Wisper because having tested 3 other other 20" folders, a Volt Metro, a Batribike Dash and a crank drive (Swiss Flyer I think, can't quite be certain) I opted for the Wisper because I was impressed by the whole German made thing, 2 year warranty and the general internet belief that Wisper are a cut above most other electric bikes. BUT, in my enthusiasm I forgot one important factor.

1400 miles and 19 months on, the Wisper generally still impressses me. The blurb made much of the build quality, use of non rusting materials and the bike's ability to be left out in all weathers without rusting or degrading. By and large I agree with that. I do have a recurrent problem of the pedal assist cutting out occasionally, mostly then just coming back on again several seconds later but sometimes necessitating a switch off then back on again. But it will still drive by throttle. Bumps, a major element of this bike's particular character, are definitely a contributory factor. I will get this looked at.

I did have a total power failure 6 months in, took the bike down to Portswood Cycles who replaced the y shaped wire assembly in front of the handlebars within an hour. Impressive. I didn't buy the bike from them but as the nearest Wisper dealer and home of Wisper I think, now FWG, they were happy to help.

The thing I completely forgot about when I bought the Wisper was front suspension. With tyre pressures at about 60 psi the ride is not hard, it's brittle. My cheap 16" wheeler had a basic front suspension and I hadn't realised how effective it was till I rode the Wisper on my then daily route.

So, I am now looking for a mountain bike/hydrid as the Wisper 806 is not great for off roading. I tried it for about half a mile, it quickly becomes apparent it's not really fair on you or the bike. High pressure tyres, small wheels and the lack of front suspension don't cope well with bumps. A smooth trail like a canal towpath is fine but anything rougher I think could do (possibly structural) damage to the bike.