I had an invite to the opening of the new 50 cycles store in Altrincham today.
Booked my ticket a little while ago before I had pretty made up my mind on what my next ebike would be.
Really impressed with the day, a lot of effort had obviously been put in to planning it, and making loads of electric bikes available for test rides around the local area.
I met Anthony there, as I had spoken with him on facebook before, and he recalled that I was looking for an alternative to the Oxygen MTB (The Rio wasnt about when we first spoke)
Anthony gave me the tour around the place, 3 floors if I remember correctly - its a bit of a maze filled with some beautiful e-bikes.
I limited what I looked at to my budget of max 2-2.5k, as there were way too many to look at with the couple of hours I had spare.
First test ride was on a Haibike sDuro AllMtn 5.0 2017 Yamaha, a bit above my price range, but with the rear suspension locked, it would be similar to the hardtail Haibike in my price range.
First thing that struck me was how light the thing was! I could pick it up with one hand, and I am no macho man. It takes a lot of effort to lift my stealth up with both hands! Different world.
Riding it was a joy, it took a bit of used to riding with the crank motor, as there is a big drop in power when you change gear which I wasnt expecting. It read in kmh, and power cut out at 27, but was quite pleasant riding just above that speed on the flat, but maybe not much more if you were out heading for work.
The other thing was the build quality. It just oozed quality, and the stopping power of those brakes! Night and day difference to what I am used to. Maybe you do get what you pay for?
I then rode the Cube Reaction Hybrid HPA Pro 500
Yet again, felt like I was riding a classy BMW instead of a ford fiesta.
It felt very similar to the yamaha Haibike, I honestly couldn't feel much difference in the two. Superb build quality all round again.
This one would cost just under £2000 with a 500w battery, so probably the best one for my budget.
I also rode a Scott bike, Im not sure which one it was, more of a road bike than mountain bike. Just to compare a higher price level. I preferred the other 2 over this one. It just felt nicer to ride all round.
So, quality bikes are available at a slighter higher price than I have paid for so far no doubt. The downside....the 15.5 mph cutout. Remember, I am riding my stealth and can hit 20 comfortably before assist cuts out, and I am used to that now. It might be something I will really miss if I go to a restricted bike. Yes, I could get a dongle for the yamaha or bosch I believe, but that will mean no warranty with 50c, which removes the benefit of buying locally.
I like the idea of the lighter bike, the local service that I would get from 50c is a big thing too, especially when my experience so far is posting parts back and forward to an online retailer every couple of months.
Decisions decisions! Thankfully its a month or so away yet.
Big thanks to Anthony and all at 50c, regardless of which way I go in the future, I hope they are a big success as to my knowledge, the NW is missing anyone similar.
Booked my ticket a little while ago before I had pretty made up my mind on what my next ebike would be.
Really impressed with the day, a lot of effort had obviously been put in to planning it, and making loads of electric bikes available for test rides around the local area.
I met Anthony there, as I had spoken with him on facebook before, and he recalled that I was looking for an alternative to the Oxygen MTB (The Rio wasnt about when we first spoke)
Anthony gave me the tour around the place, 3 floors if I remember correctly - its a bit of a maze filled with some beautiful e-bikes.
I limited what I looked at to my budget of max 2-2.5k, as there were way too many to look at with the couple of hours I had spare.
First test ride was on a Haibike sDuro AllMtn 5.0 2017 Yamaha, a bit above my price range, but with the rear suspension locked, it would be similar to the hardtail Haibike in my price range.
First thing that struck me was how light the thing was! I could pick it up with one hand, and I am no macho man. It takes a lot of effort to lift my stealth up with both hands! Different world.
Riding it was a joy, it took a bit of used to riding with the crank motor, as there is a big drop in power when you change gear which I wasnt expecting. It read in kmh, and power cut out at 27, but was quite pleasant riding just above that speed on the flat, but maybe not much more if you were out heading for work.
The other thing was the build quality. It just oozed quality, and the stopping power of those brakes! Night and day difference to what I am used to. Maybe you do get what you pay for?
I then rode the Cube Reaction Hybrid HPA Pro 500
Yet again, felt like I was riding a classy BMW instead of a ford fiesta.
It felt very similar to the yamaha Haibike, I honestly couldn't feel much difference in the two. Superb build quality all round again.
This one would cost just under £2000 with a 500w battery, so probably the best one for my budget.
I also rode a Scott bike, Im not sure which one it was, more of a road bike than mountain bike. Just to compare a higher price level. I preferred the other 2 over this one. It just felt nicer to ride all round.
So, quality bikes are available at a slighter higher price than I have paid for so far no doubt. The downside....the 15.5 mph cutout. Remember, I am riding my stealth and can hit 20 comfortably before assist cuts out, and I am used to that now. It might be something I will really miss if I go to a restricted bike. Yes, I could get a dongle for the yamaha or bosch I believe, but that will mean no warranty with 50c, which removes the benefit of buying locally.
I like the idea of the lighter bike, the local service that I would get from 50c is a big thing too, especially when my experience so far is posting parts back and forward to an online retailer every couple of months.
Decisions decisions! Thankfully its a month or so away yet.
Big thanks to Anthony and all at 50c, regardless of which way I go in the future, I hope they are a big success as to my knowledge, the NW is missing anyone similar.
