With all the fencing with blunt spoons going on within the electric bicycle industry at the moment, I am more confused than ever about which bike to chose. I haven't yet noticed anyone breaking out pitch forks and storming the castle over Powercycle's range of bikes. Perhaps I should take a closer look at The Salisbury. I know they aren't the ne plus ultra of bikes, but are they reliable combined with a decent after sales service?
Budget electric bikes???
- Thread starter echowind
- Start date
They are good value and mostly reliable, but the service has been variable, partly depending on the dealer the bike is bought from. When buying direct it's up to Powacycle of course, and solutions to problems on the occasions when they do occur can take weeks at times in both cases.
There don't seem to be any specific reliability issues as far as I've heard.
They aren't very powerful, motor ratings of 272 watts NiMh and 300 watts Li-poly battery are about the lowest on the market, but since they aren't geared for speed they can manage average hills quite well. Not the best choice for steep hills though. Speeds moderate, but you can cycle with power up to the legal 15 mph.
A to B have tested the sister Windsor model and have it on long term test and were generally satisfied, only specifically mentioning rather sloppy suspension fork sliders making steering a touch imprecise. We have owners in here like Frank9755 who will know if that is generic or specific to the test one.
For a bike that's been around a long time, is very reliable, has a good and mostly supportive dealer network, and a supportive company selling it, just one stands out, Powabyke.
Mostly heavy and crude in the past, they are changing now and have bikes as light as 28 kilos with lithium batteries. Not fast, but very good hill climbers.
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There don't seem to be any specific reliability issues as far as I've heard.
They aren't very powerful, motor ratings of 272 watts NiMh and 300 watts Li-poly battery are about the lowest on the market, but since they aren't geared for speed they can manage average hills quite well. Not the best choice for steep hills though. Speeds moderate, but you can cycle with power up to the legal 15 mph.
A to B have tested the sister Windsor model and have it on long term test and were generally satisfied, only specifically mentioning rather sloppy suspension fork sliders making steering a touch imprecise. We have owners in here like Frank9755 who will know if that is generic or specific to the test one.
For a bike that's been around a long time, is very reliable, has a good and mostly supportive dealer network, and a supportive company selling it, just one stands out, Powabyke.
Mostly heavy and crude in the past, they are changing now and have bikes as light as 28 kilos with lithium batteries. Not fast, but very good hill climbers.
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I wanted to pay under £500 for my first e-bike. I narrowed my search down and chose between the Powercycle Salisbury and Synergie Mistral. I chose the Mistral because it was cheaper and is more powerful. I would choose the same again.
You can read 2 Mistral reviews here:
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bike-reviews/1727-synergie-mistral-owner-reviews.html
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For a budget bike i would go for a powacycle or synergie both having reasonable reputations,a new lightweight powerbyke would be more powerfull but these can be a little expensive, but there are often good second hand ones available at very reasonable prices.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Does it have to be a new bike echowind, there are good quality secondhand bikes around that would fall within your budget which will not depreciate so quickly as a new bike if and when you decide to buy a new one.
Lots of people buy a new bike on impulse and then decide it is not really what they expected.
John
Lots of people buy a new bike on impulse and then decide it is not really what they expected.
John
the little experience i have, 6 bikes in under a year...although has to be said all but one was a folding one..tells me never again to go for 24 volt if i want any help in any wind type or gradients of any sort as each time the 24 volt had not enough power to cope..the only two that i have had that coped was a 36 volt powerbyke which as Flecc for one, consistently says is reliable, hill power ect...i picked mine up for £165 and battery was still good enough for 13 miles power alone, the other 36 volter being my current Quando...if i ever go for another it will be no less then 36 volts as yes the lower power might be enough assist in nice weather but i want to know for certain that come wind or a hilly road i am not going to drop below my 15mph speed and only the hills need assist to maintain that...
the advantage of second hand also is re sale value..i bought the powerbyke for £165 and sold it 4 months later for £190 
I also feel the same way i would always go for a 36 volt elec bike for that extra power up hills or into the wind if i do go budget then it could be a Synergie Mistral or may be the ezee liv both these bikes are a good price and would be good value nigel.
nigel.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Since last June I have bought 18 bikes and sold 15 of them
this has enabled me to end up knowing exactly what I wanted from what was available and at the end of the day the 3 new bikes I now have owe me nothing John
------------------------------------------------------------------------Since last June I have bought 18 bikes and sold 15 of them
John
18 eh....mind you are you not a bike dealer john..lol
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Electric Bikes 0n A Budget??????
Correction to my earlier tally, I bought 22 electric bikes and sold 19. That doesn't include the non electric ones.
Maybe I will tell the full story one day when I have an hour or 2
In a nutshell, I have bought the following bikes:-
Correction to my earlier tally, I bought 22 electric bikes and sold 19. That doesn't include the non electric ones.
Maybe I will tell the full story one day when I have an hour or 2
In a nutshell, I have bought the following bikes:-
- 4 x Giant Lafree Twist Lite
- 1 x Peerless
- 1 x Giant Revive
- 5 x Ezee Torq
- 2 x Ezee Quando
- 1 x Wisper Works 905e
- 6 x Wisper Works 905se
- 2 x Kalkhoff Agattu
- http://www.biketec.ch/m/mandanten/145/download/Prospektblatt_K-Serie_2008.pdf,
- 3D View,
- Helkama Velox&
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Aha, the Vectrix. I have been looking at that for a while but the price is difficult to justify.
C
Cyclezee
Guest
Yes yes yes, I would swap my Agattus and Wisper for a Vectrix 2 problems though, my wife has banned me from motorbikes and scooters and it wouldn't quite do my 76 mile round trip to work On the other hand I could swap my wife for a Vectrix and wouldn't need to work
John
2 problems though, my wife has banned me from motorbikes and scooters and it wouldn't quite do my 76 mile round trip to work On the other hand I could swap my wife for a Vectrix and wouldn't need to work John
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