Ebco ucr60

[Chris the Sheep]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on a new EBCO UCR60, for £999 via a dealer just round the corner from me.

Before I commit is there anything in particular I need to look out for?

I'm attracted to this particular bike because:
- I like the way it looks
- There's a dealer local to me
- The price is fair (I know it's a 2011 model, and been at this price for a while)
- Shimano Nexus 8 hub (I have an Alfine and love it)
- Shimano roller brakes (prefer discs but like the low maintenance)
- Torque sensor

The battery is only a 24v 10AH; I do a 20-mile round trip commute, but I'm reasonably fit, it's pretty flat, and I already ride a similar (but non-assisted) bike so I know I can pedal it if necessary. The bike is really to take some of the misery out of a daily cycle commute!

Things I'm not so sure about:
- The 'suspension headstock' rather than conventional forks; seems quite a rare feature, is it likely to last well? (I don't really like suspension, my other bike has rigid forks and Big Apple tyres)
- I believe there's an RPM sensor attached to the bottom bracket - how easy are these to obtain and replace?

Generally - are there any things to look out for with the Tranzx PST hub motor system?

I'm also looking at a Giant Twist Esprit Power (2012) for £1250, which has a bigger battery, Nexus 7 hub and conventional V-brakes. I might consider others but must-haves include a 7/8 speed hub gear, and torque sensor (I'm aware of the Kudos Tourer, but that's just a pedal-actuated bike I believe).

My thinking on this bike (and the Giant) is that should it ever become unviable as an electric bike it's not a big job to take the electrics off it, maybe a new front hub/wheel. I expect to ride it 2 or 3 times a week, so at 500 cycles the battery should last three or more years; it only has a one-year guarantee, which I know looks a bit mean these days.

One thing I've seen is that the EBCO UCR60 (or at least the stepthrough UCL60) looks quite similar to the AVE CH EDITION that Ebco also market; main difference being the Alfine hub and disc brakes.

(I posted in the introductions board last week, but in summary I live in Blackpool, age 49, healthy, regular cyclist but weigh nearly 15st, looking for something to mitigate the headwinds, expecting to be ridiculed by the hardcore cyclists at work!)

Thanks

 

[hech]

Hey Chris and welcome to the forum.
Ebco used to make very good lawnmowers. And while 24 volts maybe good for a spot of sunday afternoon gardening, to get going for that saturday night drag outta LA on the desert freeway you gotta volt up to 36 and beeyond for that true santa monica i'm comin/ you geddin outta my way propa experience, kno what Im sayin bro!
IMHO

 

[mountainsport]

Hey Chris and welcome to the forum.
Ebco used to make very good lawnmowers. And while 24 volts maybe good for a spot of sunday afternoon gardening, to get going for that saturday night drag outta LA on the desert freeway you gotta volt up to 36 and beeyond for that true santa monica i'm comin/ you geddin outta my way propa experience, kno what Im sayin bro!
IMHO

hech have you had a drink tonight?

Mountainsport.

 

[hech]

hech have you had a drink tonight?

Mountainsport.

sometimes I wonder if Im reaching out to you people at all, M!

The true way is often rocky and thorny.

 

[jackhandy]

I believe the gist of hech's advice, as expressed in his own inimitable way, is that a 24v system will possibly be a tad lacking in the Grunt dept.

Much will depend on the terrain - many hills will show any lack of power.

Best advice is to get the dealer to let you have an extended test ride.

 

[mountainsport]

sometimes I wonder if Im reaching out to you people at all, M!

The true way is often rocky and thorny.

Hi Hech,

Whatever your doing it seems to be working

Mountainsport.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

Spend the extra on the CH Edition. It is a great bike, the lights are the same as on the high end AVE bosch bikes. The CH Edition also has a larger capacity battery. Alternatively you may consider the AVE CH Tour which is £999 and is 36v but has v brakes.

Hope you enjoy your new bike!

 

[Chris the Sheep]

Spend the extra on the CH Edition. It is a great bike, the lights are the same as on the high end AVE bosch bikes. The CH Edition also has a larger capacity battery. Alternatively you may consider the AVE CH Tour which is £999 and is 36v but has v brakes.

Hope you enjoy your new bike!

Hi, thanks all, I ended up going for an ex display giant twist esprit power from fulford cycles, I know Giant isn't well regarded on here but at the price it'll do me as an introduction. Hills aren't an issue round here, but that bit of extra capacity could be important one day!

Apologies to my local dealer, blackpool electric bikes. Dave was really helpful, I pulled out because I was hesitant to spend the money....then put an offer in on the giant not expecting it to be accepted....sorry Dave!

PS I didn't see the Ave ch tour, might have considered it otherwise.
Pps it was atco who made the mowers

 

[RobF]

I know Giant isn't well regarded on here

I've not noticed that.

Giant is a proper bike manufacturer, so you are unlikely to go far wrong with one.

I saw a Giant ebike step-through in a shop in Northallerton, north Yorks, the other day.

Nice looking bike, basic kit, but appeared well made.

Competitively priced at £999.

For that you get a fully built bike from a local bike shop, and you also have somewhere to take it back to if it breaks.

Makes a lot of sense, even if you are paying a hundred or so 'extra' for the Giant brand.

 

[103Alex1]

Yes, Giant make decent bikes with decent frames. I looked at a few when searching for a donor bike to convert. So if Chris decides down the line to stick on a regular wheel, rip off the controller and torque sensor, and keep it as a regular bike, he'd be likely to have a nice enough bike to keep if it ever went belly up after the warranty period.

Sounds like a sensible buy for a grand. RRP was about £1,500 last year and it's more on the 2013 models.

 

[Chris the Sheep]

Yes, Giant make decent bikes with decent frames. I looked at a few when searching for a donor bike to convert. So if Chris decides down the line to stick on a regular wheel, rip off the controller and torque sensor, and keep it as a regular bike, he'd be likely to have a nice enough bike to keep if it ever went belly up after the warranty period.

Sounds like a sensible buy for a grand. RRP was about £1,500 last year and it's more on the 2013 models.

Got the bike now, battery's on charge; it seems to be well thought out and pretty decent quality, I would certainly be happy to ride it as a standard bike. V-brakes aren't the best for the conditions round here but they're simple, I understand them and it makes swapping the wheel out for a non-powered one really easy. The bike also has integrated lights and decent quality (Schwalbe) tyres; usually I have to upgrade the tyres to cope with the glass on my commute but these should be fine.

So much has changed in just a few years - I understand now that Giant lost direction for a time and they still don't have anything equivalent to the Bosch or Impulse systems, but at this level and the price I paid I'm expecting to be happy.

Thumbs up for Fulford Cycles too; my experience has been 100% positive.

[Edit: paid £1100 by the way, which I think is a bargain for a 2012 model. The 2013 one looks identical. ]

 

[flecc]

I understand now that Giant lost direction for a time and they still don't have anything equivalent to the Bosch or Impulse systems

Following their relatively poor sales performance with the Lafree series, I doubt Giant will ever bother with a crank drive again. Their most important export markets by far are the Netherlands and the USA, both predominantly hub motor markets, albeit for different reasons.

 

[Chris the Sheep]

Well I've had a decent ride on (for searchers) my Giant Twist Esprit Power, I'll do more of a review after a few weeks but for now the things that stand out to me are - as an experienced cyclist and someone new to pedelecs:
- It's weird riding into a 30mph headwind, putting quite a lot of effort in, thinking I'm doing 8 or 9 mph then looking down to see 15 on the speedo
- I took it through a section of road on my commute where I have to mix assertively with the traffic - it makes it much easier, especially once I'd got used to its power delivery
- There's one long hill that I avoid most of the time; granny gear is needed on a conventional bike and sometimes it's a case of get off and walk. I got up this one at about 13mph.
- The motor freewheel is noisy but very handy for getting pedestrians to move, no need for a bell.

- I've never had a bike with a suspension seat post before; never again. Saddle height is critical and half a centimetre can make all the difference - this destroys any hope of getting the right setting! I'll be replacing the seat post.
- The front suspension is OK; I could live without it, but it's reasonably firm and doesn't rattle like some cheap ones.
- Gear change is fine (Nexus 7) - I'm used to an Alfine and it's nearly as good as that.

I haven't ridden it until the battery died yet so no idea on range; in 10 miles of demanding use it dropped one bar on the battery meter.

The only thing that I really don't like on this bike is the torque sensor in the crank; it makes the pedals feel spongey and disconnected, especially riding without power on. I found it best to always have some power boost and to ride with a reasonably high cadence, which is what I do anyway. I wouldn't want to ride it far with a flat battery but it's bearable.

It's sufficiently different from my 'normal' bike that I think I'll swap between the two depending on mood, tiredness and weather. The direct feel of my other bike is wonderful but on the other hand I rode 10 miles yesterday in the wind and just felt exercised.

Definitely no regrets moving to a pedelec; when funds permit I might upgrade to one a bit more sophisticated, but the Giant is built like a tank so I think it'll last!

 

[RobF]

Suspension seatposts, particularly cheaper ones, are a bit of a dead loss.

Although for most ebikers saddle height is not so critical because they are not trying to wring the last bit of power from the human side of the propulsion equation.

But that still doesn't cure the irritating pogo stick effect of a cheap suspension seatpost.

Before you change it, pull it out and have a look up the base of the post.

Some have an allen key adjustment, which if you graunch it up tight, will all but lock out the suspension to give the feel of a rigid post.