Hi all,
I've been lurking slightly in research and seeing as this site has been so handy I thought I'd contribute! I bought a Gocycle coming up to a year ago, and on Saturday received delivery of the Pro Connect S, so I'll do a cross-review of them - there are plenty of photos around so I couldn't be bothered with those though
Gocycle
Originally bought an ex-display model from a local Evans who had it in the window. Unfortunately however, I hadn't cycled or been on the road in any responsible sense since early teenage years, as in the years between I didn't trust myself to 'drive' AND enjoy cannabis, an essential spice of puberty
Anyway, I crashed it in to the side of a van on my first commute in (no, I hadn't been smoking..), and people don't believe me when I say it but it was absolutely my fault. Learnt caution, and now feel hopefully that most bike accidents are driver error :/
The Gocycle came off a lot better than I did - it wasn't that severe a collision as I had about two meters to brake, but I had started off at full speed and still fractured two fingers - i managed the rest of the commute in shock and luckily the bike still functioned as if nothing had happened and dragged me the last mile in to the office - however, as the rear wheel was slightly askew (and that probably wasn't a result of the crash as i went in face-first) the Evans people offered without any prompt from me to replace it with a new one when I took it in to be looked at. So at the mere cost of a few months without the use of one hand and an ugly scab on the helmet-line, I achieved a reduced price on a new Gocycle
After recovering and getting a good 6 months use out of the new Gocycle, I'm still very happy with it! Besides obviously standing up to quite a beating, the battery :: almost :: always lasts me the 13 mile commute home, but if I feel lazy or the weather is too bad, it very quickly folds up just the right size to fit in the doorway of a train.
Obviously the machine looks fantastic too, unlike anything else and the entirely enclosed chain is a real bonus for a) someone who hasn't tinkered with a bike for years and b) a commuter who doesn't want to get work clothes caught in a chain. I don't know what's in there, but it's done it's job fine without any interference from me.
I have a two really long, increasingly steep hills on the commute - I don't know what their gradients are but they're the kinds of hills most people will get off and walk for. With the Gocycle I can fly up at least equalling the speeds of the lycra-clad types - without standing up - which often causes them to chase you up to the top of the hill and outpace you on the ride down ^.^
I should add that the Gocycle has a 'US/Off-road' mode which increases the speed limiter from the standard 15.5mph to 18.5mph
To sit between the pros and the cons:
I was apparently the only person this happened to, but the big red 'Go' button disappeared from my cycle. I don't even know when - probably knocked it taking it through the door of my house as i noticed it about to go to work one morning. The bike still functioned if you pressed the below-the-button-bit.
Gocycle were bemused and wanted to see the bike, so they sent me a box and gave it a free service. So it's a minus as it happened, but a plus as customer service was top-notch, despite my being a total wally failing to fit the bike in the box and requiring clearer instructions...
The cons:
Like I say, I'm really happy with the bike, but it does have a few limitations.. I'd say the Gocycle is pretty much a 'fair weather' bike - in the manual it says you're actually not supposed to use the bike when it's too wet, and there is some visible circuitry around a USB port on the front below the suspension
this is supposed to be so that when (if?) it's eventually released, you can buy software to modify the controller to go up to 35mph. And presumably it's placed where it is as that's right next to the hub motor. But you'd think they'd at least plug the damn hole! Rather worrying.
Having said that, I and many others have occasionally used the bike in the rain and it still works fine.
Although, if you fold the bike to prop it up in the closed doors of a train, make sure to take the mudguards off first if you have them (it's not hard - one knob to unscrew), as they will snap against the walls of the train, and you'll soon have a muddy-bum.
The motor can be a bit noisy - it got probably twice as loud within a months use, and has maintained it's decibel output stably since. I don't really mind, it's obviously an electric bike and at least people can hear you coming if the traffic's not too loud. It can sound a little ugly occasionally though which makes me worry for the life of the motor. These are not for sale on the gocycle website either...
There are only three gears on the bike, and unless the battery runs out, I'm always in the third (even up the steepest hills). The motor really is pretty capable so generally you can stay in the top end of the allowable speed range. Downhill, higher gears would be appreciated. But then, it's an electric semi-folder, the Gocycle is designed to take the effort out of cycling - not make you the fastest one around.
The only other downsides I can think of are the relatively limited range, and the slippy tires that come with the bike. While optimised for speed, they are certainly not designed for wet weather. I opted for the cheaper treadier tires that gocycle sell.
I look forward to seeing what the Gocycle 1.5 in 2012 and the Gocycle 2 in 2013 look like! I suspect lithium batteries...
continued…
I've been lurking slightly in research and seeing as this site has been so handy I thought I'd contribute! I bought a Gocycle coming up to a year ago, and on Saturday received delivery of the Pro Connect S, so I'll do a cross-review of them - there are plenty of photos around so I couldn't be bothered with those though
Gocycle
Originally bought an ex-display model from a local Evans who had it in the window. Unfortunately however, I hadn't cycled or been on the road in any responsible sense since early teenage years, as in the years between I didn't trust myself to 'drive' AND enjoy cannabis, an essential spice of puberty
Anyway, I crashed it in to the side of a van on my first commute in (no, I hadn't been smoking..), and people don't believe me when I say it but it was absolutely my fault. Learnt caution, and now feel hopefully that most bike accidents are driver error :/
The Gocycle came off a lot better than I did - it wasn't that severe a collision as I had about two meters to brake, but I had started off at full speed and still fractured two fingers - i managed the rest of the commute in shock and luckily the bike still functioned as if nothing had happened and dragged me the last mile in to the office - however, as the rear wheel was slightly askew (and that probably wasn't a result of the crash as i went in face-first) the Evans people offered without any prompt from me to replace it with a new one when I took it in to be looked at. So at the mere cost of a few months without the use of one hand and an ugly scab on the helmet-line, I achieved a reduced price on a new Gocycle
After recovering and getting a good 6 months use out of the new Gocycle, I'm still very happy with it! Besides obviously standing up to quite a beating, the battery :: almost :: always lasts me the 13 mile commute home, but if I feel lazy or the weather is too bad, it very quickly folds up just the right size to fit in the doorway of a train.
Obviously the machine looks fantastic too, unlike anything else and the entirely enclosed chain is a real bonus for a) someone who hasn't tinkered with a bike for years and b) a commuter who doesn't want to get work clothes caught in a chain. I don't know what's in there, but it's done it's job fine without any interference from me.
I have a two really long, increasingly steep hills on the commute - I don't know what their gradients are but they're the kinds of hills most people will get off and walk for. With the Gocycle I can fly up at least equalling the speeds of the lycra-clad types - without standing up - which often causes them to chase you up to the top of the hill and outpace you on the ride down ^.^
I should add that the Gocycle has a 'US/Off-road' mode which increases the speed limiter from the standard 15.5mph to 18.5mph
To sit between the pros and the cons:
I was apparently the only person this happened to, but the big red 'Go' button disappeared from my cycle. I don't even know when - probably knocked it taking it through the door of my house as i noticed it about to go to work one morning. The bike still functioned if you pressed the below-the-button-bit.
Gocycle were bemused and wanted to see the bike, so they sent me a box and gave it a free service. So it's a minus as it happened, but a plus as customer service was top-notch, despite my being a total wally failing to fit the bike in the box and requiring clearer instructions...
The cons:
Like I say, I'm really happy with the bike, but it does have a few limitations.. I'd say the Gocycle is pretty much a 'fair weather' bike - in the manual it says you're actually not supposed to use the bike when it's too wet, and there is some visible circuitry around a USB port on the front below the suspension
this is supposed to be so that when (if?) it's eventually released, you can buy software to modify the controller to go up to 35mph. And presumably it's placed where it is as that's right next to the hub motor. But you'd think they'd at least plug the damn hole! Rather worrying.
Having said that, I and many others have occasionally used the bike in the rain and it still works fine.
Although, if you fold the bike to prop it up in the closed doors of a train, make sure to take the mudguards off first if you have them (it's not hard - one knob to unscrew), as they will snap against the walls of the train, and you'll soon have a muddy-bum.
The motor can be a bit noisy - it got probably twice as loud within a months use, and has maintained it's decibel output stably since. I don't really mind, it's obviously an electric bike and at least people can hear you coming if the traffic's not too loud. It can sound a little ugly occasionally though which makes me worry for the life of the motor. These are not for sale on the gocycle website either...
There are only three gears on the bike, and unless the battery runs out, I'm always in the third (even up the steepest hills). The motor really is pretty capable so generally you can stay in the top end of the allowable speed range. Downhill, higher gears would be appreciated. But then, it's an electric semi-folder, the Gocycle is designed to take the effort out of cycling - not make you the fastest one around.
The only other downsides I can think of are the relatively limited range, and the slippy tires that come with the bike. While optimised for speed, they are certainly not designed for wet weather. I opted for the cheaper treadier tires that gocycle sell.
I look forward to seeing what the Gocycle 1.5 in 2012 and the Gocycle 2 in 2013 look like! I suspect lithium batteries...
continued…
