Hello From The Hills of the North Weald!

HalsetadHarrier

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 25, 2020
11
1
Hi there

Discovered the joys of electric just before lock down. 3k miles now & have worn the first bike out! Just bought a Haibike (with inheritance money :() which I really, really dislike and has sucked the joy out of my free-wheeling ways. Hoping to learn from the Forums here!
 

egroover

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 12, 2016
979
579
56
UK
Hi there

Discovered the joys of electric just before lock down. 3k miles now & have worn the first bike out! Just bought a Haibike (with inheritance money :() which I really, really dislike and has sucked the joy out of my free-wheeling ways. Hoping to learn from the Forums here!
What did you have before, hub motor ebike ?
 

PP100

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 28, 2020
252
149
Hi there

Discovered the joys of electric just before lock down. 3k miles now & have worn the first bike out! Just bought a Haibike (with inheritance money :() which I really, really dislike and has sucked the joy out of my free-wheeling ways. Hoping to learn from the Forums here!
They aren't cheap (I had to google the brand ) What specifically dont you like about the Halibike?
 

HalsetadHarrier

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 25, 2020
11
1
What did you have before, hub motor ebike ?
I hang my head in shame...


Terrible build quality etc etc but - if someone were to build a proper version of this bike - dear goodness it was a joy. So much fun but ended its days crashed into York Hill having had both breaks fail...definition of death trap. And yet.... I still prefer it to the Haibike, saving its lethal qualities
 

HalsetadHarrier

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 25, 2020
11
1
They aren't cheap (I had to google the brand ) What specifically dont you like about the Halibike?
It's just so uncomfortable to ride PP100 - it's supposed to be a MTB hybrid tourer. The build quality is so superior to the one I had before https://ebikes-lanarkshire.com/product/sr20a-black-folding-fat-tyre-electric-bike but all the joy is gone and the centre of balance is wrong for me and the motor just doesn't support me on the hills round here (it's very intermittent as to when it cut in). This restricts where I can go as we're surrounded by them - hence ebike. Fool & their money I suspect.... heartsore as it was part of my mum's inheritance money and it was my was of putting it towards something good.
 

Wicky

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 12, 2014
2,823
4,011
Colchester, Essex
www.jhepburn.co.uk
If all else fails I wonder if the Haibike can be set up to suit you better - i.e. a suspension seat post and different comfier handlebars.

Bosch Performance CX Crank Motor should be powerful and torquey - are you using the gears? Its characteristics will be different than a hub motor bike.
 
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HalsetadHarrier

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 25, 2020
11
1
If all else fails I wonder if the Haibike can be set up to suit you better - i.e. a suspension seat post and different comfier handlebars.

Bosch Performance CX Crank Motor should be powerful and torquey - are you using the gears? It's characteristics will be different than a hub motor bike.
Thank you Wicky - I suspect it may come to that . The torque is good, and I do use the gears, as we have some very steep hills here and live on the plateau of the North Downs. However, one of the issues is that the motor fades away in some of the higher gears (not because I stop pedalling) and I'm almost thrown off.

Thank goodness I joined the forum, as I'd appreciate any help on how to adapt it if the return fails. Wish I'd found you before I bought the 2nd bike tbh! Thank you for your help.
 

Benjahmin

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 10, 2014
2,485
1,699
69
West Wales
Never ridden a Haibike so this is conjecture.
However the system you have is torque sensing, so it gives you assist proportional to the effort it senses you putting in. Obviously, when going up hill, you use a higher gear so that it's easier for you, also to keep the motor in the right rev range. However this means that you are putting less 'weight' onto the pedals for each revolution, obviously you do it more often per wheel revolution. Doesn't this mean that the system senses you putting in less effort therefore gives less assist? You experience power fade.
Might be totally off the mark here 'cos I've mostly ridden pas bikes.
 
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Samcycles

Pedelecer
Apr 26, 2020
68
50
Northern Ireland
It's just so uncomfortable to ride PP100 - it's supposed to be a MTB hybrid tourer. The build quality is so superior to the one I had before https://ebikes-lanarkshire.com/product/sr20a-black-folding-fat-tyre-electric-bike but all the joy is gone and the centre of balance is wrong for me and the motor just doesn't support me on the hills round here (it's very intermittent as to when it cut in). This restricts where I can go as we're surrounded by them - hence ebike. Fool & their money I suspect.... heartsore as it was part of my mum's inheritance money and it was my was of putting it towards something good.
Hi HalsetadHarrier
Sorry to hear to you're unhappy with the new bike.
I test rode several different Haibike models some with the Yamaha PW motor and some with the Bosch active line and performance line CX motors but I never found any issues on hills so it could be a problem with your bike, I'd get it back into the bike shop.
I found them to be great bikes but decided against them because I was more comfortable with an upright riding position. Hope you get sorted.
BTW which model do you have?
 
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HalsetadHarrier

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 25, 2020
11
1
Never ridden a Haibike so this is conjecture.
However the system you have is torque sensing, so it gives you assist proportional to the effort it senses you putting in. Obviously, when going up hill, you use a higher gear so that it's easier for you, also to keep the motor in the right rev range. However this means that you are putting less 'weight' onto the pedals for each revolution, obviously you do it more often per wheel revolution. Doesn't this mean that the system senses you putting in less effort therefore gives less assist? You experience power fade.
Might be totally off the mark here 'cos I've mostly ridden pas bikes.
It's a good thought Benjahmin but some of the hills I'm riding are 20 per cent incline and take huge effort on my part as only just regaining my fitness - truly wish I'd joined this forum earlier so I could have tested your theory. Thank s for taking the time to reply
 

HalsetadHarrier

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jul 25, 2020
11
1
Hi HalsetadHarrier
Sorry to hear to you're unhappy with the new bike.
I test rode several different Haibike models some with the Yamaha PW motor and some with the Bosch active line and performance line CX motors but I never found any issues on hills so it could be a problem with your bike, I'd get it back into the bike shop.
I found them to be great bikes but decided against them because I was more comfortable with an upright riding position. Hope you get sorted.
BTW which model do you have?
Hi Samcycles
Thanks for replying!
I bought this https://www.bikester.co.uk/haibike-sduro-hardseven-80-blackkingstonred-1078856.html
and the build quality seems very solid - considerably better than my first ebike which now r.i.pieces after 3.5 kms over 4 months (!). I think I'm firmly with you on the riding position - I did check that it was a hybrid tourer before purchase but I am struggling to see how it fulfils this function. The centre of balance is all wrong (for me) and you just can't take a moment to enjoy what you're cycling past or relax in my case. The motor sounds as if you're vacuuming!

What did you get in the end Sam?
 

Samcycles

Pedelecer
Apr 26, 2020
68
50
Northern Ireland
Hi Samcycles
Thanks for replying!
I bought this https://www.bikester.co.uk/haibike-sduro-hardseven-80-blackkingstonred-1078856.html
and the build quality seems very solid - considerably better than my first ebike which now r.i.pieces after 3.5 kms over 4 months (!). I think I'm firmly with you on the riding position - I did check that it was a hybrid tourer before purchase but I am struggling to see how it fulfils this function. The centre of balance is all wrong (for me) and you just can't take a moment to enjoy what you're cycling past or relax in my case. The motor sounds as if you're vacuuming!

What did you get in the end Sam?
I bought a cube Town hybrid SL500.
I wanted the upright riding position & hub gears. Came Bosch ALP with Shimano Di2 which I find a bonus.
 

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Bobajob

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 1, 2019
313
140
Cornwall
Hi
I’ve owned a haibike sduro for some 7 months now.
I have the Yamaha pwse motor which is 70nm of torque.
the riding position isn’t in myview a tourer as I found I was bent over too much so I started to alter things a little.

1). Fitted a bigger saddle
2). Suntour suspension seat post
3). Stem extension
4). Stem adjustable riser
5). Ergon flat grips with horns.
The above changed my position to an upright old gits riding position. I still lean forward to alleviate any back problems but gives me a good many hour ride with no problems.
ive done 2000+ miles (more if I wasn’t out of the country for 4 months over the winter) now without one hitch just one set of brake pads and an even bigger seat lol.
I find the build quality utilitarian but sound.
the Yamaha motor is noisy which I don’t particularly like but not intrusive. The Bose active line range are quiet but I believe the Bosch cx Range again noisy (someone correct me if I’m wrong) but you get used to it.
as someone else posted I’d return the bike for a check up as if I put my motor on high (turbo for Bosch) it doesn’t give me much exercise as it’s quite powerful. There seems to be an optimum cadence that motors will work with in which I found by trial and error.
what’s your height and the haibike frame size?