More cyclotricity problems
- Thread starter Andy Bluenoes
- Start date
Sorry, i didnt intend this to degenerate like this. I guess there are pros and cons to each. Im on a limited budget so have to look at all the options available.
Im going to draw up a shortlist and somehow get to try them out if possible before making a decision.
Im going to draw up a shortlist and somehow get to try them out if possible before making a decision.
but he hasn't so far.
At least I don't think he has.
Andy, how many miles have you done on your current bike?
Im up to 2100 miles since september last year.
Have to say, it feels great when Im on it.
Its just frustrating when its out of action.
And the main need for changing it is the range of the battery. If I had gone for the standard stealth 250 watt with the 15ah battery, i probably wouldnt have started this thread
Being still quite new to the world of ebikes, is the fact they are made in china such a big issue? Genuine question.
Arent the parts that are fitted to it more important?
Probably half the stuff in my house is made in china without actually looking at it.....
Cyclotricity claim their bikes are made in Britain?
where can you find a bike that can do 30mph with a £300 worth of parts if not China?
The thing is, you can pay £3k for a bike that hits this sort of speed and that can conk out just as easily.
you can get the motor off one of those from the dump
now thats what happens if you dongle the washing machine
paying over the price is when you pay £700 for the same 50 cells - not just brands, the same cells, that are found in a £400 battery elsewhere. And it is no guarantee that the more expensive battery is going to perform any better.
Some people take pleasure in denigrating cost effective solutions as 'cheap' when in fact, the latter are as likely and sometimes more to succeed, that is keeping your bike on the road, where the more expensive options may not.
I can give you such example as coil spring versus air forks. If you think you can get more trouble free miles out of air forks against a £100 coil spring fork, go ahead, post your experience.
As for Bosch CD motors versus the ubiquitous Bafang SWXes, here is a real experience, 16 years with the same hub.
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Deleted member 4366
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Even cheap forks last forever and don't break, The only thing to look out for is putting a bit of grease on the chrome stanchions to stop them from going rusty on salty winter roads.Forks is the one thing that OP didn't have a problem with, so no need to change anything there.
Cars have been developed to be very maintenance-free. It took years and years and probably millions of man-hours to get them like that. Hardly any other vehicle can match them. Even for a good motorbike, you can expect oil changes, brake pads, tyres and chains all need attention during the first year of ownership with heavy use. Whatever Ebike you get, there'll be different things that need attention, and that could be very soon if you're a heavy user.
I've built my own bikes for many years. It gives you a much better understanding of potential failure modes so that you can build in your own countermeasures. I've never had to do anything to my bikes other than mild maintenance, and I've never been stranded without power except when I fell off on some ice about 200 meters from my house and damaged the bike. I was still able to pedal home.
Lets focus on the 1000w Cyclotricity Stealth. It's a cheap way to get a lot of power, but, like a Ferrai, running costs are going to be high. You can't expect a cheap small battery like that to deliver that sort of power for very long. Like a Ferrari, great for the occasional user, but it's going to be expensive if you use it as every day transport. That's not a fault of the bike. You need to conside what you're doing with it and what its design limitations are.
You can apply the same analogy to using a Ford Mondeo for a trip across Africa. It'll shake to bits long before it reaches the other side, so no point in using a cheap Chinese bike for continuous off-road use. Basically, you have to apply a bit of common sense.
Cars have been developed to be very maintenance-free. It took years and years and probably millions of man-hours to get them like that. Hardly any other vehicle can match them. Even for a good motorbike, you can expect oil changes, brake pads, tyres and chains all need attention during the first year of ownership with heavy use. Whatever Ebike you get, there'll be different things that need attention, and that could be very soon if you're a heavy user.
I've built my own bikes for many years. It gives you a much better understanding of potential failure modes so that you can build in your own countermeasures. I've never had to do anything to my bikes other than mild maintenance, and I've never been stranded without power except when I fell off on some ice about 200 meters from my house and damaged the bike. I was still able to pedal home.
Lets focus on the 1000w Cyclotricity Stealth. It's a cheap way to get a lot of power, but, like a Ferrai, running costs are going to be high. You can't expect a cheap small battery like that to deliver that sort of power for very long. Like a Ferrari, great for the occasional user, but it's going to be expensive if you use it as every day transport. That's not a fault of the bike. You need to conside what you're doing with it and what its design limitations are.
You can apply the same analogy to using a Ford Mondeo for a trip across Africa. It'll shake to bits long before it reaches the other side, so no point in using a cheap Chinese bike for continuous off-road use. Basically, you have to apply a bit of common sense.
Andy's case is particularly interesting. He's done 2,100 miles on the current Stealth in the last 6 months. That is more miles than most people do in 2 years.
His problems with the electrics could well be attributed to a combination of high power, rough road surfaces and rain, a combination of exposures well exceeding several lifetimes of an average bike.
I'd say he has put his Stealth through a severe life. Did he get value out of it? Probably not. His average cost per mile is around 40 pence.
Would a £2k Bosch bike with 500WH battery like a Cube Reaction Hybrid do the job any better? Possibly. More comfortably? sure.
But will it be more economical? If it lasts for two years then yes, it would.
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Cube-Reaction-Hybrid-HPA-Pro-500-27-5-2017-Electric-Bike_97704.htm
But does the Cube have better components than my Rio MTB or the Oxygen S-Cross?
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Deleted member 4366
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If you do cost per mile, the cheaper bikes will always win. You left out depreciation costs, which make a massive difference. The Cyclotricity bike has depreciated about £500, which is the only cost OP has incurred (£0.24 per mile). The Bosch bike gets that on the day you wheel it out of the shop. There will never be an argument to say that a more expensive bike makes economic sense.
Its going to be a toss up between the different options I think.
Part of me says spend the extra, another says dont.
Just to pee me off even more, Cyclotricity rang to say they cant look at warranties until Thursday as they are too busy preparing new bikes to send out for Easter!
Now thats what I call customer service.
Part of me says spend the extra, another says dont.
Just to pee me off even more, Cyclotricity rang to say they cant look at warranties until Thursday as they are too busy preparing new bikes to send out for Easter!
Now thats what I call customer service.
Do you think he'll get more than £700 for his Stealth on Ebay? I reckon he'll get £500 for it, £700 depreciation. Plus spares and repairs.
The lowest depreciation I have seen on my second hand web page is Roybut's Karoo, bought £749, recently sold £400, 1600 miles, £349 depreciation, 22p a mile. Followed by a Big Bear, 2,000 miles, sold for £500, £499 depreciation, 25p a mile.
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Deleted member 4366
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Apart from the cost of the bike, what else have you paid for?Basically, its cost me a fortune
I was being reflective on how much I will have lost more than anything. I was hoping the bike would have lasted a lot longer than it has. Not to say its trashed by any means....but yes, I wouldnt expect to get much more than 5-600 if i sold it now.
Its probably cost me more on tram tickets, fuel and parking when its been off the road than actual costs on the bike itself.
Really only bought what you would say are necessary for any bike if you havent already got them...decent mudguards, lights, decent tyres, winter tyres....waterproofs, decent footwear...all in, its probably not been much cheaper than buying an annual tram ticket.
Its been pointed out to me this morning, that given all the issues I have had with this bike, I should consider a claim under either the Consumer Rights Act 2015, or take it up with the credit card company that I used to make the purchase.
Looking into it, I am very tempted.
I actually purchased the bike at the end of October last year. Within a few weeks it had failed due to faulty electric cables, then jsut before xmas, the motor failed. Now, another 3 months later, it appears the battery has failed.
I have emailed Cyclotricity again this morning in follow up to the pone call yesterday saying they were too busy to assist with warranty claims, politely pointing out that isnt really acceptable.
Depending on their response, I will see if a claim is worth pursuing.
Looking into it, I am very tempted.
I actually purchased the bike at the end of October last year. Within a few weeks it had failed due to faulty electric cables, then jsut before xmas, the motor failed. Now, another 3 months later, it appears the battery has failed.
I have emailed Cyclotricity again this morning in follow up to the pone call yesterday saying they were too busy to assist with warranty claims, politely pointing out that isnt really acceptable.
Depending on their response, I will see if a claim is worth pursuing.
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
I have a lot of sympathy for you, because you're disappointed that you didn't get what you hoped for. Unfortunately, you hopes were probably a bit unrealistic. Basically, you're using the bike for something it's not suitable for.
Cyclotricity is not a big company. Their profit margins are very tight, at the prices they charge. You need to think about whether you're being fair to them. I can imagine that they cringe every time you call, knowing that your case is just a continuing profit drain that they can't get out of. Put yourself in their position to understand why they might be trying to avoid you. I'm not saying that they should do that. It's just that both sides are now probably in an unresolvable situation.
I think a fair outcome would be that they fix your battery, then you sell the bike on Ebay or wherever and put it all down to experience. Then you should buy a bike suitable for the journeys that you do, but I guarantee that it won't cost less than the Cyclotricity and it'll end up costing you more per mile in the long term. You can't continue with the Cyclotricity because it's not suitable.
If you claim your rights, you'll probably win. It's a question of concience whether you think it's fair.
Cyclotricity is not a big company. Their profit margins are very tight, at the prices they charge. You need to think about whether you're being fair to them. I can imagine that they cringe every time you call, knowing that your case is just a continuing profit drain that they can't get out of. Put yourself in their position to understand why they might be trying to avoid you. I'm not saying that they should do that. It's just that both sides are now probably in an unresolvable situation.
I think a fair outcome would be that they fix your battery, then you sell the bike on Ebay or wherever and put it all down to experience. Then you should buy a bike suitable for the journeys that you do, but I guarantee that it won't cost less than the Cyclotricity and it'll end up costing you more per mile in the long term. You can't continue with the Cyclotricity because it's not suitable.
If you claim your rights, you'll probably win. It's a question of concience whether you think it's fair.