new kudos or 2nd hand Kalkhoff? or Wisper?

[drmillrace]

Hello,
I'm test riding a couple of Kudos bikes, (sport and king) this weekend. However I might have a chance of a second hand Kalkhoff Agattu or a second hand Wisper 905se. Unfortunately these are a bit far away for test rides.

I'm looking to travel 16 mile round trip twice a week plus some leisure riding on roads and cycleways (not rough). There are some pretty steep hills round here. North Pennines.

What should I be looking out for on the secondhand bikes. How have Kudos owners found the hill climbing?

Thanks for any advice

David

 

[jackhandy]

Hello,
I'm test riding a couple of Kudos bikes, (sport and king) this weekend. However I might have a chance of a second hand Kalkhoff Agattu or a second hand Wisper 905se. Unfortunately these are a bit far away for test rides.

I'm looking to travel 16 mile round trip twice a week plus some leisure riding on roads and cycleways (not rough). There are some pretty steep hills round here. North Pennines.

What should I be looking out for on the secondhand bikes. How have Kudos owners found the hill climbing?

Thanks for any advice

David

I'm a total novice having had an ebike for a day and a half before sending it back.
My concern with any used ebike would be the potential cost of a new battery not far down the road.
£300 - 400 maybe?

 

[Jimod]

I've got a Kudos Tourer and it climbs hills OK. You have to do a bit of work on the hills but the bike makes it a lot easier than a normal bike. Your 16 mile round trip is about half the battery range so you'll do it OK.

I've never had a Kalkhof or Wisper but I'd be going for the new Kudos over a 2nd hand bike.

 

[flecc]

Kudos advantages, buying new is always a good idea, low cost long life replacement batteries, but with the limitation of a 12 amp controller the climbing of the steepest hills will need plenty of work from you.

Kalkhoff advantage, driving through the gears will climb anything and means much less effort from you on the steepest hills. It can mean a bit more from you on the average going though, since that's where the hub motor bikes do a bit more.

But, and it's a big but, they are very different in character and both should be tried even though it means travelling. All e-bikes are far from being similar and personal preferences are very important.

 

[BrianSmithers]

How have Kudos owners found the hill climbing?

Thanks for any advice

David

My Kudos Tourer has the hub gears, but like Jim, I have no problems going up hills. Once I have it in a low gear there are no hills around here that make me break out in a sweat to go up - and some I couldn't get up at all with an ordinary bike.

- Brian

 

[flecc]

Hill climbing assessments need to have the gradients specified and an accurate grading of the rider ability to have any meaning. The fact is that a 250 watt hub motor e-bike with a 12 amp limit controller on 36 volts is at the bottom end of e-bike powers. For comparison, Wisper use 16 amp controllers, eZee use 20 amp controllers, both also on 36 volt batteries.

 

[Jimod]

That is true and what some find OK others will struggle with on the same bike. As usual the best advice is, 'try before you buy'

 

[albanydene]

I have the Kudos Tourer, my wife the Eco and my brother and friend a Kudos Sport. All of us have found going up a hill on them a breeze. I would have had the King except I wanted mudguards and the Nexus gears. None of us can fault the Kudos bikes or the service you get from the company. I did try a couple of other makes but not the ones you mention. Kudos do guarantee their bikes and batteries (replacement battery is cheap compared to some, check their website) and boy do I get a lot of mileage from one charge.

 

[eddieo]

Hill climbing assessments need to have the gradients specified and an accurate grading of the rider ability to have any meaning. The fact is that a 250 watt hub motor e-bike with a 12 amp limit controller on 36 volts is at the bottom end of e-bike powers. For comparison, Wisper use 16 amp controllers, eZee use 20 amp controllers, both also on 36 volt batteries.

My choice would be a used Wisper any day of the week!

 

[Jimod]

My choice would be a used Wisper any day of the week!

That would all depend on the price and condition of the used bike and the condition of the battery. The new bike has everything new and comes with a guarantee.

It actually all depends on what the person buying the bike wants to be honest.

 

[drmillrace]

Well I tested 5 bikes yesterday at the Electricbike Shed in South Shields Tyne and Wear. Vince who served me was extremely helpful without any high pressure sales pitch.
He didnt have any crank drive machines but I tried two Kudos, a Dawes, a Kona and an Oxygen Emate City.
All the bikes were good to ride but in the end I decided I wanted a machine with throttle as well as pas so it came down to the Kudos sport or he Oxygen.

The Kudos handled very well and was very good value but in the end I went with the Oxygen Emate City which just felt right for me and also had a much bigger range and the capacity to carry more kit.
Also it was an ex demo machine so had a good discount.

Once again the shop were very helpful. It is on a small business park with a quiet almost traffic free area for trying the bikes and is also right next to Cycle route 1 for longer tests.

Thanks for all you advice.
David