My review of the Woosh Scirooco 2, no input from Woosh other than supplying the bike.
MANY buyers will be drawn to the Scirocco due to its long list of equipment and relatively cheap price.
But is this a bike which looks good on screen, but performs poorly on the road, or a happy mix of both short and long term appeal?
First impressions out of the (very large) box were better than I expected.
The bike arrives assembled apart from the need to bolt on the handlebars and pedals.
Interlink assessed the package as 32kg, that includes the very large box and fairly compact charger, but the Scirocco could not be described as lightweight.
The bike feels sturdy and well-made, the mudguards and carrier look as if they are made to last, and the frame looks bomb-proof.
I'm not a fan of black bikes, but the paint appears thick, lustrous and didn't seem prone to scratches or chips in the six weeks of the test.
Finishing kit is average, but mostly branded and includes the latest Shimano Revoshift gears and Kenda puncture resistant tyres.
On the road they roll better than I expected, and provided useful grip during the slushy and muddy conditions of the test.
The ride of the bike is comfortable and reassuringly free from rattles, except over all but the nastiest of potholes.
Handling of a bike of this size is never going to be nimble, yet the steering is sharp enough for tight manoeuvres and stable enough for the rider to make hand signals and backward glances without wobbling.
The motor whines a bit from cold and also when under load, but is relatively quiet at other times.
There's three levels of assistance of which level two is probably the one most users will use most of the time.
I liked it a lot, it provides a good rendition of proper cycling, cutting in and out almost imperceptibly while at the same time giving a useful level of assistance on hills.
Level three is a bit too much in all respects, although I did use it briefly to combat an incline and nasty headwind.
Level one? Well, it's possible for an ebike to be too much like an ordinary bike, there's barely enough assistance to counteract the extra weight.
As regards climbing, I've ridden a few legal ebikes and would put the Scirocco's climbing ability as average for a 36v/250w set-up.
First gear is not that low, so the one brute of a hill I tried needed a fair bit of effort from me.
The bike handles undulating terrain in third gear or higher, second will get the rider up most hills.
My weight is greater than my GP thinks it should be, so a lighter rider may do better.
Battery life is impressive, on one charge the Scirocco dragged me around for 50+ miles, albeit spread over a few rides.
There was still two/three lights showing on the meter, but power had dropped so I don't think there was much juice left.
The Scirocco has a throttle which came into its own in the slush and on muddy grass, it enabled me to do some (almost) speedway-style power sliding - great fun.
Lights aren't the Scirocco's strongest point, the rear is OK but runs off it's own battery, the front is more for being seen than for seeing by.
Keeping the price in mind, it's hard to find much else to criticise, the brakes are certainly not two-finger operation, but are powerful and progressive enough when given a firm squeeze.
The saddle is a basic gel one which I found comfortable, and it could easily be upgraded.
The long term ownership prospects of the Scirocco - or any bike - are hard to judge.
Most of the 'bike bits' could be serviced by any bike shop.
Hatti from Woosh comes over well on the forum, so I reckon a Scirocco owner would get better support than from some other internet retailers.
In summary, the Scirocco is well-equipped, looks good in the metal and rides well on the road.
For the price - £699 - it is surely unbeatable.
MANY buyers will be drawn to the Scirocco due to its long list of equipment and relatively cheap price.
But is this a bike which looks good on screen, but performs poorly on the road, or a happy mix of both short and long term appeal?
First impressions out of the (very large) box were better than I expected.
The bike arrives assembled apart from the need to bolt on the handlebars and pedals.
Interlink assessed the package as 32kg, that includes the very large box and fairly compact charger, but the Scirocco could not be described as lightweight.
The bike feels sturdy and well-made, the mudguards and carrier look as if they are made to last, and the frame looks bomb-proof.
I'm not a fan of black bikes, but the paint appears thick, lustrous and didn't seem prone to scratches or chips in the six weeks of the test.
Finishing kit is average, but mostly branded and includes the latest Shimano Revoshift gears and Kenda puncture resistant tyres.
On the road they roll better than I expected, and provided useful grip during the slushy and muddy conditions of the test.
The ride of the bike is comfortable and reassuringly free from rattles, except over all but the nastiest of potholes.
Handling of a bike of this size is never going to be nimble, yet the steering is sharp enough for tight manoeuvres and stable enough for the rider to make hand signals and backward glances without wobbling.
The motor whines a bit from cold and also when under load, but is relatively quiet at other times.
There's three levels of assistance of which level two is probably the one most users will use most of the time.
I liked it a lot, it provides a good rendition of proper cycling, cutting in and out almost imperceptibly while at the same time giving a useful level of assistance on hills.
Level three is a bit too much in all respects, although I did use it briefly to combat an incline and nasty headwind.
Level one? Well, it's possible for an ebike to be too much like an ordinary bike, there's barely enough assistance to counteract the extra weight.
As regards climbing, I've ridden a few legal ebikes and would put the Scirocco's climbing ability as average for a 36v/250w set-up.
First gear is not that low, so the one brute of a hill I tried needed a fair bit of effort from me.
The bike handles undulating terrain in third gear or higher, second will get the rider up most hills.
My weight is greater than my GP thinks it should be, so a lighter rider may do better.
Battery life is impressive, on one charge the Scirocco dragged me around for 50+ miles, albeit spread over a few rides.
There was still two/three lights showing on the meter, but power had dropped so I don't think there was much juice left.
The Scirocco has a throttle which came into its own in the slush and on muddy grass, it enabled me to do some (almost) speedway-style power sliding - great fun.
Lights aren't the Scirocco's strongest point, the rear is OK but runs off it's own battery, the front is more for being seen than for seeing by.
Keeping the price in mind, it's hard to find much else to criticise, the brakes are certainly not two-finger operation, but are powerful and progressive enough when given a firm squeeze.
The saddle is a basic gel one which I found comfortable, and it could easily be upgraded.
The long term ownership prospects of the Scirocco - or any bike - are hard to judge.
Most of the 'bike bits' could be serviced by any bike shop.
Hatti from Woosh comes over well on the forum, so I reckon a Scirocco owner would get better support than from some other internet retailers.
In summary, the Scirocco is well-equipped, looks good in the metal and rides well on the road.
For the price - £699 - it is surely unbeatable.
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