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Without wishing to be confrontational, I have to say I find articles like that of little or no value. I believe it is much more useful to put cycling accidents in context; how frequently they occur, how risky cycling is compared to other things that people do and, indeed, how risky not cycling...

Guys, I don't think there is anything wrong with your Wispers or their batteries - they are going at the speed that they are geared to operate at. Have a look at this thread where Stuart (Coops) and I compared riding speeds and unloaded max speeds of Wisper and Torq 1. It became clear that...

Same with me - I guess we were all just a bit too late. They reckon they'll have the new ones - the 2009 version - in 'in a couple of weeks' but I opted for a refund as I've heard that one before!

That's about the speed my Wisper goes at when unrestricted - 15 mph pedelec and 17-18 with throttle and moderate pedal effort. It gives some assist perhaps to 19 mph but beyond that the rider is doing the work.

I'll give my vote to what I consider to be a pleasant bike to ride, nice looking, well made and proven to be reliable, has good pedelec operation, decent range, choice of step-through or cross-bar frames. It's available from a wide range of dealers, costing £500. Obviously it's a Powacycle...

I came home from work in the heaviest rain I can remember. My brakes were significantly less effective, even though I reduced my speed, especially downhill. Like John, I've recently switched to Koolstop blocks, which are supposed to be good in the wet, but performance today was a bit...

Stuff shoes with newspaper and leave them with the toes pointing down. Mine were soaked when I took them off at 8am and virtually dry when I put them on again at the end of the day, having done this. The newspaper seems to draw out all the water.

My experience in France has been different. I've just come back from a week cycling round Brittany. There there are very few cycle lanes (and those that I did encounter tend to be poor with, for example, cyclists having to give way to traffic exiting from roundabouts). The big difference...

For commuting I wear a waterproof jacket, with shorts when its warm enough and long tracksuit trousers if not. I find that however hard it's raining my shorts and legs only get so wet and not to the point of being uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine the encumbrance of waterproof trousers and am...

Hi Eddieo, You could certainly use a Ping or other 36v battery by adding a longer wire (indeed it need not necessarily be longer than the existing one, depending on where you join, but the wire length makes no difference in practice (and virtually none in theory)). Ping batteries are sold by...

My rear brakes broke before I'd got them set up. They're an easy replacement though. Any standard set of V-brakes will do. I got some basic shimano ones from Evans for £10 which came in black to match the bike and have been fine.

There's nothing to stop you using a different battery on a bike. For example with the Cytronex, the bottle battery might be good for shorter rides with a Ping LiFePO4 lurking in a pannier on longer trips. That could be an excellent solution (for a rider willing and able to make a significant...

The Wisper brakes have been changed. Not heard any feedback on the new ones but with any luck they will be better. Some have got on ok with the Kenda tyres, but I changed mine after the first puncture and the bike has been better for it. I think you're looking at some decent candidates...

Thanks, Phil - I've just ordered it!

Good point, Nick - Suzhou Bafang works well as a rear wheel. The Tongxin rear wheel version is not offset so doesn't allow you many gear options (probably only a 3-speed). Really its only practical as a front wheel. However as it is so small and light, it looks and feels ok in the front wheel.

No, it shouldn't, but in Wisper's defence, I don't for a second believe they knew the brakes were poor to begin with - rather it has emerged during use. I think new models now have different brakes. It's not ideal but I think it is an inevitable part of the product development cycle - the...

Just building on the other comments, motor speed is the most important decision to make. It really depends on two things - how much power you intend to put in - which varies greatly between cyclists, and how hilly your main riding terrain is. If you don't want to pedal much and/or live in a...

No worries, Bob - thanks for your message! I've fitted a 20A fuse to the Ping battery too, but otherwise I've just fitted an IEC connector and just plug it in. As you say, without the key switch its a little less safe. In practice what I do is use the Wisper battery at the start of the...

I think a steel-framed tourer like that would make an excellent bike to electrify. There are a few things to think about Firstly which motor. There are two that I'd consider. First the Suzhou Bafang, as used in the Alien kits, Wisper and other bikes. They seem to be the best all...

Personally I now use one of the ride-on Thule towbar carriers and think it is the best method. I've heard posts on other forums on the safety implications of carrying bikes inside a car, the risk being that in an accident (or even a near miss with sharp braking) they might become a lot of...