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For UK purposes, there are now three Bosch motors, Active, Performance and CX. I have two Actives, and have tried a Performance. It has noticeably more torque, so would get up a steeper hill or a less steep hill a bit faster - all depending on rider input as is the case with all Bosch motors...

I've tried a couple of NuVinci ebikes and could not get on with either of them. The ride seemed dull and uninvolving, lacking any spark. You may like it, but I would suggest you try one before you buy. The NuVinci seemed to me to soak up a fair bit of power. That could matter, even on an...

But won't that be the same with the motor on or off? I suppose drag is drag, whether it's created by the motor or some cogs next to it. Perhaps someone on here could give their small chainwheel Bosch bike a try unpowered and tell us what they think.

I think the specialist at Leisure Lakes needs to do a bit more research. Although he does demonstrate the average bike shop employee's ignorance of ebikes. If there is any motor drag on a Bosch bike, and I'm not convinced there is, it is nowhere near 16 per cent of pedalling effort.

I think you are one of the few who does. Don't get me wrong, I have two Bosch bikes. No problems with Isis so far. As a general point, Isis is a small diameter bearing for a bottom bracket. This means it has to work harder, leading to fears over longevity. It's never really caught on. At...

I agree with KTM Col that the S power may not make that much difference to the time a commute takes in Manchester. Acceleration from the many stops is an important factor, and a legal ebike will give you that. For not much more than the price of your hub, you could get a fully legal Bosch...

The Rotwild/Brose mountain bike batteries have to be charged on the bike. I don't know if that applies to all bikes with the Brose motor.

I would be happy to ride either brand. KTMs look better value, certainly at UK retailer prices. The OP says he wants to test 'a few' Haibikes. The nature of ebike retailing in the UK means testing a few of anything might not be easy. I think the OP needs to use his knowledge of unpowered...

I take it you mean a Rohloff Speed hub. The answer to your question is yes, but no not really. The conversion would almost certainly need the rear drop outs to be remade. It's a job for a skilled frame builder. I've seen it done the other way around, a gear hub frame converted to a derailer...

I have no problems changing gear on my Ave Bosch Classic/derailer bike, although I do 'soft pedal' the changes. I believe the new Bosch bikes have gear change assist, like the Kalkhoffs. The Yamaha I tried changed gear OK. It seems to me a mechanically sympathetic rider doesn't need any...

Needlessly sarcastic, although it has been bit showery here today so I think the OP should check the mech for scorch marks. The problem, as the OP has diagnosed and as I ventured, is almost certainly with one of the springs. Clearly not worth fixing when a replacement can be had for a tenner...

There are two opposing springs in most deraillers. If one of those is weak or has snapped it could give the symptoms described. http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/rear-derailleur-overhaul

Worth knowing, particularly if they have the Haibike model you want in stock and you want to buy from the UK. On the subject of bargains, MHW are a worth a look. Their cheapest bike is a Ghost for £1,342 shipped. Cheap for a Bosch bike, and it even has the performance motor...

Mike, The 27 gears - or rather the extra gear range - could be a mileage range benefit, assuming you are prepared to drop down to a low gear and spin up hills. My main concern would be is the motor pokey enough? Especially so as you were using your Kalkhoff on full power for most of the time...

The Ebco 30 is a decent bike for the money. Given all the other restrictions on your choice, you may as well have one.

Low gearing, partly to drag the weight but also to prevent fitter riders hammering around too fast. I've ridden them a few times. Not too bad a ride if you get one in good order, and as you say, most of central London is relatively flat. So they are ridable, but I wouldn't fancy tackling...

A Boris bike, as far as I can gather, is about 23kg. Your Kalkhoff, particularly if you have a big battery, will be about the same. It follows the unpowered ride of the Kalkhoff will be similar to the Boris Bike.

Mike still quite likes the Tasman. I wonder if the NuVinci hub soaks up some power. If so, the combination of Impulse 2 with a bit more grunt and traditional hub gears on the Tasman might also suit. All Bosch bikes are out because of the 11ah battery.

I've had a look at Mike's bike. Part of the problem was a binding rear brake. Once we sorted that, the bike performed as I reckon it should. With the NuVinci hub, it's certainly no ball of fire offering marginally less assistance than my Bosch bikes. But that may be irrelevant, because I...

I've spoken to a couple of push fat bike owners. Fat bikes are surprisingly versatile and are not just good on sand and snow. Using one on asphalt is a bit of a waste, but on any other terrain they can be more capable than a standard mountain bike. The manager of my local bike shop - a keen...