About to buy but I have concerns

[Markxc40]

Hello all.
I am new to e-bikes and have been seeking and getting advice on e-bikes.
To that end I have made a choice based on the German Cube brand as being a good mix of quality and price.
I've been using my local shop to view some of the range and made my choice of a Cube Acid Hybrid one 500 Allroad 29. They had one unpacked in a box which they said they would build up for me to look at.
This they did BUT on opening the box they found they [the shop] had mistakenly labelled it as an Allroad version when they received it into stock, when in fact it was the Offroad version.
The differences being no mudguards, no lights or reflectors, different tyres, rear carry rack & no stand which Cube charge £100 onto the Offroad price to add those parts to make it Allroad.

I enquired if they could be shop fitted as I wanted the bike road legal. They enquired on their PC direct to Cube but were told the mudguards are a factory fitted item inclusive off the lights and the wiring harness they could supply other mudguards which would fit.
Problem is yes I want an e-bike but feel a little like they're taking the P*** as they are not offering any assistance to make the bike what I ordered then on top of that despite them offering free delivery they now say they have no boxes to do this and I will have to take it. ???No boxes but that one was in its box a few days ago???

Cost wise I save £100 on the Offroad version which I can put towards the required parts but they want £195 for the parts and labour so this Offroad would now cost me £95 more than the book price. If they stepped towards me someway and delivered it also I would be happy but I just seem to collecting all the costs.

I have made a small returnable deposit to hold this bike while it has the Allroad upgrades completed.

Do these e-bikes come with certification showing it has been set to British road Standards and is there any other Paperwork I should look out for.

Any suggestions, thoughts, pressure I can apply etc.

Regards

 

[Danidl]

Hello all.
I am new to e-bikes and have been seeking and getting advice on e-bikes.
To that end I have made a choice based on the German Cube brand as being a good mix of quality and price.
I've been using my local shop to view some of the range and made my choice of a Cube Acid Hybrid one 500 Allroad 29. They had one unpacked in a box which they said they would build up for me to look at.
This they did BUT on opening the box they found they [the shop] had mistakenly labelled it as an Allroad version when they received it into stock, when in fact it was the Offroad version.
The differences being no mudguards, no lights or reflectors, different tyres, rear carry rack & no stand which Cube charge £100 onto the Offroad price to add those parts to make it Allroad.

I enquired if they could be shop fitted as I wanted the bike road legal. They enquired on their PC direct to Cube but were told the mudguards are a factory fitted item inclusive off the lights and the wiring harness they could supply other mudguards which would fit.
Problem is yes I want an e-bike but feel a little like they're taking the P*** as they are not offering any assistance to make the bike what I ordered then on top of that despite them offering free delivery they now say they have no boxes to do this and I will have to take it. ???No boxes but that one was in its box a few days ago???

Cost wise I save £100 on the Offroad version which I can put towards the required parts but they want £195 for the parts and labour so this Offroad would now cost me £95 more than the book price. If they stepped towards me someway and delivered it also I would be happy but I just seem to collecting all the costs.

I have made a small returnable deposit to hold this bike while it has the Allroad upgrades completed.

Do these e-bikes come with certification showing it has been set to British road Standards and is there any other Paperwork I should look out for.

Any suggestions, thoughts, pressure I can apply etc.

Regards

The tyres on the off road version are probably more expensive, and likely less comfortable than on road tyres But back to the bike. You need full mudguards and you need lamps. However you do not need any special wiring harness. Simple LED lights affixed to the bike, and purchased either there or Aldi will do the business and will be to British Standards. I would get them to fit very standard mudguards, its a 15 minute job. Get the lamps yourself. It just means remembering to buy batteries periodically or charge them up .

 

[Poolepete]

I think it depends on how good a deal you are getting. If the bike stands well on price, then go for it. If not, walk away and find one somewhere else, if available.

One of the really nice features of an ebike is the ability to turn your lights on and off at the wheel, and not having to worry about changing/charging their batteries. I would really miss this feature on my bike if I did not have it.

I got my wife's bike (Cube Elly) last month from Wiggle; it had obviously been well set up by them and it arrived virtually ready to go. All I had to do was put on the handlebars, pedals and pump the tyres to proper pressure. They even supplied the necessary tools.

So unless you are getting a fantastic deal, walk away and find a bike that is more suited to your requirements.

 

[GLJoe]

Any suggestions, thoughts, pressure I can apply etc.

The problem you've got at the moment, is that available ebikes are a bit like rocking horse sh... ,so if you don't want it, the dealer isn't going to have much of a problem selling it to someone else. Hence they don't have much incentive to give away any profit.

Its a tough call for you. If you really do want a bike with mudguards, a stand and built in lights, then Cube charging £100 extra is actually a pretty good deal and is going to be cheaper than you trying to source and fit the same parts yourself afterwards.
If you're going to use the bike seriously when the days draw in, then just having lights that run off the battery can be a very desirable thing indeed - not that you can't get away with standard battery powered ones, but Danidl's comment on 'just means remembering to charge/replace' can become a bit farcical because a decent set of lights with a lumen output that actually lets you see anything, means you're charging/replacing each and every ride (and if you commute, its sometimes also means a charge when you get into work before you ride home!). Avoiding that hassle alone is worth more than £100 to some people! (and a decent front/back light set could set you back that much as well). On the other hand, If you don't intend much night riding - no worries. get some cheap lights as he said and don't fret.

If you really, really do want the allroad, I'd look around to see if there is another one somewhere else. Most of the standard companies are still selling mail order - its just a case of whether they have any in stock. If they don't - your call on the non allroad version. Just remember its, unusually, a sellers market at the moment!
Adding mudguards and a kickstand is something you can get away with (and do cheaper than getting the dealer to add the parts). I think its the built in lights that's the deal breaker, as you might need your dealer to install them into the loom - depending on how handy you are yourself with the diy, and what the warranty situation is doing it. If the lights are important, maybe just ask about them sorting this part out?

 

[Markxc40]

Thanks for your replies Danidl, Pete & Joe.
Your all right in that the market is not in my favour just now.
I have looked but can not find a Acid Hybrid Allroad one anywhere so I'm stuck with this one and having the Cube parts fitted.
I've decided to not get the add on lights for all the reasons you quote but to have a deeper look at what is on offer along with a softer saddle as I don't fancy the bone hard one fitted.

The biggest gripe I will have with the after sales lighting is the lack of being able to use the display to turn them on/off but I will search the web later as my initial ridding will be in daylight.
14 day return rights.
The warranty situation seems a bit vague over this. It seems even if I have the shop Cube trained staff add Cube parts it will still void my warranty as it not as the bike was first sold/shown to be i.e. it was Offroad and not Allroad. I am hoping that this if it does apply would be to the parts the shop fitted and not all the bike, I think I will need to clear that up.

Thanks all.

 

[Stubod]

..if it's not what y you really want I would walk away, but I guess it depends on how "desperate" you are.

I was going to buy one last year but left it too late and the bike I wanted was suddenly unavailable, then the bad weather came and I decided to leave it until the "new" season. .

Spent ages looking, change my mind a few times but then dropped on a really good deal on a bike that was not even on my radar. Only problem was the bike was in London, (I am in Wales).

However due to the rather generous discount I though I would take a punt, and so far, although it is still very early days I have been happy.

Just a case of keep looking and prepare to be a little bit more flexible on the bike you want. I would have considered any make but decided my minimum spec was a road / touring type bike, with crank drive (Bosch Active), hub gears and either belt or chain drive, and all of these types of bike seem to come with mudguards and lights etc.

..good luck....

 

[Markxc40]

Spot on Stu that was how I looked at things too.
I wanted an Allroad version but it wasn't until they unboxed it from their stock that they realised it was the offroad version and not the Allroad one I thought I had ordered off them.

Unfortunately they had written the wrong ID on it when it got delivered which means it has no muds, lights, reflectors or a stand, the rest of the bike spec is exactly the same.
So even though it wasn't my fault they are not doing a great deal to soften the hassle it has caused me.

best

 

[Markxc40]

Much better news today from my e-bike shop.
I made a Phone call to them to tweak my order slightly and was greeted in a most pleasant manner with a happy to oblige no problem.
They have now also offered to deliver my bike free of charge. That is great news and I'm really happy now and I can get on with enjoying the excitement and expectation of my new e-bike.

I'm fortunate to have a large garden to my property's rear where I'll chuck down some cones for me to ride through and become more familiar with my new bike's controls.

Regards

 

[Stubod]

..well done!..perhaps they have been reading this thread!...either way, enjoy your new ride!! Do report back with your thoughts on your new toy...

 

[Markxc40]

..well done!..perhaps they have been reading this thread!...either way, enjoy your new ride!! Do report back with your thoughts on your new toy...

I will deffo report back Stu but it will be about 7 days more for the extra parts to arrive from Cube Germany and be fitted, then they will deliver it.

Regards