yup...
Does anyone have any experience of these ? I am looking to buy on a limited budget. At £325 they sound reasonable, comments appreciated.
Hi Bud,
i bought one of these bikes three years ago, it was badged as Eco Brand Whirlwind then, there are about a half dozen different variations of name but the spec is usually the same, It is heavy - with locks & rack it's 40kg with a lead battery, didn't find the weight a problem, but then again i didn't have to lift it & carry it anywhere.
the battery lasted about 18 months & a couple of thousand miles until the range dropped from 30 miles to about 10.
good, quiet, 8fun brushless hub motor, good gear range, very good pedelec, strong throttle, slightly over-sprung, but i liked this, disc brakes are effective but poor quality & take a bit of setting up.
for an out-of-the box solution, the price is difficult to beat, but this really is the in-expensive end of the market and the component quality reflects this.
i'm still using mine, although i mostly ride another e-bike i have, and its useful as a spare or for a companion, had i stopped using it when the original battery died, it would still have been good value for money.
it does the job and is a good intro to e-bikes, & if it lasts a couple of years you won't have much to complain about.
things to watch out for are, cheap chinese tyres - these tend to invite punctures, cheap disc brakes - tend to rub & are noisy, poor seal on the control box - prone to damp & water ingress, wheel spokes are loose on arrival, kick stand is rubbish, lastly this bike will rust fast if you leave it outside.
otherwise...a bargain and i'd go this route again, it gave me the opportunity to figure out what i'd really like whilst getting me on the road cheap & fast
let us know how you got on,
best of luck,
beeps