Claud Butler Weights. What's going on?

[vectra]

Hi

I've spent the past 4 weeks looking for a 2011 Claud Butler Glide 2 for my wife. Everyone and his dog appears to sell them yet when questioned have little or no information about the product let alone access to a real bike!

What is disturbing is the weight of this machine appears to have crept up to 28.5kg from the previously advertised 23.5kg. (both weights include battery).

Even more disturbing is that the Falcon website no longer has any information about the weights. This is a very recent change. Could it be that they have been marketing this machine at 23.5kg yet in reality it is 28.5kg?

My wife still wants the Glide 2 however NOT at 28.5kg. Can anyone confirm the weight of this model (Model 1185) and further if it is really still 23.5kg then I'd be interested in a PM from anyone with a new one to sell. Full warranty required of course!

Thank you.
Regards
vectra

 

[flecc]

Hi

Could it be that they have been marketing this machine at 23.5kg yet in reality it is 28.5kg?

This could so easily have arisen from misreading a 3 as an 8, or an 8 as a 3, so I'd guess that is the reason for the inconsistency.

It's difficult to say from appearances, there are a few step-through e-bikes at around 28 kilos, but with a 24 volt battery and the light Tongxin motor this doesn't look quite like one. On the other hand, 23.5 kilos seems unlikely, given the equipment level

If it is that heavy it will be down to the large diameter frame tubes, suspension forks and lithium iron phosphate battery, with the fat saddle and suspension seatpost not helping.
.

 

[vectra]

Hi Flecc. Thank you.
l originally thought that I may have misread the information however I have a huge wad of paper printout on a number of models and sure enough the weight is given by Falcon Cycles as 23.5kg including battery.

The information was taken from the spec' on the Falcon website however the weight has now been removed from the website!

The search is becoming truly a time consuming chore and my wife is starting to believe that we should leave the purchase for another year whilst the trade sorts itself out. We have encountered the following challenges:

1. Impressed with the Emotion 700 crank system yet Watt hours is low via a 26V battery rather than 36V. Price appears high at £1600.00. (prepared to pay that for the "right" bike.
2. Many retailers have little or no knowledge of the bikes that advertise. I find myself quoting battery capacity and other details to them.
3. Many retailers have no stock or cannot give clear times for delivery.
4. Many retailers advertise prices only to revise them when I telephone.
5. I was interested in the step through Kalkhoff range however their reluctance to state weights is a challenge and it appears they are around 24.5/25kg...too heavy and particularly for an expensive bike!
6. Trek appear suitable yet Watt Hours are too low as my wife is looking for something around 360Wh or most definately a 36V battery.

I'm now back to looking at kits whilst I await a definitive response from Falcon re' weights. It appears that my wife's "perfect" bike does not exist:-

360Wh, 23.5kg max including battery, step through. 6 to 27 gears. front suspension. Looks like we are going to have to pass certainly on complete bikes.

Regards
vectra

 

[AndyOfTheSouth]

Hi Vectra

You should have a word with Onbike.

I went to their Presteigne branch yesterday and test rode, through beautiful, hilly countryside, an Emotion Cross bike. Expensive, but great to ride. Felt responsive and very enjoyable even with the power off.

When I got the knack of the slow cadence way of going up hills, it went very easily up steep sections even on rough ground. Highly recommended.

Good luck!

Andy

 

[banbury frank]

Hi

hear is a link for the Raleigh step through

Raleigh - Dover Deluxe Unisex 2010 - Electric Bike

23 Kilos

we are a Raleigh dealer so we checked stock for you stock

They Have the 45 URD Ladies bike in stock

please go to your local Raleigh dealer

they are all on Raleigh web site

Frank

 

[vectra]

Hi

hear is a link for the Raleigh step through

Raleigh - Dover Deluxe Unisex 2010 - Electric Bike

23 Kilos

we are a Raleigh dealer so we checked stock for you stock

They Have the 45 URD Ladies bike in stock

please go to your local Raleigh dealer

they are all on Raleigh web site

Frank

Frank. Thank you however unfortunately the Dover doesn't meet my wife's requirements in that the Watt hours are only 260 and the weight is 24.19kg. The search continues!
Regards
vectra

 

[vectra]

Hi Vectra

You should have a word with Onbike.

I went to their Presteigne branch yesterday and test rode, through beautiful, hilly countryside, an Emotion Cross bike. Expensive, but great to ride. Felt responsive and very enjoyable even with the power off.

When I got the knack of the slow cadence way of going up hills, it went very easily up steep sections even on rough ground. Highly recommended.

Good luck!

Andy

Andy. Thank you. My wife and I have both ridden the 700+ at Kidderminster however although impressed by the crank drive system we thought that the price at £1600.00 was too high for the total spec' and the potential range, using the 26V battery, at 260Wh was too low.

An additional requirement was that the bike riding experience should be as close a spossible to a normal non-electric bike. The crank system does appear to offer that.

Additionally the frame of the bike you describe is not step-through. Thank you once again.
Regards
vectra

 

[flecc]

Here you are, 23 kilos exactly from Onbike. Don't be too obsessed about the 260 Wh battery, the Panasonic system is very efficient, in part since it drives through the gears. The system gave me longer range than I could achieve with either of my other bikes with 370 and 518 Wh respectively and with effort could double what they gave.

In additiion, there's an 18 Ah replacement battery available now, 468 Wh.

BH-Emotion City 650
.

 

[vectra]

Hi

I've spent the past 4 weeks looking for a 2011 Claud Butler Glide 2 for my wife. Everyone and his dog appears to sell them yet when questioned have little or no information about the product let alone access to a real bike!

What is disturbing is the weight of this machine appears to have crept up to 28.5kg from the previously advertised 23.5kg. (both weights include battery).

Even more disturbing is that the Falcon website no longer has any information about the weights. This is a very recent change. Could it be that they have been marketing this machine at 23.5kg yet in reality it is 28.5kg?

My wife still wants the Glide 2 however NOT at 28.5kg. Can anyone confirm the weight of this model (Model 1185) and further if it is really still 23.5kg then I'd be interested in a PM from anyone with a new one to sell. Full warranty required of course!

Thank you.
Regards
vectra

Hi
Just had the weights confirmed via Falcon. The Glide 2 weighs 24kg including battery. Weight without battery is 19kg hence bike is within the limits of our roof carrier (20kg).
Regards
vectra

 

[vectra]

Here you are, 23 kilos exactly from Onbike. Don't be too obsessed about the 260 Wh battery, the Panasonic system is very efficient, in part since it drives through the gears. The system gave me longer range than I could achieve with either of my other bikes with 370 and 518 Wh respectively and with effort could double what they gave.

In additiion, there's an 18 Ah replacement battery available now, 468 Wh.

BH-Emotion City 650
.

Hi Flecc.
Interesting bike and the weight is OK. I'm not sure what the difference is between this and the City 700+ apart from £150.00? My wife and I have both tried the latter and were impressed. We are still concerned about the lack of Ampere hours at 260 however I accept your point re' efficiency. How does one measure this objectively without recourse to test equipment?

Thank you.
Regards
vectra

 

[flecc]

Best way is to judge by range, getting the best use from each Watt/hour.

In standard trim these Panasonic unit bikes get around 30 miles for most people. When I tested the similar but heavier step-through Agattu at age 71, I got a consistent 33 to 35 miles per charge, and by riding a moderate route for economy using the power very sparingly I found 50 miles was possible. Using the same bike A to B Magazine also exceeded 30 miles, and when riding for economy using only the Eco power mode all the time, they got 46 miles. However, in normal mixed use expect 30 miles from the 10 Ah battery.

Those are impressive figures for 260 Watt/hours. The downside is that the system insists on the rider inputting a proportion of the power, 50% in standard power mode or 40% in high power mode. That's fine for most people, but it's essential to try this type of system first to ensure it suits.

Some owners change the gearing to give power assist beyond 15 mph, but of course that dents the range in proportion to the gearing change.
.