Cyclamatic £319.99 for a day.

[flecc]

Cheap has its place as well,

It certainly does and I support the widest choice in the market. I have two cars and one is right at the cheapest bottom end of the market but does a good job, so I'm no brand snob.

What I don't like is any attempt to portray better e-bikes as no better or the alternative pretence that cheap e-bikes do everything just as well and are effectively the same.

We've enough experience in this website to know different, not all e-bikes are made in China, and even those that are often use components not common to most bikes and can be very high quality.

There's a real difference between Suzou motors and those made by imitators, not least the lack of spares for the latter.

There's a real difference between the different Shimano ranges and an even bigger difference in the many fake Shimano products that China produces.

Better Chinese made bikes often use high quality genuine Japanese products like the Sanyo, Panasonic, Dapush and Yamaha motors and batteries from Panasonic and Sanyo.

There's a very big difference between the cheap Chinese lithium batteries and the best Chinese ones made by Advance, Lishen and Phylion now.

The e-bikes made in Europe like Kalkhoff, Gazelle, Sparta etc are of a superb quality that's vastly different from cheap Chinese production. While they use a few parts from such as Shimano, they are not the bottom end parts and the design integration is as good as it gets.
.

 

[keithhazel]

That`s all very well Keith but some people want to travel more than the battery capacity in one go. What`s the alternative? carry a geni around?

So! are you saying that in 18 months his first battery will be caput? no matter how much he uses it? even if he does the right thing and tops it up? or uses it alternatively.

I bought a second battery for my wifes bike and will use them alternately and when she is going a distance she will take the second battery as well.

My own experience with Lith batteries are that most of the problems people talk about are caused by mismatch chargers.

Just asking

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

sorry about saying kaput after 18 months,the real point i was making is i dont think new people to electric bikes realise about age killing the battery and not amount of useage,you frequently see e bikes on e-bay that are 2-3 years old and they say "hardley used" as though its still going to get the full distance...

as for the 18 month comment,apart from the panasonic battery's that give a two year warranty and maybe the wisper ones,i might be wrong there,im sure i will be corrected if im wrong..if you was to take your battery to the dealer from say your 18 month old Quando or that type of battery and tell them its dead what they going to do about it,i think you might be had for causing death by hysterical laughter...hands up all who have had a battery last less then 18 month...is that a mexicon wave i see befor me ?

and yes some people do want to travel more then what one battery charge can give,but what i spoke about was in direct reference to his comment about wanting another battery as a spare even though he had NEVER YET MANAGED to flatten the one he had, even though HE HAD TRIED... all his own words.. i simply said wasnt it pointless buying a cheap bike and then spending another £180...more then half the price of the full bike, and i assumed he was happy to go ahead and get the extra one because he believed that while he hardly would use it,it would last many years as he would not be wearing it out..

 

[Andy_82]

ok lads!!!

that is enough of that! Who wants to buy cheap go ahead and wish you luck

Who wants to buy quality at higher price and get your piece of mind, also good luck to you too

we are all here not to argue with each other but exchange views and certainly this thread starts to look like a 'row' now, so good night everyone,

 

[keithhazel]

Gone very quiet.......wonder what his Mum made him for tea

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

something scrambled !

 

[keithhazel]

I recently purchased a new Triumph motorcycle, I can see the value in that for £6000+ but not a bicycle with an electric motor on.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
when you drove out of the showroom after having paid £6000 for your bike, how much was the bike then worth ? what was the depreciation from new to second hand ?..

 

[fishingpaul]

This thread may set a new record for most replies yet,its been very interesting so far,my view is the cyclamatic looks very good value for money,and this type of price range is much more appealling to people who want a bike for leisure and some short commuting use,the £1200+ electric bikes do not add up economically, unless you get rid of a car and use the bike instead as your main transport ,yes the £1200+ bikes probably are of better quality build are more reliable and offer greater range and in some cases offer better dealer support,but they are not three or four times better in terms of performance or battery longevity,so for a casual user the cyclamatic looks very good value for money.

 

[onmebike]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
when you drove out of the showroom after having paid £6000 for your bike, how much was the bike then worth ? what was the depreciation from new to second hand ?..

Normally the depreciation is around 25% of list price at the time of purchase and that doesn't change much over the first couple of year's. There's a little flexibility in these figures depending on circumstances.
I trade in and my recent purchase involved three motorcycles for one, with a bit of cash. If I take in depreciation of the trade in's, I actually made a small profit on them over the period I had them because I bought privately at the right price. I'll be in a better position to answer your question after the weekend as I may be trading the one I have back for a more expensive one providing the deal is good enough. If not I'll stick with it for the time being.
This time of year is not good for motorcycle sales, especially with the weather the way its been and new models due out soon, older stock prices come down a bit.
The same dealer also supplies my car and he's pretty fair, he still has to make a profit though.

 

[Blew it]

Fishingpaul

This thread may set a new record for most replies yet,its been very interesting so far,my view is the cyclamatic looks very good value for money,and this type of price range is much more appealling to people who want a bike for leisure and some short commuting use,the £1200+ electric bikes do not add up economically, unless you get rid of a car and use the bike instead as your main transport ,yes the £1200+ bikes probably are of better quality build are more reliable and offer greater range and in some cases offer better dealer support,but they are not three or four times better in terms of performance or battery longevity,so for a casual user the cyclamatic looks very good value for money.

A reasoned and sensible assessment, well said Paul!.

To the best of my knowledge, there is only one forum member who has owned more examples of electric bikes than me, the difference is, I still have most of mine and ride them often.

The first three bikes I owned were 1st generation steel framed lead-acid batteried bikes that weighed a ton. The most expensive of these cost me £330 delivered and, oh boy!, did I have some fun with those bikes. None of those cheapo bikes ever let me down when riding remote country tracks.

The most expensive machine in my collection, at £1300, somewhat ironically, is the only machine that has ever suffered an electrical failure on the road, leaving me to struggle the three miles home without assistance.

In the last two-and-a-half years I've been following this forum, I have read about electrical and mechanical failures that really is the stuff of nightmares, often involving "high end" machines costing upwards of £1000. From personal experience, I can assure you, that purchasing an expensive machine will give you no greater reliability than that of a £400 machine.

Here's one final view that will almost certainly provoke a response from the dozen "front benchers" who are logged on to this forum almost all of their waking hours, just waiting waiting for any new members who dare to dip their toes into the water!.

It isn't the bikes that need to get better...........It's the riders!!!!.

 

[Old Timer]

A reasoned and sensible assessment, well said Paul!.

To the best of my knowledge, there is only one forum member who has owned more examples of electric bikes than me, the difference is, I still have most of mine and ride them often.

The first three bikes I owned were 1st generation steel framed lead-acid batteried bikes that weighed a ton. The most expensive of these cost me £330 delivered and, oh boy!, did I have some fun with those bikes. None of those cheapo bikes ever let me down when riding remote country tracks.

The most expensive machine in my collection, at £1300, somewhat ironically, is the only machine that has ever suffered an electrical failure on the road, leaving me to struggle the three miles home without assistance.

In the last two-and-a-half years I've been following this forum, I have read about electrical and mechanical failures that really is the stuff of nightmares, often involving "high end" machines costing upwards of £1000. From personal experience, I can assure you, that purchasing an expensive machine will give you no greater reliability than that of a £400 machine.

Here's one final view that will almost certainly provoke a response from the dozen "front benchers" who are logged on to this forum almost all of their waking hours, just waiting waiting for any new members who dare to dip their toes into the water!.

It isn't the bikes that need to get better...........It's the riders!!!!.

To
Blew it

A well balanced view in my opinion, just wait for the s*** to hit the fan
To
Onmebike

Nice talking to you on the radio tonight although I probably put a few lines on a few tv`s with my power(still they are all in bed by 12 anyway. What a sensible chap and now i have your phone number we can compare.

To

All

How about to lighten it up with a newspaper headlines? I`ll start it off.

Headline
COUNCIL BUY UP LAST REMAINING CYCLAMATIC ELECTRIC BIKES FOR PAVEMENT GRITTING TO KEEP DOWN COSTS

 

[Old Timer]

Headline

Cyclamatic Take On 1,000 New Staff To Meet Demand

 

[onmebike]

This thread may set a new record for most replies yet,its been very interesting so far,my view is the cyclamatic looks very good value for money,and this type of price range is much more appealling to people who want a bike for leisure and some short commuting use,the £1200+ electric bikes do not add up economically, unless you get rid of a car and use the bike instead as your main transport ,yes the £1200+ bikes probably are of better quality build are more reliable and offer greater range and in some cases offer better dealer support,but they are not three or four times better in terms of performance or battery longevity,so for a casual user the cyclamatic looks very good value for money.

Great well balanced Opinion, I see your a senior member, may I ask what your own personal experience's with ebike's are regarding models owned and service etc.

 

[onmebike]

A reasoned and sensible assessment, well said Paul!.

To the best of my knowledge, there is only one forum member who has owned more examples of electric bikes than me, the difference is, I still have most of mine and ride them often.

The first three bikes I owned were 1st generation steel framed lead-acid batteried bikes that weighed a ton. The most expensive of these cost me £330 delivered and, oh boy!, did I have some fun with those bikes. None of those cheapo bikes ever let me down when riding remote country tracks.

The most expensive machine in my collection, at £1300, somewhat ironically, is the only machine that has ever suffered an electrical failure on the road, leaving me to struggle the three miles home without assistance.

In the last two-and-a-half years I've been following this forum, I have read about electrical and mechanical failures that really is the stuff of nightmares, often involving "high end" machines costing upwards of £1000. From personal experience, I can assure you, that purchasing an expensive machine will give you no greater reliability than that of a £400 machine.

Here's one final view that will almost certainly provoke a response from the dozen "front benchers" who are logged on to this forum almost all of their waking hours, just waiting waiting for any new members who dare to dip their toes into the water!.

It isn't the bikes that need to get better...........It's the riders!!!!.

Another balanced opinion and from someone with across the board experience. This is useful information for would be purchasers.
There probably are components that should be avoided at any cost but generally as the ebike market expands and inferior parts are exposed, reliability should improve. I haven't explored this forum in its entirety so there may already be a listing of proven bad buys and things to steer clear of, if not it may be helpful to start one. I feel I know what the first suggestion may be?

 

[onmebike]

To

Onmebike

Nice talking to you on the radio tonight although I probably put a few lines on a few tv`s with my power(still they are all in bed by 12 anyway. What a sensible chap and now i have your phone number we can compare.


Brought back some forgotten memories. Don't think I'd like to get back into it as before though. Talking around the world was fun at the time and a bit of an achievement, but computers and the internet took over for me.
Its funny after the discussions about ebike prices, I looked at all that radio gear and thought, this lot cost me a small fortune and all those years ago.
Never mind its always there if I need it. Pity we're not nearer, your field sounds great for flying my models, that should wake the neighbours up.
Do you have overhead power cables? I just wondered if that may explain the interference. Thanks for the chat,I'll catch you later.

 

[Old Timer]

What! no headlines

Headline

When being interviewed by Quality e Bike Magazine and when asked why the refreshment stop off failed to open on Mont Blanc, Onmebike answered!

" No problem for the Cyclamatic dragging the tea bar to the top but! The Milk Went Off"

 

[Alex728]

To

Onmebike

Nice talking to you on the radio tonight although I probably put a few lines on a few tv`s with my power(still they are all in bed by 12 anyway. What a sensible chap and now i have your phone number we can compare.
.

I was even gonna dig out my rather battered Sony SW receiver and listen in on you two but ended up working late last night doing a system upgrade..

(what would you recommend as a reasonable price rig for SWL?P)

 

[keithhazel]

Normally the depreciation is around 25% of list price at the time of purchase and that doesn't change much over the first couple of year's. There's a little flexibility in these figures depending on circumstances.
I trade in and my recent purchase involved three motorcycles for one, with a bit of cash. If I take in depreciation of the trade in's, I actually made a small profit on them over the period I had them because I bought privately at the right price. I'll be in a better position to answer your question after the weekend as I may be trading the one I have back for a more expensive one providing the deal is good enough. If not I'll stick with it for the time being.
This time of year is not good for motorcycle sales, especially with the weather the way its been and new models due out soon, older stock prices come down a bit.
The same dealer also supplies my car and he's pretty fair, he still has to make a profit though.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

bicycle with an electric motor on.[/COLOR] and with depreciation value shall we say...100% over the first day but not losing much for the next few years thats just a guesstimat of course..so speaking for myself who are not well off to be able to buy what i want do you think i can see the value in losing enough that i could have bought 5 of these bicycles with an electric motor on it. however im not saying you are wrong what im really saying is that "things are not too expensive,just that we cant afford them" and whatever we can afford we can see the value in them,someone who has a £300 bicycle with an electric motor on it. who goes to work on it 5 days a week 48 weeks a year will see more value in it then possibly you will see in your £6000 Triumph who goes for a ride round the country on a nice summers day...(expecting a barage any minute )

 

[onmebike]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

bicycle with an electric motor on.[/COLOR] and with depreciation value shall we say...100% over the first day but not losing much for the next few years thats just a guesstimat of course..so speaking for myself who are not well off to be able to buy what i want do you think i can see the value in losing enough that i could have bought 5 of these bicycles with an electric motor on it. however im not saying you are wrong what im really saying is that "things are not too expensive,just that we cant afford them" and whatever we can afford we can see the value in them,someone who has a £300 bicycle with an electric motor on it. who goes to work on it 5 days a week 48 weeks a year will see more value in it then possibly you will see in your £6000 Triumph who goes for a ride round the country on a nice summers day...(expecting a barage any minute )

The dealer has just called and offered me a trade back against a Triumph Thunderbird+ extra's of my choice, list price incl extra's £11,500 and will allow me £6300 for my trade in, which was listed at £6819.00 incl extra's at time of purchase. Thats a loss of £519.00. But, take into account the profit earned on the three m/cycles traded in and the losses are slightly lower.
Obviously he can't sell my trade-in for what he's allowing me, so sets his losses against the profit on the new bike and still makes a profit. I won't benefit from any discounts from list price but only lose £519.00 less the profit earn't on my three trade-in's.
The spiteful bit is, I have to part with another £5200.00.
Doesn't sound to bad up to this point but the killer is, when I drive the new bike out of the showroom its value drops by 25% unless I later trade against something more expensive and the wheel goes round again.
I'm no youngster, my homes paid for and I've a bit put by, I'm not in the greatest of health and think if I don't do it now, I may not get another chance. If it all goes wrong, I'll sell up, spend my money on an extended world cruise and a few playthings, live my twilight years in a nursing home, sheltered accommodation or Prison.
There's no sense in owning property if you don't enjoy the profits before you die, that only benefits others.
Regarding the 100% loss in the first day on the ebike. That can't happen because I bought several in the sale and have already sold them on at a small profit making my own even cheaper. One thing is for sure, if I give mine away after a month, the loss will still be less than that of a £2000 model at a month old.

 

[onmebike]

I was even gonna dig out my rather battered Sony SW receiver and listen in on you two but ended up working late last night doing a system upgrade..

(what would you recommend as a reasonable price rig for SWL?P)

I'm not up on receivers but Maplins used to sell a cheap Sangean that had the BFO for side band, Sony and Roberts both make good sw radio's. Give Walters and Stanton's a ring in Hockley, Essex.
Kenwood, Yaesu and Icom are all good makes but expensive. Look on ebay, there are some good handheld receivers and transceivers available from China, if I get a chance I get you a link to some.

 

[Old Timer]

I was even gonna dig out my rather battered Sony SW receiver and listen in on you two but ended up working late last night doing a system upgrade..

(what would you recommend as a reasonable price rig for SWL?P)

Hiya Alex

Might be worth popping into W H Smiths and having a look in the back of a Mag like Short Wave and seeing if there are any radio rallies coming up in your area. How much do you know about radio? and SWListening?

 

[Alex728]

Hiya Alex

Might be worth popping into W H Smiths and having a look in the back of a Mag like Short Wave and seeing if there are any radio rallies coming up in your area. How much do you know about radio? and SWListening?

a fair bit (although not everything that DTI/Ofcom approved of ), during the 1990s was involved in Band II pirates but moved to legal RSL stations and internet radio).

I've done a bit of SWL but the problem I have is there is an abundance of computers and telecoms/networking kit in my house and they create interference.. actually considered taking the RAE but its all changed and I think the foundation course tutors in my area have passed on and no ones replaced them!