got my powabyke euro today

electric.mike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 16, 2007
342
49
grimsby
yes after listening to good advice i decided to buy the powabyke euro anyway!!!!.
in the shop it looked very nice shiny black paint work,the right size i found the balance better than i thought it would be, so paid and took it home. next was a few runs round the block to get the hang of the modes(on the sakura i have peddal and throttle at the same time).
came back home, read the instructions on power modes,tried again,and it worked great,one push down on the peddal a twist of the throttle and boy are you away.
next step was to move pannier bags and speedo over from the sakura, did that got ready for a test run, then thought why is that chunk of paint missing from the bottom of the part of the frame the forks go through(not getting too techinal with that description i hope)slid my thumb across it and thought that paints thick, put my glasses on and low and behold it looks like a frame crack.
the bike goes back tomorow if its not a crack i will poste on here to clear the matter up but any way a chunk of paint the size of a thumbnail should not flake of in a couple of hours.
go on flecc say it I **** YOU SO
mike
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
I would never say that Mike, my immediate response is the hope that it's not a crack, followed by sympathy for you if it is. There shouldn't be a problem though, Powabyke will I'm sure see to it that get satisfaction and a bike that's correct in all respects. They've been around for a while and wouldn't want to offend a new customer. They suffer from deficits in Chinese quality control in the way that many manufacturers do, and I'm sure will do their best to overcome that problem.
 
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nigel

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 18, 2006
467
0
nigel

Hi mike
i used a powabyke for over a year and it will do the 25 miles plus they claim yes it is a bit of a tank but they keep on going and it is good on hills with slight pedel assit it keeps on going speed average at about 13mph with a new battrey so its not all doom and gloom if only it was 20 kilos lighter:D
 

electric.mike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 16, 2007
342
49
grimsby
nigel funny you should mention 13mph i didnt get to ride it with the speedo on, but i felt on power only it was well short of 15mph, not that its a problem because we normaly plod along at 10 mph any way.

flecc ime sure your right about powabyke as a company, allso in my favour is i deal with jobes in hull who have proved themselves in the past to still know what good old fashion service is.
my first reaction was they can place there bikes where the sun dont shine, but ime sure once i got use to the bike i could sqeeze a lot of mileage out of the battery.
so now ime thinking replacement,another question while ime here, the seat on the powabike moves parts of my anatomy to places i dont want them, can you recomend a softish gell saddle that wont, possibly at halfords so i can see it before i buy.
mike
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
Sorry I don't have a saddle recommendation Mike, I haven't bought one for years as I often included the saddle quality in a choice of bike. Worth a look at Halfords though, since I seem to remember seeing a padded one on a rack while I was looking at other stock next to them.

Try the independent dealers as well though, they also usually have stock.

Otherwise, check out the ranges at Fisher Outdoor Leisure which all cycle dealers can get promptly for you. This first link includes some great comfort saddles from Sportourer, and this second link shows a low cost Velo saddle. Velo saddles are used on some of the eZee bikes like the Quando, and they're very comfortable.
 
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Flying Kiwi

Pedelecer
Dec 25, 2006
209
0
Buckinghamshire
Velo saddles are used on some of the eZee bikes like the Quando, and they're very comfortable.
I second that. My Giant Twist Comfort came with a Velo VL6050 saddle as original equipment and it's definitely comfortable enough. I did have to get it replaced under warranty though after the retainer for the front springs broke off on the seats plastic frame. I've come to the conclusion this may have been associated with picking up the bike by the seat 'nose' - I'll avoid this in future just in case and hold the seat at the back instead.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
I've come to the conclusion this may have been associated with picking up the bike by the seat 'nose' - I'll avoid this in future just in case and hold the seat at the back instead.
This could be common to the Velos, as I've noticed a specific warning in the eZee manual to avoid picking up by the saddle.
 

electric.mike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 16, 2007
342
49
grimsby
well the powabyke has gone back with a full refund, and the usual good service from jobes at hull, (ime not connected with them in any way)its just that crap service seems to be all to common in this day and age, in all types of shops i allways try to repay good service with a mention somewhere.

now ime stuck as what to get, at the moment both sakura batteries are having new cells to give me thinking time.

i dont think i would like the izip, because what ive read the power is only throttle controld, i realy want to use pedal assist but have the throttle on tap,i find this system enables me to stretch the range.
as i said before i want to get 20miles without draining the battery and the power max to tow a trailer sometimes and only spend up to£700.
localy i have dealers for izip (dont know if that meens any thing else from 50 cycles) urban mover,giant,powabyke,and sakura i will not purchse any thing like this unless the shop is close enough for me to sort any problems out face to face, so any ideas i promise to listen this time.
mike
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
I can't think of anything at the moment which gives the sort of power you want with twistgrip and pedelec modes that will reach that range Mike.

Basically what you ideally want is very much what everyone asks for all the time, but not technically realistic at present. It's a matter of choosing which element you are prepared to sacrifice, the range or the power. I always choose range in this circumstance, since an extra battery is easily carried, but it's not possible to carry more power watts.

The most powerful legal bike that will tow, handle hills up to 12%, even with a trailer, cruising at around 15 to 16 mph, and tow a large trailer with some load up a 5% slope at around 12 mph is the eZee Quando II folder (not the Quando I), believe it or not. I know because I do it, and it's tough enough and rigid enough to do it. There's only a single 70" gear though (not 53" as shown on 50cycles site), but that doesn't stop it climbing due to it's sheer power. The downside is a typical range of about 15 miles, so a second battery is needed. It's also just over your mark at £745 for the NiMh version, which happily is best for high load situations like towing.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,763
30,349
To 50cycles

I'm pleased to hear you've got the Sprint available again, it's been sorely missed during it's absence as there was nothing to equal it and I'd have mentioned it if I'd known, ability on hills coupled with a good turn of speed.
 

electric.mike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 16, 2007
342
49
grimsby
50 cycles
thanks i had looked at that and as you say the spec is very close to what i need its just the price is a bit more than i wanted (ime semi retired and only now take agency work so if i spend more i have to work more).
if i could convince myself to spend the extra would i be able to see and try one at loughborough, whilst not an ideal distance if any thing did go wrong its not to far from me at grimsby.
years ago i made many trips there to a camera shop.

its not to urgent now, because as i said i am having both our sakura batteries rebuilt, and it will be at least 3 or 4 weeks before the weather is good enough for a day at the beach, with all the gear in a trailer!!!!!!!!!!
mike