had a shot of a new bike today

[winterdog]

I was down at the electric cycle company today. just dropping in on my wisper getting fixed. I was offered a go on one of the trek bikes (i think it was the 7200+ WSD) it was a step through one sporting a bionics hubs.

man that bike has beans it got it's self up to 15 MPH in a hurry and I could feel pull under me. There is a straight through frame down there i would like to try next time im down. it is a real possibility for my next bike i do wonder how good the regen brakes.

my wisper eats up the long commute I wonder if the Valencia+ would do the same.



davidk

 

[flecc]

BionX are very good systems, that fast version certainly powerful, but at the cost of a little bit of the hill climb ability and range of course.

The regeneration isn't really a brake, just recovers kinetic energy downhill which will slow it a little. It won't recover very much under most conditions though, many owners don't bother to switch to it, just using the three power levels.
.

 

[HarryB]

I have put the Valancia Plus on my shortlist. Seems to have most things I want - high quality motor with excellent freewheel, disc brakes so I don't have to replace the rims and brake pads all the time. 700c wheels but I would prefer a hub gear rather than the overkill of 24 gears - however that would prove technically difficult. I would like to charge only at home rather than at work but I wonder if the battery would do the 20 mile return journey and if so for how long. I think I need 10Ah+ for that. Still a shop near work have a version to test ride so I might give that a go tomorrow.

 

[winterdog]

yea it's the distance that I would need to test to

davidk

 

[HarryB]

I have put the Valancia Plus on my shortlist. Seems to have most things I want - high quality motor with excellent freewheel, disc brakes so I don't have to replace the rims and brake pads all the time. 700c wheels but I would prefer a hub gear rather than the overkill of 24 gears - however that would prove technically difficult. I would like to charge only at home rather than at work but I wonder if the battery would do the 20 mile return journey and if so for how long. I think I need 10Ah+ for that. Still a shop near work have a version to test ride so I might give that a go tomorrow.

Went out on one of the Trek Ride + Bionx equipped bikes today. Pleasantly surprised about the power of the motor as I always thought they were a bit limp. Beats the socks off a cytronex or even the 906XC I tested when it comes to acceleration - and very quiet too. Regen works well with the brakes and the fit and finish seemed good. Pedal sensor worked very well and seemed to power up to about 28kph but one slight glitch is that the power cutoff was occasionally a bit on-off at this speed. Also I was shocked by all the weight on the back of the bike - a problem having the battery and the motor all at the back. I noticed that things got a bit bouncy at the back when the road surface was rough. Still you cannot argue about the price as it is cheapest on my list so far.

So we have:
Trek Valancia Plus
Wisper 906 alpino
Kalkhoff Sahel disc

Still waiting for the Sahel and 906 to materialise for a test ride.

 

[flecc]

Also I was shocked by all the weight on the back of the bike - a problem having the battery and the motor all at the back. I noticed that things got a bit bouncy at the back when the road surface was rough.

Probably shows the wisdom of their traditional in frame battery box. These smaller battery rear carrier ones are recent and don't seem as practical to me.
.

 

[HarryB]

Agreed and I would pay more for the frame battery. Unfortunately I don't have much choice as you seem to get a whole bionx equipped bike for the same money as a kit. Can you even buy the kit in this country anyway?

 

[Stumpi]

I was down at the electric cycle company today. just dropping in on my wisper getting fixed. I was offered a go on one of the trek bikes (i think it was the 7200+ WSD) it was a step through one sporting a bionics hubs.

man that bike has beans it got it's self up to 15 MPH in a hurry and I could feel pull under me. There is a straight through frame down there i would like to try next time im down. it is a real possibility for my next bike i do wonder how good the regen brakes.

my wisper eats up the long commute I wonder if the Valencia+ would do the same.



davidk

What was the problem with your Wisper?

 

[Tex]

HarryB: you can hack or deactivate the Bionx speed limiter (id US sourced). Search in V is for Voltage site.

 

[Tex]

HarryB: you can hack or deactivate the Bionx speed limiter (if US sourced). Search in the V is for Voltage site.

 

[flecc]

Agreed and I would pay more for the frame battery. Unfortunately I don't have much choice as you seem to get a whole bionx equipped bike for the same money as a kit. Can you even buy the kit in this country anyway?

Yes, the kits are handled in the UK by Zyro:

BionX "Where to Buy - UK"
.

 

[HarryB]

Yes, the kits are handled in the UK by Zyro:

BionX "Where to Buy - UK"
.

Thanks I saw that but there is nothing on the website - I'll have to do that old fashioned thing called picking up the 'phone.

 

[flecc]

Thanks I saw that but there is nothing on the website - I'll have to do that old fashioned thing called picking up the 'phone.

Please listen carefully to the following options, option 1 - - - - - -
.

 

[HarryB]

They are going to stock them but won't have any information for two or three week. I suspect they are going to be expensive anyway....

 

[flecc]

They are expensive kits and batteries, I think when they are included into manufactured bikes they must be subsidised.

The SRAM Sparc fitted into the Carrera e-bike that Halfords sold a year back seemed to be the same, the whole e-bike was slightly cheaper than the kit!
.

 

[HarryB]

The problem is I now have £1000 from the cycle to work scheme that can only be spent on a bicycle. I could probably wash another £1200 as that would give me a fantastic electric bike for the same price as the kalkoff sahel (£2200). Any more would be too expensive and impossible to get passed the committee.