Last chance to order the Swytch complete eBike kit for £225

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
52,761
30,348
I can't see where they may make extra savings on production cost.
If they want to sell it for £225 including VAT, then I believe it's below cost.
And then there's the anti-dumping tariff. :(

This sure looks like dumping to me!
.
 
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Warwick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 24, 2015
731
225
Warwick
The standard kits are now priced at £350 for the '25-mile' kit and £425 for the '50-mile' kit.
 

Warwick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 24, 2015
731
225
Warwick
Right, the 'almost certain' April 2018 delivery date is now 13 weeks from order, so taking us nicely up to mid-December - just in time for Christmas. Hmm, I think I'll hold fire on that one, thanks.
 
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infopete

Pedelecer
Nov 3, 2017
33
4
65
Leicester
I was brave (or stupid) and ordered two 700c kits and two Brompton kits.

All the kits arrived a week or so ago. Sadly one of the kits is without a battery or charger. Emailing Swytch has not worked and they have no telephone number to call.

The PAS does not fit on my donor bike as it's a carbon frame with a fat bottom bracket. Swytch say they do other types of PAS but I am waiting for a reply.

In the meantime the tyres came for the Brompton kits so I'll try to put one together this week.

If anyone is thinking of buying from Swytch I would wait until you can get a telephone number. Their only interest appears to be more sales and positive marketing; customer service is not on their list.
 
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Fingers

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 9, 2016
3,373
1,552
45
I was brave (or stupid) and ordered two 700c kits and two Brompton kits.

All the kits arrived a week or so ago. Sadly one of the kits is without a battery or charger. Emailing Swytch has not worked and they have no telephone number to call.

The PAS does not fit on my donor bike as it's a carbon frame with a fat bottom bracket. Swytch say they do other types of PAS but I am waiting for a reply.

In the meantime the tyres came for the Brompton kits so I'll try to put one together this week.

If anyone is thinking of buying from Swytch I would wait until you can get a telephone number. Their only interest appears to be more sales and positive marketing; customer service is not on their list.

Shame as it seems such a good idea.

I literally just found about this and was thoroughly smitten. If you do end up fitting it can you let me know if its lop sided with the front end weight?
 

infopete

Pedelecer
Nov 3, 2017
33
4
65
Leicester
The front wheel at 9mm for a road drop out has taken a lot more filing than I would have liked and I think I have a bit to file off yet.

Compared to my Dillinger 350w front wheel it is really light but If I can get up the hills around here I have yet to find out.

I am hopeful I will get it working but so far I think they need to change the "convert any bike" bit as I an sure it is not true.
 
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Warwick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 24, 2015
731
225
Warwick
There is an Oliver who works at/for Panda Bikes & I think they are very closely linked to the Swytch project. If they have a Twitter account, go on there and vent your spleen. That often works miracles.
 

jeff St.Clair

Pedelecer
Sep 5, 2018
53
20
70
Crete
Yes when I was looking at a kit for my conversion Swytch was on my list, but I was put off by a few things ...the lack of a delivery date , or delivery cost ,and the weight on the handlebars ..The thing about crowdfunding projects that bug me. they should be used for cutting edge ideas from startup companies that need the injection of cash to succeed ...I saw one the other day for a shoe how long have we had shoes .....
 

infopete

Pedelecer
Nov 3, 2017
33
4
65
Leicester
There is an Oliver who works at/for Panda Bikes & I think they are very closely linked to the Swytch project. If they have a Twitter account, go on there and vent your spleen. That often works miracles.
Looking at the directors for panda and Swytch, they are the same person.
I have had several emails from Oliver saying customer satisfaction is their number one priority and they are working on the issue of the PAS sensor. Problem is their timescales.
 

peter.c

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 24, 2018
1,611
491
thurrock essex
That's a common start up problem once you scale the kits from a few a week up to need hundreds or even thousands at one time, something has to give and if you farm out the logistics picking / packing etc most orders will be ok but it takes time and it is suddenly beyond your control.
It becomes a box in the warehouse that might be hundreds of miles away from the tech staff and just a list to pick and pack and may even be ready packed in the factory as a kit thousands of miles away do you open every box to check the contents then repack and send out
I visited Swytch London base last year in Stratford its not near pandas warehouse address
 

Warwick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 24, 2015
731
225
Warwick
Read the very first message in this thread. Swytch = Panda...
 

infopete

Pedelecer
Nov 3, 2017
33
4
65
Leicester
I have both the Brompton kits working and mostly I like them. Mine cuts in and out a bit and it is a bit slow for the power to cut in I will play with the settings and see if it improves.

I'm running on the "50 mile" battery and I think 50 miles is very very optimistic.

And, of course, I still have two kits that will not fit on the intended bikes.
 

spinellino

Pedelecer
May 11, 2017
53
24
44
Italy
I also got two kits. I managed to fit the first one on my wife's bike quite easily. We had the chance to try it only for a few miles, but first impressions are mostly good.
The other one is for my old road bike and I'm still struggling fitting the PAS magnets on to the hollowtech BB.
 

infopete

Pedelecer
Nov 3, 2017
33
4
65
Leicester
I also got two kits. I managed to fit the first one on my wife's bike quite easily. We had the chance to try it only for a few miles, but first impressions are mostly good.
The other one is for my old road bike and I'm still struggling fitting the PAS magnets on to the hollowtech BB.
There are solutions for hollowtech on the Swytch facebook page.

My old bike has a Dillinger kit on it. I was going to put the Swytch on my unused carbon Ribble but the bottom bracket is too wide.
 

spinellino

Pedelecer
May 11, 2017
53
24
44
Italy
Me and my wife went for a test ride of her newly converted bike. We wanted to try it on the fairly steep hill that brings us to our future home.
The test went very well indeed! We managed to climb at relatively high speed (around 15km/h) pretty much all the way up. When we were on the steepest bit of the road she had to use the motor at full power, you could definitely hear the motor struggle and she had to help with her legs a bit, but still managed to climb without a sweat.
I'm not sure the tiny motor could cope with much more than that but considering it's size it would be unfair.

Overall I'm very happy about the purchase, especially considering the price.

On the other hand, I couldn't fit my other kit on my old road bike. Every single piece required modifications and just too much work, so I gave up.
Fortunately my needs had changed in the meantime, so instead of a lightweight ebike I will need a cheap stealthy one. So I will get a used old bike and fit the kit on that.
 

infopete

Pedelecer
Nov 3, 2017
33
4
65
Leicester
Fed Up with Swytch
They have sent me two V12 sensors but they don't fit either. I have emailed to ask what they suggest but I guess they are all in America as I have not had a reply.
I still have two road kits I cannot use.
Maybe the Swytch guys would like to visit me and prove they can convert Any bike.
It's either that or they can collect the useless kits I have.
 
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David888

Finding my (electric) wheels
Feb 28, 2015
5
0
62
I’m now being offered a higher spec hub motor as a sweetener for a further delay .