Mysterious folding pedelec

[lorenbeitra]

Hi everyone I am new to the forum!


I have been looking at getting an electric bike for commuting to work in London for some time and today I bid and won a folding ebike on eBay for the strangely cheap price of £199! Here it is:

eBay Listing

I bid as a slight spur of the moment thing so I didn't really have time to investigate the bike beforehand. I found the bike on a chinese export site and also on the website of a chinese ebike manufacturer but other than this can't find much info on it:

TDR166Z folding bike

http://www.small-antelope.com/

I believe that the bike has a Suzhou Bafang motor and that it uses this battery type http://www.alienbikes.co.uk/USERIMAGES/CIMG3660.JPG

I thought that maybe I could gleam some further information about the pedelec itself from you guys. Maybe you have seen a bike such as this one or perhaps you even own one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,


Loren

 

[SEATALTEA]

That has got to be one of the dodgiest Ebay sales ever !

0 feedback.

A photograph of a computer screen and a great command of English, I really hope you haven't paid.

'Follow the trend the and London Mayors bid to make London a city where people of all ages and abilities have the incentive, confidence and facilities to cyclke whenever suits them, by reducing travel demand and encouraging a model shift away from cars to more sustaonable forms of transport.'

 

[eddieo]

where you not concerned at all that they have no bike to take a proper picture of, and only snapped a poor picture from a brochure?

Caveat emptor springs to mind......

 

[lorenbeitra]

ha ha I did say it was strangely cheap! That thought had occurred to me also, but I felt like taking a risk.

I'm paying cash on collection so unless I am mugged while collecting it it should be fine.

 

[flecc]

In any case it's only a single speed low geared and very small wheel bike, so it wouldn't be worth much more anyway, there being hardly any market for a bike like this.

Basic unpowered single speed folders have appeared for as little as £69 at times, so at £199 with the electrics it's not a spectacular bargain.
.

 

[eddieo]

ha ha I did say it was strangely cheap! That thought had occurred to me also, but I felt like taking a risk.

I'm paying cash on collection so unless I am mugged while collecting it it should be fine.

You would have been better of seeking some knowledge and advice on here first

 

[Mussels]

I have been looking at getting an electric bike for commuting to work in London for some time and today I bid and won a folding ebike on eBay for the strangely cheap price of £199!

There are a few people on here who ride around London on a pedelec so may be able to offer advice, how far are you thinking of riding and what area are you coming in from?
The advice maybe to withdraw from the auction and accept negative feedback but then again the bike may suit your plans well.

 

[lorenbeitra]

I have a short commute of around 2 miles to work across flat terrain which I thought a little bike like this one should be perfect for (provided I can obtain the bike without being conned!). There are a lot of bike thefts in the area so there is the distinct possibility of it being stolen if I lock it up.

I had initially looked at the Synergie Mistral, Alien Lynx and Powacycle Salisbury as more serious options, but the very fact that these bikes can be used for longer distances, is in some ways is a bad thing. If I were to get a bike such as these I would likely never use my racing bike again which is my only real form of regular exercise!

Thanks for your advice about simply withdrawing my bid - it's certainly an option if I decide on another bike.

I like the new x-bike as it seems quite discrete. Has anyone tried one out?

 

[flecc]

Although that little folder is quite restricted with it's one gear, for a two mile trip it's no problem, faster than walking and an economical way of doing it. Batteries on cheap bikes are often fairly short lived for people who cover longer distances, but with that short distance you will probably be able to coax well over the two years that's the usual maximum.

This type of battery should be recharged regularly rather than running them to empty, but with only four miles a day, a charge every three days will be sufficient.

The X bike is so new I don't think any of us have tried one yet, but there will be some opportunities in the next few weeks.
.

 

[john]

Thanks for your advice about simply withdrawing my bid - it's certainly an option if I decide on another bike.

Actually, withdrawing a bid is not an option without a very good reason. When you bid you enter into a legally binding contract.

You may find a good reason not to pay though when you go to collect the bike, such as it not looking anything like the picture!

 

[Mussels]

Actually, withdrawing a bid is not an option without a very good reason. When you bid you enter into a legally binding contract.

eBay like to say that but that doesn't mean it's true, in the event of a conflict their answer is that the vendor needs to take legal action himself without their support. Great to see eBay backing up their claims.
The only test case I've heard of was in Australia there a buyer took a vendor to court for pulling an auction because he got a better price elsewhere, the buyer won the case but it doesn't mean much here.
If I'm selling then I don't consider it sold until I have the cash as there is no way I'm going to do anything more than leave bad feedback.

 

[john]

eBay like to say that but that doesn't mean it's true, in the event of a conflict their answer is that the vendor needs to take legal action himself without their support. Great to see eBay backing up their claims.
The only test case I've heard of was in Australia there a buyer took a vendor to court for pulling an auction because he got a better price elsewhere, the buyer won the case but it doesn't mean much here.
If I'm selling then I don't consider it sold until I have the cash as there is no way I'm going to do anything more than leave bad feedback.

I successfully sued an ebay member who won my car auction but then failed to turn up for no good reason.

 

[Tiberius]

Its not such a bad idea to get something cheap and simple at first. Even if it turns out not to be what you want long term, you will learn a lot. It will help you decide what sort of e-bike you want next.

Nick