New range of Cytronex bikes

[Patrick]

Ultimate hill climber

I'm looking forward to seeing someone add a Cytronex kit to an Aggatu.

 

[flecc]

I'm looking forward to seeing someone add a Cytronex kit to an Aggatu.

Like this Panasonic motored Lafree which has had a Heinzmann front hub motor added. This one also has a generator on the carrier!

 

[HarryB]

I went down to see the new range of bikes on Friday. There have been a number of changes to the way the Cytronex system works, the changes are definitely an improvement over the old system.

All bikes now have a pedelec sensor so will be legal when the EU laws are enforced. I think it makes sense anyway as you really need to be pedalling before you want the power to kick in. There are detailed changes to the way the brake cut outs operate. They no longer have switches drilled into the brake levers, relying instead on what looked like magnetic switches, which I am sure will ease manufacture and make the forthcoming kit viable. The on-off and speed control switches are in a much better position - no longer will you have to take your hand off the handlebars (and away from the brake lever!) to switch on the power.

I had a go on the top of the range, super light, single speed Capo. I was quite sceptical before riding it, thinking it would be too much effort to start off and then the cadence would be too high on the flat. I was won over, not sure won over enough to part with £1650 yet as my Cytronex is not even a year old. It only has the single speed motor as well and you don't need to keep switching it on as it is all automatic. Mark suggested that the motor would match your effort but I couldn't work out how unless there was some sort of torque sensor (I could only find a pedalec sensor). I think it would definitely work for london commuters or as a second bike for fun.

There are some improvements to the lights but the rest of the components remain the same with the Tongxin/nano motor and NiMH batteries.

 

[flecc]

Thanks for the news Hal, I like the sound of those magnetic brake lever cutouts, potentially much more reliable than the ones most bikes use.

The only thing I can think of with the power levels is if the controller senses the magnet pass rate on the pedelec rotor. That could enable the switching from "low" to "high" at a fixed speed, mimicking what riders had to do manually on the older bikes. Some e-bike controllers do have that pass rate measuring capability already.
.

 

[Barnowl]

Yes thanks Hal. I tried the Capo at Presteigne along with 2 other Cytronex bikes. I had been interested in single speed bikes before I went and was surprised to see 3 of them lined up and ready to try.
I tried the Capo first and raced off up the main road. As I've said before I thought it was a very enjoyable ride and the motor really complements the single speed/fixie arrangement for a nice fast get away. The other bikes, I stuck to the on site road (as instructed ) so couldn't really get a good feel for them. They all literally put a smile on my face though

As you say apart from improvements with the lights and the controls it's very much the same old kit which I think is good. I seem to recall the cabling being a very neat job with much of it very well hidden.
The only minor reservations I had were there use in hilly areas (given the single speed), cost and how very, very nickable they looked. I really don't see them competing with the much higher assistance and capacity bikes like the Wisper and the Kalkoff but that's not the market Cytronex have aimed them at.

I also think they would definitely work for london commuters & similar or as a second fun bike - stronger cyclists as well who just fancy a good push up the hills. Niche stuff but will suit some well.

 

[Mark/Cytronex]

Single Speed Questions

Hello Barnowl

Just to clarify, the assistance with the Capo is actually very powerful because of the power to weight ratio. However, the bike you tried at Presteigne only had very mild assistance because we produced it the day before and a mistake was made with the set up, so it was not giving the right level of assistance. We couldn't do anything about it until we got back to base. If you are down this way in the future, please do drop in and have another go. I believe I was the first legal bike home in the hill climb at Presteigne, using the Genesis, which was set up correctly. Not bad for a single speed bike!

The Gadget Show presenters were very impressed with the speed of the Capo! Some pics on our website at: Untitled Document. Program to air in August.

Flecc is spot on with his comments about the new brake switches - we developed this approach in order to maximise long term reliability and provide a robust and adaptable solution.

I didn’t describe the method of assistance very well to Hal, basically the single speed bikes push at whatever speed you are doing (it is continuously variable), basically they just try to make you go faster than you are, up to the maximum speed. There are no speeds to select and no restrictions on when you can switch assistance on. They are designed for town riding, so you can accelerate away from traffic lights fast and without having to shift through lots of gears. The idea is that the motor will quickly push you up to the optimum pedalling cadence and keep you there. When you need to go slowly in traffic you just switch off with the thumb switch.

It is also possible to climb hills fast and to my surprise I really enjoyed touring around the Lakes on a Genesis single speed over the Bank Holiday. The Genesis is steel framed (even though the total weight is below 16Kg) so it gives a nice comfortable ride. They won’t suit everyone, but if you ride in town, you really should try one.

Regards,

Mark

 

[HarryB]

Thanks for the update Mark. I was very impressed by the Capo but didn't give the Genesis much of a chance as I didn't have enough time. I didn't realise it was steel framed but then the Capo felt quite comfortable as well.

For the record where Cytronex is based does have some good inclines to test out the assistance (not sure of figures but I suppose they could be 1 in 5s or more). The Capo went up one of the hills almost from a standing start with surprisingly little effort (I had a sprained ankle at the time so can vouch for that) so not bad for a single speed. On the flat it buzzed up to 18 mph without the legs going like whisks. Not having to change gears or press buttons would benefit a London top-start commuter like myself and it looks pretty cool too!