Swizzbee owners please stand up

[ITSPETEINIT]

Hello Swizzbee Owners (you lucky people! or are you?)
I am dying to get Swizzbee owners views and experiences of the way their bikes perform.
There will be a need to disclose personal details of weight/heath/fitness because these are the variables between one person and another and are important when drawing conclusions to be applied to the viewer (see my profile)
Without wishing to be disagreeable, it would be great to know, when speaking of the bike's performance on hills, the gradient (x% or 1 in whatever). "It was steep" or "It was fairly steep" or "it was a gentle slope" is not quite scientific enough for proper comparisons when applying the other data.
Apart from a manufacturer's or suppliers' reviews, which I have found to be writtten in the best possible light from a sales point of view, very little is known.
Never mind what the bike will do on the drawing board: what does it do in real life for that hefty price tag?
Peter

 

[flecc]

The only things I've read about it in the past Peter seem to indicate it's not a very good hill climber, despite that sophisticated combining gear system. It seems to perform best for producing speed. Of course that partly be lack of motor torque, rather than entirely due to the gear system.

Like you, I want to see and hear of actual experiences from owners and experienced e-bike testers.
.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

That's the Swizzbee. What about the Flyer

The only things I've read about it in the past Peter seem to indicate it's not a very good hill climber, despite that sophisticated combining gear system. It seems to perform best for producing speed. Of course that partly be lack of motor torque, rather than entirely due to the gear system.

Like you, I want to see and hear of actual experiences from owners and experienced e-bike testers.
.

There was one bike that fairly flew up the cols in the Alps - snow and all. It was a Flyer of some sort (that's the name not a comment on what it does, though the Manufacturers/Suppliers would like us to think that's was it does)
ANY FLYER OWNERS OUT THERE WITH PERSONAL AND BIKE CLIMBING ABILITY DATA THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

If Jean-Claud (JCH) is reading this perhaps he would give us his impressions of the Birdy in real life terms.
Peter

 

[Django]

The sticky at the top of the forum page suggests that only one Swizzbee owner has visited. Still, rasing the profile of this thread again might attract a response. I too am very interested.

Django

 

[flecc]

Hello Swizzbee Owners (you lucky people! or are you?)

Their owners, and there are a few, seem to be mysteriously quiet worldwide. Maybe Peter's "or are you" is more relevant than his "you lucky people".

Delighted people usually say as much.

 

[lectureral]

Well I am spending next week in Geneva - for my own interest and that of the forum I will try to get a test ride and take some pictures.

 

[flecc]

That's good news lectureral. If you do get that chance, please try it on hills in particular and also let us know what your own e-bike is so we can judge the relative evaluation of the Swizzbee's worth.

 

[Leonardo]

it would be indeed very interesting! I have found very few reviews in German: they say that the Swizzbee is not so bad uphill, even if it is true that the main point of this bike is the speed; but above all it seems that the starting is rather laborious, because the motor starts only after some metres... that's a big difference to classical crank drive of the Flyer for istance (and it makes a big difference when you have to start going uphill)

By the way (OT) how does it work the starting on the ezee? the bikes with hub motor that I know start or after a pedal turn or once they have caught up some speed: is it the ezee different?

@ ITSPETEINIT: you can find some experience about the Flyer (also videos) in our Italian Forum Biciclette Elettriche - look the threads in "Esperienze" whose author is "job"

 

[lectureral]

Will try to do that flecc - depends on how long they let me go off on it - it's about 2 miles from the shop to a decent hill. My current bike is a MTB with attached Currie motor (see penultimate page of "Just Registered? Introduce yourself here!" thread for a picture)

That's good news lectureral. If you do get that chance, please try it on hills in particular and also let us know what your own e-bike is so we can judge the relative evaluation of the Swizzbee's worth.

 

[flecc]

Will try to do that flecc - depends on how long they let me go off on it - it's about 2 miles from the shop to a decent hill.

Isn't that always the way! I've noticed how electric vehicle suppliers always seem to base themselves away from hills, they're obviously not mugs.

I do remember seeing your Currie bike now you mention it. That's good on hills of course, so if you get the chance and find the Swizzbee better it will be ok.

Having to pedal it up to speed first doesn't sound promising though, I wouldn't like to do that on an 8%, let alone a 25%.

 

[Django]

Isn't that always the way! I've noticed how electric vehicle suppliers always seem to base themselves away from hills, they're obviously not mugs. .

More than just not being mugs, these guys must have done some serious research to come up with such a location in Switzerland.

Django

 

[flecc]

More than just not being mugs, these guys must have done some serious research to come up with such a location in Switzerland.

Django

That's true. My favourite fact about the Swiss is the way they spent a fortune on British Centurian tanks many years ago, then had to lease space in France for training and exercises as there was nowhere suitable in Switzerland. You couldn't make it up!
.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Away from the Hills

Flecc Pedelec Guru

Quote:
Originally Posted by lectureral View Post
Will try to do that flecc - depends on how long they let me go off on it - it's about 2 miles from the shop to a decent hill.

Isn't that always the way! I've noticed how electric vehicle suppliers always seem to base themselves away from hills, they're obviously not mugs.

It may be the shop's reluctance to let you ride it far rather than it's polder-like location.

That's true at the centre but not at the peripherals for 50 Cycles - Loughborogh is flatter than a billiard table except for the hump bridge over the canal about 25 metres long.
Their testing grounds are those provided by their demonstrators out in the field.
Ask for a demo in Wales or the South Hams in Devon, or even at Flecc's place. You'll have a serious interpreter on hand at the last one as well as the gradients.
Them 'oop' North will know their own nemeses.
One has to put oneself out (probably).
I wish I had taken the trouble - but Pedlec's Forum was not available then.
It has lightened the darkness (read the last work how you like).
Peter

 

[Simon]

Swizzbee owner standing up!

Hi all

Just spotted this thread, and posting a quick response for now. Happy to try to answer any questions, although I must stress I'm no bike expert.

Sorry, can't give much feedback on the bike's hill climbing ability as I mainly use it for commuting along south coast cycle route (road and cycle track) - pretty flat! The odd blast over steepish railway bridges hasn't caused it to think too hard though - will try to suss the gradients involved and comment when I've got some maths to back it up...

I weigh approx 13.5 stone, I'm 57, and as to fitness: I walk a lot but don't jog too far - ie it could be better! Bought the Swizzbee for several reasons - it looked gorgeous (well, it made a difference from my point of view), I was intruiged by its technology, it had more gears than most, I liked the way you could vary the amount of power assist up and down from the default level, and to contribute to fitness I wanted a bike you HAD to pedal rather than have a twist-and-go throttle. I also liked the idea of the integral lighting.

Before choosing the Swizzbee I tried an Urban Mover and a Powabyke, and although keen to try a Torq I never managed to arrange a dem in time. Bought the bike through work - our company's accountant is a keen cyclist and recommended the salary sacrifice scheme. Might not have spent quite so much if I'd bought it outright myself, but I don't have any regrets. It's a beautiful machine.

What's it like to ride? An absolute hoot. We get our fair share of strong winds/gales along the south coast, and I'm often glad of the power available, and of the range of gearing - handy if you run out of juice. The acceleration is great, and being able to get up to speed quickly at traffic lights etc seems a good safety feature. Brakes are excellent, and in one emergency stop I smelt the tyres smoking.

Hope that helps as a kick-off, I'll try to add to this initial snapshot in the near future.

Cheers
S

 

[Django]

Hi Simon,

Thanks very much for your thoughts, the more variety we have here the better.

I would be interested to know what sort of range you get.

Thanks,

Django

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Swizbee owner up standing

Thank you Simon for that expose of the bike's performance.
If you can get more technical with the gradients on climbs that would be really helpful.
Thank you for disclosing your weight - you're a stone lighter than me but have an enormous age/health/fitness advantage.
You are right (of course) about "gorgeous".
Glamour is expensive
Peter

 

[flecc]

Many thanks Simon, like others I'd really appreciate any climb information you can give, just a pity you have no longish hills to try it on. Also, is it correct as I've read that it has to be pedalled off the mark initially for the power to kick in?

Strange the differences between us all on appearance though, truly beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me it would have to lose that curvy cruiser frame before I'd want one.
.

 

[Simon]

Hi all

Django - haven't pushed the range to the limit very much, but would guess at 20 to 25 miles. Longest run so far was about 23 miles, and it did run out of juice approx half a mile from home (!), but the start of that journey did include a few steep hills around Brighton (the only time it's been exposed to that kind of terrain), and it wasn't fully charged at the start of the trip.

Peter, flecc - sure, will try to put some real numbers to the hills. Will nominate a suitable incline, try to calculate it sensibly, and let you know what happens.

And re power kick-in, I guess it takes a couple or three crank-arounds, but as the acceleration is so impressive, IMHO, I've never considered it an issue. In real terms, it seems to move off the mark so damn quickly, that you're often ahead of the first car while they're still engaging their clutch - but maybe I'm biased!

Hope that answers some of the questions, more stuff on the hills as soon as. And I'll try to pen a proper review in the near future.

S

S

 

[flecc]

Thanks for the quick response Simon.

I wanted to know about those initial two or three crank turns since it would have a more serious effect if having to set off up a steep hill. Even one turn up a 14% or steeper would be very tough.
.

 

[nigel]

Nigel

Hi simon
also what is the bikes top speed and do you know the bikes total weight many thanx NIGEL.