Which bike from a choice of 3??

Looking to buy my first electric bike and looking for some advice on which model to purchase. Ideally looking to purchase through cyclescheme which would give me £1000 and could top up to £1500.

 

The first 2 I was looking at were the Crossfire E from Halfords and the Gtech Bike both of which would have to be bought cash/card.

The third option is the Cube Cross Hybrid 400 which is £1500.

 

I used to cycle a fair bit but stopped 4 years ago after having a very mild angina attack, I've since had heart surgery and after a period of being too scared to do any cycling Ive decided it's time to get back into it and figured ebike's might be best for me. I'm ok to exercise and have been using a cross trainer at home for the last few months.

 

Most of my cycling will be done on the Tarka Trail here in North Devon with a little road cycling and possibly a 11 mile trek to work which as a couple of hills.

 

Any advice etc would be greatly appreciated.

Three different bikes.

 

The Gtech has the weakest motor, so will be the hardest work and its small capacity battery might barely get the 11 miles if you need to use full power (such as it is) all the time.

 

Single speed is probably not a good idea for notoriously hilly Devon, although I understand the Tarka Trail is about as flat as could be expected given the area.

 

The Crossfire is cheap, a few on here have them, but as with all such bikes there are quite a few reports of niggly faults, particularly electrical.

 

The Cube is a good quality bike and ought to be reliable.

 

Bosch bikes climb quite well, if you use higher settings and a low gear.

 

If you get on with ebiking, your use may develop into longer and more challenging rides.

 

In that respect the Cube would be more 'future proof'.

Edited August 11, 20169 yr by RobF

Thanks for the quick reply.

You've confirmed what I was kind of thinking just needed to check really.

Do want something that after a while will allow me to use like a normal bike when I require. Cycling to work would be 9 miles on the trail with a couple of miles on road with a steep hilljust before work.

Hi McCol, if you had a chance to test ride I'm confident you would realise the Cube with the Bosch motor is the only choice. Given your recent health history the Bosch system will be a reliable system to aid your recovery and Cube bikes offer good value. You'll be able to get the exercise you need while maintaining control your exertion and therefore you're likely to use the bike more often.....so get the best one you can.

If you decide it is going well you can consider upgrading to the Bosch Nyon display which will give you access to useful training programs.

One recommendation - buy from an ebike specialist for the best advice and after sales support.

My wife has the Crossfire and I have the Cube and we live in Devon so I can probably be a good source for you. We also have another Crossfire which we hire out on the campsite and it is the more popular of our two hire bikes - the other is a Dutch style crank drive. No problems with either Crossfire and a good buy for the price. I wouldn't consider a single gear bike in Devon - at some stage you will be off the Tarka Trail and grateful for all the help you can get! The GTech comes from a remote location - the other two would be locally purchased so easy to get fixed if there is a problem.The Cube is just a different level to the Crossfire, albeit at a much bigger price. I did manage to get £100 off the ticket price + a kickstand so always worth a haggle. The Cube is smoother than the Crossfire and has a detachable head unit, which is a really nice security plus. More sophisticated display and cleverer technology as it momentarily eases power for gear shifts. Better off-road too if you decide to get a little muddy. Not a full blown mountain bike but fine for less extreme trails. So - pay your money and take your choice. Both the Carerra and the Cube are good value for their cost - it's just down to your budget.

Edited August 11, 20169 yr by AndyEBike

Hi McCol, if you had a chance to test ride I'm confident you would realise the Cube with the Bosch motor is the only choice. Given your recent health history the Bosch system will be a reliable system to aid your recovery and Cube bikes offer good value. You'll be able to get the exercise you need while maintaining control your exertion and therefore you're likely to use the bike more often.....so get the best one you can.

If you decide it is going well you can consider upgrading to the Bosch Nyon display which will give you access to useful training programs.

One recommendation - buy from an ebike specialist for the best advice and after sales support.

I have a Cube and rather than upgrade to a Nyon display I bought a Garmin Edge 20 which does everything I want in terms of mapping etc. I already have a heart rate monitor or I would have gone for the Edge 25 which can incorporate this data too. The Garmin Connect app/site lets me see my rides with speeds, altitude, etc and compare it with my marathon running son in law on his non-electric bike.

My advice, as a newbie to e-bikes, is simply that its best to go a test ride some bikes. You need to get a feel for it and speak to an e-bike specialist (not that I'm suggesting those who have already replied aren't ). An e-bike will need annual maintenance and buying local offers some assurance that if your chosen ride needs any adjustments or tweaks after purchase, it can be sorted easily.

you would also get better support if you bought from one of the sellers advertising on the forum.

There are some good deals at the moment from the closing sale of the London Electric Bike Company...07841 412199...including KTM,Haibike and Kudos,the list is on this forum.

Have just sold a Kudos Arriba to a guy in Exmouth,he loves it,perfect hillclimber with the BPM motor. If you look on my website there is a dealer in Weston super Mare,who has a Kudos Tornado if you want to test.

Good luck

KudosDave

The cube for me all day l5

Thanks for all the helpful replies folks. There is a local dealer who stocks the Cube so hopefully will try it out on Saturday.

Happy days and let us all know how you get on.

Had a change of plan and possible change of mind over choice of bike.

 

Couldn't make it to try the Cube but over the last couple of days have been reading more about the Carrerra. I'm thinking that because it's my first electric bike and the price difference that I might plump for the Carrerra at its current 20% off price.

It makes it almost half the price of the Cube. Going to try and get a trial ride on both over the next few days.

if you got the change then get the cube the bosch motor and 400batt is 1150 if you could buy them like that on there own.

 

it might be twice the price but much better value for the money

Get the Cube because of what you get for the money and resale value will also be good if you need to upgrade.

I get the whole resale point however from a cost point I'm struggling to justify paying that much more on my first ebike. I could stretch to it but thinking that if I really get into it then I can upgrade in a couple of years.

I get the whole resale point however from a cost point I'm struggling to justify paying that much more on my first ebike. I could stretch to it but thinking that if I really get into it then I can upgrade in a couple of years.

 

The Carrera is an attractive price, but as I mentioned in reply to your OP, reliability is questionable.

 

Some good early reports on here, but we rarely hear from anyone who has managed to put a few thousand miles on a budget bike.

 

In contrast, there are many of us - me included - who have done thousands of miles on ebkes of similar quality to the Cube.

"Buy cheap, buy twice" as the proverb says. If you can afford to go for the better quality bike, I think you'd be well advised to do it. I suspect the second-hand market is going to be awash with Crossfires that people bought because the price seemed attractive and didn't get on with as they hoped. A second-hand Cube will at least have the advantage of being different in that market if you don't get on with it.

 

That said, there really is no substitute for trying some bikes - get out to a dealer and have a go, even if it means you need to travel a bit.

If you still plan to buy through a c2w scheme, then cost should be less of a issue. I've bought my Wisper that way and was prepared to pay for the more expensive Torque version -but ended up with the SE which suited me better. Just happened to come in under £1k which was a bonus.

 

It's really worth trying a few others out before you commit Its a considered purchase for sure.

Went to look at both today but didn't get a chance to try either as was on way to work.

 

The Cube does ooze more quality than the Carrerra and I intend to go back later this week and try the Cube but I'm struggling to justify the extra cost - twice the price.

 

I'll give a wee example of the way I'm thinking. I've spent alot of money on audiophile earphones that range from £150 to £1200. Now my £700 earphones don't sound 50-100% better than my £300 earphones better yes but not by large margins, maybe 10-20% better. My question is does this similar theory/rule apply to ebikes - ie the law of diminishing returns?

My question is does this similar theory/rule apply to ebikes - ie the law of diminishing returns?

 

Take a look at the voting and judge for yourself. Click to view.

Went to look at both today but didn't get a chance to try either as was on way to work.

 

The Cube does ooze more quality than the Carrerra and I intend to go back later this week and try the Cube but I'm struggling to justify the extra cost - twice the price.

 

I'll give a wee example of the way I'm thinking. I've spent alot of money on audiophile earphones that range from £150 to £1200. Now my £700 earphones don't sound 50-100% better than my £300 earphones better yes but not by large margins, maybe 10-20% better. My question is does this similar theory/rule apply to ebikes - ie the law of diminishing returns?

 

Ride em both..... If you prefer the Cube and it seems to you that it is indeed worth twice the money. Then buy it if you can afford it.

Otherwise get the CrossfireE..... Almost all on here that have bought one have been happy with it. The only issues i've seen about them, is that some have experienced motor cutting out, but its been seldom and intermittent. Some have pointed to battery connectors for this. But its easy to go back to Halfords for any issues.

Another thing that may or not bother you.... is that Cube have raised prices by 15%, that they claim is due to the pound dropping over Brexit. I dont accept its cost them 15% and think they're cashing in on it. I wouldn't give them my business because of this.

just watch some of my vids if you want to see what the bosch motor can really pump out.

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/how-many-people-are-using-there-e-bike-off-road.15780/page-105#post-322584

I can relate to your headphone analogy. I write and record music and know that the law of diminishing returns applies to audio/studio gear. I think the same law applies to Ebikes BUT.......I think the top end stuff is where the law applies (£4000 and up).I know that I love my Cube more than my Crossfire and consider the extra £300 I paid (this was when the Crossfire was £999) to be well worth it. But I had already decided that I loved ebiking and was able to "donate" the Crossfire to my wife. For me, even at almost double the current price the Cube would be my choice but you need to be sure that an ebike is for you before commiting £1400. However, when we replace our Dutch style hire bike we will probably go for a Crossfire - a decision based on cost and how soon it will recoup the outlay. That's a decision from the head - if we were making the decision with our hearts we'd go for the Cube.

My thoughts on this are -you get what you pay for to a lesser or greater degree. I would not spend +£s on top branded stuff, just for the logo -but would spend extra for quality, if that makes sense.

 

There are a good few folks on here who have invested in a Crossfire and so far they seem to be getting good reviews (except for the intermittent power failures) -I would say your choice should be based on the good old 'try before you buy' adage.