Woosh/Radpower/Cyclotricity?

[Merk87]

Hi all,

Looking to get my 1st E-bike and I'm a bit torn between the options. I will be doing a 15mi round trip commuting to work. 90% canal/tow path that's seen better days (holes, some cobble and narrow sections).

Also might take out on some light trail riding for fun.

I'm 5ft8, 145lb. I like the look of the Woosh Camino which i believe is 250w? but have recently found I can order the new radrhino 750w. Theres the price and weight difference between the bikes but plenty of reviews for the rad seem to proclaim it as a decent bike where I cant really find anything for the Camino...

Theres also the Cyclotricity bikes but I have heard the build quality could be better and their customer service doesnt match up to Rad or Woosh, anyone experience this?

To be completely candid theres a good chance I may derestrict the bike I choose as 15mph just seems too slow. I could get a road bike to do faster and I can snowboard faster than that with momentum on a flat .

With that said would the Woosh be too underpowered on its throttle/pedal assist? (I like the idea of the throttle on bikes)

Other recommendations welcome and sorry for the essay.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Nealh]

At 750w nominal the Rad is three times the UK legal limit.

 

[Woosh]

I cant really find anything for the Camino...

it's because it just works and otherwise does not attract attention.
Joking aside, the Camino is very good for your requirement. It has a good battery, a good motor, hydraulic brakes and is fully equipped for all weather riding, reasonably comfortable and lightweight.
The throttle on the Camino is a full throttle, in addition to pedal assist. You don't have to use it but if you do, you only need to pedal a little to activate it, to comply with the law.

With that said would the Woosh be too underpowered

don't worry about that. The Camino has 36V 15A controller, that means you can pull 36V *15A = 540W from the battery if you need all the power for hill climbing.

 

[Merk87]

At 750w nominal the Rad is three times the UK legal limit.

Yeah I'm not really fussed about that. As I say the majority of my route in on a track where there are no police and few other people.

When it comes to the roads I'll dial down the assistance.

 

[Merk87]

it's because it just works and otherwise does not attract attention.
Joking aside, the Camino is very good for your requirement. It has a good battery, a good motor, hydraulic brakes and is fully equipped for all weather riding, reasonably comfortable and lightweight.
The throttle on the Camino is a full throttle, in addition to pedal assist. You don't have to use it but if you do, you only need to pedal a little to activate it, to comply with the law.


don't worry about that. The Camino has 36V 15A controller, that means you can pull 36V *15A = 540W from the battery if you need all the power for hill climbing.

Sounds good, forgive my ignorance but have does the controller pull 530w from a 250w motor?

 

[Woosh]

Sounds good, forgive my ignorance but have does the controller pull 530w from a 250w motor?

the test parameters are set to prove that the motor is capable to deliver the 250W on a flat road without increasing the temperature above 25 degrees C.
On a flat road, to ride at 25kph on motor, you only need 200W or less - so your usage is well within the 250W band.*
On hills, you are allowed to exceed the 250W momentarily, while keeping your speed below 25kph. The test does not specify how your bike should climb a hill.
The motor itself needs to be specified to work properly in the worst case scenario.

* the controller delivers exactly what the bike needs to maintain your speed. So if you need 200W, it does just that, give your motor exactly (200W/motor yield) in battery supply. On a flat road, at 15mph, the motor yield is quite good, 85% is normal, but on steep hill, the motor yield drops rapidly, a small motor may run down to below 50% yield on 10% gradient while a larger motor loses yield more slowly, 12% and more. This is because larger motors have larger magnets that have higher saturation. If you are heavy, you need a larger motor.

 

[RobF]

You may not be bothered, but you are putting yourself on offer if you barrel along on an illegal ebike at roughly the same times and places each day.

It's less likely you will get into bother on leisure rides done at 'random' times and places.

Not that I can recommend you break the law anyway, but doing it routinely and regularly is pretty stupid.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi all,

Woosh/Radpower/Cyclotricity?

Looking to get my 1st E-bike and I'm a bit torn between the options. I will be doing a 15mi round trip commuting to work. 90% canal/tow path that's seen better days (holes, some cobble and narrow sections).

Cheers,

Mark

From the three you mention, I would go for Woosh every time.

All the best, David

 

[Andy McNish]

Yeah I'm not really fussed about that. As I say the majority of my route in on a track where there are no police and few other people.

When it comes to the roads I'll dial down the assistance.

It's on the roads that you'd benefit more from derestriction as normal traffic flow is often much quicker than 15.5 mph.

Unless the canal tow path is very quiet and in a lot better condition than the ones I use to come into Manchester in the Summer, then you don't want to be doing 20mph+ on those...

Whilst if it's a very quiet route it migt be OK in this particular case, in general I've a lot more sympathy for those who de-restrict for road commutes than people who use de-restricted e bikes on cycle paths and down rivers/canals.

As an e-biker on the road you are the most vulnerable user on it. It's arguably safer to keep up with the traffic flow.
But on a cyclepath or tow-path (or pavement) you are the equivalent of the car on a road - everyone else is more vulnerable than you, and you need to behave accordingly.

 

[Merk87]

It's on the roads that you'd benefit more from derestriction as normal traffic flow is often much quicker than 15.5 mph.

Unless the canal tow path is very quiet and in a lot better condition than the ones I use to come into Manchester in the Summer, then you don't want to be doing 20mph+ on those...

Whilst if it's a very quiet route it migt be OK in this particular case, in general I've a lot more sympathy for those who de-restrict for road commutes than people who use de-restricted e bikes on cycle paths and down rivers/canals.

As an e-biker on the road you are the most vulnerable user on it. It's arguably safer to keep up with the traffic flow.
But on a cyclepath or tow-path (or pavement) you are the equivalent of the car on a road - everyone else is more vulnerable than you, and you need to behave accordingly.

Whilst I appreciate the point of being the most powerful user on the route. There isnt an option of people to step out and into your way without you having seen them well in advance. So it's simply a case of slow down before you get to them and move past safely or stop and allow them to move past. Theres a lot more going on whilst on a road.