Woosh Sirocco CD

[Caztaylor]

I have now been riding the Sirocco CD for 2 months (with no mechanical issues) to assist with losing weight and recovery from a heart attack. The bike is built like a tank with chunky tyres, I feel very secure on it despite not riding for 17 years.The plain black paintwork is stylish yet does not shout out " I am an expensive bike worth stealing". I have also added a pannier double bag, which hides the battery.My routes have varied with a range of terrain (nothing too onerous) from 2 miles to 12 miles so far and this bike has coped superbly with the battery usage and the smooth application of power and I have managed to change gear smoothly as well with the practice of applying slight pressure to the brakes before changing gear about a second later. The motor is very quiet so I need to ring the bell when approaching pedestrians. Tackling hills - you do need to be in the right gear and you do need to pedal to maintain a speed of approx 6- 8 mph. The leg action in pedalling, whilst being able to manage the stress by use of the battery, has been instrumental in my return to health (along side other exercise and diet) Please seek advice from you Doctor if you are in similar circumstances. I have now lost 3 stone from my pre heart attack weight of 19 stone 9 lbs. A big thank you to Woosh Bikes - highly reconmended.

 

[Warwick]

I've just bought a secondhand Scirocco CD off eBay. First impressions are fairly good, although I've swapped saddles and the seat pin, the former for comfort; the latter as the original didn't work! Luckily I have loads of spares kicking around.

I bought the bike for a new commute and tried it out today. It's a mixture of quiet roads and tracks. There are one or two hills as well. The CD coped admirably despite my inexperience on ebikes - this being my first.

I swapped between assist modes, finding 3 to be adequate for all but the steepest sections. The assist doesn't cut out at 15.5mph either, but a few mph higher. I've no problem with that. I suspect the odometer is inaccurate too. I know the route is 8 miles each way, but the display only registered 12 miles return. No big deal. I did the 8 miles in 32 minutes, but that includes brief stops to chat to a workmate and to check a kamikaze labrador was OK, so about 16mph average speed. At this stage, I'm very happy with that.

I should add that the front light flew off on the off-road track. However, I'll be fitting my own lights, so I didn't spend too long looking for it. I hope the rest of the ancillaries are better stuck on!

 

[Warwick]

Well, I've commuted on the Scirocco CD for a week and here are my observations:

I'm glad I got a chain driven bike. I'm quite a keen cyclist anyway, so the CD basically tops up my speed up to about 14MPH average speed. Considering it's a hilly route in parts with some slower off road tracks, I think that's good.

I'm just getting used to changing gear by stopping pedalling. Otherwise I can hear the chain groaning if I forget. It's under quite some tension. I also need to remember to change down when stopping. It's quite a hefty lump to get moving from rest and the fact that the drive doesn't kick in for a second or two doesn't help, either.

The original Kenda tyres very much redefined the term 'puncture resistant'! Two rides; two punctures. So, a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plusses were fitted - easily. They are doing the trick very well so far.

I take back my comment about odometer accuracy above. It seems to be quite close to the correct distances.

And that's it. I've covered 100+ miles in 10 days and although I prefer my unpowered bikes, I'll be sticking to the Scirocco for my commute. Arriving at work relatively fresh, instead of sweaty suits me, although 9 miles home in 34C on Wednesday wasn't fun.

Ah, one more thing... The man I bought it off on eBay admitted to only doing 200 miles on it in 18 months. The Battery seems to have suffered from such little use. On an 18-mile round trip, I'm dipping into the last quarter on the power bar towards the end. It's not a flat route, but not Alpine either, and I'd expected more range from the battery. I am using the maximum assistance in both directions, but still.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

After you've charged it up, measure the voltage. That should give you an idea of whether it's a bit out of balance through lack of use.

 

[RobF]

I wonder if some of the Chinese batteries are a bit ambitious when it comes to quoted capacity.

In any case, the Sirocco CD is 10ah so you may not get much more than 25 miles out of it on full assistance.

Eighteen miles with some capacity remaining could be about right.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I wonder if some of the Chinese batteries are a bit ambitious when it comes to quoted capacity.

I've measure loads of batteries fom every supplier, but I've never found a significant discrpancy from a healthy one.

 

[RobF]

Decline in capacity over service life may come into it - the bike is secondhand.

Seems to me some Chinese batteries lose their full capacity quite quickly.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I,ve not really found that either. Nearly all the batteries that I measured with reduced capacity had some problem. The only exceptions are the Phylion ones with the aluminium block cells, which do seem to start going down rapidly after a certain amount of use. There's anecdotal of Bosch batteries going down in capacity relatively quickly for heavy users, so you shouldn't only be looking at Chinese ones. Bionx is another brand that seems to have a disproportionate number of battery problems.

 

[RobF]

Woosh - and I believe Kudos - quote a service life of two to three years.

I've had my original three-year-old Bosch battery tested and it showed 100 per cent.

Croxden - who has thrashed the Bosch battery on his Delite over many thousands of miles - recently had his battery tested and it was also found to be 100 per cent.

From that non-anecdotal evidence, it seems to me a Bosch battery could have a useful service life of many years.

It all makes sense, Bosch batteries are twice the price of Chinese ones but last twice as long, if not longer.

As ever, you pay your money and you take your choice.

 

[Warwick]

The Scirocco I have has a 15ah battery, and a quoted range of 60-70 miles when new. Even taking that claim with a pinch of salt, I'm still well short. Bear in mind also, that I'm a reasonably fit cyclist, so I'm putting in a fair bit of effort myself.

 

[RobF]

The Scirocco I have has a 15ah battery, and a quoted range of 60-70 miles when new. Even taking that claim with a pinch of salt, I'm still well short. Bear in mind also, that I'm a reasonably fit cyclist, so I'm putting in a fair bit of effort myself.

In those circumstances, I agree you are well short on range.

Perhaps the battery has suffered from little use by the last owner.

Only a battery capacity test will give you a definitive answer.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I've had my original three-year-old Bosch battery tested and it showed 100 per cent.

How many miles has it done? Please be honest.

 

[RobF]

I don't record mileage, must be a couple of thousand by now, maybe more.

Croxden does record mileage, he has done, I think, 6,000 plus.

Both batteries still in tip top condition.

As night follows day, they must fail at some point.

But three years and 100 per cent suggests that day will be a long time coming.

I remember when the first liquid crystal displays were shown to the public.

The scientist was asked how long the displays would last.

"Well," he said. "All I can truly say is that one on my bench has been running for more than a year and has yet to show any measurable decline in performance.

"Ask me again in a year's time."

 

[trex]

The Scirocco I have has a 15ah battery, and a quoted range of 60-70 miles when new. Even taking that claim with a pinch of salt, I'm still well short. Bear in mind also, that I'm a reasonably fit cyclist, so I'm putting in a fair bit of effort myself.

I agree with d8veh's assessment. What you see on the LCD display of battery voltage is just voltage at that moment and it's not as accurate as measuring with a volt meter. You can see the voltage sags on the LCD when climbing a steep hill. The voltage will recover somewhat when you stop. That voltage at rest can be used to guesstimate how much charge is remaining.
You do need a volt meter to find out more about your battery. Pull the battery out and check the voltage at its output terminals. When the battery is full, you should see 41.5V at the battery's output terminals. The battery is completely empty at 31V. You can interpolate between these two voltages to deduce the percentage of remaining charge. When a battery is left unused for a long period, it tends to be out of balance. This is often caused by the BMS be left switched on, the BMS draws power from one cell block in the string, usually B1 or B10 and if left on, will continue to draw on that block. In that case, the battery will rebalance itself over repeated charging cycles, the battery will reover with regular use.
It's also easy to know how many miles the previous owner has done. The odometer records the total mileage, and the odometer cannot be reset.
Power consumption increases with assist level. For lowest consumption, I'd leave the LCD at assist level 1 and use the throttle to climb hills.

 

[Warwick]

The odometer was bang on 200 miles when I bought it. I suspect it was an impulse buy, as it is still in very good condition. The bike is £850 new and I got it for £340, so I have no complaints against the honest seller. I am, however, surprised, in my own misguided/ignorant way, that the battery has deteriorated in this way.

Do you think it will gain capacity over time? I am having to recharge it every day, right now.

 

[trex]

yes, I think that's likely. It's best to charge after 18 miles anyway. Just before you put the battery on charge, measure its voltage, you may see it increase after a week.

 

[John5001]

Have the same bike for three years. No issues with battery as of yet. Using pedal assistance, often shows full after a long ride.

Kenda tyres were a joke as was the saddle. Solid and cheap.
Gears and brakes low quality and now showing this.

 

[Caztaylor]

I last posted 3 1/4 years ago after taking the plunge a purchasing the Woosh Sirocco CD - At the time I was just under 20 stone and had suffered a heart attack. 7 stones lighter and much improved health is testament to a well I have valued this bike which has taken me over 4000 miles in urban and country along roads paths and cycle ways and across the odd field and woods) distances and places I would not consider on a non electric bike) Sadly after being caught out in a recent deluge I tried to turn the bike on but with no success. Following the lead down from the LCD controller to where it plugged into the lead hub I found the join fused and a burning smell. My local bike shop took a look and said it didn't look good. Options I have are:-

1. If I know where the burn out has happened I could order a replacement? but how much would that cost ?

2. in the circumstances could go for a new ebike ( I have tried cycling without the battery and I manage on the flat and downhill but any extended incline takes it out of me). Looking for bikes in a mid range with better components / reliability and dealerships in local area who would be qualified to repair the make concerned. Three I am considering are the Oxygen S-Cross CB or MTB rear hub (£1200/£1250 or £1300/£1350 based on battery size) and the Freego Martin Sport 2016 mid drive at £1799 deposit and interest free over 24 months. The latter I tried in a Basingstoke Bike shop - and at 5.ft 8in and with a 30 inch inside leg I was able to keep upright on tip toe with the seat at its lowest and it was comfortable dismounting with the lower crossbar- it looked stunning and is well built .

Any advice would be greatly appreciated - as not having my ebike in shining armour is a big big loss.

 

[trex]

you may need a new LCD, trunk cable and controller.
About £80. Contact support @ woosh.

 

[Warwick]

I have just bought a secondhand Oxygen e-Mate MTB after having had a Woosh Sirocco CDL and two converted bikes over the last 18 months or so. Put simply, it is brilliant compared to all of the above.

It is well put together and there are no cheap components. It sails over bridleways and the suspension forks actually work well. I've fitted different tyres and some mudguards and the latter will be needed over the coming months.

I have the 13Ah battery and its capacity far exceeds the kit conversion one with alledgedly the same capacity. All in all, every penny well spent.