Angelnorth

I haven't ridden over the winter Peggy - I've just brought it out of the garage for a check over this morning, in fact! I continued riding into late autumn though and found it a pleasure each time, no reliability issues or anything and I found I actually wanted to go out on it rather than it being an exercise chore I had to talk myself in to. From not having cycled at all for 20 years or so, I was happily doing 10 miles round hilly country lanes and I'm looking forward to building that up a bit further this year. If you can find one to test ride I'd encourage you to give it a go. I've found the gears to be smooth and the shifter style makes them easy to use so you might find you'd be happy to compromise over the hub gear issue if you like everything else about it.

Fingers crossed the story gets to whoever nicked it and they have enough bottle to return it as the thieves did for this wee boy in Northern Ireland. I'm sure most thieves have zero empathy but that shows there might be the odd one or two with some sort of conscience.

Forgot to say - I reviewed my bike here if you're interested in a more detailed view.

I have a 705 Torque rather than a 905 but the only difference there is the frame shape. I test rode both the SE and the Torque from the same shop one after the other so I was riding over exactly the same terrain and could compare easily. I really liked the "connected" feel of the ride from the Torque. To me, yes I'd say the difference really is that noticeable. You'll really only be able to tell which you prefer by testing them out, though. We're all different and what suits one person is not necessarily going to suit the next. David may be able to advise on who's got stock in the Midlands and you could arrange a wee test.

Hello, welcome! I also have MS - I'm much newer to the world of ebikes than you but having fun and appreciating the opportunity to get out and about under my own steam as my walking range is limited. A bit of exercise and some fresh air is good for your mental health as well as physical, I reckon - good to hear your bike is going strong and you're enjoying it!

I'm one of those who test rode both the Raleigh Motus and the Wisper 705 Torque - not at the same dealer as I'm really out in the sticks and had nowhere local to try out. Still, "local" is a relative concept, I guess! In terms of the way the ride felt, for me power delivery felt very similar. At the end of the day I preferred the Wisper although if you pressed me I'm not sure I could put my finger on why. Test riding really is the only reliable way to figure out what suits you best, I think.

I test rode both the Wisper 705 SE and the Torque - in terms of the way the power is delivered the Torque (which is what I ended up buying) felt very like the crank-drive Raleigh Motus I also tested. It may have been a second-hand Torque she tried but it's worth knowing for sure before writing it off - if it was an SE it will have felt quite different.

I have a Wisper 705 Torque - it does indeed have a throttle on the left grip. It will power the bike up to 4 mph without any other input (it's a walk-assist, useful when you're wheeling the bike around anywhere). If you're on the bike, you just need to keep the pedals turning and twisting the throttle will get the motor to do the work. I'd recommend test riding, you'll soon figure out how the different modes feel and whether it's likely to meet your needs. If you're looking for something with a "twist and go" throttle, you won't find it off the shelf on a brand new bike because of legislation changes at the start of this year, regardless of what kind of sensor it has. As Crockers says though, I believe many bikes can have the default settings overridden if you know how (and this forum is probably a source of info should you need it!).

I found another advantage to the Litelok - I can mount it on the frame of my bike without losing any of the step-through advantage (a D lock on the down tube just blocks the gap). I did need an extra velcro strap as the oversize tubing is just a wee bit too fat for the supplied straps to have enough of an overlap to feel really secure on that bit. There seems to be a bit of a knack to getting the thing unlocked but once I'd got the hang of it I've so far been quite pleased with it. I hope it never gets put to the test but I have no reason to doubt its credentials.

Ah, it's hedge flaying time of year, I guess - the cyclist's favourite You could try asking about the error code in the "electric bikes" section of the forum, somebody may well be able to help but won't necessarily see it here in the welcome section.

Hello, welcome! At least you'll have easy access to tubular bandages should you need them (is the sign still there?) Punctures can be a bit more common on an ebike (because of the extra weight, I believe). Most people here swear by the Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres as the best puncture protection you can get. I have them on my wish list! Have fun with your new toy!

You can hire e-bikes at the bike hire centre at Kielder - might be worth a day's trip to see what's what there. You might even find a friendly face to chat to about the ins and outs of ebike rental as a business proposition - I'm guessing it's close enough to make a trip a realistic option but not so close that you'd be representing direct competition for them if you set up. It looks like theirs are mostly crank drive with the exception of the Raleigh Forge that's listed as a front wheel motor. They do eMTBs for the serious off-road runs there and some that are more touring style presumably aimed at the folk who are aiming to stick to the path that goes round the reservoir. The range is here (scroll down for the ebikes). There's somebody who joined the site a while ago who rents out a couple of ebikes on a camp site in Devon (a Carerra Crossfire and a crank drive stepthrough according to this post) - he might have useful things to say so you could try dropping him a pm if he doesn't see this and chime in: AndyEBike

You're not wrong - the Pedelecs guide to UK law might be useful: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/electric-bike-guides/uk-electric-bike-law/

Hello, welcome! I think your friend is right - a combination of Co Durham and your knees is going to make you appreciate some gears. Your knees also point to a cadence sensor rather than a torque I suspect (good news on the budget front since they tend to be less pricey). All ebikes are pretty heavy - if your expected use doesn't make a folder necessary then you're probably better off with a full size bike in any case. You say you plan to test ride - can you get to a dealer who has several different makers on show? Not sure where your starting point is but there are a couple of places in Newcastle I think, and the Electric Bike Shed in South Shields (test rides on Saturdays there according to their web site). Testing out a couple of bikes will tell you a lot in terms of how you feel on them, how useful gears are etc and a decent seller will be able to make some suggestions for you based on your needs and expected use.

Did you try it at New Mills? I'm pretty sure Bob has Juicy, Raleigh and Wisper there (and maybe others) which would give you some comparison points at least. The Wisper bikes have the battery mounted in the rear rack (like the A2B ones you listed) which would let you do a direct comparison of how it feels to have the battery mounted under the seat vs rack-mounted. Otherwise, Manchester must have e-bike sellers I'm sure. I have no experience with them but Harry Hall (city centre) is listed as a Volt dealer.

Hello Kathy, welcome. As a complete newbie I think your best bet is going to be to try some and see how you feel! What's right for one person is not necessarily right for the next and you'll learn a lot by testing a bike that you won't learn by reading about it. With a starting point of Oldham I'd say you could do worse than hop in the car or on a train and visit Juicy HQ in New Mills - Bob stocks a range of bikes as well as his own Juicy brand so you'd be able to try out several on terrain that's probably quite similar to what you have around you. He's often around on the forum too. Good luck finding something to suit!

I can't compare it with the Cube but I can tell you I'm very happy with my 705 Torque (which is the same as the 905 apart from the frame type). I agree with trevormonty that torque vs cadence is a key comparison to make and test riding will tell you which will suit you best. I tried both versions of the 705 (SE is cadence sensor, Torque is....erm, torque) and they do feel very different - my budget allowed for the torque and the ride suited me better so I went that way. I know others have gone the other way so it really is down to what suits you personally.

Just claim you have Dutch blood Good to hear you had some fun trying things out and seem to have found something you like!

All sounds positive. Any of those new dealers in the North East?

If you're lucky enough to have a dealer who is not only local but also has a range of makes/models as well as good knowledge and reputation then supporting them seems to make perfect sense in that they're likely to support you in return!

I think the key difference is that the Raleigh bikes have crank drive and the Wisper Torque bikes are hub-driven. I'm not an expert by any means but I'm not sure one is inherently more reliable than the other. The weight distribution will be a bit different - a crank drive has the weight of the motor system pretty central (round the crank, in fact!). A hub drive could be in either the front or rear hub. In the Wisper bikes it's in the rear so the weight of both the motor and the battery is behind you. The other major difference that comes in to play with ebikes is torque versus cadence sensor. It's not a difference that comes up in the bikes you've mentioned so far but if you do end up in a shop with a variety of brands it could be another choice in the mix. As I understand it, torque sensors multiply the effort you put in, according to how hard you're pushing down on the pedals. A cadence sensor works on rotation. I test rode both types and for me, the torque sensor felt like a more natural ride - I've seen somebody here describe it as being like having a 21 year old's legs Everybody's needs and styles are different though which is why a few test rides will tell you a bunch more than the reviews will. Reading about a bike first is a great way to figure out what questions you might want to ask, though.

Hello, welcome! I had a test ride on a Captus (step through frame) and although I didn't end up buying it, it seemed a decent enough bike. If you're lucky enough to have a dealer that close with something you might be interested in, pop in and get a test ride! You'll soon figure out whether it feels right and the attitude of the shop will tell you a lot about the support you might get down the line for servicing etc, too. If the 12 mile trip isn't too tricky (either you have a car or it's accessible by public transport) I'd vote for a trip there as well by way of comparison - the more you can try out, the more you'll feel like you've made an informed choice. Again, getting a feel for the shop and the knowledge of the staff is no bad thing. Of course, I may be massively influenced by the fact that there isn't even a "regular" bike shop that close to me so 12 miles sounds wonderful (I had to travel over 100 miles for a shop to try out the bike I eventually bought)!

Sounds like you got all the indication you needed that the bike, at the very least, hadn't been well treated! Better luck next time.

Sounds much more fun than being crammed on a bus/train/tram full of people with the early-morning grumps! I'm sure you'll quickly figure out the absolute best route in terms of road surfaces, traffic etc. May the bright autumn weather shine on you for a good while yet!

It's the same frame as mine (the Torque version) which is rated up to 135kg according to the specs (which you can find here if you want them). I'm guessing David will be dashing about getting ready for the NEC show so might not see your query instantly!