Cliff-C

Thanks that's very helpful.

Very helpful review. As you say, it's difficult in the UK to get a look at Fiido bikes before purchase. I have been thinking about buying a couple of these but need to ensure they fit in the boot of my car. Some sources state the height folded is 59cm, others 74cm. Both seem to have been used on Fiido official sites. Is the smaller dimension with the seat post removed?

Good post. Completely agree - can be the difference between really enjoying cycling and giving up. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

I agree with Woosh. A quick test ride around the block should be free but I am happy to pay for an extensive test ride which reflects the wear and tear (albeit minor) on the bike. In the past I have hired cars for a day to get a thorough test before deciding whether to purchase. In the motorcycle world there are people who just do lots of test rides for fun with no intention to purchase. Ultimately the cost of providing demonstrator bikes is passed on to purchasers. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

D8ve - thanks for the helpful advice - much appreciated. Best wishes Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

When you had the problem with the other foot did you have it x-rayed and did that show a break? Another possibility is perhaps plantar-fasciitis? My mother (in her 80s) suffers from this and has similar symptoms to those you describe. It's more commonly suffered by athletes and, in particular, cyclists. I'm no medical expert, but might be worth considering. https://patient.info/health/heel-and-foot-pain-plantar-fasciitis Hope you make a speedy recovery. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Now you know who manufacturers supermarket bikes :-) Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

If I understand correctly you are worried that your ebike won't have the range of an unassisted bike? It depends on the ebike you have compared to an unassisted bike. Assuming similar bike types, an ebike may be 7-9kg heavier. Many ebikes can be used as a normal bike with the assistance turned off so range is effectively limitless. If this applies to your bike then the only issue is how the extra weight affects you when peddling unassisted. Only using the power for hills (if your bike allows) would give you a much longer range. If you can ride 56 miles in hilly terrain with an unpowered bike, then you can probably do the same with an ebike with judicious use of power. If not, then it's improved fitness or a bigger battery. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

I have an eclipse 14.5ah with 29 cells. Bit cheaper and more than enough range for me. I have had good service from Eclipse but their website does not always appear to be up to date so suggest emailing them to confirm stock levels if you are interested. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

p.s. might be worth a look.... http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/take-care-of-your-knees-part-2-17445/ Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

To share my own experiences.... I have used clipped peddles for many years on both road and mountain bikes. However, I don't have them on my e-bike. There is no doubt that clips make for more efficient peddling as your legs can pull on the up stroke. However, they can force your legs into a specific position on the peddles and if your riding position or the angle of your foot is not correct this can punish your knees. I found that as my knees deteriorated with age I was better off with flat peddles which allow your more flexibility as to foot position at the expenses of a little efficiency. In addition to checking seat height, suggest you also consider the position of your saddle (forward and back). There are quite a few vids on YouTube which show how to get your seating position / leg angle correct. I found that moving the saddle forward reduced knee pain issues, but it depends on your frame size/ridding position. Good luck. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Good point D8veh [emoji1] [emoji23] Thanks to the great advice on this forum I have built a bike which meets my needs and I have yet to come close to running out of range. However, if I find my battery power is getting low some enforced vomiting might get me home. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Responses demonstrate that the debate is all rather academic. There are too many variables to calculate statistical impacts of rider weight that are meaningful to an individual. In addition to rider and bike weight, there are wind resistance caused by rider position, bulk, clothing and weather; fitness; terrain; motor type; battery type, age and condition; tyres; average speed; etc. If your bike's range isn't enough consider improving fitness or getting a bigger battery. As D8veh says, rider weight on hill does make a significant difference but are we prepared to lose 10kg for a bit of extra range? Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Does this help at all.... http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/tongsheng-tsdz2-with-torque-sensor-equivalent-to-bosch-or-kalkhoff-impulse-evo.24391/ I did consider this unit before going for a bafang. However there were mixed reviews about durability on the endless sphere site which put me off a bit. The bafang crank motors seem to have pretty well proven reliability if treated correctly. Perhaps others have more recent experience. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

If you haven't already seen it, worth looking on YouTube at the reviews done by Techmoan. He is in the UK and has done many independent reviews of dashcams for both car and bike. Also has a video on the different functions available on dashcams and their usefulness or otherwise. Definitely worth a look. Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

D8ve - have you seen anything (after market kit, legal, reliable CD with torque drive) that might tempt you to move away from your bbs01 kit? Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Retyred1 - I wouldn't get the wrong idea about torque vs cadence sensing. There is a lot of debate on here about which offers the best cycling experience but the cadence sensing mid drives can give you a good experience depending how you use them. I have ridden both and currently own a bike with a bafang bbs01 250w conversion. While the bafang will give you power if you just spin the pedals without putting a lot of effort in, in practice you need to pedal firmly (i.e. normally, as with an unassisted bike) to maintain a good pace and you will peddle hard up hills. It just makes hill climbing easier. If you set the bafang to higher levels of assist you can put in less effort at the expense of battery power but at significantly reduced range. In practice I use a low level of assist or turn the power off on the flat and increase the assist for hill climbing depending on how much of a work out I want. I don't find the riding experience much diffident to my unassisted bikes. As for mountain biking, it would be helpful to know what kind of terrain you ride. If it is mainly off road woodland trails, the 250w bafang will be fine. If it is more serious mountain biking (jumps, drops, very steep ascents etc..), it may not have enough power and a more powerful, non-road legal, motor might be better. Also consider that after market mid drive motors can reduce clearance height of your frame bottom bracket and this may be a consideration on rough terrain. Hope this helps.

It's good to know that BMSB has a fast delivery time. It would be good to be certain about whether it is coming from China or Europe when ordering to allow for VAT and handling charges. Has anyone had to pay these when purchasing from BMS in recent times?

I note that you say BMS Battery has a warehouse in the EU? I couldn't find this on their web page. I need a similar battery for the BBS01 I have ordered from a UK supplier. I would order from BMS but have read elsewhere on the forum that they take 8 weeks to ship from China. I don't want to wait that long and so would prefer to order from EU. Can anyone help / suggest a suitable supplier?

Options 1. Replace old dutch (not likely). 2. Cycle alone. 3. Convert (or have converted) a bike that the other half is comfortable with. Seriously though, Woosh do some step through bikes that might suit. I tried a bike with a GSM crank drive motor which didnt feel like it was running away with you. Just gentle peddle assistance. If weight is a problem perhaps going for a smaller battery might help? Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Thanks D8ve. So I assume your 3ah batteries are bottle sized. Just enough to give you a boost when needed. But still have enough max capacity not to damage them when under heavy load? Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Thanks to all for the excellent advice seems like I can get away with the bbs01 and its cheaper as well. D8ve is using a 14.5 amp/hr battery at 36v (presumably this would nominally be giving over just over 500w for 1 hour if my Maths is correct) and getting good range. Is this the way to go or would 48v battery be better for the higher drain when climbing, giving longer range? KirstinS - you say that it kills batteries in unrestricted mode - what batteries are you using. Could it be that you are pulling too many amps for the rating of the battery? I have some experience with lipo powered model aircraft so know that you can kill them if motor pulls more amps than the battery can cope with for too long a period. Many thanks. Cliff

30-50 miles range would be fine for me and 20mph would be plenty. What I'm not clear about is whether a 250w bbs01 would be any good climbing lots of hills or whether I would be better off with 500w bbs02 (legal issues aside). Anyone help with this? Sent from my Paris using Tapatalk

Ah that explains the speed and range. More aerodynamic. Not sure I would go with a recumbent though as where I live in Hertfordshire there is a lot of traffic and too many drivers trying to kill you.