Acer

I agree Keith. In the same way someone riding a geared bike would immediately drop gear as the gradient becomes tougher, the assist acts a bit like an automatic gear. Certainly with only partial assist engaged you still have to put a fair amount of effort in. The heart is pumping and you feel it in your thighs. If you aren't prepared to dig in at times with an ebike then better to buy a moped!

It is not a contradiction. Let me clarify - I have yet to encounter a hill it cannot handle, but of course it slows a bit on the worst ones.

That is obvious. I can't say for certain that my hills are an exact match for what he dealt with but they look and feel steep. Of course the worse the gradient becomes the more this bike struggles, but I was out for a ride last night and the final part of the circuit takes me up a very steep hill. There was a fellow slowly inching his way up the worst part in what must have been the lowest gear. Oh how I chuckled as I flicked it to full assist and went sailing past.

Ok no problem. I am 70 kilos and reasonably fit. Strong, yes, but not lots of stamina. Certainly no Bradley Wiggins and not even much of a cyclist.

What I weigh doesn't matter. Point is I can fly up hills on this thing . If he couldn't then my point is that it isn't an issue everyone will experience.

If he struggled to ride a Gtech bike up a hill then all I can say is that he is seriously unfit and/or extremely heavy! I just bought this bike and the best thing about it is how well it performs on hills. Some reviews - probably people who have never even ridden one - have stated that the single gear will make the bike extremely limited on climbs, but I have found the complete opposite. With full assist engaged it absolutely flies up steep inclines and that is why I rarely use it - I want a proper work out. I ride it without assistance most of the time and just click it on if a steep hill comes into play. It rides really well as a single speed bike without power and the lack of maintenance on the belt drive is a massive plus, as far as I am concerned. Thus far I am very pleased.

Ah good point, on closer look it is indeed amp hours not amps. As you say the bike still doesn't look ideal for heavy riders.

That looks a very high spec bike for the money. 13 amp battery minimum - nice! Surely something must have been compromised to offer it at that price point? £899 for all that, including disc brakes and the like. Are there any reviews confirming reliability long term?

I found this thread very interesting. I have been researching ebikes for a while and am in the market for a simple, light weight commuter bike. The Freego Raptor was one of those on my short list. Problem is if you do the basic maths then it is clear this bike can only generate 135 watts of power. Forget the '200 watt' motor as advertised. It only has a 24v 5.5amp battery. If it had a 36v 5.5 amp option then this would ensure the motor delivered at full potential. I am sure the bike works very well for certain people but can't help thinking you are a bit too big for it Andy. A single gear and 135 watt motor - in real terms - must mean serious strain on the bike with someone 16 stone in the saddle, especially on an incline.