mooksy_86

I've tried all kinds of waterproof jackets over the years having been a milkman working outside in all weather for a number of years and having done my fair share of miles out on the bike. The fancy pants 'breathable' jackets are all a waste of time in my book and will let water in eventually no matter how expensive they are. My own system is having 2 fully waterproof non-breathable type jackets like this https://www.decathlon.co.uk/road-c-500-waterproof-cycling-jacket-soft-lime-id_8381753.html One with the sleeves cut off that I use in spring and summer and the other one with sleeves in tact I use in autumn and winter. I wear a base layer plus a softshell gilet underneath at colder times of year that I can unzip to vent a bit of heat if needed. If it's bitterly cold I'll also add another layer like a thin jumper as others have mentioned. With this system you never need to worry about getting wet or too hot and sweaty. You might occasionally get wet arms in spring/summer but at that time of year it's warm enough to not be a problem and will dry quickly anyway. Having no sleeves makes a massive difference to how well your body temperature is regulated and means you won't get sweaty, whilst the fully waterproof body means the rest of you (and your underpants... we've all been there!) stay nice and dry. Additional information there from what the OP asked but thought I'd share my approach as it's served me well after a lot of trail and error and money wasted on expensive gear.

Well I've been using the bike regularly for past year and it's still going strong. I've not used it every day as I originally intended but it's certainly covered a lot of miles. I'd estimate somewhere in the region of 5000 (I'll check the on board computer on Monday). The battery still holds up and allows me to cover the 23 miles each way on 'power' setting without a hitch. Occasionally on a day with a strong headwind it goes into protection mode on the very last mile of my route home (which is slightly uphill overall) but that's really no big deal for me and can be avoided by riding a bit more conservatively. The ride takes me 1 hour 25 minutes each way at a comfortable effort level, exactly as I'd hoped i.e. I don't arrive at work drenched in sweat and the fatigue doesn't do me in by the time it gets to Friday each week. For reference the route is 23 miles, 19 of which are off road, I'm in good shape, weigh close to 100Kg and carry 2 panniers of kit. I de-restricted the bike to 23mph when I first purchased it (yes yes naughty me) but after a while I reduced that to 18mph with barely any effect on my time and with slightly improved battery usage. The only real difference I noticed was a reduction in the acceleration of the motor from standing or at low speed, which I actually prefer anyway as it makes the bike handle better. I have had a handful of issues. Firstly the crappy Kenda rear tyre blew out within 2 weeks of me having it. This was swiftly replaced with a Schwalbe marathon plus tyre and slime inner tube and with regular air tops ups and I've had no issues since. The back wheel is a bit of a nightmare to remove compared to a regular bike so I'd definitely recommenced doing the same. I had to replace the rear shifter cable and it's casing after discovering that it had frayed to pieces due to awful routing under the bottom bracket. Nothing a few zip ties couldn't fix once I'd fitted the new cable though but something to look out for. I've also had an issue with the rear brake getting air in the hydraulics from somewhere. I've had to burp it a handful of times after it going soft over time. I may need to take it into a bike shop to have it looked at by someone who knows more about hydraulic brake systems than myself at some point but the last burp seems to have done the trick. Other than those few smalls issues, a broken chain and chain guard which were my own stupid fault it's been great. All in all, I thoroughly recommend the Oxygen as an off-road capable commuter bike or for light mountain biking use Money well spent even on cold dark January mornings like these.

The Oxygen S-Cross MTB mate

The bike arrived a few days ago. I've only taken it out for a short 5 mile run so far, as I'm waiting for some appropriate mudguards and a pannier rack to arrive from Amazon before doing the commute run (Evans and Halfords were both pretty useless on that front). Very impressed so far though! It zooms along at 24mph with very little effort and made mincemeat of a very steep climb out of Macclesfield. The seat post diameter listed by the shop I purchased it from had the wrong measurement listed though, so I've also got to wait for a shim to arrive before I can fit the Suntour NCX post. Successfully managed to swap the seat to something a bit more comfortable and the grips for some Ergons whilst I wait for the other bits anyway. Pretty damn chuffed so far Will post some pics once it's all fitted out.

That was precisely my fear Tobeeornot, I'm so glad I cancelled the order on my Kalkhoff! I've ordered an Oxygen S-Cross but it hasn't arrived yet so I can't really give any advice as of yet. Andy's thread above definitely helped to convince me to make the purchase and is worth a read to see how the bike has performed in practice.

This one should come with a set of Schwalbe Rapid Robs https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/brands/oxygen/oxygen-s-cross-mtb-13ah-battery-50-mile-range Will probably switch them for some Marathons though in the spring.

There were two Cube SUV models I was looking at Rob, the Pro with the Alfine hub and the Race with the NuVinci. I've just decided to hedge my bets though and have taken the plunge on the Oxygen S-Cross. I've definitely taken all you've said on-board regarding internally geared hubs and I'm aware how well respected the Rolhoff is, particularly among tourers. For the cost difference between the Cube and the Oxygen though I can take the bike into my LBS for a full service every three months and replace the derailleur, chain and cassette and still have a few hundred quid left over. Depending on how I get on, I expect I'll probably upgrade to something more robust once I've had a good run out of this one, as I'd rather avoid unnecessary ongoing maintenance costs wherever possible. After 12 months though, I'll have a much better idea of precisely what I do and don't need. Then I can look to spend a bit more and invest in the perfect machine for my requirements. Thanks for all the advice everyone. I'm seriously looking forward to getting out on the new machine when it arrives! I'll be adding mudguards and a pannier rack (pilfered from my Norco Indie) and I've got a Suntour NCX float post on order. Will post some pics when I've got it all set up

That info might have just swung it in favor of the Oxygen then I think. Cheers for sharing that Soundwave.

That's definitely something to bear in mind then. I suppose one way to look at the Oxygen would be if I got 12 months use out of it before having any major mechanical issues, excluding the usual brake pad replacements etc, I'd still be saving over £500 compared to what I pay for my season ticket. As someone mentioned (I think Trevor), as this one is the cheapest of my options, I could always upgrade to something fancier once I've got a better feel for this ebike thing anyway. If I lived in Smooth-roads-ville Calafornia I'd definitely be rocking up on this thing though (playing the night rider theme tune of course) https://www.freeborn.co.uk/cube-suv-hybrid-27-5-race-500-black-grey-2017 The automatic gear shifting system looks smooooth!

My route wouldn't be considered normal road use though you see, it's 90% off road along gravel cycle paths with only about 4 miles of the 22 actually on tarmac. I've had trouble with grit in getting into my disk brakes on the same route so it would undoubtedly get thrown up into the drive train too. The Oxygen does look like an incredibly good buy for the price though, which is why I'd pretty much settled on it a few pages back. There are so many variables I can't make my bloody mind up now though!

Really? I was under the impression that sand/grit is pretty terrible for derailleurs in general? Based on my own limited experience I would have thought that was the case at least anyway. I've been a mostly casual cyclist during my adult life though so I'll defer to folks who know what they're talking about. What would your own recommendation be then d8veh? I've seen in other threads that you're quite complementary of the Oxygen S-Cross?

No I'd probably need a coffin Soundwave!

I've ruled out anything with a derailleur and rear hub drive completely Trevor. I won't have the time or patience to spend a good chunk of my weekend every weekend cleaning and oiling it. So it's got to be a front hub kit and internally geared rear hub. The Thorn Nomad is a touring specific bike so they're built to carry heavy loads on the rear and have a Rolhoff IG hub as standard. Tyre wise it would come with 2.0" Schwalbe Marathon Dureme's which are a custom tyre built for Thorn by Schwalbe so I'd hope the ride wouldn't be too rough. The frame is suspension fork compatible but that would have to be a future upgrade as it would put me well over budget. Although it would be my preference right away if money was no object.

Locating the controller on the seat tube wouldn't be a problem for me. There doesn't seem to be much room on the Panda rack anyway, or did you mean literally inside the battery housing? What is the main difference between the XF07 and BPM motors? Would either allow me to achieve 20mph using your controller and display unit? I'm allowing for the fact that it would void any warranty under your terms. The guys at Cyclotricity have informed me the have a disclaimer form for such instances.

Thanks for clarifying about the Bosch cruise and speed branded motors Soundwave. Great to know the motor is capable of 45kpm with a dongle as I'd hoped. I'll definitely look for a LiPO battery if I go the kit route Woosh. The batteries from Panda seem to be well reputed and are built with Samsung cells but they're LI-ION. In that vein I think I'd prefer to have the battery on a rack mount than on the frame RobF. The Thorn's are built to handle well with plenty of weight on the back after all. The controller on the handlebars and additional wiring wouldn't really be a concern for me, the important part would be still having a fully functional bike. I was looking at a set of SKS 65mm mudguards for the Cube https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01HTED00Q You're right there though Artsu that particular Suntour fork has no eyelets https://www.bike24.com/p2235770.html so I suppose I'd have to mount with p-clips. I'm definitely leaning more towards the Thorn and kit option right now as it has the best potential for long term use and flexibility. Sourcing high quality parts for a kit that will allow me to achieve speeds up to 25mph remains challenging though. Woosh would one of your BPM front wheel kits be compatible with this battery from Panda https://www.pandaebikes.com/shop/batteries/15-6ah-36v-brilliance-rear-rack-battery-lithium-ion-lg-cells-uk-charger/ and do you sell no battery versions of your kits? Thanks for all the continued advice from everyone!