Fatheralice

I've actually just started re-using over the last few weeks after a winter break, due to me being a fair weather cyclist, rather than any issue with the kit! Seems to be working fine, I'm pleased to say. The only issue I have had, was when the elastic band holding the cadence sensor snapped mid cycle, so it fell off. Soon noticed as the motor stops giving you assistance, but it was as I was crossing a small side road, so could have been a disaster if a car had run over it, or I was crossing a drain!) (There was a sharp edge on the pedal arm, which was the cause, but I guess it is worth keeping an eye on in general, as every time it needs recharging, which is supposed to be every 80 hours or so, the band gets stretched as you remove it, so they will eventually weaken, particularly as they age) I'll probably get a velcro strap to wrap around the sensor and pedal arm at some point for extra security, but that's just me being extra cautious. It works brilliantly on a flattish ride, and I can maintain a 16-17 mph ave speed which is pretty much my max based on bike, gears, cadence etc) without too much effort, and allows me to go faster than that without motor assistance, or noticeable engine drag if I want. It still makes you work to climb a step incline, which is to be expected based on the motor output, but the assistance is still a big help on such climbs! Either way, the assistance is pretty much instant as soon as you turn the pedal, and just feels very natural. I like the fact I still need to pedal and make some effort, which I can adjust based on the assistance level selected as fitness improves. Of coursed if you wanted to climb hills with no effort, you'd want to get a throttle assist model with a bigger motor I suppose I tend not to use the Vekkit app much, as it is based on km and kph, and I'm used to miles and mph here in the UK. A while back Pavel suggested they were going to add mph support to the app, but I've not seen that update yet. You can happily ride the bike, and adjust the assistance levels with the handlebar remote with the 0/30/70/100% selections that it offers - the app just allows finer adjustment in 10% increments, and it keeps a log of your ride history if you like that sort of thing.

3 speeds = 30/70/100% on handlebar, and press and hold to power off completely If you use the app, it allows you full control in 10% increments. Just cycled up Haytor this morning, which was 1650 ft of elevation and about 14 mile round trip. I knew I'd been up a big hill, but made it without drama, so very impressed with about 50% battery remaining after the round trip.

Used the Vekkit both Wed and Thursday to get to work and back - 30 mins each way, for about a 15 mile round trip, and a days work in between. Really impressed, and faultless operation throughout. Car journey time is often pretty similar due to traffic, so I can see myself riding quite often when the weather is fair. Wednesday I started out with only 75% battery, as I forgot to plug it in the night before! - arrived back with about 25% remaining. Today I started at 100% and finished at about 50%. The app shows my travel times and average speed, and they were pretty much the same for both days, so battery power seems reliable even as it drains. The handlebar remote and cadence sensor I haven't bothered charging, as they still have loads of power left. Just waiting for a new rear freewheel to be delivered so I can replace the current 14-28T one with an 11-28T version, as I could definitely go faster with a higher gear, so it will be interesting to see how the assistance works at higher speeds

lol, thanks for the tip!! Luckily its been dry so far, but I'll get that switched over.

update to say I did my other commute this morning - about 10 miles each way and a bit more hilly Had to use the gears a bit more up the steep bits, but the assistance performed perfectly, and makes a huge difference. Arrived feeling fresh, and not hot and sweaty, so certainly would work as a commuter bike. Battery had about 30% left after a 90 min ride, (50% at half way, as it is uphill on the way) and a pretty steady average of about 15mph for both directions, which seems to be about my max for the combo of tyres / gears / cadence etc. I'm sure that would be increased with a better bike No lost connections to the phone app I'm pleased to say, so hopefully that glitch has been sorted after the app update. This is the motor from both directions if it helps.

hopefully that worked. no markings I can see on motor other than the code on the top shown in the pics. When I ordered the options were 200w or 250w motor. They seem to have added some different options including a rear wheel one more recently. The bag mount utilises the lockable klickfix fixing, with a bespoke mount for the rear, and a standard handlebar mount on the front.

edit just realised I forget to mention battery charge -it was showing about 70% after the 65 minute ride, which was about 16 miles, so range looks perfectly adequate for a 2-3 hour ride. I have the 7ah battery, and the 250w traveller motor btw.

So my Vekkit was delivered on Wednesday, and I must say I am very impressed. Not having used an ebike before, I have nothing to compare it too, but I took it for a test ride to work and back, which is about 8 miles each way, on mostly flat cycle paths, but there are a few of those over the dual carrageway type bridges to go over, that have slopes and 180 degree turns half way up, which would normally make you work, or at least change gear to get up. I'm hoping to try my other work route of about 10 miles each way, which involves a few more climbs, as it heads up onto Dartmoor over the weekend, so will be interested to compare. Anyway, first impressions. Kit arrived safely, albeit delayed by about 4 weeks from the original eta. Communication was excellent throughout. Fitting was straightforward. Tools were provided to cover all eventualities, including spacers, a multi tool and file, which is a nice touch. Since my order was placed a seat post mount was developed in late August, and I was advised both handlebar and seat post mount would be included. These are now selectable during the order process, so I assume you would only get one now. Anyway, only the handlebar mount was included, which I fitted and found fine to use, however I was really after the seat post mount, as it frees up the handlebars for lights, phone holder etc, and also balances up the weight. Anyway, an email to Pavel from Vekkit, at 11pm on Wed evening was replied to straight away, and a seat post mount sent via express courier which arrived today FOC. Most impressive customer service, and having fitted it this afternoon, it really works well. My test ride today was using the handlebar mount, and it was absolutely fine, so either version would work well, however I think I would recommend the seat post mount for the reasons given above - especially to balance the weight, as the front wheel can get a little heavy when resting the bike against a wall for example, causing it to twist, whereas it feels more stable at the back. The cycling experience was very good. Very smooth, and the assistance kicked in straight away, but in a controlled manner. The speed controller on the handlebar seemed effective, and putting it up to 3 for any climbs meant the bike sailed up with ease, but for the rest of the ride, 1 was enough to keep the bike travelling at near the 25kph UK limit. I actually set it to 32kph in the app which is easy to do if desired, and appropriate, but the gearing on my bog standard Giant 21 speed mountain bike didn't allow me to actually reach that speed on the flat, as my legs didn't go round fast enough! Anyway, the entire ride was completed in top gear, including climbs from a standing start. I'm guessing steeper hills would be easily dealt with by changing down a gear or two if needed. Both front or rear bag mounts seem very secure, and include locks for both the bag, and the battery, meaning you can just remove the battery for charging, or unclip the entire bag, and the power cable if preferred. The single cable is neatly secured by some bespoke cable clips which seem easy to use and reuse, giving a very tidy finish, that is quick to unclip if wanted. The sensor and remote both work wirelessly, and were faultless in operation today. They are recharged by a micro usb connection, but still show 99% and 100% power in the app, after an hour of riding today, so will last for ages between charges. (I think I read that the kit still works without the sensor in the event it runs flat mid cycle, and it could be recharged from the USB charging port on the battery in such an event) They are both held by an rubber band, so easy to remove if needed. I guess my only worry would be if the rubber perished over time, but I guess a cable tie could be used if more security was desired. Its not actual rubber, so may well not be an issue anyway? My only issue was that the app, which looks to be quite good in terms of functionality, lost connection to the bike on both journeys. The phone was in my pocket, rather than on the handlebars, so unsure why or when, but when I got back, I noticed there was an update on the play store, released yesterday, which included bug fixes for lost connections so we'll see if that helps. Apart from speed selection, and stats, the app is just a nice add on, and the bike worked perfectly without it. App development and firmware updates seem to be quite frequent judging by their blog, so I'm confident that this won't be an issue ongoing. Anyway, a bit of a ramble, but like others, I was interested to see some real world reviews, so thought this might be useful for some. I'll report back after some more challenging routes, but as a non cyclist, who last used his bike about 6 years ago, I was very impressed with how well it worked, and how I was able to average about 16 mph over the hours cycle, without much effort on mountain bike tyres - the plan is to ride it to work, and I can certainly do that without getting hot and exhausted judging by today's trial. I could feel in my legs that I had cycled, and also on my bum!, but for a first ride in years, it was a doddle. The dilemma now is do I let my daughter use it on her bike whilst she is at Uni in Bath, (the fact it doesn't look like an electric bike is a big draw in terms of security here) and order a second kit, or perhaps an actual ebike via the cycle to work scheme, as I think I might be sold on e-biking to work! The kit is so easy to swap that It will fit on my Wife's bike for example, so won't be wasted, even once my daughter has finished at Uni.