BBB

I was looking earlier this year to add to my stable of e bikes that I retail. having sold quite a few hundred ebikes I didn't want to get my fingers burnt, and have customers complaining about unreliable bikes. Back-up from the supplier was important, and feedback off forums like this one. I chose the Wisper because they still have a throttle which many of my customers like, and the Raleigh Dover, which although it has not got a throttle the system is so good I do not think it needs one. Obviously Kalkhoff is similar to Raleigh but so far with more models. The important thing is a good dealer near you, because like has been said on here, even new cars still go wrong sometimes. I am not saying these are the only top bikes, but just wanted to add my thoughts on the matter. Most of my customers will not even mend a simple puncture, they just want good reliable transport. Good luck with the search, but I can imagine you are far more confused than when you started, it is a mini minefield out there.

As a retailer I am stuck in between the suppliers and the customers of electric bikes, so get proper feedback on the shop floor. I have sold nearly 400 electric bikes. I decided to get into them early as I could see great potential, and a good niche market for my shop, as our competitors had the high end cycle market well covered. I would say 50% of my customers were virtually non cyclists before they got an electric bike, i.e. lost their driving licence, told to get exercise by the doctor, and some that just found riding in the wind and up hill to much hard work. The remainder are made up of different types, office workers not wanting to arrive all sweaty at work, couples that enjoy a trip to the local a few miles away that did not want to risk being caught being drunk in charge. There are also regular cyclists that would like a light weight electric bike with a small amount of assistance. So how can I sell more bikes and make them more popular, my target market is different to most, as my shop is on an island with 60,000 people. Most of my new customers, usually know someone else with and electric bike and that is why they have come to us. I feel the main way I can increase use of electric bikes is to offer a product which in the first instance must be more reliable, which is why I have taken on two up market brands of late. Price is a factor, most of our early bikes were £450 to £600 but gave some headaches, and customers are soon to spread the word if you have an unreliable product on a small island. They quibbled at having to pay around £1000 to £1500 for a new upgraded bike, until they rode one. The biggest damage to the electric bike industry has been done by cheap poorly built bikes sold on-line, and no matter what is said on here by enthusiast which is what many users are on this forum are, electric bikes are not always that simple to fix by a normal cycle mechanic, so if the bike gets a fault it is difficult to get repaired and the customer will never by another one. The other problem was that there were many companies suppling bikes to cycles shops, we trusted them that they would supply a reliable product, as in the early days we were all a little green about electric bikes in more ways than one. I eventually stopped dealing with these suppliers who even had a job supplying new batteries, let alone parts and helping with fault finding. I saw a few bike shops give up on electric bikes due to early problems like this. So yes I feel the market will naturally increase, but some damage has been done, and many of the suppliers using this forum are addressing that by the great back-up they now offer to direct customers, and cycle shop owners. Demo days are a great idea, and a dedicated mag would be wonderful. The latest range of £2000 plus electric bikes, will help the image of the industry, but not sell in great numbers, after all most people hanker after a Ferrari but drive a Ford. That is not to say that one will not find its way into my shop in the future though.

No problem Orraman. I do see the point of it, with a mixed forum like this, I do tend to use the forum to gain great advise. If we all work together, it is all for the good of promoting the use of electric bikes. Keep up the great work.

Have added my status as a cycle shop owner to comply with the terms of this site.

Wow I didn't realise I had such talented customers. I am so glad you love the bike, we were very impressed when we first saw them, especially after selling cheaper electric bikes for so many years. They are so reliable and well built. It just goes to show that it is so true, that you only get what you pay for in life. I think the happiest person is my mechanic though, lol.

I hope you are happy with your Raleigh Ebike.

I actually spend most of my time in Brittany, although I do own a cycle shop in the UK. There are always electric bikes for sale in some supermarkets, and the post office now have custom built electric bikes for deliveries. So they are slowly creeping in. The overheads when running a business here is quite exspensive, If it wasnt I might concider opening an electric bike shop. Mind you my French would have to improve.

if sports HQ are the sole inporters, I am sure they set their own RRP which could be inflated to make the bike look a bigger bargain when it is discounted, I mean have you evet seen a sette suite for sale at less than half the RRP! saying that it looks a good buy at that price, as a second back up bike Zombie. I wish I had a 40% Margin on the electric that I retail.

It probably closed because people went to Halfords for cheaper parts! You cant always compete with a multi national for its buying power.

I do not think better brake pads will make a big difference, but sometimes cheap outer brake cables tend to crimp slightly under pressure. So better quality outer brake cables might help, especially on the back brake. of course better levers will help as well, but you would lose the cut out. You could also try having a little play on the cable. Obviously these bikes are sold at a price point, more expensive bikes have better cables etc. Although many people on here might not agree, I do think the powacycle is not a bad bike for the price. I have sold plenty of them and to be honest they have given me a lot less problems than similar products in that price range.

For one, you do not have to click on the links, secondly I do not think that many people do. You also neew hundreds of thousands of clicks to make any real money. But whatever they do make, good luck to them, for all the wealth of free information that you get on here, and yet you still complain. Its seems to me that kettle, black! comes to mind , you do not mind all the free infomation that is availible all over the web, as long as someone else pays to put it there. A little give and take and everyone gains. I just wonder how long the economy would really last, if eveyone expecte d noone to make a profit.

Try finding a fault on some cheap ebike bought off the INTERNET. Could take you two hours and still no joy, so you ask the customer for £50 for your time, but the bike is still not working. If you do get it going after finding some poorly soldered wire, after dismantling half the bike, for sure as eggs are eggs that he will be back the following week telling you his bike has broken down again and he has already paid you £50 to fix it last week so sort it. Which is why I carefully choose the electric bikes I sell and repair. Yes we have some repairs that cost us a lot more in time than we charge the customer for, but that is par for the course, you win a few you lose a few. With overheads being as they are, you cannot affort to waste time sorting out problems for internet suppliers. Once you lay a finger on someones bike it them all of a sudden becomes your responsibility, the same goes for cheap bikes in a box sold on the internet for £75, sometimes even we cannot get the gears working without new parts. Ok a chain and a punture seems simple enough and sorry for the rant, but you have to look at both sides of the coin.

Flec I was just comparing the Raleigh Dover at £1799 to the Kalhoff pro connect at £1750. The Raleigh has suspension forks and seat post, and the rest of the spec seems similar, so it seems it is slightly better value than the Kalhoff, or at least equal. Or am I missing something.

I got this reply from Scott UK ; That is correct we will not be selling the E Bikes this season. They will only be sold in Germany and a few other European countries.

I did read somewhere that they were only going to supply Europe and not the UK though.