zeeflyboy

I think it was something like £45 for the controller and I just had them fit it for £20. The old controller was supplied in the box. So did 8 miles today (4 miles to work, 4 miles back) and on the last big hill I was just starting to lose the first bar from the voltage meter while under load. On the flat when the load reduced it came back on to full. Based on that I would say 20 miles pedal assisted is a bit pessimistic. The route is a mix of some uphill, some downhill and some flat. Managed to get to work in 12 minutes (normally 15 on the road bike!) and got home in 15 minutes (normally 20+). Pretty happy so far.

Quick update After a full charge, wowzers... Quite a bit more grunt. I was able to keep a good 20-22mph on relative flat with pedalling, that compares more favourably with my road bike. Throttle only was around 16+ mph. Up the big hill I always attack on the way back from work I managed a steady 14.5mph with moderate pedalling. On my road bike I always crawl up at around 8mph and end up a sweaty mess at the end. More impressed now! We'll see how it goes over the next couple of weeks with a few cycles on the batteries and varying states of charge.

No adjustment to assist level, it's on or off. The mudguards would probably be okay for off road, but for commuting you want something better to wrap around the wheel.

Oh and I forgot to mention, the included mud guards aren't worth looking at. I'll be picking up some SKS longboards methinks

Sure, but probably better to wait for the battery to do a few cycles before making any decisions. I can say without charging from it arriving I've done about 20km today including some throttle only testing and it dropped to what one would interpret as about 2/3rds full.

Mine just arrived today! If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. Couple of first impressions after a little riding today: - Nice looking bike, but feels a little heavy (I'm used to a 9kg road bike and an 11kg carbon framed full sus, so take that for what it's worth lol). For an e-bike the weight seems reasonable for looking on the web. - Included disc brakes are surprisingly good. I have always used hydraulics and the last set of cable discs I used must have been about 15 years ago. I was pleasantly surprised by both the feel and power of these units. - Suspension seat post is really stiff... Not much suspension going on lol. Saddle is not bad but not great in the comfort sense. - using the "de-restricted" controller, I get about 15-16mph on the flat using just throttle. Cycling at a fairly relaxed pace with the assist goes up to about 18-19mph. Pedalling harder doesn't seem to result in much extra speed beyond this lol... I assume all you are ending up doing is reducing the drain on the battery and replacing it with a drain on the belly. - power delivery is fine. I do see what has been said about being a bit "all or nothing" but it doesn't kick in for a few seconds after pedalling and is not hard to control. If you need an instant boost off the blocks the throttle is easy to use. - very quiet. In fact the only time you can really hear the motor is when it's working hard pulling away from a slow start. Once up to speed it's not noticeable, and even during the acceleration it's very respectable. - battery rattled a bit in the holder over bumps. A strip of foam on the holder stops this completely, easy fix. Overall I'm pretty happy so far. While i don't think it'll particularly reduce my commute time (my road bike is faster on the flats), I will certainly arrive in a similar time and less sweaty! I will run a timer on the way to work tomorrow and see how it compares. I suspect the main gain will be on the way back where the hills are less in my favour. The bike and components seem fair quality for the money, and the bike works well. It's not a powerhouse but then I have no frame of reference regarding other e-bikes. It is nice and easy to cruise at a good clip on the flats and uphill you can notice how much easier it is to cruise up them. Steeper hills do require some pedal input to avoid slowing down too much.

thanks for that. I'm leaning towards the GT250 for an immediate and easy fix, see how I get on with it and then perhaps down the road look into a "self build" if I feel the need....

Very close to buying one of these 2013 versions (large, 28" wheels) From what I can tell it looks like most of the criticisms have been addressed in this new model - rear disc brake to replace the rim brake, improved brake levers, better gearing options. Seems like a well rounded and good value bike with great looks. To owners of either version, is there any glaring issue that you think is still unaddressed? I've been impressed with the speedy response of the company to emails (hopefully something that continues after they have your money too lol) and I'm almost ready to pull the trigger. Can anyone show pictures of the supplied mud guards by the way? Cheers chaps!

D8 - thanks for the info, still learning! That 8-fun thing looks interesting too... Now it's a trilemma lol. A shade over 20mph is about what I've seen mentioned for the unrestricted controller, that would suit me just fine. 20mph is a pretty comfortable pace on the road bike on the flat for me and that's enough - if I can maintain that speed with a little assistance to reduce the sweat and help hold speed better uphill it'll be perfect. I'm off to do some reading up on the 8-fun!

The large frame version of the GT250 actually runs 28" tyres, as i have just found out, so same as 700c in diameter. From what I understand on the 2013 model you need a different controller to access the higher speeds, but then it should be pretty comparable I guess... Though no idea about the freewheeling. I was under the impression that all the small 250w geared hub type motors were freewheeling? I was quoted something like £45 for the de-restricted controller. There's a better spec list (plus pics of the large frame version) here, oddly more up to date than the website. BURISCH Synergy GT250 LARGE Ebike e-bike pedelec electric bicycle | eBay I'm almost decided on the GT250. I can get the Cube a service and then try to sell it to recoup some costs, suspension and disc brakes are a big plus on a daily commuter I think.

Hmm true... I must say I'm very tempted by the GT250, it's a great looker. Thanks for the tip about the kudos bikes, they look great too... Unfortunately they won't ship to Europe, and its just too much hassle to bring it out myself.

Normally I'm a fairly decisive guy, but I've been going backwards and forwards on this one for a while and I just can't decide... so help me! Now first the background: I'm an expat living in france and cycle to work in Geneva all year round, covering over 3,500km per year... it's around a 15km trip to work and back. for this I primarily use my trusty Cube Attempt road bike and have done for the last 2.5 years. I also own a nice carbon framed full suspension mountain bike (Ghost RT Lector) which I am sometimes forced to use in the snow... but I am slightly loathe to leave it at work since it's not a cheap bit of kit and is extremely eye catching. Only happens a few times a year though. Recently I've been getting a bit fed up with arriving at work sweating like a badger when it's hot or struggling to make way into the headwind when it's windy... so my curiosity has been peeked by an e-bike, or more specifically a pedelec. This way I can leave the assist low/off when I'm feeling motivated or crank it up when I'm not/it's hot/windy/I'm running late. So after trawling the web I came up with two options that are about the same cost at around £800-900, and thus begins my dilemma. Option A) I fit an Oxydrive electric conversion kit to my Cube Attempt. Replaces the front wheel with a motorised hub wheel. Really nice looking kit, high quality and has a natty little bike computer/interface Pros: - It uses my existing bike, less wasteful. - High quality electronics combined with a decent level (albeit slightly tired) road bike - All up weight will be very low for an e-bike, about 16kg total. - Due to light weight and low rolling resistance the range should be pretty decent. Cons: - Bike is well overdue a BIG service, about 7,000km overdue. - Some rough patches on the way to work almost shake my fillings out on the rigid road bike - Kit that I have to fit myself, time and effort (albeit only 2 hours according to them... assuming there aren't problems) - Limited options for winter tyres due to very low clearance between tyre and frame. Option B) I buy a Burisch Synergy GT250. This is a stunning looking little bike for the money and the entire lot costs the same as the Oxydrive kit... seems to be nicely kitted out and has suspension for making the ride to work a little less harsh, plus a front disc which should be much more enjoyable in the wet (anyone who has tried braking with rim brakes in torrential rain will know what I mean!). Electronics quality obviously won't be quite as high as the Oxydrive kit but I do get a brand new bike thrown in on the deal. Pros: - Minimal fuss... just put a few bits together and it's ready to go. - More comfortable - Better winter tyre options (simple 26" rim with plenty of clearance) - NEW!!! Cons: - Heavier (around 20.5kg, still light for an ebike but much heavier than my hypothetical converted cube) - Bike components probably a lower standard than the cube (but less worn!) - Electronic components maybe not quite as good as the oxydrive Performance between the two should be more or less the same, with the caveat of the GT250 being heavier. From what I've read the power delivery of the Oxydrive when used in pedelec (assistance) mode is smoother whereas the burisch can be a bit binary... ie the moment you start pedaling it's off like a shot. If you've made it through to the end here, congrats. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts, especially if anyone here is using either one! cheers!