RobF

There does not appear to be a 'h' in the name in the pic, although National does suggest a Panasonic connection. According to wiki, there is a Matsusita Electric Co. I don't know if it's just a different Anglicised spelling, or an entirely separate company. ファイル:Matsusita Electric Works, Ltd..jpg - Wikipedia

Take a £750 mountain bike, slap a Bosch derailleur destroyer on it and charge nearly three grand. Nice work if you can get it.

I doubt a test would reveal much other than the brand prejudice of the rider. Both bikes will ride nicely when shiny and new. The real test is in a few years when one bike might still be giving stalwart service, and the other might be off the road more often than it's on.

There are quite a few e-bikes on the market which are similar to the two under discussion. Here's another: Volt Pulse Hybrid Electric Bike, Electric Bike Store I think passing off is a non-starter, products aiming for the same market will inevitably look similar. Medium sized hatchback cars is a good example. And beware the chicken and egg situation. Woosh might say the Wisper is an over-priced clone of their bike.

Plenty of evidence of noisy gear changes with crank drive bikes. Extra noise = extra wear.

Seems to me the snapped chain is just more evidence crank drive e-bikes are (too) hard on transmissions. A chunky chain on a single sprocket linked to a hub gearbox might be OK, but thin chains, derailleurs and multi-sprockets are a no-no.

Phil, Bosch/crank drives are harder on transmissions than hub drives, which arguably reduce stress. A fast rider is harder on transmissions than a slow one. So if you are going to be riding your new bike quickly, best to avoid all crank drives.

Gazelle battery prices are still stupidly high - £450 to £750 - at a time when other suppliers have brought the price down to £250. The Gazelle system records details of use, which could settle any arguments in the event of a warranty claim. I tried an open frame Gazelle which was about £2.700 with a decent strength battery. In car terms it was like a limo, big and luxurious if not particularly fast. It had road presence and seemed nicely made and finished, but was worth about half what they were asking.

It's crying out for a NuVinci hub.

List of NuVinci equipped bikes here: NuVinci® Bikes Essentially Everywhere at EuroBike 2012 | Fallbrook Technologies Inc.

A tow path is a mixed user path, so I think the OP will struggle to maintain much speed, irrespective of fitness. Dog walkers, children and the like won't want the OP hammering past at 15mph+. Might be worth checking if some of the journey can be done at speed on ordinary roads.

One of the problems with the NuVinci seems to be it can be quite hard to change gear. I saw a YouTube video and the rider was having to give the grip a fair old twist - hydraulic actuation could be the answer. The hub is being fitted to more e-bikes - there's a list on the NuVinci website - but I don't think many are available in this country. Moustache offer a Bosch crank drive NuVinci, which might be the best of several worlds: Moustache Bikes | Lundi 26 Bosch NUVINCI

Another method of breaching D locks is to use an expanding jack. If possible, it's better to lock the bike in such a way that there is little room left inside the 'D' to insert the jack. Lock it to as big a post as possible and/or use one of the thicker frame tubes on the bike.

So the pro-electric bike lobby might have fielded a ringer. Pity there was no one on a horse - we might have found Shergar.

Dave, Looks like your 'not for profit' model is the way forward for e-bike shows for the time being. I read somewhere that one or two of the bigger names in ordinary bikes didn't bother with the NEC, so something's not quite right there. Didn't you post something about the organisers? The events management company at the NEC is probably used to dealing with big businessmen, bicycle people don't wear blue suits or fit the corporate mould, so I suspect a cash of cultures.

The bike being illegal is an assumption which does not stand up to even casual scrutiny. A reasonably fit cyclist on a non-assisted bike could average 19mph over just seven miles. Thousands of club riders up and down the country aim for that sort of average speed - but over a much longer distance - in sportives and other organised events.

When Wisper's bigger than Raleigh, all of us on here will be able to say: "I knew that Dave when he had nowt."

To encourage wider attendance by importers/manufacturers at the shows, you could charge the smaller names less than the bigger ones, but still offer roughly equal pitch sizes. The larger names may not want to pay more, but in terms of building the event and reaching the 'tipping point', this could be a case where the most obvious standpoint - wanting to pay as little as possible - is not the best one.

At eight months old the bike is still under warranty. Brake pads would be excluded as a consumable, but I think a warped disc ought to be covered.

The grounds of a stately home would do the job, apart from not having a roof. National Trust properties can be hired for events, and e-bikes being 'green' an inquiry from Kudos should go down well with the tree huggers at the trust. Nostell Priory near Pontefract is a possibility: Nostell Priory and Parkland - Visitor information - National Trust