PzPhil

Thanks for this, though the Axcess website shows "out of stock" for the Exmoor2. I've sent them an email anyway.

Hi everyone Apologies for the forthcoming lengthy post: I’ve been on here since 2014, when I and OH bought Kalkhoff bikes, a ProConnect and Agattu respectively, with Impulse 2 drives (promise this isn’t going where you think it is!). We also got a pair of Woosh Zephyr CDN folders. These were used for a couple of years then got put away and forgotten. Come this spring, we decided to get going again – the Kalkhoffs basically needed the batteries charged and the tyres pumping up. Mine has about 1400 miles on it, hers 500. Motors (perhaps surprisingly) OK, batteries still give 60 miles plus. The Zephyrs needed new batteries, sorted by Cem at Ebike batteries. The issue is not to do with the bikes, but with OH! She is 5’2”, 70kg and has health problems which mean she can’t put much power into pedalling. Her Agattu is of course Torque-sensing, and as she can’t produce much power, it doesn’t deliver much power, even on high, making her slow on the flat and she struggles uphill. She’s much happier on the Zephyr (mid-drive but cadence-sensored), but it’s a small-wheeled folder with only a 3-speed hub gear - bit scary downhill! So, I’m looking to replace her Agattu with a full-sized, cadence-sensored bike suitable for the smaller rider, without being too spendy. When we were first looking for ebikes, these were two-a-penny but it seems not so much now – the mainstream seems to be mid-drive torque-sensored bikes. I should also say she likes a comfortable saddle – she uses a Bikeroo currently, and would ideally also like a suspension seatpost (I had to put a plain seatpost on the Agattu as this saddle plus suspension post put her too far off the ground when stopped). We’re looking for a bike to provide uphill assistance rather than outright speed. Having had a quick look at the market, the two ready-made alternatives seem to be the Woosh Petite and the Wisper 705 24”. We live in West Cornwall so it’s tricky to inspect/try before buying. I notice Halfords have some offers currently on their “Assist” range which would come in at not much over £400 with all discounts and we could try for size at our local branch but I’m put off by the 8Ah battery – does anyone know if this is just a generic battery which could be upgraded by me if it proves inadequate in terms of range? TL;DR: Looking for a small inexpensive cadence-sensored bike which is good at hills. Bonus question: would you recommend selling the Agattu as-is or retaining it to cannibalise its motor if/when the Impulse 2 on my ProConnect packs in?

Kerry probably lives not too far from a city. However, it's St Davids, which is a teeming metropolis only in relative terms. The advice on here is often to "try before you buy", but for many of us Bob's assertion that "There are specialist electric bike shops all over the country now" doesn't translate to "There's one near to me". I might be able to get to Bike Higher in 2 hours on a good day, and I'm fortunate enough to have my own transport to take me. I'm also pretty handy with tools, but I can see from Kerry's point of view there's quite a step of faith to take that any problems can be sorted out in a timely and inexpensive way.

It's surprising how many people think "We've a branch in Bristol, that's the West Country covered."

I've seen an ex-hearse down our way used to carry surfboards - made a change from the ubiquitous VW T4/T5 vans.

Let us know on here what the differences are once you've ridden them!

Domestic dishwasher. Does an excellent job degreasing small car parts...

You could argue therefore that you may as well bypass the "trade" altogether, buy your bike mail order and fix it yourself with the help of expertise gleaned from the internet. This is another barrier to ebikes going mainstream.

It would be a start if their dealer agreements contained a clause stating that a condition of being a dealer is that they will repair all bikes of that make, at their normal commercial rate, irrespective of original supplier. If someone had sufficient time and funding, I'm sure it could be established that the restrictions and barriers for component parts are in fact illegal under EU consumer law...

Thanks for that. I wrote the lengthy post because I've seen more than one thread on here where the customer clearly has been denied his/her legal rights. I note your situation was remedied by your dealer effectively putting things right by you by cannibalising another bike. Legally, it doesn't matter why the bike can't be fixed as you contract remains with the dealer, not the manufacturer or parts supplier. If KTM backs their warranty from a central fund or via insurance, it shouldn't matter which dealer you take the bike to. I also don't see why as a customer, you can't walk into a dealer and order the part to fit yourself, or to have fitted by a third party, just like I can at the parts counter of my car dealer...

It's important to realise that manufacturer warranties, if offered, are effectively an insurance-backed product which act to reimburse dealers for parts and labour costs incurred in delivering the warranty. This is how it works in mature industries and there's no reason why it shouldn't work this way in the bike industry. However, it is important to note that these warranties always contain a clause that they are "in addition to your statutory rights". Indeed, it is illegal for them to be otherwise. Statutory rights are conferred by the Sale Of Goods Act (SOGA). If you paid for all or part of the cost of the bike on dealer finance or a credit card (CC), you have additional rights under the Consumer Credit Act (CCA), which makes the credit company jointly responsible. It's worth using credit for this reason alone. Under SOGA, your contract is with the person or company to whom you hand your money, i.e. the dealer. SOGA states that goods supplied must be "fit for purpose" and "of satisfactory quality". Another point worth noting is that if an item breaks within 6 months of purchase, it will legally be deemed to have been faulty at the point of supply, unless the supplier can prove otherwise (in practice, difficult to impossible). From 6 months out to as long as 6 years, the law takes into account expected lifespan of the item, wear & tear, price paid, etc. So, if your bike breaks down within 6 months and you haven't caused the breakage by using it outside its expected parameters or by modifying it, then the dealer has to offer redress in the form of repair, replacement or refund, irrespective of any other warranty which may apply. You as the customer have to give this dealer the opportunity do so, and he has to do so within a "reasonable time". So, if the dealer can't fix the bike, either because he doesn't deal with the brand any more, or parts are unavailable, he can replace, refund, or offer you a loan bike until yours is fixed. If he won't do any of these, then your best course of action is to send him a letter headed "Letter Before Action" stating the facts and asking him to remedy the situation within a "reasonable time", which you specify (14 days is often legally regarded as "reasonable"). If no response, or unsatisfactory response, then you can claim via Small Claims Court (SCC), which is straightforward (if the circumstances are straightforward) and inexpensive. Exception is if you bought on credit, in which case you can claim the full amount back from the credit company, even if you only paid part of the cost on credit. This is usually faster than going via SCC. They reclaim from the dealer via chargeback. If the dealer has gone belly-up, then reclaiming in this way may be your only form of redress (the bike of course becomes the property of the finance company). Sorry about the long post, but it appears that some on this forum have not taken advantage of their statutory rights, probably through not being aware of them. Phil

OK, I know I'm new on here and haven't even bought an ebike yet, but here's my twopennorth: You're all barking up the wrong tree! The problem with ebikes at the moment is that they are a niche market, both customers and suppliers are essentially enthusiasts who are prepared to seek out the knowledge to enable them to buy or build an ebike that suits them. It is clearly the case that most of the bikes on the market would serve the needs of most potential buyers. However, if, like me, you've got to spend the best part of a week's spare time searching out the knowledge to enable you to choose a bike, then send off the thick end of £1000 to a mail-order supplier to get a "budget" ebike, in the knowledge that any warranty work is likely to be on a return-to-base principle, and that your local bike shop won't want to have anything to do with it so you're on your own for long-term maintenance and repairs, then it's clear that ebikes will inevitably remain a niche market. The public at large will not jump through all these hoops, nor does £1000 for a bicycle look like good value to a non-enthusiast. So, basically the market needs a 36V 10Ah bike or folder of conventional design using standard bike parts and decent quality to be sold for £500 (at a push, £600) at an outlet near you, where you can also get it fixed (sadly, at the moment, this would seem to e Half*rds).

Thanks for the info. I couldn't see an upgrade price on your website. I will say that I like the battery position behind the seat tube, it must help to get the weight lower down.

Have you been speaking to my missus?

Thanks for that.

Sadly, Kalkhoffs have correspondingly big prices, which I cannot afford to pay.

Reasons for going for extra battery: 1. I might want to go further now & then. 2. Higher capacity when new should ensure it will still meet my needs in a couple of years' time when the battery capacity has reduced to what - maybe 75% of its nominal rating? I'm trying to ensure that I won't be spending an extra £250-£300 every 18 months on new batteries. IMHO, this appears to be a major Achilles' heel of ebikes.

Thanks for the thoughts so far. Had thought about the BB step through, it is available from stock, but I always worry about the strength of open frames, especially for the larger rider - perhaps I'm harking back to the old days too much? I had noticed that I'd be paying rather more for the Juicy, Ezee or Kudos with a 15A battery. One of the things I wondered is are they so much better (i.e. the basic bike and components) that they justify the extra cost?

2 Problems with used as far as I can see: 1. If the battery turns out to be duff, you don't necessarily save any money 2. Most on say, eBay are "pickup only". Time and fuel.

Hi, I’m Phil from West Cornwall looking for advice on buying my first ebike. I’ve read through a lot of this forum and I am aware that I’m asking a question similar to one which has been asked many times before, but nevertheless… I’m 50 years old and 112kg, looking for a bike for domestic and leisure use, envisaging a maximum of 25 miles use a day. Hoping that using the ebike regularly will help as part of my exercise/weight loss regime (already 8kg lighter than last year, hoping to get down to 100kg or so). I’m 5’11” or so. Not totally unfit, I’m currently riding my Dahon Espresso folding mountain bike about 5 miles three times a week, walk about 5 miles daily. Terrain around here is mixed, some steepish hills, but nothing like Devon or the Peak District – the steep hills tend not to be very long – half a mile or so. I’d like an ebike mainly for hillclimbing assistance, I’m quite capable of moving myself on the flat. My preference is for a crossbar bike with mudguards and rack for carrying stuff like a bit of shopping, or my binoculars and camera (my main passion is birdwatching). West Cornwall is not well-served by ebike dealers (bear in mind it’s a 2-hour drive from here to Exeter), so I haven’t really got any option other than to buy “blind”, using the information and advice I can obtain via the electric internet. Budget is £1000, I know that puts me at the lower end of the market, but to me that’s a significant sum. I could buy half a pair of binoculars for that money! Obvious answer would seem to be a Woosh Big Bear (currently out of stock though). Others I’m considering include: Tonaro Enduro (could just about get to the distributor, taking in some birding on the Exe estuary on the way, but it would be a 3-hour trip each way and £40 in fuel). Worried however that Tonaro appear to be gradually disappearing from the market, their range has shrunk to 2 models and they appear now to be working from domestic rather than business premises. Could be a problem in respect of support in the future? Ezee Sprint Primo – but is a 3-speed hub gear enough – my cycling experience is all with conventional bikes and I wouldn’t have picked a 3-speed hub gear for serious use in 1985! Smarta GT – slightly over budget, hugely over budget if specced to same level as the Big Bear. Juicy Sport Click – but not sure I like that twin crossbar thing they have going – seems to make it wider for no real gain. Freego Hawk – generic Chinese bike, again seems underspecced compared to the BB, is the base bike really worth £100 more, given that it has a smaller battery and less powerful/torquey motor? Axcess Mustang – again looks like a generic Chinese bike with typical spec, thrown into the mix because they have a dealer (albeit as an offshoot of a car dealership) a mere 50 miles away, which may help with support. I would appreciate the thoughts of both those with customer experience of these bikes and those in the trade. Is there any other model I should be considering? One last thing - please try to be nice to each other. You know who I mean (I've read a LOT of threads on here in the last week).