May 30, 201213 yr Author Well.... predicted delivery date of 29th May has come and gone, and the bike still looks "in Stock" on the Tesco website so I gave them a call. It turns out my order is "partially past the point of no return". Which basically means they don't know where it is. After chasing a bit it seems that the actual suppliers are Avocet Sports. They then found out that in fact the bike is out of stock and that it's not due in stock until at least 21st June. I've now requested a refund, so it doesn't look like I'll be reporting back on how good this bike is after all!!
May 30, 201213 yr Well....what can I say......how blooming disappointing....... I was really looking forward to your report on this bike. Still....look on the bright side, you still have all your clubcard points still to spend....what will you buy now ? AND theres still that new Ezee folder to consider..........mind you, I doubt John will accept tesco vouchers :D Lynda
May 31, 201213 yr Author Well....what can I say......how blooming disappointing....... I was really looking forward to your report on this bike. Still....look on the bright side, you still have all your clubcard points still to spend....what will you buy now ? AND theres still that new Ezee folder to consider..........mind you, I doubt John will accept tesco vouchers :D Lynda Unfortunately I've browsed the whole Tesco website and there's nothing I want instead (to spend the 120 of vouchers on), so I've decided to get the points re-credited back onto my account and will wait until Christmas when they will hopefully do another double up! As for the bike, well I've decided to stick with my existing electric bike for now. What I have noticed though on a couple of occasions is that people tend to leave their e-bikes locked up with the battery still in, so I'm tempted to leave the battery with the bike maybe in the future and then save on having to carry even that about! As for the folding bike journeys, given my short distance, I'm getting slowly braver towards just using my existing folding Dahon Speed 7 (non-electric)...!!
August 23, 201213 yr I have recently bought a Tesco Hopper and so far I am impressed. I have personal experience of Tesco Direct failing to live up to its promises and messing up direct orders. However in ordering this bike, delivery was extremely speedy even though I received it during the Olympic period and was initially warned that the Olympics could cause delivery delays. So to the bike. In my opinion it is extremely responsive. I have health issues so only really have wanted to start by getting around. I tend to leave the bike in first gear but very little pressure applied to the peddles is enough to activate the motor even in the low power setting. I dont know enough about its performance levels to be able to compare it to other models. There are some points that users may wish to know about. It has a rear suspension. I didnt realise at first how this worked or what it meant in accessory terms. It means that a rack option is limited to a seat post rack at most if you raise the seat a little. Or no rack. Because the suspension raises and lowers and to have a fixed point rack would not work with this facility. The battery is 8.5mh 24V for those that understand those things. It has a motor in the front hub and a disc brake on the rear. The motor unit on the handlebars is badged 980 with 3 power levels. It does fold but in my opinion it is too heavy and unwieldy to carry any distance so I think it is ideal to fold for storage or for taking in and out of a car but maybe not for lugging onto trains. It does depend on your strength levels though. I use it with a backpack that I bought from Lidl. They have a lot of cycling offers at the moment. But for those wanting more it might be a possibilty to tow some sort of trailer or have a handlebar rack. I have seen a variety of trailers some of which are supposed to be ok with suspension bikes but all the ones I have seen are quite pricey. The bike was shipped from Manchester and the dealer also sells the Viking e2go which to me looks like the same bike in a different colour and with a different name badge for several hundreds of pounds more. Support could be an issue in my opinion. If a component fails it might be difficult to get repairs done by a dealer. I haven't enquired. But when looking at the cost of even self assembly electric kits and then the cost of a new bike on top I judged that the price paid was worth a gamble. If it lasts for a couple of years I will have had payback. If you have Tesco points or money off codes they can be applied which can reduce the £399 price even more. There may also be the option of buying via Quidco or similar cashback sites to reduce the cost still further. You will have to pay delivery as an extra. Minimum charge was £3. If you would like to get into the world of electric bikes, this, in my opinion, is a reasonable place to start.
August 24, 201213 yr Following on from a different thread... http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/11345-hawkcycles.html Tesco now have a Hopper Folding e-Bike on their website and it is in stock. Buy Hopper 20" folding E bike from our Electric Bikes range - Tesco.com I was wondering if anyone has any experience of this bike, seen it or bought it? - It seems very interesting as an e-Bike which can be taken on the train (and thus allow cycling at each end of the commute). Any feedback would be most welcome. Thanks E-bikes have definitely come of age if Tesco is selling them!! I wondered how long it would take them to enter the market. That's a very competitive price too, especially now SportsHQ have put the price of their folding cyclamatic up from £399 to £599. The Tesco bike looks ok but the step thru frame is going to limit the market I think.... not many blokes are going to want to ride that! It would have made more sense to have just a lower downtube design if they wanted a unisex bike.
August 24, 201213 yr Tesco were early into this market around three years ago with their Meerkat Metro e-bike, which was actually an Izip with the Currie Electrodrive motor. With steel frame and SLA batteries, it retailed at £349.
August 25, 201213 yr Ref the earlier post query about removing the battery without removing the seat........ Yes you can remove the battery without removing the seat. But it may be advisable to consider also removing the seat if you are leaving it as the seat is quick release. The bike is Chinese with the Manchester dealer acting as an importer in my opinion. But I think a lot of electric bike components actually come from China anyway these days so with Google and the internet as your friend it 'should' be possible to get any problems fixed. It may just be a lot more straightforward if there is a return to base option. But I guess thats factored in with the lower initial outlay. If anyone wants to know more, post a question and I will answer as best as I can.
August 25, 201213 yr The Tesco bike looks ok but the step thru frame is going to limit the market I think.... not many blokes are going to want to ride that! In a few years' time, though..... Getting me leg over the saddle on the MTB is OK, but.... Getting it back over when I've done a few miles is a bit hit-and-miss
August 25, 201213 yr Just spotted this on Amazon for £480, looks similar to the Tesco offering, and it's only 15kg (boxed weight?!) http://i.imgur.com/rLAW6.jpg Viking E-Go Electric Folding Bike - (Black, Frame 15.5 Inch, Wheel 20 Inch): Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Outdoors EDIT: Ah, seems to be the same Chinese import bike that KirstinS posted a link for to Winstanley's on first page of thread...but on Amazon it's mysteriously shed 8kg in weight (unless someone is telling porkies on Amazon) and it's £45 cheaper...(plus 5% cashback if you you're an associate member).. Edited August 25, 201213 yr by morphix
August 25, 201213 yr I bought my Hopper in April and found it very good value. It hauls my 95kg (15 stone) up a long 1:10 hill without any problem (on "Hi" of course, otherwise on "Mid" on the flat) and the power meter has just dipped once or twice over about 4-5 miles. The gearing is low compared with my Whirlwind e-bike although that is off the road with dead batteries. The "step-thru" design doesn't attract any jeers, although I'm a big guy. The only thing I find a problem is over-steering, but of course that be down to the small wheels. It could also down to my having to re-learn how to ride a pedal bike after a stroke last November, although I got the knack back in a couple of days. Unfortunately I've now been stopped from riding my motorcycle so I'm looking to enjoy motorised riding without having any problems with driving licences (or now lack of) or the DVLA. Edit: Forgot to mention - I insured my Hopper with the ETA for £28. That's theft, recovery, accidental injury and public liability, although I have that with my home insurance. Edited August 25, 201213 yr by Wildswimmer Pete
August 26, 201213 yr The medical stuff is what encouraged me into the market. I have my licence but was worried for a while that it might not always be an option. Its funny how it concentrates the mind on alternatives. I took part in a skyride today where they were security marking the bikes for free. I dont know if this occurs at every get together. It may be worth checking whats available in your area. Home Page - Sky Ride Click on ride finder. I was the only one on an electric bike. Somebody called me a cheat. I soaked it up. I wasnt hot and sweaty and I did cycle unassisted for some of the ride. A good introduction to cycling if you have never cycled or a way to exercise in company so there is assistance if it should be required
June 18, 201312 yr Congratulaions on your first e-bike. I would be interested what the range is between charges, as 5ah does not seem very generous ?it should be a 8.5ah according to the tesco adv on its direct site!
June 19, 201312 yr I have one. Bought a month ago as my entry into the world of ebikes. Does the job I want it to at a very good price. I have found that I am using it far more than I ever thought I would. First month....300 miles that would be £60 in fuel. Won't take long at this rate to pay for itself.
July 2, 201312 yr ok i got my bike but tesco sent me a black viking e-go 24 as far as i can tell its the exact same bike but obviously i think it looks better than tesco value range colours lol anyway ill give a short review on it so far ok getting the bike set up was a cynch 90 percent already there spent more time getting bubble wrap off than setting the bike up the front brakes were over tight and still squeal when i reverse the wheel i little bit annoying ok first ride i found the low power assist is actualy a speed assist ie it powers you up to a certain speed ie about 5 mph or so mid level about 10 mph and high about 15 so if your looking to move a bit faster you may end up using the high power settings i rode to work a mix of inclines but mostly downhill on the way about 6.5 miles still plenty of juice left on it on mid setting mostly all good on the way back it was mostly up hill i stuck it on high power and it got me all the way home by which time the battery was on the red indicator on the battery all in all i did the journey really easily i actually love the bike the cars only been out to get kids from school and im nipping to the super market as well now instead of jumping in the car long term we will see how the battery works but for now im quiet happy with this
July 2, 201312 yr Because this bike is from the Tesco product range, do they specify the motor output in horse power?
July 2, 201312 yr Because this bike is from the Tesco product range, do they specify the motor output in horse power? this bike isnt in the tesco product range so its more venison than horse i think its the exact same thought and asda sell them online for the same price too now !
July 2, 201312 yr ok i got my bike but tesco sent me a black viking e-go 24 as far as i can tell its the exact same bike but obviously i think it looks better than tesco value range colours lol anyway ill give a short review on it so far ok getting the bike set up was a cynch 90 percent already there spent more time getting bubble wrap off than setting the bike up the front brakes were over tight and still squeal when i reverse the wheel i little bit annoying ok first ride i found the low power assist is actualy a speed assist ie it powers you up to a certain speed ie about 5 mph or so mid level about 10 mph and high about 15 so if your looking to move a bit faster you may end up using the high power settings i rode to work a mix of inclines but mostly downhill on the way about 6.5 miles still plenty of juice left on it on mid setting mostly all good on the way back it was mostly up hill i stuck it on high power and it got me all the way home by which time the battery was on the red indicator on the battery all in all i did the journey really easily i actually love the bike the cars only been out to get kids from school and im nipping to the super market as well now instead of jumping in the car long term we will see how the battery works but for now im quiet happy with this Did you ever come to a full stop?
July 2, 201312 yr Did you ever come to a full stop? punctuation isnt my strong point........... il say that now got a problem jog on:p Edited July 2, 201312 yr by skidders
July 2, 201312 yr Did you ever come to a full stop? Is that comment really needed..................:(
July 3, 201312 yr this bike isnt in the tesco product range so its more venison than horse i think its the exact same thought and asda sell them online for the same price too now ! It's good to hear that you like the bike and thanks for the review. I hope it continues to please.
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