Hi Everyone,

New member in Cumbria looking for some advice. Some background - we have a motor caravan based on a panel van. The design has a rear compartment where I currently carry 2 normal crossover bikes crossways, one above the other. To get them in I need to remove one pedal and turn the handlebars 90 degrees. They only just fit in! Most electric bikes are longer than non-electrics so would not fit crossways.

 

We go to France quite a lot and like to go off site on the bikes to explore the countryside and villages in the locality - typically 30 mile round trips. With age this is getting harder, hence considering electric bikes. The Kalkhoff Sahel Compact seems to fit the bill - it will fit crossways in the back, the pedals fold and the handlebars easily turn. The only difficulty may be loading the top one given the weight - even with the battery removed they are 20kg - though with the bars and seat at the lowest level it won't be quite so far to lift it.

 

Question 1 - What are 20" wheeled bikes like to ride compared to full size?

 

Question 2 - How good are Kalkhoff bikes - do they justify the over £2k price tag (I need 2!)?

 

Question 3 - Are there any others that will fit the requirements that I should be looking at?

 

Son lives in Bristol so we will be visiting the '50Cycles' shop there to have a look and take a test ride but would appreciate the thoughts of you experts on here.

 

Many Thanks

 

Kendalian

There have been quite a few ``problems`` documented on this forum from members with the motor that the kalkhoff uses so caution is advised.

I have had three fail on two different models.

Since starting the thread I have used the search facility and have found much bad news! Don't really know what to look at now.

 

Kendalian

 

Edit - what about these with Bosch motor? http://www.onbike.co.uk/folding-electric-bikes/ktm-macina-compact-electric-bike.html

Have a look at the R&M Pony http://www.onbike.co.uk/folding-electric-bikes/bluelabel-pony-city-electric-bike.html

 

Shorter than normal bike, handle bars fold down, very good make, nice to ride, Bosch motor.

Since starting the thread I have used the search facility and have found much bad news! Don't really know what to look at now.

 

Kendalian

There are a lot of great e-bikes out there,if you are looking for crank drive motors then Bosch,Yamaha,Shimano and Panasonic all have a great reputation for reliability and performance.

Twenty inch bikes on balloon tyres ride surprisingly well.

 

My AVE MH7 is effectively a Bosch version of the Sahel and I've done 80+ mile rides on it.

 

Comfort isn't quite there compared to a big wheel bike, but it's not far off.

 

As has been said, too many reported problems with the Kalkhoff motor to recommend that brand.

 

An alternative is the Winora Radius, which has the Yamaha motor.

 

Reasonably prided at under £2K.

 

http://www.greenaer.co.uk/product/winora-radius-urban-2016/

I'm glad I found you guys - I had convinced myself the Kalkhoff was for me, NOT now though!

 

The 'bluelabel pony' looks good but is a bit pricey when I need 2. The Winora Radius also looks good and is better priced, and a store in Bristol selling them so I can easily have a look next time we are there.

 

Kendalian

I'm glad I found you guys - I had convinced myself the Kalkhoff was for me, NOT now though!

 

The 'bluelabel pony' looks good but is a bit pricey when I need 2. The Winora Radius also looks good and is better priced, and a store in Bristol selling them so I can easily have a look next time we are there.

 

Kendalian

Twice the price but twice as good. It's a long term investment, worth it if you do more than a few miles.

I might look at the 2017 Orbea Katu-e 20 (the 2016 version has fewer gears I believe). This costs £1999.

Hi....have you looked at our Kudos Sprint,it was modelled on the styling of the Kalkhoff Sahel and KTM compact,but without the higher cost.

I ride my 20" wheeled folder up steep hills,along rough tracks,doing usually about 20 mile rides...I have access to 26" wheeled e-bikes but the convenience of the smaller wheels does it for me.

KudosDave

The Kudos seems very cheap compared to the others I have been looking at - I presume some components aren't as good as on other bikes? Still worth a look though, I see there is a dealer at Penrith which is handy for me.

 

The Orbea Katu e 20 also looks worth looking at. It seems there are more options than I thought!

 

Many Thanks

 

Kendalian

I called in at Bikeseven in Longtown on Friday on the way to Peebles in the campervan. They had on show an Orbea Katu-E 20 LR which I was able to take for a ride. Having never ridden an e-bike before I was amazed! It really took off when I applied power to the pedals and I had a broad grin on my face when I got back - absolutely fantastic! The 20" wheels are certainly not an issue either. This just confirmed that a compact e-bike will fit the bill and give me what I want.

 

So, I am thinking of a 2017 model Orbea Katu-E 10 LR which has 8 speed gears and the Bosch Performance Line motor unit with 500ah battery pack

 

https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/katu-e-10-lr

 

Any comments - or am I sorted??

 

Many Thanks

 

Kendalian

I ride my 20" wheeled folder up steep hills,along rough tracks,doing usually about 20 mile rides...I have access to 26" wheeled e-bikes but the convenience of the smaller wheels does it for me.

 

It what way are they more convenient Dave?

Can anyone tell me what was 'offensive' in my post 11 ??

 

Thanks

 

'Bemused' Kendalian

Don't worry it is just someone with big fingers scrolling down on their phone, I have one too for a harmless post.

And now another;)

Grrrrr...

The Kudos seems very cheap compared to the others I have been looking at - I presume some components aren't as good as on other bikes? Still worth a look though, I see there is a dealer at Penrith which is handy for me.

 

The Orbea Katu e 20 also looks worth looking at. It seems there are more options than I thought!

 

Many Thanks

 

Kendalian

 

The Kudos are a well known brand here. Most bikes use Chinese components, but some claim higher status,branding. But there isn't a lot in it. A good kudos will last as long and any other brand and beat a dodgy impulse motor easy.

Upgrading different cycle components is simple and fairly cheap. But D8veh gets excellent value from eBay bikes with almost any shimano component.

The legal power limits also mean that the difference between bikes is small too.

Ps a more powerful bike uses the battery faster, but a bigger battery is almost always better.

Can anyone tell me what was 'offensive' in my post 11 ??

 

Thanks

 

'Bemused' Kendalian

 

anotherkiwi is spot-on - it seems to be the label that's most often misapplied and I think it's because it's at the extreme right edge of the screen. That makes it very easy to snag it accidentally if you're (right handed and) scrolling on a touch screen device. "Bad spelling" is hard on its heels in terms of misapplication and that's the next icon in!

 

Sorry, I know nothing about Orbea but the one you're considering looks like a fun and practical wee machine!

Orbea and BH are Spain's main two bicycle manufacturers.

 

My vote is for the Winora, better tyres, handlebars turn out of the way, pedals fold, Yamaha motor with decent sized double chainwheel (6 gears possible) and the integrated handle at the balance point for lifting it in and out of trains and buses, car boots what have you...

Most of the frames are manufactured in Tianjin,Shimano is 100% Chinese , the latest batteries from Samsung appear equal to the quality of Bosch batteries - the Samsung semi integral batteries on my Stealth,Alamo and Sprint models and the rack batteries on the Verona and Milano are very high quality,it is my intention to use these batteries on all future Kudos models,the Bafang motors are so reliable and the BPM model very powerful hill climber.

The Chinese parts bin gets ever better quality and more varied to suit many bike styles.

The big difference between Chinese and German bikes is the quality control on assembly,my latest batch of bikes seems to come from a Chinese supplier who controls assembly quality.

Post Brexit with a free trade deal from China,Dover will become the smuggling capital of the world.

KudosDave

Shimano is 100% Chinese

 

I believe Shimano is a Japanese company, although most of their products and parts are probably not manufactured in Japan...

Edited September 25, 20169 yr by Tomtomato

I called in at Bikeseven in Longtown on Friday on the way to Peebles in the campervan. They had on show an Orbea Katu-E 20 LR which I was able to take for a ride. Having never ridden an e-bike before I was amazed! It really took off when I applied power to the pedals and I had a broad grin on my face when I got back - absolutely fantastic! The 20" wheels are certainly not an issue either. This just confirmed that a compact e-bike will fit the bill and give me what I want.

 

So, I am thinking of a 2017 model Orbea Katu-E 10 LR which has 8 speed gears and the Bosch Performance Line motor unit with 500ah battery pack

 

https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/katu-e-10-lr

 

Any comments - or am I sorted??

 

Many Thanks

 

Kendalian

You can't go wrong with Bosch, it is well supported. Every other component on bike can be fixed/replaced/upgraded by any local bike shop. If frame works for you buy it.

Duplicate post.

You can't go wrong with Bosch, it is well supported. Every other component on bike can be fixed/replaced/upgraded by any local bike shop. If frame works for you buy it.

 

You have never owned a Bosch washing machine...