June 8, 201114 yr Have just got back from my second brief ride this evening due to dinner date (daughters birthday) what can I say, this is the bike I have been waiting for... light weight, (under 20kg) powerful, lovely suspension and 27 XT gears on the flat, it flys, even though only 10 Ah battery and on hills, at least as good as the 905, and probably a lot better once I get used to the gearing..... I said elsewhere that after testing Davids pre productiuion model it was the nicest bike I have ridden since the X series Flyer (£5500) But after riding this beauty I think it is better, as it is lighter and well spece'd. David Miall thinks it is the fastest wisper yet and I agree! I am over the moon with it! and look forward to when its Bosch sister arrives in a couple of weeks. Anyone want a go PM me..... first picture is of patient pre op on back of van.....second two post op in a recovery position:D http://i52.tinypic.com/16icpcz.jpg http://i51.tinypic.com/2zzkv15.jpg http://i56.tinypic.com/f0ow74.jpg
June 8, 201114 yr You know what, the more I look at the battery mounting with this kit the more I think it's wrong, very wrong.
June 8, 201114 yr Author You know what, the more I look at the battery mounting with this kit the more I think it's wrong, very wrong. But you dont know its there...Honestly! its the best position for a battery IMO. Bike easy to lift, weight spread is beutiful....You need to see it and try it, I am surprised you think it looks wrong. I and others that have seen it and tried it think it is a very special bike... If your only concern is one fixing point, I assure you it is fine, docking station is very substantial and battery relatively light You can keep your heavy mopeds the future is here.... Edited June 8, 201114 yr by eddieo
June 8, 201114 yr You know what, the more I look at the battery mounting with this kit the more I think it's wrong, very wrong. I agree, it jars with me. I don't necessarily object to a battery in the frame, but I'm unhappy about that implementation.
June 8, 201114 yr Yes understood Eddie but it needs to be parallel with either the seat tube or cross tube, as it is it looks like a phallus.....
June 8, 201114 yr Yes understood Eddie but it needs to be parallel with either the seat tube or cross tube, as it is it looks like a phallus..... I absolutely agree......in fact I would never have thought that I would ever say a bike looks rude.....but this one does ......sorry Eddieo I know its your pride and joy, and as long as you are happy with it then thats the most important thing.....its a lovely colour Lynda
June 8, 201114 yr The battery looks a bit wide does it get in the way of pedalling at all,overall it looks a very nice bike but the battery does spoil the look a little.
June 8, 201114 yr I'd guess that the battery box angle has been thought about and is the angle that will fit the greatest number of bikes. How it relates to the top tube, seat tube and down tube will vary from bike to bike. On some it would follow the line of at least one of those tubes on others none. Not much to be done about that unless Wisper want to come up with a mounting which the angle can be varied on, which would seem like an unnecessary complication. What will be common to all is that putting the battery there probably has the least effect on the normal handling of the bike, which has got to be a good thing. Must be better than putting the battery out back on a rack as a lot of conversions do. I'm intrigued to know if the bike colour scheme was chosen with the Daahub in mind as it's a very good match:) I've got a few practical questions if that's OK...... How long did it take to fit the kit? Any snags or was it all a very simple 'plug and play' process? Is the battery narrow enough to not affect pedalling at all? What does it look like without the battery on board? Would it be practical to ride without battery attached or are there connections that you wouldn't like to be exposed? How much is the additional weight without the battery and with standard front wheel back in? It looks as if it would be very easy to swap back and forth between assisted and unassisted, which might be a bonus for some. Could be a good solution if you want to commute all week with assist and either batter about on rough off road at the w/e or go on a long distance tour without assist. I'll be really interested to hear how it compares with your forthcoming Bosch bike as on the face of it they look like similar bikes, weight, cost etc (though I guess the Specialized + Daahub cost a bit more) but with the 2 main alternatives for power of crank and hub. If you've already got a bike you really like this looks like a good solution and it's great that it works so well for you Eddio. Jolly good to have more choice for us, be interesting when the Cytronex kit makes it to market as well.
June 8, 201114 yr Rude! I don't know what folk can be thinking of. I had a bike the saddle of which had a bright red nose. I remember feeling distinctly self conscious until I changed to an all black saddle!
June 8, 201114 yr hi ed, i am sure it goes great being 7kg lighter than an alpino and having the same motor. visually from your photos the battery looks a little wide for the donor bike and could possibly interfere with normal leg action but its obviously ok for you......it does look like a prototype kit that has been fitted rather than a total 'look'......for example the whyte bike conversion on the wisper site does look visually more attractive to my eye but perhaps attached as it is to the seat tube makes it less well balanced than where you have positioned your battery ? did you fit yourself or have someone do it for you ? look forward to hearing what range you can get from it when you get out on a good run. also looking forward to your review on your other new bosch driven bike which visually looks good to my eye. regards
June 8, 201114 yr Daahub standing out on the battery is very off putting,why on earth is such a meaningless phrase highlighted,it just looks out of place and uncool, Edited June 8, 201114 yr by fishingpaul
June 9, 201114 yr I know I am in danger of becoming very boring but WHAT ABOUT DRAG AND NOISE. Is there an appreciable feel of drag when riding with motor off or is it so minimal as to be irrelevant, how would you compare it to drag on other hubs that you have ridden? (Have we an explanation as to why the Dapu motor is supposed to have low drag as has been promised by wisper in another thread !!) Is the motor noisy or quiet in relation to other hubs that you have ridden. I see that you have positioned the battery higher than other photos of the Daahub that I have seen, but I still think that it looks like a giant phallus, http://i56.tinypic.com/f0ow74.jpg when compared to the KTM. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/5812060764_2665df22fd_b.jpg Can wisper make another bracket that will give a position either like the Bionx / KTM or come up with a bag that makes it look as if it's slung from the crossbar. Oiseaux Edited June 9, 201114 yr by Oiseaux
June 9, 201114 yr Author I will try and answer all the questions... Welcome back around Paul, nice to see you posting again.... The battery does not interfere with cycling at all...absolutely no impact. You don't know its there. But let me tell you when you lift this bike up stairs etc..it is SO nicely balanced it is simply beautiful Bike was not chosen on colours but on spec...Just a happy coincidence that both work so well together (IMO) Evans Cycles | Specialised Crosstrail LTD Disc 2011 Hybrid Bike | Online Bike Shop as for the phallus, dirty minds me thinks! lol We all well know that girls are obsessed with our dangly bits (Lynda?) But as for the rest of you gentlemen I'm astonished! lol The battery fitting is very Practical, not as elegant as BionX, but whole kit costs not much more then a BionX battery? I would have preferred more flexibility in angle of battery fitting, so that battery could be positioned at lower point at steeper angle, but to be quite honest the performance of the bike is such a revelation, I have not really noticed it as a problem.....and I think it looks very nice in the photos as well. Oiseaux, probably less noisy then my 705/905 as for drag not a clue I'm afraid.....Also I dont ride an E bike with motor off, whats the point in that? but I will try it later....Why dont you get down to a wisper dealer and try an Alpino, it has the same motor? lol As for a battery in a bag, bloody awful solution and not for me! lol. Its a nicer bike then the KTM I think, spec better as well, but KTM climbs walls apparently, where this probably much nicer on the flats..Yipee! 160mm front brake needed a £7.50 shimano adaptor to take 180 mm wisper motor wheel rotor Due to health issues I could not attend the build. Both David and myself where due to build it and I catalogue event with a camera (David put pre production kit on own bike himself) David kindly delivered built bike to me yesterday. it is a work in progress, Brake cut outs are taped in place for now until position is proved correct, and then a permanent adhesive will be used. Same goes for pedal sensor, at first external bottom bracket caused some head scratching but this was quickly solved by a call to Anthony (NZ designer) No book in the box so having to sus out controls etc...without one. will have to check with David... The star of this show is the bike, the kit just turns it into a wonderful E bike - just a superb utilitarian piece of kit..... The battery is not very attractive I guess, but I think we would not of ended up with this without a lot of thought and research. But I really don't care it looks fine to me and would have noticed nothing except for comments on here... as the implementation and riding enjoyment overshadows this, and makes it rather irrelevant IMO. When you look around at the large heavy framed, heavy battery alternative fully built moped like E bikes? Sorry but this bike is in another league!.......To me this is a dream come true and the type of e bike I have always wanted. Quite simply over the moon, and best bike I have ever ridden.....and cant wait to get out on it this morning......need a rack and some mudguards though. I would just like to thank Wisper and David Miall in particular for keeping us on the road for 2.5 years with their excellent bikes, and designing such a kit as this...Well done! pics of bike without battery as requested http://i51.tinypic.com/20u6328.jpg http://i52.tinypic.com/102sd90.jpg Edited June 9, 201114 yr by eddieo
June 9, 201114 yr Just had another quick look at the Daahub installation video on youtube. The alternative is to mount the battery on the seatpost going out over the back wheel.
June 9, 201114 yr ........ Oiseaux, probably less noisy then my 705/905 as for drag not a clue I'm afraid.....Also I dont ride an E bike with motor off, whats the point in that? but I will try it later....Why dont you get down to a wisper dealer and try an Alpino, it has the same motor? lol As for a battery in a bag, bloody awful solution and not for me! lol. http://i51.tinypic.com/20u6328.jpg http://i52.tinypic.com/102sd90.jpg The point of riding an E bike with motor off is to conserve battery which will enable longer distances to be covered and still have power available for the hills when coming home. Unfortunately where I live in Central France we don't have a local wisper supplier otherwise I would. A battery bag would at least hide up a 'bloody' awful looking battery position. Oiseaux
June 9, 201114 yr What battery http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4240402305_ccc7d8495b_o.jpg I think it would look better on the bottom frame tube like the KTM picture posted. The battery also seems to blend in more. That said all this is aesthetics and just personal preference. Well done on your new aquition, enjoy the bike eddieo Jerry Edited June 9, 201114 yr by jerrysimon
June 9, 201114 yr Author In that case, if you find it so unacceptable this is obviously not for you..... So buy a bag or wait for the Cytronex, probably better to ride without power I dont know, But I bet it is nearly twice as expensive with half the range..... I really dont get the criticism, and I feel confident that once you see bike in the flesh, have ridden it, manoeuvred it, and carried it up a flight of stairs etc... you would feel differently all seem to be more or less focusing on one point (the battery) but it is the whole package that matters... Edited June 9, 201114 yr by eddieo
June 9, 201114 yr I will try and answer all the questions... Welcome back around Paul, nice to see you posting again.... The battery does not interfere with cycling at all...absolutely no impact. You don't know its there. But let me tell you when you lift this bike up stairs etc..it is SO nicely balanced it is simply beautiful Bike was not chosen on colours but on spec...Just a happy coincidence that both work so well together (IMO) Evans Cycles | Specialised Crosstrail LTD Disc 2011 Hybrid Bike | Online Bike Shop as for the phallus, dirty minds me thinks! lol We all well know that girls are obsessed with our dangly bits (Lynda?) But as for the rest of you gentlemen I'm astonished! lol HAHA......obsessed I may be ....but not normally with metallic black and orange ones :) Lynda
June 9, 201114 yr Well Eddieo I think it looks great and am glad it rides so well. The dapush is a great little (discrete) motor and does perform well - although it is noisier than the cytronex. As for the battery I think you have put it in the best position and it looks much narrower than I thought it would be. The perfect solution for me would be to run it parallel to the down tube as it would be better supported. Presumably it was designed to fit on the back of the bike as well and this is a compromise. I think to the engineers eye (probably automatic in most people) it looks too unsupported for the weight but as long it doesn't wobble on our roads then it is not a problem
June 9, 201114 yr In that case, if you find it so unacceptable this is obviously not for you..... So buy a bag or wait for the Cytronex, probably better to ride without power I dont know, But I bet it is nearly twice as expensive with half the range..... ...I really dont get the criticism, ... Well if I were Mr Wisper and on the very first review there were eight negative comments about the look and placement of the battery, and only one positive comment , I would be a little concerned. To simply say take it or leave it to that ratio of critical comments is, quite frankly, beyond belief, and that's putting it politely.
June 9, 201114 yr Eddieo I'm pleased that you are pleased with the result................................however I was of the understanding that you were also going to report on my "simple spin test" together with any "drag" experienced when riding without power however you appear not to want to use your bike without power switched on. I and my wife have a different purpose for this kit, assuming we buy! We want to extend our range by using the power to assist our return fron longish rides hence we wouldn't normally be using the power when on the outgoing leg of our rides hence "drag" is important to us. That battery! it's all been said in other comments. Is there no way of mounting the battery on a rear rack? I realise it's all about personal preferences however we would not want the battery either on the down tube or on the rear seat post (we may not have sufficient clearance on the seat tubes). I really would like to choose where I put the battery and not have it presented to me as a design feature! I've waited a long time for this kit to arrive and hopefully you may be able to help me with the challenges as detailed above. I really do hope so ............................. but I fear that this kit is fast becoming a non-starter in its current guise. Best of luck with your new bike...enjoy it! Regards vectra
June 9, 201114 yr The main thing Eddie is that the DaaHub performs to you expectations and aesthetics are of secondary importance, but it is difficult to ignore the battery when looking at the bike. Functional it may be, but pretty it is not........ sorry:( The KTM you have ordered is another kettle of fish entirely, nice styling;) However, when it comes to conversion kits, I much prefer the one below..........but I would say that wouldn't I:o [ATTACH]2322.vB[/ATTACH]
June 9, 201114 yr Hi Ed, the Daahub looks great, I agree with some of the comments re battery aesthetics though. I'm a little confused - Are you buying the KTM for mountain bike terrain only? Otherwise you will end up with two hardtails that will do the same job, albeit in slightly different ways? I'm sure the Daahub, being a hub motor, might not take the abuse of going up and down mountains?
June 9, 201114 yr Author Thanks Harry and eTim ! was getting a likle depressed until you 2 joined in (not really! lol) We just need a bike each for holidays and I will have the choice of 2 very different bikes to play with! doubt we would ever go off road as such! KTM bought simply on value for money is all Just got back from test ride no 3 Did approx a mile locally on flattish terrain and it goes fine (what can you expect with 27 XT gears and a light bike) On the flat in top with full power I was getting 22mph easy! and I am 16 stone and far from fit.... On the downhill it is absolutely frigtening... Best thing of all? No more standing on the pedals over speed bumps or poor surfaces...This bikes sails, as its flys over them, because of weight I guess and the 28inch wheels? my local hills, climbed much easier - simply down to gears and lightness I guess It is quieter then the SB motor, even when hill climbing. I think in the Alpino it seemed louder...probably due to resonance and this is in such a gorgeous light frame I never got out of large cog 9 XT gears where more then sufficient under power and climbed anything easily. RIGHT! The battery again. Yes it could be prettier, but seriously I could not care less, the bike looks smashing......I never liked the look of it either from day one. But If it was not the shape of a house brick it would probably not be as suitable for as many frames. At least you have a choice of where you can fit it. The triangle on my bike is very angled it looks better in the NZ videos I thing within a larger triangle. So based on look you discount it, talk about cutting your nose of to spite your face, whats the alternative a BionX? Not for me! I know I am not technically minded but I am far from daft and have been riding bikes for 30 years. This is quite simply the nicest E bike I have ever ridden and I find the criticism frankly laughable...you dont know what you are missing! I tell you one think the Bosch wont be as fast..... Edited June 9, 201114 yr by eddieo
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