Hello everyone,

I am a student of University of Nottingham doing a dissertation on brand communities on e-bikes in the U.K. I came across this forum and realised how helpful it can be. I have been trying to post a new thread but was unsuccessul as it said I did not have the permission or I needed activation. Finally today I am able to post .I have the submission on the 19th of sept so this is kind of an urgency. I know this is short notice but can I pleaseeeeeee ask everyone to answer some questions for me?

How helpful has this forum been in solving your problems and make you feel a part of this e-bike community?

do the opinions given by other members matter to you/ help you in decision making?

Do you give the consumer reviews and feedback more credibility than the marketing campaigns by the company?

Please feel free to write down your comments regarding these questions. Thanks in advance for the support.

 

 

Kind regards,

Panic mode student

 

P.S Please respond and before the 19th of sept.. pretty please

See your PM

 

Mike

Hi and welcome!

 

Did you expect the bike to work when you bought it, or was it described as faulty?

How helpful has this forum been in solving your problems and make you feel a part of this e-bike community?

 

I have found this forum to be very helpful and an excellent way of being a part of the ebike communty

 

do the opinions given by other members matter to you/ help you in decision making?

 

The opinions given by other members are very helpful to me as they are based on their personal experience.

 

Do you give the consumer reviews and feedback more credibility than the marketing campaigns by the company?

 

The reviews and feedback given by people on here hold a lot more credibility to me than marketing campaigns because if something is good, bad or indifferent people can give their honest opinion without a commercial bias

Hi and welcome!

 

Did you expect the bike to work when you bought it, or was it described as faulty?

 

I think you meant to post that in VIVD's thread Eddie!

 

Dissertation due in 3 days and research begins today. I like your style.

 

How helpful has this forum been in solving your problems and make you feel a part of this e-bike community?

Very helpful. Some people in particular hold a wealth of information built up over many years and access to this information is invaluable in such a niche market. There just aren't that many people around with ebikes so being able to ask about a problem and have a good chance that someone has already faced and overcome it is vital. Regarding the community, it's not just about the how do I fix this, where I can I buy that, how good is the other, it's also about sharing the experiences, rides, events, news, etc. The people on this forum manage all of the above and it really does lend itself well to feeling of community. I think the mix of age and gender (although we are still heavily male biased) also increases the feeling of community.

 

do the opinions given by other members matter to you/ help you in decision making?

Yes, very much so. It's not so easy for all of us to get to a shop to try out product X or bike Y simply because there aren't that many ebike shops so for some things it's the only way of getting first hand reviews by people without a vested interest. I bought a kit from an online only shop, I had no way of checking it out so I had to rely on reviews. The reviews were good, the kit was good. Simple as that really.

 

Do you give the consumer reviews and feedback more credibility than the marketing campaigns by the company?

Yes, definitely, although it's useful to keep up with new product developments from the vendors too. It would be a very poor vendor indeed that didn't big-up his/her product, but we have to actually use the thing so we by definition add a reality check. Of course, rose-tinted glasses syndrome regarding a customer's purchase has to be borne in mind, but if there is a real problem with a product, it will usually be brought to light by customers on this forum.

I was the first member of this forum when it opened in 2006, but have always been a helper rather than needing to ask. However, I've seen virtually every post since inception and contributed well over 18,000 posts so have a good overall picture. I can say that the replies above from oigoi and Caph are an accurate reflection of virtually all opinions on these points and you can be completely confident in using them as representative of forum opinion over the last 5 years.

1. the forum can be helpful if a technical issue gets a reply from an experienced engineer or bike mechanic. however there are a lot of 'opinions' given in such a forum......some best taken with a pinch of salt, some hilarious, and some, well just completely wrong......however well intentioned.

because the forum is generally anonymous, any community aspect tends to develop between individuals rather than the whole membership. some good contributors have actually stopped using the forum in the past due to personal differences of 'opinion' which escalate into 'slanging' matches. (grumpy old men syndrome...my bikes better than yours etc)

2.answered in 1.

3. members ebike reviews tend to be biased.....if you spend a lot of money on something and its your personal choice then its just human nature to 'over egg' a little. they tend to be non comparative and sometimes based on no other experience of other makes and systems.......(however i do like looking at the photo's !!!)....

i do like the presence of the uk retailers on the site, as in addition to promoting their products, they do make a good contribution and many a problem aired here has been picked up by the retailers and resolved to members satisfaction.

 

its 17th sept...you need for 19th ......what have you been doing all summer ????????

regards

Hello Everyone,

 

Thank you soooooo much for your quick replies. The responses are invaluable. I told my supervisor that I am finally able to post messages on this forum (I have been trying to do so since July- my join date) and got an extension till the 23rd :)

 

Thanks a lot again. I am very grateful for all the replies I got. More responses are welcome.

 

Kind Regards,

Less Harrowed student

I think you meant to post that in VIVD's thread Eddie!

 

Dissertation due in 3 days and research begins today. I like your style.

 

QUOTE]

 

Oop's!

Hi, I joined this forum in September last year about a month before I purchased my 1st ever Ebike - a Bearprint New CIty 505.

This was bought as a "Cycle to Work Scheme" bike and in the next few days I should bring up over 5000 miles of work commuting. I estimate that this has saved me about £600 in petrol costs. Not bad for 11 months! :-)

 

Before I purchased my bike I spent many hours just "lurking" and reading many posts about all sorts of things connected to Ebikes in order to purchase with a more informed point of view.

I am very grateful to all the forum members for their immense wealth of experience and knowledge.

There is always something else to learn here and also a lot of good humour as well.

 

As mentioned by other members you do have to "interpret" some posts and not always take everything at face value.

It seems to me that in getting good information from any Forum it is important to take a step back and pull out the facts from the sometimes passionate way opinions are expressed.

Certainly it is a marvelous resource and we would all miss it if it was not here.

 

Good luck with your dissertation.

Barry.

One danger is that having done our research and purchased, most of us are absolutely delighted, not only with the bke but also electric cycling. This probably dazzles our opinions, hence the arguments re Panasonic, Torano and Bosch. We are all convinced that our particular system is by far superior to all others, even though few of us have had the opportunity to try them all.

Hello everyone,

I am a student of University of Nottingham doing a dissertation on brand communities on e-bikes in the U.K. I came across this forum and realised how helpful it can be. I have been trying to post a new thread but was unsuccessul as it said I did not have the permission or I needed activation. Finally today I am able to post .I have the submission on the 19th of sept so this is kind of an urgency. I know this is short notice but can I pleaseeeeeee ask everyone to answer some questions for me?

How helpful has this forum been in solving your problems and make you feel a part of this e-bike community?

do the opinions given by other members matter to you/ help you in decision making?

Do you give the consumer reviews and feedback more credibility than the marketing campaigns by the company?

Please feel free to write down your comments regarding these questions. Thanks in advance for the support.

 

 

Kind regards,

Panic mode student

 

P.S Please respond and before the 19th of sept.. pretty please

 

 

Hi 'Panic mode student' ;-)

I've only been using the forum for a few weeks, as I'm new here myself, but here are my answers

 

 

• How helpful has this forum been in solving your problems and make you feel a part of this e-bike community?
  

The forum has been massively helpful; without it, I would have either bought a totally unsuitable set of wheels, or still be sat up till 'silly o'clock' every night, searching blindly in bike online shops and feeling very frustrated....

Although I'm very 'green' about bikes (electric and non) and have a lot to learn, I do feel very welcome here and find it easy to post and ask for help if I need it.

 

 

• do the opinions given by other members matter to you/ help you in decision making?
  

I think the answer above answers this quite well too

 

 

• Do you give the consumer reviews and feedback more credibility than the marketing campaigns by the company?
  

Definitely - When I am about to make a purchase (from a toaster, to a new car) I prefer to read blogs and reviews from people who have tried and tested the item - that way, you get a realistic opinion, and can weigh up pros and cons prior to making a purchase, which may or may not be suitable for me.

 

 

Hope it helps a little

 

Tara

One danger is that having done our research and purchased, most of us are absolutely delighted, not only with the bke but also electric cycling. This probably dazzles our opinions, hence the arguments re Panasonic, Torano and Bosch. We are all convinced that our particular system is by far superior to all others, even though few of us have had the opportunity to try them all.

 

Hi ,well yes ,but we really do know which is the best ? dont we ? best wishes Brian .

Hi ,well yes ,but we really do know which is the best ? dont we ? best wishes Brian .

 

Of course, and it's ****************

Of course, and it's ****************

 

Lol Well thats that sorted then ,lol oh and big Hi to Tara too,enjoy the forum my friend ,best wishes Brian.

I joined about 3 years ago when I thought about e bikes for our motorhome trips.

 

what I learnt on here was invaluable at the time, but I was still cautious and bought a second hand Wisper from the classifieds on here. then 12 months later 2 new Wispers for my wife and I.......Then 18 months later 1 cutting edge wisper kit on a smashing donor bike, and a Bosch powered bike direct from Germany as not available here

 

This turned out to be a BIG mistake as while it suited me as a general get around/exercise bike, and I loved it, the wife did not like the cross bar although she also loved the system...An expensive mistake and example of why you must try before you buy.

 

I dont really trust owners opinions that much (mine included) as they can be over the top and some plain ridiculous. We all have different criteria anyway, at the top of my list is weight, some are not bothered by this, but to me an e bike must handle and feel as near to a normal bike as possible.

 

There are a decent enough group of people on here that I will listen to as they know their stuff

 

But I feel I have a reasonable grasp of the subject now and can make a good enough buying decision. I use the bikes almost daily, and they are my main transport and major interest as well, along with motorhoming and travel.....

Edited September 18, 201114 yr by eddieo

just a quick response to help get your sample size up. Caph and oigoi have said it all and on this forum flecc rules. my two purchases were entirely driven by member comment and just as importantly my decision not to buy from a major supplier near your university was in response to negative member comment and a poor response from the supplier. I think we all know enough to understand people want to like what they have bought (Al Festinger - reducing cognitive dissonance?) and apply a suitable pinch of salt.

Regards suppliers. "Everyone praises what he has and everything else is crap"

 

Really good thread at the moment on German pedelec, where chap did some research and decided that 2 Bosch powered bikes were right for him and his wife...They visited 3 local dealers who rubbished the bikes and had none in stock...But low and behold all 3 had Panasonic powered bikes that were immediately available! He tried them and was not impressed enough to part with his money and started a thread on Forum

 

Now this is where forums really come through for people as you get real world opinion from users. yes some are OTT but the body of evidence and opinion is there to sift through..

 

all poured scorn on Panasonic dealers and said they where just trying to shift 2011 stock. Chap made the decision to continue to look for a Bosch bike to demo....

How helpful has this forum been in solving your problems and make you feel a part of this e-bike community?

 

It's been a tremendous help to myself, firstly in helping me consider the right sort of bike and finding information about the different options, and secondly in getting support when I decided to go self-build.

 

do the opinions given by other members matter to you/ help you in decision making?

 

Yes a great deal. There's some very experienced and knowledgeable people in the forum. Also since we often buy from overseas suppliers and new technologies it's very helpful to read reviews by others.

 

Do you give the consumer reviews and feedback more credibility than the marketing campaigns by the company?

 

Definitely. Reviews are more important than advertising and specifications etc.. I would generally read plenty of reviews before I purchase, or base my purchases on recommendations.

 

all poured scorn on Panasonic dealers and said they where just trying to shift 2011 stock.

 

In fairness Eddie, this always happens when there's a major new entrant in a certain class, here crank drives. It happens because stocks have to be ordered a year in advance, for example many of our major importers have already had to order all of next years supplies some while ago, basing the numbers on past experience and some forecasting.

 

If a major new entrant like Bosch arrives as it did in 2010, and then proceeds take a fair number of crank drive sales in 2011, that's bound to leave surplus of the pre-ordered rivals like those using the Panasonic unit. It's just a market factor which the others will adjust for in due course for next year.

 

With two other crank drive variants appearing next year it could happen to Bosch in 2012 or 2013.

Yes that makes sense Tony...But the main thing in German thread is the way the dealers criticised the new product with baseless crap, trying to BS the interested novice.

 

Well our Bosch bike has gone, Sob Sob...... So will wait to see what the new year brings I guess...

 

I hope you are right re new crank drive bikes....

 

Saying that.... the 350 watt Bosch looks nice!lol

How odd - this thread has accumulated 464 views, yet there are only 12 query related replies.

 

C'mon folks, keep the thread on track and help the OP

Too late Tara, the submission had to in by today (19th). Hopefully the info given was sufficient though.

To still be in the research phase 2 days prior to the dissertation being submitted is cutting it fine. It makes you wonder what the final quality of the work will be like.

To still be in the research phase 2 days prior to the dissertation being submitted is cutting it fine. It makes you wonder what the final quality of the work will be like.

 

Based on recent past history results, he could well be a future Prime Minister!