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Always worth doing the sums carefully. The existing £1,000 scheme is ludicrously complicated, and savings can depend on how the employer administers it. Seems to me some all but ignore the final payment, which is a bit rough and ready but does increase the saving to the employee. Also worth...

The scheme looks reasonable, although it's encouraging the customer to take on more debt. Another problem for a lot of us would be persuading our employers to take it on. I know my lot wouldn't consider entering into a financial contract with any company at my suggestion.

Your test hill is 20 percent which is steep. Much will depend on how much effort you can put in, but it could be a struggle grinding up that on the Halfords bike not least because it doesn't appear to have a particularly low first gear. You might be better off looking for something with a...

You won't go wrong with either a Cube or Trek. Evans now lists dozens of ebikes, none of which they hill have in stock or even easy access to. Their own brand Lithium bike is worth a look, it has the Shimano Steps crank drive, which is very similar to the Bosch drive you will find on Cubes...

Being able to charge both batteries from one plug on the bike is neat, saves some battery un-locking and handling. Not having to change batteries on the road is also convenient. Experience tells me battery one often conks out at an inconvenient moment, on a hill, or a few miles after a lunch...

There's a bit more to dual battery than meets the eye. A factory installation supports on bike charging, which charges the batteries alternately, switching between each one every few minutes. In use, the system takes a bit from each battery in turn, again switching every few minutes. I've no...

The bike you are thinking of has electrically operated gear changing. It will probably do clever things such as change down a few gears when you stop so you are in a low gear to pull away again. There will be a cheaper version of the bike with the same gear hub, but changes operated by a...

A minor point, but it may help you understand what happens when a chain wears. Nothing in the chain stretches, each of the small bushes acquire a bit of play which, when added together make the chain longer. It doesn't sit snugly on the sprockets, so tends to jump. Gauges aside, you could...

My Rose ebike is for sale having given good service for five years and about 4,000 miles. It's on ebay, mostly because my brother in Oxfordshire borrowed it for a few weeks so it's being sold from there. EbayPaypal also gives the buyer some protection, not that you will need it. Fair bit of...

When assessing risk you should be aware the 'private land' needs to be fully fenced and gated with no rights of way across it for you to be legally just about safe. It won't be, meaning the only place you can legally ride your bike will be in your back garden. Perhaps a more relevant point is...

Rohloff's weight argument is a Rohloff hub, chain and two chain rings weighs about the same as a cassette, derailer, longer chain, front mech, two shifters, and three front rings. Works in some respects, but as you say it ignores weight distribution. The Rohloff is a heavy lump, I picked one...

Exposed pedal sensors - how quaint. Only kidding, I'm sure your remarks on the care of this type of ebike are sound.

It's a shame the shop has gone to such great lengths to disguise their ineptitude. While I'm not the biggest fan of this type of bike, it is just that, a budget bike, apart from the electrics. There's no reason why they shouldn't be able to fettle the brakes and gears, and they will have push...

Almost certainly cable rub, which can happen on any bike regardless of price. You can get frame protector stickers, although it's a bit late now. I see the bike looks a bit grubby. No mechanic likes working on a dirty bike, so I always present mine clean. Easier for me than you, because I...

The Rohloff's twist grip shifter doesn't provide fast or precise enough shifts for keen mountain bikers, which is why nearly all MTBs are rapid fire trigger shift. I don't know about the Rohloff, but the Shimano Alfine gear hubs can give a false neutral when bounced around, which makes them...

Good stuff, Rosie. A decent bike, a decent dealer, and a customer who is decent to deal with usually makes a happy combination. Some rust on the pedals is not worth worrying about. Original equipment pedals are not the best, so there's a fair chance the dealer has sorted you something which...

My brother tried to fit a Badass dongle to his wife's Whyte ebike. Even with the mounting kit, he couldn't see a way to make the dongle fit short of some fairly major modifications. Hopefully you will do better.

An adjustable stem - as fitted to both bikes - is not recommended for serious off-road use. I doubt either bike would stand up to that for long anyway, but anyone doing so would be advised to fit a rigid stem.

From one bike?

Anyone reading the thread will conclude you are a reasonable man who just wants his bike fixed in a timely manner. There are still a handful of bike shop proprietors who seem to get off on being rude to customers. The bike trade remains a strange one in some respects.