I have now owned the Aurora for a few weeks, so after doing just over 200 miles, I think it's time for a review.
I did a fair bit of research before purchasing this bike. After test riding a Wisper 905 and being a little disappointed with the 15mph cut out, I decided that I needed something with a bit more oomph. I'm a keen cyclist and have been cycling to work on a 'normal' bike, so the Aurora is really a bit of a toy to use for fun, or when I'm not feeling 100% fit.
I purchased the bike from AlienOcean for £999, which is quite a low price for an ebike with this spec. It's no lightweight though, which isn't helped by the battery/controller being mounted so far back. This is improved by dropping the rack down to the lowest hole, and turning the rack arms upside down to pull it as far forward as possible. If the battery was mounted under the top tube it would be a lot more manageable. However, when on the move the bike feels really good to ride, and the extra weight makes it feel like this is a bike that will last.
I've seen comments about the pedals and brakes being 'cheap' on this bike, but I've found the pedals to be o.k. and the brakes are pretty good when they've been adjusted. They're also very quiet, so maybe I've just been lucky with my bike. Talking of adjusting, the gears needed quite a bit of tinkering upon delivery to get right, but again, once set up, they're excellent also. A word of WARNING. When removing the battery, be careful as it can drop, and can knock the rear light cover off. I've done it twice and luckily I haven't broken the lugs and it's snapped back on o.k. Hopefully, it's now 'ingrained' in my brain so I won't do it again!
I commute 20 miles per day, mostly flat, with 4 steepish hills. The Aurora absolutely blasts up these though. It pulls well in low and medium mode, but the extra kick in high mode still puts a smile on my face. I tend to ride it on full power all the way to work (with slight pedalling), then recharge and use full power all the way home as well. The best way to describe the modes is that mode 1 (10 mph max) is really only useful if you're in no hurry, and you need to eek out the range. Mode 2 (15 mph) is like a road legal bike. It gets you up to speed quickly, but cuts out at just over 15mph. Mode 3 (20+mph) is like a boost button, and you really feel the extra power. I have searched out a few steep hills, and although it obviously slows down, it just keeps going and going. Great fun if you're passing regular cyclists.
Range wise, like I say, I use it on full power most of the time. The Aurora can manage the full 20 mile round trip, but it only has one light showing when I get home, so I recharge at work. When I ride in this mode, I average 20mph over the 10 mile ride to work with minimal input. I can hit almost 25 mph in pedal assist/high mode without too much effort.
The pedal assist has to be treated with caution. If it's on full it sets off very quickly....too quickly some times. So I ride in full assist most of the time (which is necessary for giving arm signals,) then I tend to switch over to throttle when I stop so that I can control exactly when I want the power to kick in when setting off.
It is a very tall bike. Alien do warn you of this fact, and at 5'9 I knew I'd probably have to make changes. The frame is the same size as my Dawes Tanami, but the Aurora has a suspension post AND a suspension seat! I kept the post and put my old mountain bike seat on to get me by. I've also just ordered a new post, so I'll also try keeping the suspension seat with the new post and see which is the most comfortable. I had to order the post as it is 28.6mm, apparently not a common size. (Edit 20.01.2011....I now have a standard non-suspension post, and the original suspension seat. It's the perfect height, and feels just as comfortable over the bumps.)
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Strengths
1/ The power, omg the power! It's very good around the corners. Maybe the extra weight helps it feel planted. I've fitted Marathon Plus tours, 1.75 inch wide front, 2.00 inch wide rear, and it feels really solid going round the mini roundabouts. Hills? What hills?
2/ Value for money. Best grand I've ever spent. Disc brakes front and rear. Front forks don't adjust, but do a good job. The panniers are titanic.
3/ It looks good. It's also very discreet with the motor being hidden by the panniers/rear disc.
4/ It's a very roomy bike. Great adjustment of the bars for height and reach
5/ The centre stand is ideal for chain adjusting, and quite sturdy, (when 'adjusted'....see bad points!)
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Weaknesses......and I'm grasping at straws here.
1/ It's heavy....but the motor/set up more than makes up for the weight. Like all ebikes it's a fair bit harder to ride without any power.
2/ The panniers don't have drawstrings, so if they're not filled, they don't close very well.
3/ If you're not careful when removing the battery, you can knock the rear light cover off. I've done this twice, but it's not broken.
4/ The aluminium bottle just doesn't fit! With a bit of bending of the clamp you can get the bottle in, but I replaced it with a plastic one.
5/ The centre stand is pretty poor. It's just too narrow. Ten minutes with a blow torch, a vice, and a metal tube to pull it wider and it's now perfect. The feet adjust for height, so once the stand has been widened by 4 or 5 inches it's really stable.
6/ It's not road legal.........but the motor is the same size as a 250w, and it's not too fast as to be obviously overpowered. Just remember to pedal!
Reviewer: BLACKPANTHER (Carl)
Purchased From: AlienOcean
Purchase Price:£999.00
Time Owned:8 weeks
Local Terrain: Flat with a few short steep hills
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Summary: Well worth the price. The extra 5 mph over legal bikes really makes a difference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Rating (out of 10) : 9/10.
I did a fair bit of research before purchasing this bike. After test riding a Wisper 905 and being a little disappointed with the 15mph cut out, I decided that I needed something with a bit more oomph. I'm a keen cyclist and have been cycling to work on a 'normal' bike, so the Aurora is really a bit of a toy to use for fun, or when I'm not feeling 100% fit.
I purchased the bike from AlienOcean for £999, which is quite a low price for an ebike with this spec. It's no lightweight though, which isn't helped by the battery/controller being mounted so far back. This is improved by dropping the rack down to the lowest hole, and turning the rack arms upside down to pull it as far forward as possible. If the battery was mounted under the top tube it would be a lot more manageable. However, when on the move the bike feels really good to ride, and the extra weight makes it feel like this is a bike that will last.
I've seen comments about the pedals and brakes being 'cheap' on this bike, but I've found the pedals to be o.k. and the brakes are pretty good when they've been adjusted. They're also very quiet, so maybe I've just been lucky with my bike. Talking of adjusting, the gears needed quite a bit of tinkering upon delivery to get right, but again, once set up, they're excellent also. A word of WARNING. When removing the battery, be careful as it can drop, and can knock the rear light cover off. I've done it twice and luckily I haven't broken the lugs and it's snapped back on o.k. Hopefully, it's now 'ingrained' in my brain so I won't do it again!
I commute 20 miles per day, mostly flat, with 4 steepish hills. The Aurora absolutely blasts up these though. It pulls well in low and medium mode, but the extra kick in high mode still puts a smile on my face. I tend to ride it on full power all the way to work (with slight pedalling), then recharge and use full power all the way home as well. The best way to describe the modes is that mode 1 (10 mph max) is really only useful if you're in no hurry, and you need to eek out the range. Mode 2 (15 mph) is like a road legal bike. It gets you up to speed quickly, but cuts out at just over 15mph. Mode 3 (20+mph) is like a boost button, and you really feel the extra power. I have searched out a few steep hills, and although it obviously slows down, it just keeps going and going. Great fun if you're passing regular cyclists.
Range wise, like I say, I use it on full power most of the time. The Aurora can manage the full 20 mile round trip, but it only has one light showing when I get home, so I recharge at work. When I ride in this mode, I average 20mph over the 10 mile ride to work with minimal input. I can hit almost 25 mph in pedal assist/high mode without too much effort.
The pedal assist has to be treated with caution. If it's on full it sets off very quickly....too quickly some times. So I ride in full assist most of the time (which is necessary for giving arm signals,) then I tend to switch over to throttle when I stop so that I can control exactly when I want the power to kick in when setting off.
It is a very tall bike. Alien do warn you of this fact, and at 5'9 I knew I'd probably have to make changes. The frame is the same size as my Dawes Tanami, but the Aurora has a suspension post AND a suspension seat! I kept the post and put my old mountain bike seat on to get me by. I've also just ordered a new post, so I'll also try keeping the suspension seat with the new post and see which is the most comfortable. I had to order the post as it is 28.6mm, apparently not a common size. (Edit 20.01.2011....I now have a standard non-suspension post, and the original suspension seat. It's the perfect height, and feels just as comfortable over the bumps.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strengths
1/ The power, omg the power! It's very good around the corners. Maybe the extra weight helps it feel planted. I've fitted Marathon Plus tours, 1.75 inch wide front, 2.00 inch wide rear, and it feels really solid going round the mini roundabouts. Hills? What hills?
2/ Value for money. Best grand I've ever spent. Disc brakes front and rear. Front forks don't adjust, but do a good job. The panniers are titanic.
3/ It looks good. It's also very discreet with the motor being hidden by the panniers/rear disc.
4/ It's a very roomy bike. Great adjustment of the bars for height and reach
5/ The centre stand is ideal for chain adjusting, and quite sturdy, (when 'adjusted'....see bad points!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weaknesses......and I'm grasping at straws here.
1/ It's heavy....but the motor/set up more than makes up for the weight. Like all ebikes it's a fair bit harder to ride without any power.
2/ The panniers don't have drawstrings, so if they're not filled, they don't close very well.
3/ If you're not careful when removing the battery, you can knock the rear light cover off. I've done this twice, but it's not broken.
4/ The aluminium bottle just doesn't fit! With a bit of bending of the clamp you can get the bottle in, but I replaced it with a plastic one.
5/ The centre stand is pretty poor. It's just too narrow. Ten minutes with a blow torch, a vice, and a metal tube to pull it wider and it's now perfect. The feet adjust for height, so once the stand has been widened by 4 or 5 inches it's really stable.
6/ It's not road legal.........but the motor is the same size as a 250w, and it's not too fast as to be obviously overpowered. Just remember to pedal!
Reviewer: BLACKPANTHER (Carl)
Purchased From: AlienOcean
Purchase Price:£999.00
Time Owned:8 weeks
Local Terrain: Flat with a few short steep hills
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary: Well worth the price. The extra 5 mph over legal bikes really makes a difference.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Overall Rating (out of 10) : 9/10.
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