Ancheer first impressions

[Hightechpete]

I ordered the Ancheer MTB last week, it arrived yesterday.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-Wheel-MTB-Mountain-E-Bike-Cycling-Bicycle-Aluminum-Alloy-Frame-250W-Motor/232574338961?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&var=531959000311&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

There's very little written about this bike on the forum, so I thought I might contribute.

It arrived in a slightly damaged box 10 days after the order was placed, the packing was minimal and consisted of thin foam sheets wrapped around the frame, wheels, handlebars and cranks. Everything was fixed together with a dozen or so zip ties.
Despite the lack of suitable packing, the damage amounted to a 1cm scratch on a crank arm and a slightly compressed motor cable protector (obviously did the job of protecting the cable).

Assembly was straightforward, mount the front disk, front wheel into frame. Fix handlebars, insert seat post, mount the kickstand, pedals, battery holder and headlamp/horn.

Front and rear brake cables were on the wrong side and were swapped over. The steering head bearings needed tightening, and the rear gear-change needed a couple of turns on the cable adjuster.
The brake calipers were not centralized, while I was about it I removed a couple of spacing washers from the caliper mountings to allow the pads full contact against the disks.

I'm not disappointed in the least, the frame welds are all neat (unlike the last American motorbike I owned), the paint is thick and glossy. The wheels are straight and true with no loose spokes. Everything was properly greased and oiled and everything works straight out of the box. It came supplied with a half grip throttle which hasn't been installed yet.
The motor seems quite strong on PAS level 1 and 2, from what I've read level 3 has been 'castrated' in order to comply with regs.

I intend to use it as a general runabout, with an occasional muddy track thrown in.
If anyone is interested I'll post a full review when I'm suitably qualified.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It looks like an excellent bike for the money. If you look in the controller box, there may well be a loop for the speed restriction. I'd be surprised if it's permanently locked to a speed limit.

If it were my bike, I'd be looking on Ebay for a pair of good used hydraulic brakes (about £40), which will transform the braking. It'll probably be OK when new, but soon deteriorate. Hydraulics are consistent for thousands of miles without any sort of attention.

Those batteries are a bit variable. Every one is different inside, depending on who made it. Only the more expensive OEM ones have decent waterproofing, so be careful about leaving it out in the rain. If you're going to ride regularly in the wet, you might want to think about a cover for it.

Please keep us informed how you get on and any modifications you make.

Is it really 25" wheel or is that a mistake in the translation?

 

[Crwban]

They also do a generic folder, odd wheel size 18.7"?
Wonder what they are measuring.

 

[Hightechpete]

Thanks for the comments D8veh, I'm relatively new to ebikes and still on the steep learning curve.

I wondered about battery life, as an occasional user I'm expecting battery life to be around 2 or 3 years as opposed to the number of cycles a commuter would expect. Anyway, cheap compared to insurance, mot, tax and fuel of a motorbike, and just as much fun.

Never had disk brakes on a pedal bike before, seriously impressed so far. Upgrades will probably happen as things wear out, and when the deficiencies of the current system become apparent.

I'm beginning to realize how different standards apply, on my roadbike it was all about weight and efficiency.
On my ebikes I'm more concerned about the comfort, balance and brakes.
I didn't realize how much the addition of a front wheel motor and rear battery changes the feel and handling.

 

[raindrops]

Really curious in reading your review! Im also intrigued by this model, but after reading the reviews on amazon com I got slightly concerned, specially on my own safety..

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Really curious in reading your review! Im also intrigued by this model, but after reading the reviews on amazon com I got slightly concerned, specially on my own safety..

When I look at the reviews, they all look pretty good. One guy complained because he couldn't get a spare battery from them, but you can get them from loads of other suppliers on Amazon and probably cheaper too.

 

[Hightechpete]

Don't know anything about safety issues, other than all two wheeled vehicles are inherently more unstable.

By the way D8veh, the tyres are marked 26 x 1.95 and quite smooth running.
26 inch Imperial converts to 19.812 Chinese inches, so I don't what they're measuring either.

 

[egroover]

I like the idea of this, at just £400, it really does put this in the price range for a lot of people who may well be put off by more expensive ebikes or who don't feel competent to convert with a kit. A rail season pass for a couple of stops near me (6 mile journey) is £860 per year, so this could be a cheap way to get more people on these commuting.
At this price, you just can't go wrong. Looking forward to a review

 

[egroover]

https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/accessories/ancheer-electric-mountain-bike-review-3669577/

 

[egroover]

"And if you fancy a bit of extra speed, you can unplug the white wire which limits the motor to the EU-regulated 15.5mph. This gives you a few extra mph that'll let you cruise at a comfortable 20mph."

 

[raindrops]

When I look at the reviews, they all look pretty good. One guy complained because he couldn't get a spare battery from them, but you can get them from loads of other suppliers on Amazon and probably cheaper too.

The reviews on amazon UK are all positive (13 reviews) but if you check amazon com (180 reviews) you will read about broken forks, failing brakes, damaged tires, defective batteries, and so on. Unfortunately, because the price is so appealing! So appealing, that even after reading all of the bad reviews, I'm still tempted to buy one!!

 

[Hightechpete]

https://www.techadvisor.co.uk/review/accessories/ancheer-electric-mountain-bike-review-3669577/

Thanks for that, I've not seen that review, pretty much sums it up.

raindrops, perhaps I was lucky, or maybe it's just not suitable for the mechanically inept?
'the bike shop called back with a list of impossible things to fix'.
I wouldn't be asking them for help, I'd just send it back!

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I wouldn't take too much notice of those reviews. All the parts are standard. If someone broke the forks, they must have hit something pretty hard. Brakes are crappy cheapo ones - adequate, but better to upgrade anyway. Tyres are tyres. Most people would change to Schwalbe Marathon Plus to avoid punctures.

 

[raindrops]

D8veh, you just sum my positive thoughts after reading all those reviews. I always tend to focus too much on negative reviews. With this price is really hard to ignore what may become a very interesting and afordable project! I think I'm gonna get one...

 

[Crwban]

Looks ok to me.

As D8veh says most parts are standard. I'm no expert on ebikes, but from what I read in the sub £1000 range most parts are similar sourced from Chinese manufacturers.

What rating is the battery 8.8 or 10amps.

A nice ride up Brynamman to the Black Mountains is now due!!

 

[Deleted member 4366]

D8veh, you just sum my positive thoughts after reading all those reviews. I always tend to focus too much on negative reviews. With this price is really hard to ignore what may become a very interesting and afordable project! I think I'm gonna get one...

When you buy these very cheap bikes, you can guarantee that the brakes and gears will need a bit of setting up. You might get other small problems like a tight wheel bearing or loose spokes. All these things are easy to sort and are part of the PDI that a dealer would do. If you buy a bike in a box from China, it's logical that it hasn't already been done. Obviously, if you can't do these basic adjustments, you shouldn't be buying such a bike. Instead, you'd have to get one from a local dealer.

 

[Crwban]

On budget bikes I would keep to the KISS principle if possible.

That is no suspension, just a rigid steel fork and possibly rim brakes for a basic runaround.

Problem is most of the budget bikes come with suspension forks.

I know disc brakes are more effective, but cheap forks and cheap disc brakes could give future problems.

 

[Hightechpete]

A nice ride up Brynamman to the Black Mountains is now due!!

Funny you should say that, photo taken last Tuesday at that very location.

 

[Trevormonty]

Cheap Ebikes do lot higher mileage and average speed than the unassisted versions. Those higher speeds put lot more stress on cheap suspension and wheels so expect more problems.

 

[Crwban]

Funny you should say that, photo taken last Tuesday at that very location.

No pics?