Another newbie !

[DavidN]

Hi, looking at getting my first ebike mainly for commuting to work(12 mile round trip) and some leisurely Sunday runs. 56 now, reasonalably fit but a couple of steep hills on my work route and feel i need the assist from an ebike. Looking to spend around £1000. Im being drawn to the Carrera subway E which i can get for £949 from Halfords, i also like the look of the Woosh Faro which is actually a bit cheaper with the built in battery. One of the things that appeals with the Subway is i live 5 minutes from a Halfords so any issues can quickly be resolved. The one bummer is neither shop is on cyclescheme which i can get through work although i've discovered EnergySavingsTrust Scotland offer a 4 year interest free loan for ebike purchases so this is an option and i could spend a little more if needed. Appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks, David

 

[jokskot]

I've done 4300km mainly on undulating country roads on my NCM Moscow in a little over a year and I've had two non-riding periods due to a broken femur during that time.
I switched the motor cut-out to the right front brake - Leon.de provided the new lever without charge - and moved the display to the right side of the bars because the brake cut -off cable was too short to stretch to the original position. I fitted a more comfortable (Lidl) seat and mudguards and some Shimano spd pedals to match my cycling shoes.
The bike has had a new cassette and chain, new rear brake pads and new cables fitted at about 3300km. The cassette and chain were normal wear and tear. The renewal of the rear brake pads were unexpected as I normally use only the front brake (my LBS said they were corroded) and cables were badly corroded and sticking from winter riding on salted roads.
I have also fitted a throttle and voltmeter, described elsewhere on this site, but the throttle currently provides only the "walk" speed. I use the medium power setting and tend to use level 5 assistance and get around 80km from a full charge. I have not noted any change in battery capacity or performance.
I was plagued with punctures during the autumn, but since fitting Tannus Armour inserts to both wheels have had none.

Overall I continue to be delighted with the bike and thoroughly recommend it as offering excellent value.

 

[DavidN]

I've done 4300km mainly on undulating country roads on my NCM Moscow in a little over a year and I've had two non-riding periods due to a broken femur during that time.
I switched the motor cut-out to the right front brake - Leon.de provided the new lever without charge - and moved the display to the right side of the bars because the brake cut -off cable was too short to stretch to the original position. I fitted a more comfortable (Lidl) seat and mudguards and some Shimano spd pedals to match my cycling shoes.
The bike has had a new cassette and chain, new rear brake pads and new cables fitted at about 3300km. The cassette and chain were normal wear and tear. The renewal of the rear brake pads were unexpected as I normally use only the front brake (my LBS said they were corroded) and cables were badly corroded and sticking from winter riding on salted roads.
I have also fitted a throttle and voltmeter, described elsewhere on this site, but the throttle currently provides only the "walk" speed. I use the medium power setting and tend to use level 5 assistance and get around 80km from a full charge. I have not noted any change in battery capacity or performance.
I was plagued with punctures during the autumn, but since fitting Tannus Armour inserts to both wheels have had none.

Overall I continue to be delighted with the bike and thoroughly recommend it as offering excellent value.

What mudguards have you got mate ? I've ordered this bit of kit from Aus for off road use obviously !

Das-Kit Offroad Display Kit with throttle control, dual brake cutoff - Chituma Electric Bicycles

Das-Kit Off Road/Private Land Use only Display Kit with throttle control, dual brake cutoff, advanced display

www.electric-bicycles.com.au

 

[Kosh]

I've done 4300km mainly on undulating country roads on my NCM Moscow in a little over a year and I've had two non-riding periods due to a broken femur during that time.
I switched the motor cut-out to the right front brake - Leon.de provided the new lever without charge - and moved the display to the right side of the bars because the brake cut -off cable was too short to stretch to the original position. I fitted a more comfortable (Lidl) seat and mudguards and some Shimano spd pedals to match my cycling shoes.
The bike has had a new cassette and chain, new rear brake pads and new cables fitted at about 3300km. The cassette and chain were normal wear and tear. The renewal of the rear brake pads were unexpected as I normally use only the front brake (my LBS said they were corroded) and cables were badly corroded and sticking from winter riding on salted roads.
I have also fitted a throttle and voltmeter, described elsewhere on this site, but the throttle currently provides only the "walk" speed. I use the medium power setting and tend to use level 5 assistance and get around 80km from a full charge. I have not noted any change in battery capacity or performance.
I was plagued with punctures during the autumn, but since fitting Tannus Armour inserts to both wheels have had none.

Overall I continue to be delighted with the bike and thoroughly recommend it as offering excellent value.

Thanks for the info on the Armour inserts will keep them in mind..... no punctures yet ....!
and i replaced seat with big wide jell seat with springs ! much better for me !
fitted Zefal mudguards which do the job well .
currently use 5 or 6 assist ......(arthritis) the throttle would be useful for when my joints need a break
havent been more than 30 mile round trips (mainly on cycle tracks some quite rough).... battery lasts fine for that ..
despite several emails to leon i never did get a reply from them ... which is the only downside to dealing with them

 

[tommie]

Well after much thought i cancelled the Crossfuse as i wanted to stick to my budget of around a grand and after a lot of research i plumped for this, the NCM Moscow. I think its a cracking looking bike and for the price of £1070 delivered its well worth it, gets great reviews.

Looks great value for the money - German company

Review

 

[DavidN]

Thanks for the info on the Armour inserts will keep them in mind..... no punctures yet ....!
and i replaced seat with big wide jell seat with springs ! much better for me !
fitted Zefal mudguards which do the job well .
currently use 5 or 6 assist ......(arthritis) the throttle would be useful for when my joints need a break
havent been more than 30 mile round trips (mainly on cycle tracks some quite rough).... battery lasts fine for that ..
despite several emails to leon i never did get a reply from them ... which is the only downside to dealing with them

Agree about Leon customer service, not the best ! Its crazy that you have to shop in Australia for some kit, i've emailed them about the pannier rack which is out of stock, still haven't heard back.

 

[jokskot]

What mudguards have you got mate ? I've ordered this bit of kit from Aus for off road use obviously !

Das-Kit Offroad Display Kit with throttle control, dual brake cutoff - Chituma Electric Bicycles

Das-Kit Off Road/Private Land Use only Display Kit with throttle control, dual brake cutoff, advanced display

www.electric-bicycles.com.au

The following quoted from my earlier posting:
The Mudguards I fitted are SKS (I think that's the old Bluemels, though that name doesn't appear anywhere) Velo65Mountain, 65 being the mudguard width in mm. Both the front and rear guards are "waisted" slightly to fit through the forks and seat stay. The front of the rear mudguard clips round the seat tube and is held with a heavy duty grommet round two lugs. I haven't experienced any issues of interference with the front mech. which was mentioned elsewhere. For the front forks, I initially used 35mm stainless steel P-clips with a rubber liner but subsequently changed to lined 32mm P-clips with the fixing of the stay clamped between the two ends of the clip. The mudguards were bought from Westbrook Cycles, Stokesley, North Yorkshire and IIRC cost about £17. In addition to being an excellent bike shop they have a significant on-line presence.

 

[Kosh]

The following quoted from my earlier posting:
The Mudguards I fitted are SKS (I think that's the old Bluemels, though that name doesn't appear anywhere) Velo65Mountain, 65 being the mudguard width in mm. Both the front and rear guards are "waisted" slightly to fit through the forks and seat stay. The front of the rear mudguard clips round the seat tube and is held with a heavy duty grommet round two lugs. I haven't experienced any issues of interference with the front mech. which was mentioned elsewhere. For the front forks, I initially used 35mm stainless steel P-clips with a rubber liner but subsequently changed to lined 32mm P-clips with the fixing of the stay clamped between the two ends of the clip. The mudguards were bought from Westbrook Cycles, Stokesley, North Yorkshire and IIRC cost about £17. In addition to being an excellent bike shop they have a significant on-line presence.

Hello
Zefal FM30 FRONT AND RM90 REAR
Ebay ..... £13 and £15
couldnt get out to look around it was quick look on internet and go for most popular
must say easy to fit do the job ...

 

[jokskot]

Hello
Zefal FM30 FRONT AND RM90 REAR
Ebay ..... £13 and £15
couldnt get out to look around it was quick look on internet and go for most popular
must say easy to fit do the job ...

Mine are "fuller" mudguards than those you refer to. The front is a truly full mudguard. The rear stops a bit short of where the stand attaches and in muddy conditions deposits a lot of clag in that area.

 

[Kosh]

Mine are "fuller" mudguards than those you refer to. The front is a truly full mudguard. The rear stops a bit short of where the stand attaches and in muddy conditions deposits a lot of clag in that area.

I dont ride in rain ...... the guards mainly just to stop stones getting thrown up ...and the occassional pile of horse poop ...i would have prefered fuller guards but couldnt find any that i could guarantee would fit .