Any ideas how come?

[Davanti]

I think that if present trends continue, a lot of people will have little choice other than to give up the comfort of the car. The constantly rising fuel prices are one factor, and with emission standards tightening up all the time, it will mean that the day of the cheap old banger is finished. I believe we are seeing an increase in public transport, but as always, the people who make the rules have no concept of life beyond the M25. I know villages where there is one bus a week. These factors may eventually lead to greater Ebike sales.

I suppose our village is REALLY lucky. We have 2 buses a week not one ... one leaves on Tuesdays and the other comes in on Thursdays.

 

[funkylyn]

I suppose our village is REALLY lucky. We have 2 buses a week not one ... one leaves on Tuesdays and the other comes in on Thursdays.

Hmmm.....thats convenient then ...........thats if you fancy a midweek break away somewhere......hope it goes to somewhere nice

Lynda

 

[danfoto]

Dan,it is obvious to us at KudosCycles and we would like to target that age group,which we see as 45 years plus,the trouble is it is not easy to find shows that are economic to exhibit. We are looking at the 50 plus shows in London,Manchester and Glasgow. Instead of the NEC Cycle show which whilst we met some good customers,the sports cyclist element is openly against electric bikes,they do consider them cheating yet in Germany and Holland there is not the same hostile attitude.
Dave
KudosCycles

Thanks for that, Dave. So ... has anybody flogging ebikes tried, by fair means or foul, getting a piece about them into the Saga Magazine?

The readership figure's astronomical, and on the face of it yer average reader seems to have the income to dispose of ...

 

[danfoto]

the NEC Cycle show which whilst we met some good customers,the sports cyclist element is openly against electric bikes

Maybe that's because ebikes riders don't smell as pretty as most roadies seem to when you come up behind them.

 

[Scottyf]

Don't think i've ever had the Cheating comment thrown at me. Most are usually interested or glad they can draft me when I'm using it. Espcially on maintianing a speed up slight inclines.

Then again I probably look a bit dodgy with Full face helmet, MTB shorts and a high vis jacket I dont typically look like the normal hybrid rider. That and a strange inner tube from my back pack to bike...


Ebikes are expensive vs a standard bike. The battery's run out and the 15mph limit is somewhat a bit boring. But hey its safe and easier.
If they did 20mph they are much more fun. But then you run into saftey issues.

Compare that to a £300 second hand bike and you get alot more bike for your cash on the second hand market. Don't think I'd ever buy new with the amount of bargains you can get thanks to fleabay and gumtree.

The infastructure doesn't really suit cyclists and then theres the stigma of being a cyclist. Let alone one thats electric powered.

 

[danfoto]

then theres the stigma of being a cyclist. Let alone one thats electric powered.

Eh? What stigma? How does that work?

Should I be ashamed of riding my bike?

 

[geostorm]

Tony , Yes They say history repeats itself, i remember they used to have Power packs, or Cyclemaster wheel, or even a Vincent...firefly, wow..

But it was a bit like that back in the old club days, when most of us rode fixed wheel then the so called cheats joined with gears on their bikes, but guess what not too long before decided to cheat too.. so maybe time will tell...

 

[flecc]

Tony , Yes They say history repeats itself, i remember they used to have Power packs, or Cyclemaster wheel, or even a Vincent...firefly, wow..

But it was a bit like that back in the old club days, when most of us rode fixed wheel then the so called cheats joined with gears on their bikes, but guess what not too long before decided to cheat too.. so maybe time will tell...

Circumstances have changed though. Back in the late 1940s and 1950s it had to be a bike for most, choice was fixie or gears. Now the choice is car or bike, and for the vast majority of Britain's people, it's car every time, no matter what the cost. The few who opt for bikes are predominantly sport/fitness riding biased so not interested in e-bikes. We are a minority of a minority!

 

[eTim]

I call my wife a cheat when we go for a ride, me on my conventional bike, she on her electric, she just laughs at me as I try to grab her for a free lift up the hills

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thanks for that, Dave. So ... has anybody flogging ebikes tried, by fair means or foul, getting a piece about them into the Saga Magazine?

The readership figure's astronomical, and on the face of it yer average reader seems to have the income to dispose of ...

Hi Dan, yes we did last spring and even gave away a 705eco as a prize, it wasn't the best campaign we have run, the prize winner was 90 something and house bound. Her son immediately sold the bike on ebay!

Thanks for this......

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

It is my new moto!!

All the best

David

 

[Scimitar]

Hi Dan, yes we did last spring and even gave away a 705eco as a prize, it wasn't the best campaign we have run, the prize winner was 90 something and house bound. Her son immediately sold the bike on ebay!

If I were running a comp like that, I'd only give it to a winner who would actually use it - not impossible to arrange.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

It's very tricky Dave, we have run a few competitions now and they normally work out well, we also say "no cash value" and "cannot be sold on public auction sites" in the small print. Even so two bikes have been sold immediately on ebay, could we go legal? maybe. Would it be worth the agro though?

All the best

David

 

[cwah]

Same for my Pacific if reach bike, the seller won it on a prize but didn't need it.

She sold it without even having opened the box

 

[eddieo]

It's very tricky Dave, we have run a few competitions now and they normally work out well, we also say "no cash value" and "cannot be sold on public auction sites" in the small print. Even so two bikes have been sold immediately on ebay, could we go legal? maybe. Would it be worth the agro though?

All the best

David

There is a Wisper brochure (along with usual bikes) on Ebay at the moment, I kid you not.....I assume these are freely available......

 

[danfoto]

Hi Dan, yes we did last spring and even gave away a 705eco as a prize, it wasn't the best campaign we have run, the prize winner was 90 something and house bound. Her son immediately sold the bike on ebay!

Oh dear. I do hope your luck improved after that.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Amazing Eddie, who on earth would bother! Yes they are free and available from me!

All the best,

David

 

[quilly21]

Hi Gerry,
How do you find the impulse compares to the Proconnect?
I have been using a Proconnect for commute now for 2 years covering 6,000 virtually trouble free miles.
I like the idea of the idler free drive train, as it is the gears and idlers (derailleur) that are the only blight of my bike. I tried one of the new 11 speed impulse bikes out in Richmond Park but living in hilly Wales it is hard to compare, you no doubt can make a like for like comparison.
be interested to hear your thoughts.
The extra range of the higher capacity battery is also appealing.

Dave

 

[mike killay]

Last weekend I had a ride on a conventional, state of the art racing bike.
It was light as a feather and had 27 gears.
Frankly, after e-biking, it was appalling!
The saddle seemed to be made of cast iron and designed as crotch crushing device.
The gears changed very smoothly, it was easy to pedal along the flat, but as soon as I came to a hill it was serious work and not much easier than an ordinary bike. I soon returned it back to its owner.
By contrast, my 30 kilo Tonaro is so comfortable with a large well sprung saddle, plenty of power and easy to ride.
The sort of hills that had me sweating on the racer (remember how hot last week end was) would not have required any pedalling on the Tonaro.

 

[flecc]

But with a very fit rider that very light bike would have left out e-bikes for dead, including in the hills. Those guys in my very hilly North Downs area do one hour runs with big altitude changes at an average of over 20 mph!

 

[Cakey]

My road bike for summer is a storck fascenario , not found an ebike that can catch me yet.
Cut off seems to be around 20 mph. Frame and fork weigh 700 gram.
Not half as much fun as my ebike, and a lot more perspiring.