Beat Bike Toba Crossbar (Bike Log)

[Perseus]

Taken it back and they aid it had been fixed, transmission/gears and the lights. However, both the light (new wheel) has been replaced and it is worse. Going back again. Fed up with it. Unrideable.


http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-reject-a-faulty-product-and-get-your-money-back

 

[Perseus]

Toba bike has taken into the shop for repairs, not for adjustments. Hub gears seriously faulty and it will have to be returned to the manufacturer. Lights will also need to be made to work properly. This is the best option for me. They are allowed the chance to repair the faults. Summer is passing.

Therein lies the value of shopping locally as it can be taken back more easily.

Although, I will lose time, it should not be much longer than buying another ebike and my insurance applies to this bike and paid for a year. When the bike runs it is OK and the motor and battery appear to be OK. Nothing special about it, but it should be able to get up hills of the gears are fixed. Range of 60+ miles is good.

 

[Perseus]

Yesterday I went for a ride on the flat on my ordinary pedal bike. On the flat it is more convenient. Only need the ebike for hills, and steady inclines it is preferred.

Racing cyclists are still a nuisance, silent and they go too fast, overtake too closely. They tend to go over 15 mph on cyclepaths. Do not ring their bells either. It cases a backlash from walkers and I can imagine why. Waymarker signs are contradictory, yellow and blue.

 

[Perseus]

Two days at the weekend (not so important as I am retired) back on my pedal bike. Different style of cycling as the pedal bike is much lighter and can be thrown around and avoid pot holes. However, both days were a steady windsurfer Force 6 and then ebikes come into their own.

Thinking (for ebike designers) the Toba has dynamo lights which makes it seem that this is hub gear bike with a motor put on as an afterthought. Lights are perfectly right brightness (front) but I would like a switch to turn it on and off as well as the sensor, and might like and adjustable beam size/brightness for exceptional conditions. e.g. lights would not automatically come on in the rain when needed and I'm not sure what would happen in mist?

Must be a silly weekend. Lots (three) of pedestrians stepping out in front of me without looking. Pavement to road.

 

[Perseus]

Blown around in a Force 7 gusting to Force 9 on my pedal bike. Too dangerous in traffic. Ebike withe extra power and weight could well be safer in functional to ride in a Force 5 with gusts.

 

[Perseus]

Toba ebike still in he shop from 1st June 2017 to fix back wheel hub which means the wheel has top go back to the manufacturer in Germany. I would have expected the wheel to be exchanged in England. Nearly a month w/o a working ebike. Disappointed. However, I would prefer the bike to be fixed than to get my money back. Taken my lightweight derailleur gear bike out of the shed. I prefer hub gears when they work. 27 degrees on the Sussex coast.

I expect my Cyclamatic could be fixed of I knew how and I had the dexterity to replace new cables. I do not anyone who can fix it. I suspect a minor fault. I need a manual.

 

[Woosh]

if you could take it to Southend, I'll check it out for you FOC.

 

[Perseus]

if you could take it to Southend, I'll check it out for you FOC.

If I lived within easy travelling distance of Southend I would have bought a Woosh! Getting annoyed and fed up now. I planned to buy the bike with a 30 mile trip in mind for June, although the weather has been far from ideal this month. Too breezy or too warm. Too wet last year. I might have to make it by pedal bike.

 

[Perseus]

Toba back in action with a new back wheel. Hub gears now working OK or he first ten miles at least. I will have to look at the manual to know what to disconnect if I get a puncture?!

I would describe the Toba as functional rather than exhilarating. OK up to 15 mph and then on the flat is hard work to go faster with the extra weight.

Still only done 250 miles. That in about a month and a half of actual riding.

Hub gears still on balance better for me for riding in traffic. Open backed lorry stopped suddenly today and I could not stop in the same distance. I had to swerve to avoid being decapitated. And this was me being careful as I saw two warning signs in 100 yards before, him jumping traffic lights and passing me when he should have waited as there was not enough space.

 

[Perseus]

Back wheel wobbling horribly, its surprise puncture! Flat as a pancake in a second. Now, I wish I got derailleur gears!

(not as easy as 3-speed Sturmey-Archer).

Only two miles from home (3.5 mph is over half an hour). Unplanned journey. I should really take tools, but I took the bag with tools off my bike when I took it in for repairs and I did not put it back. No spare inner tube to hand. It deflated so quickly I'm not even going to try and look for a hole. No obvious cause. These are Schwalbe tyres and I've cycled thousands of miles without a puncture on three bikes. I cannot see any hole in the tyre. I will look again tomorrow morning. NB: Punctures make me strongly against hub motors. So not mad keen on disc brakes for the same reason.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Before going to all the trouble of taking the wheel off, did you check the valve? It would have to be something very noticeable if whatever caused the puncture went through a Marathon Plus, so you have to think about other causes.

 

[Perseus]

Before going to all the trouble of taking the wheel off, did you check the valve? It would have to be something very noticeable if whatever caused the puncture went through a Marathon Plus, so you have to think about other causes.

I did not take any chances and took the bicycle to a mechanic at Halfords for an independent opinion (50 Cycles at Shoreham does not have a mechanic on Mondays and closes early, Bike shop opposite is closed on Mondays. Spur of the moment decision as I was passing Halfords). He said the hub gears were faulty and guessed that the puncture was caused by pinched inner tube.

Now, I've got to think about my legal position? Bike operational but not fit for purpose.

 

[Perseus]

Second puncture almost immediately. That's with a new inner tube and inspection of the tyre outside. Tyre down in the morning. Tempted to think Halford's are at fault. Getting the allen key in the tiny hole to disconnect the hub gears is really difficult for me to change the wheel because of my very poor eyesight and turning the apparatus is tricky because of my arthritis in my hands. I need to take and allen key and torch really, spare close-up spectacles* and perhaps a magnifying lens. (* no chance with my long distance spectacles.)

 

[RobF]

The Alfine cable removal video looks over complicated to me.

All I did was dump the spring tension by putting the bike in top gear, then hoik the nipple out of its recess.

Doable - just about - beside the road with no tools, but easier with pin nose pliers.

 

[Perseus]

Stick the pin (smallest allen key) in the hole and twist. Finding the hole with my eyesight might require a torch in real life conditions. Halfords were messing me about. Bits did not fall part when taking the wheel off to fix the second puncture. Rim hole puncture: I just never get these types of punctures in living memory. Pump with bike is too naff to use. Hub gears are working as well as ever now. From an operational point of view hub gears are much better in towns. But any gears in optimal conditions are a pleasure to ride. NB: I must remember to pack tools at all times really. I'll get that sorted tomorrow.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus7.shtml

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Do you have a rim tape? it wouldn't be the first time one wasn't fitted.

 

[Perseus]

Third puncture in three days. This was a really bad one and the sidewall of the Marathon Schwalbe tyre showed a laceration over an inch long. This is unheard of in these tyres. However, this may have occurred after the puncture. I used the Crivit sealant but the tyre stayed for less than a minute as before with just a pump. Flat occurred at 23 mph on a busy downhill stretch and the bike just felt wobbly and unhandleable.

Ended up stranded four miles from home. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Really fed up, just went for a ride until the injection from a visit to the dentist wore up. Teeth are uncomfortable, ebike (I wish I had never bought!) and thoroughly fed up.

Tomorrow (if not raining, new tyre, rim tape and two new inner tubes). If my mind is into it, I like my other bikes better, except the other ebike (which I can't fix). .

 

[Perseus]

I'm thinking the back wheel is too narrow for the weight on this bike, bearing in mind the state of the roads and paths. It was a big mistake.

 

[Perseus]

I CAN'T GET THE GEARS DISCONNECTED; TOO DARN FIDDLY

 

[Perseus]

Two hours later: Struggled to get the gears disconnected. Gear 1 gives the most slack. Last puncture diagnosis is lack of rim tape fitted with replacement wheel. Location of the puncture hole confirmed this. As two different cycle mechanics had installed the new wheel I thought lack of rim tape was the latest fashion and not needed. I needed the long nosed pliers to get the cable off. Tried without (couldn't find them). Turn the nut anti-clockwise when the bike is the right way up.