Hi. Can anyone give me some advice on the Oxygen emate City v Smartmotion eUrban? I have a 15 mile each way fairly hilly commute, and have a dodgy knee so I cant put in much torque - particularly need a lot of assistance getting up hills. Many thanks.
I have now been cycling my Smartmotion eUrban from Winchester to work in Southampton and back most days over the last 2 months, and have racked up 500 miles, so I thought it was time to write a review. I bought the bike from Steve at Take Charge Bikes in Woking.
I am exceptionally happy! It is a 28 mile round trip, with some fairly steep hills. I have a very bad right knee, so I effectively just pedal with one leg. The eUrban allows me to do this commute easily, without breaking a sweat, whilst still getting some exercise with my left leg. The battery can just about do the 28 mile round trip on maximum assist and using lots of throttle. I usually charge the battery after each journey as it's supposedly better for it to not run it all the way down every time.
To get up the steep hills, I push fairly hard with just my left leg, and the power from the motor is enough to get me up the hills, overtaking many other cyclists on the way. On the flat or slight uphill, I can stop peddling if I want, twist the throttle, and zip along at 15.5 miles an hour.
I've been caught in pouring rain a few times, and had no issues with the electrics. Some of my route is on quite bumpy gravel tracks- the bike handles very well, and the bumps haven't caused any problems.
It's great having the in-built lights powered off the bike battery - I dont have the hassle of my light batteries dying on my way home. There's a really handy frame lock, so I just leave my big D-lock at work, and if I stop at a shop on my way home, I just lock the frame lock.
I can also thoroughly recommend Take Charge Bikes. Steve, was by far the most knowledgeable and helpful of all the people I came across out of all the shops I experienced in my long search for an electric bike. He obviously has a wealth of experience and knowledge with electric bikes. He has also always gone out of his way to accommodate my busy working life, opening up the shop a couple of times for me at 7:30 in the evening. He has also just done my free first service on the bike. I can thoroughly recommend Steve for honest helpful advice, thorough knowledge, and a very helpful attitude.
So - I am very happy with the SmartMotion eUrban! And very happy with Steve and Take Charge Bikes!
