Bodywel M275 Review - I would really appreciate any pointers, do you think this review was too short? And more so, what do you think of the Bodywel EBike? I am in the process of reviewing another bike but any feedback on how to improve is greatly appreciated
Useful info for your viewers, from the point of view of long-term repairability.: What does the battery pack within the case look like, and how easy would it be to find a compatible replacement made with good quality cells and BMS in a few years? What cells are in there anyway? What would it cost? Will all ebikes have been banned by then? Will nuclear war render such inormation useless?
Much better than before. I have a couple of comments about what you did and what you might want to think about.
1. The police are clamping down on illegal bikes You said that this bike is legal and went through a couple of points, which was good, but I think it might be better if you start with a checklist of the four main points and demonstrate them:
- Power limited to 15.5 mph. Tick.
- Motor or bike marked 250w. Tick.
- (a)no twist and go. Tick. Or (b) twist and go limited to 4 mph. Tick.
- label showing manufacturer and maximum speed. Tick.
2. You lost it on the hydraulic brakes with holes in. Come on, all discs have halls in them. The advantage of hydraulic brakes over cable ones is: You get better modulation, so more control over braking; they're completely maintenance free for thousands of miles until the pads are worn out; the braking is consistent and reliable all the time. Cable disc brakes need constant adjustment and maintenance, otherwise they quickly go out of adjustment and the braking becomes variable and unreliable, especially as most people never bother to adjust them.
Finally, I'd still like to see more about the riding:
Comment on how sure-footed it is.
Ride it up a steep hill, the same one each time you review a bike and comment on the difference from the others.
These cheap bikes have two main types of power algorithms: speed control, where each level on the control panel gives a different max speed, but they all get the same power, so the start can be a bit abrupt and low-speed control isn't so good; and current control, where each level gives a different power, so that when you start up on level one, the launch is very soft. Some of the speed control ones add a bit of a ramp to the power at startup, which makes them a bit less agressive. This point is very important for light-weight people, particularly women on bikes with 20" wheels. The higher torque from the small wheels makes the start very agressive when you have speed control - so much that it scares them.
In summary, a big improvement, but a way to go before I reccomend your videos as a useful source. Previously 3/10. This one 6/10. That's my opinion for what it's worth.
One final point. You need a gimmick or a hook if you really want to expand your channel. If you can find a way, make it appealing to people, who aren't interested in ebikes.
Honest down to earth no punches pulled opinion ?
It's a bit of an E-BSO
Why do all these companies list "is this the best mountainbike" etc etc. truth be told it hardly fills the role of mountainbike, but more like city riding with the occasional muddy pathway through the local park.
Cheap componentry does not last and requires far more fiddling and maintenance than should be required.
REMEMBER many potential customers dont know anything and rely on your for the info, so it needs to be pertinent and informative. it is only a basic ebike, but it is still a huge chunk of cash outlay and in this day and age and these economic conditions, people dont want to spend 800 quid on something that has become a pain to ride or is not living up to the expectations the review implied to them.
You can fill a kitchen worth of white goods or a TV/player or computer package for that kind of money.
Im about bums on saddles. the more people riding a bike is something i want more than anything. its good for them and their health, its good for the economy and its good for the environment. But a cheap skip filler puts people off and instead of being a lifetime rider, they never get on one again.
As to how you present your review.
Honest down to earth no punches pulled opinion ?
Only kidding ...
I'd look at someone like 'Rob Rides emtb' on you tube for pointers on how to present a detailed review, including(as mentioned above) how it actually rides.
There are hundreds of people presenting bike and ebike reviews who clearly dont know one end of the bike from the other so dont really know nor understand the componentry. By watching a channel like Rob rides, who clearly does know his onions, it will give you more informative descripts of what you should be talking about.
The tyres are a bit of a giveaway on its intended function, which would be more aligned to tarmac than offroad terrain.
Suspension fork - Clearly its no Fox factory, so basic description of 'it is basic but functional' has some adjustment, does it have 'lock out' so mention that.
Brakes - again they look like basic no names, but they are hydraulics, so should be reasonably maintenance free. Nobody is really interested in the holes in the discs. I would possibly just use the term 'has modern hydraulic brakes' and leave it at that.
Drivetrain gearing. really only needs mentioning about how many gears it has, possibly point out as the motor does much of the work why fewer gears are needed than a regular bike etc or by selecting such a high or low speed gear you increase or decrease the potential range*
Tyres- as said not the chunky grippy type for muddy paths, again more suited to tarmac. so describe those in that manner that they arent that grippy, and care should be taken in an offroad setting.
Another route on things like brakes, or drivetrain is how would someone who has bought the bike, so some of the fettling that would be required to keep it all in check, and align what needs to be aligned. So maybe that some vids on basic maintenance.
*Potential range - Stated as 80km
In its dreams
This is a bit of a con by all the EV's be it car or bike. but in this case bike range is on the very smoothest of tarmac, in summer, without a breath of wind, no hills or even gentle inclines and was tested by a rider probably weighing 7 stone, who is wearing minimal clothing and the power assist settings at the very lowest.
But in real world, its far less given there will likely be hills, it will be on bumpy potholes UK roads. Riders will be wearing far more and may well be carrying luggage.
All of which will impact range greatly.
Perhaps you could do some real world tests, and see how your experience in everyday use measures up to their official claims
Last point - DRESS LIKE A CYCLIST
street clothes are fine for out on the lash, but for people to believe you know what you are talking about, its best to at least look the part. Youve done a lot of bike reviews, so should have the kit-shorts, etcAnd wear a lid(helmet) again it gives the implication
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That reminds me. Adjustable and lockout forks have been around for ages. Nobody ever adjusts them or uses the lockout, except people on high-end MTBs, who do serious off-roading., so I'd be more dismissive of them rather than making out that it's some sort of desirable feature. Better still, do a review of the forks, put them on every setting and tell us what's the difference and whether it's worthwhile. I'm going to bet the only difference you can tell is between locked and unlocked, and you're going to say that locked is terrible. Why would anybody want to lock them?
I used to lock mine whenever I was climbing on my XC mountain bike. Climbing was much easier without the forks (decent dual air Rockshocks) bobbing and engaging the lock was simple with a remote lever on the bars.
Never bothered on either of my EMTb's though I do sometimes lock the rear shock before a long climb.
On my estate there are lots of retired people that seem quite affluent. Lots of them have the latest Bosch powered mountain bike that cost many thousands of pounds, with very sophisticated suspension, gears and technology that they religously get serviced every year, but the most they do is tootle into the village on it, or the more adventurous cycle along forest well made tracks and canal towpaths. Good luck to them, their bikes give them a great amount of pleasure, but I think something a lot simpler and cheaper (an E-BSO ?) would equally well fulfill there needs. I'm not really convinced entry level componentry does not last and needs fiddling and maintenance and I'm not sure lots of gears, etc really add a lot to an e-bike.
That's not my experience at all. I've found that cheap gears, cranks, chains, wheels, steering bearings, forks to be extremely robust and never need adjustment or anything like that, while as the expensive ones all wear very quickly and need more maintenance. The only exception is the cable disc brakes, which are generally pretty useless and need loads of adjustment. IMHO, only hydraulic disc brakes are acceptable on an ebike. I've never really found any difference between cheap and expensive ones for normal riding.
Also, people, who buy cheap catalogue bikes, tend not to look after them so we'll. They leave them in the garden or at the station in all weather's and never oil anything, while as people, who buy expensive bikes, tend to keep them locked in a warm garage and look after them. This gives a false impression of which lasts the longest.
There is entry level and there is 'entry level'
Entry level is like Shimano Tourney, and 'entry level' is stuff where you've never heard of the manufacturer
On 'entry level' it doesnt. Most shops wont accept a BSO because trying to fettle it back to some sort of working condition takes way too long, which isnt economical.
Basic Shimano stuff is ok. It is heavy usually, but quite long lasting, though does seek attention more.
I think a baseline should be something like Shimano Alivio with a smattering of Deore.
Answer there is SHORTS. Not the Lederhosen type(although ...) but the YT shorts.
Short vids that spike peoples interest and make them want to look at your channel and watch some longer vids.
The more you appeal to the YT algorithm, the greater chances your vids will start popping up on peoples feed.
I worked as an ebike mechanic for 2 1/2 years. I fixed every type of ebike from cheapest to most expensive. There's nothing on a cheap bike that makes them more difficult to service, and I never found a reason to turn away any ebike. The only thing that was a bit of a pain was bikes that needed their hub-gears re-lubricating, and they're not cheap bikes.
If you look at any of the YouTube videos on servicing expensive ebikes, you'll see that the average service cost is more than the entire cost of a replacement cheap bike. Fork seals, headsets and hubs are all very common and very expensive. I just looked at one, where brake pads were £60 and replaced on a relatively new bike, compared with mine that cost £0.60 from Aliexpress and last about 5,000 miles of perfectly adequate and reliable braking.
Lederhosen aren't the best for cycling in especially when it's warm but they were fine for skiing a couple of weeks ago!
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