Can anyone reccommend a shop in central London

[Katymac]

I am travelling between Fulham Broadway, Victoria Palace theatre and Liverpool Street station

Where could I go and try out some bikes?

 

[Gaz]

Not a personal recommendation (only coz I've never had 'owt to do with them), but aren't Fully Charged quite well known:

https://www.fullycharged.com

Gaz

 

[Katymac]

Thanks Gaz, surprised there haven't been more recommendations in London!

I can probably buy closer to home but I have a free day I could do some test rides and am a bit disappointed

 

[Deleted member 25121]

Fully Charged - great people, great service and a great selection of ebikes in their store. They sell quality bikes rather than Chinese junk.

 

[vfr400]

quality bikes rather than Chinese junk.

It's been a while since we've seen a comment like that. It sounds a little biased and ill-informed to me.

You have good quality when your product performs like it's supposed to or better for a long time.

Under that definition, I think you'll find that the established brands of Chinese bikes outperform the ones you're referring to as quality bikes. Maybe you can tell us which quality bikes you mean, so we can give a realistic comparison.

You realise that most bikes are substantially made in China, and that probably includes the ones you're referring to?

 

[Deleted member 25121]

It's been a while since we've seen a comment like that. It sounds a little biased and ill-informed to me.

You have good quality when your product performs like it's supposed to or better for a long time.

Under that definition, I think you'll find that the established brands of Chinese bikes outperform the ones you're referring to as quality bikes. Maybe you can tell us which quality bikes you mean, so we can give a realistic comparison.

You realise that most bikes are substantially made in China, and that probably includes the ones you're referring to?

Why jump to the conclusion that I'm ill informed just because you don't agree with my views? If I might say so that sounds a tad arrogant and a little "biased" towards products made in China.

By "quality bikes" I'm referring to the likes of Reise & Muller, made in Germany using parts manufactured in Germany and Japan. Top quality design, manufacturing and quality control. You appear to know it all, please can you enlighten us as to which components on R&M ebikes are made in China.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Woosh]

Why jump to the conclusion that I'm ill informed just because you don't agree with my views? If I might say so that sounds a tad arrogant and a little "biased" towards products made in China.

By "quality bikes" I'm referring to the likes of Reise & Muller, made in Germany using parts manufactured in Germany and Japan. Top quality design, manufacturing and quality control. You appear to know it all, please can you enlighten us as to which components on R&M ebikes are made in China.

Thanks in advance.

prestigious brands like R&M don't get to be top by accident.
This said, on the component level, most of the components are manufactured in the Far East, not because it's cheap, but they are developed mainly by Japanese and Taiwanese companies, even German owned brands have their manufacturing bases in China.

As for Chinese made bikes, we don't have as much as before since the EU imposed anti-dumping levy.
I have to assemble my bikes in Southend because of that, to keep cost down. I don't claim I do a better job here than the Chinese factories did for me before, but needs must.

Typically, if you want to look for components made in China, look for battery cells and assembly, suspension forks, rims, headsets, cranksets, pedals, lights.

Here is a list of front suspension components used by R&M as per their website.
Note that Suntour and RST make most of their forks in China.
I use the RST Omega on my Rio MTB, Suntour forks on most of my bikes except on the 20" folding bikes.

https://www.r-m.de/en-dk/technology/control-technology/

 

[vfr400]

Why jump to the conclusion that I'm ill informed just because you don't agree with my views? If I might say so that sounds a tad arrogant and a little "biased" towards products made in China.

By "quality bikes" I'm referring to the likes of Reise & Muller, made in Germany using parts manufactured in Germany and Japan. Top quality design, manufacturing and quality control. You appear to know it all, please can you enlighten us as to which components on R&M ebikes are made in China.

Thanks in advance.

Bosch electric parts are made in China.

My job is fixing electric bikes. That includes Bosch. I'm a Bosch certified technician, so I have a pretty good handle on which bikes go wrong and what goes wrong with them.

I don’t have any bias. I like all the different electric bikes. My only concern is that people get fair and unbiased information so that they can make choices appropriate to their needs.

PS. I didn’t say you were ill-informed. I said that you sound like you are ill informed. That's because a well informed person wouldn't make a statement like yours unless there was a specific reason for it, like bias, self interest or not able to think clearly.

 

[Katymac]

And back to the whole "only one shop in the entire city that anyone will recommend"

If they only have what's online it's too expensive for me - up to £2500 maybe?

 

[Deleted member 25121]

prestigious brands like R&M don't get to be top by accident.
This said, on the component level, most of the components are manufactured in the Far East, not because it's cheap, but they are developed mainly by Japanese and Taiwanese companies, even German owned brands have their manufacturing bases in China.

As for Chinese made bikes, we don't have as much as before since the EU imposed anti-dumping levy.
I have to assemble my bikes in Southend because of that, to keep cost down. I don't claim I do a better job here than the Chinese factories did for me before, but needs must.

Typically, if you want to look for components made in China, look for battery cells and assembly, suspension forks, rims, headsets, cranksets, pedals, lights.

Here is a list of front suspension components used by R&M as per their website.
Note that Suntour and RST make most of their forks in China.
I use the RST Omega on my Rio MTB, Suntour forks on most of my bikes except on the 20" folding bikes.

https://www.r-m.de/en-dk/technology/control-technology/

I take your points Woosh but I was thinking of Chinese designed & manufactured parts which are often of poor design, poorly manufactured, poorly documented and poorly supported.

Very many companies in the Western world have their parts manufactured in China but design locally and impose very stringent quality controls on the Chinese manufactures and monitor those closely, I'm thinking of the likes of Bosch and Apple here.

 

[Poolepete]

And back to the whole "only one shop in the entire city that anyone will recommend"

If they only have what's online it's too expensive for me - up to £2500 maybe?

Re:Fully Charged, they do have bikes within your price range, certainly from Raleigh, GoCycle & Moustache.

Scroll down on this page for instance: https://www.fullycharged.com/e-bikes/bike-type/urban

 

[Crossroads]

I would go to fully charged if I was London based - Reason being their street level floor is packed with demonstrators which you can try out on nearby cycle lanes. If you go for a purchase you are shown downstairs to be expertly fitted with a new bike from their stock and they will either deliver by courier free and all set up or you can it ride away. Several videos are available on You Tube under 'Fully Charged Show E Bike ( Not connected - they are an electric car channel, primarily.) Looks great to me, but yes mostly high end bikes.

watch

 

[Katymac]

thanks I'll go next time I end up in london

I went into a very helpful shop in fulham this time