Cyclamatic Power Plus Owners club

[Eddie F]

Hi all if you don’t like this `cheap or as i like to call it BUDGET e bike.
go away.

know there are snobs on the forum who spend over £1200 on an e bike and have many different ones and have built up experience over the years.

I am, like most people who have a Cyclamatic Power Plus, on a tight budget but wont to get into ebikeing. Hopefully this will lead me into more higher spec bikes with spares and service advice.

I have got mine today and it took me around an hour to put together. I have to admit i got mine at a discount but will review as if full price and the higher level of expectations.

Got on and rode, wow not what i expected, the pedal assist was good and i shot along. The power lights went to low under power but the gauge on the battery pack says full. Putting it on charge tonight and will go out for a longer ride tomoz. 12 month warranty on the battery 24v 10ah

I invite all owners to post good and bad in this thread and hopefully get more people on the road on there ebike.

Eddie

 

[eddieo]

Mmmm......A tad aggressive me old fruit or possibly defensive.

Small wheeled bikes can move along briskly. As for the "snobs" comment get a life for Gods sake, you see 16 year old kids riding £2000-£3000 mountain bikes around these days.

 

[flecc]

C'mon, less of the snobs comments, not liking cheap e-bikes has nothing to with snobbishness. There are other issues nothing to do with the bike quality which you don't seem to have considered, and my judgment for one isn't based on the bikes alone.

By all means have a Cyclamatic club, and if you do I wish it well, but before labelling others it's best for you to gain some e-bike experience to temper your judgment of bikes and owners with a wider knowledge of the subject.
.

 

[winterdog]

must admit dude, i have not seen much snobbery here.
any who,
as for the Cyclamatic a friend from work got one of these(26" wheel type) and for the cash it's a good entry in to the e-bike world. I don't think he would have been willing to invest any more money for a suck it and see solution for a mid to long range commute(max being 35k /min being 9k on partial journeys).I feel that he would not have used a normal bike for this as the barrier for entry (effort required and perspiration exuded) would be to great. Any way back to the bike the bike price has made cost effective enough that even a few trips a month will allow the bike to pay for it's self over a year(cycle to work tax brakes help too).

it is not as robust my Wisper nor is as good a pulling my fat ass along but it should do just fine as a practical bike

if i did not have my mind set on baking my own some time over the next couple of years i may have got one just as a back up or for doing thing with a bike that might feel rude on the Wisper.

bottom line: I feel that its letting people afford to give it a try.

 

[jasono]

Hi, what's the bike like to pedal without power? Is there any drag? I am quite interested in getting one of these for the better half, as has been said previously it could be a good, cheaper, intro machine

Cheers

Jason

 

[Eddie F]

Well that got the posts going,
I will say there is an amount of ante `cheap` bikes here. but that is only to be expected. I have read many posts over the past week and felt if any one disagreed they were shot down. Also I have received very helpful ADVICE over the week and hopefully in the future, will still receive help.

I am a believer in ` you get what you pay for ‘The bike is Budget. But i couldn’t put a conversion on my hybrid bike or get a bike for this price. I was not willing to or able to fork out the best part of £1000 for something i wasn’t sure i will get on with.

charged the battery tonight and will now run on battery only to see how long it will run on a full charge (after i have fixed up my old cycle computer).
I think there is a little drag without power but ill adjust the front brake as i think it is coming from there as when the rear wheel is lifted it has a long free wheel.

Just need the weather to get a little better

BRING IT ON BOYS, and GIRLS.

 

[Xcytronex]

Mmmm......A tad aggressive me old fruit or possibly defensive.

Small wheeled bikes can move along briskly. As for the "snobs" comment get a life for Gods sake, you see 16 year old kids riding £2000-£3000 mountain bikes around these days.

The chap is pulling your leg-a very light hearted post - not to be taken too seriously .Good luck with the club !!!!

 

[eddieo]

The chap is pulling your leg-a very light hearted post - not to be taken too seriously .Good luck with the club !!!!

WRONG - his parting comments in last post demonstrate this. I was right initially to take offence I believe. We are a friendly bunch, everyone is supported and cheaper bikes are often recommended and discussed . just because the guy has a chip on his shoulder and is a cheap skate does not give him the right to criticise others

 

[Conal]

Good hearted response

Eddie F

I understand where you are coming from but, like earlier posts, would point out that I bought the best available at the time. I could afford it so I did.

Points to make

Cheap can be dear if it is not fit for purpose
Cycle to work scheme saved my nearly £500. Like you I feel I got a good deal.
After sales service is part of the purchase price and for eZee, Wisper and others can add value and a bike that seems expensive can, after three years, turn out to be a great deal.
Forum members who have purchased different bikes have given us all invaluable information,

Generally you get what you pay for and I note that you hope to move up to higher spec bikes so who knows, you may end up a snob like me!

 

[Blew it]

Hi all if you don’t like this `cheap or as i like to call it BUDGET e bike.
go away.

know there are snobs on the forum who spend over £1200 on an e bike and have many different ones and have built up experience over the years.

I am, like most people who have a Cyclamatic Power Plus, on a tight budget but wont to get into ebikeing. Hopefully this will lead me into more higher spec bikes with spares and service advice.

I have got mine today and it took me around an hour to put together. I have to admit i got mine at a discount but will review as if full price and the higher level of expectations.

Got on and rode, wow not what i expected, the pedal assist was good and i shot along. The power lights went to low under power but the gauge on the battery pack says full. Putting it on charge tonight and will go out for a longer ride tomoz. 12 month warranty on the battery 24v 10ah

I invite all owners to post good and bad in this thread and hopefully get more people on the road on there ebike.

Eddie

Good on ya Eddie F!!, It's about time somebody put the "front benchers" in their place!. There's no need to worry about forum rules as these same people get away with blue murder on here with the full support of their top honcho!. Pedelecs UK seems to have an identity crisis, it seems it can't make it's mind up if it's a forum, internet chat room or one mans personal blog.

If you get too much hassle from the London chapter, just stick 'em on your "ignore" list as I have done, my visits to the forum are now a much more enjoyable experience. Please remember, the ignore facility only works if you log in. The next time you log in, put a tick in the "remember me" box, when you have finished your visit don't log off, just close the window. The next time you visit the forum it will log you on automatically and you will be spared the annoyance of having to read the unwanted and unwarranted responses from these people.

Much as I would like to, I cannot join your club because I don't own a Cyclamatic. I do however, own a number of budget machines that have given me several years of very enjoyable E-biking. As has already been stated, there is nothing on budget bikes that cannot be replaced inexpensively, not even batteries.!

Read and understand the original spirit and intention of Pedelecs UK:

Founded in late 2006, Pedelecs UK has quickly become a popular site for electric bike enthusiasts from the UK and around the globe.

Nowhere in that mission statement are budget bikes excluded. That is something that has been added over time by one particularly vociferous person who has never ridden, or even seen up-close, the latest offerings available.

By all means set up your Cyclamatic Owners Club, and be assured, you will always get my fullest support against the purist, elitist and perfectionist faction who are attempting to dominate this forum.

Have fun with your Cyclamatic Eddie
All the best
Bob

 

[Xcytronex]

WRONG - his parting comments in last post demonstrate this. I was right initially to take offence I believe. We are a friendly bunch, everyone is supported and cheaper bikes are often recommended and discussed . just because the guy has a chip on his shoulder and is a cheap skate does not give him the right to criticise others

Very friendly.

 

[Mussels]

Good on ya Eddie F!!, It's about time somebody put the "front benchers" in their place!. There's no need to worry about forum rules as these same people get away with blue murder on here with the full support of their top honcho!. Pedelecs UK seems to have an identity crisis, it seems it can't make it's mind up if it's a forum, internet chat room or one mans personal blog.

If you get too much hassle from the London chapter, just stick 'em on your "ignore" list as I have done, my visits to the forum are now a much more enjoyable experience. Please remember, the ignore facility only works if you log in. The next time you log in, put a tick in the "remember me" box, when you have finished your visit don't log off, just close the window. The next time you visit the forum it will log you on automatically and you will be spared the annoyance of having to read the unwanted and unwarranted responses from these people.

Much as I would like to, I cannot join your club because I don't own a Cyclamatic. I do however, own a number of budget machines that have given me several years of very enjoyable E-biking. As has already been stated, there is nothing on budget bikes that cannot be replaced inexpensively, not even batteries.!

Read and understand the original spirit and intention of Pedelecs UK:

Founded in late 2006, Pedelecs UK has quickly become a popular site for electric bike enthusiasts from the UK and around the globe.

Nowhere in that mission statement are budget bikes excluded. That is something that has been added over time by one particularly vociferous person who has never ridden, or even seen up-close, the latest offerings available.

By all means set up your Cyclamatic Owners Club, and be assured, you will always get my fullest support against the purist, elitist and perfectionist faction who are attempting to dominate this forum.

Have fun with your Cyclamatic Eddie
All the best
Bob

I always thought you were one of the main posters on here.
I don't quite understand your inverted snobbery over the price of a bike, you have probably spent more money on ebikes than most other people. You understand them well and can repair them yourself, most people don't and can't so the after sales help can mean the difference between a good experience and a pile of junk in the corner. A budget bike is fine for most people if they don't need to rely on it but good backup is more important for ebikes than anything else I remember buying, which is why I am sceptical of budget retailers selling unknown brands. I have frequently seen cheap bikes recommended on here but only established brands with service centres in the UK.
I don't ever remember anyone deriding you for owning budget bikes, I remember people being very positive about what you have done.

 

[Artstu]

Hi, what's the bike like to pedal without power? Is there any drag?
Jason

I have the folding version which is unrewarding to ride above the assisted level, it is pretty low-geared although I'm not sure gearing it up a bit would make the experience any more pleasureable. But then again I'm comparing it to a fairly light racing bike that I know would be much faster on a windless flat or downhil.

I've found the folder very effective up the hills though and if you ease back a little on the flat and downhill it is quite a pleasant experience.

if the battery ever did go flat it would be very heavy going, hills would more or less impossible

 

[Old Timer]

Hi all if you don’t like this `cheap or as i like to call it BUDGET e bike.
go away.

know there are snobs on the forum who spend over £1200 on an e bike and have many different ones and have built up experience over the years.

I am, like most people who have a Cyclamatic Power Plus, on a tight budget but wont to get into ebikeing. Hopefully this will lead me into more higher spec bikes with spares and service advice.

I have got mine today and it took me around an hour to put together. I have to admit i got mine at a discount but will review as if full price and the higher level of expectations.

Got on and rode, wow not what i expected, the pedal assist was good and i shot along. The power lights went to low under power but the gauge on the battery pack says full. Putting it on charge tonight and will go out for a longer ride tomoz. 12 month warranty on the battery 24v 10ah

I invite all owners to post good and bad in this thread and hopefully get more people on the road on there ebike.

Eddie

Eddie

The S*** hits the fan

I want to be a member. My wifes Cyclamatic Plus chases me around the lanes every time we go out for a spin. I get a move on and look in my mirror and there she is right up my rearend with a big smile on her face. Let me just say that she is a housewife, fairly unfit but has fallen into the e bike lark a treat.
What is good for her is the 17" frame that makes her feel in charge. OK! it`s obviously not the highest spec bike of the pack (I think Eddio is getting it mixed up with the folder(small wheels! what small wheels?)(which BTW is a great bike for the money now that I have upped the chainring size)

I noted when I joined that the was an underlying tone against the cheaper end of the market and it`s still there but what can you do. We know just how good value and fun these budget bikes are and a lot of the components are sourced from the same places anyway (slightly different maybe but still made in the same factory a lot of the time.) Everyone is entitled to there own opinion but what I don`t like is being told I`m a fool and must walk around with my eyes closed when in fact it is the other way around.
The trend to snipe and add a smiley just doesn`t cut anymore.

Not sure how reliable my bikes will be but the more time moves on the better I like my budget bikes and BTW I`m finding links and places where you can pick up just what you need if things should fail.

So! my take is this, some people will spend £2-3k on a bike or any other bit of kit (my latest pro digital camera body cost me £6k) So what! I just love the pictures my other club members produce with £200 point and shoots and I( as a senior member go out of my way to encourage them, not put them down even if I can see the downsides at times).

It is a shame because I`m sure that members could share a hell of a lot more good info but I reckon that 90% of members stop short of discussing their bikes because they think that they might not come up to scratch. Don`t get me wrong, there are some great people on here with a wealth of knowledge, we just need to bring them out of their shell.

I mentioned the word elitist after my first couple of weeks on the forum and was flamed but I am of the same opinion at times. It`s very easy to be sarcastic on a keyboard I`m afraid.

Long live the Cyclamatic

Dave

 

[Old Timer]

I have the folding version which is unrewarding to ride above the assisted level, it is pretty low-geared although I'm not sure gearing it up a bit would make the experience any more pleasureable. But then again I'm comparing it to a fairly light racing bike that I know would be much faster on a windless flat or downhil.

I've found the folder very effective up the hills though and if you ease back a little on the flat and downhill it is quite a pleasant experience.

if the battery ever did go flat it would be very heavy going, hills would more or less impossible

Well! as you might have read on here I sold my folder and hten repurchased one and made a profit

Get the battery conditioned, get the seat height right, change the chainwheel (46T up to 52T at present but will be trying a 55T) set the brakes up properly and away you go. I can pedal mine easily with the power turned off and to be honest(although not quite like riding my MTB E bike) with that chainwheel upgrade the bike becomes so much better.

Certainly the best £320 I`ve spent in a long time (minus £80 = £240)

Is it your first E bike?

 

[Artstu]

Is it your first E bike?

Yes it is my first E bike

 

[eddieo]

Can we nip this in the bud before it deteriorates further. We had this the other week and it benefits no one. And in the end and we all end up making up and agreeing anyway

Bob, I am astonished by your comments, and seeing as I am I think one of the only members living in London do I take it personally? and I cant think of anyone who's postings I would want to "ignore". What a peculiar attitude, but I guess you cant read this anyway!lol

I do not have a fully kitted out work shop, or know a bottom bracket from a dérailleur but I am "getting it" slowly. I am not retired, so don't have the time or the inclination for tweaking repairing etc.... it gives me no joy at all. All I ever wanted was a reliable e bike for motorhome holidays, I now use it nearly everyday and it is my main transport. it don't matter what you spend as long as it works IMO. But I must say I don't see £1000 - £1500 is a lot of money in this day and age for a decent bike Inverted snobbery me thinks at play!

 

[Straylight]

Many of us, even with the more expensive bikes, have made preference changes to the standard kit that our bikes came with. As cycling is such an individual experience, much more so than say driving, because it is intrinsically bound to our own physical form, I say if the bike you own works for you then great, and it truly doesn't matter what make it is.

Any perceived snobbery you may encounter here I think is something of a complex issue, the motivation ranging from a need to justify the expense of a posh bike to oneself, to a genuine altruistic desire not to see a fellow human being waste their money on a cheaper option with all the inherent pitfalls that might entail. The truth being that value is again such a subjective thing, that no-one else can judge a good deal but yourself, and all that matters is that you're happy.

I'm very interested to hear of your experiences with these machines, and I hope they're good ones, as a lower price point can only lead to a greater uptake of our chosen form of transport - good luck .

 

[flecc]

Good on ya Eddie F!!, It's about time somebody put the "front benchers" in their place!. There's no need to worry about forum rules as these same people get away with blue murder on here with the full support of their top honcho!. Pedelecs UK seems to have an identity crisis, it seems it can't make it's mind up if it's a forum, internet chat room or one mans personal blog.

Bob

Second time you've posted this rubbish Bob, I think you have a chip on your shoulder.

There are no "front benchers" in here, we're all equals without authority and it's a forum pure and simple. Those of us who either like or dislike cheap bikes post our views without any censorship, but it seems you want to censor those who don't like them.
.

 

[flecc]

I noted when I joined that the was an underlying tone against the cheaper end of the market and it`s still there but what can you do.

Long live the Cyclamatic

Dave

There is some bias against cheap e-bikes Dave, but it has been born of long experience. There's been a long succession of them throughout the past decade, time after time they appear and rapidly disappear, leaving no spares and battery availability. The ability to scrap them due to their low cost is a curse, not a benefit.

What doesn't seem to be realised is the harm that does to e-biking. Literally tens of thousands have tried a cheap e-bike, scrapped it after a year or so due to failure of some sort and given up the notion of e-biking altogether. That does our movement no good.

It's absolutely true that some expensive bikes have reliability records no better than some cheap e-bikes due to early failures, but the crucial difference is that when someone's paid well over £1000, they don't just scrap the bike, they get it fixed. And because they paid that much, the spares and service support to do that are usually available, so they end up with something reliable and e-biking is done no harm.

I am not against all cheap e-bikes by any means, the Synergie bikes and especially the Mistral are very cheap, but I've often recommended them to those who can't afford more. That's because they've shown themselves to be serious about the business, have stayed the course and give some backup service.

So "long live Cyclamatic" indeed, a sentiment I applaud, and if they stay the course and for once a sports shop doesn't show itself to be just out for a quick buck from e-bikes, I for one will be delighted.

Until that happens, I see nothing wrong with warning prospective purchasers of the potential difficulties and strongly object to the sort of responses to that from EddieF and Blew it, who it seems prefer to censor by abuse or exclusion.
.