cyclotricity stealth
- Thread starter stevieb
- Start date
You might get replies if you outlined your proposed use, how far you want to go, and how fit you are.
Oh, and post a link to the bike.
Never mind about the last bit, I'll do that for you.
http://cyclotricity.com/stealth-1000w/
Oh, and post a link to the bike.
Never mind about the last bit, I'll do that for you.
http://cyclotricity.com/stealth-1000w/
thank you for advice and the link rob
ok , so i have been using a kit for commuting for over a year and i really like it, however the bike that i have fitted it to is fairly basic and has no suspension.
for road use this is ok but i like to go on cycle tracks that are not as smooth as a road but nothing too demanding, so suspension would be nice.
as far as fitness goes i commute for 1 hour each way approximatley 3 times a week over mostly level ground but with the odd steep hill .
this journey i have done for years on non electric bikes prior to getting my kit.
i have a mountain bike that i use on reasonably technical trails and would be interested in using an electric version off road.
i don,t want to do anything to too technical on an electric bike but assistance climbing would be nice from time to time on days where i may not feel up to my regular mountain bike.
i read on this site the interesting tales of off road use .
when i first bought my kit it was really an experiment to see if it was really for me and if it was i thought maybe some day i would buy a complete bike.
i have tried a few complete bikes and they were good but not a great deal better than my own [appart from the suspension] so could not really justify the outlay.
this one from cyclotricity seems to be so much better in every way and at a price i can justify.
i have since found that the same bike is available with the facility to utilise 500watts and i am now wondering if this is a more realistic choice as far as weight and mileage are concerned.
any info on this would be great or indeed any other suggestions .
thanks
ok , so i have been using a kit for commuting for over a year and i really like it, however the bike that i have fitted it to is fairly basic and has no suspension.
for road use this is ok but i like to go on cycle tracks that are not as smooth as a road but nothing too demanding, so suspension would be nice.
as far as fitness goes i commute for 1 hour each way approximatley 3 times a week over mostly level ground but with the odd steep hill .
this journey i have done for years on non electric bikes prior to getting my kit.
i have a mountain bike that i use on reasonably technical trails and would be interested in using an electric version off road.
i don,t want to do anything to too technical on an electric bike but assistance climbing would be nice from time to time on days where i may not feel up to my regular mountain bike.
i read on this site the interesting tales of off road use .
when i first bought my kit it was really an experiment to see if it was really for me and if it was i thought maybe some day i would buy a complete bike.
i have tried a few complete bikes and they were good but not a great deal better than my own [appart from the suspension] so could not really justify the outlay.
this one from cyclotricity seems to be so much better in every way and at a price i can justify.
i have since found that the same bike is available with the facility to utilise 500watts and i am now wondering if this is a more realistic choice as far as weight and mileage are concerned.
any info on this would be great or indeed any other suggestions .
thanks
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
If you have high power, you can always turn it down, but if you have a low power motor, you can't turn it up.
Hi Stevie
I am fairly new to e bikes myself, but I understood the 250w was the maximum you could use legally on the road without a licence, helmet tax, insurance etc. This would definitely be for just off road use I guess - I understand that they are great value, but not exceptional bikes - I tried a 250w one at the recent London Bike Show and wasn't blown away by it...I think if it was me looking for an off roader I would save up for a Bosch system, also have a look at Velocious, a brand new brand from Tottenham - I've just bought one...
Good luck!
Si
I am fairly new to e bikes myself, but I understood the 250w was the maximum you could use legally on the road without a licence, helmet tax, insurance etc. This would definitely be for just off road use I guess - I understand that they are great value, but not exceptional bikes - I tried a 250w one at the recent London Bike Show and wasn't blown away by it...I think if it was me looking for an off roader I would save up for a Bosch system, also have a look at Velocious, a brand new brand from Tottenham - I've just bought one...
Good luck!
Si
Is the 1000 watt Clycrotricity Stealth set to 250 watts actually legal on the road ? I cannot see how this is correct. Anyone know the definitive answer to this ? The maker has an excellent reputation but the site does not make clear how these are legal. Would it not be required to be tested in court?
The bike is what it at the time the question is asked.
If it is set to 250W/15mph, then it is a legal bike, assuming there is no other evidence to the contrary, such as the rider overtaking a car at 30mph without pedalling.
It would be up to a prosecuting authority to prove the bike was being illegally, for which they need evidence.
The fact that it can be switched to higher power is not evidence.
Your car can probably do 100mph, but that is not evidence you were doing that speed.
If it is set to 250W/15mph, then it is a legal bike, assuming there is no other evidence to the contrary, such as the rider overtaking a car at 30mph without pedalling.
It would be up to a prosecuting authority to prove the bike was being illegally, for which they need evidence.
The fact that it can be switched to higher power is not evidence.
Your car can probably do 100mph, but that is not evidence you were doing that speed.
flecc your turn or mine?
OK I'll do it...
"European Union directive 2002/24/EC exempts vehicles with the following definition from type approval: "Cycles with pedal assistance which are equipped with an auxiliary electric motor having a maximum continuous rated power of 0.25 kW, of which the output is progressively reduced and finally cut off as the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) or if the cyclist stops pedaling.” This is the de facto definition of an electrically assisted pedal cycle in the EU. As with all EU directives, individual member countries of the EU are left to implement the requirements in national legislation."
Now if you can switch up to 1000W whenever you want that is not 250W maximum continuous...
Tony
OK I'll do it...
"European Union directive 2002/24/EC exempts vehicles with the following definition from type approval: "Cycles with pedal assistance which are equipped with an auxiliary electric motor having a maximum continuous rated power of 0.25 kW, of which the output is progressively reduced and finally cut off as the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h (16 mph) or if the cyclist stops pedaling.” This is the de facto definition of an electrically assisted pedal cycle in the EU. As with all EU directives, individual member countries of the EU are left to implement the requirements in national legislation."
Now if you can switch up to 1000W whenever you want that is not 250W maximum continuous...
Tony
thanks for the replies on this
another option for myself may be the ansmann which are advertised as 250 watt but with higher torque.
looking at the hub motor it does appear larger than normal.
does this mean that it has significantly higher hill climbing ability?
another option for myself may be the ansmann which are advertised as 250 watt but with higher torque.
looking at the hub motor it does appear larger than normal.
does this mean that it has significantly higher hill climbing ability?
my search continues for my new bike.
the above cyclotriity is still on my list along with another couple of brands.
the problem with the cyclotricity is that although there are a few dealers advertising that they stock this brand when i phone to ask which models they have in stock they don,t have any .
they say that they only get them in when someone orders one.
for me thats no use because i want to see the bike before ordering one.
it,s too much of a gamble which is a shame.
so does anyone own any model of this brand and can give a quick review on how they have found it to be? real life pictures would also be good
thanks
the above cyclotriity is still on my list along with another couple of brands.
the problem with the cyclotricity is that although there are a few dealers advertising that they stock this brand when i phone to ask which models they have in stock they don,t have any .
they say that they only get them in when someone orders one.
for me thats no use because i want to see the bike before ordering one.
it,s too much of a gamble which is a shame.
so does anyone own any model of this brand and can give a quick review on how they have found it to be? real life pictures would also be good
thanks
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
fair point dave.
my own stupidity for not doing the search before posting.
so the general opinion of the cyclotricity is that the service/ aftersales appears good.
on the downside some of the cycle components appear to be problematic but are rectified by the company when they occur.
i think that the reason the bikes are the price they are is a reflection of this.
so it would appear that to get the best from this brand you would be advised to upgrade the cycle parts when they wear out or fail if that is possible.
so as a starting point they seem good value but in the long run to bring them up to reasonable spec it may be cheaper opting for a different brand or just buying one of their conversion kits and fitting to a half decent bike
my own stupidity for not doing the search before posting.
so the general opinion of the cyclotricity is that the service/ aftersales appears good.
on the downside some of the cycle components appear to be problematic but are rectified by the company when they occur.
i think that the reason the bikes are the price they are is a reflection of this.
so it would appear that to get the best from this brand you would be advised to upgrade the cycle parts when they wear out or fail if that is possible.
so as a starting point they seem good value but in the long run to bring them up to reasonable spec it may be cheaper opting for a different brand or just buying one of their conversion kits and fitting to a half decent bike
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
That seems a pretty fair assessment. It's not uncommon to get minor problems on any bike though. Whatever, there's nothing to worry about.
I bought a stealth 1000w last year. I would love to build my own ebike but just haven't got the time to. I previously used a Revolver from Cyclotricity which I was really happy with - it's now used by my wife!.
You will need to sign a disclaimer to get a derestrict code from Cyclotricity to allow the 1000w mode to be used. It is not a simple single button press to switch between 'legal' and 'non-legal' modes and involves turning the system off and on again and going through a rigmarole of button pressing. You certainly wouldn't be able to do it quickly if you were involved in an accident or stopped by the police!
I found that not only was the original gearing (44/14) way too low for 1000w ebike speeds but that the chain was also so out of alignment in the highest gear that it was catching on the next highest sprocket and jumping all the time. After trying a few things Cyclotricity offered to pay for a freewheel remover so I could remove the spacer between the freewheel and the motorized hub to slightly better align the chain. This caused the rear derailleur to contact the hub when trying to select the uppermost sprocket. I have since purchased a DNP freewheel and just avoid using the lowest sprocket. I think the bike is designed to have a standard triple chainring type chainset and these problems have been caused by cost cutting - they have used a single chainring option meaning the chain will never be properly aligned in all gears - you would never use the smallest chainring and the smallest sprocket on a 21 speed bike for example. I plan to get a triple chainring at some point which should not only allow me to align the chain properly for higher speed ratios but also give me the option of much lower gearing should the battery ever run out. Trust me the direct drive motors are far heavier than the freewheel types and you wouldn't want to ride the bike without assistance - it actually has a slight resistance to rotation when unpowered as well.
On the plus side it is very fast if you want it to be - 30+ mph and gets there quick too
I have a 17 mile commute to work and only really use assistance level 2 (of 5) (which on the flat gives about 23-24 mph) plus a bit of throttle for the hills. I'm lucky that my commute is all along private land and I have the owner's permission - although if I were to go much faster I'm not sure if the battery would last the whole way - at 20+ mph a couple of extra mph can have a serious effect on range. I would imagine that the 500w Revolver version would be more than adequate for me but having the extra power available is nice.
To sum up it's a quality ebike kit married to a fairly budget bike I would expect for about £150 from Halfords. Taking everything into consideration (assembly, liability insurance and other overheads etc.) for the cost of it RRP I would say it's fair value for money. I got mine on the ride to work scheme so consider it great value for money - I priced up the bits they use (all available at BMS battery as far as I'm aware) but couldn't build it myself for the price it cost me so it was a bit of a no-brainer.
Also it's right what other people have said that they're a great company when it comes to customer support. If you're after a fast budget ebike with a good warranty without having to build it yourself then it's money well spent. If you want a good base bike you'd do well with a kit from them too and sourcing your own bike. Check out ebay because I think they're £50 cheaper or so on there.
You will need to sign a disclaimer to get a derestrict code from Cyclotricity to allow the 1000w mode to be used. It is not a simple single button press to switch between 'legal' and 'non-legal' modes and involves turning the system off and on again and going through a rigmarole of button pressing. You certainly wouldn't be able to do it quickly if you were involved in an accident or stopped by the police!
I found that not only was the original gearing (44/14) way too low for 1000w ebike speeds but that the chain was also so out of alignment in the highest gear that it was catching on the next highest sprocket and jumping all the time. After trying a few things Cyclotricity offered to pay for a freewheel remover so I could remove the spacer between the freewheel and the motorized hub to slightly better align the chain. This caused the rear derailleur to contact the hub when trying to select the uppermost sprocket. I have since purchased a DNP freewheel and just avoid using the lowest sprocket. I think the bike is designed to have a standard triple chainring type chainset and these problems have been caused by cost cutting - they have used a single chainring option meaning the chain will never be properly aligned in all gears - you would never use the smallest chainring and the smallest sprocket on a 21 speed bike for example. I plan to get a triple chainring at some point which should not only allow me to align the chain properly for higher speed ratios but also give me the option of much lower gearing should the battery ever run out. Trust me the direct drive motors are far heavier than the freewheel types and you wouldn't want to ride the bike without assistance - it actually has a slight resistance to rotation when unpowered as well.
On the plus side it is very fast if you want it to be - 30+ mph and gets there quick too
I have a 17 mile commute to work and only really use assistance level 2 (of 5) (which on the flat gives about 23-24 mph) plus a bit of throttle for the hills. I'm lucky that my commute is all along private land and I have the owner's permission - although if I were to go much faster I'm not sure if the battery would last the whole way - at 20+ mph a couple of extra mph can have a serious effect on range. I would imagine that the 500w Revolver version would be more than adequate for me but having the extra power available is nice.
To sum up it's a quality ebike kit married to a fairly budget bike I would expect for about £150 from Halfords. Taking everything into consideration (assembly, liability insurance and other overheads etc.) for the cost of it RRP I would say it's fair value for money. I got mine on the ride to work scheme so consider it great value for money - I priced up the bits they use (all available at BMS battery as far as I'm aware) but couldn't build it myself for the price it cost me so it was a bit of a no-brainer.
Also it's right what other people have said that they're a great company when it comes to customer support. If you're after a fast budget ebike with a good warranty without having to build it yourself then it's money well spent. If you want a good base bike you'd do well with a kit from them too and sourcing your own bike. Check out ebay because I think they're £50 cheaper or so on there.
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