I am now fifty one years of age. From the age of seventeen I have ridden motorbikes my last one being a BMW k100 police bike. I swapped it at the age of forty six for a car and since then it has been a little Nissan Micra. I must say that initially I didn’t miss biking at all and revelled in the warmth , safety and comfort of the car. However the cost of petrol £45 a week, made me decide to buy an e-bike since I was too lazy to contemplate full cycling. (When I was a kid we lived up the side of a mountain so this maybe is understandable)!
I wanted a bike that rode like a normal bike but had lots of torque for hills. After some research I brought a Carrera Vengeance Ltd edition Mountain Bike and fitted an Elfei 500 Watt Bafang BPM kit. The main problem was actually waiting for the kit to arrive. There was an increased demand this summer and I had to wait 8 weeks.
The bike has fulfilled its 3 design criteria.
1. It must look like a normal bike.
2. It must ride without power like a normal l bike.
3. It must have lots of torque.
The control box at the front can be set via dip switches to prevent high mode. So the maximum powered speed is limited to 16 mph.
I fitted a Speedict watt meter to the bike with the intention of buying the governor board when it comes out so that the bike is strictly within the law but it is showing an average of around 250 watts so I probably won’t bother with this.
I was so pleased with this bike that I brought the wife an 8fun 20” folding bike since I really liked the motor on mine. Of course I had to thoroughly test it before giving it to her for safety reasons!
I am equally impressed with this bike! I had to adjust the brakes and gears but this is normal for a bike out of a box and they were not far off so I suspect the guys from 8fun had already adjusted them.
Firstly I can now see the allure of Brompton style bikes. What a relaxing ride, and how comfortable! At first I was puzzled as to how the bike was so comfortable and then realised it was very good design. The bike has a proper sprung saddle and this was soaking up the bumps at the rear. Secondly it had steel front forks and this was providing some spring at the front. It is if anything more smooth than my Mountain bike and that has suspension forks and a suspension seat post! This bike is great for a relaxing Sunday ride, and when set to full power provides a nice kick to zoom you from A to B. It looks great as well and the motor has enough grunt to take you up steep hills.
It will be interesting to see how well these bikes last but I see no reason to suppose problems. The wield quality on the 8fun is particularly good considering its cost. The 8fun was £570 and the E-Vengeance was about £1200 in total.
I remember when I was sixteen cycling to work and on the return journey the last two miles: which terminated in “kill bullock”a 1:3 hill! Nearly killing me and this was when fit. I love the way that the carrera powers up hills and gives such a gentle work out! The 8fun is equally impressive as a little town run about.
I see that geared hub motors sometimes give a lot of drag but I can report that neither of these do. The BPM is version 2.
I rode into work this morning and I am sure I would have gone back to the car if it wasn't electric!
I wanted a bike that rode like a normal bike but had lots of torque for hills. After some research I brought a Carrera Vengeance Ltd edition Mountain Bike and fitted an Elfei 500 Watt Bafang BPM kit. The main problem was actually waiting for the kit to arrive. There was an increased demand this summer and I had to wait 8 weeks.
The bike has fulfilled its 3 design criteria.
1. It must look like a normal bike.
2. It must ride without power like a normal l bike.
3. It must have lots of torque.
The control box at the front can be set via dip switches to prevent high mode. So the maximum powered speed is limited to 16 mph.
I fitted a Speedict watt meter to the bike with the intention of buying the governor board when it comes out so that the bike is strictly within the law but it is showing an average of around 250 watts so I probably won’t bother with this.
I was so pleased with this bike that I brought the wife an 8fun 20” folding bike since I really liked the motor on mine. Of course I had to thoroughly test it before giving it to her for safety reasons!
I am equally impressed with this bike! I had to adjust the brakes and gears but this is normal for a bike out of a box and they were not far off so I suspect the guys from 8fun had already adjusted them.
Firstly I can now see the allure of Brompton style bikes. What a relaxing ride, and how comfortable! At first I was puzzled as to how the bike was so comfortable and then realised it was very good design. The bike has a proper sprung saddle and this was soaking up the bumps at the rear. Secondly it had steel front forks and this was providing some spring at the front. It is if anything more smooth than my Mountain bike and that has suspension forks and a suspension seat post! This bike is great for a relaxing Sunday ride, and when set to full power provides a nice kick to zoom you from A to B. It looks great as well and the motor has enough grunt to take you up steep hills.
It will be interesting to see how well these bikes last but I see no reason to suppose problems. The wield quality on the 8fun is particularly good considering its cost. The 8fun was £570 and the E-Vengeance was about £1200 in total.
I remember when I was sixteen cycling to work and on the return journey the last two miles: which terminated in “kill bullock”a 1:3 hill! Nearly killing me and this was when fit. I love the way that the carrera powers up hills and gives such a gentle work out! The 8fun is equally impressive as a little town run about.
I see that geared hub motors sometimes give a lot of drag but I can report that neither of these do. The BPM is version 2.
I rode into work this morning and I am sure I would have gone back to the car if it wasn't electric!
