Freego advice please

[denwyn]

I have persuaded my partner to buy a electric bike, and we tried her out on a wisper 705 classic bike today, yes she liked it but not the price. I have seen a pair of almost new electric bikes for sale locally, a Freego Eagle 16 amp batter and Freego Regency 16 amp battery for £1600,, while she tried the Wisper out i had a go on a Battribike Granite, i found it a very nice bike, she tried out the Batribike diamond but wasnt as happy with it. Dont know much about Freego bikes, would you say they were a good bike, the Eagle looks a reasonable spec to me but i have to get it right this time after making a huge mistake with Kudos last year. I wont buy online anymore so choice is not as good to try before buying. Could i by better for the money, the Batribike was £1000, so at £1600 for the two Freego bikes, it looks a good buy. Any advice on the bikes appreciated, or owners views.

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 4366]

There's no proper answer to you question. There's loads of bikes to choose from, Some are better in some respects, but only you can judge. I'd ride any bike and be happy with it, but you're clearly more discerning. If you try a bike and like it, buy it. Your happiness is worth more than the money.

 

[trex]

denwyn, which bikes have you tried and liked so far? If you can tell us what you like in each model that you have tried, we'll be better positioned to find a bike that has most of the attributes you like (and none of the ones you disliked, including the Kudos you bought last year) and comment also on your current short list.

 

[denwyn]

Tried following

Gepida Berig 1000.....loved the motor and electrics, superb build quality first crank bike I have ever really tried, didnt like riding position, to sporty for me, and way to expensive

2014 Batribike Granite.....liked the bike as a whole, notkeen on battery on rear rack, good price as well £1025, not sure on build quality and components, the build and components are my main concern

Owned Juicy sport till it was stolen, nice to ride, very poor build and components stop me buying another
Tried Raleigh Dover, comfortable, but thsts about it, 3 speed gears not very inspiring.

Had quickride on a Giant e bike, cant remember model, battery hung vertical on rear rack, e motor on front wheel....awful bike, to much like the mistake I made with the Kudos City.

Did have a Wisper 905 classic in mind, but put off after a word with local e bike mechanics comments on component reliability.

Going to Access Electric Bikes in Honiton tomorrow to look atwhat they sell, I own a Marin San Raphel hybrid which is quite comfortable, but my old legs dont take kindly to doing all the work, was going to convert it to e bike, but not competant in my ability to do this and want to buy ready built now. Have a max of about £1500 budget for mine, thats why the Freego Eagle and Regency at £1600 for the two was tempting.

 

[newboater]

can not wait for a reply from the above retailers

 

[trex]

Based on the information given, the two Freegos you've been looking at are probably the best choice for you out of all you've seen. Comfortable riding position, big battery capacity, your preferred battery location behind the seat post, excellent value for money as a near new pair. I don't think you can spend less on two bikes of similar specs for £1600 and with dealer service.

 

[denwyn]

The two Freego bikes are a private sale, there ony 3 months old, i will see if i can try one out somewhere before i travel to see the bikes for sale. There wont be any dealer warranty though, but buying the two new would be about £2550, so £1600 seems a fairly good deal to me, thats as long as we like them

 

[denwyn]

can not wait for a reply from the above retailers

What ??

 

[trex]

The two Freego bikes are a private sale, there ony 3 months old, i will see if i can try one out somewhere before i travel to see the bikes for sale. There wont be any dealer warranty though, but buying the two new would be about £2550, so £1600 seems a fairly good deal to me, thats as long as we like them

I wouldn't spend £1600 on these 2 if they are 3 months old without guarantee.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Denwyn,i won't go back to your old postings about your Kudos City except to say that you found the bike too big for you and you were nervous riding it,was that the case?
In your post I see a common theme that you found the Wisper,Batribike,Juicy as to having poor components and build quality but you seem to now be looking at Freego....all these bikes pretty much use components from the Chinese parts bin and are assembled in China,similar to that used on your Kudos City bike.
Kudos have started to select higher spec parts such as Tektro hydraulic brakes,BPM motors and Shimano Alivio gear sets,obviously these are retailed at a slightly higher price,average about £1300.00.
With no ulterior motive I just can't see how you are going to be satisfied with any bike unless you move your budget up considerably,there is no question that you will find superior build quality and higher spec components if you spend £2k on a bike,such as the KTM or Kalkhoff.
At £1k I contend that you can find value for money and most people are very pleased with the build or components at this price,however you are not going to find a £2k bike for £1k price.
KudosDave

 

[denwyn]

Denwyn,i won't go back to your old postings about your Kudos City except to say that you found the bike too big for you and you were nervous riding it,was that the case?
In your post I see a common theme that you found the Wisper,Batribike,Juicy as to having poor components and build quality but you seem to now be looking at Freego....all these bikes pretty much use components from the Chinese parts bin and are assembled in China,similar to that used on your Kudos City bike.
Kudos have started to select higher spec parts such as Tektro hydraulic brakes,BPM motors and Shimano Alivio gear sets,obviously these are retailed at a slightly higher price,average about £1300.00.
With no ulterior motive I just can't see how you are going to be satisfied with any bike unless you move your budget up considerably,there is no question that you will find superior build quality and higher spec components if you spend £2k on a bike,such as the KTM or Kalkhoff.
At £1k I contend that you can find value for money and most people are very pleased with the build or components at this price,however you are not going to find a £2k bike for £1k price.
KudosDave

I can see what you mean, and I could see the Gepida I tried out was a much better build quality to the Battribike, and at £1800 I would expect it to be. I keep hearing Chinese components are improving fast though, the one I tried seemed quite good and was good to ride, but not as good as the Gepida, although it was more comfortable than the Gepida. I have a max budget of £1500 for my bike, this time i'm trying as many as I can, and not buying online unless I have actually tried the bike first, lesson learned in past with that ; ).

 

[trex]

If you want VFM, the internet gives you the edge.
it's more a question of the suppliers attitude in the situation that you find the bike you bought without trying first not suitable. If the suppliers are prepared to take it back then what do you have to lose?

 

[JuicyBike]

Gosh, Denwyn - quite a statement you make about Juicy!

Just to put the record straight, Juicys are now made using Taiwanese and Japanese components in a factory used by 11 other European manufacturers, one of whom is mentioned in your list of alternatives! Our factory enjoys european working hours, is air conditioned (during my last visit the temperature midday was 41 degrees) and a brand new assembly building has just been completed.

House prices in the city where we are located are soaring, even compared to Shanghai (an awful place), because, locals say, residents can enjoy a relaxed and comfortable culture - there are many beautiful parks and well maintained public spaces, good markets and shopping areas, and being close to mountains, much cleaner air than other more densely-populated cities. On a recent visit I enjoyed an evening in a newly constructed peoples' opera house where all seats cost less than 50p - a demonstration of how the local government prioritise local culture and welfare. Local schools are highly regarded, hospitals are excellent and the university is thriving.

I do have first-hand experience of other, more typical Chinese factories, having spent many months visiting some quite awful places, but a few gems too.

Quality of product starts with the local environment and living conditions for employees, in my opinion, then factory organisation, product design and componentry. Regional culture and attitudes vary enormously in a country the size of China, with differences akin to those between Germany and Greece across Europe, for example.

Not least to consider are the resources available to any factory and sound finances provide good procurement, not limited to cheap and cheerful local back-street domestic suppliers.

I'm confident in the quality of product currently leaving our factory and in our ability to provide good service and back-up in the UK with a great team in place here, especially amongst our dealer network.

I'm possibly in danger of ranting here, so I'll get to my point: over the 6 years of Juicy Bikes we've progressed from an average "Chinese bike" to a much better product, getting the best we can from a very reliable and carefully selected group of good suppliers.

I hope you can understand that I have a passion for our bikes and a pride in our commitment to a decent product at a reasonable price.

 

[trex]

I think denwyn would like a bike that is as well made as his Marin DS2. It's not difficult: the shocks need to have hydraulic lockout, the brakes need to be simple, light and long wear, crankset needs to be smart looking, frame needs to be stylish, tyres need to be puncture resistant, grips need to be stylish and comfortable, gears need to be at least Acera with rapid fire shifter, bottle battery, rear hub drive or crank drive (he likes the Gepida).
Which bike fits his budget of £1600 for two?
I'd say the Woosh Sport CD comes closer than most.

 

[denwyn]

Sorry Juicy bikes, the bike I had stolen was a old model,. It was good to ride, but had lot of problems with gears, brake leavers, and spokes, although had I still had it in my possesion I would probably still be using it. I definatley wont be buying anything off the net without trying out first, to much hassle even if they will take the bike back. We tried a Batribike Granite and Freego Hawk this morning, she loved the Granite and wanted to buy it, I wasnt to impressed with the Hawk, which has put me off looking at the used Eagle. I am more inclined to the crank drive after using the Gepida so may have to up my budget a few hundred, and see if we can do a deal on the Gepida and a Granite .

 

[JuicyBike]

No Problem Denwyn - we still have spares and everything needed to look after even our oldest bikes. But our latest bikes are much, much better I can assure you!
Both Batribike and Freego are members of BEBA, and are both very sound companies with a wide dealer network so you should have no problem with finding demo rides (a must, if you want to avoid problems like you had before).
Good luck with finding your perfect deal!

 

[Kudoscycles]

Gosh, Denwyn - quite a statement you make about Juicy!

Just to put the record straight, Juicys are now made using Taiwanese and Japanese components in a factory used by 11 other European manufacturers, one of whom is mentioned in your list of alternatives! Our factory enjoys european working hours, is air conditioned (during my last visit the temperature midday was 41 degrees) and a brand new assembly building has just been completed.

House prices in the city where we are located are soaring, even compared to Shanghai (an awful place), because, locals say, residents can enjoy a relaxed and comfortable culture - there are many beautiful parks and well maintained public spaces, good markets and shopping areas, and being close to mountains, much cleaner air than other more densely-populated cities. On a recent visit I enjoyed an evening in a newly constructed peoples' opera house where all seats cost less than 50p - a demonstration of how the local government prioritise local culture and welfare. Local schools are highly regarded, hospitals are excellent and the university is thriving.

I do have first-hand experience of other, more typical Chinese factories, having spent many months visiting some quite awful places, but a few gems too.

Quality of product starts with the local environment and living conditions for employees, in my opinion, then factory organisation, product design and componentry. Regional culture and attitudes vary enormously in a country the size of China, with differences akin to those between Germany and Greece across Europe, for example.

Not least to consider are the resources available to any factory and sound finances provide good procurement, not limited to cheap and cheerful local back-street domestic suppliers.

I'm confident in the quality of product currently leaving our factory and in our ability to provide good service and back-up in the UK with a great team in place here, especially amongst our dealer network.

I'm possibly in danger of ranting here, so I'll get to my point: over the 6 years of Juicy Bikes we've progressed from an average "Chinese bike" to a much better product, getting the best we can from a very reliable and carefully selected group of good suppliers.

I hope you can understand that I have a passion for our bikes and a pride in our commitment to a decent product at a reasonable price.

Bob...Hangzhou at a guess....the west lake area is beautiful but often crowded with tourists,I have many suppliers in that city,it is my favourite in China.The city is expanding rapidly into what they call the new town area but the expansion is well planned.
KudosDave
KudosDave

 

[Kudoscycles]

I can see what you mean, and I could see the Gepida I tried out was a much better build quality to the Battribike, and at £1800 I would expect it to be. I keep hearing Chinese components are improving fast though, the one I tried seemed quite good and was good to ride, but not as good as the Gepida, although it was more comfortable than the Gepida. I have a max budget of £1500 for my bike, this time i'm trying as many as I can, and not buying online unless I have actually tried the bike first, lesson learned in past with that ; ).

There are improvements in chinese quality but as Bob has suggested it is quite localised. You can buy some real cheap product from Anhui or Yuwi,these are still economically depressed areas in the mid west of China.
But around the Suzhou-Changzhou-Changshu-Hangzhou-Nanjing area are some of the most advanced and well capitalised factories in the world. I buy some product from a company in Hangzhou that pretty much supplies every bearing in the world,there is no major motor manufacturer who is not a customer,their revenue is $52 billion.
I buy alloy wheels from a supplier in that area which is OEM to Toyota and Lexus,they have over £60 million of Italian NC fully auto machining cabinets,machining a wheel every 10 mins from each cabinet.
I buy generators from a company in that area who individually build every engine to race car standards and the technician signs his name on every engine.
I buy trolley jacks from the biggest jack supplier in the world,their factory is a mile long,they supply 70% of the US and Europe trolley jack market and have just celebrated the building of 100 million trolley jacks.
Most of us know that Foxcom are located in Suzhou,they build most of the Apple product.
What has happened with chinese electric bikes is that the component suppliers have become more quality orientated but I also think that us importers have become better at selecting good components and customers have also been prepared to pay a little more to get a quality product-note how some of the very cheap internet based suppliers have dissapeared or are now hardly mentioned.
Kudos has pretty much focused on one chinese electric bike supplier,they are one of the biggest bicycle manufacturers in China,making their own wheels,frames,seats,forks all in house-they supply many of the big European bike assemblers with parts,especially frames. At my last visit they had set up a Carbon frame factory,but whilst the light weight of Carbon is impressive I dont think it is suitable for electric bikes-the 1kg saving (at most) over a light ally frame is proportionally negligible over 20 kg bike weight and attaching heavy parts (battery!) to Carbon is always difficult.
We are very impressed with the style and quality of bikes from this supplier,my only problem is their minimum order quantities,which can be hundreds,it is hard to balance that with our small UK market.
Hope that is of interest
KudosDave


Hope this is of interest
KudosDave

 

[denwyn]

My partner is now settled on a Batribike , another test ride for her on a Granite and Diamond, and shes put a holding deposit on the Diamond. The Gepida is out now as i honestly cant justify almost £2000, especially as she has seen the price, no getting away with a small white lie. I am fairly keen on the Granite, not keen on the colours, blue and white or an awful orange and white, a Granite in silver has been mentioned but from what i see its a bigger bike and that puts me off from previous problems with wrong bike choice. I have seen a Oxygen E Mate City advertised ,which looks interesting, but no local stockist, unless i take a trip to Bristol, cant see much about the bike, except it went down well at Bristol e Bike show the other week. I have thought about the used Freego, but think it best to buy new, with warranty and back up etc.

 

[JuicyBike]

My partner is now settled on a Batribike , another test ride for her on a Granite and Diamond, and shes put a holding deposit on the Diamond. The Gepida is out now as i honestly cant justify almost £2000, especially as she has seen the price, no getting away with a small white lie. I am fairly keen on the Granite, not keen on the colours, blue and white or an awful orange and white, a Granite in silver has been mentioned but from what i see its a bigger bike and that puts me off from previous problems with wrong bike choice. I have seen a Oxygen E Mate City advertised ,which looks interesting, but no local stockist, unless i take a trip to Bristol, cant see much about the bike, except it went down well at Bristol e Bike show the other week. I have thought about the used Freego, but think it best to buy new, with warranty and back up etc.

Oxygen too, are a good make Denwyn, members of BEBA. Take a trip to Bristol, Atmosphere and you should find a great bike. Good luck to you!