Has any other member got a Kalkhoff Sahel i360 Harmony ?

[Mike63]

Hi.....I bought my bike from Loughborough, last August, 6 months ago,
At the time, in the forum, another member said that I would find the Kalkhoff harder going than my previous bike, a Woosh Sirocco 2. I thought at the time that this was not a bad thing as I found the Woosh too easy.

After 6 months and 2000 miles I feel that the help I get from this bike appears to be non existent, It is even hard going on the flat and shows very little difference in any of the 3 modes.
The slightest uphill gradient is extremely hard going and steep hills, forget it and walk up...and that's not easy.

I'm a long way from any 50 cycles branch and I don't want to make a 200 mile round trip to be told that this is normal, bearing in mind my 90 kilo weight so I'm hoping to get some advice in the forum.

.....many thanks for all comments...except lose weight ...that's even harder than pedalling.
....cheers....Mike

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Something is clearly wrong with it. Is it changing gear properly so that you can always pedal at a comfortable cadence?

 

[Mike63]

Cheers d8veh...I don't know whether it's changing gears or not, it's got supposedly automatic gears, which was a mistake on my part.
I couldn't get used to them so from day one I've been riding it in manual mode.
.....Mike

 

[flecc]

It clearly sounds faulty, the Impulse unit it has is one of the more powerful crank motors. 50cycles can reset the power of the unit if the software setting is out. It could be worth ringing them on the offchance they may be able to send the necessary gear on loan with instructions. Alternatively maybe one of their personnel when near your area could try yours to see how it runs?
.

 

[Mike63]

the Impulse unit it has is one of the more powerful crank motors

Cheers flecc...no way could my bike be described as powerful.

Is what you describe the sort of thing that could be done while I wait if I took it back to Loughborough ?...that's presupposing they're willing of course.
....Mike

 

[flecc]

Yes, and they are willing to do it for you. Best to make an appointment first though, to ensure the right people are around. I don't know where you are, but ask about the possibility of someone checking out your bike first. Their staff and the two directors Scott and Tim get around quite a bit so there may be a possibility.
.

 

[Mike63]

cheers flecc.....I'll ring them on Monday...fingers crossed
....Mike

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you bought your bike 6 months ago, surely it's still under guarantee, so they have to fix it.

I tried one of those Harmony bikes at the NEC Cycle show. It wouldn't change gear for me, so it stalled out on the very short ramp. All the time I was riding it, it was in the wrong gear. I think it only works if you weigh less than 70kg. Alex rode it before me and he thought it was OK.

I have a manual Nuvinci on one of my crank-drive bikes. In theory, it's a perfect solution: however, in practice, it's no real advantage for the price and weight. The one advantage it does have is no crashing gear changes.

 

[4bound]

Has it been like this since you bought it? Has it really taken you 2000 miles to realise you are not getting any help from the motor? I have a Kalkhoff, admitedly a more powerful version, but it takes me up a nearby hill at 17mph, whereas I struggle to do 7mph on my unpowered bike.

 

[Mike63]

surely it's still under guarantee, so they have to fix it.

They don't "have" to do anything, but I'd like to avoid travelling all the way to Loughborough, being told to "leave it with us" then 3 weeks later being told "there's nothing wrong with it" and having to return to Loughborough to collect it, ...who am I to argue, I don't know what if anything, is wrong.
flecc paints an optimistic picture but I've found that life is rarely optimistic..

 

[Croxden]

Just on the off chance, have you checked your brakes aren't binding?

 

[Mike63]

[QUOTEHas it been like this since you bought it? Has it really taken you 2000 miles to realise you are not getting any help from the motor?][/QUOTE]

I don't think it has always been as bad as it is now, It's sort of crept up on me, early on , in August when the weather were warmer it didn't bother me, Its always been hard work but I've never been frightened of hard work.

I don't really do a lot of miles but I go out every day, only ice, snow and torrential rain stops me, since August I've only missed a dozen days.
....I'm 74, what else am I 'gonna do

thanks Croxden but the brakes are fine.

.....Mike

 

[oldtom]

I feel that the help I get from this bike appears to be non existent, It is even hard going on the flat and shows very little difference in any of the 3 modes.
The slightest uphill gradient is extremely hard going and steep hills, forget it and walk up...and that's not easy.

Mike, the Kalkhoff brand provides a very good warranty and I'm certain 50cycles would be perfectly happy to honour it as they are required to do. I can well understand your predicament in regard to the distance from home to Loughborough but that may be the best option - you take it there on an agreed day, discuss the problem and they fix it or, if they need to keep it for repairs, parts or whatever, they can return it to you by courier.

I'm presuming you have the means to transport the bike of course. Other advice offered here is important; you need to speak to the people at 50cycles to initiate the process. It may be the case that they provide the means to transport the machine to their depot, I don't know but you need to make contact in order to make some progress with this matter.

The problem could be any number of things but if it's a gearbox problem such as permanently stuck in a fairly high gear, you probably won't be able to effect repair by yourself. I'm sure your riding experience will be transformed when the bike is fettled correctly though, whatever the problem.

Tom

 

[RobF]

Where are you?

Perhaps an experienced member could call and give the bike a quick test.

I've ridden a couple of NuVincis and am not keen on them, but leaving that aside, it should provide a good level of assistance.

 

[Mike63]

[QUOTEif it's a gearbox problem such as permanently stuck in a fairly high gear,][/QUOTE]
....cheers Tom, I don't think it's stuck in a high gear because when going downhill I cannot pedal because the bikes going too fast for my legs.
thanks though.
Rob, I live at Wakefield, I don't think there are any members near me.
....thanks....Mike

 

[RobF]

[QUOTEif it's a gearbox problem such as permanently stuck in a fairly high gear,]

....cheers Tom, I don't think it's stuck in a high gear because when going downhill I cannot pedal because the bikes going too fast for my legs.
thanks though.
Rob, I live at Wakefield, I don't think there are any members near me.
....thanks....Mike[/quote]

Nowhere near me, but I think one of the Phils on here is in West Yorkshire.

 

[flecc]

flecc paints an optimistic picture but I've found that life is rarely optimistic..

Best advice is as ever the pleasant approach, no whining, complaining, demanding, just asking politely in a friendly manner for help. Try opening witn " Good morning, I wonder if you can help me". If you aren't pushy and complaining you'll find 50cycles are usually receptive and they are capable of extraordinarily good service at times.

Before this forum opened and before they knew me from Adam, I'd bought a bike from them which almost immediately suffered a failed motor. I phoned and offered to bring it back on the 300 mile round trip and they mentioned that on the Monday the chief executive/designer of the company which made my bike would be with them while visiting the UK and I could meet him.

Unfortunately I was booked for an MOT that day and it was near the deadline, but on hearing that they offered to fix up an MOT at the garage next door at the time, and while I was on the phone they went next door and fixed that for me.

I went up on the Monday, met the designer and had a long chat with him, and he fitted a new motor personally. And true to their promise, on arrival the garage next door drove my car to an MOT station and took it through MOT at no extra charge.

Service doesn't come any better than that. On another occasion I mentioned in this forum that I'd suffered a shattered battery platform after hitting a road obstruction but intended to repair it. The next day I received a new one, they'd spotted my post and without saying anything had popped a new one in the post with compliments.

And on a more recent occasion I remember their van collecting a bike from the West of Scotland, taking it back to Loughborough, repairing it and taking it back again.

So you can see optimism can be justified.

I've also seen them much less than perfect, but the person involved had gone to war with them in this forum, always a daft thing to do.
.

 

[Mike63]

Best advice is as ever the pleasant approach, no whining, complaining, demanding, just asking politely in a friendly manner for help.

Hi flecc...I hope that's not how you perceive me because I can assure you that is not my intention, I always try to be polite but in the forum ones intentions do not always come across as intended.
....Your suggested approach is exactly as I intended
.....Mike

 

[flecc]

No, I certainly have never perceived you in that way Mike, my advice was as much generic as anything else, since I see so many taking the wrong approach. As we both know, courtesy costs nothing and often pays off handsomely.
.

 

[4bound]

Mike, just to add that I hope that you will contact 50 Cycles and that you will let us know how you get on.