Heads-up! 2019 Ebco centre-drive e-bikes £1099 (£500 off).

[cyclebuddy]

I read that British Brand Ebco are re-doing their entire range of e-bikes for the 2020 season (from January) by a new, ex-Saracen designer. There seem to be a few deals on several models around of their older range (these two are from Halfords, but Rutland has offers too). I guess it's to make space for the new models (which will use Shimano/Bafang drives exclusively rather than TranzX/Bosch currently)… and of course, it's end of season.

This means you can currently pick up a TransX M16-GT centre-drive, 58Nm/250watt nominal (390watt peak I've read) in either Mountain Bike MH-5 or Urban Sports Roadster USR-55 styles with £500 off at Halfords. Both use Shimano Deore gearing (a good notch up from the usual Alivio/Altus fare usually found around this price), and Shimano hydraulic brakes, 400 watt battery (Samsung/Panasonic/LG cells - they don't say which exactly). The display is the DL27, which is a little quirky/quite funky (See EBR's DL27 review on youtube) - it's LED and shows all you need inc MPH/Battery/Assist, but strangely NOT trip or mileage (!), but you CAN pre-set more torque/grunt, and it has range prediction too (apparently).



For a tad over a grand I couldn't say no, and ordered a USR-55 road version which arrived today... 10-speed Deore and fast rolling CST puncture-resist tyres on DH19 Alexrims. The TranzX M16-GT motor is a bit of an unknown entity to me, but Raleigh and Diamondback among others have used them too (much more common in mainland Europe). Early 2014/15 motors had some issues, but I couldn't find anything recent of note against it at all. Besides, Ebco offer a 5-year frame warranty and 2 years on everything else including the electronics (not disposable items like tyres/pads etc), and they have their own TranzX trained engineer at their HO in Warwickshire. Curtis at EBR is a fan of the TranzX as a "value package" too, so what's not to like? There's dealer can-bus diagnostics a-la Bosch/Yamaha et-al, so it appears it's a locked system with no fiddling allowed.

The USR-55 has a nicely welded frame, Wellgo M195 pedals, Velo "cow-horn" grips and saddle. Against? It's non-adjustable limited headstock suspension on the USR-55 (Suntour forks on the MH-5), but it seems to work reasonably well. Bell, but no reflectors. Only 160mm rotors front and back where at least a 180mm front would seem more in keeping with the standard of the other fixtures.

I think it's an extremely nice, well-equipped, great value crank-drive e-bike for just £1099 delivered - it would be churlish to complain!

 

[wildrover1888]

I read that British Brand Ebco are re-doing their entire range of e-bikes for the 2020 season (from January) by a new, ex-Saracen designer. There seem to be a few deals on several models around of their older range (these two are from Halfords, but Rutland has offers too). I guess it's to make space for the new models (which will use Shimano/Bafang drives exclusively rather than TranzX/Bosch currently)… and of course, it's end of season.

This means you can currently pick up a TransX M16-GT centre-drive, 58Nm/250watt nominal (390watt peak I've read) in either Mountain Bike MH-5 or Urban Sports Roadster USR-55 styles with £500 off at Halfords. Both use Shimano Deore gearing (a good notch up from the usual Alivio/Altus fare usually found around this price), and Shimano hydraulic brakes, 400 watt battery (Samsung/Panasonic/LG cells - they don't say which exactly). The display is the DL27, which is a little quirky/quite funky (See EBR's DL27 review on youtube) - it's LED and shows all you need inc MPH/Battery/Assist, but strangely NOT trip or mileage (!), but you CAN pre-set more torque/grunt, and it has range prediction too (apparently).
View attachment 32741

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For a tad over a grand I couldn't say no, and ordered a USR-55 road version which arrived today... 10-speed Deore and fast rolling CST puncture-resist tyres on DH19 Alexrims. The TranzX M16-GT motor is a bit of an unknown entity to me, but Raleigh and Diamondback among others have used them too (much more common in mainland Europe). Early 2014/15 motors had some issues, but I couldn't find anything recent of note against it at all. Besides, Ebco offer a 5-year frame warranty and 2 years on everything else including the electronics (not disposable items like tyres/pads etc), and they have their own TranzX trained engineer at their HO in Warwickshire. Curtis at EBR is a fan of the TranzX as a "value package" too, so what's not to like? There's dealer can-bus diagnostics a-la Bosch/Yamaha et-al, so it appears it's a locked system with no fiddling allowed.

The USR-55 has a nicely welded frame, Wellgo M195 pedals, Velo "cow-horn" grips and saddle. Against? It's non-adjustable limited headstock suspension on the USR-55 (Suntour forks on the MH-5), but it seems to work reasonably well. Bell, but no reflectors. Only 160mm rotors front and back where at least a 180mm front would seem more in keeping with the standard of the other fixtures.

I think it's an extremely nice, well-equipped, great value crank-drive e-bike for just £1099 delivered - it would be churlish to complain!

Hi Cycle buddy,

as a regular cyclist roadbike/hybrid user I wanted a new e-bike for my daily commute ....and am looking for a bike that just does that well approx 15 miles a day lots of hills. Mainly as I dont want to get licra on every day.

I seen this bike yesterday and seen the discount and ordered. I went into my local Halfords today and they didn't know much about the bike. The did look at the spec and said that it was good and with mudguards and a pannier I think it will suit my needs.

I just wondered a few things ..mainly how do you find the ride?
Also
Can you buy lights that attach to the battery?
Is the battery removable to charge?
can you upgrade the control unit / would that be advisable?
or
can the control unit charge a phone / lights etc on occasions?

Sorry for the newbie questions. But as I haven't seen the bike I'm really hoping someone who has can give more insight.

ps I bought this instead of the Volt Pulse ..and am hoping to use the saved money on a new Livalli smart helmet

Thanks in advance
W

 

[vfr400]

Think about future spare parts for the electrical system and ask yourself who's going to fix it when it goes wrong. We get a lot of people on this forum with these non-mainstream bikes wanting help with the problems they get, but there is hardly any knowledge, not many with the special equipment to diagnose faults and great difficulty in obtaining spare parts. Remember, all electric bikes will go wrong eventually.

I would always advise people to buy mainstream bikes, with Bosch, Shimano and standard Chinese systems. You'll always be able to get help fixing them.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Hi Cycle buddy,

as a regular cyclist roadbike/hybrid user I wanted a new e-bike for my daily commute ....and am looking for a bike that just does that well approx 15 miles a day lots of hills. Mainly as I dont want to get licra on every day.

I seen this bike yesterday and seen the discount and ordered. I went into my local Halfords today and they didn't know much about the bike. The did look at the spec and said that it was good and with mudguards and a pannier I think it will suit my needs.

I just wondered a few things ..mainly how do you find the ride?
Also
Can you buy lights that attach to the battery?
Is the battery removable to charge?
can you upgrade the control unit / would that be advisable?
or
can the control unit charge a phone / lights etc on occasions?

Sorry for the newbie questions. But as I haven't seen the bike I'm really hoping someone who has can give more insight.

ps I bought this instead of the Volt Pulse ..and am hoping to use the saved money on a new Livalli smart helmet

Thanks in advance
W

This Ebco USR-55 is my third e-bike. Having had this e-bike for a day now, I'd say that if this were at the full price of £1599, I'd not be disappointed. The quality of finish and standard of fitments are excellent (other than it only has a 160mm front brake rotor rather than 180mm as you might expect, but many others at this sort of retail price have the same).

Yes, the frame can accept both mudguards and a rear rack. The motor has cadence and torque sensing… just like a Bosch or Yamaha. It doesn't have gear-change sensing as others do, so you need to back-off pedalling a little when changing gear to avoid mashing gears... but that's no biggy. It has a little less torque than some, but it's about the same as the Bosch Active Line series, which is plenty for road/commuting. It's not the most powerful out there, but it's still great for this money.

There is a recent thread here on the forum about suitable lights for attaching directly to a 36v battery. Personally, I just use stand-alone re-chargeable ones. Yes, the battery is locked with a key, and can be removed to charge indoors. Yes, there is a better Tranzx LCD display available which should work, but no, I wouldn't bother. Yes, the display has a 500mA USB output for charging phones and updating software.

Finally, I'd generally agree with the comments vfr400 makes. Yes, a Bosch, Shimano, or Yamaha drive system is far more common in this country and thus maybe better for long term servicing, but you won't find one on an e-bike for anything near this price. Secondly regarding servicing, as I already mentioned, this system uses a diagnostic system very similar to Bosch, and Ebco have their own Tranzx trained service engineer in this country - whereas Bosch motors have to be sent back to "the motherland" for all service and repair with long delays. In fact, Ebco train Halfords, Cycle Republic, and Evans staff on this system. Also like Bosch, Tranzx is very common in Europe, so this system isn't likely to be obsolete for spares or repair any time soon. And Tranzx spare/replacement batteries are HALF the price of Bosch, about £270/11Ah.

Hope that answers your questions. I doubt you'll regret buying one.

 

[Deus]

30 mph can be yours easily with this speed sensor placement

 

[wildrover1888]

This Ebco USR-55 is my third e-bike. Having had this e-bike for a day now, I'd say that if this were at the full price of £1599, I'd not be disappointed. The quality of finish and standard of fitments are excellent (other than it only has a 160mm front brake rotor rather than 180mm as you might expect, but many others at this sort of retail price have the same).

Yes, the frame can accept both mudguards and a rear rack. The motor has cadence and torque sensing… just like a Bosch or Yamaha. It doesn't have gear-change sensing as others do, so you need to back-off pedalling a little when changing gear to avoid mashing gears... but that's no biggy. It has a little less torque than some, but it's about the same as the Bosch Active Line series, which is plenty for road/commuting. It's not the most powerful out there, but it's still great for this money.

There is a recent thread here on the forum about suitable lights for attaching directly to a 36v battery. Personally, I just use stand-alone re-chargeable ones. Yes, the battery is locked with a key, and can be removed to charge indoors. Yes, there is a better Tranzx LCD display available which should work, but no, I wouldn't bother. Yes, the display has a 500mA USB output for charging phones and updating software.

Finally, I'd generally agree with the comments vfr400 makes. Yes, a Bosch, Shimano, or Yamaha drive system is far more common in this country and thus maybe better for long term servicing, but you won't find one on an e-bike for anything near this price. Secondly regarding servicing, as I already mentioned, this system uses a diagnostic system very similar to Bosch, and Ebco have their own Tranzx trained service engineer in this country - whereas Bosch motors have to be sent back to "the motherland" for all service and repair with long delays. In fact, Ebco train Halfords, Cycle Republic, and Evans staff on this system. Also like Bosch, Tranzx is very common in Europe, so this system isn't likely to be obsolete for spares or repair any time soon. And Tranzx spare/replacement batteries are HALF the price of Bosch, about £270/11Ah.

Hope that answers your questions. I doubt you'll regret buying one.

Thank You so much for your informative answers it's really appreciated.
I researched into the Ebco brand and now I have another headache whether to wait until January as I've fallen in love with A300 https://www.bikebiz.com/ebco-to-launch-new-2020-range-of-e-bikes/

There just doesn't seem to be much info about the exact specs .....

Its a conundrum buy now or wait ..hmmm

 

[vfr400]

Thank You so much for your informative answers it's really appreciated.
I researched into the Ebco brand and now I have another headache whether to wait until January as I've fallen in love with A300 https://www.bikebiz.com/ebco-to-launch-new-2020-range-of-e-bikes/

There just doesn't seem to be much info about the exact specs .....

Its a conundrum buy now or wait ..hmmm

I saw those bikes at the bike show. They looked very good and had the new tiny Bafang rear hub-motor, which would make the bikes lighter than normal ones. It seems a bit of a waste when you add rack, mudguards and heavy forks for a commuter version, but the stripped down hybrid one should be excellent. It'll be a while before we can confirm the robustness of that motor, but Bafang have a comprehensive test programme, so will probably be OK.

 

[wildrover1888]

yeah its a gamble Ebec are almost impossible to get much info out of regards the A300 I like the bike but not sure if a January launch actually means March?? !! so might stick to the USR-55 ...but it is a lot more old skool e-bike in look

 

[vfr400]

yeah its a gamble Ebec are almost impossible to get much info out of regards the A300 I like the bike but not sure if a January launch actually means March?? !! so might stick to the USR-55 ...but it is a lot more old skool e-bike in look

IIRC, the batteries were only mock-ups at the show, so these were very much prototype bikes.

 

[cyclebuddy]

yeah its a gamble Ebec are almost impossible to get much info out of regards the A300 I like the bike but not sure if a January launch actually means March?? !! so might stick to the USR-55 ...but it is a lot more old skool e-bike in look

It appears that both the Volt Pulse and A300 have the drive motor in the rear hub; the USR-55 has the motor at the crank. Both drive methods have very different feels, strengths and weaknesses. The biggest advantage of the USR-55's crank/mid-drive method is that you can use a combination of motor assist/torque and bike gearing to climb the hills on your 15-mile commute. A hub motor, being fixed to and rotating with the wheel, will slow progressively as the hill gets steeper and/if cadence begins to slow... but that doesn't make it a less good choice if it suits, you can maintain a good cadence, you're physically not too heavy etc etc.

I've owned both types, and the feel/style of ride is totally different irrespective of the style of bike you prefer. It would be worth trying both drive types before deciding which drive type suits your riding style best. I personally wouldn't touch a hub-drive bike anymore, whereas vfr400 knows them inside out and prefers them! Each to their own.

 

[vfr400]

The tiny Bafang H600 motor gives 42Nm of torque, which is high compared with average. A hub motor is better for commuter bikes.

 

[cyclebuddy]

The tiny Bafang H600 motor gives 42Nm of torque, which is high compared with average. A hub motor is better for commuter bikes.

42Nm is impressive. But it can't really compare to my other crank-driven, 80Nm Bafang MaxDrive e-bike.

Smaller, lightweight motors and 14g spokes are fine for some, but form should follow function.

Those of us who still do eat pies need something more robust!

 

[vfr400]

Smaller, lightweight motors and 14g spokes are fine for some, but form should follow function.

Those of us who still do eat pies need something more robust!

That's right. 14g are more robust than 13g and 12g. That's why you need them. Thicker and heavier are worse, not better. Counter intuitive!

 

[cyclebuddy]

That's right. 14g are more robust than 13g and 12g. That's why you need them. Thicker and heavier are worse, not better. Counter intuitive!

Ah yes! What a twat I am... I meant lightweight motors and thinner spokes (referencing your comment in another thread) not being helpful for us pie eaters (but that's still wrong isn't it... you're saying thinner spokes are stronger).

Hopefully this weather will improve so I can get out and really push this Tranzx motor over some distance and several hills to see what it can really do.

 

[vfr400]

(but that's still wrong isn't it... you're saying thinner spokes are stronger).

No, what I said is that thinner spokes are more robust. Thicker spokes are stronger, but they break more than thin ones because they're too strong. Figure that one out!.

 

[wildrover1888]

Hey @cyclebuddy did you manage to get any miles done ??
I went into Halfords today and there was the bike fully built 2 days early ...I wasn't ready to pick it up but had a good over. Got to say first impressions were really really good. Well made and look quality- paint finish / decals/ handlebars / cable fixings etc. Parts are all well put together. Anyway I couldn't test as I pulled a muscle in my back last week ( long story ) and could only just straddle the saddle to test the size as I'm in that much pain. But overall I was really pleasantly surprised how good a quality it felt ( even the halford guys thoughts so ). Cant wait to get on it hopefully in a few days. I took out the three year service plan for £160 _ i guess this bike will last me 3 years and that provides 2 services ( including electrics ) a year. I have just spend £110 on an annual road bike service so I think its good value.

I did however get them to fit a set of SKS mudguards https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-parts/mudguards/sks-beavertail-xl-mudguard-set?_br_psugg_q=sks+beavertail+xl+mudguard+set

a pannier rack and ( don't laugh ) a kick stand! I fully intent to use this bike as a daily commuter so I just want it to do just that and do it well . My Felt 75 roadbike can provide all the lightweight Carbon needs and lactic acid challenge of South Devon hills. I fear my Boardman hybrid will now just languish as a spare in the garage.

 

[cyclebuddy]

My first impressions regarding the build and quality (and the high standard of fitments such as the Shimano Deore gearing/shifter, Velo grips etc) were the same as yours. And after 5 days and a few more rides now I'm still very impressed, bar the initial reservations I've already noted above. I haven't yet done my usual 28-mile loop which includes some seriously steep hills, but my hill-climbing experience so far suggests there's nothing to worry about - the TransX motor pulls like a train (for a 250w/58Nm motor). As with all things electric/mechanical, so long as you don't constantly thrash the nuts of it, I'm pretty confident it'll last well. I've ridden a couple of £2000+ Cubes of similar style, power, and bike weight with Bosch Active Line Plus motors, and there really isn't anything of note between them and this (other than this e-bike is currently just £1099).

The service plan is likely a good idea for reassurance, although all the expensive bits are covered for two years by Ebco anyway. Halfords, Cycle Republic and Evans aside, there are plenty of independent Ebco (and Raleigh dealers who should also be familiar with this TransX electrical system) all around the country for servicing/warranty.

I've since found out that the DP27 display can be upgraded to the new DP29. This has Bluetooth, which with a handlebar mounted smartphone alongside, gives you a fuller control/information system (including mapping etc) not dis-similar to Bosch's own (but expensive) Cobi. The TransX app is free. It's got me thinking about that one, but to start changing components unnecessarily seems to dilute the fantastic value this bike currently is. We'll see.

Good luck with your new e-bike. Let us know how you get on.

 

[wildrover1888]

Hey @cyclebuddy just to say piked up the bike on Friday. What a blast. I love it.
The thing I love is that it is still a work out but assist when needed.

The actual bike is great quality .....although the sum of parts including my pannier / locks etc does make it some weight. Can't lift it the 2 floors to my office so has to be locked in the communal entrance ( three locks ).

My brother ( anti-ebike ) had to admit he enjoyed it on the Devon hills near me. Only thing is the road bike users don't wave like they used to as I'm not wearing Lycra ..lol.

Best accessory beside my Luvall helmet ..is a 7 pound kick stand !

Overall love it, have had to prise me off it. Cheers

 

[egroover]

I think you both nabbed a bargain, sub £1k after discounts, killer price. Looks like the large size is out of stock now

 

[Muddyfox]

Popping down to Halfords tomorrow for a detailed look.