Hello! ..and what to select

[aroncox]

Well I have an Ezee Torq, and it's great when it's working, however it has had a few problems. These could be just due to my being unlucky, and also not to being as creative as flecc and the others.

The front brakes have been a real pain, they continually rub against the wheel as the wheel is no longer straight and I've even taken them off for now as it's better than the alternative. I've been to the bike shop numerous times, and it's fixed for a week and then it starts rubbing again.

I've had problems with the motor cutting out twice, the first time I needed a new accelerator (which was given to me free from 50 Cycles), the second time has not yet been resolved. When there is no motor the bike is absolutely awful to pedal due to the weight and the gearing (and my general unfitness).

I have a Li-ion battery, but from what 've been reading I made a bad decision, and it may not last all that long.

If I were buying a new bike now, I'd still be interested in the Torq as it really is great when it's working, but I think the Torq II looks interesting (expecially the front brakes) as I assume they've learnt some lessons from the original.

Good luck with making your decision, let us know what you buy and how you like it

 

[flecc]

If that front wheel is trued properly, it should then stay ok, even on very bumpy roads, so I'd suggest a different bike shop is tried. Many cycle shop people are not wheel builders, building and truing being highly skilled jobs best done by trained professionals.

The Torq is a sluggish bike to pedal without power on the standard tyres, and a better pair of tyres improves matters a lot. However, all hub motor e-bikes are much inferior to good normal bikes where pedalling without power is concerned.

The Torq is a great sporting bike for fairly fit or very fit riders to add extra to their performance, but it's far from the best choice for those going electric because of the need for the assistance. The mainstream bikes like the Sprint and Forte are much better for that.
.

 

[flecc]

Thanks for that good news Scott, yet another industry first!
.

 

[Steven Brandist]

Hi Flecc,
With regard to roller brakes, I had a recumbent of Dutch origin in the past that was fitted with these front and rear (what else would you expect from the Dutch but sensible, low maintenance all weather brakes?), so I'm used to the the spongey feeling, but they always stop you!

Hi Aroncox,
I hope you aren't whizzing along de-restricted without a front brake!?
I agree with Flecc that truing a wheel is a real art, I'd try and find an "old-school" bike shop. I'm not sure how old, or how much use your Torq gets but this is my one main fear, poor reliability/quality issues. Without power the Torq is overweight and too highly geared (its not your lack of fittness!). But, of course, it was never designed to be ridden as such.

The new Torq Trekking will hopefully address the front brake problems with its mechanically (as opposed to hydraulic) operated disk. I hope the designers have considered the possible "Disk Brake and Quick Release problem". This is basically down to flawed design of the position of the disk brake caliper mountings - this applies most bicycles built over the last few years. See here Disk brake and Quick Release problem. With all that power on tap from the hub motor it could happen .

Problem is... if you want to ride un-restricted at the speeds the Torq can do easily then there is no other choice. It has to be a Torq (or Forza, etc). The likes of the Gazelle, Sparta, etc may be of better quality but after riding the Torq at such speed riding a 'legal' 15mph pedelec will seems somewhat of an anti-climax. This is the whole point for me: getting the commute journey time down.

New Torq Trekking? ...oh, do you mean this one? Sorry Scott, couldn't resist.

IMAGE REMOVED

The standard fittment of Schwalbe Marathon Plus (it says here on my spec sheet) is a great upgrade. I've used these tyres for nearly a year without a puncture and the Royal Mail now fit these to their bikes. Says everything really. I'd have thrown the Kendas straight in the bin anyway.

The saddle has been replaced with an altogether more sensible Selle Royal Freetime... and of course those suspension forks. The bike seems to have a more balanced look to it now. A worthy 'Torq II' - although price is slightly higher now at £1245.

I'll keep in touch and I'll have a look at the new Torq when you have fully tested them and have some stock.

I'm looking forward to it!

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Toq II

Hello Torq Lovers everywhere!
I won't paste the whole of StevenBrandlist's posting.
At £1245 (if he's right and I have no reason to doubt him) one wonders why not earlier - these components have been around a long time.
The forks look like Sprint Forks.
To think of the agonies I endured with the Rigid Forks and the 'V' Brake and just for £50.
eZee seem to have quietly accepted (I do not recall any comment/agreement with many owner's perception of the Torq by eZee or 50 Cycles) what owner's were saying. Or perhaps this was one of a range of ongoing normal improvements being constantly researched and applied.
Thank God for customer feedback.
Peter
PS Will the Torq '1' be continued for the sake of those who like character and 'the feel of the road thru' the bars'?
PPS Why, on this thread (it has done it before on others but rarely) has the display of the posting gone into 'full width screen', meaning I have to move the scroll bar at the bottom to display the right hand quarter of the posting?

 

[flecc]

I suspected that Scott, the gun being jumped by assuming that the US version was it.

The excessive size of those posted pictures has done that Peter. It's important that these are resized to moderately sized jpegs 640 x 480 or less is best. If Steven uses "Edit" and removes those photos it will solve the problem, especially since they are the wrong item anyway.

On the mechanical disc brake, these are famed for their very weak braking action and widely derided in the cycling press, so don't get too excited. The simple fact is that a disc brakes main factor for effectiveness is the diameter of the disc, and the largest diameter disc is the bike's wheel rim! That's why V brakes or similar are the best disc brake and the only ones used in racing. Hydraulic action on discs improves matters.

The other problem with discs is the generated heat transmission to the hub on long descents. The Torq motor already gets too hot to touch in very hot weather after extensive hill climbing, so this may be a factor to watch out for. Judging by the hill climb problems of many e-bikes, the evidence is that the Chinese don't adequately test out bikes on hills.
.

 

[Steven Brandist]

Even a stopped clock is right twice a day

Photo size edited as requested.

Scott, I await the correct details with anticipation!

 

[flecc]

Thanks Steven.
.

 

[Django]

PS Will the Torq '1' be continued for the sake of those who like character and 'the feel of the road thru' the bars'?

What did I tell you?

Django

 

[Ian]

Disc Brakes, Who Needs 'em

The Torq brakes have come in for some critisism regarding judder and brake power, I always found the front brake adequate but some time ago replaced it with a Shimano Deore LX V brake in an effort to cure the judder. After an initial bedding in the judder was much reduced to an intermittent minor irritation, but the big surprise was the apparent increase in brake power. Today, while running unrestricted on a deserted closed road I decided to test the brakes, stopping from 20 mph in just over 2 bike legnths. As I stopped I could smell burning rubber, not sure whether from the tyres or brake pads though. That is an excellent braking performance which I doubt could be bettered by a disc brake or even a car or motorcycle.

I'm slightly puzzled why the the Shimano brake is more powerful than the original Tektro as the arms are slightly shorter and consequently the mechanical advantage is less. I can only assume the advantage lies in a superior pad material.

 

[flecc]

I think so too Ian. The Shimano cartridge pads I put on the Q bike are many times better than the originals, They can almost lock the front wheel and I can feel the tyre tearing at the road surface on full stopping power.
.

 

[flecc]

No personal experience of it on bicycles Scott, and I don't like losing personal control of braking pressures on two wheels, but here's a link to a system:

BudBrake

It's not true antilock though.
.

 

[Steven Brandist]

Image in earlier posting removed.

 

[Ian]

I've never heard of ABS on bicycles although I have heard of so called modulators that limit brake pressure to a preset maximum, I'm not sure if the the device in Fleccs link does more than that. ABS would seem an over complication on such an inherently simple machine. I know some say that about motors but that's a complication I can live with.

 

[flecc]

That's all it amounts to Ian. All of these seem to work on a principle of applying the rear brake slightly leading and balancing the pressure between the two, but there is at least one Chinese e-bike that has absolute limiting as well to prevent locking. No ordinary bike has it to my knowledge, but there's patents around on bike ABS.

Like you, on two wheels especially I don't trust this type of automation, preferring the controlling balance of my own finger pressures and experience.
.

 

[frank9755]

New Torq on 50 Cycles website

I've been on holiday for a couple of weeks and have not yet caught up with everything, so forgive me if this is old news, but I happened to look at the 50 Cycles site to see if the new Torq Trekking was out yet - and it is.

I have to say I was a little disappointed in that it doesn't get any nearer to the bike that I am looking for. However, it does seem pretty much in line with the pictures that Steven posted (now removed) earlier in this post in that its got the two things that you would never see on a bike designed by someone who enjoyed riding them - suspension forks and a front disk brake.

I guess the addition of suspension forks was predictable given the feedback from people regarding the hard ride from the front hub motor but it is disappointing as it is treating a symptom not addressing the fundamental problem of the motor being in the wrong wheel (in my opinion). Changes to the brakes were perhaps also predictable given feedback, however they seem to have changed the wrong one as I understand the rear roller brake was the problem!

Overall these changes seem to make the Torq more like the F-series bikes, reducing the overall choice which the Ezee range offers.

Predictable but disappointing.

My search for a fast, pleasant to ride electric bike continues!

Frank

 

[Ian]

I have to agree Frank, it seems closer to the F series, effectively reducing the range available.

I think the point of the disc brake is to address the judder problem which has attracted criticism, it also has the benefit of eliminating rim wear. They say the motor is slimmer, perhaps it will now fit standard forks so luddites like me can throw the unwanted sus forks away.

 

[flecc]

I agree Frank, not at all what I like. When I first saw the new Torq on the South Africa site where it appeared first, I assumed it was a local hybrid of the F series front put onto the Torq.

I also see it as another F bike, though it should have retained some of the old character as the motor is the torq one modified for better hill climbing.
.

 

[Steven Brandist]

Spot the difference

Some statements:

"These picture are nothing to do with the Torq Trekking"

"Can you please remove these picture from the pedelecs website as these are not the correct ones for the Torq Trekking"

Hmmm, look exactly the same to me.

 

[flecc]

Yes, it certainly was Steven.

You know what they say, he who laughs last, laughs longest, and you'll be chuckling for some while yet.
.