Help

[cjc100]

Hello All
As with most nubies I am looking for assistance with making the best decision on my first ebike. I have tried a few and am pretty much decided on a hub with nexus gears. Step through and sub £1000 for the price, but the most important thing is reliability. I like the Woosh Sundowner and Kudos Safari and also the new D-cycle from Ebco. Woosh only give a years warranty for their battery which is a concern whereas Kudos have the lithium polymer- is it any better?
Any advice would be most welcome

 

[RobF]

One of the things you arguably lose in the sub-£1,000 sector is reliability.

It's not that the bikes are bad, but you may get some niggles which you wouldn't get with a bike, say, £1,750 or more.

You may have gathered the owners of both Woosh and Kudos post on here.

That doesn't mean we have to recommend their bikes, but you can be reasonably confident of decent service from either brand.

Actually, service from Woosh and Kudos is outstanding when you consider what most internet retailers offer.

Not sure where you plan to get the Ebco from, but I would be inclined to a avoid Halfords.

They can be variable with ordinary bikes, but are actively useless with electric ones.

 

[cjc100]

Thanks for your advice.
I have just come across a couple of raleigh bikes that are over the 1000 barrier but have the back up of a local shop. Has anyone tried the new forge, the velo cite or the dover? I am aware that these don't have a throttle but does that really matter. Also I cannot see the price of replacement batteries on their website which concerns me a little.
I suppose the question is whether you are paying an extra 500 quid for a "known" brand or whether the raleigh bikes are actually better than the woosh/kudos chinese ones.

Any input welcome

 

[Geebee]

If you can maintain your own bike (the basic stuff), any bike above department store level will be very reliable, the majority of faults that seem to come up on here is failure to tighten/check every thing after the first week or so.
A major expense as you climb the purchase price ladder is the cost of replacement batteries which tend to climb the same ladder.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

If you choose the D Cycle, there are quite a few dealers across the country so you should not have to resort to a Halfords. The D Cycles were made in Germany. Although alot of the components come from the far east. By the way the D Cycle is a nice bike however I would suggest trying a few of your different suggestions out.

Good luck with the search.
Dave

 

[Kudoscycles]

Hello All
As with most nubies I am looking for assistance with making the best decision on my first ebike. I have tried a few and am pretty much decided on a hub with nexus gears. Step through and sub £1000 for the price, but the most important thing is reliability. I like the Woosh Sundowner and Kudos Safari and also the new D-cycle from Ebco. Woosh only give a years warranty for their battery which is a concern whereas Kudos have the lithium polymer- is it any better?
Any advice would be most welcome

Good luck with your search. Just one point the Kudos Safari has a LifePo4 ( Lithium Iron Phosphate battery). This battery is fitted to all the Kudos Urban series. It is cheap,current price about £220.00 and seems to have amazing long life,we have literally hundreds of our customers who purchased bikes up to 4 years old and our replacements due to life exhaustion are almost non existent,some of these battery types are in weather stations still working after 15 years. Their downside is they are heavy so unsuitable for performance lightweight bikes,where LIMnO4 is the preferred option.
Hope that helps
KudosDave

 

[Chainring]

If you want step-through and Nexus gears, the Ezee Primo seems to be a good bet, at £800. I don't know what the terrain is like where you live, but if it's not hilly, then you just do not need lots of gears. The lady I know with a Freego (4 years ownership) says she uses two gears, living here in a flat area. I have had my Woosh Santana for eighteen months and 3500 miles, with just one broken spoke, and a few other, easily-fixable niggles. The Primo seems very good spec on paper. Central battery, front motor and hub gears which, knowing what I know now, is the bike I would buy. The bike I would REALLY like is the Juiced Riders ODK cargo bike. I contacted Tora Harris, trying to buy a frame and forks, but he says they are working on a model suitable for export to Europe, starting in December. He sets very high standards for his manufacture, so it may be too dear for me, but I'll wait. They used to do just a pedal version, which would have been ideal for me, but it seems to have been discontinued.

 

[cjc100]

Ezee Primo looks good but out of stock (stepthrough) and price going up with next delivery I am told. I am thinking nexus 7 or 8 as I would also like to ride with no power assist occasionally, like a regular bike. This is why I like the look of the Sundowner. I was hoping that someone out there might have had experience with one and can give me a review.

 

[RobF]

Riding any ebike in this price range unassisted is not much fun.

When it comes to it, I doubt you will.

The woosh Big Bear has a bigger battery and a more powerful motor than the Sundowner, which is now an older model.

 

[cjc100]

Are you saying that in your opinion the Big Bear is a better bike? There are certainly some happy owners out there- more than the Sundowner. For the price tag how does the ezee sprint primo stack up with the hub gears. another popular machine or similar money.
By the way, I appreciate your advice

 

[RobF]

The Big Bear is from woosh's newer range and there's no doubt their bikes have improved over the last few years.

You don''t give details of proposed use, but most people find they want to undertake longer journeys than they first thought.

The bigger battery on the Bear is worth having, not least because all batteries lose capacity over time, so in two or three years the Bear's battery will still carry you a decent distance.

The hub gear on the Ezee Sprint is three speed, which should be adequate because the bike is known to have a pokey motor.

Not much good if you can't get one, and I see a bigger battery is more money.

The battery behind the seat post on the Ezee is better for weight distribution, although it does increase the wheelbase making the bike slightly less handy in confined spaces.

Both bikes are excellent value and should be reasonably reliable.

 

[cjc100]

The proposed use of the bike is to commute to work -approx 4 miles- comfortably and not arriving in a sweat. I have a couple of reasonable hills to negotiate but nothing major. I currently use a straightforward raleigh hybrid with 700cc wheels and I like the feel of a big wheeled bike ( I am only 5"8 tho) I was going to get a moped then came across ebikes through a local dealer. Unfortunately he only sells raleigh. I tried the Dover which was great for pulling away but whilst the crank drive is responsive I felt it interfered with the gear change under pressure. Also, when tackling hills it felt much like a normal bike. I did not think much of the velo c either, so I wanted to try something with a throttle which I understand is illegal in Europe at the moment. Then I discovered this forum and Woosh/ kudos ,Ezee etc and realised that I get get a pretty good machine for much less than a grand.Like I said in my first post, is there a good reason or difference between an £800 bike or a £1300 one? I can't honestly see much in spec apart one is made or assembled in europe and the other assembed in China before being checked in the UK. The problem is not being able to try any of these bikes sold through internet companies which is why I am seeking advice from owners. For example, Chainring's post was interesting and could save me from making an expensive mistake. Also reliability and easy maintenance are important and the cost/ life of the battery. I read the group review of the Big Bear and it appeared to have some short comings, plus it 120 quid more than the Sundowner, but I suppose that is the cost of the larger battery and motor. I suppose ultimately I want to get the best bike for the best price like everyone else. Thanks RobF for all your input.

 

[trex]

the woosh Sundowner has 8Fun SWXK motor and 14A controller, the Big Bear has 8Fun BPM motor and 20A controller. The Bear flattens hills while the Sundowner does not. For moderate hills - about 6-7% - the Sundowner is a very nice Dutch style bike but for steeper hills, the Bear is a better bike.

 

[cjc100]

According to the woosh predictor the steepest gradient on my commute is 6.8%. Is the Sundowner now old technology compared to the Bear? Also which is better to ride un-powered.

 

[JohnCade]

I really doubt either would be very nice to ride unpowered. I had a lighter Woosh CD Sport and that was not pleasant unpowered. My Kalkhoff Agattu isn't all that nice unpowered except when it gets up and rolling on the flat - of which there is very little where I live - either because it like the others is heavy. Higher tyre pressures and proper road tyres help but most e bikes aren't really about riding unpowered.

 

[trex]

the Sundowner is nicer riding unassisted. It's got fast rolling 700C x 32mm tyres, Nexus 7 gears - so pretty wide gear ratios, it's also lighter and being Dutch style, has more relax riding position.

 

[JohnCade]

Woosh have some demonstrators around the country who will let you ride their bikes if you look on the site. There may be one near you.

Your usual route may be flattish, but if you have the extra power and range then you can go anywhere without any fears of not making it. You probably will start going further than you think you will now.

I'd take all reviews with a pitch of salt too. Not everyone has the same tastes.

 

[cjc100]

I live in Dorchester , Dorset and of course would like to try before I buy. I have been thinking about this for a while now. I will contact Woosh direct about a trial. I have already spoken to them about the bikes. Just wanted some neutral opinions.

 

[john h]

cjc have you thought about a good second hand ebike ,kalkhoff have a few different models and whoosh battery replacement will give you an idea of cost they some time have second hand too

 

[cjc100]

I would be prepared to buy second hand through Woosh as they check bikes over and sell with a guarantee. Sadly they do not have any returns of the models I am looking at currently.