Hi - I'm in Ireland (Swytch & Decathlon)

[patoleary]

Hi - I'm in Ireland, near Mt Leinster - Carlow/Wexford border. Can be a trifle hilly.

Got a Decathlon Riverside 500 and a 2nd Gen Swytch kit.
Delighted to be back cycling after a working lifetime of not, followed by stomach surgery, so exercise is needed but need to be careful.

My Swytch lasted 6 months before trouble set in - growling, whining, cutting out, even moving without any pedalling. Swytch post-sales cust service pretty poor, I even wondered if they were going under at one stage. They did replace the mount after a year, it still is dodgy though, so I suspect I'll be doing DIY, hence my search for fellow bike messers.

That said, the Swytch kit has been a revelation, and a decent price, the bike would be sitting unused in the shed otherwise.

Very interested in circuit diagrams, ideas to improve the weight distribution, and methods to get reduced assistance ie lower than 60% as I work my way slowly to being able to turn it off for most or all of a trip.
An upgrade to LiPO batteries and a better (there can't be worse) method to secure the connection between the battery and the motor is my plan for the existing battery wears out.

Hope I can contribute as well as lurk.

 

[Az.]

Swytch post-sales cust service pretty poor, I even wondered if they were going under at one stage.

Welcome Patoleary

You are not a first one who is complaining of Swytch practices.

That said, the Swytch kit has been a revelation, and a decent price

Really? It is a poor design and poor implementation.

Very interested in circuit diagrams, ideas to improve the weight distribution, and methods to get reduced assistance ie lower than 60% as I work my way slowly to being able to turn it off for most or all of a trip.

Is fresh start with other kit an option?

 

[patoleary]

Welcome Patoleary

You are not a first one who is complaining of Swytch practices.

I had been praising them so much up till the growling started that my friends ordered 2 complete sets of the new one, with the MAX battery. I was rather embarrassed when they ended up not receiving them until a few weeks ago, 6 months later than promised.
I got to try theirs out - much nicer weight-wise, the bike doesn't try to go walkies all by itself, and the click-lock system to attach the battery to the bike seems much more secure and immune to vibration than my one.

Really? It is a poor design and poor implementation.

I'm happy enough with the performance, when it is behaving. Sure, the lag when it cuts in and out could be better, and something that takes account of the rider's effort versus simply whether his legs are going round (cadence vs torque?) would be more elegant. Also, something I just found out about today in some GEEKO video (PaulViewsReviews) was a facility, I guess using an inclinometer detector, where extra power is applied when it detects you are going uphill.

Is fresh start with other kit an option?

Not for a while - no money to spare. So until the Swytch battery gives up I'll probably keep using it, perhaps with some mods. The GEEKO video showing rear driven wheel was interesting, and it gets rid of the rather Heath-Robinson cadence magnets and detector and cables - mind you they have given no problems at all, so far, on my Swytch.
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[peterjd]

Hi, Like you my first electric bike was my old tourer converted with the Swytch kit (a mark 1 in my case). The controller failed in the first year replaced by Swytch with the current one which seems ok. Battery failed (partly my fault) more recently - but managed to recover half of its cells (awaiting rebuild). Replaced with Yose battery which is also working well so far. Put new battery on rear rack and linked to Swytch box with heavy duty hifi speaker cable. Quite lively now and much better weight distribution.
Since you mention your Decathlon 500, I lashed out in the New Year with the electric version the 500E, which has a torque sensor, a different feel (more relaxed), and very good range (in admittently S. Leicestershire countryside). Keeping the two bikes - the old one for local 'work' such as shopping.
Hope you sort out your problems. BW Peter