izip/currie mountain trails al.

[subevo]

saw these bikes on Bargain Discount Mail Order Bikes. Most Adult Bicycles with Free* Delivery :: for £360 .says its got 450watt power and will travel at up to 18mph(which appeals).im tempted to buy it.is it a bargain or a waste of time? opinions welcome.

 

[Ian]

Looks like another variant on the i-zip theme. The other i-zips, widely available from many retailers including Tesco do the job but are noted for being heavy and noisy. I wouldn't put too much credence on the speed and power claims, the i-zips are not noted for being particularly powerful, the 450W is probably a peak rating and is actually quite a low peak rating compared to others.

I'd also treat the seller with caution, it's unlikely they have everything on the website in stock.

If you want a bargain i-zip this post may be of interest.

 

[subevo]

thanks for the reply.i think the bargain you refer to is an old style shopper bike that 50cycles has.the one i refer to is a newish mountain bike style.i might just buy it and take a chance.if its crap i will post about it here.unless anyone convinces me otherwise.

 

[flecc]

I can't see that information on that link you've given subevo. All I arrive at when clicking the Izip link is a micro picture and no information on price or anything else. Also the small picture is not the £360 bike, it's of a much more expensive hub motor variant.

Shop around, the Izips from most suppliers are £349 and you might even find lower. You'll only get 18 mph straight after the battery is charged, within a few minutes it will settle to one or two mph slower as the first flush of charge voltage settles to the norm, so it's like many other bikes in that respect. For example, Sprint, Quando etc will do 18 mph straight off the charger but quickly settle to 16 mph or so. The Currie motor is a good hill climber, but in the heavy steel frame with lead acid batteries, it's hill climbing suffers a bit due to the weight.
.

 

[subevo]

unfortunately the link opens a very long page.its near the bottom on the left. click on "electric bikes unisex" which will bring up the range of bikes.

 

[flecc]

Thanks subevo, found it. It does look a bit smarter than the usual Izip and the weight for an SLA bike seems surprising at only 30 kilos. They do say net weight though, so it seems those two heavy batteries may not be included in that. Best to check, for if not, it's a really heavy one.
.

 

[subevo]

good point about the net weight flecc. i missed that. on that note ive decided against the izip and instead to buy the ezee liv .(A to B seem to rate it)it will arrive next week.if i dont like it maybe i can transfer the livs hub wheel to my lafree.do you think it will work?if my company decides to do the cycle to work scheme then i may buy something top end.i posted a review on the giant lafree ages ago but it has still not appeared.also where are all the liv owners reviews?

 

[flecc]

I think the Liv hub may be too wide for the Lafree forks, and of course it's a different voltage so you'd need both batteries. You should be happy with the complete Liv bike though, it's quite a bargain even at the latest price and pleasant to ride.

I've seen owners saying that they're happy with it, but perhaps you could review the Liv after getting some knowledge of it. I'll check with Russ on that Lafree review you did to find out what happened.
.

 

[flecc]

I checked with Russ on that missing Giant Lafree review you mentioned Subevo, and I think that if you use the link below, you'll now see it entered, it had somehow gone adrift in the system:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/articles/35/1/Giant-Lafree-Twist-Lite-Owner-Reviews/Page1.html

I noticed you mentioned in your review that your ideal bike would be the Tidal Force. I understand that Matra in France are manufacturing and marketing these now after buying all the rights, so it might still be feasible for you to scare yourself.
.