Kalkhoff Image B27

Delivered from 50 Cycles on 16 May and used solely for commuting and the associated exercise (6.5. miles each way). I live near Lincoln and the route is mainly cycle path, some road in stop-start rush hour conditions (Lincoln's version of a rush hour) and one short but steep hill in the City itself.

First Impressions:

Appearance - Black and dark grey - almost 'sinister' looking, particularly when I add by black waterproof pannier.

Components - Well made with quality parts. A work colleague who is a triathlete and the owner of a competition standard road racing bike was expecting to disparage me when he heard I had bought an 'electric bike'. He was actually very impressed with the high end components. I had not realised it had Woods inner tubes but fortunately I have an adaptor. I will describe the battery and BIONX separately.

Performance - On the flat and without assist or head wind the cycle is quite a fast machine once up to speed. If the G2 console is accurate I am travelling at higher speeds than previously with my 'manual' bike. I am normally rather sedate but have found myself doing 20+ mph. Thank heavens it has disc brakes!

Battery and BIONX system - This is my first battery assist cycle and it is fun to ride. I have got used to the sensation of being pushed at the rear of the saddle. I like the G2 control console. It is simple and not particularly distracting to operate on the go.

Maybe I had too great an expectation of battery endurance but so far I have found it less than I had expected and a bit disappointing.

Despite charging according to the handbook the battery meter on the console only registers about 75% charge. I cannot get it to show a 100% charge and do not know whether this an issue with an inaccurate meter, something that will improve with time, or a fault with the battery. On my first trip to work I was alarmed to see the meter showed the battery was empty at about 8 miles of use despite being on assist for only a portion of those miles. I will concede the meter ran out while climbing the hill going home on maximum assist for about a minute or so. However, the battery continued assisting as necessary for the next 5 miles despite the meter reading. This has been my experience on every commute in the last week. Consequently, I am a little confused as to whether it is the battery or meter. When I get the time I plan to ride it until there is no power left.

I have emailed Jim at 50 Cycles requesting comment and advice and am awaiting a response.

Overall - a strong, well built and good looking bike that suits my purposes and is a fun and capable ride (although I need a little more convincing about the battery life).