I was lurking this site and others for a while researching bike choices to carry out eco-deliveries around North Norfolk and eventually opted for the Kalkhoff Pro Connect Disc bike. It seemed to have the qualities I was searching for: range, durability, long warranty, high power battery, while also including some rider effort - to get fit again and stave off death's evil tentacles!
I ordered online with no prior contact with 50cycles, paid 1895 all in, and received emails and a call within 48 hrs to confirm all was well and to inform me of the delivery date a couple of days later. Delivery was on time and everything was great - including easy assembly - barring a flimsy plastic bell which snapped off and was, I assume, damaged inside the box somehow.
I assembled, charged and tested the bike before submitting a workshop ticket on the 50cycles the next day, to report the broken bell - receiving an email a couple of days afterwards informing me that a new bell was on the way, no quibbles. The (better quality bell, metal this time) duly arrived and I fitted it in a few minutes.
The bike is superb. I really like the high quality fittings and parts, the alfine hub gears are a revelation in smoothness, brakes superb, forks comfortable, lights powerful and the bike feels solid and stable on the road. The motor is effectively silent (as any wind drowns out the slight whine).
I feel fitter already and have managed every hill on this part of the Norfolk Coast - and there are some decent hills up and down the cliff roads and up and down the inland heath roads. I never managed to ride up these hills before on an old mountain bike, even failing when standing on the pedals. But the pro connect gets me up them in a seated position, albeit dropping down to gears 1-3 at times with slow, but steady and easy, progress.
All I need to get now is anyone's recommendation for a trailer, for deliveries to our local retailers? I prefer a child trailer over a cargo trailer for 2 reasons - I have 2 little boys who will love trips in it, plus I feel that car drivers will give me a wider berth if they think I have children in the trailer (as opposed to chilli sauce!). The cheap Halfords trailers seem to have a good 2 child max weight of 44kg, but I worry about the durability - if anyone has experience of child trailers with a circa 100lbs max weight, which will fit onto the pro connect, please shout. My budget is around max 175, ideally less.
PS - not bothered about changing sprockets for more speed at this point, as I suspect that longer range and steady trailer hauling progress will be of more use to me/the bike for deliveries, than speed.
I ordered online with no prior contact with 50cycles, paid 1895 all in, and received emails and a call within 48 hrs to confirm all was well and to inform me of the delivery date a couple of days later. Delivery was on time and everything was great - including easy assembly - barring a flimsy plastic bell which snapped off and was, I assume, damaged inside the box somehow.
I assembled, charged and tested the bike before submitting a workshop ticket on the 50cycles the next day, to report the broken bell - receiving an email a couple of days afterwards informing me that a new bell was on the way, no quibbles. The (better quality bell, metal this time) duly arrived and I fitted it in a few minutes.
The bike is superb. I really like the high quality fittings and parts, the alfine hub gears are a revelation in smoothness, brakes superb, forks comfortable, lights powerful and the bike feels solid and stable on the road. The motor is effectively silent (as any wind drowns out the slight whine).
I feel fitter already and have managed every hill on this part of the Norfolk Coast - and there are some decent hills up and down the cliff roads and up and down the inland heath roads. I never managed to ride up these hills before on an old mountain bike, even failing when standing on the pedals. But the pro connect gets me up them in a seated position, albeit dropping down to gears 1-3 at times with slow, but steady and easy, progress.
All I need to get now is anyone's recommendation for a trailer, for deliveries to our local retailers? I prefer a child trailer over a cargo trailer for 2 reasons - I have 2 little boys who will love trips in it, plus I feel that car drivers will give me a wider berth if they think I have children in the trailer (as opposed to chilli sauce!). The cheap Halfords trailers seem to have a good 2 child max weight of 44kg, but I worry about the durability - if anyone has experience of child trailers with a circa 100lbs max weight, which will fit onto the pro connect, please shout. My budget is around max 175, ideally less.
PS - not bothered about changing sprockets for more speed at this point, as I suspect that longer range and steady trailer hauling progress will be of more use to me/the bike for deliveries, than speed.
