OK, I did my first decent run on the Kudos Tourer today. 1st impressions are, I loved it. I live in a very hilly area in Central Scotland and was worried about the hills when I was searching for an E-bike. I chose the Kudos tourer for a couple of reasons: 1st it looks like a normal (to me) bike and 2nd it was a reasonable price, especially with £100 off if bought before their August opening day.
Mine is the one with the 9 speed dérailleur gears.
It arrived last week but due to working and then a monsoon last weekend I haven't been able to get out properly on it. Today was to be my day.
The bike seems well enough made but I don't know much/anything about bikes so I have nothing to compare it with
It doesn't have a throttle which I would have liked but to be fair, it doesn't need it, nor do I. I think if I had a throttle I'd just be lazy and use it on every flat piece of road.
I've made one change since I got it, I changed the saddle for a nice big fat gel seat I got in Asda. This saddle is wide and comfortable. (for me anyway) I've never been on the bike with the original, I just saw this saddle in Asda and thought, I'm having that.
OK to the nitty gritty now.
The bike goes well, is big enough for me and feels good on the road. It is easy to ride and going above the engine cut out speed on the flat roads is way too easy, which means I'm peddling it.
You don't really feel the motor cut out but you do feel it cut back in when you reach a hill and slow down. It comes in smooth like a big hand pushing you along
Today I did 18 miles up and down hills with about 2 miles on flat roads. On the flat roads I put it in 1st gear and peddled so slowly that the engine was doing all the work. The speedo was reading 16.1 mph at that point. I don't recommend doing that for long as I feel you really need some resistance when you're peddling. So I went into a higher gear and peddled, this resulted in a more comfy ride.
On flat roads in 9th gear it seems my comfortable cadence is above the motor speed so it's me doing the work, which can only be a good thing for me. That 18 miles used just one bar on the battery meter. I was on Power level 5 all the time, I don't believe in having 5 power levels and not using the top one all the time.
OK now it was time to return back to my home. Did I mention I lived in a hilly area?
From here on in it was uphill all nearly the way. 5 miles of hills The Kudos managed all the hills of varying gradients in anything from 7th gear to 2nd gear. The little motor whirring away merrily. On the 2nd gear hill I was working quite hard but if I had been non-powered, I'd have been waking slowly while pushing the bike up it.
I arrived home safe & sound and very happy with the bike.
I am however struggling to get the front brake adjusted to my satisfaction, it doesn't seem to stop me just slow me down. I popped into a small bike shop and the guy there adjusted it but I'm still not convinced it's right. I will look at it later.
Now about me: I'm 53 and totally unfit. I think after a few weeks on the bike, that 2nd gear hill will be a 3rd or 4th gear hill. I will let you all know.
In a couple of weeks I will report on THAT 2nd gear hill. Hopefully I will at least be in 3rd.
Mine is the one with the 9 speed dérailleur gears.
It arrived last week but due to working and then a monsoon last weekend I haven't been able to get out properly on it. Today was to be my day.
The bike seems well enough made but I don't know much/anything about bikes so I have nothing to compare it with
It doesn't have a throttle which I would have liked but to be fair, it doesn't need it, nor do I. I think if I had a throttle I'd just be lazy and use it on every flat piece of road.
I've made one change since I got it, I changed the saddle for a nice big fat gel seat I got in Asda. This saddle is wide and comfortable. (for me anyway) I've never been on the bike with the original, I just saw this saddle in Asda and thought, I'm having that.
OK to the nitty gritty now.
The bike goes well, is big enough for me and feels good on the road. It is easy to ride and going above the engine cut out speed on the flat roads is way too easy, which means I'm peddling it.
You don't really feel the motor cut out but you do feel it cut back in when you reach a hill and slow down. It comes in smooth like a big hand pushing you alongToday I did 18 miles up and down hills with about 2 miles on flat roads. On the flat roads I put it in 1st gear and peddled so slowly that the engine was doing all the work. The speedo was reading 16.1 mph at that point. I don't recommend doing that for long as I feel you really need some resistance when you're peddling. So I went into a higher gear and peddled, this resulted in a more comfy ride.
On flat roads in 9th gear it seems my comfortable cadence is above the motor speed so it's me doing the work, which can only be a good thing for me.
That 18 miles used just one bar on the battery meter. I was on Power level 5 all the time, I don't believe in having 5 power levels and not using the top one all the time. OK now it was time to return back to my home. Did I mention I lived in a hilly area?
From here on in it was uphill all nearly the way. 5 miles of hills The Kudos managed all the hills of varying gradients in anything from 7th gear to 2nd gear. The little motor whirring away merrily. On the 2nd gear hill I was working quite hard but if I had been non-powered, I'd have been waking slowly while pushing the bike up it.
I arrived home safe & sound and very happy with the bike.
I am however struggling to get the front brake adjusted to my satisfaction, it doesn't seem to stop me just slow me down. I popped into a small bike shop and the guy there adjusted it but I'm still not convinced it's right. I will look at it later.
Now about me: I'm 53 and totally unfit. I think after a few weeks on the bike, that 2nd gear hill will be a 3rd or 4th gear hill. I will let you all know.
In a couple of weeks I will report on THAT 2nd gear hill. Hopefully I will at least be in 3rd.
