Hello all, I've recently been considering a Swytch conversion kit for one of my bikes. Looking for reviews etc led me to this site and I'm currently reading threads to see if there's a better alternative given the time it takes to get a Swytch kit and the dubious customer support I'm reading about.
I'd appreciate some suggestions of what alternatives might be out there. The bike I'd be converting is a Thorn Raven with a Rohloff rear hub, which is why I'm looking at a front wheel conversion. It's all steel tube and has a steel fork and 26" wheels. It's set up as a touring bike with pannier rack and bar bag, though the bar bag is on an extender because I have On-One Geoff handle bars. I'm 57 and while I'm very active, over the past few years I've become fairly unfit and have developed a knee issue so I'm not running these days. Cycling is a good option to try and rebuild some fitness.
However, I live on a farm in very hilly north Devon, you need to be fit just to go anywhere with our hills. I'm looking at the e-bike conversion so that I can get some assistance on hills while being able to turn it off when on the flat so I can work on my fitness but still make it up hills with assistance when needed to save getting off and walking. I also would like to use it for picking up shopping from the local town to save using the car sometimes but I don't currently because with the extra weight of shopping in the panniers it's just more than I can manage getting home up the hills.
Range wise, I think up to 30-40 miles max would be plenty for shopping and local days out as I wouldn't use the power all the time. When I've regained some fitness, I'd like to go back to doing some touring again so would just remove the battery and change out the front wheel for the one I currently have with a Schmitt dynohub to give me lights at night and charge my phone, so a kit that's modular and with easily removed parts is wanted.
I'm pretty capable mechanically, I built up my old triathlon bike from scratch components in the past, I'm renovating an old car and know electrics, having built amplifiers etc from components as well so I don't expect there to be anything I can't manage if I were to buy either a kit or individual parts. I have a pretty well equipped workshop on the farm.
So, any suggestions of kits that might fit the bill would be appreciated, along with personal opinions on the Swytch kit as well as I'm on their waiting list and so like the look of what they're offering, it's just the backup and order time that seems a bit worrying.
Many thanks, Jay.
I'd appreciate some suggestions of what alternatives might be out there. The bike I'd be converting is a Thorn Raven with a Rohloff rear hub, which is why I'm looking at a front wheel conversion. It's all steel tube and has a steel fork and 26" wheels. It's set up as a touring bike with pannier rack and bar bag, though the bar bag is on an extender because I have On-One Geoff handle bars. I'm 57 and while I'm very active, over the past few years I've become fairly unfit and have developed a knee issue so I'm not running these days. Cycling is a good option to try and rebuild some fitness.
However, I live on a farm in very hilly north Devon, you need to be fit just to go anywhere with our hills. I'm looking at the e-bike conversion so that I can get some assistance on hills while being able to turn it off when on the flat so I can work on my fitness but still make it up hills with assistance when needed to save getting off and walking. I also would like to use it for picking up shopping from the local town to save using the car sometimes but I don't currently because with the extra weight of shopping in the panniers it's just more than I can manage getting home up the hills.
Range wise, I think up to 30-40 miles max would be plenty for shopping and local days out as I wouldn't use the power all the time. When I've regained some fitness, I'd like to go back to doing some touring again so would just remove the battery and change out the front wheel for the one I currently have with a Schmitt dynohub to give me lights at night and charge my phone, so a kit that's modular and with easily removed parts is wanted.
I'm pretty capable mechanically, I built up my old triathlon bike from scratch components in the past, I'm renovating an old car and know electrics, having built amplifiers etc from components as well so I don't expect there to be anything I can't manage if I were to buy either a kit or individual parts. I have a pretty well equipped workshop on the farm.
So, any suggestions of kits that might fit the bill would be appreciated, along with personal opinions on the Swytch kit as well as I'm on their waiting list and so like the look of what they're offering, it's just the backup and order time that seems a bit worrying.
Many thanks, Jay.
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