Firstly, let me introduce myself. I'm 54 years old, relatively fit, from North West England, but have lived in Southern Spain for the last 10 years. Although I have a fairly decent Mountain Bike I have to admit to being a bit of a novice with the whole subject of cycling, and much of the terminology that I've read whilst researching on the various bike forums sails right over my head (component makes/models etc).
However, I made a recent decision to buy an Electric Mountain Bike because although the area that I live is stunning, it's very undulating. Having tried my friend's Specialised Turbo Levo MB I have to admit that I was left horrified that at 15mph the motor quit and I was on my own. What's more, he paid £7500 for this bike. Just as well I wasn't impressed as it was way out of my price league.
I wanted much more power and the choice of when and where I used that power. There were other things that I also wanted:
1. 1000w mid drive motor (preferably Bafang Ultra).
2. >20a/h battery.
3. Throttle.
4. Quality components and frame.
5. < £3000.
6. Aesthetically attractive.
7. On-road / off-road power switch (250w/1000w).
8. Direct from a Chinese Manufacturer in order to get the above for <£3000.
9. Excellent communication and customer service with the manufacturer.
I wasn't searching for very long when I came across a review by someone in the US who had just purchased an ebike by a company called Frey in China. He bought one of their bikes late last year and had started a thread on a US forum to document his experience (similar to what I am doing now).
Impressed with what I read, I made contact with the company to ask a few questions about the bike, and even though it was 9.30pm on a Friday night in China, the response was speedy, courteous and precise, and
this has been my experience with every question I have asked since.
The lady responsible for the excellent Customer Service at Frey is called Ivy, and it was her professionalism in regard to my enquiries that gave me the confidence to make my first ever purchase directly from China (via Alibaba).
So, a little bit about my experience ordering from China.
They sell their bikes through Alibaba, which I'd heard about but never used. I figured it was a little similar to our eBay. All my enquiries with Frey were made through Alibaba, and I have to say that so far I'm finding it really easy and clear. The messages back and fourth are all kept in one long conversation stream with an indicator to show when my messages had been read by Frey (Ivy)
When I decided to buy, Ivy sent me a link to an order payment. It was very straightforward and easy to complete.
The money was sent on Saturday afternoon 3rd Feb, and Ivy responded to inform me that the bike would be shipped early in the week before the factory closed for Chinese New Year (3 weeks).
Right now I am waiting for the bike to be delivered and I will update this thread when it arrives.
Here is a link to the thread that got me interested in the bike. It has more details about the components etc
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=91035
However, I made a recent decision to buy an Electric Mountain Bike because although the area that I live is stunning, it's very undulating. Having tried my friend's Specialised Turbo Levo MB I have to admit that I was left horrified that at 15mph the motor quit and I was on my own. What's more, he paid £7500 for this bike. Just as well I wasn't impressed as it was way out of my price league.
I wanted much more power and the choice of when and where I used that power. There were other things that I also wanted:
1. 1000w mid drive motor (preferably Bafang Ultra).
2. >20a/h battery.
3. Throttle.
4. Quality components and frame.
5. < £3000.
6. Aesthetically attractive.
7. On-road / off-road power switch (250w/1000w).
8. Direct from a Chinese Manufacturer in order to get the above for <£3000.
9. Excellent communication and customer service with the manufacturer.
I wasn't searching for very long when I came across a review by someone in the US who had just purchased an ebike by a company called Frey in China. He bought one of their bikes late last year and had started a thread on a US forum to document his experience (similar to what I am doing now).
Impressed with what I read, I made contact with the company to ask a few questions about the bike, and even though it was 9.30pm on a Friday night in China, the response was speedy, courteous and precise, and
this has been my experience with every question I have asked since.
The lady responsible for the excellent Customer Service at Frey is called Ivy, and it was her professionalism in regard to my enquiries that gave me the confidence to make my first ever purchase directly from China (via Alibaba).
So, a little bit about my experience ordering from China.
They sell their bikes through Alibaba, which I'd heard about but never used. I figured it was a little similar to our eBay. All my enquiries with Frey were made through Alibaba, and I have to say that so far I'm finding it really easy and clear. The messages back and fourth are all kept in one long conversation stream with an indicator to show when my messages had been read by Frey (Ivy)
When I decided to buy, Ivy sent me a link to an order payment. It was very straightforward and easy to complete.
The money was sent on Saturday afternoon 3rd Feb, and Ivy responded to inform me that the bike would be shipped early in the week before the factory closed for Chinese New Year (3 weeks).
Right now I am waiting for the bike to be delivered and I will update this thread when it arrives.
Here is a link to the thread that got me interested in the bike. It has more details about the components etc
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=91035
