New member intro, new Agattu owner

[robert44]

Hello everyone,
I'm a new member to the Forum, 64 yrs young, retired and have just purchased a Kalkhoff Agattu.
Very impressed by the Forum - lively and knowledgeable.

Although bought to replace my wife's Yamaha XPC - thought to be irrepareable (lack of spares) but now as good as ever - I'm now enjoying the Agattu.

So, a few beginner's questions please:-
1) The Shimano 7gear hub - 6th & 7th gears appear to be useless in that they are no higher than 5th? Anybody agree?
2) Any recommendations re cycle computers? I am more concerned about robustness as they all seem to have plenty of functions. Wired or wire-free? Good LCD visibility?
3) Flecc - enjoyed and impressed by your Agattu review, many thanks. When you did the battery range test, why did you not fully charge the battery then total mileage up when the battery was "flat"?

Any help would be appreciated, looking forward to future Forum exchanges.

 

[Erik]

Well Flecc did not do an actual range test, he made an estimate based on his experience with the LaFree and the indicated power left in the battery.

Sorry to point it out, but this part of the review is not up to his usual high standard.

Flecc should have put on a good pair of gloves and ridden the miles it would have taken to empty the battery.

With my hands and feet usually freezing in 9 degrees after about 20 miles or so, I already knew that I was never going to ride for 40 to 50 miles, so I'd already determined that I would assess the full range by accurate calculation.

A to B states a range between 26,7 and 47,6 miles

 

[flecc]

Hello Robert, welcome to the forum. On the charging issue, expert advice on lithium ion batteries is to charge at every opportunity for longest life, little and often rather than fully charge from empty. That's not so important on a well managed system like that, but at £305 per battery every little helps.

Your gear hub may need adjustment, since the top two gears are different and I don't think yours are engaging, though they are fairly close ratio. There's been a couple of these bikes come through like that and it seems that a batch of those Shimano Nexus hubs may have a problem on some of them.

It would be a good idea to ask a decent local bike shop to tweak the cable adjustment and give an opinion. If faulty you'll need to contact 50cycles about it.

I prefer wired cycle computers, and my best choice is the Cateye Velo 8. This has fast updating, meaning you don't need to wait after changing speed for the new speed to appear displayed, and it has all the usual functions, speed, trip recorder, overall mileage, overall time and trip time, average speed, clock, and rather useless on an e-bike, calories burnt!

Most good bike shops stock these.
.

 

[burncycle]

Added question here flecc.
Ive a Garmin Etrex which I use for walking and I use it to upload tracks and routes to my Fugawi software.
I suppose that the etrex can do everything that a cycle computer can do (and More..) ?
Although more expensive of course.

 

[flecc]

Well Flecc did not do an actual range test, he made an estimate based on his experience with the LaFree and the indicated power left in the battery.

Sorry to point it out, but this part of the review is not up to his usual high standard.

Flecc should have put on a good pair of gloves and ridden the miles it would have taken to empty the battery.



A to B states a range between 26,7 and 47,6 miles

I did have gloves on Erik, but it was still to cold!

However, my range was the more accurate, since A to B weren't fully charging the battery as I pointed out in this forum. They said there was no indication of full charge, other than all five LEDs lit. That was wrong. The charge should have been continued for well over an hour more until the 5 LEDs went out. Then and then only is the battery charged, and they were using the bike part charged throughout.

So my usual high standards were present and correct in discovering that, something neither the importer or A to B realised and their error printed in the first English handbook until I corrected it.

And by the way, the calculation (not estimate) was based on the Agattu's actual performance as I stated in the review, and not on the Lafree.
.

 

[flecc]

Added question here flecc.
Ive a Garmin Etrex which I use for walking and I use it to upload tracks and routes to my Fugawi software.
I suppose that the etrex can do everything that a cycle computer can do (and More..) ?
Although more expensive of course.

I imagine so Bob, but I've never used these. Possibly the complexity of operation against the instant readout of a cycle computer could make it inferior in practice.
.

 

[burncycle]

I find mine a fab bit of kit for £89.
Its waterproof and I can upload/download all my data to my route software and view it as a plot route showing all the inclines ive walked.

Its just going to become even more useful when I get my bike.

Adjustable display also !

 

[robert44]

Thank you Flecc for the advice.
I now see from other Forum exchanges that I am not alone in Shimano 6th & 7th gear problems. It looks as though I'll have to get back to 50cycles.
Regarding cycle computers, you've affirmed my own thoughts on going for wired rather than wire free.
Thanks again.

 

[robert44]

Flecc,
Have now charged my Agattu battery from 3LEDs to 5LEDs in 11/2hrs then carried on charging for the same period until all LEDs went out. This would indicate quite an increase in battery capacity?
The "5LED equates to fully charged" instruction is unchanged in the Kalkhoff / 50 cycles translated booklet. Presumeably, there's no reason why the battery should not be "filled to the brim"?

Having got 32 miles out of a 5LED full charge, it will be interesting to cover the same route on a "Flecc" charge!

 

[keithhazel]

Flecc,
Have now charged my Agattu battery from 3LEDs to 5LEDs in 11/2hrs then carried on charging for the same period until all LEDs went out. This would indicate quite an increase in battery capacity?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

have i mis-read this or did you actually charge it for 23 hours as you say ?

 

[flecc]

The "5LED equates to fully charged" instruction is unchanged in the Kalkhoff / 50 cycles translated booklet. Presumeably, there's no reason why the battery should not be "filled to the brim"?

Having got 32 miles out of a 5LED full charge, it will be interesting to cover the same route on a "Flecc" charge!

The amendment was in the form of a paper slip added to the handbook, so it sounds as though they are slipping up in including this.

It definitely should be charged until the 5 LEDs go out, and yes, your range will jump quite a bit now as that extra is quite considerable.

That's why the A to B ranges were all a bit short of mine, though they are normally much longer in their easy territory.
.

 

[robert44]

Flecc,
Have now charged my Agattu battery from 3LEDs to 5LEDs in 11/2hrs then carried on charging for the same period until all LEDs went out. This would indicate quite an increase in battery capacity?
------------------------------------------------------------------------

have i mis-read this or did you actually charge it for 23 hours as you say ?

Sorry Keithhazel,
Should read 1 1/2hrs i.e. one and a half hours.

 

[jimmyengland1000]

Any recommendations re cycle computers? I am more concerned about robustness as they all seem to have plenty of functions. Wired or wire-free? Good LCD visibility?

I suppose it all depends on what you want or need the device to do. I fitted a basic wired one to my bike. You calibrate it by inputting the wheel diameter, inculding the tyre, in mm. It shows speed, distance covered on the particular trip you're doing, total distance covered and the time of day. It has an easily read LED display which clicks off and can be kept in your pocket if you leave the bike somewhere. I got a car driver with a digital speedo to follow me and the speed is absolutely correct. I also have done measured mileages and the odometer is 100% accurate. I fitted it in about 15 minutes. Cost?? A mere £4

 

[keithhazel]

I got a car driver with a digital speedo to follow me and the speed is absolutely correct.
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i wondered about my speedo when had it fitted how i would know if it was correctly fitted so i would know if i had a problem of battery/bike if speed dropped...then on my way to g/f's one day i went a new way and went past one of these speed screen things that tell cars their speed and to slow down, as i approached it said "15"...so i knew it was correct.. ..i never knew then speed screen camera things did ALL speeds of ANY vehicles..

 

[richard]

Just a warning, I have a wireless cycle computer and if the WIFI is used next door I find my top speed is 75mph and my distance cycled has increased dramatically.
I am going back to wired.
Richard

 

[Ian]

Just a warning, I have a wireless cycle computer and if the WIFI is used next door I find my top speed is 75mph and my distance cycled has increased dramatically.
I am going back to wired.
Richard

I've had similar problems with wireless. Either that or somebody was borrowing my bike at night and doing many miles at impossible speeds.

 

[flecc]

I've had similar problems with wireless. Either that or somebody was borrowing my bike at night and doing many miles at impossible speeds.

Ditto. They always seem to suffer some form of additive interference and I'm a bit surprised they still have a place in the market.

Maybe its the "feel good" factor they give.
.

 

[Mandy]

Ditto. They always seem to suffer some form of additive interference and I'm a bit surprised they still have a place in the market.

Maybe its the "feel good" factor they give.
.

Hi Flecc, Richard and Ian

I too had a similar problem with a "Raleigh wireless" one bought for £26.00 for my SE. At the time I wanted to get one on that day and there was not much choice. However, when in the vicinity of my lap top and router Wifi set up, this one told me I was doing 70mph on my sofa!! lol!
I was going to take it back and get a refund but it suffered a little knock so no could do.
It still works fine but I had to keep it in the kitchen away from the Wifi to keep the data stored, apart from ODO which remained constant but I kind of went off it.

Anyway, I bought a "Cateye Strada Wireless" and no problems whatsoever with Wifi and love the slim small design which considering it's size has a large digital MPH display. It works on a simple rocker system and when touched at the base will activate the switch on the back, even with a cumbersome gloved hand.
I have it in black to match my SE (has to be colour co-ordinated, lol) and believe it come's in white and silver too?
It is rather pricey but I bought mine cheaper on Ebay but Cateye are a good make in cycle computers so I feel are worth the extra money

I also have a Halfords wireless one on my PowaByke and that too has no problems with Wifi but is rather ugly!

So therefore I think the wireless problem is down to the manufacturer and not the actual wireless computer and it would depend on which make you buy? I prefer wireless myself.

Regards

Mandy

 

[Citrus]

My wireless comp. is great

I have a VDO A8+ wireless bike computer. Has clock, trip, journey time, max speed, average speed, speedo (obviously), odometer. It has been great for 500 miles in some pretty wet weather. It hasn't suffered from any interference and hasn't missed a beat. I would recommend it.

 

[flecc]

I'd say the area has an influence too. Where I do much of my riding into and across the top of the North Downs there's a forest of masts and towers festooned with every aerial type carrying every form of communication known to man, plus some more. Not exactly a very clean environment to expect good operation.

Because it can happen to any radio device, I don't use them on a precautionary basis. One trouble is that if the interference results in less obvious reading differences, it might never be realised that it's happening.
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