Newbies from Melksham (yet to buy)

[Malkers]

Greetings folks.

We're a couple both 50 and have got a bit lazy with our exercise last couple of years and put on a fair chunk of weight through our love of food and drink along with ownership of a pub and a brewery!

But, we live almost right alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal which is beautiful and you can literally travel for hours without roads.

Anyway I digress, hired a couple of ebikes on holiday in Gran Canaria and were hooked immediately, still got plenty of exercise but that joy of being able to bomb up a steep hill without absolutely knackering ourselves out!

So, we're on the lookout for a couple of bikes around £1000 each or thereabouts, it's practically impossible to find a good range of bikes around here in any shop let alone test ride one so we've hot a brick wall from that angle, even our big halfords only have 3.

We had decided to buy 2 the same Peugeot EC03-100 with different frame sizes and 14ah batteries as these appeared to tick all the boxes for us. Having found 3 websites showing stock and decent deals on them, all 3 were out of stock when I called them so for that reason Peugeot and the 3 dealers are on the blacklist so we are looking for something else.

One that has caught our eye is the Woosh Santana CD. We are both between 15 and 16 stone and fairly unfit, obviously planning to change that! She's 5 foot 6, I'm 6 foot!

Go ahead, give us your opinion on the above bike or an alternative. I know you'll tell us to test everything but we really haven't got the time to go chasing around the country and probably still wouldn't know if they'd work for us anyhow!

Cheers beers
Malc

 

[D8ve]

Bristol isn't far. You can visit for some test rides and explore other options.
Woosh have been a best budget but her in the past. Not sure what's currently the best alternative ( whisper spring to mind)

 

[Malkers]

Where in Bristol Dave, we jumped on a train to Bristol a couple of weeks ago to visit Evans having seen the massive amount of ebikes they sell, got there to find 2 types hidden out of sight and a pair of disinterested employees. We walked out and ended up having a drink or 7

 

[Woosh]

hello Malc,

The Santana CD would do the job for sure.
The other bikes to look at are the Woosh Crusa and the Big Bear LS.
Both are very comfortable to ride and excellent hill climbers.

Crusa:http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?crusa
Big Bear LS: http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbear-ls

If you have any question, just ask.

 

[Malkers]

Thanks, already discounted the Crusa as no suspension and these towpaths can be quite bumpy. Also really want the bigger battery so we can do a 2 day trip with an overnight stop.

What are the pros and cons between the big bear and the Santana?

 

[Woosh]

What are the pros and cons between the big bear and the Santana?

The Big Bear is a bit like a motorbike, you select a gear to suit your cadence, usually 5, 6 or 7 then never have to shift gears. You pedal as much as you like, even not at all. The BPM motor on it will pull you up any hill.
The Santana CD is a crank driven bike, the motor rotates the chain ring. There is a clutch inside the bottom bracket, you can pedal with the motor assisting or pedal backward if you like, while the motor rotates the ring forward. Because the motor goes through the chain, the torque will change depending on the gear you select.
Range wise, both give about the same range, 45-50 miles. The battery is the same 15AH for both.
Both have a comfortable sit back and beg riding position. I'd say if you like relaxed style, then it's the Bear, if you like more sporty, then the Santana CD would suit better.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Where in Bristol Dave, we jumped on a train to Bristol a couple of weeks ago to visit Evans having seen the massive amount of ebikes they sell, got there to find 2 types hidden out of sight and a pair of disinterested employees. We walked out and ended up having a drink or 7

Atmosphere Electric bikes will look after you, they have a great selection of bikes near Park Street. http://www.electricbikes.org.uk/bikes-for-sale/wisper/ It's always best to try a selection of bikes before you buy. And always buy locally if possible. Don't forget you will need to get your bikes regularly serviced.

All the best, David

 

[Malkers]

Decisions decisions. Wisper looks good but a bit more than we wanted to spend!

 

[JuicyBike]

Decisions decisions. Wisper looks good but a bit more than we wanted to spend!

Atmosphere also stock other brands and are one of the most experienced specialist retailers in the country. I'd recommend a visit there if you live near Bristol.