Opinion on AVE MH 7?
- Thread starter tapash
- Start date
Quality Bosch bike - a cut above the stuff you are looking at in your other thread.
I've done several 60 mile+ day rides on mine, it rides almost as well as a big wheel bike.
However, supply might be a problem.
AVE have had financial problems in recent years.
They look to be up and running again now, but I'm not aware of anyone in the UK with stock of the latest MH range:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.ave-bikes.de/&prev=search
Mine is the older Bosch motor version, like this one:
http://www.cyclingmadeeasy.co.uk/electric-bikes/ave/ave-mh-7/
Suits me because the battery is the same fit as my other Bosch batteries.
Speaking of which, the UK MH7s were supplied with the smaller 8ah battery.
That will be tight for the wife's 18 mile round trip, if conditions are averse and she's using lots of assistance.
On t'other hand, crank drive bikes have no throttle, they encourage you to pedal more, so can appear to be more economical on battery power.
The MH7 is a semi folder which means the handlebars flop down, as does the saddle, and the pedals fold.
But you are still left with a biggish package, albeit one with not many bits sticking out.
I've done several 60 mile+ day rides on mine, it rides almost as well as a big wheel bike.
However, supply might be a problem.
AVE have had financial problems in recent years.
They look to be up and running again now, but I'm not aware of anyone in the UK with stock of the latest MH range:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.ave-bikes.de/&prev=search
Mine is the older Bosch motor version, like this one:
http://www.cyclingmadeeasy.co.uk/electric-bikes/ave/ave-mh-7/
Suits me because the battery is the same fit as my other Bosch batteries.
Speaking of which, the UK MH7s were supplied with the smaller 8ah battery.
That will be tight for the wife's 18 mile round trip, if conditions are averse and she's using lots of assistance.
On t'other hand, crank drive bikes have no throttle, they encourage you to pedal more, so can appear to be more economical on battery power.
The MH7 is a semi folder which means the handlebars flop down, as does the saddle, and the pedals fold.
But you are still left with a biggish package, albeit one with not many bits sticking out.
Thank you RobF for your reply. In Fact I was considering buying it from cyclingmadeeasy link for £1500, which I thought its a bargain!!??.
I believe it would be a good investment + a good component bike + weight is under 20kg.
Re: Throttle, I thought if pedal assist can supply enough power so that at the end of cycling 10 miles you don't feel exhausted , probably throttle is not really not necessary then!!!???
On cycling made easy, the motor is like 3 years old system, does it really matter in performance?
Semi-Folding feature may be adjustable.... But with 8ah if it does not run for 18 miles a day then it doesn't really serves the purpose.
Do you have anything else in mind within similar price range, and better battery?
I believe it would be a good investment + a good component bike + weight is under 20kg.
Re: Throttle, I thought if pedal assist can supply enough power so that at the end of cycling 10 miles you don't feel exhausted , probably throttle is not really not necessary then!!!???
On cycling made easy, the motor is like 3 years old system, does it really matter in performance?
Semi-Folding feature may be adjustable.... But with 8ah if it does not run for 18 miles a day then it doesn't really serves the purpose.
Do you have anything else in mind within similar price range, and better battery?
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The motor will be fine, the new one is no different in performance, and some users don't like its small chain ring.
The price is fair, even though the bike is a few years old.
We are talking quality here.
Daily use commuting is hard on a bike.
The MH7 will do the job and continue to do the job long after the average £800 Chinese folder has fallen to pieces.
Much better riding experience as well.
The MH7 you are thinking of buying has the previous Bosch control system, which has more levels of assistance, but the buttons are fiddly if you want to use them all.
Each assistance group - eco, tour, sport and speed - has three levels.
Changing the group is a fiddle, but the levels are easy to change on thumb switches.
Simplest is to put it in sport before you set off and use the three levels.
Small wheels means the bike will climb anything.
The big question remains the battery.
Knowing Bosch bikes as I do, I would be content to take my MH7/8ah battery on an 18 mile round trip.
What we don't know - and what is crucial - is how much pedalling effort your wife can make.
The price is fair, even though the bike is a few years old.
We are talking quality here.
Daily use commuting is hard on a bike.
The MH7 will do the job and continue to do the job long after the average £800 Chinese folder has fallen to pieces.
Much better riding experience as well.
The MH7 you are thinking of buying has the previous Bosch control system, which has more levels of assistance, but the buttons are fiddly if you want to use them all.
Each assistance group - eco, tour, sport and speed - has three levels.
Changing the group is a fiddle, but the levels are easy to change on thumb switches.
Simplest is to put it in sport before you set off and use the three levels.
Small wheels means the bike will climb anything.
The big question remains the battery.
Knowing Bosch bikes as I do, I would be content to take my MH7/8ah battery on an 18 mile round trip.
What we don't know - and what is crucial - is how much pedalling effort your wife can make.
For my wife the main reason for moving from manual to ebike is to ease the overall peddling and have full energy at the end of the ride plus avoid the stress of pushing the bike.
Going faster naturally comes with ebike anyway.
So, In worse case scenario we have to consider she would need at least 60-70% pedal assist. How well MH7 8AH battery would handle with that?
Going faster naturally comes with ebike anyway.
So, In worse case scenario we have to consider she would need at least 60-70% pedal assist. How well MH7 8AH battery would handle with that?
Going faster doesn't always come naturally with a Bosch ebike because it is designed to ride as close to an ordinary bike as possible.
The more effort the rider puts in, the more effort the motor puts in.
I ride with a group of unpowered cyclists and bowl along at about 10mph most of the time, same as them.
What is the route for your wife?
Assuming it's not ridiculous hilly, she will be able to get a decent level of assistance for both legs of the journey from the 8ah battery.
In terms of pedalling, the ride will be like an ordinary bike, just easier.
So it's not quite true to say she will have to pedal all the time on a Bosch bike, because she will be able to freewheel at the same times as on an ordinary bike.
Don't under-estimate these intermittent short breaks.
It's why a head wind is so wearing - you have to push the pedals nearly all the time.
It's tempting to want a bike with a throttle, but the legal motors are not strong enough to provide progress on their own into a head wind.
Thus you still have to pedal, so you may as well let the motor's electronics deal with providing the electric power rather than you having to hold open a throttle.
The more effort the rider puts in, the more effort the motor puts in.
I ride with a group of unpowered cyclists and bowl along at about 10mph most of the time, same as them.
What is the route for your wife?
Assuming it's not ridiculous hilly, she will be able to get a decent level of assistance for both legs of the journey from the 8ah battery.
In terms of pedalling, the ride will be like an ordinary bike, just easier.
So it's not quite true to say she will have to pedal all the time on a Bosch bike, because she will be able to freewheel at the same times as on an ordinary bike.
Don't under-estimate these intermittent short breaks.
It's why a head wind is so wearing - you have to push the pedals nearly all the time.
It's tempting to want a bike with a throttle, but the legal motors are not strong enough to provide progress on their own into a head wind.
Thus you still have to pedal, so you may as well let the motor's electronics deal with providing the electric power rather than you having to hold open a throttle.
I am not sure I can agree with that view. The vast majority of commuter bikes are Chinese bikes, so you can't really compare. The quality of Chinese bikes does vary but usually, the bikes fall into pieces because of lack of simple routine maintenance, like keeping bolts and nuts tightened, rolling components greased etc, albeit a well designed bike doesn't let the cranks, bolts and nuts work loose or sand get into the bottom bracket in the first place. A typical example is the fork mounted front light, on the Kalkhoffs, you have an extra piece of plastic that absorbs vibration and keeps the light straight. Chinese bikes don't have this so their light can easily fall off. On the electrics, batteries and motors are just as durable. The MH7 does not have suspension nor throttle, not so good for long commutes.
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True, there's no suspension on the MH7, but it does have balloon tyres.
They do a reasonable job of providing some comfort.
Of course, those tyres would do the same job if fitted to another bike.
I was pleasantly surprised by the ride of the MH7 and would be more than happy to do a nine mile commute on it.
It appears to me to be better made and to have better quality longer lasting components than the Chinese bikes I've seen.
But so it should, even with a bit knocked off, it's twice the price.
They do a reasonable job of providing some comfort.
Of course, those tyres would do the same job if fitted to another bike.
I was pleasantly surprised by the ride of the MH7 and would be more than happy to do a nine mile commute on it.
It appears to me to be better made and to have better quality longer lasting components than the Chinese bikes I've seen.
But so it should, even with a bit knocked off, it's twice the price.
You should look at the state of most bikes at public bike stands. They aren't pretty but they still take you from A to B. As long as the electrics and brakes work, most people don't bother too much.
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