Opinions Please.....?

[Cyclezee]

Thanks for the link.
Although we know there is no throttle in eu bikes but in the review they say "A further button gives‘push assist’ – low speed power (6 km/h or 4 mph) with no need to pedal". What was that about?

That is a walk assist mode as found on several bikes, as the description suggest it is only an aid to assist when pushing the bike whilst walking along side, not for use when riding.

 

[Scott clarke]

Indeed, but the good brand's warranties rescue that situation.

I won't mention the brand to save red faces, but one buyer of a well known make got on his new purchase only to find the frame down tube parting company with the bottom bracket due to his added weight. It had never been welded there.

The complete e-bike was immediately replaced.
.

Personally I wouldn't want to buy a bike when the seller has such a lack of faith in the product they are selling they only give 12 months warrenty on their product. Even the cheap chinese scooters now give 2 years in most cases and the sellers give 5 or even 7 years warrenty as long as they do the repairs and servicing so I don't think its Un reasonable for the UK sellers of imported e-bikes to do the same.

 

[Cyclezee]

Personally I wouldn't want to buy a bike when the seller has such a lack of faith in the product they are selling they only give 12 months warrenty on their product. Even the cheap chinese scooters now give 2 years in most cases and the sellers give 5 or even 7 years warrenty as long as they do the repairs and servicing so I don't think its Un reasonable for the UK sellers of imported e-bikes to do the same.

This may be an over simplification, but it comes down to the fact that that longer warranties cost businesses money, that cost is passed on to the customer by increasing the price of a product.
Therefore cheap bikes = short warranty.

 

[trex]

warranty = replacement parts + support.
the length of warranty is not the whole story, it's the support that counts.
Good support costs businesses typically in HR 5-10 times replacement parts.

 

[Scott clarke]

This may be an over simplification, but it comes down to the fact that that longer warranties cost businesses money, that cost is passed on to the customer by increasing the price of a product.
Therefore cheap bikes = short warranty.

Maybe it would be possible for more sellers to offer an extended warrenty purchased separately. or maybe a discount on parts that they could fit themselves. Im not a business man just a consumer but when cash is tight the extra peace of mind of either the option to purchase an extended warranty or discounted replacment parts could be what it takes to swing the sale in the favour of that seller rather than buying somewhere else..

 

[Scott clarke]

warranty = replacement parts + support.
the length of warranty is not the whole story, it's the support that counts.
Good support costs businesses typically in HR 5-10 times replacement parts.

But good support = good reputation= increase in sales so it may be profitable in the long run. Or maybe not im only speaking as a buyer not a seller so really don't have a clue lol

 

[trex]

that's very true, the best advertising is word of mouth. Businesses that invest in good training of their support staff will recoup staffing cost in reduced spending on advertising.

 

[Scott clarke]

that's very true, the best advertising is word of mouth. Businesses that invest in good training of their support staff will recoup staffing cost in reduced spending on advertising.

I agree TOTALY that word of mouth is far better than any other form of advertising. And I personally have found this forum great for just that reason.

 

[JohnCade]

Braking force is not the only factor for efficient braking. Control of the force is much more important and is what you get with hydraulic brakes. Secondly and also very important, is that hydraulic brakes require no adjustment, so they give consistent performance. Basically, you know that you can always rely on them to do their job in all conditions and in all circumstances.

Nearly everybody on this forum who has them says that they wouldn't go back to other types if they have the choice.

Rim brakes can be dangerous on an ebike. The higher speed and weight means that the rims wear much more quickly than on a normal bike. I've seen rims worn right through so that the tyre popped off. There's normally a wear line, but a lot of people don't know what that is. For a bike with a hub-motor, a worn rim is a real problem for most people.

With rim brakes you aren’t only comparing mechanical with hydraulic though. I’ve got hydraulic rim brakes which need little maintenance and are more powerful and progressive than mechanical V brakes and are more progressive and maintenance free than mechanical disks. The rims are very heavy duty machined ones with a deep wear line so should last a long time.

But given the choice between these Magura hydraulic rim brakes and hydraulic disks I would choose the disks. The Magura brakes while adequate for a heavy bike do not seem to me to be as powerful as good hydraulic disk brakes.

 

[LEBC Tom]

Can't you post them on the forum so we can all see them please

As requested:

 

[Scott clarke]

That's a nice looking bike for the price

 

[tapash]

That's a nice looking bike for the price

I agree. Its a really nice looking bike for the price. I like it too . But the thumb throttle on it is actually "walking assist" rather than a "Throttle". I would buy immediately if it would have full speed throttle.
But its Same as Ansmann!! I would prefer Ansmann component & warranty just because of peace of mind though.

 

[trex]

...
I would prefer Ansmann just because of peace of mind though.

why?
Comparing the £995 Ansmann F15 with the £599 Vita, the key characteristics are motor (120mm size), battery (9AH on F15, 10.4AH on Vita) and gearset (27 v 21) are very similar. The Vita is rear driving, meaning more fun, the F15 is front driving meaning more relaxed.
Support from Kudos is good, all the parts are widely available while you can't find Ansmann's parts from another source in the UK than Cyclezee.
Plus the price of the Vita is excellent. If you don't like the look of the mudguards, replace them with another pair for £10 - 1£15.
I'd save the cash and buy the Vita.

 

[Scott clarke]

why?
Comparing the £995 Ansmann F15 with the £599 Vita, the key characteristics are motor (120mm size), battery (9AH on F15, 10.4AH on Vita) and gearset (27 v 21) are very similar. The Vita is rear driving, meaning more fun, the F15 is front driving meaning more relaxed.
Support from Kudos is good, all the parts are widely available while you can't find Ansmann's parts from another source in the UK than Cyclezee.
Plus the price of the Vita is excellent. If you don't like the look of the mudguards, replace them with another pair for £10 - 1£15.
I'd save the cash and buy the Vita.

I would have to agree out of those two bikes the uno is in my opinion the better value machine for all the reasons you stated. It always helps when the seller is a valued member of the forum too as we already said reputation and word of mouth is the most valuable advertising and the seller obviously stands by the uno and I can see the appeal of this bike and its most certainly value for money.

 

[Cyclezee]

Support from Kudos is good, all the parts are widely available while you can't find Ansmann's parts from another source in the UK than Cyclezee.

Parts are also available from the importer, Ansmann UK, anything that is not in stock in the UK is shipped from Germany within 3 working days.

 

[Cyclezee]

There are a few on cyclezee website sub £1000. Didn't decide any particular one yet. My good guess is, any one of them would have similar features within same price range. But the one I liked is ANSMANN RS 26 ( 20kg) which is sold out now. I also spoke to ansmann directly today and idea I got from him is, its never gonna come back in stock, and ansmann stop producing bikes and they will concentrate more on motor and battery production. But they will still honour the warranty.

At this point of time 3 brands are in my list
1. Ansmann (FT 15, FC1 PLUS)
2. Fast4ward Peak (going to have a test ride soon)
3. Woosh (Sports CD, Zephyer-B)

The Ansmann RS26 is sold out, but we have the RS29 with 51cm frame.

 

[tapash]

The Ansmann RS26 is sold out, but we have the RS29 with 51cm frame.

Yes, I have noticed. But thats way off my budget unfortunately. Unless you are able to make a deal of £1000...

 

[Scott clarke]

The R29 is very nice just a wee bit over budget for me. Nice bike though and looks to be very high quality

 

[LEBC Tom]

Here's my demo bike which Ive had since June last year with road/park 'scars', I think she looks better without the mudguards.

 

[Scott clarke]

I agree the vita uno looks good without the crud catchers but they are a useful thing to have especially when they are free