Orbea Katu E 10 LR 2017 - Electric Bike

[ncpdnc]

Hello Forum ,

I have been looking at the Orbea Katu E 10 LR 2017 - Electric Bike for a while now.

They have a code to save up to £300 to bring it down to £2,099 which in itself is ONLY 35% more than my annual commuting spend. What a sad state of affairs! Vote Labour whilst you are at it.

Anyways, here is the link.

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Orbea-Katu-E-10-LR-2017-Electric-Bike_95515.htm

May I ask if anyone has any input on the reliability, performance of the bike/tyre/battery/drive etc.

I am looking to use it for my daily commute 14 miles each way and worried if it might hold to that kind of treatment on North London roads which were designed by engineers who forgot bicycles exist. Comfort probably comes close second following reliability as I don't want to get too sweaty and worked up on my morning commute.

Thanks,

 

[soundwave]

have you had a go on one with the bosch motor ? as id not like to do 14 miles each way on that with the small wheels bigger ones roll better and more stable at speed.


you will also need to charge the batt at work as 28 miles will be cutting it close range wise but depends how fit you are.

 

[Gaz]

I'm with SW and think that's not the bike for a 14 mile commute.

Gaz

 

[ncpdnc]

have you had a go on one with the bosch motor ? as id not like to do 14 miles each way on that with the small wheels bigger ones roll better and more stable at speed.


you will also need to charge the batt at work as 28 miles will be cutting it close range wise but depends how fit you are.

Thank you
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I think that's something I was sceptical about too.

People using 16" tyres usually tell me the bikes are usually for shorter distances only.
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Reviews on this 20" seems to be a bit of both worlds. I haven't tried one myself yet.
I am not sure how it will hold up on 15.5 mph and derestricted regions beyond.

 

[soundwave]

you dont want to dongle a bike like that as with the right gearing i can hit over 30mph with the bosch motor tho this will also drop the range alot i get about 5 miles per bar on the flat with a 500w batt.

 

[ncpdnc]

5 miles per bar on the flat with a 500w batt.

Great. Thanks for the link.

When you say bars do you mean the 5 bars on the battery? Is that 25 miles for a full charge?
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30 mph seems pretty clean, decent and would be fabulous on cold morning rides!

 

[soundwave]

Great. Thanks for the link.

When you say bars do you mean the 5 bars on the battery? Is that 25 miles for a full charge?
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30 mph seems pretty clean, decent and would be fabulous on cold morning rides!

yes 5 bars but speed will depend on how fit you are with a dongle the faster the avg speed the less miles you will get a dongle removes the speed limit but dont give you extra power so the faster you go the less the motor will give but still use full power like going up a steep hill going 10mph.

only 1 shop will fit dongles and honer the warranty tho but i have never had a problem with my motor

 

[soundwave]

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Haibike-xDuro-HardSeven-4.0-2017?filter=12

 

[ncpdnc]

By the sound of it, it seems like you are having a lot of fun with Bosch drives.
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I am not certainly 100% fit but I like running. After every morning run my knees become jelly like for some reason and hence was looking for low effort commuting option that is also a healthy one.
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I would probably not derestrict it but will test ride these on flat/hill first.

 

[ncpdnc]

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Haibike-xDuro-HardSeven-4.0-2017?filter=12

Looks fantastic!

 

[soundwave]

 

[Electric Transport Shop]

The Haibike hard seven is definitely a good choice and you can now get 650b schwalbe marathon plus tyres to minimise punctures on your commute. We can also integrate lights for you so you can turn them on using the Yamaha display. Another good option although completely different to the Orbea you were considering is the Cube Cross Hybrid Pro with the Bosch CX motor. You can test ride these in North London.

 

[RobF]

An eMTB such as the Haibike is the last thing the OP wants for a commute in London.

A large wheel trekking spec bike would be much better, could be a Haibike or one of the many other brands which offer that style of bike.

However, I wouldn't rule out the Katu.

The balloon tyres are good for comfort and roll well enough.

The 20" wheels make the bike very chuckable, which is good - and great fun - when twisting and turning around traffic and the many other obstacles on a London commute.

It's London, so the commute won't be hilly for mile after mile which means the 400wh battery on the Katu will do the round trip.

 

[Danidl]

An eMTB such as the Haibike is the last thing the OP wants for a commute in London.

A large wheel trekking spec bike would be much better, could be a Haibike or one of the many other brands which offer that style of bike.

However, I wouldn't rule out the Katu.

The balloon tyres are good for comfort and roll well enough.

The 20" wheels make the bike very chuckable, which is good - and great fun - when twisting and turning around traffic and the many other obstacles on a London commute.

It's London, so the commute won't be hilly for mile after mile which means the 400wh battery on the Katu will do the round trip.

.. small wheels have a number of advantages in an urban setting. They are stronger, more robust, contain less inertia so better in stop go motion. The extra width of those wheels, while probably impacting range to an extent , make for a more comfortable ride. The smaller size makes the overall bike shorter ... No loss in a a busy street. The front basket means that your goods are infront of you therefore harder to pilfer.



I have seen this katu bike in a local bikeshop and other than I am already sorted, I would have been tempted. The mix of components is ideally suited for an urban area. The use of hub gears, which are more expensive than dereilliur types have the minor advantage, that they can be changed down while the bike is stationary. Traveling in a city, one might have to stop suddenly and being able to change down would be very useful.

 

[RobF]

Worth bearing in mind there is a new Katu front hub motor ebike.

Derailer gears aren't quite so handy on a commute, but it does give the Katu experience for 'only' £1,200.

https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/katu-e-50-lr-17

 

[ncpdnc]

This is fantastic, I have learned a lot.

 

[ncpdnc]

Worth bearing in mind there is a new Katu front hub motor ebike.

Derailer gears aren't quite so handy on a commute, but it does give the Katu experience for 'only' £1,200.

https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/katu-e-50-lr-17

It seems like that is their latest economical version. Thanks for the link.

I wonder how

• Ebikemotion control, Bafang G31 250W

Compare with,

• BOSCH Performance Line

And Battery @11.6 Ah for E50 and 13.4 Ah for E10.

Well, it is a grand less so there is that.

 

[RobF]

Derailer rather than hub gears.

Either will do the job, although hub gears are a bit handier in stop/start conditions because you can change at rest.

On t'other hand, it's an ebike so if you get marooned in a high gear, setting off in that gear is not such a problem.

The Bosch system is excellent, but there's no doubt they charge a premium for it.

It also rides a bit more like an ordinary bike, but for commuting purposes unless you are very into cycling, the difference in riding characteristics is unlikely to bother you.

The front basket on the Katu is quite wide, but that could be seen as a safety feature because it will discourage you from going for gaps in the traffic which is where most of the risk is.

My AVE MH7 is a 20" wheel ebike, very similar in design, and it is a brilliant tool for traffic.

My push bike, strange to relate, is a Katu.

Tremendous device for the short, mostly shopping, trips I do on it.

 

[Kendalian]

These are my comments to ncpdnc from another thread:

"I have got the E20 version (of the Katu) which has the Bosch Active line motor and 400whr battery. I have only done 100 miles with it as yet but very pleased with it so far. Too early to judge reliability but i'm not expecting serious problems with the Bosch system. The Kenda tyres seem good and do give a degree of suspension - minor roads up here are pretty bad in places, they also tend to be a bit hilly! The bike performs well, 20" wheels are not a problem - feels like a full sized bike to me (I had test ridden one prior to purchase) and is solidly built. I like the idea of the hub gears - derailleurs can certainly be a pain to set up and maintain at times.

On the up and down roads I have to contend with around here I did need to get used to the technique of changing gears and adjusting power level to get the best out of it. I have done 24 miles on one ride - would have gone to 30-35 miles I think (I am 62, 5'6" and 80kg). If you are doing a 28 mile round trip commute then the E10 sounds the better option with the 500whr battery - no need for a charge during the day.

To sum up I am totally happy with the bike so far, you need to find one and take it for a ride to see if it suits your needs."

Cheers

Kendalian

 

[ncpdnc]

Thank you!
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I see you have used 20" wheels before.
May I ask does it make any difference on puncture resistance?
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How easy are these to lets say repair the puncture,fill and go on a morning commute?
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Minor Roads here are not exactly friendly even for motor vehicles what with random pot holes and everything.