May 22, 20178 yr Hello everyone. I just signed up to the forum, it looks like there is lots of knowledgable cyclists here so I would like to ask some questions and hope some of you may have the answers. I bought an Oxygen S Cross CB bike last week, it will be delivered this week, well hopefully this week on Saturday, before it arrives I am wondering about changing the tyres I believe Kendra are the supplied tyres. I have looked at Schwalbe Energizer Plus touring tyres, the dealer said they can fit them, I am after something that performs well on the roads and is more puncture resistant than the Kendra tyres supplied with the Oyxgen bike. Would the Energizer Plus touring tyres be an upgrade to the Kendra tyres and how would they affect the riding of the bike on roads, there are many hills in the Scottish Borders and my legs are not what they used to be so I do not want to be struggling on the hills but I also do not want punctures when I am fifteen miles from home. The other thing which worries me with an e-bike is spokes bursting and rain getting into the electronic parts, what are people's experiences with this. Any information would be appreciated, if you need more info from me then just ask. Thanks.
May 23, 20178 yr Hi Mal, I use Schwalbe marathon plus. Getting on for 4000 miles and only one puncture which was a thorn that went through the whole tube to the rim, so not much chance there. As a road tyre they're great, good rolling resistance and grip seems OK for me. Some say that these plus slime tubes are as bomb proof as you can get. I've got an Ezee front hub, never had a problem with spokes. Give them a ping every so often, as part of your maintenance, and tighten any loose ones. Waterproofing - depends on what you're using the bike for. If you're commuting then it may need some serious attention, ACF50 is a good shout. Don't leave the bike out in the rain, make sure the cable, coming out of the hub , goes down first to form a drip loop. LCD displays can fog when rained on, wrap it in some cling film and stick it in a bag of dry rice when you get home. Battery shouldn't be a problem being in the frame. As a leisure cyclist I don't go out in the rain, however, if caught, I have a cape in my pannier which nicely covers all the handlebar gubbins. Good looking bike though, get out there and find your e bike grin:D
May 23, 20178 yr Been running energiser plus 700 x 35 since I swapped out the Kendas supplied straight away, haven't had a single puncture in over 2500 miles/9 months. They roll really well and offer great grip in both dry and wet. They are not bad over the gravel paths too. Only £12 each from SJS cycles, bargain. Just put another couple on her indoors new crossfire-e, this time went for the 700 x 38 to give her a little more comfort
May 23, 20178 yr Author Thanks Benjamin and egroover. This is just fun cycling for me, no main busy roads, I will be going around the backroad paths where the roads are narrower but a lot less busy, occasionally having to use a main road to get onto the country roads. I have paid almost £32 each tyre today, but they are also fitting them free of charge and delivering the bike fully made up with correct tyre pressures and a full check of spokes and battery charged, hopefully this weekend, I guess it all depends on the Error 22 message related to throttle, I was going to get the bike last week until that error message popped up. They are looking into weather sealants for me too, I will not cycle in heavy rain but we can often get showers in the UK and I have been assured the bike will be okay in such weather.
May 24, 20178 yr They are looking into weather sealants for me too, I will not cycle in heavy rain but we can often get showers in the UK and I have been assured the bike will be okay in such weather. I can't say I know anyone applying weather sealants to their throttle or LCD. the throttle is well insulated enough for riding in the rain but you need to dry your bike when you come home.
May 24, 20178 yr Author I can't say I know anyone applying weather sealants to their throttle or LCD. the throttle is well insulated enough for riding in the rain but you need to dry your bike when you come home. The LCD part worries me, sometimes the showers can be a right bucketful of heavy rain and if I was ten miles out in the country side I would have no shelter, I guess I will find out a lot when I actually get on the bike.
May 24, 20178 yr I just noticed that the LCD is now BigStone C600E and the brakes are Tektro Novela. http://www.oxygenbicycles.com/e-bikes/s-cross-cb
May 24, 20178 yr Author I just noticed that the LCD is now BigStone C600E and the brakes are Tektro Novela. http://www.oxygenbicycles.com/e-bikes/s-cross-cb Is that a good thing?
May 24, 20178 yr I notice Tesco are now selling ebikes with laods of clubcard point offers. https://www.tesco.com/direct/oxygen-s-cross-mountain-electric-emtb-bike-13ah-black/557-6764.prd?skuId=557-6764 Bit confusing though as its not clear on if the brakes are mech or hydraulic
May 24, 20178 yr Author I notice Tesco are now selling ebikes with laods of clubcard point offers. https://www.tesco.com/direct/oxygen-s-cross-mountain-electric-emtb-bike-13ah-black/557-6764.prd?skuId=557-6764 Bit confusing though as its not clear on if the brakes are mech or hydraulic They are mechanical on the one I am getting but the one you link to is hydraulic brakes, it has a better fork too but no mudguards or pannier rack.
May 25, 20178 yr I notice Tesco are now selling ebikes with laods of clubcard point offers. https://www.tesco.com/direct/oxygen-s-cross-mountain-electric-emtb-bike-13ah-black/557-6764.prd?skuId=557-6764 Bit confusing though as its not clear on if the brakes are mech or hydraulic That Tesco one is the MTB, which has hydraulic brakes, a cassette motor and knobbly tyres on 27.5" wheels. The city version has thin city tyres on 700C wheels, mudguards, rack, cable brakes and free-wheel motor.
May 25, 20178 yr Author That Tesco one is the MTB, which has hydraulic brakes, a cassette motor and knobbly tyres on 27.5" wheels. The city version has thin city tyres on 700C wheels, mudguards, rack, cable brakes and free-wheel motor. For just £100 more than the road one I am buying too, do you think it's worth that for better brakes and a better fork and a cassette motor instead of a freewheel motor ? I could probably have had Schwalbe tyres fitted and a pannier rack and mudguards fitted to it for not much more too. Gee, I might find myself undergoing buyers remorse at not going for the other bike.
May 25, 20178 yr For just £100 more than the road one I am buying too, do you think it's worth that for better brakes and a better fork and a cassette motor instead of a freewheel motor ? definitely. £100 what you pay for one and a half sensored hydraulic brakes alone.
May 25, 20178 yr The general handling and braking of the MTB are superb. The City version can't match thst, but I'd guess that it's slightly more efficient with the thinner tyres and forks.
May 25, 20178 yr Author definitely. £100 what you pay for one and a half sensored hydraulic brakes alone. I feel a little regret and I have not even received the new bike yet, that regret will probably fade once I get out onto the roads, the MTB looked the wrong type of bike for me as I want to go out on the country roads in the Scottish Borders and just enjoy cycling again, I needed a pannier rack and mudguards, I didn't think about getting them added afterwards. The general handling and braking of the MTB are superb. The City version can't match thst, but I'd guess that it's slightly more efficient with the thinner tyres and forks.
May 25, 20178 yr the MTB looked the wrong type of bike for me as I want to go out on the country roads in the Scottish Borders and just enjoy cycling again. Hmmm! You need an MTB to ride the roads and cycle paths around Telford. The roads must be better in the Scottish Borders then. It must be what's-her-face spending all our taxes on Scottish roads to stop you from voting for independence.
May 25, 20178 yr Hmmm! You need an MTB to ride the roads and cycle paths around Telford. The roads must be better in the Scottish Borders then. It must be what's-her-face spending all our taxes on Scottish roads to stop you from voting for independence. I pretty sure she's related to the Cranky's she a dead ringer.
May 25, 20178 yr Author Hmmm! You need an MTB to ride the roads and cycle paths around Telford. The roads must be better in the Scottish Borders then. It must be what's-her-face spending all our taxes on Scottish roads to stop you from voting for independence. The roads are absolute rubbish, that's why I am getting those Schwalbe Energizer Plus touring tyres put on the bike. I don't know where road tax goes but it sure isn't spent on the roads. P.S. They are spending that money on tax breaks for the rich and on all those spin doctors, certainly not on any UK roads I can tell ya that much lol
May 26, 20178 yr I feel a little regret and I have not even received the new bike yet, that regret will probably fade once I get out onto the roads, the MTB looked the wrong type of bike for me as I want to go out on the country roads in the Scottish Borders and just enjoy cycling again, I needed a pannier rack and mudguards, I didn't think about getting them added afterwards. Maybe if you are lucky, you could see try and change the order if it hasnt been sent out yet? I tried both a few weeks ago, and the MTB is definitely more suited to our crap British roads. Like you say though, it would be nice to have the mudguards and rack from the city bike fitted to the MTB as an option.
May 26, 20178 yr Author Maybe if you are lucky, you could see try and change the order if it hasnt been sent out yet? I tried both a few weeks ago, and the MTB is definitely more suited to our crap British roads. Like you say though, it would be nice to have the mudguards and rack from the city bike fitted to the MTB as an option. Too late to change the order now, the bike was sent to the shop over a week ago, once the new tyres are fitted it will be delivered. What makes the MTB better for the roads? Is it the superior suspension fork, the better brakes, more gears or something else, it looks pretty much the same as the road version except for a few different things.
May 26, 20178 yr I tried them both out, and the massive difference I felt was in the brakes. The hydraulics were way better than the mechanicals. I'd pay the extra for the brakes alone.
May 27, 20178 yr You can buy a used pair of hydraulic brakes on Ebay for about £40. It's about the easiest and most effective upgrade you can do to any e-bike that has cable disc brakes.
May 27, 20178 yr you should still prefer hydraulic brakes with built in sensor because of the overrun of the pedal assist system.
May 27, 20178 yr you should still prefer hydraulic brakes with built in sensor because of the overrun of the pedal assist system. Overrun isn't really a problem on modern bikes like the Oxygen. You don't get it on on yours do you?
May 27, 20178 yr I only use sensored brakes, you can continue to pedal while using the brakes to control the speed. Without sensors, you have to stop pedaling to cut out the motor.
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