Pendleton

[Eurydice]

Hi all

I’ve just seen an ebike in Halfords the Pendleton Somerby Electric Bike for £500.

Can anyone give any reviews or thoughts on it?

Thank you.
Kat

 

[soundwave]

its crap the end

 

[Rutland Cycling]

The Pendleton features a cheaper Bafang motor and a 300Wh battery. The battery is by a brand called Phylion which I cant say I've ever heard of so would imagine it uses cheap cells that will deteriorate over time.

I would recommend trying the bike out, it may be as much assistance as you require, but I would definitely try it out alongside a Bosch powered electric bike. The Bosch batteries only use premium cells so will last a lot longer and you will get a greater range from the bike.

It's definitely worth spending a little extra on a bike with quality parts if you are relying on it for commuting, or if you are doing long-distance trips.

 

[Sturmey]

Hi all

I’ve just seen an ebike in Halfords the Pendleton Somerby Electric Bike for £500.

Can anyone give any reviews or thoughts on it?

Thank you.
Kat

I bought one of these last November online and paid and collected at my local Halfords in the Black Friday sale for use by both myself and my daughter. The bike was at a good price and has a two year guarantee.
The bike has a classical appearance and certainly looks sturdy.
Since then, we have made about 15 journeys of perhaps 15 to 30 mile duration. On the highest power setting, the bike seems to run out of battery at about 26 miles.
I did notice that some rear spokes were loose and needed tightening, so I would recommend that you return bike for free six week check and get all spokes checked.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's all standard Chinese stuff, so easy to fix by anybody competent. They're normally pretty reliable, but like most electric bikes, OK in showers, but not recommended for very heavy rain and leaving outside in the rain.

Phylion batteries are probably the longest established brand of ebike batteries, so nothing to worry about there. What's more, they're very cheap and easy to replace.

 

[falmouthtony]

Hi Kat

I read through your other thread and I imagine you are totally bewildered by all the well meant responses.
In my opinion with electric bikes as a rule of thumb you do get what you pay for, and when on a very tight budget there will always be considerable compromises to be made regarding quality of components, ease of use, range and quality of battery etc.
If your budget is low I think you could do a lot worse than the Halfords deal.
You'll get a bike that will help you get out with the rest of the family.
It may not have a huge range and may not be the best hill climber out there.
But at least you can afford it. For the £250 you have left in your budget you could choose to buy a second battery in due course, if you feel comfortable with the bike, and need to go further.
Halfords may not be everyone's choice, but at least you'll have somewhere local to take it back to if you have problems, and a warranty if you need it.
If I were you, I'd ask them to let you try it out, and if it feels OK for you, go for it.
£500 is pretty cheap for an ebike purchased from a major high street retailer.
Just my two penn'orth.

 

[RobF]

Hi Kat

I read through your other thread and I imagine you are totally bewildered by all the well meant responses.
In my opinion with electric bikes as a rule of thumb you do get what you pay for, and when on a very tight budget there will always be considerable compromises to be made regarding quality of components, ease of use, range and quality of battery etc.
If your budget is low I think you could do a lot worse than the Halfords deal.
You'll get a bike that will help you get out with the rest of the family.
It may not have a huge range and may not be the best hill climber out there.
But at least you can afford it. For the £250 you have left in your budget you could choose to buy a second battery in due course, if you feel comfortable with the bike, and need to go further.
Halfords may not be everyone's choice, but at least you'll have somewhere local to take it back to if you have problems, and a warranty if you need it.
If I were you, I'd ask them to let you try it out, and if it feels OK for you, go for it.
£500 is pretty cheap for an ebike purchased from a major high street retailer.
Just my two penn'orth.

Agreed - you have to cut your cloth.

A trade member in this thread recommended trying a Bosch bike, a bit daft given the OP's budget would barely stretch to a Bosch battery.

I had an idle look at a Somerby in Halfords the other day.

No point in pretending it excited me, but given the OP's budget it could be a decent buy.

The Kudos Safari I recommended in her other thread is also worth a look.

Other than that, it would be no name ebay specials which I wouldn't want as a gift.

 

[Eurydice]

Thank you Rob, I’m still really undecided between the Pendleton and the Kudos Safari, what do you think of the Safari?

 

[Eurydice]

Thank you and you are correct. I’m super confused.

I went to Halfords and they are bringing in a Pendleton in my size next week for me to try

 

[soundwave]

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Ladies-Electric-Mountain-Bikes/Haibike-sDuro-HardLife-2.0-2018

 

[RobF]

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Ladies-Electric-Mountain-Bikes/Haibike-sDuro-HardLife-2.0-2018

Soundwave, the OP has a budget of £800.

There is no point in posting pics of £2,000 bikes.

 

[Eurydice]

Soundwave, the OP has a budget of £800.

There is no point in posting pics of £2,000 bikes.

I wish I had 2k but alas I don’t

 

[Eurydice]

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Ladies-Electric-Mountain-Bikes/Haibike-sDuro-HardLife-2.0-2018

Thank you but I don’t have two thousand pounds and I’m needing a step through.

It looks very shiny though

 

[RobF]

Thank you Rob, I’m still really undecided between the Pendleton and the Kudos Safari, what do you think of the Safari?

Both bikes are basic, with basic ebike bits.

No harm in that, they should both be easy to fix as observed earlier in the thread.

Kudos has a good name on here - the owner Dave is a member.

Service, should you need it, is likely to be good, and certainly any amount better than from a 'no name' retailer on ebay.

Halfords seem to vary, although I'm afraid none know very much about electric bikes.

 

[soundwave]

Soundwave, the OP has a budget of £800.

There is no point in posting pics of £2,000 bikes.

get a debt relief order and buy it on credit.

it got stolen lol

 

[Nealh]

The Safar's battery should have a longer lifespan ( need to check batteries age ) then the Pendleton's. Range will be comparable, lifepo though heavier will have more ability to maintain a steadier voltage through its range and due to it's higher amp output and ability will have much less sag.

For me I would be buying because of Kudos Daves reputation on here.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

For me, the decision comes down to who's going to service it in the future. If you have a Kudos dealer locally, then get the Safari, otherwise it's the Pendleton from Halfords.

The Safari is quite a heavy bike, mainly because of the LiFePO4 battery, but on the plus side, it has a nice strong motor, so probably better for heavier riders.

 

[Danidl]

As I see it , you need to be clear about what your needs are. If the bike is for leisure and limited use, then the Pendleton is fine.. I have been looking at it for my wife.It is a pretty machine , particularly the dark blue one, and well appointed. If you needed a robust reliable machine for commuting to work on a 10 mile each way , then it would not be fine and you might need to spend three times as much.
Service and repair from a reputable company is important, and it is not certain, but likely that halfords will be there into the future.
Bear in mind that your mechanical bike part is equivalent to a 160 quid bike, which uses non premium, but serviceable parts, and in a halfords there are people who will supply you with a bike which has been commissioned.. brakes and gears set correctly.

 

[Nealh]

For servicing the normal bike components any competent good LBS or mobile bike mechanic can do this, brakes , gears, wheel truing etc. The Safari has hub gears so will need oil changes at the required intervals in the future. I would trust a good LBS above Halfords.

 

[Danidl]

For servicing the normal bike components any competent good LBS or mobile bike mechanic can do this, brakes , gears, wheel truing etc. The Safari has hub gears so will need oil changes at the required intervals in the future. I would trust a good LBS above Halfords.

Fine, depends where you are.. I brought my old urbanmover for a hub motor wheel rebuild and and gears checkup and they did a fine job, luck of the draw perhaps. I had to supply the spokes ,but otherwise no problem.