Prototype / ex demo / ex display, end of season sale.

EddiePJ

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 7, 2013
4,632
4,013
Crowborough, East Sussex
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Out dated wheel size, cable operated brakes, zero component spec or brand of components used, no bike weight, all of which set alarm bells ringing and automatically make the bike overpriced by £500.00 and that perhaps is being kind.

For just £50.00 more, you can a get a branded eMTB, with 5 year warranty on the frame, 2 year warranty on all other parts, branded components throughout including wheels and tyres, 27.5 wheel size, full factory support, and nationwide dealerships.

Send a bike down to me to review, and I'd happily take it over some of my regular proven and recorded riding routes for comparison purposes. It would then not only test the bikes claimed use of "hitting the trails hard" but would also test the bikes claimed range. I tend to think that it would cope with neither terrain or range.

The first route would be ideal for testing the bikes range. Ridden just last weekend, it is a non taxing 34.7 miles of undulating grass and woodland, with a mere 3,773ft of elevation gain. Ridden using a Bosch powered bike with one battery. It would prove an ideal comparison as the Ibex should take the ride in it's stride with it's claimed 35-50 mile range capability, and it's ability to "iron out the hills, and fly down the hills".

 
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Andy88

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 6, 2016
747
135
69
Ayrshire


Out dated wheel size, no component spec or bike weight, set alarm bells ringing and automatically make the bike overpriced by £500.00

As for "hitting the trails hard" etc.:D


Send a bike down to me to review, and I'd happily take it over some of my regular proven and recorded riding routes for comparison purposes. It would then not only test the bikes claimed use, but also test the bikes claimed range. I tend to think that it would cope with neither terrain or range.
Yep, you got it, a quick look can defy reality.

If you shop around you can find the below model with TWO year warranty for a similar price, I know where my money would go.

CUBE CROSS HYBRID PRO ALLROAD 400 : BLACK TRAP 2017

 
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Steve UKLSRA

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 29, 2015
318
293
Porthmadog
www.ukbusas.org
For that kind of money, you can build a top spec'd MTB with BBS01/2...none of ours come close to that pricepoint and they all run Hope brakes, top class wheels/tyres, XT or XTR drivechains, Fox suspension front & back...I guess if you're charging £50 an hour for build-labour you could justify the cost, but I just don't see it in the final product...IMHO of course:)
 
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Andy88

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 6, 2016
747
135
69
Ayrshire
For that kind of money, you can build a top spec'd MTB with BBS01/2...none of ours come close to that pricepoint and they all run Hope brakes, top class wheels/tyres, XT or XTR drivechains, Fox suspension front & back...I guess if you're charging £50 an hour for build-labour you could justify the cost, but I just don't see it in the final product...IMHO of course:)
I couldn't agree more Steve, I'm a novice but quickly seeing where the value is.

The way I see it is a reasonable quality hybrid from a major brand can be picked up for £425 or less if ex demo etc. A BBS01 kit with battery £675 pencil in a few incidentals and build labor then under £1300.

Are you a commercial bike converter?
 

Rohloffboy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 1, 2015
315
125
64
North West.
yep give it time, I am sure one of the big boys will be adding the Bafang Max Drive to there range, the marketing folk like nothing better than price points so that they can tap into any demographic.

I have said it before, but Ebikes running the Bafang Max Drive, will become the Skoda brand of the ebike world.
 

Steve UKLSRA

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 29, 2015
318
293
Porthmadog
www.ukbusas.org
Are you a commercial bike converter?
No Andy...I'm an ex-forces WO Aeronautical Engineer who went back to Uni in 1990 to get a Masters in Automotive Engineering. I've been building roundy-roundy and Land Speed Racing bikes for nearly 40 years and decided to turn my attention to ebikes after owning a Bosch motored Haibike and realising it was sadly lacking in a few departments, compared with the "normal" bikes we'd already built (I still compete with three Hayabusas: a turbo 250Bhp street-legal sleeper, a full-fat turbo 560Bhp carbon bodied streamliner and a normally aspirated street legal 1551cc big-bore...all home built)

There's over 20 "eMTBs" knocking around various parts of the UK that I've put together (not counting our own 7) and I've got orders for another 5 waiting in the wings, all full suspension and all needing top-spec parts...We're moving house just after Xmas to an old farm with an 88 square metre, 2-storey, workshop where I will be starting a business building/renting/repairing ebikes, normal MTBs and motorbikes (I'm not retiring, just winding down lol)...So, if you ask that question in 2017 I guess the answer will be yes :D
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,837
6,481
560Bhp carbon bodied streamliner.

how fast does it go 60 more than bub ;)
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,837
6,481

man thats a trike lol what you want is two one each side and a fat ass back wheel ;)


or chop the wings off one off them and put 2 wheels on it now thats an idea ;)
 
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Steve UKLSRA

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 29, 2015
318
293
Porthmadog
www.ukbusas.org
That's Pete Williams, one of our racing buddies...he hand beat all the aluminium panels for his two-faced Hayabusa and has been building the jet-bike in his shed for a few years now:cool:
 

EddiePJ

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 7, 2013
4,632
4,013
Crowborough, East Sussex
www.facebook.com


Out dated wheel size, cable operated brakes, zero component spec or brand of components used, no bike weight, all of which set alarm bells ringing and automatically make the bike overpriced by £500.00 and that perhaps is being kind.

For just £50.00 more, you can a get a branded eMTB, with 5 year warranty on the frame, 2 year warranty on all other parts, branded components throughout including wheels and tyres, 27.5 wheel size, full factory support, and nationwide dealerships.

Send a bike down to me to review, and I'd happily take it over some of my regular proven and recorded riding routes for comparison purposes. It would then not only test the bikes claimed use of "hitting the trails hard" but would also test the bikes claimed range. I tend to think that it would cope with neither terrain or range.

The first route would be ideal for testing the bikes range. Ridden just last weekend, it is a non taxing 34.7 miles of undulating grass and woodland, with a mere 3,773ft of elevation gain. Ridden using a Bosch powered bike with one battery. It would prove an ideal comparison as the Ibex should take the ride in it's stride with it's claimed 35-50 mile range capability, and it's ability to "iron out the hills, and fly down the hills".


Given the lack of response, I guess that the bike clearly doesn't stand up to the wild claims that are made in the sales spiel.

Somehow I am not at all surprised, which is a shame as it would have proved an interesting review to have carried out.



.
 
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tommie

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 13, 2013
1,760
600
Co. Down, N. Ireland, U.K.


Out dated wheel size, cable operated brakes, zero component spec or brand of components used, no bike weight, all of which set alarm bells ringing and automatically make the bike overpriced by £500.00 and that perhaps is being kind.

For just £50.00 more, you can a get a branded eMTB, with 5 year warranty on the frame, 2 year warranty on all other parts, branded components throughout including wheels and tyres, 27.5 wheel size, full factory support, and nationwide dealerships.

Send a bike down to me to review, and I'd happily take it over some of my regular proven and recorded riding routes for comparison purposes. It would then not only test the bikes claimed use of "hitting the trails hard" but would also test the bikes claimed range. I tend to think that it would cope with neither terrain or range.

The first route would be ideal for testing the bikes range. Ridden just last weekend, it is a non taxing 34.7 miles of undulating grass and woodland, with a mere 3,773ft of elevation gain. Ridden using a Bosch powered bike with one battery. It would prove an ideal comparison as the Ibex should take the ride in it's stride with it's claimed 35-50 mile range capability, and it's ability to "iron out the hills, and fly down the hills".

My goodness, Bosch must have come a long way since they were humiliated by the Bafang MaxDrive at Nuremberg?? o_O

http://www.ebikereviews.com.au/news/team-bafang-wins-the-24-hour-e-bike-race-at-the-nurburgring/

apparently the event was organised by Bosch, :)
 

Zack @ Byocycles

Official Trade Member
Nov 17, 2015
91
35
33
Havant
www.byocycles.co.uk
I wasn't going to bite, however since you asked so damn nicely!

Out dated wheel size, cable operated brakes, zero component spec or brand of components used, no bike weight, all of which set alarm bells ringing and automatically make the bike overpriced by £500.00 and that perhaps is being kind.
26" is one of the most common wheel sizes across the planet. It's been around the longest and provides a stronger wheel, than 27.5", 29". Perfect for an ebike application, where the added weight of the motor, battery, and normally less skilled riders demands a stronger wheel.

The bike features Shimano M315 hydraulic brakes, the sample we're selling off does have cable operated brakes, but this was changed when the test model was, well, tested and the brakes were found not to be good enough, it also uses Shimano Alivio 9 speed gears, Alivio front and rear hubs. The bike hasn't been weighed yet. The sample weighs in at 22kg, I fully expect the production model to be atleast half a kilogram lighter, if not more due to the better components used.

For just £50.00 more, you can a get a branded eMTB, with 5 year warranty on the frame, 2 year warranty on all other parts, branded components throughout including wheels and tyres, 27.5 wheel size, full factory support, and nationwide dealerships.
For £50 more you can get a bike with a Bosch motor, however, you also buy a motor that has substantial flaws, constant reported issues on this forum and others. A motor which more often than not has to be sent to Germany by the end user to be repaired.

Our bike has branded components throughout. 26" wheel size (see above) full manufacturer support from us, we're based in Havant near Portsmouth, have 3 members of technical staff, plus more if we need them from other areas of the company, including full trained electrical engineers who have over 50 years industry experience on call at a moments notice if we need them. We have every single part for nearly every bike we've ever sold. Which reminds me, I need to order some brake arms for the first ever folding bike we ever sold. We have a maximum 1 week wait if we run out of spares and full dealer backup nearly everywhere in the country, as well as Spain, Morroco, Denmark...our dealer list keeps on growing.

Send a bike down to me to review, and I'd happily take it over some of my regular proven and recorded riding routes for comparison purposes. It would then not only test the bikes claimed use of "hitting the trails hard" but would also test the bikes claimed range. I tend to think that it would cope with neither terrain or range.
No. Why? Because our bike has been tested. Thoroughly. I'm an ex bmx/4x racer (we're talking a good 10 years ago however!) I've broken all manner of frames and components. Snapped forks at the crown, literally rode bikes to death. I've hammered the Ibex off road at Queen Elizabeth, Stoughton DH, and also Peaslake. Crashed it, jumped it, wheelied it. It hasn't needed anything other than a chain, brake pads and a wheel true in over 1000 miles. The mileage is the maximum attainable mileage. I've achieved 36 miles on the lowest level of assistance, however at 17st, I am not the lightest! One of my colleagues achieved 50 miles, on road in and around Portsmouth, Havant...it's pretty flat, he weighs 9 stones. The other reason, is because you've taken an instant dislike to the bike. You don't like it because it's not Bosch driven, so it wouldn't be a fair test!

Here's me, riding the national 4x at UKBP, back in the day. They say it's like riding a bike...You never forget.

 

EddiePJ

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 7, 2013
4,632
4,013
Crowborough, East Sussex
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The other reason, is because you've taken an instant dislike to the bike. You don't like it because it's not Bosch driven, so it wouldn't be a fair test!

You are right in that I don't like the bike, I see it as being the best part of £700.00 over priced.

As for not liking it because it isn't using a Bosch motor unit and that it wouldn't be a fair test, is utter rubbish and you know it. You even make comparison to the Bosch motor unit within your marketing statement.

The Woosh Karoo didn't have a Bosch motor unit, the Pro connect didn't have a Bosch motor unit, the KTM eRaceP didn't have a Bosch motor unit, and I didn't own a KTM at that stage, and was still riding my Haibike that had a Bosch motor unit. I don't seem to recall any of those reviews not being a fair test.

You make comparisons, yet are not willing to allow your marketing statement of the bike range or use to be questioned. That tells me more than I need to know about the product.

Out of interest, what are your product return policies in the event of the Ibex not meeting range claims, being unsuitable for intended use or fit for purpose?
 
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Zack @ Byocycles

Official Trade Member
Nov 17, 2015
91
35
33
Havant
www.byocycles.co.uk
You are right in that I don't like the bike, I see it as being the best part of £700.00 over priced.

It was £500 overpriced earlier?


As for not liking it because it isn't using a Bosch motor unit and that it wouldn't be a fair test, is utter rubbish and you know it. You even make comparison to the Bosch motor unit within your marketing statement.

Yes, a factual comparison. 5Nm More torque.

Woosh don't use the Bosch motor unit, yet they had no issue sending out a bike to review, the BH didn't have a Bosch motor unit, and neither did the Panasonic hub driven eRace P or eStreetP. I didn't even own a KTM at that stage, yet KTM were willing to forward a bike to review

Why are all these companies willing to send you bikes to review?


You make comparisons, yet are not willing to allow your marketing statements to be questioned. That tells me more than I need to know about the product.

More than willing, and have answered every question you've asked as far as I can see.

Out of interest, what are your product return policies when it comes down to the Ibex being unsuitable for it's intended use or fit for purpose?
The bikes intended purpose is XC. For which it is more than capable. Byocycles don't sell new bikes direct, and probably never will.
 

flux

Pedelecer
Nov 28, 2016
27
10
48
scotland
Just taken delivery of the Tornado and first impressions are really good. Seems a solid built little machine and has quite a bit of torque. Great headlight on it too.
Only negative so far is the charge point and lock for the battery are in a right PITA location and they don't have a cover so i'm a bit worried water will get in over time.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,837
6,481