Sports HQ 15% off weekend

[onmebike]

Might this be a wise purchase as a first electric bike - to dip a toe in the water, so to speak? Or would it be just be frustrating?

Obviously the quality is budget, but what about the performance?

Is the spread of gears adequate? I need to be able to get up a steepish hill.

Is it up to daily use?

I've only ridden the folder and performance didn't seem a problem. I'm 17 stone+ and live on a hill. I actually found it effortless to the point my legs couldn't keep up. Gearing can be easily improved by fitting a larger chainwheel, 52t-55t is ideal. The folder isn't as light as many but the quality of build is not an issue. Backup from Sporthq is very good and their money back promise if your not totally happy make's for a worry free purchase. If you did ever need to make a warranty claim that involve's returning the bike, they send a courier to collect, so no expense to you.
There has been a few minor issue's mainly with batteries which the vendor has replaced, but this seems pretty common across the whole ebike price spectrum.

 

[tangent]

Can anyone give me some details of the battery? I am considering getting one for my old Giant Lafree and wiring it up externally.

What is the Ah capacity?

How many cells are used? i.e. Is it really 24V or closer to 26V with 7 cells?

Does anyone have any information on the longevity?

How easy is it to get at the electrical contacts?

what are the dimensions?

 

[OTH]

Many thanks, onmebike. Am considering.

 

[tillson]

..........................................................

You never know, you just never know!

Found the replacement Cyclamatic battery, £220 from Sports HQ. There is no technical information about it though other than it is 24 volts.

 

[onmebike]

Can anyone give me some details of the battery? I am considering getting one for my old Giant Lafree and wiring it up externally.

What is the Ah capacity?

How many cells are used? i.e. Is it really 24V or closer to 26V with 7 cells?

Does anyone have any information on the longevity?

How easy is it to get at the electrical contacts?

what are the dimensions?

Oldtimer Dave is the person to ask, he has two folder's and a power plus but from what I remember the folder batteries are all labelled as 24volt 10.5ah Li-ion, so I assume they are 7 cell. They are produced by the Zhejiang Zhenlong Battery Company. The battery contacts are in the bottom end and are easily accessed.
Zhejiang Zhenlong Battery Co.,Ltd.

 

[Old Timer]

I've just re-read Old Timer's original post and realised the price is £339 and not £399. I thought £399 was an impressive bargain!

Does any forum member own one? I'm just curious to know if it is fitted with decent components. Motor, brakes gears etc. Also, are replacement batteries available and at what price?

I would have been tempted by this, just to mess around with. But I heard somewhere earlier this week that the average male spends over £55000 during a lifetime on items they don't want or need (females £45000). With that still resonating, unfortunately the bikes falls into this category, I don't need it even though it does appear to be an incredible deal. The damn Pro Connect is just too reliable.

Only £5,500

If you have a good MTB then the folder is good fun, nice and light and very easily manoeuvred around crowded areas and don`t forget it`s foldable.

 

[Old Timer]

Power Plus

My wife keeps her Power Plus in the back of our van for when we travel a bit further out and want to ride new venues. I asked her what bike she prefers out of her 36v Synergie Breeze and the 24VPower Plus and she marks them as similar. She likes the extra power of the Breeze on hills but much prefers the light and comfortable Power Plus for meandering around the country lanes. The Power Plus has a 17" frame which suits people of around my wifes height 5` 2" perfectly but can be stretched easily to fit your average male height of between 5`6"-5`10". In general she hasn`t had anything go wrong with the bike and really likes riding it. It`s not really a bike I would purchase for any distant commuting (5 mile each way should be fine) but then again I wouldn`t purchase a 24V bike for commuting anyway. If you are not built like the Green Giant and want a bit of fun and or have an infliction or illness that prevents you from enjoying your cycling then you will be amazed at the difference that little motor has on getting you around.When we go out in the van I use my Evans converted bike because (like the Power Plus) it`s light and easy to lift in and out of the van. It`s 36V alien conversion and Anne has no problem keeping up behind me.(she always makes me lead the way to find the potholes So! Power Plus is not the all out speed commuter for any distance IMHO but one heck of a lot of fun and a bargain at that give away price( I upped the size of Anne`s front chain ring BTW)

 

[Old Timer]

Folders

We have two of the Cyclamatic folders (to be honest now we use the van to transport our bikes we could have done without them)
I upped both front chain rings to 52T and that made a hell of a lot of difference to the on road speed and ridability.(remember we are used to riding fairly fast MTB E bikes ) so you might be happy with the lower gearing. We had a noise problem with Annes first one and Sports HQ sent a new bike and collected the old one within a week.
They are not really the weight that you would feel happy with if you were carrying them for any distance but at least they do fold up for storage and for transporting in your car. They have full mudguards and a decent carrier and the tyres are a decent heavy duty( no punctures on ours so far) and we live in puncturesville They drop down easily and reasemble easily but you will need a couple of bungies (I use velcro straps) to contain them when folded. They are not the most powerful E bikes around for sure but once rolling they go just fine. What I just love about them is the sheer ease of use they have, they are easy to get on and off of and because they have the appearance of a fold up fun bike you can ride them along the prom and no body takes any notice where as on my other MTB E bikes people see you as a threat. Adjusting the saddle for varying heights is no problem and the handlebars are nice and high which gives a typical relaxed ride. We live a fair distance from the nearest town so I wouldn`t in general ride my folder there but if we were a bit nearer I`d probably get much more use out of it because it would just be so easy to ride in and out of the shopping areas without having to find those elusive parking places.

So! not a distant commuter but more of a casual local fun bike giving(like the Power Plus) a lot of fun and assistance to anyone that is finding the going a bit tough on a standard bike.

 

[z0mb13e]

I have one on order, a power plus.

Mrs z0mb13e has said she will ride it too, so hopefully it will get more than occasional use.

Given that I only have the old VW Camper as a backup vehicle now, it is nice to know that I will have a backup bike for when the Whisper is under going maintainance. I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about the Whisper, it has been incredibly reliable, but on occasion I either have to wait for parts or I just don't have the time to do the work (or don't want to work in the freezing cold) in time for the next days commute.

Now I just need to sell the standard mountain bike and the BMX to make some space!

 

[Old Timer]

I have one on order, a power plus.

Mrs z0mb13e has said she will ride it too, so hopefully it will get more than occasional use.

Given that I only have the old VW Camper as a backup vehicle now, it is nice to know that I will have a backup bike for when the Whisper is under going maintainance. I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression about the Whisper, it has been incredibly reliable, but on occasion I either have to wait for parts or I just don't have the time to do the work (or don't want to work in the freezing cold) in time for the next days commute.

Now I just need to sell the standard mountain bike and the BMX to make some space!

Enjoy

Out of interest, of all the saddles I`ve tried on my wifes bikes she likes the power plus original the best, cheap it may be but it just seems to hit the spot( no pun intended

 

[z0mb13e]

Enjoy

Out of interest, of all the saddles I`ve tried on my wifes bikes she likes the power plus original the best, cheap it may be but it just seems to hit the spot( no pun intended

Thanks, I'm sure I will. And thanks for the heads up on the discount code.

I was all set to buy a brooks leather saddle for the Whisper but it turns out the original saddle is really comfy for me - set as far back as possible and pitched slightly down at the front. I hope the Cyclamatic saddle does the trick too...

 

[morphix]

Till midnight Sunday a 15% discount at Sports HQ by using the Code" CHRISTMAS "

Here are the bikes Electric Bikes - The Sports HQ and I make them £339 after discount and that has got to be quite some bargain when you consider that batteries can cost at least that amount.

Our Power Plus and both Folders are still going strong

Enjoy

Dave

Dave you're always first with the offers, before they're even public! Cheers

I think the folders are fantastic value for money at this price as a cheap second bike.. if you sign up with Topcashback you can get a further 10% off!!

 

[tillson]

Dave you're always first with the offers, before they're even public! Cheers

I think the folders are fantastic value for money at this price as a cheap second bike.. if you sign up with Topcashback you can get a further 10% off!!

That makes it £305. Incredible. Quidco are offering 8% too.

 

[z0mb13e]

My Cyclamatic Power Plus turned up yesterday and I have just come back from my first test ride.

For the money it is amazing! It's quick too which I wasn't expecting. Ok it doesn't take off like the Whisper does, but once it gets going it puts in a fair pace. I know that is a strange thing to say when they should all run at 15mph, but it does feel a little quicker than the Whisper. Possibly due to the battery being new (the Whisper battery is 16 months). I will try some comparrison runs with the GPS and see what comes back.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the hill climbing ability. Again I wasn't expecting miracles with the 24v battery, but it is very competent.

The frame feels very sturdy and looks quite nice too. The photos on thesportshq website don't do it justice. I thought it was going to be a nasty metalic paint, but it is a brushed metal lacquered finish. The rims look good and the tyres worked well in the snow. Infact the combination of the small frame with its low center of gravity and the tyres made it feel quite safe even when slipping about.

The derailuers work really well and are the ligthest gear changes I have ever had on a bike!

Things that let it down: Handle bars and grips are very cheap looking. The front forks are the same. The front v-brake isn't fantastic quality either but it stops well enough. On the rear is some sort of drum brake or is this the mystical roller brake I keep hearing about? It isn't fantastic but again, it does stop the bike and when both brakes are applied the bike will stop quickly.

The saddle is reasonably comfortable and the lever under the saddle to tilt the whole thing forward so you can remove the battery easily is a great idea. The only problem I found was there is no where other than the seat post, on which to mount a rear light which then fouls on the battery. I may put a rack and some proper mud guards on it which will solve that problem. I did think about putting the cyclamatic seat post on the Whisper for a little while, but I think the Whispers seat post suspension does a lot more work than I give it credit for!

Overall (again, for the money) it is a fantastic piece of kit and would be a good entry point for anyone not sure of what they want or are unable to try before buying.

 

[z0mb13e]

The Cyclamatic on its first outing...

 

[flecc]

On the rear is some sort of drum brake or is this the mystical roller brake I keep hearing about?

That'll be the Shimano roller brake, a bit weak but adequate for rear wheel use and needing almost no maintenance.

The saddle is reasonably comfortable and the lever under the saddle to tilt the whole thing forward so you can remove the battery easily is a great idea.

I believe I'm right in saying that there is only one manufacturer of that steel tilting seatpost, the same one is used
on all eZee models. It's main problems are that it's very heavy and the quality standard doesn't match a high end
e-bike, so manufacturers of other e-bike brands have hunted for an lighter alloy alternative without any success.
.

 

[tillson]

Thanks for the initial review. The photograph you have posted does make the bike appear more attractive than the advertisement picture.

Does the bike operate on throttle only? There is still an outside chance that I may yet be tempted by one of these.

 

[z0mb13e]

Hi tillson,

Yes it does run throttle only. But to be honest it doesn't feel like it has a lot of oomph (comapred to the Whisper) when used that way and I only found myself using the throttle when going slowly over ice. It can pull away from a standstill on throttle but it takes a while to get going.

 

[z0mb13e]

That'll be the Shimano roller brake, a bit weak but adequate for rear wheel use and needing almost no maintenance.

In that case I should have a while before I need to figure out how it works so I can fix it

Do you know how they are mounted on the hub motors? I was wondering if it could be swapped for a rear disc...

I believe I'm right in saying that there is only one manufacturer of that steel tilting seatpost, the same one is used
on all eZee models. It's main problems are that it's very heavy and the quality standard doesn't match a high end
e-bike, so manufacturers of other e-bike brands have hunted for an lighter alloy alternative without any success.
.

It didn't strike me as particularly heavy, but you are right, it would look out of place on a high end bike. I can imagine an alloy part fatiguing quite quickly under all that stress.

 

[Old Timer]

Well! I`m glad you are pleased with the new bike. I just told my wife you were happy and she said again that she loves riding hers and she puts it down to it being a lot lighter than our other bikes. Being able to run on throttle only or pedelec is good.
I`m not sure who makes the hub! are you?

Dave