The Last Wisper Sneak Preview of the year. 12kg Road Bike

[Nev]

stick a dongle on one and you will **** all over them for 20 miles anyway you should see the look on the face when a 20kg fs mtb blasts past them on the road

I know the chances of getting caught with a dongle are extremely small, but I wouldn't take the risk of using one. If your involved in a serious accident (doesn't have to be your fault) and the police find your bike has been modified then you could be in very serious trouble. The reward (being able to go really fast) is not worth the risk (big fine, bike confiscated maybe even prison sentence).

 

[Nev]

Someone who is ageing a bit, able to keep with the rest on the flat but beginning to suffer on the climbs, could find that e-assist just what's wanted. Cytronex have been in this "hil assist" roadie market successfully for a decade now so such customers obviously exist.
.

Good points flecc, I think that probably is the market they are likely to be looking at.

 

[soundwave]

I know the chances of getting caught with a dongle are extremely small, but I wouldn't take the risk of using one. If your involved in a serious accident (doesn't have to be your fault) and the police find your bike has been modified then you could be in very serious trouble. The reward (being able to go really fast) is not worth the risk (big fine, bike confiscated maybe even prison sentence).

none of the ppl i have ran over have complained about it they need to move faster

 

[Nev]

Amazing video, I don't think I travel that fast on my motor bike

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Artstu posted a youtube video on the Pinarello Nytro, a similarly equipped carbon road bike fitted with the Fazua kit. The tester's comments may have answered your question and are well worth watching.

http://pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/pinarello-nytro-e-bike-video-review.31140/

Thanks for that (and Artstu). I thought that was really good review in terms of what it could do and its purpose. The bloke hit the nail right on the head - several times.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

the Fazua hasn't got the torque of the Shimano E8000 Steps on the other Wisper E-MTBs.
BTW, David, would you have the e-mtbs in time to beat anti-dumping registration?

The EMTBs and road bikes come from Taiwan so are not effected. If ADT does come in we will probably move all our production there.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

the motor + gearbox weigh about the same (2.8KGs for the E8000), only the 500WH battery (2.65kgs) is heavier.
The Fazua gearbox: 1.31Kgs, motor 1.91kgs, battery 1.38kgs, total: 4.6kgs against 5.4kgs for the Steps E8000, 800g more but twice the battery capacity.
Size-wise, the Shimano battery is big but then the Fazua downtube also looks quite fat...

As you know, we are buying the E8000 from Shimano to fit to our eMTBs. If we felt it was appropriate to fit to our road bike of course we would have done so. On a road bike the E8000 would look completely out of place, the motor is not datachable and there is a weight advantage. It’s a completely different bike with completely different power needs.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Just a quick update on the Fazua motor. There is a free wheel device between the motor and the BB, the drag is the same with the motor in or out, they estimate it at around 5W.

 

[Nev]

There is a free wheel device between the motor and the BB, the drag is the same with the motor in or out, they estimate it at around 5W.

5W doesn't sound like much but I'm trying to get a handle on what 5W actually means. Let's say I was to do a particular hill climb in a certain period of time, and then add some weight to the bike and do the climb again. How much extra weight would I need to add to require an extra 5W of power to overcome the weight. Are we talking 0.5kg, 1kg, 5kg, 10kg etc. I have no idea, does anyone know?

 

[Nev]

I suppose a better way of asking the previous question, is what equivalent additional weight does a 5W drag have on a bike?

 

[flecc]

5W doesn't sound like much but I'm trying to get a handle on what 5W actually means. Let's say I was to do a particular hill climb in a certain period of time, and then add some weight to the bike and do the climb again. How much extra weight would I need to add to require an extra 5W of power to overcome the weight. Are we talking 0.5kg, 1kg, 5kg, 10kg etc. I have no idea, does anyone know?

Depends on the gradient, but back calculating from my own riding experience on throttle only, no pedalling, 1.3 kilos on a 10% gradient requires 5 watts.
.

 

[Artstu]

I suppose a better way of asking the previous question, is what equivalent additional weight does a 5W drag have on a bike?

not a lot, 5w of say 250w is 2% this video gives some perspective to additional weights.

 

[GLJoe]

Just a quick update on the Fazua motor. There is a free wheel device between the motor and the BB, the drag is the same with the motor in or out, they estimate it at around 5W.

Thanks for that info. Interesting. I guess 5W might just about be noticeable, but its probably less than having sub-optimal tyre pressures, or even changing tyre types, so in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't sound particularly 'draggy' at all!
I had a go on the Carbon Wildcat a few months ago. It was a very, VERY nice bike. Something tells me this one is also going to be a corker.
If only we could buy a USA version with a 20mph cutoff

 

[Nev]

not a lot, 5w of say 250w is 2%.

I don't think the drag makes much difference when the motor is assisting as you say its only 2%, I was thinking more about when you are going up a slight gradient with a bunch of average roadies.

Lets assume your going up a gradient with the group at 18 mph, the motor assist has cut off, so you have 5W drag to contend with plus your bike is around 4.5 to 5kg possibly more, heavier than all the other bike. To keep up with them you are going to have to put out a fair bit more power than they are, so if you can do that would you actually need an electric bike?

 

[Nev]

If only we could buy a USA version with a 20mph cutoff

I think this would be a game changer, although the difference between 15.5mph and 20mph does not sound very much. From my roadie cycling club days this would mean being able to keep up with the group and falling well behind.

 

[soundwave]

 

[flecc]

I don't think the drag makes much difference when the motor is assisting as you say its only 2%, I was thinking more about when you are going up a slight gradient with a bunch of average roadies.

Lets assume your going up a gradient with the group at 18 mph, the motor assist has cut off, so you have 5W drag to contend with plus your bike is around 4.5 to 5kg possibly more, heavier than all the other bike. To keep up with them you are going to have to put out a fair bit more power than they are, so if you can do that would you actually need an electric bike?

Not much of a gradient if the roadies are climbing at 18 mph! As you say, no point in an e-bike then.

Road bikes like these hill assist models will only come into their own when the gradients are such that they can beat or at least equal the unpowered roadies when climbing with power. From my experience of the best roadies including professionals who regularly ride the North Downs, that's hills from 10% upwards.
.

 

[GLJoe]

Soundwave wrote ...

28 min for a 10 miler eh? pretty good. Congrats.
I'm guessing that must be on a normal race bike? I remember being just about able to get under the 30 min for 10 mile time trials in my younger days as well. Trouble is .... the best club riders were doing it under 20 min

 

[soundwave]

28 min for a 10 miler eh? pretty good. Congrats.
I'm guessing that must be on a normal race bike? I remember being just about able to get under the 30 min for 10 mile time trials in my younger days as well. Trouble is .... the best club riders were doing it under 20 min

dongle

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thanks for that info. Interesting. I guess 5W might just about be noticeable, but its probably less than having sub-optimal tyre pressures, or even changing tyre types, so in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't sound particularly 'draggy' at all!
I had a go on the Carbon Wildcat a few months ago. It was a very, VERY nice bike. Something tells me this one is also going to be a corker.
If only we could buy a USA version with a 20mph cutoff

Thanks Joe! Jeremy and Andrew from my office are in the FOD this weekend in the mini enduro comp on carbon Wilcats, they will be against pros but should have a load of fun!

All the best, David