Thinking of buying my first e bike, Wisper or Juicybike, any advice please?

[Sarah1]

I live in a village on the edge of the Peak District and I'm getting fed up with getting off and pushing my bike up the hills. I've heard good things about both Wisper and Juicybike from people I've bumped into on the Monsall trail near Bakewell. I like the Wisper 705 City (looks very serviceable but with some style) and the Juicybike Classic
(love the colours) any advice about what else to look for?

 

[Ultra Motor]

I live in a village on the edge of the Peak District and I'm getting fed up with getting off and pushing my bike up the hills. I've heard good things about both Wisper and Juicybike from people I've bumped into on the Monsall trail near Bakewell. I like the Wisper 705 City (looks very serviceable but with some style) and the Juicybike Classic
(love the colours) any advice about what else to look for?

Both companies will look after you. Just your choice of style and your budget...good luck

 

[eddieo]

There is a new Wisper 705 SEL which is really nice! It is just coming out and it has the dapush motor which has a bit more power and is a much higher spec bike.....

if you cant stretch to that the 705 SE is a very nice bike as well (my wife had one)

The best thing about wisper is the peace of mind they offer as support great when things go wrong

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Sarah,

If I may, I will jump in before some one else does and trot out out the old cliché, try before you buy, and then try again, as many as is feasible until you find one that suits you.

Do you have a budget in mind, that is always helpful when members are are trying to advise. You may already have noticed that traders like Mark above will even recommend products they don't sell, so you have come to the right place.

 

[Sarah1]

Thanks for that. I've had a look on their website, looks like I have to go to Crewe or Bolton to see one and hopefully get a test ride.

 

[wd0021089]

Hi Sarah,

It may be worth including the Tonaro range of bikes they are about the same price and I have to say they are excellent hill climbers.

 

[Sarah1]

My budget is around £1000 - I would prefer to stay under £1000 but could pay a bit more if I have to.

 

[steveindenmark]

My girlfriend Jannie has the Tonaro Compy and I have the Tonaro Enduro and they are both excellent going up hills....big hills.

What you do need to remember though is that all electric bikes are "Pedal assist" they are not electric mopeds. I ride 22 km to work every morning with a couple of hills that are a real test on my racing bike. My Tonaro Enduro makes the morning commute massively easier. It has the same motor as the Compy.

Phil at Powerpedals supplies the best customer service you could possibly want. I live in Denmark and have no doubt whatsoever that if I have a problem with the bikes that he will fix it one way or another.

Steve

 

[barrycoll]

Hi Sarah...

just to offer a quick 'thumbs up' for Juicy Bikes in Buxton....

as you live so close, the convenience of having someone on your doorstep that can get you up-and-running after any problems, is an enormous Plus...and Bob is just a nice bloke too!

I have just had my wifes' bike converted by Juicy Bikes, after which we had 3 days cycling around your area...my wife does not like hills, but had no problems cycling to Hartington from just outside Buxton, putting in just a little bit of effort on th hills, but with a big grin, as well

her bike would have ended up similarly powered to The Juicy Classic, so you should have no problems...

all the best, with whatever you decide..........Barry C.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Sarah,
The Wisper 705 SE was priced at £1424 on e-bikes direct website so looks like it is well over your £1000 budget,not sure of the price of the SEL. I noticed that hydraulic brakes are an option with the discs,I can recommend that option,we have found that cable operated disc brakes tend to stretch the cables especially if lots of braking on steep hills involved,cables work well with rim brakes as long as no off road muddy track riding intended.
The juicy classic at £789 is well within your budget and the spec looks good,the 6 gears could be a limitation if lots of low powered hill climbing intended.
I have found recently that many ladies prefer the Shimano Nexus internal hub gears,virtually maintenance free,simple gear changing(even when stationery),fully enclosed chaincover-it is argued that the change is slower but only a champion uphill rider would notice the difference.
hope that helps
Dave
Kudos Cycles

 

[bode]

I have found recently that many ladies prefer the Shimano Nexus internal hub gears,virtually maintenance free,simple gear changing(even when stationery),fully enclosed chaincover-it is argued that the change is slower but only a champion uphill rider would notice the difference.

Not just ladies! Always a derailleur-sceptic, since buying a second e-bike which is equipped with hub gears, I consider them perfect for many users, especially the fact that you do not have to think about changing down before you stop.

 

[flecc]

Yes, hub gears make more sense for most users. The higher efficiency of derailleurs is only really needed on out-and-out performance bikes when used in competition and is definitely unnecessary when assist power is available as on e-bikes.

Now that the latest hub gears from Shimano are so good, they could easily become the standard on most bikes. It's just a pity that rear hub motors rule them out, and for that purpose I'd like to see a bottom bracket integrated "hub" gear version. Now that Shimano has entered the e-bike motor market, perhaps we'll see that one day.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Flecc...your idea of a bottom bracket mounted hub gear would be excellent,if you could also include a hub drive motor as well that would surely answer all requirements-the engineering would be complex and need a company like Shimano to get it right. I did test a motor from China which was effectively a hub motor mounted into the crank-it worked ok but was very noisy and crude in it's operation-it needed development that this small chinese company had neither the expertise nor money to contemplate.
We have had such good sales on our Kudos 'Liberty' bike with it's 8-speed Nexus that I have changed the spec of our new Kudos'Eco' bike to only offer this bike with the Nexus hub.
Dave
Kudos Cycles

 

[bode]

It's just a pity that rear hub motors rule them out,

That is the main disadvantage. Having been used to a rear hub motor, I have found a front hub to be less good, occasionally spinning the front wheel on a gravel track, for instance, because most of the weight is at the rear.

 

[flecc]

Likewise Roger, which is why I've been stuck with derailleurs on my last two bikes due to a strong rear motor preference. Front hub motor wheelspin is an even bigger problem when towing a heavy load as I do at times. The Swizzbee had a solution in having a compact motor in the upper part of the rear frame triangle just outside the wheel, driving the left hand side of the rear wheel via a toothed belt. Of course, like the Currie side mounted motor, that made rear wheel removal all the more difficult.

 

[Graeme]

Coming Soon

The Torano Esprit with Hub gears and throttle.
The only weak link for me would be the V Brakes.
I believe the price is about £1300 delivered.

 

[funkylyn]

Coming Soon

The Torano Esprit with Hub gears and throttle.
The only weak link for me would be the V Brakes.
I believe the price is about £1300 delivered.

Due into Southampton docks 21st september.......I cannot wait !!

Lynda

 

[JuicyBike]

Hi Sarah and welcome to the forums.
Your original post asked for help choosing between a Juicy Bike and a Wisper, and you have given a budget of £1000, or thereabouts.

I can only comment on the Juicy Bikes of which I am very proud. I work with a great team in Buxton and this year we have been joined by a number of independent bike shops and specialist electric bike retailers around the country, which is reassuring for me. To reach our extremely reasonable prices I have to purchase a large number of bikes, and the good feedback we receive from customers and retailers alike provides me a great sense of relief!

But I am more interested in your feedback, particularly after trying a Wisper, when you come and try a Juicy Bike. In Buxton, Eco Republic is the main retail outlet for our bikes and you would be very welcome to come and try one for free. We always have demonstration bikes to try.

One important feature of both Wisper and Juicy: both are members of BEBA, the British Electric Bike Association. Checking their website will show both companies are committed to an excellent code of conduct.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Bob.
I cannot agree with you about BEBA,I find these trade type organisations tend to try to tell us all how to run our businesses and that is often uncompetitive....As far as quality is concerned I think the best guide is whether the cycle meets EN15194,I was involved with the testing of the Kudos King bike and the test is both thorough and extensive,BEBA appears to me a paper tiger organisation,I am finding as an individual company I am doing the work that BEBA should be doing-
1. Why is BEBA not pushing our government to sign up to EN15194,without this commitment it is allowing rebel importers to import bikes of dubious quality from Asia into the UK,sell these bikes dirt cheap with no spares support and then walk away from future responsibilities-these low quality importers are doing a lot of harm to the credibility of the e-bike industry.
2. Why is BEBA not organising events which display the advantages and benefits of electric bikes,I am finding Kudos is having to sell the concept of electric bikes before we present our bikes,there is still so much incorrect perceptions about these bikes which needs to be overcome-Kudos and Spencer Ivy were the only e-bike importers present at the recent Bridgestone Rally on the mall in London-between us we must have organised 1000 plus trial rides.
3. Why has BEBA not organised a national electric bike show,we are all having to go to the NEC Cycle show late September,but the NEC is a very expensive venue it alienates a lot of the smaller e-bike companies who cannot afford the costs- I am trying to organise another venue that we can all afford,the Tour de Presteigne is a good event but the location is difficult for many to access.
4. The chairman of BEBA is also the MD of Wisper Bikes,such a conflict of interest,hardly independent.
5. BEBA is openly against direct internet trading,this is clearly an attempt to defend the high margins enjoyed by some importers but the public are not fools they can see when they are not getting value for money-this is like King Canute trying tohold back the tide.
Dave
MD,Kudos Cycles.

When BEBA genuinely represents the interests of the e-bike industry and it's customers I will look at joining it but feel at this time Kudos and it's customers are best served by us remaining independent.

 

[JuicyBike]

Anyway, back to Sarah's question...