UM36 or Wisper 905e

[darrellt]

Hi ive been looking at e bikes for a while now have come down to these two. I work for a childrens charity ( kidsfirst check us out at hopecorner.co.uk) and do a lot of running around to visit kids, go to meetings etc and want to dispense with having to use the car.
I would like your opinions on the pros / cons of each bike, both are close on price and spec UM36 Glider Li-pol = £839.99 and Wisper 905 £849.00. If there are any owners of the two bikes please let me know what they are like to live with, after sales support etc.
I live in cheshire so a few hills but i want to use the bike for leasure to, dont laugh but i tow a buggy with the dog in when i go riding with my wife so it would need to cope with all that, thanks in advance for the help.

 

[flecc]

Hello Darrell, welcome to the forum. No one here will laugh at towing, I do loads of it and so do a number of us, some also carting their dogs around.

We've got owners of both UM36 and 905e bikes as members, so bear with us and I'm sure they'll pop up in due course.
.

 

[darrellt]

ezee liv

Thanks for the advice, i did look at the ezee liv and it does look like a very good e bike. Unfortunatly i had discount it due to the 28kg weight, we drive to europe in the summer and the bikes come with us, my Thule tow ball mounted cycle carrier would not take both my wifes and my own bike as there is a 45kg limit.

 

[slimtim]

hey! stop selling bikes and visit your own clinic please

NiMh batteries??

 

[HarryB]

hey! stop selling bikes and visit your own clinic please

I agree 100%

 

[darrellt]

Hi, that's 28kg with the battery is designed to be easily removed for transport and reduces the weight to around 23kg. So as long as your wife's bike comes in at less than 25kg, it'll be fine!
Tim

True, but we are both going for e bikes and i dont want to drive 1500 miles with the carrier at the limit so as i started with, its the Um36 or Wisper 905e unless 50 cycles want to do me stonkingly good deal on a Torque !! ( i do run a childrens charity wink wink), it will have to be on of the pre mentioned bikes.

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

Stonking good deal on a Torq?

True, but we are both going for e bikes and i dont want to drive 1500 miles with the carrier at the limit so as i started with, its the Um36 or Wisper 905e unless 50 cycles want to do me stonkingly good deal on a Torque !! ( i do run a childrens charity wink wink), it will have to be on of the pre mentioned bikes.

Hello Darrell:
If you want a "stonking good deal on a Torq" I am your man.
I have a used Torq for Sale:
One owner (me)
Bought July 2006.
£100 of upgrades: Alivio rear gear, 12 - 32 cassette, 44 chainwheel, Schwalbe marathon + Tyres 700 x 38, Switchable speed restriction.
Done about 500 miles (I now have a Sprint which is more suitable to my 77 years of age - never mind the street cred! )
I'll put in a nearly new Lithium Battery (june 2007 - when I bought the Sprint)
Asking £750.(that's £445 cheaper than new for a few miles on the clock and £545 cheaper if you count the upgrades).
Send me a PM or phone 01747 861 403 if you're interested. I live in Mere Wiltshire - right on the A303. It's worth a little inconvenience to both of us.
Peter

 

[Haku]

I have a UM36, I can't compare it to other ebikes as it's the only one I've had a go on (apart from a quick go on another Urban Mover model), really really like it, went for the li-pol option with the torque sensor which bought the price up to £899, the extra for the pedal torque sensor is very much worth it because it enables you to pedal at slow speeds, without the sensor the motor gives 100% when you start pedalling so you can find yourself speeding off when you only want to go slowly.

The UM36 doesn't come with a pannier rack or the standard mounting holes near the seatpost on the frame but that's no problem, I easily fitted the top bars by hooking them up to the seatpost bolt.

On the customer service side, my li-pol battery started losing it's capacity within 2 weeks of getting it so phoned up twice and each time nobody there with technical knowledge was there to help and was promised a phone call back, didn't get them so emailed Keith Chamberlain (the founder of the company) and asked for help as I'd met him in Jan when he invited me over to see the bikes at their main hq, he delt with the problem himself, lent me a li-ion battery in the meantime and my original battery was sorted out and everything's great.

Buying an Urban Mover was partly decided upon because their main hq is only ~15 miles away from me and I had met the founder who is a really nice guy, seems to be really enjoying his job even though he's quite busy. Looking forward to seeing what their fuel cell development produces.

 

[darrellt]

um36

Thanks for the feedback, a few teathing problems dont sound to bad. It could be more of an issue with me being a lot further than 15 miles away though !!. Any Wisper owners want to give there input that would be great.

 

[darrellt]

Hello Darrell:
If you want a "stonking good deal on a Torq" I am your man.
I have a used Torq for Sale:
One owner (me)
Bought July 2006.
£100 of upgrades: Alivio rear gear, 12 - 32 cassette, 44 chainwheel, Schwalbe marathon + Tyres 700 x 38, Switchable speed restriction.
Done about 500 miles (I now have a Sprint which is more suitable to my 77 years of age - never mind the street cred! )
I'll put in a nearly new Lithium Battery (june 2007 - when I bought the Sprint)
Asking £750.(that's £445 cheaper than new for a few miles on the clock and £545 cheaper if you count the upgrades).
Send me a PM or phone 01747 861 403 if you're interested. I live in Mere Wiltshire - right on the A303. It's worth a little inconvenience to both of us.
Peter

Ive sent a PM and thanks for your honest views

 

[ITSPETEINIT]

NiMH availability?

NiMh batteries??

You can't rush quality.
Peter

 

[slimtim]

test a Wisper...David's phone number enclosed

Wisper made me a very generous offer and I guess they would honour it for you. (I have yet to take it up there is little point until I have riden at least one other)

David said
" Hi Slimtim We would be happy to send you a bike to try, please give me a call to arrange. 01322 313650.

We are also opening a Wisper bike centre just off the M5 south of Birmingham later in the year it will be owned by on of our dealers and will include a private tarmac cycle path around our dealers farm that stretches for nearly four miles. The track will include some tough gradients as well as some nice flat straights and some bendy bits so you can really give the bike a going over.

Best regards David"

seems a nice company. All the feedback over the last few months is very positive apart from some niggles from a rival company. Good luck. Shouldn't worry too much about the weight limit there is bound o be a margin for error

 

[frank9755]

Darrell,

I don't own a Wisper but I had a try on one this afternoon. I was impressed.

Firstly I thought it looked better in real life than the pictures of it (I think it was the rear carrier that made it look more complete). The black colour looks cool in a 'stealth-bomber' sort of way. Secondly, it is very light for an electric. Even with the battery in, it was easy to lift (although with the centre of gravity to the back due to rear hub motor). When I rode it, I was impressed by the quietness of the motor; I could hardly hear it! I've got an old powerbyke, which sounds like a tractor in comparison, and I've tested a couple of the Ezee bikes (Torq and Quando) which I would say are definitely a little louder. One factor must be the rear motor being harder for a rider to hear.

The power was very smooth and the throttle quite sensitive, so I could use it at slow speed (eg to keep bike stable through traffic). There was plenty of power, too. Accelerated up the (moderate) hill I was testing it on no problem. Brakes felt very good.

I didn't get the riding position quite right. I put the seat up to ride it and could have done with the handlebars being higher. This needed an allen key so I didn't do it, but it looks like there is plenty of adjustment - both upwards and by angling the stem bracket up - so I think it would be ok.

I'm not looking to buy until November but this is bike is at or near the top of my current thinking list (even though the dealer said his favourite was the Urban Mover!)

Frank

 

[nigel]

Nigel

Hi frank
the wisper does seem the real deal its good to have some more competion other then the normal that we hear of all the time to me its the best on looks alone now with your postive road test and others it will be my next bike NIGEL

 

[JohnInStockie]

Hi Frank

What sort of adjustment was possible with the Wisper? I am 5' 11" and have long legs for my height, plus I want to be lower angled, not sit up and beg. Could adjustments be made to that level of detail (Ive heard that the frame is a very small 17" making it cramped)?

Thanks

John

 

[frank9755]

John,

It felt like it was just the right size frame for me. I'm 5'8'' with average leg length. I put the seat post up, not to the maximum. I don't know how much more there was, perhaps another inch? and I feel I had it half an inch higher than optimum for me.

It certainly had a low angled posture - the handlebars were well below my seat. You won't have any problem there; I could have done with them being higher.

The frame felt a decent length, and there was room to push the seat back an inch, if you have long arms.

Would that fit you? As always, I think you would need to try it.

Frank

 

[JohnInStockie]

Thanks for that Frank. I think your right, nothing beats trying one out.

 

[aaannndddyyy]

I have been riding the Wisper for the past month , the motor is very quiet on her own with no peddling she good for 15.5mph, with lite peddling the motor is still pulling at 17.5 mph with throttle wide open and peddles 20 mph with a little effort, I am 5`11 tall with the seat post up the bike fits fine , my longest trip to date 27.5miles in 1h 47m avg speed 15.34 mph my waight 85kg, bike 22kg with mudgardes lights lock and alarm. battery light still showing green with an 8 mph head wind for 8 of those miles, and 2h 48 mins to fully recharge the battery. My Daughter 5`6, 42 kg allso rides the Wisper, with her weight the bike flys, she allways has a smile on her face when shes riding, I am not shore if its the bike or me lagging behind huffing and puffing trying to keep up.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

New Forest

Hi Guys, thanks for all the nice comments!

If you want to try a Wisper 905e or a Power Cycle and hopefully the 50 Cycles range amongst others why not pop down to the New Forest next Sunday.

Alternatively we would be please to let you try one. (nobody has had one to try then sent it back so far!).

Best regards David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

More New Forest

Forgot to say, we should have a 200w 905Se there too, and our battery supplier has promised to make an appearance to answer any of your extreme battery questions.