Which bike from a choice of 3??

[McCol]

Looking to buy my first electric bike and looking for some advice on which model to purchase. Ideally looking to purchase through cyclescheme which would give me £1000 and could top up to £1500.

The first 2 I was looking at were the Crossfire E from Halfords and the Gtech Bike both of which would have to be bought cash/card.
The third option is the Cube Cross Hybrid 400 which is £1500.

I used to cycle a fair bit but stopped 4 years ago after having a very mild angina attack, I've since had heart surgery and after a period of being too scared to do any cycling Ive decided it's time to get back into it and figured ebike's might be best for me. I'm ok to exercise and have been using a cross trainer at home for the last few months.

Most of my cycling will be done on the Tarka Trail here in North Devon with a little road cycling and possibly a 11 mile trek to work which as a couple of hills.

Any advice etc would be greatly appreciated.

 

[RobF]

Three different bikes.

The Gtech has the weakest motor, so will be the hardest work and its small capacity battery might barely get the 11 miles if you need to use full power (such as it is) all the time.

Single speed is probably not a good idea for notoriously hilly Devon, although I understand the Tarka Trail is about as flat as could be expected given the area.

The Crossfire is cheap, a few on here have them, but as with all such bikes there are quite a few reports of niggly faults, particularly electrical.

The Cube is a good quality bike and ought to be reliable.

Bosch bikes climb quite well, if you use higher settings and a low gear.

If you get on with ebiking, your use may develop into longer and more challenging rides.

In that respect the Cube would be more 'future proof'.

 

[McCol]

Thanks for the quick reply.
You've confirmed what I was kind of thinking just needed to check really.
Do want something that after a while will allow me to use like a normal bike when I require. Cycling to work would be 9 miles on the trail with a couple of miles on road with a steep hilljust before work.

 

[Electric Transport Shop]

Hi McCol, if you had a chance to test ride I'm confident you would realise the Cube with the Bosch motor is the only choice. Given your recent health history the Bosch system will be a reliable system to aid your recovery and Cube bikes offer good value. You'll be able to get the exercise you need while maintaining control your exertion and therefore you're likely to use the bike more often.....so get the best one you can.
If you decide it is going well you can consider upgrading to the Bosch Nyon display which will give you access to useful training programs.
One recommendation - buy from an ebike specialist for the best advice and after sales support.

 

[AndyEBike]

My wife has the Crossfire and I have the Cube and we live in Devon so I can probably be a good source for you. We also have another Crossfire which we hire out on the campsite and it is the more popular of our two hire bikes - the other is a Dutch style crank drive. No problems with either Crossfire and a good buy for the price. I wouldn't consider a single gear bike in Devon - at some stage you will be off the Tarka Trail and grateful for all the help you can get! The GTech comes from a remote location - the other two would be locally purchased so easy to get fixed if there is a problem.The Cube is just a different level to the Crossfire, albeit at a much bigger price. I did manage to get £100 off the ticket price + a kickstand so always worth a haggle. The Cube is smoother than the Crossfire and has a detachable head unit, which is a really nice security plus. More sophisticated display and cleverer technology as it momentarily eases power for gear shifts. Better off-road too if you decide to get a little muddy. Not a full blown mountain bike but fine for less extreme trails. So - pay your money and take your choice. Both the Carerra and the Cube are good value for their cost - it's just down to your budget.

 

[AndyEBike]

Hi McCol, if you had a chance to test ride I'm confident you would realise the Cube with the Bosch motor is the only choice. Given your recent health history the Bosch system will be a reliable system to aid your recovery and Cube bikes offer good value. You'll be able to get the exercise you need while maintaining control your exertion and therefore you're likely to use the bike more often.....so get the best one you can.
If you decide it is going well you can consider upgrading to the Bosch Nyon display which will give you access to useful training programs.
One recommendation - buy from an ebike specialist for the best advice and after sales support.

I have a Cube and rather than upgrade to a Nyon display I bought a Garmin Edge 20 which does everything I want in terms of mapping etc. I already have a heart rate monitor or I would have gone for the Edge 25 which can incorporate this data too. The Garmin Connect app/site lets me see my rides with speeds, altitude, etc and compare it with my marathon running son in law on his non-electric bike.

 

[Suseka]

My advice, as a newbie to e-bikes, is simply that its best to go a test ride some bikes. You need to get a feel for it and speak to an e-bike specialist (not that I'm suggesting those who have already replied aren't ). An e-bike will need annual maintenance and buying local offers some assurance that if your chosen ride needs any adjustments or tweaks after purchase, it can be sorted easily.

 

[trex]

you would also get better support if you bought from one of the sellers advertising on the forum.

 

[Kudoscycles]

There are some good deals at the moment from the closing sale of the London Electric Bike Company...07841 412199...including KTM,Haibike and Kudos,the list is on this forum.
Have just sold a Kudos Arriba to a guy in Exmouth,he loves it,perfect hillclimber with the BPM motor. If you look on my website there is a dealer in Weston super Mare,who has a Kudos Tornado if you want to test.
Good luck
KudosDave

 

[STEVEMANFA]

The cube for me all day l5

 

[McCol]

Thanks for all the helpful replies folks. There is a local dealer who stocks the Cube so hopefully will try it out on Saturday.

 

[STEVEMANFA]

Happy days and let us all know how you get on.

 

[McCol]

Had a change of plan and possible change of mind over choice of bike.

Couldn't make it to try the Cube but over the last couple of days have been reading more about the Carrerra. I'm thinking that because it's my first electric bike and the price difference that I might plump for the Carrerra at its current 20% off price.
It makes it almost half the price of the Cube. Going to try and get a trial ride on both over the next few days.

 

[soundwave]

if you got the change then get the cube the bosch motor and 400batt is 1150 if you could buy them like that on there own.

it might be twice the price but much better value for the money

 

[nemesis]

Get the Cube because of what you get for the money and resale value will also be good if you need to upgrade.

 

[McCol]

I get the whole resale point however from a cost point I'm struggling to justify paying that much more on my first ebike. I could stretch to it but thinking that if I really get into it then I can upgrade in a couple of years.

 

[RobF]

I get the whole resale point however from a cost point I'm struggling to justify paying that much more on my first ebike. I could stretch to it but thinking that if I really get into it then I can upgrade in a couple of years.

The Carrera is an attractive price, but as I mentioned in reply to your OP, reliability is questionable.

Some good early reports on here, but we rarely hear from anyone who has managed to put a few thousand miles on a budget bike.

In contrast, there are many of us - me included - who have done thousands of miles on ebkes of similar quality to the Cube.

 

[Angelnorth]

"Buy cheap, buy twice" as the proverb says. If you can afford to go for the better quality bike, I think you'd be well advised to do it. I suspect the second-hand market is going to be awash with Crossfires that people bought because the price seemed attractive and didn't get on with as they hoped. A second-hand Cube will at least have the advantage of being different in that market if you don't get on with it.

That said, there really is no substitute for trying some bikes - get out to a dealer and have a go, even if it means you need to travel a bit.

 

[Suseka]

If you still plan to buy through a c2w scheme, then cost should be less of a issue. I've bought my Wisper that way and was prepared to pay for the more expensive Torque version -but ended up with the SE which suited me better. Just happened to come in under £1k which was a bonus.

It's really worth trying a few others out before you commit Its a considered purchase for sure.

 

[McCol]

Went to look at both today but didn't get a chance to try either as was on way to work.

The Cube does ooze more quality than the Carrerra and I intend to go back later this week and try the Cube but I'm struggling to justify the extra cost - twice the price.

I'll give a wee example of the way I'm thinking. I've spent alot of money on audiophile earphones that range from £150 to £1200. Now my £700 earphones don't sound 50-100% better than my £300 earphones better yes but not by large margins, maybe 10-20% better. My question is does this similar theory/rule apply to ebikes - ie the law of diminishing returns?