Which ebco bike?

[niandsa]

I am looking to buy my first e bike and have narrowed my choice down to the ebco range currently on sale at 20% off at Halfords.

I will mostly use the bike for shopping and visiting family. This would either be on the road or disused railway track with compacted gravel. The maximum incline is approx 12%. The return journey is 7 miles

However, I would also like to use the bike with the family at the local forestry commission which has several steep hills. This would be no more than once a month.

I am a 40 year old female, weighing approx 90kg and am 170cm tall. The two bikes I am considering are:

Ebco ucl 30 at £880 front hub driven
Ebco ucl 60 at £1280 crank driven

Which would suit my needs better? I'd appreciate any advice as I'm going round in circles at the moment!

 

[D8ve]

I don't know the bikes so this is generic reply.
For hill climbing two wheel drive sounds nice but.
Up steep hills in slippy conditions a front wheel system is not recommended. The wheel will lose grip and spin.
But if you are a fair weather biker it's a lot cheaper to have a hub drive.

 

[trex]

I agree with d8ve. A rear hub drive like the ebco 30 is perfectly adequate. If the hills are very steep, you'd be better off with a powerful crank drive like the woosh Santana CD for your weight and height.

 

[niandsa]

Thanks for your replies. I have now moved on a little as I have decided that I would like a throttle which I don't think either of the EBCOs have. My shortlist now includes:

Wisper 705se which is rear driven
Woosh Santana 2 which is rear driven
Woosh Big Bear LS which is front driven

The Wisper throttle goes to 15mph as long as the pedals are being turned. Does anyone know what the Woosh throttle does? I am looking for one which will power the bike beyond the walking speed of 4mph.

The Wisper has a longer warranty for similar money. How does quality compare between the two makes?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

The best thing always it to try the bikes one after the other, any differences will become apparent. FYI the super strong Wisper frame has a 10 year warranty.

I should mention that all Wisper bikes will be going up in price by £100.00 on 1st September so now is a good time to buy.

Best regards, David

 

[Angelnorth]

Wisper 705se which is rear driven
Woosh Santana 2 which is rear driven
Woosh Big Bear LS which is front driven

Suseka is pretty active on the forum and has recently got a 705SE so she may see this and chime in - maybe send her a pm with any questions if not?

I've got the 705 Torque which has the same frame as the SE although many other things are different. The build quality feels very solid and the adjustable components are pretty easy to set up to get a ride position that suits. The throttle works in the same way as it does on the SE - just twist it while you're on the bike and keep turning the pedals to get the motor doing the work.

You won't find a new bike that has a throttle that works above 4mph just by twisting it because of current legislation. The 4mph is designed to be a "walk assist", not a riding function. You'd have to find a bike that was imported into the country before February that has "grandfather rights" which is probably a tall order by now (although on the up side if anybody did have one they'd probably be keen to shift it by now and might negotiate on price!).

I'd really encourage you to try some bikes, especially as this is your first e-bike. My experience of doing just that suggests you'll learn much more about how things feel even through short rides than any amount of reading of reviews etc. If you want to try the Woosh bikes that will mean a trip to Southend as they only sell direct so maybe a mini-break would be in order for that since your starting point looks like the North West. David can most likely advise on who would have the 705 SE for you to try in your area (and if they have the Torque model as well you could have a go on both to see how they compare).

 

[Suseka]

Suseka is pretty active on the forum and has recently got a 705SE so she may see this and chime in - maybe send her a pm with any questions if not?

As AN says I'm a fairly recent rider of the Wisper 705se and whilst I'm not in a position to compare it to the others you have on your shopping list - I do feel able to comment on my experience with the 705 so far.

Firstly, as David has already suggested - I do encourage you to go and try both the SE and Torque models out if you can. I say this because trying both is what pushed me towards the SE rather than the Torque. Also, its well worth you checking out Angelnorth's review of the Torque if you haven't already, it's a very good read. The build quality on both is impressive and being a slightly nervous cyclist (not having been on two wheels in decades) I really appreciate the substance of the frame and the assurance I get from the disc brakes.

The SE (cadence) model is more suited to my current level of fitness (which is poor) and the throttle assist has proved useful on steeper inclines, particularly when my legs are feeling tired or my asthma is off kilter. The Torque does have a pedal assist override (F setting) -but for me I wanted more assistance with, if I chose, less effort. With that said I can get a decent workout if I so choose because I simply dial down the assist level and put the gear on a higher setting. I have to admit I did, however, prefer the positioning of the computer/controller display on the Torque and I also preferred the gear shift mechanism -but not so that it was a deal breaker, or persuaded me to purchase the Torque.

Overall I'm really pleased with my choice and I see many happy 'pedelec' years ahead of me and although I've not yet built the confidence to use as my daily commute -it won't be long before I do (and certainly before the summer is out). Oh and to put things into context, I'm slightly shorter than you (162 cm), but fair to say somewhat heavier -and I ride around Norfolk which isn't as flat as many folks think! I can't comment on the levels of the various inclines and hills I've encountered -but none so far have forced me to stop on the way up at any point and it's a pure joy to whizz down back down them

Happy to answer any other questions you have - although I am still a newbie when it comes to e-bikes.

 

[Angelnorth]

Also, its well worth you checking out Angelnorth's review of the Torque if you haven't already, it's a very good read.

Thank you kindly! If niandsa is interested in reading it, it's here in the reviews section. Happy to try to answer any questions either there or here.

 

[David McCarlie]

I bought the Ebco UCR60 having tried the UCR30 as well before finally deciding. It's a good bike. I preferred the crank drive but I wish I had upgraded the battery. Roughly 40 miles on a full battery isn't too bad though.

 

[jdallan]

Thanks for your replies. I have now moved on a little as I have decided that I would like a throttle which I don't think either of the EBCOs have. My shortlist now includes:

Wisper 705se which is rear driven
Woosh Santana 2 which is rear driven
Woosh Big Bear LS which is front driven

The Wisper throttle goes to 15mph as long as the pedals are being turned. Does anyone know what the Woosh throttle does? I am looking for one which will power the bike beyond the walking speed of 4mph.

The Wisper has a longer warranty for similar money. How does quality compare between the two makes?

I don't wish to be forward but have you seen my post in the Classified section offering a Freego Eagle step-through for sale? This bike would meet your requirements and has a throttle which operates up to the 15 mph+ cut off. If you were able to try a Freego locally (essential) and liked it I would probably be able to arrange carriage of the bike to you. Just a thought...

Jim

 

[niandsa]

Suseka and AngelNorth thanks for your replies. I've pretty much decided on a Wisper and have contacted David to see if there is a local dealer where I can test both models. My initial budget was around £1K so I'm leaning towards the se but I could stretch to the torque if I prefer it a lot.

Do you both have the 11ah standard battery? What range do you find you get from it? Is it easy to take on and off the bike to charge? Suseka, how do you find the saddle on the se? I tend to suffer a lot with saddle sore when cycling and am wondering whether to enquire whether the saddle can be upgraded to the one on the torque model. Also the se does not have suspension forks. How have you found the ride on our less than perfectly smooth roads!

I'm really glad you both like your Wispers and hopefully I'll join the club soon!

 

[signwave]

...the se does not have suspension forks.

The SE can have suspension forks.

From the 705SE webpage:

Newly developed light weight blade forks offer great handling on the road. If you prefer we offer a conversion to Suntour suspension forks with lock-out and pre-load, however we highly recommend you try a bike with the splendid light weight forks fitted first.

 

[Angelnorth]

Do you both have the 11ah standard battery? What range do you find you get from it? Is it easy to take on and off the bike to charge? Suseka, how do you find the saddle on the se? I tend to suffer a lot with saddle sore when cycling and am wondering whether to enquire whether the saddle can be upgraded to the one on the torque model. Also the se does not have suspension forks. How have you found the ride on our less than perfectly smooth roads!

Yes, I've got the standard battery. Adding yesterday's trip to today's as I didn't charge in between I did about 13 miles on pretty hilly terrain and had used one bar of battery when I took it off to charge this evening. The Torque will tend to give slightly better battery performance than the SE because of the way the assistance works, I believe.

The battery does come off pretty easily, just turn the key fully anti-clockwise and pull the battery so it slides in the rack (while still holding the key). There's a sort of recess in the back of the battery so it's easy to get a grip on it.

I'm not sure suspension forks are necessarily a big boon - I may just need to experiment a bit more but mine are locked out most of the time making them like rigid forks. Maybe the fact that I often set off and go uphill where you don't want travel in the forks means I tend to leave them that way because I forget! Some mitts with decent gel palms will help deaden vibration.

Hope you can find a test ride soon!

 

[Suseka]

I too have the standard battery -although I'm not best placed to comment on its range because I haven't yet taken it out on a long ride. As AN says, it's really easy to slip in and out of the rack, but I charge it in situ.

I've found the saddle comfortable enough, but I'm sure you could swop it out for a more comfy one if you find you need to. The rigid forks work fine for me too, the tyres are quite thick (not like road bikes) and perhaps that absorbs some of the road shock.

I'm sure once you've had chance to test ride both, you'll soon realise which suits you best and a good dealer should be able to help with that decision. Like you I was prepared was to pay a little more for the Torque and did originally put an order in for one -but swopped it for the SE after a bit more research -which had nothing to do with cost. Both are very well priced and I was lucky enough to buy it through a cycle to work scheme.

Let us know how you get on with your test rides

 

[niandsa]

Well the saga continues..... I visited the nearest few bike stores today and tried a Freego Hawk. It seemed quite 'pully' at first but I soon got used to it. The downside is that the battery is under the seat which I don't like and the throttle only goes to 4mph. A big plus would be the local dealer to service the bike. I also tried an EBCO 60 which did seem smoother but I seemed to be doing more work on an incline.

David from Wisper has not got back to me but I don't think that there is a local dealer to me. The nearest on their website does not have any in stock and can only order them in. The next one is 45 miles away and only has the 705 se to try. They do stock the Freego as well so I could compare the two. I would ideally like to try the torque if only to rule it out.

I'm really torn..... I would prefer the Wisper 705se for the disc brakes front and back and higher speed throttle. But the lack of a local dealer worries me if I were to have any problems down the line. Any thoughts?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Sarah, sorry not to have got back to you. t's been crazy here all day, I think a record number of bikes have been sold.

It's quietening down now, I will respond to your email straight away.

All the best, David

 

[niandsa]

Thank you David

 

[RobF]

been crazy here all day, I think a record number of bikes have been sold.

Steady David, remember Brexit - you are supposed to be down on the bones of your backside.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Rob, have you seen my backside? I don't think there are any bones in there!!!

I think the reason for huge sales at the moment is that it's only 1 week until all or bikes go up by the "Brexit 10". Truth is I would be happier if it cooled down a bit, I am taking a 12% hit on these bikes. Even happier if we did a "U" turn and I didn't need to increase prices.

Let's hope that the price increase has nothing to do with it and sales continue art this level after the increases go through.

All the best, David

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Thank you David

No worries Sarah,

These guys are the closest.

Cycle House
5, Cheshire Oaks Trade Park, Stanney Mill Ln, Chester CH2 4JZ, UK
+44 151 355 9991
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