Which one chaps? Carrera Crossfuse or Oxygen S Cross

[aeschylus]

I am totally torn, Halfords are going to let me have a 30 min test drive for a penny, Wilco who stock the oxygen said I have to buy the bike in full and I can have a test drive however if I don’t want the bike I will have to buy 2 tyres to replace the ones on there!!!

The guy at halford said they had not sold a single Crossfuse (price I am guessing) as everyone goes for the cheaper hub Carrera at £1200...

I am guessing the Carrera is better as it uses the Bosch, but the rest of the bike seems ‘meh’ and it has a crappy display for such a expensive bike...

The Oxygen is a looker no doubt...I am totally torn as I won’t be able to test ride the Oxygen as nowwhere near me stocks them apart from Wilco...

Any advice gratefully received

 

[Rutland Cycling]

May I throw another contender into the mix?

https://www.rutlandcycling.com/bikes/electric-bikes/cube-acid-hybrid-one-400-29-2018-electric-mountain-bike-black_381146

As with all E-Bikes, I would strongly recommend trying everything before you put down your cash.

 

[Gringo]

Wilco who stock the oxygen said I have to buy the bike in full and I can have a test drive however if I don’t want the bike I will have to buy 2 tyres to replace the ones on there!!!

That's the oposit to customer service, i wouldn't deal with a shop with that kind of attitude. Just imagine if you didn't like it and took it back, the shop then spots a small scratch on the frame you hadn't seen and they won't take the bike back.

 

[aeschylus]

That's the oposit to customer service, i wouldn't deal with a shop with that kind of attitude. Just imagine if you didn't like it and took it back, the shop then spots a small scratch on the frame you hadn't seen and they won't take the bike back.

I know, I thought he was joking, but he said it was a head office decision on oxygen bikes

 

[Plodder Bob]

I’d go with Rutland bikes suggestion Cube are a good piece of kit better still go for a reaction model with the performance cx bosch motor some good deals on last years models about

 

[Nealh]

A couple years down the line and out of warranty the Oxygen will be easier to repair on the electrical side and battery cheaper to replace later on.
Out of warranty work for Bosch drive not cheap if needed and not many seem do the work in this throw away society.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The Oxygen has some advantages over any bike with a Bosch motor, but they depend on whether they're important for the user.

Firstly, every electrical problem can be fixed by yourself and parts can be obtained from a number of sources fairly cheaply, whereas the Bosch bike locks you to a Bosch dealer by the software and supply of parts. That's not such a problem in the short-term, but would be when the warranty has expired.

Evidence suggests that hub-motors have better long-term reliability than crank-motors and problems, like worn bearings are generally easier to fix. Also, the drive train (gears and chain) wear out relatively quickly and can fail completely to leave you stranded, while as they have very long life on a hub-motor bike, and if you did get a complete failure, like a snapped chain, you could still pedal the bike home.

Personally to me, I think hub-motor systems, like used on the Oxygen, give a more user-friendly ride, and they give the power in a more controllable way. You can get the power without having to pedal hard (or at all) if you want, or you can adjust the power to pedal as hard as you want. If your ability to pedal a Bosch bike gets inhibited, you'd be in trouble as you need to pedal hard to get high or maximum power.

The Oxygen comes with a self-fit throttle if you want to use it. I find throttles very useful at times.

The oxygen can be derestricted without cost.

If I wanted a bike for serious off-road use, I would be looking at crank-drive bikes, but I can't see any advantages at all for road use, so my opinion is very one sided. The Oxygen is a very good bike, but there are also many other similar hub-motored bikes that are also very good. Without knowing what OP wants the bike for, where he lives and his weight and fitness, it's difficult to make recommendations. I'm assuming that it's for normal road use, as the Crossfuse is a hybrid type.

 

[Warwick]

Leaving aside an issue I had with the battery connectors* on my outdated eMate, my Oxygen is a superb bike. It handles bridleways and canal towpaths with ease, although it's a few Kgs too heavy to be thrown around technical off-road stuff. For the price, it is very well specced, with decent componentry.

I agree with the comments about the dealer though!

* The female connectors kept slipping inside the housing, meaning they didn't. Connect that is. In the end, I by-passed them and wired it directly. The battery position is different on current models and I haven't heard of similar issues.