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Whoosh Santana CD

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Wynne0648

Pedelecer
May 12, 2017
56
19
Leeds
We had decided after much deliberation to buy a couple of Eagle Martin or Eagle step through bikes. Then along comes interfearing know it all brother in law. He's been banging on to other half about Woosh, myself I won't buy online and have told him so. She's now looking at a Santana CD and it's price against Freego. I've been looking into Woosh, and am I right in thinking changing gears on a Woosh with crank drive when under load is a knack. If so I'm sure this will make her see sense. I'm not knocking Woosh, there bikes look very good, but she needs easy to use, and also something we can take to local bike shop for maintenance or repairs.
 
Woosh

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,323
16,849
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Hello Wynne,

Wynne0648 said:
and am I right in thinking changing gears on a Woosh with crank drive when under load is a knack.
Click to expand...
Yes, you are correct. As the motor drives the chain, and the chain needs a little slack when you change gear, the motor needs to stop momentarily at the same time you allow that slack. If the chain does not get this slack, it makes a little crunch noise when stepping from one sprocket to another.
You normally do that by slowing down instinctively when changing gear anyway.
On the crank drive bikes, the controllers are programmed to respond to the instinctive slowing of pedaling by quickly reducing the power, and consequently, the gear change noise.
You would expect that these crunching gear change noises would reduce the life of the sprockets and chain. In reality, nobody has reported any problem with gear change since we sold the first Santana CD in 2014. My guess is that:
1. Most frequently used gears are the high to middle, 7, 6, 5 and 4. Their ratios are close and the chain glides easily between those.
2. The instinctive slowing down pedaling before changing gear is sufficient to allow the chain to slack.

The trick we put in the Santana manual is this: blip one of the brake levers (usually the left lever) just before changing gear. If you ride on throttle, the motor cuts out automatically when you change gear, there is no need to blip the brake lever.

The Santana CD is one of our most successful bikes to date.
 
Last edited:
W

Wynne0648

Pedelecer
May 12, 2017
56
19
Leeds
Woosh said:
Hello Wynne,



Yes, you are correct. As the motor drives the chain, and the chain needs a little slack when you change gear, the motor needs to stop momentarily at the same time you allow that slack. If the chain does not get this slack, it makes a little crunch noise when stepping from one sprocket to another.
You normally do that by slowing down instinctively when changing gear anyway.
On the crank drive bikes, the controllers are programmed to respond to the instinctive slowing of pedaling by quickly reducing the power, and consequently, the gear change noise.
You would expect that these crunching gear change noises would reduce the life of the sprockets and chain. In reality, nobody has reported any problem with gear change since we sold the first Santana CD in 2014. My guess is that:
1. Most frequently used gears are the high to middle, 7, 6, 5 and 4. Their ratios are close and the chain glides easily between those.
2. The instinctive slowing down pedaling before changing gear is sufficient to allow the chain to slack.

The trick we put in the Santana manual is this: blip one of the brake levers (usually the left lever) just before changing gear. If you ride on throttle, the motor cuts out automatically when you change gear, there is no need to blip the brake lever.

The Santana CD is one of our most successful bikes to date.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I've show reviews and your reply now and it's not that she doesn't like the bike more she's just wants straight forward gear changes.
 
Woosh

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,323
16,849
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
F

footpump

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 19, 2014
713
75
75
a m8 has tried a few woosh step throughs Santana etc so either he or his wife could use it.
he much preferred the ls big bear more power for hill climbing,
better weight distribution battery in rear rack/moter in front wheel
but he likes to use the throttle mode more than pas
 
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