Review Woosh Rio MTB Review/Initial Impressions

[Woosh]

Does that mean Woosh hasn’t got an ebike for persons over 6ft ?

Some of the bikes have a long wheel base, so suitable for up to 6ft3, the Big Bear, Zephyr, Rio FB/LS are all suitable.
We supply a long seat post (400mm or 450mm) for those who are over 6ft.

 

[PlantBasedPower]

Does anyone have a rough idea of the max range for this bike please? I can get around 60+ miles out of my 10AH battery on level 2 pedal assist atm so I was hoping this bike would do at least 100 miles with the 17AH battery.

 

[anotherkiwi]

You are getting 3.7 km/Wh (it must be flat where you live).

612 Wh @ 3.7 Wh/km = 165 km which is slightly over 100 miles.

 

[PlantBasedPower]

I only ask because I saw someone was only getting 40 miles per charge using level 2 on pedal assist which seemed a lot less than I was hoping for. I would not say it is particularly flat on the journeys I make and trails I ride on, maybe I got lucky with my cheap unbranded Chinese battery's? I am quite light and I do put a lot of effort into helping the bike along so that could be it. Thanks for the help.

 

[Woosh]

Does anyone have a rough idea of the max range for this bike please? I can get around 60+ miles out of my 10AH battery on level 2 pedal assist atm so I was hoping this bike would do at least 100 miles with the 17AH battery.

the range depends on speed, gradient, your weight and how much you pedal.
Bikes with torque sensors have fixed assist ratios: 2x, 3x or 4x user inputs, while bikes with cadence sensors let you pedal as much as you like.
Roughly, the load at 15mph for an average rider is about 180W. Depending on your pedaling input, the power consumption varies - some people can pedal at that speed without motor, some less. The resulting battery consumption can be between zero and 12WH/mile.
One thing for sure, if you can get 60 miles out of 10AH then you can get proportionally more out of a 13AH (30% more) or a 17AH (70% more) at the same speed and same user input.

 

[Leema]

Does anyone have a rough idea of the max range for this bike please? I can get around 60+ miles out of my 10AH battery on level 2 pedal assist atm so I was hoping this bike would do at least 100 miles with the 17AH battery.

Hi
I ride a Rio and have done for around 6 months.
I usually ride with power on 1 or 2 and use the throttle on any major hills (which is quite a few in South Devon).I have managed over 60 miles on the battery with still a couple of segments on the battery indicator.
I weigh around 95kg, which is slowly coming down, mainly on roads and cycle paths with little proper off road use.
Have had a couple of minor problems both dealt with by myself with very good support and guidance from Woosh.
Hope this helps.

 

[PlantBasedPower]

Thank you all for the help. I do love the look of the bike and the fact the batteries are bigger than a lot of other bikes. I see there is a 20AH version coming out soon so I will hopefully be getting this bike at some point.

 

[Damian.Doherty]

Quick question for Woosh if you listening - I need to get a new back tyre - my front tyre is still good so I'm trying to find a direct replacement for the rear.

I've been on ebay for the last hour looking at every Kenda tyre I can but I can't find the exact one I need. Can you give me a direct link to it? Or, do you sell these tyres yourselves?

And.....is there anything I should be aware of when taking the back wheel off?

 

[PlantBasedPower]

I just bought these for a pretty decent price if that helps, they are kevlar protected.

https://www.fawkes-cycles.co.uk/648225/products/schwalbe-black-jack-active-line-puncture-protected-rigid-tyre.aspx

 

[Woosh]

Quick question for Woosh if you listening - I need to get a new back tyre - my front tyre is still good so I'm trying to find a direct replacement for the rear.

I've been on ebay for the last hour looking at every Kenda tyre I can but I can't find the exact one I need. Can you give me a direct link to it? Or, do you sell these tyres yourselves?

And.....is there anything I should be aware of when taking the back wheel off?

Hi Damian,

We do keep them in stock but there are plenty of good tyres on special offers from CRC, Halfords, Tredz, ebay and amazon.
When you remove the wheel, take a coupe of pictures to help you remember the positions of the washers from the left side as well as right side.
Unplug the motor cable at the quick disconnect connector at the right chainstay. Undo the right wheel nut completely or it will foul against the derailleur hanger when you pull the wheel out.
After undoing the wheel nuts, lift the rear wheel off the ground and give it a shake. Gravity will make it drop out.
When you want to rre-install the back wheel, it is easier to turn the bike upside down.
Remember, the rear triangle can be spread a little, the motor cable always exit downward to avoid water ingress, and keep a 10mm spanner handy if you have one.
.
When you are ready to drop the wheel in.

a. Place the motor axle above the dropout jaws. Use the 10mm spanner to rotate the motor axle so that its flanges are inline with the jaws.

b. use your thumb against the bolts that secure the rotor to spread the rear triangle a little.

The wheel should drop straight in by gravity. Use the 10mm spanner to jiggle the motor axle a little if it sticks. Make sure that the motor axle is properly seated before installing the wheel nuts.
Before tightening the nuts properly, make sure the tyre is lined up to the middle of the frame.
On each side of the motor connector, there is an imprinted arrow. Line up the arrows then push the two sides of the connector together until the rim on the female side reaches the imprinted circle on the male side.

 

[Damian.Doherty]

Hi Tony,

I changed the tyre and put a new tube in last night, I gave the bike a thorough clean too. Thanks for the how to above, I followed it to the letter and the whole operation went quickly and smoothly!

All good now although I noticed that the rear brake lever now needs a lot more pull to activate.

It seems that pumping the brake gets it working better, for example, the first time I pull it the level comes almost all the way to the handlebar but if I give it a few pumps it bites further and further from the bar.

I've now done about 900 miles on this bike (with no mechanical or electrical failures so far I might add).

Do I simply need a a new set of brake pads? Should I also change the hydraulic fluid?

If so which pads do I need to buy?

 

[D C]

Hi Tony,

I changed the tyre and put a new tube in last night, I gave the bike a thorough clean too. Thanks for the how to above, I followed it to the letter and the whole operation went quickly and smoothly!

All good now although I noticed that the rear brake lever now needs a lot more pull to activate.

It seems that pumping the brake gets it working better, for example, the first time I pull it the level comes almost all the way to the handlebar but if I give it a few pumps it bites further and further from the bar.

I've now done about 900 miles on this bike (with no mechanical or electrical failures so far I might add).

Do I simply need a a new set of brake pads? Should I also change the hydraulic fluid?

If so which pads do I need to buy?

Sounds as though there's a bit of air in the system, sometimes happens when the bike has been upended.
Try leaving an elastic band around the brake levers overnight to keep the pads firmly pressed against the rotors or better still for a couple of days, this allows the air to rise to the top (with the bike upright of course) and you'll hopefully find they improve. This works for me and I tend to do this each time I leave the bike unused.
Apologies Tony for jumping in.
Dave.

 

[Woosh]

Do I simply need a a new set of brake pads? Should I also change the hydraulic fluid?

As Dave have said, there is a bit of air in the hydraulics.
I'll send you a bleed kit later today.

 

[Damian.Doherty]

I passed the 1000 miles mark on my commute home yesterday, in all those miles I only ever ride on full power

(I know it's on 1 in the pic below but I only turned the bike on to get the pic)

The only issues I've had have been two punctures, one in the front and one in the rear where I needed a new tyre as well.

Changing the rear tyre meant turning the bike upside down which introduced a bit of air to the system, I mentioned this to the legends at Woosh in this thread who promptly sent me a bleed kit and a link to a How To video"

I weigh about 13 stone and ride this bike as hard as I can go all the time, so that's 1000 miles flat out and I have had not a single mechanical or electrical breakdown. I also should point out that I ride it in all weather conditions and living in Ireland, that means its spent 50% of its life in the rain!

The battery and the motor still pull as strongly as they ever did, I'm sure the battery has lost a little punch as I've been charging it twice a week for a year and a half but if it has, its barely noticeable!

So to anyone reading this who is considering a Woosh bike.... they are fast and comfortable and as reliable as a Tonka toy!

 

[vfr400]

Most bicycle hydraulic brakes are self-bleeding, so no need to use a bleed kit. Just turn the bike up the right way then keep working the brake lever until it goes firm. When you turn the bike upside down, any air in the reservoir will go up the hose if you touch the lever, but when you turn it back the right way up it will go back uphill into the reservoir as long as the hose doesn't go up and back down again.

 

[D C]

as long as the hose doesn't go up and back down again.

Good point
Dave.

 

[bom]

Firstly, what a great thread – definitely helped me make my decision on which bike to go for.
I picked up a Woosh Rio MTB with a 17 AH battery from Southend about 2 weeks ago now and have done approximately 150 miles.

Overall, I’ve been hugely impressed with the bike and the customer service Woosh provides.

Mine had a small issue with the battery and the way it fitted into the holder. After a mile or so the battery would unclip. I attached a strap to stop it from falling out and emailed Woosh. They sent some instructions over, which I followed, and everything seems to be okay now (though my paranoia has kept the strap on!).

A couple of quick questions:

• I’m thinking of putting road tyres on as I will only use the bike to commute in central London. Any hints on which tyre size will fit the bike? Is it any 26” tyre? Would ideally like to get some marathons or equivalent on there!
• I tried moving the throttle around a little to make it easier to hold down, but notice it stops working when you do? It worked when I moved it back?
• I noticed when I was moving the battery holder that all the cabling is under the bottom fitting. If I were to leave the bike outside in the rain without the battery fitted, I’m assuming I would run the risk of water damage?
• What distances are people getting from the 17 AH battery using full assist? It looks like mine might get approximately 40 miles on flat London roads (I’m 70 Kg, 60 PSI tyres) which is lower than I was expecting! Slightly worried the battery bouncing out might have damaged it slightly!
• How do I check the voltage of the battery? I noticed that was mentioned a few times in the thread.

Any help/feedback would be much appreciated.

Courtesy of it's London life, I've gone a bit stealth with the paint job.

 

[Woosh]

I’m thinking of putting road tyres on as I will only use the bike to commute in central London. Any hints on which tyre size will fit the bike? Is it any 26” tyre? Would ideally like to get some marathons or equivalent on there!

Marathon Plus 26 x 2.0 Tour:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Clearance-Pair-Schwalbe-Marathon-Plus-Tour-700-X-40c-Bike-Cycle-Tyres-42-622/2297490012

I noticed when I was moving the battery holder that all the cabling is under the bottom fitting. If I were to leave the bike outside in the rain without the battery fitted, I’m assuming I would run the risk of water damage?

Rain water will run straight through the controller compartment, through a large gap where the cables come out near the bottom bracket, just below the battery.
The only danger is rain water getting into the thumb throttle and the LCD. Keep the LCD glass tilted so rain water won't dwell on its surface.

What distances are people getting from the 17 AH battery using full assist? It looks like mine might get approximately 40 miles on flat London roads (I’m 70 Kg, 60 PSI tyres) which is lower than I was expecting! Slightly worried the battery bouncing out might have damaged it slightly!

First, get to know the voltage indicator on the LCD. It has 5 segments, each represents 20% remaining charge, so 5 bars mean 80%+ remaining, 4 bars 60%+ remaining, 3 bars 40% plus remaining, 2 bars 20% plus, 1 bar: less than 20% in the tank.
When you draw a lot of current from the battery, like climbing a hill on throttle, the voltage drops another bar or two, when you ride normally on assist mode, the voltage indicator comes back to normal. To be sure of the reading how much left in the tank, stop for a minute before reading.

There is a technique to get the most miles out of a full charge.
Use the lowest pedal assist setting you can, override the assist level when necessary with the throttle.
Typically, leave the assist level on 1 or 2 or 3.
When you are down to 3 bars, use assist level 3 or less, when you are down to 2 bars, use level 2 or less and don't worry when you see 2 bars! There is still enough for 20-30 miles on assist.
Typically, people get about 55 miles out of a 17AH battery.
Power consumption is proportional to speed cubed. Don't derestrict the bike if you want more miles.

 

[Woosh]

How do I check the voltage of the battery? I noticed that was mentioned a few times in the thread.

You have to remove the battery, measure the voltage between the two pins at the output port (round connector).

 

[bom]

Marathon Plus 26 x 2.0 Tour:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Clearance-Pair-Schwalbe-Marathon-Plus-Tour-700-X-40c-Bike-Cycle-Tyres-42-622/2297490012



Rain water will run straight through the controller compartment, through a large gap where the cables come out near the bottom bracket, just below the battery.
The only danger is rain water getting into the thumb throttle and the LCD. Keep the LCD glass tilted so rain water won't dwell on its surface.



First, get to know the voltage indicator on the LCD. It has 5 segments, each represents 20% remaining charge, so 5 bars mean 80%+ remaining, 4 bars 60%+ remaining, 3 bars 40% plus remaining, 2 bars 20% plus, 1 bar: less than 20% in the tank.
When you draw a lot of current from the battery, like climbing a hill on throttle, the voltage drops another bar or two, when you ride normally on assist mode, the voltage indicator comes back to normal. To be sure of the reading how much left in the tank, stop for a minute before reading.

There is a technique to get the most miles out of a full charge.
Use the lowest pedal assist setting you can, override the assist level when necessary with the throttle.
Typically, leave the assist level on 1 or 2 or 3.
When you are down to 3 bars, use assist level 3 or less, when you are down to 2 bars, use level 2 or less and don't worry when you see 2 bars! There is still enough for 20-30 miles on assist.
Typically, people get about 55 miles out of a 17AH battery.
Power consumption is proportional to speed cubed. Don't derestrict the bike if you want more miles.

Amazing - thanks as always for your help!

The link for the tyres takes you to 700, I'm assuming it's the 26" equivalent?

Any hints on the throttle controller not working when adjusted round slightly?