Yep, yet another request for advice on what to buy, please

[Jons]

Commencing November I am due to start another job. The distance is 20 miles each way (with the opportunity to re-charge a battery at work if required). I can either go over main roads or a mix of back lanes, tarmac cycle tracks and some main roads.
Until 4 years ago I used to commute on my road bike to the same place but I only did that twice a week and even though I'm quite fit, it did leave me tired and in bad weather not always looking forward to the trip home. I wouldn't call the routes I can take hilly but there are a few short, sharp hills that get the lungs going a bit. I no longer own a road bike (my laziness, I let the seat post seize in the frame and £1500 down the drain)
I'm just turning 55, knees a bit sore (hence me starting to look at ebikes) but would like to do the commute 4 times a week with an ebike. I've read comments regarding average speeds being over 15mph then ebikes not being worth it but my thoughts are that I would use the power for the hills and headwinds so that I don't arrive at work being ready for a good sleep. Mind you, I don't think I averaged about 15 mph on long rides anyway.
I've considered converting my 20 year old Merlin aluminum mountain bike to an ebike using a front hub motor. It's in quite good nick, with XT gearing, rigid forks and V brakes. It weighs 12 1/2 kg as it is with mudguards. Calculations using Panda or Whoosh kits come in around £700. I can't say I'm much good with electrics so wouldn't like to start any soldering and the like going with a cheaper route.
I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to looks of my bikes. The one I ruined was a nice De Rosa. Without wishing to offend anyone, many of the ebikes don't appeal to me with their 'Dutch' bike appearances.
So, considering my Merlin is over 20 years old with components of the same age, and for £200 to £300 more I could have a new bike, I've been thinking about ready made ebikes
Closer to the style of what I am looking for are two bikes:
-Kudos Stealth and Whoosh Karoo. They are both a good price (I think) being less than £1000 and the Whoosh is currently available for £999 with a 17ah battery. I've seen the review on pedelecs for the Whoosh but can't find one for the Stealth.
-Has anyone tried both these bikes and can provide a comparison, please?
-Looking at the spec of both bikes, does anyone have particular opinions on these bikes?
-Any similar looking bikes anyone could recommend for around the same price that could cope with 40 mile per day.
-I live in South Wales......it's usually pouring down with strong winds; will ebikes cope with such regular soakings?
-Could I add bar ends to both bikes to give me a variety of hand positions? Does the Kudos have mountings for a rack?

Loads of questions, sorry, but any advice would be appreciated. Thanks,

Smudge.

 

[Woosh]

Panda or Whoosh kits come in around £700

whoosh XF08C (rear, cassette fitting) or XF08 front costs £499 with 13AH battery, £599 with 17AH battery.
With a good donor bike, you can get about 60 miles out of a 13AH, 100 miles out of a 17AH battery.

 

[Nealh]

[QUOTE="Woosh, post: 393456, member: 8175"
With a good donor bike, you can get about 60 miles out of a 13AH, 100 miles out of a 17AH battery.[/QUOTE]

Quoted ranges are a bit fanciful if you ask me, unless you live on the Fens. I managed 45/50 miles from a new 13ah battery in its first year but for commuting 60 is I believe unrealistic.
Eddie got something like 75 from the Karoo when he had it for his review.

 

[Woosh]

the range depends very much on the bike, the terrain and the users. I have plenty of feedback from customers who bought the Karoo to compare to those who bought a Big Bear. At first, I was so surprised when oniontrololol reported 80 miles on 13AH that I asked a few customers how many miles they get out of their Karoo. The lowest figure for 13AH was 60 miles.

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/whoosh-karoo-quick-review.23429/#post-294742

The Karoo has rigid fork, 700 x 28 tyres @ 75psi, 45T front / 11T-34T rear and a GXP crankset.

Customers reported about 50-55 miles on the Rio MTB with 13AH battery. The Rio MTB has RST Omega 100mm fork, 26 x 1.95 tyres @ 45 psi, that soaks up a few miles.
Customers reported around 50 miles on the Big Bear with 15AH battery.

 

[Nealh]

Feed back is good so all sounds pretty good then, though we don't no any variables involved. Eddies review though was quite impressive for the Karoo.

 

[John_S]

A range of 80-100 miles seems a bit questionable to me too. My Big Bear can only manage 15-22 miles on each charge depending on terrain, wind direction and other factors. For longer journeys I have to take two batteries. I use the highest power assist (level 5), however, and travel with a load of about 19 stone of weight. A light rider who uses a lower assist level would probably get double or even triple the amount of range out of it that I get.

Regarding the original post, the Kudos Stealth and the Woosh Karoo are both decent bikes with some nice features, although if you want a bike that can tackle the hills easily, it is better to get a Kudos Arriba, Typhoon or Rapide, or a Woosh Big Bear, which have much better climbing ability.

 

[Jons]

Thanks for the replies. Woosh, I missed the kits you mentioned. If I remember rightly, initially I did look at the price of the crank drive kits but then dismissed them as I think I would prefer one of the front wheel kits and then started looking at Panda and others.
I would be doing a lot of pedaling myself and would use the power to give me a bit of a push into head winds and hills. Agreed the Woosh Big Bear and the like would be better climbers but for me it's the looks of the Karoo and Stealth. As an example, this one from the Media section of Pedelecs is the sort of ebike appearance I'd be after, and is similar to what my Merlin looks like....albeit I would choose front wheel drive and mine has rigid forks.


I did think of buying a Boardman Cylcocross bike, (£1000) and converting that, but I think they have carbon forks.

Seriously thinking of the kits Woosh mentioned: XF08 front costing £499 with 13AH battery or £599 with 17AH battery.

 

[Jons]

Test rode a Giant mountain bike today at Tredz, Cardiff. Wow. Not having ridden an ebike before I was very chuffed with how it performed and my knees were fine. Got me wondering yet again whether to go for a new bike or a kit. In reflection, probably still a kit (from Woosh, seems best value and I like the 17AH battery option). If anyone is on the fence about an ebike I would recommend a test ride. It's a real eye opener.

I'm glad I tested a bike out, even though I was only allowed in the large(ish) car park at the back of the shop. I can't see me paying out £2500 for a new ebike though, being a tight northern lad.

I don't suppose anyone has seen the 2014 Giant bike currently on ebay, ex demo? It's around £1200, down from RRP of £1799. Could I ask peoples' thoughts, as my concern with that would be the age of the battery, how many recharges it has gone through and the fact that batteries have hopefully improved in technology since 2014....Woosh Xf08 with 17ah for £600 or ex demo Giant for £1200? Think I've just answered that myself.

While I'm here, each time I log into Pedelecs, I have to go through the forgot password rig-moral. I can't change my password either, as the process dismisses the very password I've just used to log in. Any help available with this?

 

[Trevormonty]

The Gaint eMTB is likely to be factory middrive torque sensing setup. Kits and most hub drive ebikes are cadence sensing, a more disconnected feel. There are hub drive with torque sensing.

If you want to be able ride about assist cutoff of 15mph for extended periods, then trekking or hydrid style might be worth looking at.