It's always nice to get good customer feedback post purchase. Here is a review of the 2016 Haibike xDuro NDURO RX sent in by one of our customers after owning the bike a while. The xDuro NDURO RX electric bike took a lot longer to arrive than anticipated, but the wait was definitely worth it. I collected my new eBike on Friday 6th May, and can still remember the excitement of seeing this beautiful bike in the flesh for the first time. Due to family commitments, I was unable to ride my new eBike for a couple of days, which was quite hard. Finally, I was able to take it to my favourite mountain bike trails in the Surrey Hills and put it through its paces. The first thing I noticed on the 2016 NDURO RX was how smooth and forgiving the rear and front suspension units were..... Rockshox Vivid Air on the rear and Fox float 36 on the front. I spent a bit of time setting these up for sag and rebound I was completely blown away by the way the bike handled over a variety of terrain and particularly how it cornered, which I had some concerns about due to the slack head angle of the forks. I needn't have worried. The next thing to check was how the new Bosch CX motor compared to the Bosch performance line fitted to my old bike. I took the bike up a very steep hill which the performance line motor didn't quite have the grunt to make it to the top. The CX motor fitted to my 2016 Nduro Xduro and with the Shimano 11 speed cassette fitted at the rear, the bike flew up the hill......Very impressive. The new 500Wh Bosch battery really extends the range of the electric bike, which is a great asset. I've always been a Shimano man when it comes to brakes, and was a little nervous of the Magura 5 fitted to the bike. I needn't have worried, as these brakes are very powerful and modulate really well. I've been so impressed with this xDuro electric bike, and truly believe that this is the start of an e-bike revolution. I've had some hard core mountain bikers ride my bike and everyone of them loved it!! The service I have received from the guys at the E-bike shop has always been fantastic. Thank you guys!! Thanks so much to Ken for his words on the - Haibike xDuro NDURO RX 2016
It's always nice to get good customer feedback post purchase. Here is a review of the 2016 Haibike xDuro HardNine RC sent in by one of our customers after owning the bike a while. Introduction I have been watching and researching Ebikes for about 3 years. I have been following the Ebike shop for a similar amount of time. During this time I established that the crank drive motors are the way forward – put simply they are the most efficient. With the recent addition of the larger capacity battery – The Bosch / Haibike combination seemed the best option for me. Where to get one? I could have purchased the xDuro HardNine only and/or Local (I live in South Wales) but after watching the market and the activities and achievements of Martin and his E-bike shop I felt it prudent to travel up to see for myself – what they are like in the flesh. Needless to say, I was not disappointed – These do not come with a small price tag, but if you are looking, you are probably considering purchasing one. If you are at that point, then you are likely to be in a position where you can finance (buy outright or on finance) an E bike. Providing you make the right choice at the beginning – Full suss / Hardtail / Commuter and ultimately the correct size/fit bike I cannot see that anyone would be at all disappointed…. In fact, if you feel anything like myself, you’ll be flipping amazed ! First Impressions It started out by everyone else getting a go with grins from ear to ear before me…….. Flippin’ Nora – What a Machine !! I’m flabbergasted! It's Phenomenal! Like I said, my boys wanted first go….. well I could get them off it, neither could I get the smiles off their faces!! I’ve spent most of the day showing and letting work colleagues have a go! Setting the scene I live on a hill…… so each person was going to the bottom and riding up effortlessly…. Grinning… The Hill I live on is Caerphilly Mountain and for those that know it, know it’s bad enough to walk up, buses and cars have to drop a cog or two to get up there…… Yup, I went up it effortlessly……on tarmac…. Then there is a section of common land that takes you up to a Trigg point…… I flew up the gravel/lose track…… for a 22 stone bloke…… A quick charge last night and it was ready for this morning’s commute into Cardiff……. YaY All Hills are Flat ! PS. South Wales is not Flat….. I am overweight and appreciate that the distance/capacity of the battery will be affected…… i.e. total assisted miles will be reduced. HOWEVER, having said all that – I did have a point clarified for me which when it was, the penny dropped….. The battery is only used when assisting (sounds logical) So when I am travelling over 15.5mph – the miles left in the battery will remain the same, until such time as I slow allowing the motor to kick in again…… so to say you only have XX miles left on the screen is tosh……. Ride it and use the motor for the inclines….. you can go for milesssssss. Where does the fun end? This morning, day 2 of ownership, I chose to take the shorter route that takes me over the local mountain into Cardiff……. - as soon as I pulled up on the drive after cycling home from work on my new bike, and even before I could stop Strava and take my coat off, my young son (number 2 son) was waiting with baited breath ready to ask for a go of my bike…… of course I let him have a go….. On his return, Number one son had heard I was home (Strange as he can never hear us call him for tea, when he is on his Xbox) and was readying his shoes to have a go as soon as Number 2 son returns…. Ha ! Needless to say, I did need to recharge the battery ready for the day 2 commute.. Conclusion I live part way up the mountain….. so whichever way I go I always have to climb to get home….. but keep that for later….. My best time to go up the mountain so far is about 15 mins and that’s a mile (half mile of climbing, then it flattens a bit….) So this morning, a 4.5mile commute to work over said mountain……….. Total time on the eBike was 14.5 mins….. Yep, 14.5 mins (and that included negotiating some fools in traffic queues and a stop at a traffic light). My best time has been about 27 mins… as after a climb up any mountain you are always rewarded with a nice downhill section. Anyhow, it’s a 400 odd foot climb over a mile and a bit……. It took me 7.5 mins to complete the 1.2 mile climb this morning…. YaY! I was happy to have hit 42mph (Strava) on the way down the mountain – as suggested by my speed coming down the mountain, it’s a reasonably decently high mountain to climb. Can’t wait for the ride home now…… and the local MTB club beginners ride is out tonight….. so a good ride home and a few miles of single track to look forward to. I’m Loving E-Bike Ownership Into my Third week of ownership and I’ve commuted to work for nearly all the days…. Plus I’ve managed to squeeze in a bit of fun on the way home…. And managed to get out with the local MTB club last Wednesday for their ‘Beginner rides’ – It was CLEARLY not for beginners! My thoughts about whether the bike could manage 22 stone of Welshman has been thrown by the wayside on some hill in South Wales !!! I have a 3-4 mile climb coming home which I find a breeze now. Also, living in Wales, whichever way you ride, there are generally hils….. I can ride up the hills but it often turned into an Anaerobic session for my quads….. whereas now, It feels like I’m 10 stone lighter and I’m getting the Aerobic/cardio session that I so dearly missed! Granted, I’m probably not going to get the miles out of the battery as it’s probably working a bit harder…… but we’ll work on the weight to power ratio slowly…. For the person that considers themselves overweight / clinically obese / big boned – Whichever best describes you (I’m technically Clinically obese) – The only thing that will slow you down with this bike is either your riding skill or forgetting to charge the battery before going out !! Thanks so much to Phil for his words on the - Haibike xDuro HardNine RC 2016
Have you picked up the latest issue of T3 magazine yet? If not, then go grab one! The 'Best Electric Bikes Rated' makes for a real good read. Here the test winner - Haibike xDuro Urban. In the latest July issue T3 magazine took three world class eBikes and road tested them to the max. This included our Haibike xDuro Urban RC road bike, the Gocycle G3 and the ETT Trayser. T3 Says: Once you've ridden the Haibike, you'll never want a normal bike again. Side by side T3 reviewed the bikes and competed at 3 stages - Design, Power & The Ride. Read the full review below. For mobile readers it's easier to navigate by clicking here. We are really pleased to not only see 2 out of 3 of the bikes in T3 magazine are bikes that we offer, but to also come 1st and 2nd. With the Haibike winning overall first place and the Gocycle leading second. T3 Rates: The Haibike offers a perfect blend of power and battery life, with optimum gearing to suit. It also looks great and is fantastic to ride - even more so with the optional Nyon computer. Garage-dreamers will love the removable battery. Both with 5 star overall reviews and both winning all 3 of the major tests. This is a real feat! Find out more about the electric bikes featured: Haibike xDuro Urban & Gocycle G3. Credit to the guys over at T3 Magazine who clearly know their tech. Makes for a great read.
Last week I had the opportunity to pinch a new Gocycle G3 prototype electric bike for a day to bring an exclusive review of some of the new upgrades and features to you. If you're not up-to-date with the features of the Gocycle, check out the Gocycle G2 to see just how brilliant this eBike is. Gocycle have been working hard over the past few years to refine the 2nd Generation folding electric bike further, based on customer feedback. So how can you improve the perfect you might be thinking? I set out to ride and test the latest revisions on the new Gocycle G3. While I only had a limited time to review the bike (loaned a secret prototype!) I was sworn to secrecy until today.. Let's go! How does it look? The first thing I noticed was the traditional Gocycle style of clean lines and simplicity. It's really nice to see Gocycle stick to this front as the G3 looks just as elegant as the G2, albeit with a host of new technology and futuristic features. Simple but stylish, I was handed the G3 in it's folded, packed down form. I'll come to the docking station further down, but the first thing that was apparent is how small it was as it was plonked down in the corner of the office. New Features? Eager to get looking, I had it up to full form in seconds ready to catch some close up's of some of the new gizmo's. Below I am going to delve a little deeper into some of the changes for the new Gocycle G3. This is not a detailed overview of the whole bike and how it works, you can see that along with the full specification on our website here - Gocycle G3 Specification. Daylight Running Light One of the biggest differences I noticed straight away was the long white line at the front of the dash. Completely built into the handlebar / dash display this light strip looked fully integrated and subtle. The Gocycle G3 is designed by an ex formula one engineer with a heavy automotive background, Richard Thorpe saw that European law changed for all automobiles to include daylight running lights (DRL's) as standard. Whilst this is an electric bike and not required by law, Richard saw the safety aspects of DRL's and set to work to integrate it into the Gocycle G3 design. After all a safer rider is a happy rider! When you pedal the light automatically comes on to allow extra visibility at both night and daytime. The DRL will help other road users see you coming and comes with no added hassle as the patented light pipe technology requires no maintenance / bulbs and draws the power from the Gocycle itself. A complete all in one solution! New Dash Display While we are at the front of the bike, the cockpit has had some revisions too. The new display has been extended for easier viewing and a cleaner seamless look. You'll notice some blue led lights here too. These indicate the mode of the DRL at the front, you can navigate between high and low beam, off & a flashing mode with ease. The red LED's on the left indicate battery capacity in 10% increments and the right LED's indicate speed. The LED's in the middle represent the electronic gear selection. The new display looks far more futuristic and elegant with edge to edge designs that flow over the levers - a nice little touch! Ergo Grips & Shifters More upfront features include some comfy new ergonomic handlebar grips. These were instantly noticeable as soon as you hold the bars. Not only to they feel great but also allow more blood flow in the hand and less strain on your lower arms on longer rides. Also new in the grips are integrated two way rotary shifters. A big step forward from the old buttons mounted below. I must say that these feel really positive as you twist them either way and the instant activation of the control on the dash inspired confidence. On the right, the new shifters allow the user to change up & down the electronic gearing, another new features as previously you could only change up & wait for the Gocycle to auto shift down. On the left hand you can use the shifter to navigate the DRL light system between modes and it also doubles up as the on-demand power control (when enabled). Not grip / shifter related; but you'll also notice in the picture above the new revised brake levers with a much more stealthy look, it's easier on the eye and feel nicer to control on the ride. New Disc Brakes The new disc brake design is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They also offer easier pad removal, completely internally routed hoses and are slimmer for a cleaner overall look. You'll also notice the front motor had had a few tweaks, with some added bling and neater integration onto the new Gocycle single sided fork. Also note the discs are covered for added stealth and keeps little fingers away! These are also colour coded & vented for extra cooling. New Pedals A smaller tweak albeit a noticeable difference; the new slimline pedals not only look and feel part of the overall quality of the bike, but offer added grip in slippery conditions. This was more apparent when I was actually riding the bike, the G2 pedals offer a rubber surface, whereas the new G3 pedals offer a wider platform and added grip on top. For your average commuter riding in all weather this will help greatly. The pedals also feature new high quality sealed bearings for all conditions. Bigger Battery A big change for the G3 comes with it's higher capacity battery. Gocycle have managed to increase the capacity of the battery, improve the BMS technology & the best bit? It still fits within the frame for a completely integrated approach. The new bigger battery hosts up to 25% more range for those riders looking to travel further, I am told that the Gocycle G3 now has a range of up to 80km (50miles) depending on rider input. In this picture you'll notice more red anodized bling which really adds to the overall quality feel of this electric bike. A small tweak I also noticed when unfolding the Gocycle earlier was that they have improved the shock plunger so it no longer flops down (the opposite way to where you want it) when removed, this made folding so much easier as you located the plunger into the LockShock itself. New PitStop Wheel Locking The PitStop wheels are one of the best things I love about the Gocycle. Again derived from Formula 1 technology, this design is so simple, the fact that you can remove the wheels in seconds by use of the cam levers; it's just ace. However previously you got a satisfying click as it engaged, it wasn't always obvious. The new G3 wheel, above (with the wheel removed) you can see the PitStop wheel now has improvements with the cam levers to show a un-locked padlock. You can also see the three triangles do not align. When the cam levers are down, pictured above, you can see that the three triangles simply rotate into position and a locked padlock appears in the window. This is great as it adds safety to the eBike and you can be sure that the wheel is firmly in situ, neat huh? Portable Docking Station As suggested above; the glorious new Gocycle G3 arrived in my office in its folded form, this time neatly packed onto a specific colour coded docking station. The Gocycle sits firmly in position and a protective cover (not pictured) can be zipped on top to add extra protection. To remove the Gocycle from the docking station it was simply the case of just popping the wheels out of the base, unscrewing the thumb turn away from the crank and the whole G3 just pulls away. Such a simple solution to the all common storage problems. Preview Video: So how does it ride? Quite simply, the Gocycle G2 was a great machine to ride and the G3 had a hard job to compete! Never-the-less the ride was much the same if not a little better. The motor seemed to be more responsive and picked up quicker & the Gocycle was a comfy as ever to ride with the new components. One this I did notice was how responsive the gear changes were, both up & down when shifting. You could quickly navigate these using the rotary shifters which really spring back positively in your hand. In comparison to other shifters I have used on other bikes, I was expecting them to feel flimsy or floppy but the G3 upped the game. Whilst I only got a short time to ride the new Gocycle G3, as the winter evening approached the Daytime Running Lights came in real handy. As you can see above it certainly does a good job adding some viewing light into the equation too! I was also assured that the prototype model was not running all the latest firmware updates and I should expect to see even more responsiveness to the controls, shifting and power engagement which is now in it's final approval ahead of production. One of the things that always staggers me is the positioning the Gocycle gives. You'd expect it to feel small and pokey when you ride it, but it doesn't. Now agreed I was so excited to get it out the door, I didn't set the saddle height up etc. But the ergonomic V design to the bike makes it ride like a regular sized machine. Believe it or not the wheelbase is the same as our regular bikes, which is hard to believe when you see it folded into the small docking station. Conclusion I am surprised at what Gocycle have managed to achieve from an already fantastic product. I think the fact that they're engineers at heart, really shows off in the design & structure of the product. Let's not forget that the features listed above are only some of the things I noticed in the short time I had the G3. It's not just the external components that have changed, there's a host of new internal additions that are worthy of a mention too, including: New high quality bearings, improved fitting hub cap, concealed lighting cables, integrated seat tube collar, kickstand tab for easier deployment, new and larger heatsink cap, motor vibration mounts, the crank wave washers have been reduced to one apart, new integrated steerer and stem adjuster, a pivot back plate, pedal rpm magnet is now removed, a new anti chain-slap module & even the gearbox bearing arrangement had been modified. On the software side the Gocycle G3 benefits from loads of updates, the battery has seen significant upgrades too in respect of the BMS (battery management system) which now offers an improved charge & sleep management. On the software side of things, the new Gocycle Connect smartphone app is to be launched to celebrate the G3. Whilst I have not had a chance to play with the finished version I am told the new application (available on both Android & App Store) with additional parameters like distance / time travelled, calorie burn, mpg, litres saved, battery capacity, adjust the top assisted speed & even check the weather! More on that to follow, watch this space! Anyway big words aside, what does this all mean? Simply - The Gocycle G3 is better than ever! I can see the portable docking station being one of the advancements that really pays off. With manufacturers looking at neat ways to integrate eco friendly mobility it won't be long until we see these built into boats and car boots for the perfect Gocycle storage solution. Exclusive Product Preview Video: Do you need one? Of course! Need - No.. Want - Yes! It's not until you have ridden the Gocycle until you realise what you'd be without. What we really meant was is it worth the wait over the current G2? The larger range, improved components and features get the thumbs up from me. The tech savvy will no doubt want the latest and greatest & the vast majority of us will always pick the latest tech available. Never-the-less some savvy buyers will notice the £500 price difference and opt in to pick up one of the limited amount of Gocycle G2 bikes left. View the complete specification & features on the dedicated Gocycle G3 pre-order page here. Those lucky enough to be on the list will start receiving the new 'Electric Blue' G3 in March with the Black & White variants to follow slightly later on.
So nice to see some feedback in out of the blue. This review just came in from a customer, purchased in June 2015, now 2500km into his Haibike xDuro Trekking RX electric bike. Where it started I went to pick up the Haibike Trekking RX from E-Bikeshop in person. After payment I was shown to a nice shiny bike and given a few useful pointers on details of using and riding one of these bikes e.g. how to keep the (optional) battery cover in one piece, battery charging tactics and the difference between the SRAM shifters on this bike and the Shimano ones I am used to. One thing I had not been warned about were the four prominent e-bike store stickers stuck on the bike on delivery. They are arguably louder than Haibike's own branding. Whilst I am quite happy to recommend Martin and his business I would rather do so verbally than by riding a two wheeled billboard. The stickers are removable but because you have to do it letter by letter it takes 20x longer than it takes Martin to stick them on! How's the eBike? The Haibike Trekking bike is - as advertised - a very nice machine. The Bosch motor is more than adequately powerful to help propel bike, rider (80kg+) and two well loaded panniers up a several percent incline at 15mph with no more than an ordinary brisk pedalling effort. Initially the effect seems magical as the intervention of the motor appears to suspend the laws of physics a little. The build quality of the electric bike seems as good as I am used to from more conventional quality bike manufacturers. Given that this is a bike with with mudguards, lights, etc. you do get the occasional period of amusement hunting down clicks, creaks and cracks but no more so than usual in my experience. Bosch assistance modes Of the four support modes I tend to use "Tour" which gives noticeable support but (like the other modes) cuts off above 15mph leaving a bit of space for exercise. "Eco" more or less negates the weight of the bike and little more so it largely feels like riding an ordinary bike this size. "Sport" adds a little more zip, I use it when feeling a little weaker or more tired when going up a bit of incline. "Turbo" is borderline silly powerful and I only use it when going up larger and significant hills or (on one occasion) when riding into a gale force wind and rainstorm. Martin kindly did the Bosch Nyon upgrade on this bike and it was well worth it. The mapping and navigation works well but for me the ability to configure to display to show speed, cadence and power (among other things) displayed how I want them is invaluable. It allows me to pace myself as well as the battery in an efficient way. In practice the battery has never run out on me but in order to make this so I have used the electric support a little more sparingly on a couple of longer rides. Factory Accessories All the conventional touring electric bike accessories do the job as intended. SKS mudguards are among the best. The pannier rack with a black powder-coat finish carries even heavier loads well but is somewhat prone to scratching and scuffing where the pannier bags touch/rub over time. This is easily rectified (jot of Hammerite) and/or prevented (black tape on contact area). The BOSCH eBike battery powered light is more than good enough for commuting along lanes that have no street lighting whatsoever. Finally the kick stand works very well indeed both when the bike is loaded with bags and when it is not. It is extra handy when inconsiderate fellow cyclists have taken all the slots in the bike rack at work and I can just park next to it with decorum and grace (and a really heavy steel chain lock). Upgraded accessories Accessories which I have added to the xDuro Trekking RX and which give me pleasure are: + Ergon handlebar grips: I find these the best of their kind and I have them on most of my bikes. + Suntour NCX suspension seatpost: works remarkably well. I clean and oil it every 500km and it works smoothly and quietly. It does not do what a full suspension setup does but it handles inferior road surfaces and the occasional speed bump with ease and it even makes a reasonable attempt at smoothing gravel tracks. + Altura Morph Backpack Pannier: a "convertible" pannier backpack that actually works. There are slight compromises in that it is not the biggest pannier bag and not the very best backpack but it remains a very usable pannier bag and it is more than good enough to be used as a backpack on days when I don't cycle. Health benefits As for the effect on health I do not doubt that riding an electric bike is not the best way to train for the Tour de France! Having said that, if you don't overuse the electric support you most definitely do get exercise (and with the Nyon unit you can quantify it). Personally I also find the electric support is a great excuse remover even if you only use it sparingly. On days when a little sniffly or feeling a little less well the temptation to skip the bike is much less. You know that if you really shouldn't feel up to it you can always cheat and let the bike do the work but in practice (so far at least) that never happens and you pedal away anyway, feeling better on arrival as you so often do when cycling. What's the verdict? When reading about eBikes you see a number of comments over and over again. Two common ones are that they allow you to commute without sweating and that they will have negative impact of health and fitness because the electrics do the work. I feel both of these observations need a little nuance. I am happy I bought this bike. It feels like money well spent & I use it as often as I reasonably can. I expect I could do my commute without sweating at all if I put the bike in "Turbo" mode and stayed under the 15 mph motor cut-off limit. In practice I much prefer to push it over that limit a little from time to time and I use the lower support levels. This means I do sweat a little now and then but not to any extent that a half decent clothing base layer can't handle and a shower on arrival at work is not required at all. The good and the bad points summed up:- With thanks to Roger Francis for this long term review on the Haibike xDuro Trekking RX eBike.
An existing customer emailed in his lovely long term review after 7 months owning his Haibike sDuro HardSeven electric bike. He has now clocked up over 1600 miles by eBike. What I wanted to achieve? When I bought the bike I wanted primarily a bike to ride to work on as often as possible, leaving my car at home as much as possible on a bike that could cope with a mainly off road route of between 12 and 14 miles to work and then get me home as quickly as possible on a hilly 10 mile B Road route. To complicate matters I need to carry quite a bit of stuff to work and prefer to use a rear rack and panniers to do so. The tracks I use are too rough for the trekking style bikes so my choice was quickly reducing. I looked at a lot of bikes but in the end decided I needed a hardtail electric mountain bike that I could fit a rack to. After a lot of research I found myself returning to the e-bikeshop site and focusing on the Haibike sDuro and xDuro HardSeven. I rang Martin who was very helpful, and reassured me that they could fit racks to either bike and said I should come to the shop and try them out. In the end I attended the demo day and was able to ride both the Yamaha and Bosch systems on great tracks and meet some really friendly like-minded people. After that I arranged to meet Martin at his shop in Farnham where I could see the whole range of bikes and make up my mind in a relaxed way. Martin also suggested a set of Moon lights that have proved to be excellent and fitted some Schwalbe Smart Sam plus puncture resistant tyres and slime filled tubes to avoid as many punctures as possible as a puncture when you have to be at work is no fun. The Yamaha motor As other people have noted The Yamaha motor is a gem. The zero cadence works brilliantly off road and means it responds immediately to your input on the pedals and the torque of the motor will pull you up and over anything you aim it at. It will try and engage with any weight on the pedal and if you are at a road junction or set of lights I sometimes switch the assist off while I am waiting and back on again when it is time to set off. Either that or just take your feet off the pedals or un-weight the pedals. Riding the eBike I have now been riding the bike to and from work for seven months throughout the summer and hardly had to use the car at all. The off road route to work is a sheer pleasure and I have added more demanding tracks knowing that the bike can cope. I actually want the exercise and now predominantly only use the eco mode on the 13 mile off road route to work but know the bike can pick up the pace and fly at the push of a button. Getting home fast is also a pleasure I use the second standard level of assistance and never use the highest assistance level even on the steep hills and turn the motor off on descents. The Moon lights mean that I can see where I am going now! The 9 speed gearing has a sweet spot for cruising around 20/22 miles an hour. Obviously the speed drops on the steeper hills and you just drop down through the gears until you find the best one for the effort you want to add to the pedals and the gradient you are climbing. However I still find myself climbing some long more gentle hills at an indicated 20mph. Even a fairly steep long hill is dispatched at 12/14 miles an hour. On the steepest hill my speed drops down to around 10 mph. Momentum is quickly regained when you crest the hill. With a crank motored bike you have to pedal and whatever the setting you end up exercising, which for me is a benefit not a curse. Using eco on my 12/13 mile mostly off road ride to work I have about 62% battery left when I arrive at work. Blasting the 10 miles home on my hilly B Road in standard I have about 52% battery left when I get home. I top my battery up at work and am a 17 stone + guy with two loaded panniers. I did manage 30 miles on a fun mostly off road leisure ride including lots of very challenging hill climbs and by managing the way I rode the bike found the controller telling me I was about to deplete the battery 200 yards from home. Longer term thoughts? After 7 months I have so far seen no noticeable degradation in the battery. I look after my battery by bringing it into the house after every ride and charging it if I am going to use the bike the next day. If I am not going to use the bike for a number of days it will have over 50% remaining after my ride home from work and I store it without topping it back up in a warm dry cupboard and then charge it up again on the day I next ride. I was worried about spokes breaking in the back wheel being a heavy guy and carrying panniers but actually wrote off my rear wheel and rear mech after only a few weeks riding when a tree branch jammed in the rear spokes, so I cannot say whether the original rear wheel would have coped with the weight it was carrying as the miles increased. Martin made me up a strong back wheel based on a mavic rim that has so far taken everything that I have thrown at it. The beauty of a crank drive is that if you need a stronger rear wheel you can just build one up and slot it in. A disadvantage of a powerful crank drive system is that it puts quite a strain on your cassette, chain and front sprocket. I would advise changing gear as gently as you can. I read Anthony Flemings excellent review and did find that I also damaged the original rear cassette by unsympathetically changing gear on a steep hill under full load. The system does interrupt power as you change gear but I would still recommend taking a gentle approach to changing gear. Any upgrades? I followed Anthony’s advice and fitted a cheap rear cassette that has for me proved more durable than the original although I made sure my gears were perfectly indexed after it was fitted. The rack Martin fitted is working well in combination with my Ortlieb Panniers although for my own peace of mind I replaced the standard fitting bolts with much stronger ones that I sourced from the excellent Margnor Fasteners Ltd near Guildford. Like any new bike you will probably want to put a more comfortable seat on and I have found the Velo Inclined Men's Plush Men's Saddle – Black sourced from Amazon the most comfortable saddle I have ever used and have now put this saddle on my other bikes. The Smart Sam Plus Tyres with slime filled tubes have not punctured. Over half my mileage is off road with all the hazards you meet there so I strongly recommend them. I have found enough grip off road and due to their strong construction they are a very fast running road tyre for commuting and very hard wearing. For me the standard brakes have been very good with plenty of power and a nice feel and modulation. I know this contradicts other reviews but they have been fine for me. I also have not had a problem with the seat post and after fitting my new saddle it has stayed in the position I put it in. The quality of the Haibike frame is fantastic, obviously high quality and very well engineered, producing a taut and well controlled ride. I have a Rockshox Recon Silver 100mm fork that is fitted to the xduro hard tail on another bike I own and prefer the Rock Shock to the Suntour fork on the Sduro but the Suntour is air adjustable and works just fine. Conclusion So I have to say that after 7 months and 1600 miles I am still very impressed with this bike. I think that the combination of the German Haibike frame and Japanese motor are a great combination and hard to beat. I have ended up with a highly capable mountain bike and fast road bike that can also lug me and two full panniers around with consummate ease. More importantly than all this is that riding this bike is amazing fun and it has enabled me to commute to work by bicycle and leave the car at home which I could not have done on an ordinary bike. You obviously also get a lot of exercise in a way that you hardly notice. I have also found that e-bikeshop provide exemplary advice and very good service. With thanks to Henry for this long term review on the Haibike sDuro HardSeven 2015.
One of our customers decided to give us an update of his eBike journey throughout 2015. This includes a detailed review of both the Gocycle G2 and the Haibike sDuro FullNine SL. Where it started? It was late September 2014, my brother was visiting for the weekend and we decided to pop up to Covent Garden and do something touristy. As we walked through Covent Garden, we passed a Smart Car display, and there were a couple of Smart e-bikes on display too. I hadn't really done any cycling since the early nineties. I briefly tried cycling again back in 2007, but this only lasted a few days! So I wouldn't say that I was that mad about cycling, but the idea of an electric bike seemed quite appealing. The next step? While surfing the web, I came across the Gocycle G2, and decided to take a closer look. So the following weekend I went to the closest dealer to try out the Gocycle G2. It was surprisingly easy to ride! It really was fun, but it seemed expensive (for me at least). After much deliberation I popped back to the dealer the following weekend and came away with my new Gocycle G2. I cycled home in the pouring rain with big smile on my face. To sum up the Gocycle? I've now clocked up nearly 1,500 miles on it. It's not like cycling as I remember it, you don't notice the hills so much, you don't get so frustrated when you have to stop and start in traffic, and best of all you don't arrived at your destination dripping with sweat. It's just a more civilised way to cycle. I'm not saying the Gocycle is necessarily the best choice for an e-bike, but it was my first choice. I'm not sure that I was very clinical with my selection process though, I just liked the look of it. Longer term thoughts? Now that I've lived with it for a year I can say that there are some points that really stand out. It's very easy to keep clean (which is quite important given that it is stored in the living room). It's fairly light compared to some other e-bikes, so still fairly easy to carry when necessary (unavoidable sometimes when the lifts are out in the Greenwich foot tunnel). It is possible to fold up. I don't think you would want to do this on a regular basis though. I've not used the folding feature that much, although there have been a few times where I popped it in the boot of the car or took it on the bus. It's very simple to use, and fairly easy to adjust the amount of assistance you want. One thing I'm not so sure about though is the attention it attracts. If you don't like to be noticed then the Gocycle is not for you. People can't help but comment on it. It really is a head turner. The Gocycle is a great little bike that attracts a lot of attention! I'm guessing the range may be a bit short for some. I probably get about 15 miles, but obviously this will vary depending on hills and the level of assistance. The Gocycle really opened my eyes to the benefits of e-bikes, so much so that I bought another e-bike! What did you go for? Back in March 2015 I had been surfing the web again when I came across the Haibike range of mountain e-bikes and I was curious about the crank drive system. I phoned e-bikeshop to see if they could give me a bit more information about the benefits of the crank drive over the hub drive. I spoke to a very helpful chap named Martin and he simply said I should try it out. They were organising a demo day on the South Downs and Martin suggested that I come along and try a few different models. How did it go? The Haibikes are a very different proposition to the Gocycle. The demo day was a lot of fun, and I came away trying to work out how I was going to convince my wife to let me buy another e-bike so quickly after the first one, because my mind was definitely made up. The next week I took delivery of the Haibike sDuro FullNine. It is a great bike! The crank drive kicks in as soon as you start to pedal, which really helps if you are trying to push off on a steep hill. The ride is really smooth and everything feels so tight. The range is surprisingly good. It's just an awesome bit of engineering. Do I prefer the Gocycle or Haibike? That's actually quite a difficult question to answer. The Gocycle is just so easy to live with and is bursting with great ideas, not to mention that it is possibly the most stylish bike I've seen. On the other hand the Haibike is a marvel that you feel you could ride just about anywhere. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, but I'm not sure I could choose one over the other. I use them both fairly equally. I love both of these bikes and I don't plan on parting with either of them anytime soon. To sum up my eBike experience? I would say that the e-bike really has changed my life. I look forward to the daily commute to work! They are expensive but I have only been on public transport a handful of times over the last year so I have already saved myself about £1,500 in bus/tube fares. If you haven't considered an e-bike, I would thoroughly recommend that you do. I've seen articles which suggest it is for those people that aren't very fit for one reason or another, but I don't really agree with that assessment. An e-bike is a really efficient means of personal transport for anyone, much better in the city than a car, or even a motorbike. With thanks to David for this interesting article covering both the Gocycle G2 Folding eBike & Haibike FullNine.
Haibike announced the first ever sDuro Yamaha powered ladies specific electric mountain bike a few months back. We were eager to get the verdict on this fantastic new model. Haibike sDuro HardLife SL 2016 Not sure the gents will agree on the name, the Germans decided on this one, so we followed suit. Ladies do you have a HardLife?.. Well it's about to get easier with this new sDuro electric mountain bike! Forget the hills, this tough part of the ride is eased up somewhat with new eAssitance from the Yamaha system. Who better to give the bike a verdict - the lovely Kirsty from our E-Bikeshop Owners Club. With a revised Ladies specific geometry, tighter bars, shorter stem and even offered in 4 sizes. The new ladies Haibike will be popular for an all round hardtail mountain eBike. Great stand over, means ladies short and tall can benefit. The Yamaha battery slides in from the side meaning the top tube can be mounted lower down, giving more clearance. Even the 100mm forks match in perfectly with the matte finish and exact colour coding. We love the fact that Haibike have added the forks decals to match, nice touch! The new decals certainly suit the ladies, we particularly love the hearty sDuro logo and all the little refined decals that come together to make this bike stand out! The new Yamaha control buttons offer a sleeker appearance with blacked out buttons, that no longer look faded after extended use. The buttons also feel more responsive and you can even charge your smartphone on the go using a USB adapter. Let's see what Kirsty had to say after riding the new electric mountain bike for the first time: How would you sum it up? As a keen e-bike rider I have been waiting a long time for a ladies mountain e-bike. I feel this bike was built for me, the handle bars are in the perfect position, the seat is reasonably comfortable considering how streamlined it is. Wow FINALLY a ladies e-bike that looks and feels awesome! It's also much lighter than other e-bikes I have tried which is a massive win in my eyes. It's easy, fuss free and not too technical, which is just what I am after. This now means I can go out riding with my partner on his electric mountain bike, keep up and be comfortable... This will definitely get me out on my e-bike more. You can read more about this bike here - Haibike sDuro HardLife SL Ladies eBike
I started looking at the idea of electrically assisted bikes a few years ago, and the thing that always put me off was they were too road-centric. What I wanted? I really wanted to start riding the trails and downhills I did when I was younger. I used to compete, back in the days hard-tails were the only option and front suspension forks were new to the market. Life moved on and now older and wiser, I wanted to come back to the sport. Fortunately technology has moved on too! Time constraints and old age meant I was not as fit as I wanted to be. I thought that having the option of some assistance to help me up the steeper hills meant I could have more time enjoying the sport, and less time cursing the hills. Where next? After doing lots of research I looked at all the manufacturers out there and decided that Haibike seemed to me to be the truest/purest bike. I looked at all the shops and online options and decided to start speaking to the e-bike shop. I sent an initial enquiry to Martin, which was answered promptly, and fully in plain English. Many more questions over many months followed, each answered with the same verve and enthusiasm, with never any pressure on trying to “close the deal”. It was clear that this was more than a job but a real passion. What bike did I choose? Having settled on a bike (the xDuro AllMtn Pro), the difficult bit came with parting with so much money. The Bike arrived the next day, and suffice to say I have not been disappointed in either the bike or the post sales support, any query I have had since delivery has been answered straight away, sometimes when I am on the trail and I have had to pick up the phone. So how's the bike? In terms of the bike itself, it is a revelation, the flexibility for different types of riding from bombing downhill to technical trail sections all seem to be dealt with easily. The Fox suspension is phenomenal, I have ridden it hard and I have never had to adjust it off of the trail setting. I am sure this is partially due to the expert set up of Martin and his team. Unclimbable hills are know no harder than a flat stretch of tarmac. The level of assistance is easy to change, and it is rare I need to rack it up to Turbo. I come back from my rides exhilarated but not exhausted. The Nyon head unit displays all I need at any moment and again it is easy to switch screens. As The tuning dongle, was the only addition to the standard bike I made, as the majority of my riding is off public highways I tend to leave this on and adjust the assistance levels. To me the dongle is a great piece of kit, it stops the assistance cutting out when the fun is about to begin. I have not yet explored the customisable assistance levels, as the standard ones work thus far. So to conclude? This sport should not just be about fitness (although since owning the bike this has improved drastically), it should be about technical skills and enjoyment, and not dread. I could write more superlatives but the bike is calling to me now.. time to hit the trails once more! I look forward to reporting back on future adventures with this bike as I explore further afield. With thanks to Jamie for this excellent review of our Haibike All Mountain PRO.
When looking to buy one of these Haibikes I found that there was a real lack of detailed information that would help me choose what to buy. The reviews I read of the Haibike electric mountain bikes were positive but lacked detail; which is why I have tried to provide a more detailed review of the bike. My Requirements I have to add before I start that I am a large man, 6'4" and a heavyweight (fatty!). This means the bike was put under greater strain than a smaller, lighter individual! I have a 25 mile round commute and after having issues with my lower back, I lost a lot of fitness and struggled with the distance on my usual bikes. I have been into bikes for years and went from a carbon frame Specialized road bike and Alu Orange 29er to the e-bike hoping it could fulfil both roles. I purchased the Haibike sDuro HardSeven SL 2015 Yamaha at the end of February. Why did I go for this model? I have a background in engineering and I ran my own garage for 11 years before changing career. I have to admit I have taken to disliking Bosch products, having seen so many issues with their electric components in the past. The Bosch system may well be fantastic but having had experience of Yamaha engined road cars (Toyota MR2/Ford Puma) I thought it was likely to be a reliable choice. For those of you unaware, Yamaha is a branch of the Toyota car company; known for reliability. The wheel choice I was less sure of - 27.5" (more commonly known as 650b) is a new wheel size which is meant to bridge the gap between the traditional 26" rims and 29". Because of this there are fewer tyres/spare wheels available at the moment, but still a good few 26" in my opinion is just too small now, I had a 29er and loved it BUT it was clear that off-road it was a little sluggish in the turns, in comparison. There was also the front chain ring, I did not want the added complexity of a front dérailleur and I have certainly not regretted that decision. The last issue was, the 27.5 was in stock but the 29 was not! I called and spoke to Martin at the E-bike shop, bombarding him with questions before leaving a deposit on the bike. I was impressed by Martin's knowledge. He asked questions about where I live and my size/weight and gave me realistic range figure, which has been incredibly accurate. Hows the bike? My experience of the bike since then is probably best summarized into categories below, bearing mind that in my eyes it is a great bike but has not been trouble-free. I have now covered around 800 miles or so on the bike so feel I can give a reasonable account of it. Yamaha crank assist: The system is frankly amazing. It provides incredible torque. In Eco mode this massively heavy bike speeds along in a manner closer to a carbon road bike, even with the Rapid Rob tyres. In Normal or High the assistance is incredible and hills are dispatched with ease; believe me there is simply no need for more than the 9 gears available. The only issue that I have encountered with the system is that the battery shakes around a bit in the housing, this is just annoying rather than an actual fault. Range is exactly as Martin stated. For me I get around 25 miles in normal/high with the dongle fitted and can get a bit more if I am having a real lazy day. In Eco you can definitely stretch it further although I am yet to try a full battery discharge in Eco mode as I enjoy the speed too much! Having the dongle engaged does reduce battery life a good bit though, although it still is not enough to make me remove it all of the time. Riding it: I have ridden it a lot on road and off-road. First of all, if you ride on road a lot the Rapid Rob's are not going to be up to the job. I find that unless they are above 50psi on the back the bike actually feels unstable. Above that pressure its fine however and is great off-road. I have a set of 650x38 Schwalbe marathon plus tyres (and a spare set of wheels, but I'll come to that later) which are superb road tyres and incredibly resistant to punctures. The rapid Rob's have been punctured twice now while the marathon plus tyres look unlikely to ever puncture. The bike is incredible on road and has better performance and range (this is really noticeable too) with the road tyres fitted. The fork (and I was sceptical of a Suntour fork) is superb and the remote lock out is one of those things you wonder how you ever did without before you got it. The bike is stable and has great handling. Off road it is even better. The fork works really well and has the best performance of any bike I have owned over rough ground. The fact you can cruise over a trail this fast, really makes for an incredibly thrilling experience requiring concentration. Tree roots and small drops are easily handled by the stock tyres and fork. This is probably the most fun you can have legally on two wheels in the forest (I live in the New Forest). The seating position is incredibly comfortable and far more upright than my previous bikes which makes it just lovely to ride. I have improved this further by fitting Easton handlebars with a riser to give a more upright riding position. The saddle is decent but the seat post is DIRE and I had to replace it with a better quality unit. No matter what I did I could not adjust it to a different position, it would always move itself back mid ride which was a real annoyance. I also ditched the saddle for a Specialized 155mm Avatar PRO Gel which is technically for road bikes but has some extra give and therefore comfort over the standard Selle saddle (which is pretty good to be fair). Weak points? Unfortunately there is one real weakness with the bike in terms of rider feel which is certainly exacerbated by the weight of the bike and rider. The standard brake rotors are appalling. They are 180mm Tektro items and have thin spokes connecting the centre to the outer part of the disc. These flex when braking hard giving a horrible feeling under braking. I replaced these with Shimano SLX discs which are much stronger and do not give the same problem. The Mechanics Along with the issues mentioned above, I haven't had a trouble-free time with the bike. The frame, fork and Yamaha system are fantastic but in my opinion it's well worth budgeting to replace some of the componentry which is average at best. Again you must bear in mind I am a heavy rider so have put this bike to the test. On my first ride I had gear slipping as the derailleur was not perfectly indexed. Because of the huge torque this absolutely annihilated the cassette, which was luckily not expensive to replace. It took me a while to identify this issue and this was all the more awkward as I live around 90 mins drive away from the E-bike shop or I would have simply taken it back to be fixed. They were reasonable and realistic with this however so I have no complaints about service. When I was tracking down the fault, I decided to replace the rear dérailleur. Know the Deore unit is meant to be good, lots of people have told me that is the case but it has a medium cage length which is not required for a single front chain ring. I ordered a Shimano XT short cage dérailleur and once set up the gear change performance is absolutely incredible. I now keep a spare cassette however just in case and make sure to make regular checks to the gear indexing. If you can't do this, I strongly recommend learning how. It's not hard but takes some patience and practice and will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Issues? The most annoying issue I have had has been an issue with the back wheel. However, after a few weeks riding the spokes starting getting ridiculously loose. I tightened them a bit by hand but ended up completely wrecking the back wheel in the process. A decent wheel should not come loose like this however. I bought a pair of spare wheels, Shimano MT35 (28 spoke only on the rear!) and I have not had the same issue at all but as an experiment I bought a 36 spoke wheel Raleigh wheel and within one ride I had the same problem as the original wheel, this was swiftly returned. I have since had a wheel built with Mavic rim, Shimano XT hub and DT Swiss double butted spokes, again 36 spoke. I hope this is up to the job and allows me to have a set of wheels with road tyres fitted and a set with the mountain bike tyres for easy swapping. I suspect the extra weight, lack of sidewall flex and high pressure of the marathon plus tyres did not help either. The front wheel does seem fine though but this is helped by the fork absorbing much of the bumps. The frame is a thing of beauty. It has nice chip resistant paint and is designed in a way that you would not know it was an e-bike without paying close attention. You are paying for the frame, fork and Yamaha system in reality and the fact that these are all fantastic is what really counts. Summary Plus Points: + Incredible Yamaha performance + On and off-road performance, easily replaces a road bike and mountain bike + Beautiful frame, very scratch resistant + Superb Suntour fork with remote lockout + 27.5" wheels give great handling properties + Rapid precise gear shift Negative Points: - Some poor quality components, namely; wheels, brake rotors and seat post. - Gears need regular finessing to avoid cassette destruction - Lack of choice for tyres/replacement wheels in 27.5" size (improving all of the time). To Conclude This is a fantastic bike. I wouldn't say it was cheap but I feel that it is fairly priced considering the riding experience. Budget a few hundred quid more to make upgrades as I have (or better) and you will have an absolute monster of a bike fit for all conditions. With thanks to Anthony for this incredibly in depth review of our Haibike HardSeven SL.
Here we see a lovely article from one of our customers explaining the use of electric mountain bikes, how it has benefitted him & his long term impressions using an eBike. Forget everything you think you know! Firstly - A little about me, who am I? Well I am a 38yr old ex Merchant Navy officer who spent my days on his feet walking miles and miles in hot climates, and seeing that there is little to do on ships once my shift had finished I used to work out in the ship's gym, so its fair to say I was fit, well many years ago; that was the case. These days I work in the IT industry, so I spend many long days sat at my desk hunched over a keyboard tapping away, with the occasional short walk through to the rest area to make a cup of coffee and have a few biscuits or possibly a nice chocolate muffin. Now I am sure you can see where the problems started…. Too many cakes and not enough exercise. This is a story that I am sure many people know any sympathise with and unfortunately it seems to be the same story for a great many people. Now I was never what you might call a cyclist, I have had motor bikes for years and I have always owned a mountain bike but again like a great many people it sat in the garage gathering dust and occasionally would be used for a short ride with the occasional bit off road. What made me think about an eBike? Firstly I should say that over the years all the biscuits and muffins had added a significant measurement to my waistline so losing weight was what I was interested in, knowing that losing weight and wanting to get fit again could be accomplished at the same time, the hunt started on how I was going to accomplish this not so insignificant feat. It seemed logical to me that two wheels could be the simple answer I was looking for, but I also wanted to ease into it and not kill my body while it was catching up with the lifestyle change so I kind of ruled out my traditional Mountain bike that was still dusty and still sat in the garage… I did give it a try…. I had seen e-bikes in the past, and many years ago I had used one while doing a ship dry dock in China to get around the city during my time off and really enjoyed it. Naturally I am like most people so first stop was to Google “eBike”. Here started the long process of research, over the next 2 months I tried to learn everything there was to know about eBikes and bikes in general, I watched YouTube videos (like the below) , read online articles, posted to some forums and generally came to one conclusion…. I WANT ONE !!!! When did I decide to take the plunge? So about a year ago now, I contacted Martin at e-Bike shop, and as luck would have it he was running a Demo day in a few weeks, so I signed up there and then. Now over the that last few months my beautiful wife had seen me pouring over all the eBike websites and videos and also had to put up with me talking about it in great detail… so now I had to explain to my beautiful wife that I was finally getting up off the sofa and driving to the other end of the country to take one out on a test ride and possibly part with a substantial sum of money. That day came! So the Demo day arrived and I woke at the crack of dawn to start the drive down South, its fair to say I was excited about the day ahead, in retrospect I really should have not drunk quite as much as I did the night before… we live and learn. I arrived a little early and was greeted by Martin who immediately took one look at me and handed me a large cup of coffee. He knew I was interested in the Haibike AMT RX 27.5 so over the next 20 minutes he talked me through the bike end to end, his knowledge about eBikes was immediately apparent and that put my mind at ease, my initial impressions regards the bike was one of general happiness. It's fine looking at websites and watching YouTube videos but it’s not until you see one of these machines in the flesh do you realise how well made they are, for instance I am a pretty good welder, been doing it since I was a kid on and off, but the weld joints on the frames are a thing of beauty, you can see the pride of workmanship, the same can be said for the rest of the machine as well. My initial Impressions? So the time had arrived to take the bull by the horns and hit the trails on the Haibike Demo Day. After getting suited and booted we had a quick safety briefing and walk through then we were off, on the day we were accompanied by Martin and his very experienced staff. Now I don't know what I was expecting, but in my heart I knew it was going to impress and within less than 100 yards it all started to make sense, at this point you could not have wiped the smile off my face with a hammer. We ambled along a few roads and headed out further into the countryside, it really was amazing to me how these machines managed to pull my substantial weight along with ease, within 10 minutes we had arrived at an area that had been chosen to demonstrate the off road capabilities of these wonderful machines. The next hour was a brutal assault on my senses, we rode up hills that would have given me a heart attack on a normal mountain bike, we ploughed through thick mud, that would have sapped the legs of all but the fittest but we just kept on going, at this point my heart was pumping and my hangover got the better of me…. After a few minutes break and sit down to stop myself passing out we got back on the bikes and continued on the trails. It was clear to see that everyone was having a blast, I already knew at this point that today was going to be an expensive day. What did I like about the riding / bike? So what did I really like about the bike and what was it that sealed the decision to part with what can only be described as A LOT of cash, well that is simple… I liked everything, the Bosch motor is smooth yet substantially powerful, the brakes, suspension are all very high quality and certainly better than anything I had ever ridden outside of off road motorbikes. I knew that this bike was going to be the catalyst to me getting fit and losing weight, and as it turns out I was right, but we will come to that later. So after completing our demo we headed back to base, it was without doubt the best day out I had ever had on a bike and I was hooked, no fancy sales pitch required the proof was in the pudding these machines do all the talking. At this point comes the bit we all dread, handing over the cash, in the past I had bought many motorbikes that didn't cost as much as one of these bikes but I knew I was doing the right thing, after a few hours out I felt like a champion I was able to fly up hills like a pro, I was able to smash the trails and a few quid was all I needed to spend to do it all over again. Delivery day came! What's it like? So cut forward in time, to the day of delivery. I could not wait to leave work knowing that it was waiting for me when I got home, longest drive of my life. Martin had kindly charged the battery for me, so after a few minutes of set up I was out the house and on the road, for my first ride I decided to head towards a place I knew had some nice roads and some trails, total round trip distance around 15 miles. It was a beautiful day so I decided to ease into it and give the electric mountain bike a good shakedown, after about 6 miles of going at it hard, my heart was pounding again and my lungs were tight so I decided to take break, after a few minutes I continued on my journey and sitting here now typing this I can still remember every detail of that ride. My longer term impressions? Now as the days passed and my enthusiasm eased off I started to notice that I was not hitting that wall at 6 miles, but my overall journey time was getting less and less, could it be I was getting fitter? Now I should mention that the day I took delivery of my new trusty steed I also started my diet, part of the agreement with my wonderful wife about buying the eMTB in the first place. The days passed with me out on the bike pretty much every other day, giving my body time to recover in between rides and sure enough I was getting faster and fitter, I could actually feel the difference in myself, and this bike was helping get to where I wanted to be. Now I have had my eMTB around a year now and I still ride at least 3 times each week with two training rides of around 20 miles mostly on the road and at the weekends I travel the length and breadth of the country looking for the best trails. I also have used my bike for commuting as well, which was actually saving me 1 hour every day of sitting in my car stuck in slow moving Birmingham city traffic, not to mention the fact that I was saving around £50 a week in fuel. Unfortunately a recent change of jobs has forced me back into the car, but I will be starting to cycle in again shortly. The best bit.. The advantages to me! Since I bought my electric mountain bike I have now lost a total of 52lbs in weight, I am the same weight now as when I left the Merchant Navy, I am fitter, stronger and even better looking if that’s possible, well that what my wife tells me. All this and I am saving money and the planet, it really doesn't get any better. There really is no better feeling that going out and just seeing where you end up, and with an eBike it really could be anywhere, with a battery that will get me at least 30 miles up hill and down dale on Turbo mode and close to double that in eco mode the world really is your oyster. Is there any disadvantages? Now it is not all rosy, as a result of owning one of these fabulous machines, I have had to buy an entire new wardrobe as none of my clothes fitted me anymore, so that has cost me a few quid. Also like any hobby it’s the little things that you don’t think about, so I spend at least an hour each week washing and cleaning my bike, in fact I have just come back in from doing this exact thing, so that can add up with all the cleaning chemicals and such like. I am also always looking for where to go on the weekends and that can take up time in your valuable day, and I am still watching the YouTube videos and hitting the websites and now I have started buying bike magazines, who would have thought. It’s a wonder I have time to actually ride anywhere…. But rest assured I still do, and I still love every minute of it. Has this changed me as a person? Well for one I go out more, I see the world around me, I am able to take in the beauty while out on the bike, this is something you just don't get in a car or even on a motorbike, its life at a slower pace, and by that I mean still faster than a good club road cyclist…lol And when you are out on the trails away from mankind and out in the wilderness there is no words to describe how it makes me feel, owning one of these eBikes has fundamentally changed me at my core, and I am OK with that. What's the verdict? So in conclusion, are they expensive?… Yes and no, but that is the wrong question, are they worth it? Is a better question and the answer is YES YES YES, I am so glad I bought my eMTB. Would I recommend it others? Yes without a doubt, since I have owned my bike I have tried to let as many people have a go as possible and every time I see the same thing, that same look on their face the one where it all makes sense and a smile 10 miles wide. Yes I have been called a cheater while out on the trails blasting up the steep hills, but those same people are also keen to give it a go at the top and once they do they “get it”. There are no hills in my world there are flats and downhill sections only and that’s not a bad world to live in if you ask me. Where to now? So what does the future hold, well things have come on a long way in the last year, there is now an eBikeshop owners club, which is fantastic, we all meet up once a month and spend a day out on the trails, this has now become a real thing that I look forward to every month, a chance to catch up with my new eBike friends which I now have many. I am also lucky enough to have a few eBike owners in my local vicinity so we meet up here and there and have a blast. I would like to do a big trip around the Scottish highlands, and this is going to happen within the next few months fingers crossed, keep your eyes open on the owners club for pictures. I plan to keep my eBike until the wheels fall off and judging by the way these electric mountain bikes are made that may well be some time. I hope you enjoyed my little story and I hope to see you out on the trails!.. Bernie With thanks to Bernie, from all of us here at e-bikeshop for expressing his fantastic journey into the electric bike world. Are you ready to follow this path?
We are proud to see our Gocycle G2 electric bike featured in this months (July 2015) T3 Magazine. Not only shown on the front cover; but also in the 'Tech For Everything' pages as the perfect tool for commuting and work! T3's words: Gocycle G2 - Folding into a neat package, the bike is easy to store when not in use. Pedal it to burn some calories, or hit the magic red button to let the motor kick in. With speeds of up to 15mph, this'll make your commute more fun. T3 also featured the Gocycle in the 'Man vs Tech' pages. Where they test electronic devices to travel from London to Bath across varied terrain. T3's words: Gocycle G2 - It was invented by a former F1 designer and it folds up inside the Tesla's front bonnet. The frame is made from injection-moulded magnesium alloy, so it's light enough to pick up; there's a lithium-ion battery inside that powers an electric motor in the front hub; and it shifts gears automatically. And all this is wrapped in simple styling that would lead some people to think it's just a normal bicycle. Indeed, you can ride it like a traditional bike, with pedal power alone. Or, if you're feeling lazy, it'll whisk you along purely under its own steam. Today I've tweaked the settings via a smartphone app, going for a mixture of manpower and electric for a boost up hills, of which there are many in Bath. With up to 40miles of battery range depending on how hard you push it, plus infinitely more under pedal power, it'll take me into town and back to the car tonight. It's quite conceivable that you could use it for a substantial commute every single day, instead of taking the Tube or train or bus/ The electric assistance is so generous that you'll arrive with dry armpits, having justified the purchase price by saving thousands of pounds on petrol or rail fares. Thanks to T3 gadget magazine for such a fantastic feature of the Gocycle G2 portable eBike. So nice to see gadget mags taking to electric vehicles in a positive way. Finally we have a practical commuter bike, that meets the modern day users. Find out how a Gocycle can benefit you today - The Gocycle G2 Electric Bike Features
I have now had my Lapierre Overvolt FS 900 for 10 days, in that time I have ridden 135.2 miles, to get used to the bike. I can’t keep off the thing!!! First Impressions At first I was initially upset with the distance achieved from a fully charged battery 18 miles, but this was riding on my own, up some awesome uphill off road, (in TURBO mode), of which I could never have managed before an E Bike. Over Easter I rode with one of my friends over some of the South Downs way, we did 27 miles, averaged 10 mph and I still had 1 bar of battery left, it soon became apparent I ride too fast when on my own hence poor mileage. See this Strava picture below and you can see why, averaging nearly 18mph, I don't even do that on a Road Bike! Why I love it? This Lapierre FS 900 eBike has allowed me once again to ride off road, and not worry if a massive climb appears, they are no trouble now. I have found lanes and trails that I have never discovered before... I am 47 years old, had my first MTB in 1988 a Kona Fire Mountain, back when I was 20 I could ride all day, never noticed hills etc, but now I am 15 ½ stone and old, things have changed. (lost 3Lb in last 10 days, another positive) I have also started commuting 17 miles each way to work on the eBike, what a great way to start and end the day, I have always read about people that do this, and how energized they feel, well with help from Bosch - that guy is now me and it is superb! I love this E concept so much, Martin was very patient with me as these things are not cheap (pay for what you get), and it took me a while to take the plunge. eBikeshop held a demo day, which I attended, Great day!!! which was really the day I made my mind up, this is for me, never before have I had such good service from a bicycle shop, matched only when I purchased a BMW motorbike. Conclusion If you are trying to make your mind up, get in touch with me, ride mine, take it up the most uphill piece of off road that has always destroyed you, you will fly up it, then you will be reaching for your cash. Up hills can be FUN... honest! Not only am I obtaining great times uphill, I am also smashing all my PB’s downhill with this Lapierre, what a bike. E Bike is the way forward, you're cheating yourself if you don't at least try one.... Best Wishes to all at E-Bike Shop & THANKS! With thanks to Danny for this fantastic review, you can view the full specification of this bike here: Lapierre Overvolt FS900 2015
Great to hear feedback from our customers. This one in particular was so happy with his previous Haibike, he decided to take the plunge and go for a better equipped model. Where it started? A few weeks ago I decided to explore the idea of changing my Haibike pro to the latest version, why? I love my Haibike used it lots but found its 120mm travel a bit quick for me, I need 180mm….. and the new dashboard…. and the yellow wheels….. and the look… and and and (trying to convince myself).. I booked a slot with Martin and he took me through all points of the Haibike xDuro NDURO PRO 2015 eBike, (I would like to add that Martin rides these bikes and really knows the bikes you can be confident with his advice) it was loads of money but I fell in love again, so parted with my money, I also purchased the Thule bike rack. Thoughts so far on the rack The Thule bike rack - worth every bit of the £400+ price tag, super easy to attach to car, super easy to put 2 bikes on and feels super safe on the car, I would have no hesitation in taking a few bikes across the country and as they lock to the car would be happy to take on a camping trip (I would take additional security and remove removable parts from the bike overnight). Now to the Haibike NDURO PRO itself First the good Really great to ride, the geometry is spot on, a relaxed turn thanks to the 180mm travel (just what I wanted), so many settings on the suspension but feels pretty good as is, the new dashboard (great but had a few issues on setting up see below), the 11 speed, positive gear changes and a great range suitable for every type of ride I can think of, brakes are excellent, Seat dropper excellent and it looks superb… As I previously stated I have the old Haibike pro everything that was great on that bike is still great (I have to sell the oldie but keep finding excuses no delay advertising it)... The not so great Nothing with the bike just minor annoyances, setting up the Nyon, what a pain, it does not accept my address so would not let me complete the setup, I had to invent an address (I live less than 50miles from the shop), to open up the maps there is a charge of £12 approx. (single payment for lifetime updates) but to do this you need a mobile device (it would not work on any device that I own so I had to use my sons phone), without purchasing the full maps the GPS works OK but rides are not recorded, if you have a dongle fitted all ride and map data will be incorrect (I knew this at time of purchase but wanted the dongle). The reaction of E-bikes with other cyclists - on one of my rides I saw a friend who used to be heavily into road racing, I put him on my bike explained the simple controls and off we went, he returned 10 minutes or so later with a smile that went from ear to ear, his words: I could never see the point of E-bikes but now I have ridden one I get it I replied: But of course E-bikes are cheating and not for keeping fit He agreed so then I asked him why he was sweating and breathing heavily, to that he replied: I'm knackered, was that the bike or me doing the work I decided to keep him guessing… Advice to others I guess the biggest issue and will probably only be an issue for me is the saddle. Since I can remember I suffer with pain when riding so much that I can hardly sit for a few days after a ride, after trying everything from padded shorts to saddle position to new saddles I was convinced it was something I would have to live with. Until I visited my local cycle shop to get another pair of shorts (more padding), I explained the problem and was given an explanation of the cause, I had my sitting bones measured and advised on a saddle to fit, £70 for a new saddle and I’m in saddle heaven no more pain. A lot of words to get to my issue, when we pay thousands of pounds for a bike should we not as a routing ensure the saddle is a correct fit, I was unaware of saddle sizes and the importance as are most people that I cycle with (we are not club members and don’t have anyone to give us advice) just hoping that these few words may help someone avoid the years of pain that I have gone through. Thanks so much to Pete for his kind words, written in his own time, it's always great to hear real world feedback and it's also nice for other to read in advance. For the full specification of this bike, please click here - Haibike NDURO PRO 2015