Fischer E-bikes

[jonny jeez]

From what I could see, 140km is with everything turned right down. 50 to 80km under power seemed to be what it was claiming at the mid to high power settings. Something I quite liked was that despite the weight it didn't feel like a heavy bike to ride with the motor turned off.

The Kalkhoff bikes look interesting. They all seem to have the motor built into the bottom bracket though which is a little more sophisticated and substantially more expensive from the pricing I could find.

Fischers website shows this one at 1249 Euros. Probably nearer cost price for the boss though, buying through his business contacts.

Kalkhoff believe in the motor and battery being place at the low centre of gravity. I've ridden treks with a rear mounted batter and have to agree.

I thought seriously about it a few years ago as a way to give up driving.

I opted for a road bike, which has served me well and opened up my cycling experiences a lot.

An elec bike would have retained me firmly in the commuter world.

 

[keithmac]

Have a very good read up on the Kalkhoff Impulse/ Impulse2 motor failure rate before deciding to buy one, even their Evo motor has seen failures as low as 30miles in..

For me out of the big names it would be Bosch/ Yamaha or Shimano STEPS mid drives...

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Saying that I've broken a few rear wheel spokes on leg power alone so blaming the e-assist for me wouldn't be fair..

I very much doubt it.

 

[keithmac]

Shoud I rephrase I have broken 3 rear wheel spokes on a non electric bike?..

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Shoud I rephrase I have broken 3 rear wheel spokes on a non electric bike?..

You should rephrase that you "have broken a few rear wheel spokes on leg power alone".

 

[keithmac]

Well I have broken a few spokes on a leg powered bike so what's the problem there?.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Well I have broken a few spokes on a leg powered bike so what's the problem there?.

Slight technical problem with "leg power". You are not strong enough to break spokes through power, or rather, torque. However, your weight on the wheel causes 99% of the cyclical stresses that lead to metal fatigue, which breaks spokes. They break in the same mode as taking a piece of metal wire and bending it until it breaks. That break is not caused by your strong biceps or pecs or lats or triceps or abs, but by small movements that require no strength that leads to cracks and fractures.

That's what I'm harping on about here. It is not torque to the wheel - by leg power or by motor power - that breaks spokes, it is just riding along with weight on the wheel.

Chris Hoy, who seems like a strong sort of chap, cannot break spokes by sprinting out of the starting block. His spokes break as frequently (or not) as mine provided we weight the same and ride the same distance.

Let power or motor power has next-to-nothing to do with it. By using next-to-nothing I mean that if you were to coast the same distance as pedal your spokes will break at approximately the same distance.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Oi! Stop hijacking my thread with chatter about spokes.

 

[keithmac]

Oi! Stop hijacking my thread with chatter about spokes.

Just do your homework very carefully, especially if you are planning on buying a Kalkhoff .

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just do your homework very carefully, especially if you are planning on buying a Kalkhoff .

Not helping! I'm not planning to buy a Kalkhoff.

 

[keithmac]

Sorry, heard them mentioned on the fisrt page and just looking out for anyone thinking of buying one ;-).