New bike - Wisper Wayfarer

[Proto]

My wife’s new bike arrived yesterday, Wisper Wayfarer. Mid drive, bigger battery, but they forgot the front rack that was ordered.

A couple of test rides around the lanes near us and we’re both impressed with it. Seriously heavy, and on the very steepest hills around here you’re working hard, even in ‘turbo’ mode, but looks to be very promising. Hoping that with this we can go down to one car.

 

[Slick]

Don't know an awful lot about this particular model but I doubt you should be working hard on any hill. I could be wrong but may be worth checking.

That said, looks lovely.

 

[Proto]

I think there’s a learning curve with ebikes. On a hill The temptation is try to ride it fast, as I would my road bike, whereas the easy option is to pick a lower gear and just let the motor take the load.

I‘m using the motor to go faster rather than go easier, if that makes sense.

 

[Slick]

They certainly go a lot faster than my fat ass up most hills.

 

[Pale Rider]

Don't know an awful lot about this particular model but I doubt you should be working hard on any hill. I could be wrong but may be worth checking.

That said, looks lovely.

Many non-ebikers think ebikes are balls of fire.

They are not, or at least road legal ones such as this Wisper are not.

I would expect the bike to require quite a bit of pedal effort on very steep hills.

is to pick a lower gear and just let the motor take the load.

Spot on, the best way to climb will be to select first gear and whirr away at a modest cadence of about 50-60rpm.

Even then, you will still be pushing quite hard on gradients of 15% and above.

 

[Drago]

I'm having to learn this lesson a bit with my ebike - slow down to go faster!

It's a legal machine and hauls my 260lbs of blubber rippling muscle up a 1 in 7 local incline without causing me undue exertion - sure, I have to work at it, but without the motor it takes every ounce of my fortitude to get up it at all.

 

[sheddy]

Nice.
BTW how is the rear rack fixed ?

 

[aldus]

Some good advice here... perhaps counter-intuitive, but yeah, slow down to go fast actually works.

I tend to ride at a higher cadence on the ebike (85-90) than I used to on my non-electric (65-75) and will kick it into "Turbo" when I feel the need for a boost. So far, it's been absolutely great.

 

[Pale Rider]

I'm having to learn this lesson a bit with my ebike - slow down to go faster!

It's a legal machine and hauls my 260lbs of blubber rippling muscle up a 1 in 7 local incline without causing me undue exertion - sure, I have to work at it, but without the motor it takes every once of my fortitude to get up it at all.

As you say, it's a learning curve, but one any experienced cyclist will quickly learn.

Some roadies attack a climb and get progressively slower the longer and steeper it gets.

Fine, if it works, do it.

But the best way with an ebike is to select the lowest gear you think you will need on the climb at the bottom, and stay with that gear until the top.

The result is you will ride the length of the hill at roughly the same speed.

On forum rides, I am routinely swamped by the others at the start of the climb, but I reel them in progressively as we go up.

We all arrive at the top at roughly the same time, so the job's a good 'un.

 

[Pale Rider]

Nice.
BTW how is the rear rack fixed ?

That type of rack uses a sturdy metal mudguard to take the front mount.

Sounds a bit iffy, but where the rack attaches to the frame is under the centre of the rack.

Thus most of whatever is on the rack is taken by that mount rather than the mudguard one.

There will be a weight limit in the handbook, but this type of rack can take a fair bit, although not as much as the beefier conventionally mounted racks.

 

[Proto]

That type of rack uses a sturdy metal mudguard to take the front mount.

Sounds a bit iffy, but where the rack attaches to the frame is under the centre of the rack.

Thus most of whatever is on the rack is taken by that mount rather than the mudguard one.

There will be a weight limit in the handbook, but this type of rack can take a fair bit, although not as much as the beefier conventionally mounted racks.

Front rack bolts directly to the frame, four mounting bolts into the head tube, bit like a Brompton.

The rear, as you say, is directly mounted to the (thick extrusion) aluminium mudguard with stays for support onto the chains/seat stay intersection. The rear rack is not connected to the seat tube in any way except via the mudguard mounts.

Disappointingly, no handbook included, and I can't see any online but I'm sure this will be addressed very soon. Disappointed about the missing front rack, too.

I think this is one of the first in the country, came direct from Portugal by DHL.

 

[Proto]

I‘m using the motor to go faster rather than go easier, if that makes sense.

Typical roadie, I‘ve have been using the motor to go faster rather than go easier. That's not what eBikes are for (Fabian Cancellara might disagree!). Slow down, spin away, and let the motor share the load.

 

[Pale Rider]

Front rack bolts directly to the frame, four mounting bolts into the head tube, bit like a Brompton.

The rear, as you say, is directly mounted to the (thick extrusion) aluminium mudguard with stays for support onto the chains/seat stay intersection. The rear rack is not connected to the seat tube in any way except via the mudguard mounts.

Disappointingly, no handbook included, and I can't see any online but I'm sure this will be addressed very soon. Disappointed about the missing front rack, too.

I think this is one of the first in the country, came direct from Portugal by DHL.

Yes, one or two disappointments.

On the plus side, you have a good company to deal with in Wisper.

I'm all but certain they will swiftly sort you out.

You could try lifting the phone now.

David, the owner, is sometimes in for a few hours on Saturday morning.

 

[Proto]

Brief update: rack turned up a couple of days after I made a phone call. Apparently bike had been shipped from Portugal but rack was shipped separately and had been forgotten. Bike is great.