New E-bike shop, Glasgow

[Turdus philomelos]

Link

 

[jann71]

I've been in for a test ride today.

My initial thought was to get an ebike via cycle to work but limited to £1000.

I've now had a test ride on a Ridgeback Electron Di2 and a Bergamont.

Just need to find some dosh.

 

[Turdus philomelos]

I've now had a test ride on a Ridgeback Electron Di2 and a Bergamont.

Did you have a big smile pinned to your face on your test ride?

I part funded my bike with a cycle to work voucher.

I have read a few articles reporting that E-bikes old their value far better than a regular bike.

 

[Pale Rider]

The new shop in Glasgow is concentrating on better quality ebikes, which can only be a good thing.

Same as ordinary bikes, if you sell a new cyclist a decent bike they are more likely to continue using it.

I'm not sure if ebikes hold their value any better than push bikes, although the second hand ebike market is not a big one.

Buyers tend to be aware that batteries wear out after a few years and replacement costs are high.

A second hand ebike in possible need of a £500 or £600+ plus battery is not going to be worth a lot.

 

[Slick]

I can feel a visit to that shop coming on as Mrs Slick has declared an interest in investing in an electric bike.

 

[jann71]

I did a 90 mile round trip the other day and had a shot on the Ridgeback in a car park, I squealed like a kid, grinning from ear to ear.
Today's bike made me smile too.
Just need to decide which one to buy.
Think the Bergamont has better components and further expected range.

 

[ny152]

Going to take a look today, my cyclescheme voucher is up next month and I fancy an upgrade to my e-Crossfire. Nice to see a specialist ebike shop in Glasgow.

 

[Slick]

I'm just back from a visit. I wasn't impressed initially, but as I got talking to the guy I soon realised he is very knowledgeable and he is certainly attentive as he took Mrs Slick and I both on a wee look as a demonstration. Mrs Slick loved it, so it looks very likely that she will be the proud owner of a Bergamont e horizon 6. The only negative is the weight and even that is not insurmountable.

 

[Pale Rider]

she will be the proud owner of a Bergamont e horizon 6. The only negative is the weight and even that is not insurmountable.

All ebikes are heavy, open frame ones even more so.

I've seen a couple of Bergamonts, they look nicely made and finished.

Looks the eHorizon 6 has the smaller 400wh battery.

I don't know Mrs Slick's proposed use, but a lot of new ebikers find they take on longer journeys than they thought they would.

The bike also has the latest Bosch motor with the full size chain ring.

A bit less poke than the motors with the small chain ring, but supposedly nice and quiet, and smaller so there's not quite such a large carbuncle on the bottom bracket.

 

[jann71]

Think this might be the one I tried but it had a 500w battery. Quite interesting when you put the data into the Bosch battery website.

 

[Slick]

All ebikes are heavy, open frame ones even more so.

I've seen a couple of Bergamonts, they look nicely made and finished.

Looks the eHorizon 6 has the smaller 400wh battery.

I don't know Mrs Slick's proposed use, but a lot of new ebikers find they take on longer journeys than they thought they would.

The bike also has the latest Bosch motor with the full size chain ring.

A bit less poke than the motors with the small chain ring, but supposedly nice and quiet, and smaller so there's not quite such a large carbuncle on the bottom bracket.

Think this might be the one I tried but it had a 500w battery. Quite interesting when you put the data into the Bosch battery website.

I'm not sure exactly what battery was in it but the guy reckoned up to 80 miles or more which should be enough.

I was on an unrestricted bike and was surprised to learn that you still had to work the gears to allow you to turn the pedals before the assist kicked in. I was grinding up the first hill and going nowhere fast until the guy told me to drop the gears which was a revelation and I couldn't believe how fast we got up that hill. The motor was silent and he assured me that the service was merely a quick plug into a lap top for diagnostics. He was a but vague on the re sale value and battery life etc other than it was capable of up to 900 charges but what the bike as a whole would be worth if the battery was coming to the end of its useful life was a bit of a mystery.

The only real reason I didn't buy it on the spot was that I wanted to spend a day on one to see what it would be like to live with, so as soon as the temperature reaches double figures our plan us to hire a couple for a day and just head out to loch Lomond from there to see what the boss thinks then.

 

[Pale Rider]

Range is a piece of string question, but 80 miles on one battery is very ambitious.

More like half that would be more like it.

Bosch batteries do seem to last well in terms of numbers of recharges, but a replacement is close to £700.

If a second hand buyer wants to factor that into a purchase, he can only reasonably give you a hundred or two for the bike.

I'm sure you can imagine a tatty ebike in need of a battery would be next to worthless.

 

[Slick]

Range is a piece of string question, but 80 miles on one battery is very ambitious.

More like half that would be more like it.

Bosch batteries do seem to last well in terms of numbers of recharges, but a replacement is close to £700.

If a second hand buyer wants to factor that into a purchase, he can only reasonably give you a hundred or two for the bike.

I'm sure you can imagine a tatty ebike in need of a battery would be next to worthless.

Yeah, he did explain the range was dependent on riding style much like a cars mpg was dependent on how hard you hit the throttle. The display was actually measured in km, and in the lowest eco setting it reckoned 125 km was achievable. We will soon see though, as this is one of the things I'd like to check before I buy. The resale value is a bit of an issue, but there's not a lot you can do about that. Hopefully Mrs Slick will just want to keep it, or at least want to trade it in when there is still so e value left in it.

 

[Slick]

Range is a piece of string question, but 80 miles on one battery is very ambitious.

More like half that would be more like it.

Bosch batteries do seem to last well in terms of numbers of recharges, but a replacement is close to £700.

If a second hand buyer wants to factor that into a purchase, he can only reasonably give you a hundred or two for the bike.

I'm sure you can imagine a tatty ebike in need of a battery would be next to worthless.

Do you reckon at 2K, the Bergamont is worthwhile or is there something else I could be looking at?

 

[Pale Rider]

Do you reckon at 2K, the Bergamont is worthwhile or is there something else I could be looking at?

The price is pretty much spot on for an equipped Bosch bike from a quality maker.

There are other similar open frame Bosch bikes, but it would be a nonsense to say a Cube or Trek is better - or worse - than a Bergamont.

Similar style and spec bikes from any maker will ride in a similar way.

It comes down to rider preference and method of purchase.

There's a lot to be said for buying from a local shop, same as buying a push bike.

I don't know your local market, but shops with a good selection of quality ebikes are thin on the ground, so another make might involve buying online or a long journey to view.

I've always liked Gazelle bikes, and if you want a Dutch style bike, why not buy a Dutch bike?

But the ride won't be vastly different to the Bergamont.

For what it's worth, Cycle Heaven in York keep a good selection of Gazelles, and they are decent folk to deal with.

Their main shop is fairly impressive and has a cafe, so if not quite a day out, it's certainly a good few hours out.

https://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/prod...le&performance=0&recreation=0&utility=0#bikes