Espresso vecchio
Guru
- Location
- South Norfolk
Hi all
I'd be grateful for some opinions please before I finally commit to the purchase for my wife. Because of a leg weakness on one side she is unable now to cycle more than 4-5 miles comfortably, but in general the upright position is comfortable..it's just the leg. I ride my Bianchi regularly up to 40 miles or more but would like her to be able to come with me for more leisurely rides of maybe 20-25 miles. The terrain here (E Anglia) is undulating/flattish with a couple of minor hills, and poor road surfaces; we are unlikely to go off-road, apart possibly from a former railway track which is now a recognised cycle route. We are talking pleasant and very quiet rural roads, and do not plan to go to the city 12 miles away.
I suggested an e-bike to her, and eventually took her to see some, after I had done some basic homework about hub motors/crank drives and brands. Step-Thru was obviously best for her, and I began to think European branded bikes rather than Chinese/generic.
Shop 1: actually a car garage that has branched into a single brand of e-bikes. They had Batribikes: very nicely finished with Danish hub motors. Salesmen were pleaasant and unpushy but clearly knew little about bikes of any sort.
Shop 2: a proper LBS: large range of e-bike brands (Wisper, Batribike, Raleigh); helpful staff who offered us test rides on another day
Shop 3: a large family-run LBS, agents for Royal Dutch Gazelle. They could not have been more unhelpful, unknowledgeable and disinterested, so we moved swiftly on
Shop 4: a proper LBS, agents for Raleigh and Royal Dutch, as well as selling good makes of new and 2nd-hand road bikes. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable young woman in her early 20s. She showed me a Raleigh Motus Tour but did not have any Royal Dutch to show apart from one in for service belonging to a customer. Both were nicely finished. For a small refundable deposit her shop provides an ebike to try for 10 days. Impressive all round
Shop 5: I rode 15 miles each way to this one after a recommendation. Owner had to give up serious cycling a decade ago because of severe breathing problems, discovered e-bikes and was hooked so he started a business. He sells only Raleigh and Wisper. NIce unpushy man who offered me a ride: he showed me a Raleigh Motus Tour (£2300-2500) and a Wisper 705 (£1600). I had gone barely 200m on the Motus Tour when I realised how great the e-bike experience is; by the time we had done a 4 mile ride and climbed up a 10-12% hill I had a huge smile. It was terrific.
SO... I like the idea of the German-made (Kalkhoff factory) Raleigh with Bosch crank drive, and but also liked the simple Wisper, though uncertain about the hub motor and various fittings which are all branded 'Wisper'. I am happy about the cost of either, and felt that the attitude of the owner on its own was enough to make me want to buy from him. We go for a booked session with Shop 5 in 2 days' time so my wife can ride one and say what feels right to her. Published journalistic reviews of either brand seem good, though Wisper owners seemed to have a highish amount of niggles to match their obvious satisfaction; the Wisper owner came in for praise from several people for his willingness to help fix problems.
It depends of course on what my wife finds, but I strongly lean towards a Motus Tour; I also like the idea of a Nexus7 hub gear on it but a Deore derailleur would be fine.
After such a long post from me I'd value your thoughts and experience.
Thanks, Stephen
I'd be grateful for some opinions please before I finally commit to the purchase for my wife. Because of a leg weakness on one side she is unable now to cycle more than 4-5 miles comfortably, but in general the upright position is comfortable..it's just the leg. I ride my Bianchi regularly up to 40 miles or more but would like her to be able to come with me for more leisurely rides of maybe 20-25 miles. The terrain here (E Anglia) is undulating/flattish with a couple of minor hills, and poor road surfaces; we are unlikely to go off-road, apart possibly from a former railway track which is now a recognised cycle route. We are talking pleasant and very quiet rural roads, and do not plan to go to the city 12 miles away.
I suggested an e-bike to her, and eventually took her to see some, after I had done some basic homework about hub motors/crank drives and brands. Step-Thru was obviously best for her, and I began to think European branded bikes rather than Chinese/generic.
Shop 1: actually a car garage that has branched into a single brand of e-bikes. They had Batribikes: very nicely finished with Danish hub motors. Salesmen were pleaasant and unpushy but clearly knew little about bikes of any sort.
Shop 2: a proper LBS: large range of e-bike brands (Wisper, Batribike, Raleigh); helpful staff who offered us test rides on another day
Shop 3: a large family-run LBS, agents for Royal Dutch Gazelle. They could not have been more unhelpful, unknowledgeable and disinterested, so we moved swiftly on
Shop 4: a proper LBS, agents for Raleigh and Royal Dutch, as well as selling good makes of new and 2nd-hand road bikes. Extremely helpful and knowledgeable young woman in her early 20s. She showed me a Raleigh Motus Tour but did not have any Royal Dutch to show apart from one in for service belonging to a customer. Both were nicely finished. For a small refundable deposit her shop provides an ebike to try for 10 days. Impressive all round
Shop 5: I rode 15 miles each way to this one after a recommendation. Owner had to give up serious cycling a decade ago because of severe breathing problems, discovered e-bikes and was hooked so he started a business. He sells only Raleigh and Wisper. NIce unpushy man who offered me a ride: he showed me a Raleigh Motus Tour (£2300-2500) and a Wisper 705 (£1600). I had gone barely 200m on the Motus Tour when I realised how great the e-bike experience is; by the time we had done a 4 mile ride and climbed up a 10-12% hill I had a huge smile. It was terrific.
SO... I like the idea of the German-made (Kalkhoff factory) Raleigh with Bosch crank drive, and but also liked the simple Wisper, though uncertain about the hub motor and various fittings which are all branded 'Wisper'. I am happy about the cost of either, and felt that the attitude of the owner on its own was enough to make me want to buy from him. We go for a booked session with Shop 5 in 2 days' time so my wife can ride one and say what feels right to her. Published journalistic reviews of either brand seem good, though Wisper owners seemed to have a highish amount of niggles to match their obvious satisfaction; the Wisper owner came in for praise from several people for his willingness to help fix problems.
It depends of course on what my wife finds, but I strongly lean towards a Motus Tour; I also like the idea of a Nexus7 hub gear on it but a Deore derailleur would be fine.
After such a long post from me I'd value your thoughts and experience.
Thanks, Stephen
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