Specialized turbo e bike

[johnnyb47]

Hi
I'm starting to get close now to buying myself an ebike.
I've been planning on buying the new incarnation of the Carrera vengeane with it's enclosed battery for around £1100
Looking around the classifieds I've come across a second hand Specialized turbo ebike for £800.
The seller describes it as perfect, stored in the house and only done 500 dry miles.
The pictures also suggest it's been well looked after and get the impression his failing health is the reason why he's reluctantly selling on.
All sounds very good.
A specialized bike once worth over £3000 new selling for 800 miles and barely new and quality battery and components compared to the lesser Carrara.
What's holding me back though is the age of this bike,
It has a rear hub drive suggesting it's an older model dating back to the around 2016.
I haven't managed to get InTouch with the seller but I'm sitting on the fence asking myself should I buy a potentially old (battery wise) ebike that's described as perfect of should I buy a new cheaper ebike that will come with a warranty
Thanks for taking the time to read and opinions are greatly appreciated,
Johnny

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Hi
I'm starting to get close now to buying myself an ebike.
I've been planning on buying the new incarnation of the Carrera vengeane with it's enclosed battery for around £1100
Looking around the classifieds I've come across a second hand Specialized turbo ebike for £800.
The seller describes it as perfect, stored in the house and only done 500 dry miles.
The pictures also suggest it's been well looked after and get the impression his failing health is the reason why he's reluctantly selling on.
All sounds very good.
A specialized bike once worth over £3000 new selling for 800 miles and barely new and quality battery and components compared to the lesser Carrara.
What's holding me back though is the age of this bike,
It has a rear hub drive suggesting it's an older model dating back to the around 2016.
I haven't managed to get InTouch with the seller but I'm sitting on the fence asking myself should I buy a potentially old (battery wise) ebike that's described as perfect of should I buy a new cheaper ebike that will come with a warranty
Thanks for taking the time to read and opinions are greatly appreciated,
Johnny

Hmm - yes - the battery is the problem
They really don;t like sitting around at the wrong charge levels
and the cheaper ones are the worst

I reckon teh battery for our folder died just because I went a few months without charging it over winter
I normally charged it once a months and then took it for a shortish ride to drop the level down a bit - but forgot and next spring it was dead

but others seem to recover or even get better - my first ebike (Powacycle Salisbury) had a battery that was running out of range so I got a new one
a few months later I was charging the new one and rode with the old one and it was far better than it had been

in other words - they are temperamental - one with low mileage and several years of age MIGHT be OK
but might not
check to see the range - and ask for it to be fully charged when you inspect it so you can see
then, of you can take it for a test ride , try to take it a mile or so and see how much the range drops
if it drops even a few miles then it might be dodgy

 

[johnnyb47]

Thanks for the reply,
He states in the ad the battery is excellent, but I would only be taking his word for that.
As you rightly say batteries can be temperamental and if it were to fail or cause issues six months down the road, I'm left trying to source an obsolete battery or try and get it re celled.
At least with a new bike I would get a warranty (I think it's now 2 years on the Carrera) which would add some peace of mind

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Those newish Carrera ebikes don't look bad at all, if looking for something do sub 2 hours rides on.

 

[johnnyb47]

I'm quite taken by the look of them.
The helpful chap in Halfords told me that the batteries from the new range of the Carrera bikes are now interchangable across them all.
To me that means they will probably be easier to buy one in the future if there standardising such things

 

[Sharky]

Halfords seem to do a range of refurbished bikes. Don't know if it is the model you are looking for, but would give you some degree of warranty.

 

[Mike_P]

If the battery is not removable then consider where it will be kept.

Aside from keeping it reasonably charged, rather than fully (80% is often quoted), will it be in a heated location?

If not you need an appropriate heater ideally to keep it at a minimum temperature of 10 degrees while it should be kept out of high temperatures in the summer.

Probably best not kept on metal shed which can get very hot inside.

 

[annedonnelly]

Halfords seem to do a range of refurbished bikes. Don't know if it is the model you are looking for, but would give you some degree of warranty.

Yeah, I had one of their refurbished bikes for a few days. It had to go back to have the controller replaced immediately and then the brand new one failed also. All within the 14 day return period. I took it back and got my money back.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

If the battery is not removable then consider where it will be kept.

Aside from keeping it reasonably charged, rather than fully (80% is often quoted), will it be in a heated location?

If not you need an appropriate heater ideally to keep it at a minimum temperature of 10 degrees while it should be kept out of high temperatures in the summer.

Probably best not kept on metal shed which can get very hot inside.

From what I have read they are fine in the sort of temperature we get in this country

presumably excluding what a metal shed could get up to in the last few days in the sun

but sub zero is fine

UNLESS it is being charged
in which case it needs to be warmed up to a sort of room temperature before and during - and presumably after for a while

but - again from what I have read - if they are just left in the shed between rides and it gets down to minus 5 then they are OK

 

[Mike_P]

but sub zero is fine

Ribble say keep it at least at 10 degrees.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Ribble say keep it at least at 10 degrees.

Just seen something from the Ribble site labelled something like "X35 Battery Care and Maintenance" that insists that they have to be stored at 20C
and NOT above 25C
which is a quite narrow range!!

but the general stuff I have found suggest ideally above 0C
and never below -10C

But I have also found things saying the discharge faster in warm weather and much slower in cold which is certainly not true of any I have ridden!
One also say not to charge them in temperature higher than 60C - yup 60 Celsius!!
and not to ride them above 45C


Both of which I intend to comply with!

so there does seem to be some carp out there


but most I have seen say store above -10 and charge at room temperature
and avoid storing them in a car in hot sun