Statutory rights

[TonyD163]

Hi all I bought 2 hybrid bikes 2 months ago for our motorhome wasn't looking to spend loads as won't be used alot after the first outing and being fully charged they both ran out around the 10 mile mark took them both back tyres were on 20 psi not 40 and 1 charger was faulty and changed went out yesterday 1 bike on low setting the other on medium we both weigh nearly the same
Hers Ran out 10.4 miles on medium
Mine ran out 10.9 miles on low (there were no hills totally flat)

The selling point on these bikes were 20miles and reviews were showing that it was 4th in performance value for money etc out of 27 electric hybrid bikes
They for us are no good can I return them for a full refund used twice 2 months old thanks people

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I find tyre pressures make a big difference
as do thetype of tyres - knobbly ones look good and are great on muddy tracks - no so good at saving power on nice flat roads

obviously hills make a difference as well - as does how hard you are pedalling and how fast you go

but those ranges sound very low anyway

what makes and model are they?

 

[Sharky]

You may be getting into a grey area for returning the bikes. If you were buying goods from the big stores, they usually have a no quibble returns policy for so many days. Once the no quibble period has expired, they would no doubt exchange or refund faulty items.

But in your example, the return is being based on the range being only 10 miles compared to an advertised 20 miles. So it's going to depend on the exact wording in the T&C's. The 20mph quote, could be stated as a "typical" range, based on a substantial amount of riding being above 15mph, when the electric motor would cut out. If your style of riding is predominantly electric powered, then a range of 10 miles might be within expectations.

Was it a walk in shop or an online retailer you bought it from?

 

[tom73]

+1 for what @Sharky said may all come down to fine print.

 

[fossyant]

It's also colder at the moment and batteries don't last long. What bikes are they ?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What speed were you travelling at, and what was wind doing? The range will vary based on that, if flat.

 

[TonyD163]

You may be getting into a grey area for returning the bikes. If you were buying goods from the big stores, they usually have a no quibble returns policy for so many days. Once the no quibble period has expired, they would no doubt exchange or refund faulty items.

But in your example, the return is being based on the range being only 10 miles compared to an advertised 20 miles. So it's going to depend on the exact wording in the T&C's. The 20mph quote, could be stated as a "typical" range, based on a substantial amount of riding being above 15mph, when the electric motor would cut out. If your style of riding is predominantly electric powered, then a range of 10 miles might be within expectations.

Was it a walk in shop or an online retailer you bought it from?

Halfords
They have just got the bikes back this morning no refund after 28 days but are fully testing them even they thought about 18 miles so now having to wait for their report

 

[TonyD163]

I find tyre pressures make a big difference
as do thetype of tyres - knobbly ones look good and are great on muddy tracks - no so good at saving power on nice flat roads

obviously hills make a difference as well - as does how hard you are pedalling and how fast you go

but those ranges sound very low anyway

what makes and model are they?

Both bikes have 40psi as per
Assist is the bike name Halfords on label in-store show upto 20 online 10 to 15 average
In the manufacture hand book 15 to 20
Totally flat ridden and have to peddle all the time as bike motor only pulls you along a few metres before you need to pedal again max range in low mode constantly peddling 10.4 miles

 

[TonyD163]

What speed were you travelling at, and what was wind doing? The range will vary based on that, if flat.

Hi I'm 61 not fit peddling quite slowly I'm in lowest setting there are no gears on Halfords assist bike not windy and totally flat
Speed possibly 10mph
Battery is 4.7ah 24v( 115 w I think)
Manufacture hand book shows 15 to 20
Halfords on line show average 10-15 upto 20
In-store which is why I purchased only shows with price upto 20 miles and store said about 18-20

 

[TonyD163]

+1 for what @Sharky said may all come down to fine print.

Unfortunately no fine print to read on the sales ticket

 

[TonyD163]

It's also colder at the moment and batteries don't last long. What bikes are they ?

Tried in October when warmer and yesterday bikes kept inside lol

 

[KnittyNorah]

What everyone else has said.

However.

I bet the small print says something like 'Up to 20 miles range under optimum conditions'.
This could easily be a perfectly genuine - if somewhat misleading - claim for a very small battery on a heavy bike as it depends what those 'optimum conditions' are! The 'optimum conditions' described - if indeed they are described anywhere - are probably highly unlikely to be attained by any normal person in north western Europe at any time of the year unless they are riding on a climate-controlled test track. Surface. Tyre pressure. Saddle height. Slope. Position of rider. Wind speed and direction. Temperature. Weight of rider. Cadence of pedalling. Usage of gears. Altitude. Air pressure. Probably humidity, angle of the sunshine and phase of the moon are all specified under 'optimum conditions' as well as the rider's body proportions, percentage of fat/muscle/bone and length of limbs. And what they had for breakfast. Meet all those conditions and THEN expect to get a little less (they did say 'up to') than 20 miles ..

I did extensive research on e-bikes last year, travelling to several places in the country to try out different ones, and sadly came to the conclusion that most (not saying all, I haven't seen them all) of those in the lower price ranges were little more than expensive, heavy toys rather than tools for truly practical use. So I bought a non-e-bike as I live in a flat area, and I continue to look into the possibilities for a useful conversion.

 

[cougie uk]

Hi all I bought 2 hybrid bikes 2 months ago for our motorhome wasn't looking to spend loads as won't be used alot after the first outing and being fully charged they both ran out around the 10 mile mark took them both back tyres were on 20 psi not 40 and 1 charger was faulty and changed went out yesterday 1 bike on low setting the other on medium we both weigh nearly the same
Hers Ran out 10.4 miles on medium
Mine ran out 10.9 miles on low (there were no hills totally flat)

The selling point on these bikes were 20miles and reviews were showing that it was 4th in performance value for money etc out of 27 electric hybrid bikes
They for us are no good can I return them for a full refund used twice 2 months old thanks people

Even 40psi sounds low to me - presumably they're something like 40mm tyres ?

As has been said - temperature will lower the range. As will the effort you're putting in. And headwinds and bulky clothing.

I'm sure you'll get a better range in the summer.

What size batteries do you have ?

 

[BoldonLad]

Hi all I bought 2 hybrid bikes 2 months ago for our motorhome wasn't looking to spend loads as won't be used alot after the first outing and being fully charged they both ran out around the 10 mile mark took them both back tyres were on 20 psi not 40 and 1 charger was faulty and changed went out yesterday 1 bike on low setting the other on medium we both weigh nearly the same
Hers Ran out 10.4 miles on medium
Mine ran out 10.9 miles on low (there were no hills totally flat)

The selling point on these bikes were 20miles and reviews were showing that it was 4th in performance value for money etc out of 27 electric hybrid bikes
They for us are no good can I return them for a full refund used twice 2 months old thanks people

As others have said, tyre pressures (we use 70psi), temperature, wind direction/speed, speed, weight of rider (and luggage, if any), terrain, surface type all have an impact on Battery Range. However, 20 miles range seems exceedingly low, most have (claimed) ranges of 50 miles+. What brand and model are the bikes, what sort of price range, what is the battery size?

Personally, I think your chances of a successful refund depend very much on where you bought them, and, how you paid for them (Credit/Debit may provide some redress).

 

[fossyant]

Erm,

Assist E20 bike:-

The blurb on the Halfords site does actually say average range is 10-15 miles, so it's correct. Pop a bit more air in those tyres and see how far you get next time.

They are very very cheap for electric bikes, and things like the motor and battery won't be the best.