Took the plunge, Crossfire e

[gbb]

And brought a Carrera Crossfire e-bike.
Ironically it's not initially for me, my son through a change in circumstances faces a circa 15 mile a day bike ride every day and while he's not averse to riding a bike, he's far from being an enthusiastic cyclist so he's going to use it for the first couple months until he gets sorted then it reverts back to me and I see it getting frequent commuting use, 15 miles each way to work, splitting odd days on my road bike.
I'm 60, one of my lungs is damaged and I just can't get back to the fitness I had and twice a week is the most I want to do on the roadbike at the moment and I'm struggling with that and my osteo arthritis.

£1000, from £1250...
I havnt really had time to shop around and there may be better bikes out there at better prices but a 2 year warranted, 60 mile range, 400w battery I think should more than do for what I will want.
Test ride...OMG, it just makes you grin the way it takes off. Smooth ride, it all feels quite ok, doesn't feel cheap and nasty and it even rolls really freely without the motor running. Not over struck on the disc brakes...id prefer caliper or Vs but hey ho.
So I pick it up Saturday. Only to hand it over to my son for the time being

 

[Turdus philomelos]

Best investment I ever made.
I also use mine for a 15 mile round commute. This has meant I can use a much more quiet route home but with much more tough gradients.
I can honestly say that I work out harder on my ebike and than my non ebike. Just means I don't put as much strain on my muscles.
In my opinion if more people bought an ebike as to a push bike people would ride more and for longer and not just for commuting.

As you say they are just great fun. I have used my bike for commuting several months now and not once have I moaned that after work I had to then haul my tired bones back up the road.

 

[welsh dragon]

I am sure you will love the bike. And as you say, it will put a big smile on your face. Good luck with your new steed.

 

[nickAKA]

Best investment I ever made.
I also use mine for a 15 mile round commute. This has meant I can use a much more quiet route home but with much more tough gradients.
I can honestly say that I work out harder on my ebike and than my non ebike. Just means I don't put as much strain on my muscles.
In my opinion if more people bought an ebike as to a push bike people would ride more and for longer and not just for commuting.

As you say they are just great fun. I have used my bike for commuting several months now and not once have I moaned that after work I had to then haul my tired bones back up the road.

As they get cheaper they'll become the norm, which is no bad thing at all. Seems a bit of a cop-out (to me) at the moment cos I'm fit enough to get about under my own steam but it's got to be better for everyone if they're adopted widely and it gets a few cars off the road.

 

[gbb]

As they get cheaper they'll become the norm, which is no bad thing at all. Seems a bit of a cop-out (to me) at the moment cos I'm fit enough to get about under my own steam but it's got to be better for everyone if they're adopted widely and it gets a few cars off the road.

In a way I know what you mean by a cop out but there was a time (10 years ago at 50) I was doing 120 miles a week...minumum and doing it hard, I'd have given my right arm for a 15 mile each way commute .
But TB, pneumonia and pleuisy in around 2013 I think has damaged a lung irreparably and while you think your legs are most important to cycling...theyre only any good if you can get heaps of oxygen into your bloodstream. I just can't any more.
It's a fight to stay on the bike sometimes, I occasionally feel like chucking it all away but, I keep fighting. I've no intention of making the e-bike a permanent steed, rather an accomplice to my others

 

[gbb]

Commuted today, 14 miles each way.
Full battery at start, after 28 miles I have 3 of the 5 bars still lit. Suspension locked out and the ride on road is quite smooth and refined, the bike feels quite good under you. In Tour mode, you seem to buzz along at 14 to 15.5 mph without too much effort, in Eco mode it seems to drop to maybe 13.5 with the same effort from me. You can see the motor pulsing on the display as it feeds in power, switch to Climb and it gives longer or stronger pulses. It's strange, not like a hand in your back helping you along, more like a lift from underneath.
Not noisy at all, you can hear a slight whirr as the motor kicks in.
What is striking is as you kick off, a seconds lag, then it kicks in...and away. But you have to watch it as you negotiate gates, any tight turn and as you start to pedal off, the motor kicks in ...whoaa, it surprises you if your handlebars aren't straight

It's not a free ride, to cruise along at 15 mph roughly, you're still working...but I finished each leg feeling a damn site fresher and cooler than I would normally, especially this morning with a fairly strong head/side breeze of around 13mph, gusting at around 20 mph.
At 23kg...its heavy, a bit heavier than some similar offerings I gather, you wouldn't want to be heaving it over gates, into cars etc but once on the bike you really don't notice it...in fact its weight may be what gives it that solid feel.

I shan't post photos, it's standard fare, plenty of pics and videos online.

 

[jowwy]

Commuted today, 14 miles each way.
Full battery at start, after 28 miles I have 3 of the 5 bars still lit. Suspension locked out and the ride on road is quite smooth and refined, the bike feels quite good under you. In Tour mode, you seem to buzz along at 14 to 15.5 mph without too much effort, in Eco mode it seems to drop to maybe 13.5 with the same effort from me. You can see the motor pulsing on the display as it feeds in power, switch to Climb and it gives longer or stronger pulses. It's strange, not like a hand in your back helping you along, more like a lift from underneath.
Not noisy at all, you can hear a slight whirr as the motor kicks in.
What is striking is as you kick off, a seconds lag, then it kicks in...and away. But you have to watch it as you negotiate gates, any tight turn and as you start to pedal off, the motor kicks in ...whoaa, it surprises you if your handlebars aren't straight

It's not a free ride, to cruise along at 15 mph roughly, you're still working...but I finished each leg feeling a damn site fresher and cooler than I would normally, especially this morning with a fairly strong head/side breeze of around 13mph, gusting at around 20 mph.
At 23kg...its heavy, a bit heavier than some similar offerings I gather, you wouldn't want to be heaving it over gates, into cars etc but once on the bike you really don't notice it...in fact its weight may be what gives it that solid feel.

I shan't post photos, it's standard fare, plenty of pics and videos online.

nice review GBB........i always had the forks locked out on my Cube too, so i ordered carbon 29er forks and lowered the machine weight considerably, as well as switching to lighter wheels/tyres and adding di2......my original bike weighed 22kgs, its now down to under 19kgs and its a lot easier to move around and lift into car etc etc

 

[gbb]

nice review GBB........i always had the forks locked out on my Cube too, so i ordered carbon 29er forks and lowered the machine weight considerably, as well as switching to lighter wheels/tyres and adding di2......my original bike weighed 22kgs, its now down to under 19kgs and its a lot easier to move around and lift into car etc etc

That's interesting because i looked at mine last night, thinking about perhaps eventually replacing the sus forks with rigid. But, that would lower the front end quite a bit and the cranks / pedals would then be closer to the ground...perilously close i thought.

 

[jowwy]

That's interesting because i looked at mine last night, thinking about perhaps eventually replacing the sus forks with rigid. But, that would lower the front end quite a bit and the cranks / pedals would then be closer to the ground...perilously close i thought.

Nope....get 29er carbon forks and the axle to crown is the same height.

 

[screenman]

Had a go on a Gtech bike last week, certainly put a smile on my face. I am not in the market for one yet, but would certainly never say never.

 

[uphillstruggler]

I was out and about in @Drago land recently and coming the other way, down a country lane was a lady, maybe 70, thoroughly enjoying her E-bike. I doubt she would be out and about without the powered assistance so all power to her

I was also in Switzerland last week, pretty hilly obviously. they are close to being the norm there amongst 'non cyclists' even the hire bikes were power assisted

as posted above - this could be the help non cyclists need to get out and about without the car, lets hope so.

I hope you enjoy the bike to the full

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Thinking about one of these since the work joined the C2W scheme. Since I've moved to a house at the top of a steep hill my motivation to get out has dropped. I see Halfords do a 48hr trial - might give it a go. Are there any other bikes in the same price range available on C2W?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Trial booked for Sep 21. Lets see if it can do the 22 mile round trip to the Falkirk game

 

[gbb]

Interesting today...
Did a quick 10 miles last night, mostly eco, some tour on a fairly full battery...but not full.
Work today, 14 miles mostly tour, some climb. Then became concerned my battery was only showing two bars as I neared work so switched to eco.
Home, 14 miles back of course and I thought I'd really drain the battery then give it a full charge tonight.
Maybe 5 miles or so from home the battery was showing 22%.
Whacked it up to sport and by the time I got home it's at 4%...so sport really eats the battery (but really helps you along of course)

So I did 38 miles plus an unknown amount on a full battery, but used a mix of modes, a good deal of it in tour and higher at times. Not bad in my book.

There's one thing I still think, the Crossfire feels really solid and smooth...heavy but solid, a nice smooth ride. Brakes are top notch, very very effective. Saddles a bit soft and I really need to get it further back on the rails. I keep musing about replacing the suspension fork and shed some of its weight...some day maybe.

No regrets at all.

 

[Turdus philomelos]

Ploughing into block headwind will also drain your battery, I know.
I use about 4% of my battery to work and 30%+ commuting home.

I have only once forgot to charge my battery. It cut out on a 10% ramp. Boy did I have to stamp on these pedals.
Lesson learned? Charge after every ride.