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E-motion
*****
From
£1,350
The latest
Panasonic-powered bike is the E-motion, built by BH Bikes of
Spain, and it's slipped quietly to the top of the pile - a
new 5-star bike. The range includes a City bike, a Cross
bike, and a Sports job with drop handlebars and a
16-point-something kilogram frame. All the bikes are
Panasonic-powered, but watch out - the cheaper ones have a
smaller 208Wh battery (the familar 260Wh battery is a
£65 upgrade). Uniquely, all the bikes have derailleur
gears too, and that's the big difference to the
Kalkhoff.
As we found out in our road-test, whether you think it's
better than the Kalkhoff depends which Kalkhoff you compare
it too. Broadly speaking, we thought the 700 Deluxe we
tested gave Kalkhoff Pro-Connect performance at an Agattu
price. In the end, though, it comes down to the gear system,
as the E-motion is only available with derailleur gears.
This can mean a slightly limited range of gears, so the
E-motion is less well suited to very hilly places. On the
other hand, it's currently significantly cheaper.
Incidentally, the bike is sold exclusively (in Kidderminster
and Presteigne) by OnBike, a new retail outfit dedicated to
showcasing a wide range of electric bikes. As they sell just
about everything, you can expect unbiased advice - you might
well go to look at the E-motion and walk out the door with
something else.
We have tested the E-Motion 700 Deluxe in A to B 72 - see
A to B
Back Numbers
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For prices and stockists, see Electric
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Cracking new
Crank-drive from Spain
Cytronex
*****
From
£1,195
A completely
new concept from a small British manufacturer, the Cytronex
brings together a sporty bicycle (previously Trek, but now
Cannondale amongst others), the exquisite little motor used
in the Nano-Brompton, and a water bottle-sized battery. The
result is a superb sports electric bike - economical, fast,
silent and fun to ride. If you are looking for a sports
commuter bike, this should be at the top of your shortlist.
The only real disadvantage is a relatively limited range
form the smallish battery, but they go much further than
you'd think.
For full list of tests, see
A to B
Back Numbers
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For prices and stockists, see Electric
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Effortlessly
Fast and Effectively
Disguised
Kalkhoff
Aggatu & Pro-Connect
*****
From
£1,495
The legendary
Giant Lafree may have gone, but there are a number of
contenders for the 'best bike' crown. Arguably the best are
the Kalkhoff Aggatu and Pro-Connect. These use the latest
version of the Panasonic crank-motor we loved so much on the
Lafree. The Agattu is much the same as the Gazelle, but
slightly less well equipped and cheaper. The Pro-Connect is
altogether sportier. With three power settings, you can opt
for 40+ miles at modest speed, or a much perkier 30 miles on
the 'High' setting. Prices are creeping up, so we're not as
enthusiastic as we were, but otherwise, stylish, practical,
economic and effective transport.
We have tested the Agattu in A to
B 63 and Pro-Connect in A to B 66 - see A
to B Back Numbers
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For prices and stockists, see Electric
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Smashing
German roadsters
Monark
Eco
****
£1,300
Cheapest of
the Panasonic bikes (if we ignore the 'old-stock' Gitane) is
the Monark Eco, a Swedish roadster. Performance is not up to
Kalkhoff/E-motion standards, but thanks to lower gearing,
you should get in excess of 30 miles in normal use. Well
equipped, but only a 3-speed hub, so not for seriously hilly
areas.
We have tested the Eco in A to B
67 - see A
to B Back Numbers
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For prices and stockists, see Electric
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Neat and
economical Swedish roadster
Nano-Brompton
****
IT'S BACK!
£749
Formerly, our top buy, the Nano-Brompton moved down the list
following supply problems, but it's creeping back up because
the kit (Nano will also build the power-system into a bike
for you) is now being sourced and marketed by a swish new
team, and we're told unfullfilled promises will be a thing
of the past.
Generally, we don't recommend folding electric bikes, but
this one is light (14.4kg plus separate battery pannier),
whisper quiet, climbs big hills, and goes for miles and
miles on a charge. There has to be a downside: At the moment
it's a kit, and the kit isn't actually produced by Brompton
(although the company is said to be watching with interest),
so we found a few loose edges in the early sample we tried
and others have reported motor problems, although ours has
been fine. Our early sample had a bigger battery than recent
kits, but the relauched Nano will have a similar battery, so
our near 50-mile range should be attainable. The Brompton
kit will now be available with a narrower 80mm motor,
enabling it to slot straight in to the Brompton forks,
without the expense and trouble of fitting wider ones.
Incidentally, the Nano kit can be fitted to any bike for a
hundred quid less than the Brompton version. A nice option
(Brompton included) is factory fitting of the kit for an
extra £60... well worth it for the electrically or
mechanically challenged.
Watch this space - despite the niggles, it's a folding
electric bike that outclasses all others by a substantial
margin. We'll come back to revise the star rating when we
get a new-style sample.
We tested the Nano in A to B 60,
with two follow-up tests - see A
to B Back Numbers
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Superb
power-kit
Gitane
****
from
£1,060
Another
Panasonic crank drive, and the cheapest on the UK market,
but it is fitted with smaller batteries giving limited
range. But if they upgrade soon, without upgrading the
price, this French bike will zoom up the ratings.
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
Neat and
Cheap, but limited range
Sparta
Ion
***
From
£1,350
The Ion
overflows with high-tech features, and does just about
everything short of make the tea and giving you a nice
massage when you get home. It isn't particularly fast, it
doesn't go particularly far on a charge and it won't stomp
up 1:6 gradients, but it's a pretty bike, it feels
fast, and it oozes that indefinable IT factor. Not cheap to
buy or run, but when you ride it you feel good, and in our
book, that is enough to put it close to the top of the pile.
Made in the Netherlands, the Ion claims to be the biggest
selling electric bike in the world, thanks to massive home
sales. The only question mark is the odd electronic system
that (for example) needs resetting via a dealer lap-top if
you take the front wheel off. Bit of a problem if the
nearest dealer is in Amsterdam.
We tested the Ion in A to B 58 in
early February 2007, see A
to B Back Numbers
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Lovely Dutch
roadster
Powacycle
Salisbury & Windsor ***
From
£699
Powacycle is the
best of the many cheaper newcomers. Prices start very low,
but ignore the cheap and cheerful jobs - take a serious look
at the Salisbury and Windsor (effectively gents and ladies
roadsters). For £600 these really are quite decent
machines - NiMH battery, reasonable equipment (don't expect
too much at this level) and range better than claimed, which
is most unusual, but rather slow.
We tested the Windsor in A to B 56, see A
to B Back Numbers
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Genteel,
budget roadsters
Heinzmann
***
Power-assist
kit or complete bike
From
£775
The Heinzmann
motors are made in Germany and have a deserved reputation as
the best hub motors around - they're relatively quiet and
reliable, but starting to look a bit dated, although changes
are in the wings. Range is less than average, but with a
charge time of under two hours, you'll be ready to do it all
over again after a leisurely pub lunch. Or at least, the
bike will. The motors are also available built-up into a
bike - the Heinzmann Estelle. Typically German, the Estelle
is a competent and well-equipped machine, but currently very
expensive.
We have a number of road-tests of the Heinzmann - see
A to B
Back Numbers
Reliable and
Sturdy
Byocycle
***
From
£660
There are
numerous Chinese electric bikes about, most of them
overpriced and under-specced. The Byocycle come with a few
annoying niggles, but our relatively high star rating comes
from their very reasonable price (£660 - £750 at
the time of writing), large Li-ion battery (unusual at this
price) and two-year battery guarantee. Big guarantees
generally come with a bike costing £1,400+, so this is
a real bonus. The slightly more expensive Byocommuter has
self-powered lights, a rack and mudguards.
We reviewing the Byocycle
Byocommuter in A to B 72, see A
to B Back Numbers
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Economic
Commuter Machines
Gazelle
Easy Glider ***
£1,600
The Gazelle is the Rolls Royce
of the Panasonic-powered Euro-roadsters. If you have
£2,200 or more to spare (a big if), the Glide has
excellent equipment, a useful range of well over 20 miles,
and all sorts of other lovely attributes. It isn't as fast
as some, but the accent here is on equipment and comfort.
And if you live somewhere very hilly, you will love the
crank-motor and 7- or 8-speed gearbox. The Gazelle has been
knocked off the top spot on account of its rather scary
price.
We have produced a full review on the Gazelle Easy Glider in
A to B 61. See A
to B Back Numbers
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Delightful,
accomplished, classy, expensive Dutch
roadster
Ezee
Range
***
From
£795
Ezee has
flirted with cheaper models such as the Rider, a budget bike
aimed at the Powabyke, but the Liv is a much better
machine - big NiMH battery and a good solid, fast bike,
although the price has crept up to £795. The Ezee
Quando is a single-speed folder. Usually we'd say 'urrgh!',
but this one has astonishing hill-climbing abilities.
Despite some equally rapid price increases (now
£1,195), the Sprint continues to sell well,
having overcome early reliability problems, notably with the
motor drive gears and water ingress to the electrics. We
criticised the complicated power control system on our
pre-production model, but this has been replaced with a
straightforward twistgrip control in the UK, which is much
better.
Up market from the Sprint is the Cadence, which
everyone seems to love, and the Torq, a lighter,
faster, more conventional looking bike. The early Torq was
an absolute delight to ride - fast, near silent and sexy. An
all-time classic, and winner of the Tour de Presteigne three
years in a row, the Torq is looking a bit middle aged:
heavier, more power-hungry, and slower. We thought the newer
Forte and Forza failed to hit the spot too,
but you might disagree.
Ezee has recently experienced problems with Li-ion
batteries, in common with manufacturers of other more
powerful machines. This has improved, with a new battery and
12 month guarantee, but we're still unsure.
For a full list of tests, see
A to B
Back Numbers
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For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
And here's some helpful independent advice on the Torq and
Quando: http://users.tinyworld.co.uk/flecc/torq.html
Better bikes
from China
Wisper
***
From
£774
Wisper bikes
started out as a seriously downmarket Chinese import, but
the British distributors have worked hard to improve the
quality and appearance of the bikes, and they are now
regarded as a premium brand. We can't be more specific,
because Wisper is one of the few companies that have never
allowed us to test their products, so the three-star rating
is a bit of a guess based on owner feedback, and the limited
information we've gleaned from various sources. The bad news
is that prices have rocketed, and the better Wisper 905
models now cost £1,200 - £1,300, which will buy
you a European bike with a two-year battery warranty (the
Wisper bikes have a 12 month warranty). However, the fact
that genuine roadtests are quite rare seems to have done the
company no harm, and they appear to sell very well.
Ignore the 705 and 805, which are terribly over-priced for
what they are, but the 905 seems to be a decent
machine.
We have never tested a Wisper bike
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Sexy black,
macho, top-end Chinese bicycles
BionX
***
Estimated
kit price £845
The BionX is
available either as a kit for fitting to a normal bike, or
as a complete machine. It's the first regenerative system to
become widely available, but STILL not launched in the UK,
despite numerous promises, allegedly because the French
Canadian manufacturer is difficult to deal with. The bike
not only supplies power, but can 'recycle' it on descents
and when slowing down. It relies on complex electronics to
do this (which always makes us nervous), but it has many
good features - near silent operation, reasonable range and
reduced brake wear (the motor does most of the braking). On
the negative side, range can be limited if you don't 'drive'
the system carefully, and hill-climbing is not very
good.
We carried out a full review of
the BionX system in A to B 45, see A
to B Back Numbers
Clever
Canadian system
Giant
Twist ***
From
£1,200
Since axing the Lafree, Giant
just doesn't seem to have been able to get it right with
electric bikes, the models changing on a more or less annual
basis. The Lafree was followed by the Suede, which was slow,
and an indifferent hill-climber. The 2007-2008 Twist was
similar to the Suede, but better made, and offering a lot
more range. At first it shared a number of ideosyncracies,
but it gradually improved, just in time to be replaced by
the Twist Freedom and Express, which are much better.
Unfortunately, these have just been hit by a 25% price
increase.
We have one test of the Giant Suede and one of the new Twist
- see A
to B Back Numbers
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Quality
brand, but flawed
Powabyke
***
From
£539
Powabyke produces a number of
mid-range bikes. With steel frames and lead-acid batteries,
these machines are heavy and crudely made by modern
standards, but they're solid and trusty, and there's a good
dealer network should something go wrong. In recent years,
we've been a bit dismissive, but we've seen the hi-tech
stuff come and go, and Powabyke is still plodding along,
doing very nicely by all accounts, so they must be doing
something right. No fancy stuff here - the Powabyke features
a large motor fed by the largest battery on the market,
itself weighing more than many conventional bikes. But range
can exceed 35 miles on a good day, and assisted speed is
generally close to 15mph. This is one of the few E-bikes you
can realistically ride any distance (20 miles plus) without
pedalling. When the chunky lead-acid battery finally hands
in its notice, there's a unique subsidised battery
reconditioning scheme that helps to keep running costs under
control.
Powabyke is toying with Lithium-ion batteries and alloy
frames, but it's a bit like putting carbon fibre spoilers on
a steam roller. It should stick to what it does best -
retro-chic.
Recently, the company has gone from one extreme to the other
with the X-bike, a conventional frame and tiny NiMH battery.
Good in may respects, but limited range.
We have tested the Powabyke Classic, Folder, Euro and
Commuter - see A
to B Back Numbers
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A chunky old
favourite
Izip
(Formerly
known as the Electrodrive or
Curry)
**
Power-assist
kit or complete bike
From
£350
Plenty of
confusion here, indicating just how volatile this market has
become. When we tested this kit back in April 2001, it
included a small but powerful motor that latched onto the
rear spokes on a typical bike. At the time, the Curry was
made in America, but production shifted to the Far East,
then something corporate happened and the venture split in
two, with two different designs coming out of different
factories, with different names and specifications... To
make matters worse, there have been endless debates over who
might or might not be the UK importer, resulting in a number
of possible contenders offering a number of different
kits... All we can say with any certainty is that the
US-spec model we tested was immensely strong, but
technically illegal in the UK. If you're looking for brute
power without much endurance, look no further. The current
range appears to include the same direct spoke-drive, a
toothed belt variant and a complete bike with unknown
spec... In 2007, the bikes settled down as Izip (also
Meerkat, just to confuse you), a (mostly) budget-priced
range, made goodness knows where, but still carrying the
trademark external motor.
For a full test, see A
to B Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Brute power,
with limited endurance
S-Drive
**
Power
assist kit or complete
bike
From
£599
An interesting
one this. The S-Drive (or, more correctly Schnachner) is
broadly similar to the Heinzmann, although it's designed in
Austria and made in the Far East. Until recently, the motor
was noisy, slow, and tended to shred it's drive gears. On a
more positive note, it was an efficient system, and the
dashboard ammeter helped you 'drive' the motor, giving
world-beating economy... in excess of 40 miles on our hilly
test route. The present situation is unclear, with a new
importer and a new belt drive system. If it works, it's
probably a great little hub.
We have tested the early version of the S-Drive - see
A to B
Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
Unbeatable
range and efficiency, question mark over
reliability
Euro
Ebike (EV
Global in the USA)
**
£745 -
£1,299
Great things
were expected of the EV Global, the U.S. parent of these
bikes, but the market never took off there, so sales have
languished. The bottom-end Enviro is actually a Far-Eastern
badge-engineered machine, albeit quite a nice one, but the
LE and SX are everything you would expect from a U.S.
manufacturer - big, brash, stylish, well-equipped and fast,
but with limited range.
In European trim, the power has been capped to 200 watts,
and top speed from a heady 18mph to 15mph, to keep within
the law. However, the importers can also supply a Euro-spec
bike with a crafty switch for 'off-road' use, if you get our
drift.
With rather low pedal gearing, these machines are more moped
than bicycle, but stylish and classy all the same.
For specification and
distributors, see Electric
Price Tag
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Lots of
style, but limited
endurance
Bright
Bikes GR-8 **
Folding
bike
From
£749
The motor and
battery appear to be identical to the Bliss (see below), but
the GR-8 is a bigger, more rideable, folding bike.
Styling-wise, it works better than the Bliss, although
there's something uncomfortable about the proportions.
Weight is tolerable at 26kg, but it's a bit feeble and our
test sample failed. However, we're reassured that things are
now better.
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
We have tested the Bliss. See A
to B Back Numbers
Almost
right, but not quite
there
TGA
**
From
£765
TGA was a slightly mysterious
outfit based in Essex, that has now moved it's base up the
road to Suffolk, where the company concentrates on selling
mobility trikes. However, they still build a few of their
ancient electric bikes and trikes. With the accent on crude,
but simple technology, (allegedly a lorry windscreen wiper
motor driven by car batteries) the machines should be
reliable, and are certainly easily fixed when things go
wrong. For a few hundred pounds, you can buy a kit of parts
to convert a conventional bike.
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Ancient but
Reliable Brit technology
SolarTracker
**
From
£595
China exports vast numbers of
electric bikes, both good, bad and ugly... some of them
effortlessly achieving all three. The SolarTracker SLB
machines are better than most, being neatly styled, but like
the Powabyke, too expensive. When we tested it, the power
output was (deliberately) set very low, but we understand
they're now a bit nippier.
We have tested the SolarTracker SLB-2000 - see
A to B
Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
A neat
Powabyke clone
Schwinn
*
from
£1,099
This might have been a 5-star
bike, but it isn't. It shares the same motor as the
Nano-Brompton, with a smart high-tech battery pack under the
rack, and a range of stylish frames, from Dutch roadster to
state-of-the-art hybrid. Unfortunately, the electrics
haven't been thought through and ours failed twice under
load...
We have one test of the Schwinn Transit in A to B 62- see
A to B
Back Numbers
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Price Tag
Quality
brand, but some serious reliability
issues
Thompson
*
From
£350
Thompson market a range of
well-equipped, bargain-basement Chinese electric bikes.
Whether you'd find one useful depends on what you're after:
These single-speed, very low geared machines are not really
designed to be pedalled, although a large battery propels
them for a fair mileage. A good choice for older, less
active folk.
We have tested the Thompson Euro-Classic, Euro-City and
Euro-Tourer - see A
to B Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Value for
money oldie-transport
E-Bike
*
From
£400
Like the
Thompson range, these two bikes - the Retro and Cruiser -
are cheap and cheerful Chinese imports. However, the Retro
is the crudest machine we've seen, and they're not quite so
cheap, so you won't be quite so cheerful. The well-equipped
Cruiser might be worth looking at, but bear in mind that the
low saddle and even lower gearing make pedalling almost
impossible. And don't expect to stop in a hurry.
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
We have tested the E-bike Retro and Cruiser. See
A to B
Back Numbers
Value for
money Chinese jobbies for non-pedalling
types
Others
**
£300-£600
There are now so many cheap
Ebikes flooding in from China it's impossible to rate them
separately. However, there are three broad classes:
1) Wierd, dodgy-looking little folders. Keep well
away - they are heavy, unreliable and with limited range. It
will be one of the worst things you've ever wasted £300
on
2) Super-snazzy MTB-style machines. Sheep in Wolf's
clothing. Mostly heavy, crude and impractical. Aimed at
people with more money than sense and selling like Hot
Cakes, which is a bit depressing.
3) Facsimiles of successful machines. Less clear cut
(see Powacycle above), but we haven't yet found a copy of -
for example - the Kalkhoff or Nano-Brompton that was worth
buying. Electric bikes are high-technology machines... it's
generally not worth buying something from a market trader
(we may be proved wrong though).
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Mostly a
complete waste of garage
space
Out
of Production (or no UK
distributor):
Oxygen
Atala
*
Oh dear oh dear. It's almost
beyond belief that a machine this poor could have made it on
to the market, but here it is - Italian with US
characteristics. Without dwelling too long in this dreary
place, the Oxygen is over-weight, over-priced, unstable,
under-powered and much else besides. In the test, we summed
up by saying '...the wrong sort of motor, drawing too much
power from the wrong sort of batteries, mounted in the wrong
place...', which just about covers it. Still, the Italians
are very good at photographing attractive young ladies, so
we must forgive them.
We have tested the Oxygen Atala once, and will almost
certainly never return - see A
to B Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Hopeless
bike, but sexy photography
Aprilia
*
Aprilia's Enjoy has been
withdrawn, and we're not surprised. It looked the part,
thanks to some wicked Italian styling and lots of techy
bits, but it was inefficient, over-priced, poorly designed
and generally a bit of an also-ran. And you needed a
mortgage for a replacement battery...
We have tested the Aprilia Enjoy Race - see A
to B Back Numbers
Best
forgotten - a complete disaster
area
Bliss
*
Folding
bike
From
£699
We liked the
tiny motor and NiMH battery, but the Bliss proved a bit
disappointing. It's reasonably light, but horrible to ride,
poorly geared and over-priced. And the claims are
unrealistic - it will not do 20-30 miles. It survived our
test, but we wish it had broken down and gone back where it
came from.
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
We have tested the Bliss. See A
to B Back Numbers
Rather
unpleasant, but good in parts
Eco-Bike
Tornado, Hurricane etc *
From
£895
We had a few
problems with our test prototype Tornado, and the importer
seems to have disappeared.
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
Let down by
hardware and software
faults
ETC
*
Power
assist kit or complete
bike
Reduced to
£90
This sounded
jolly clever - you whip off the back mudguard from a
standard bike and mount the battery/motor unit over the
wheel. In practise, the friction drive slipped wildly in the
wet, the system was horribly heavy, and the frumpy lead-acid
batteries provided a laughably short range of just a few
miles at lethargic speed. This was a seriously inefficient
machine - ETC has now ceased trading.
For specification and distributor,
see Electric
Price Tag
For a full test, see A
to B Back Numbers
Heavy, slow,
crude and overpriced.
RIP
Giant
Lafree *****
From
£899
Giant's first Lafree was a
dreadful thing, but the classic machine, produced between
2000 and 2006 was a superb bike. Just to confuse you, this
started life as the Lafree Twist, became generically known
as the Lafree, but the Lafree branding was later dropped, so
they became Giant Twists. Giant has now withdrawn the bike,
but it's still tops in our book, so still a 5-star electric
bike. The Lafree (sorry, Twist) is a proper bicycle, with
power-assistance. Designed by Giant's Dutch arm, this
attractive machine looks like a Dutch roadster, and includes
such features as a step-thru frame (or not if you prefer),
lots of practical accessories, hub gears and quiet
trouble-free Panasonic motor assist. At around 20 miles,
range is better than average, and the battery is one of the
smallest and lightest around, so if you can afford it, buy
two. Efficiency surpassed only by the most modern Panasonic
drive bikes like the Kalkhoff.
Problems? After four years, the bikes themselves are proving
extremely reliable, but there have been a few battery and
charger faults. Giant had to withdrawn the original
Panasonic charger, replacing it with a Metco unit while the
problem was fixed, but the last machines were back to
Panasonic. Watch this if buying a second hand bike, and go
for the 5- or 7-speed SRAM hub, which is much better, and
generally worth more.
Developments for 2006 included a larger battery,
retrofittable to all models and complete destruction of the
Lafree range. Still that's multinationals for you. We've
heard that secondhand prices are holding up well, and we'd
consider the Lafree a good buy for anything under
£800. Like
all thoroughbreds they can be a bit highly-strung, and we've
had a report or two of complete electronics failure - with
spares being run down, this could be a
problem.
We have several Twist tests: E-series (this is something
different), Lite, Comfort, Comfort ST, and Comfort at 2,000,
3,500 and 5,000 miles, and how to keep a secondhand machine
on the road - see A
to B Back Numbers
BUY
ROADTEST NOW
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Rest in
Peace. A modern classic - will be remembered as the best
electric bicycle of its era
Honda
Step Compo
***
Folding
bike
£1,095
Beautifully
made in Japan, the Step Compo was an electric folder that
really worked. Plus points include superb styling, good
folding and light weight, bad points have to include the
four-figure price tag and limited range form a microscopic
battery.
Why the past-tense? It's out of production, but Honda never
tell us anything, so we can't be absolutely sure... And
beware of Chinese imitations, which look just as pretty, but
are heavy, with limited range.
We have one test of the Honda Step Compo - see
A to B
Back Numbers
Stylish and
fun, but no longer on
sale
Sinclair
Zeta 2 & 3
*
Out of
production
Sir Clive Sinclair has a
track-record of superb technical and design innovation, but
since the not-quite-right C5, his record on transport has
been less than meteoric. The Zeta power-assist attachments
were noisy, underpowered and effectively useless. They have
now been withdrawn. We've awarded one star because they were
cheap, so if you insist on buying one you won't have wasted
too much money.
We have tested the Zeta kits - see A
to B Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Effectively
useless
Viking
*
From
£800
Chunky lead-acid batteries and
friction drive... it doesn't sound very promising, and it
isn't. There are lots of rather gimmicky extras, which might
appeal if you like that kind of thing, but they certainly
don't justify the £800 price tag.
We have tested the Viking - see A
to B Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Way, way
over-priced
Zap!
**
£350
or $350
The basis of the design is a
simple, quiet, reliable motor driving straight onto the
tyre. Powered by a similarly cheap, reliable lead/acid
battery, the Zap (either a complete bike or easily-fitted
kit) is a surprisingly good performer, outpacing all other
friction drives. There are one or two disadvantages - the
friction roller tends to slip in the wet unless you choose
the tyre with care, and the roller wears out fairly quickly,
although later models are ceramic rather than steel.
Otherwise, a great little performer for the price. Out of
production for a while, the Zap reappeared, but has now
finally bitten the dust, overwhelmed by much cleverer
technology from China.
We have tested the Zap kit and Zap/Brompton adaption - see
A to B
Back Numbers
For prices and stockists, see Electric
Price Tag
Simple,
crude and effective friction drive system
Dahon
Roo EL (SRAM
Sparc power) ***
Folding
bike
£1,200
The Sparc is a
great idea. It's a combined hub gear and electric motor,
saving both space and weight. The weak points are limited
power and relatively noisy operation, but the small battery
was upgraded in 2005, and new electronics mean a bit more
oomph. The Sparc-powered Dahon Roo will now whip the skin
from a rice pudding with ease, but don't expect to climb any
steep hills unless you're willing to pedal fairly hard. On
the positive side, the whole bike weighs 18.1kgs, making it
one of the lightest around, and of course, it's a folder.
Our only real grumble is with the price.
For prices and stockists, see
Electric
Price Tag
We have tested the 2002 and 2005 Dahon Roo EL. See
A to B
Back Numbers
Technically
interesting and much
improved
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