Issue Six - Spring 2013 - Electric Bike Magazine

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+ON TEST This would make the bike rather more useful for utility riding such as shopping, though that weight limit is still very low. Right below the battery pack is the back wheel, housing the fairly large motor system. This is of the direct drive gearless type, in which the moving part is driven directly by magnetic coils in the hub shell. Such systems tend to be completely silent in operation, and this one is too. It can also operate ‘in reverse’ to provide regenerative braking, recharging the battery as it slows you down. This is a fairly gentle effect, triggered when you half squeeze the brakes. It slowed the bike smoothly, but not very powerfully. The pedal drive is via a mid-range Shimano Alivio derailleur transmission, with a single chainring, complete with chain protectors each side to keep your trousers clean. The top run of the chain is also well shielded by the frame and a guard sheet. The rack mounted battery and rear motor give a definite weight bias towards the rear of the bike, but this is noticeable more when you’re wheeling the bike than when you ride it. It’s not the easiest bike to lift; not just because of the weight (we measured 28 kg) but also because there’s no particularly easy place to grip the frame around the balance point. However A2B have designed in a very useful handle at the rear of ABOVE: There are some long weld seams on the frame, but the result is a rigid bike to ride. The chain is also well protected so your trousers stay clean. BELOW: The display console turns on at the touch of the key fob, and the blue backlit display is visible even at night. The ‘click knob’ control on the left makes a nice change from the usual buttons. the battery pack so it’s easy to lift the back of the bike. They’ve also fitted a strong kickstand to a purpose designed mounting plate at the rear wheel, and the bike stands up well on this. Looking up to the front of the machine, it’s the handlebar set-up which grabs the attention. The angleadjustable stem is smoothly contoured and it leads neatly up to the control console, which sits perfectly centred above the bars. This console is a clever box of tricks. It eschews the usual set of buttons in favour of a little knob on one side, which you click round to scroll through the power modes and other options. It takes a few rides to get used to, but then I came to like its minimally cluttered interface. First, though, you need to turn the thing on. Here the Hybrid has a rather unique trick. Instead of a key, there’s a little fob which you just touch against the display to turn it on or off. Then the display lights up with its clear blue backlighting. Battery status and which (if any) of the three power modes is engaged are always shown, while the large central display can be scrolled through speed, trip distance and the like. The power modes control the torque sensor type drive, setting by how much your pedalling effort is amplified. There’s no throttle, so you do have to pedal and put in some effort! The bars also host the trigger shifter for the gearing, and brake levers (with motor cut-off contacts) which operate the mechanical disk brakes. These are Avid BB5s, not a bad brake but it would have been good to see the next model up, the BB7, used instead on a £1999 bike. Much easier to adjust and generally better regarded. Finally, LED lights are fitted front and rear. These are controlled automatically via a light sensor to operate whenever it dark, and they’re powered off the main battery. » ON THE ROAD My first impression of the Hybrid 24 was that it felt superbly solid on the road: it proceeds without any rattles or drama, even over the potholes and rough tarmac of winter roads. Those fat tyres and the front suspension really soak up the bumps, while the frame feels completely solid beneath you. That bulky stem keeps the 28 Electric Bike Issue 6
ON TEST: Hero ON Eco TEST: A2B Hybrid Ezee Torq 24 handlebars rigid, too, so it feels like a reassuringly flex free ride all round. Add power to the pedals and the motor joins in smoothly, boosting you up to speed easily. It felt like a really powerful assist, negating the weight of the bike and making for an easy ride. On hills it was also impressive: in bottom gear and with a bit of pedal effort it would tackle all I could find. And it did so in total silence: I really couldn’t hear any motor noise at all, just the tyres and gears. The battery will be more than sufficient for any sane person’s commute; only really serious hills might challenge it. Because of the torque sensing drive you’re always contributing anyway, so the motor never has to do all of the work. After a few ten-mile commutes to my office and back (fairly flat, heavy rider) the battery was still over half full, and that’s in the cold of winter, when batteries always perform less well. The console is really nicely placed over the bars, and while you do have to lift a hand to change modes by twiddling the knob, it’s not I really couldn't hear any motor noise at all, just the tyres and gears. HIGH POINTS: Smooth, silent ride Good lively assist Neat design, clever console Fast charge LOW POINTS: Bit on the heavy side Charge point a bit awkward to get to Won’t take standard panniers GOOD FOR: Stylish commuters Design connoisseurs Those who want to pedal but with assistance. Available from: A2B dealers: Tel 01242 807 420 or see www.heroeco.com for details of your closest. something you need to do often. It’s also no problem even with gloves on. The backlight keeps the display visible at night, too. Apart from an occasional squeak I couldn’t really fault the brakes: they stopped the Hybrid with good power and feel. The gears too worked as they should, and the range was about right: low enough for the hills and high enough to get well above the 15 mph power assist limit. All in all the Hybrid delivered an enjoyable ride. Some of the other people who tried it – especially perhaps the shorter and lighter ones – were a little more concerned about the size and weight of it. But once on the bike, few had any complaints. » SUMMARY The Hybrid 24 is an impressive beast. Fit and finish is really excellent and while the looks may not appeal much to cycling traditionalists, I find them striking and contemporary. It’s smooth, sophisticated and rolls along with real composure. The bike is perhaps a little on the heavy side, but so long as you don’t have to lift it it’s not really that obvious. The bike’s technology was polished and well integrated, with only a very slight whiff of overkill in the ‘touch key’ on/off, which didn’t strike me as an especially useful advance. You could just as well have a key on your keyring as the touch fob. But it’s clever and it worked. The little twist knob to control the power modes and menus was also an interesting innovation; good to see a manufacturer breaking away from the crowd. If you’re after a solid, smooth and silent e-bike, the Hybrid 24 would be worth a close look. It’s not a conventional bike in a number of ways, but don’t let that put you off. Life would be boring if all bikes were the same, and the innovations employed here do all work to produce an enjoyable ride. Give it a go! Peter Eland Mission trike fitted with Sunstar crank drive kit Specialized Sirrus fitted with Oxygen kit For electrical conversion of bikes, trikes, tandems, folding bikes & recumbents OFFicial agents FOr: • Batribike • Powabyke • Mission Cycles • Conv-e kits • Sunstar crank drive kits • Oxygen kits tel: 015395 35786 www.bespoke-ebikes.co.uk Moulton bicycle fitted with Conv-E kit Kentex trike fitted with Conv-E kit Parent cOmPany: Ashleigh Engineering Services Ltd, Unit 20, Airfield Approach Business Park, Moor Lane, Flookburgh, Grange-over- Sands, Cumbria LA11 7NG. Tel 015395 59195 www.ashleighengineeringservices.co.uk Windcheetah recumbent trike fitted with bespoke, custom engineered electric assist system Issue 4 Electric Bike 5
Page 1 and 2: £3.95 where sold Issue 6 www.elect
Page 3 and 4: Contents 4 News: All the latest fro
Page 5 and 6: NEWSI Mission and Conv-E team up a
Page 8 and 9: +ELECTRIC MTBS Mountains to molehil
Page 10 and 11: +ON TEST Grace MX German brand Grac
Page 12 and 13: +ON TEST clicks neatly into its soc
Page 14 and 15: +ON TEST The Falco’s distributors
Page 16 and 17: +ON TEST Volt Alpine The Alpine is
Page 18 and 19: +ELECTRIC MTBS Electric mountain bi
Page 20 and 21: +ON TEST Beatbikes Beatbike We revi
Page 22 and 23: +ON TEST ABOVE: The folding process
Page 26 and 27: +ON TEST Hero Eco A2B Hybrid 24 Wit
Page 30 and 31: +ON TEST Klimax Hase Bikes What, yo
Page 32 and 33: +FIRST LOOK The Sunstar electric bi
Page 34 and 35: +E-BIKE BASICS ELECTRIC BIKE BEGINN
Page 40 and 41: +LETTERS From Simon Lord I was diag
Page 42 and 43: HIRE 5 7 HIRE 6 24 35 1 2 32 31 9 5
Page 44 and 45: Issue 2 www.electricbikemag.co.uk 0
Page 46 and 47: B I K E S The KLIMAX of all-weather
Page 48: Amazing Electric Bikes Classic Elec

Issue Six - Spring 2013 - Electric Bike Magazine

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