I know you can go and have a test ride of any ebike at a shop but cannot with the GTech unless you order and take the 14 day return challenge. Well I did that and though I'd post a review.
Bit about myself as an indicator - I'm 51, 85kg, 6ft and used to play a lot of sport, mainly football and rugby up to a bad ankle injury which saw me banned by an RAF doctor for a year during which time I took up hockey and played that extensively for 15 years. This has caused me major injuries to both knees, my left hip and lower back which seems to be making life ever more painful with each passing year.
I cycle to work most days, around 5.5 miles each way but there is an elevation change of around 260-280ft on the way home with most of that on one steep hill at about 4 miles in. When my injuries are playing me havoc I have in the past reverted to the car which takes longer to get to work.
I decided to look at an ebike to keep me cycling when the limbs don't want to cooperate and still cycle on my Carrera mountain bike when I'm OK. I looked predominantly at the Kalkhoff Integrale and the Grace Easy initially as I wanted to go with carbon belt drive. (i get through chains and cassettes with ease due to the tracks ridden) but at £3k was struggling to justify it over keeping another car running, so I thought I'd try the GTech. Ordered the sport and it arrived 2 days later.
It is marginally lighter than my mountain bike but that can be accounted for no suspension, no disk brakes, no derailleur, no front and rear cassettes and the centre of gravity is at the back due to the rear wheel motor.
I charged it to full and set off.
The saddle is not the most comfortable I have ridden on but is by no means the most uncomfortable, however, I would not want to have to spend longer than the 11 mile round trip on it than I have to.
I've seen some people report the handle bars are uncomfortable but I actually like them with the flat area that I just rest my palms on. Seems to suit my riding style.
I did think the lack of gears would annoy me and see me sending it back but I've found I have no need for them. Don't get me wrong, another gear would help on the straights to get more speed, I must top out just under 20mph but I'm happy with that and coast on the downhill parts on the way to work.
The bike comes into it's own on the way home though, and I found myself overtaking seasoned cyclists where they used to overtake me. The hills are no issue for the bike (around 10%) even with the prevailing wind straight in the face. It does require a bit of effort to get it moving from a standing start on a steep hill.
With a hilly route, the bikes small battery has managed to get me to/from work 3 times on a single charge although the last ride home of the 3, I set off with a single flashing red bar and was really running out of juice at the end. It did however still manage to pull me up the hill, albeit a lot slower than previous attempts but still faster than me on pure peddle power. I now charge it after every 2 days use but have found on good days like today, I get home and have only used 1 bar so probably could do the 3 days again.
To cycle on it's own on anything other than flat does take some exertion and is probably not possible in my area without any assistance. From the 15mph point to get above that takes more effort due to no gears but on the flat is really smooth particularly with the carbon belt which I do love already. A quick watering can full of water is all the maintenance it seems to need, just washing the dirt off, no degreasing, oiling, etc.
The 2 assistance levels advertised are perhaps a bit of a misnomer. low level seems to assist to about 5mph and then stops, high level assists to 15mph, the initial input from the motor appears the same.
IMO - good for my use. A short commute and allows me to keep cycling on days when I would have been in the car. Good for somebody with a reasonable fitness level.
I would not have bought it if I meant to cycle longer distances, however I've decided it fits me and I'm keeping it.
Bit about myself as an indicator - I'm 51, 85kg, 6ft and used to play a lot of sport, mainly football and rugby up to a bad ankle injury which saw me banned by an RAF doctor for a year during which time I took up hockey and played that extensively for 15 years. This has caused me major injuries to both knees, my left hip and lower back which seems to be making life ever more painful with each passing year.
I cycle to work most days, around 5.5 miles each way but there is an elevation change of around 260-280ft on the way home with most of that on one steep hill at about 4 miles in. When my injuries are playing me havoc I have in the past reverted to the car which takes longer to get to work.
I decided to look at an ebike to keep me cycling when the limbs don't want to cooperate and still cycle on my Carrera mountain bike when I'm OK. I looked predominantly at the Kalkhoff Integrale and the Grace Easy initially as I wanted to go with carbon belt drive. (i get through chains and cassettes with ease due to the tracks ridden) but at £3k was struggling to justify it over keeping another car running, so I thought I'd try the GTech. Ordered the sport and it arrived 2 days later.
It is marginally lighter than my mountain bike but that can be accounted for no suspension, no disk brakes, no derailleur, no front and rear cassettes and the centre of gravity is at the back due to the rear wheel motor.
I charged it to full and set off.
The saddle is not the most comfortable I have ridden on but is by no means the most uncomfortable, however, I would not want to have to spend longer than the 11 mile round trip on it than I have to.
I've seen some people report the handle bars are uncomfortable but I actually like them with the flat area that I just rest my palms on. Seems to suit my riding style.
I did think the lack of gears would annoy me and see me sending it back but I've found I have no need for them. Don't get me wrong, another gear would help on the straights to get more speed, I must top out just under 20mph but I'm happy with that and coast on the downhill parts on the way to work.
The bike comes into it's own on the way home though, and I found myself overtaking seasoned cyclists where they used to overtake me. The hills are no issue for the bike (around 10%) even with the prevailing wind straight in the face. It does require a bit of effort to get it moving from a standing start on a steep hill.
With a hilly route, the bikes small battery has managed to get me to/from work 3 times on a single charge although the last ride home of the 3, I set off with a single flashing red bar and was really running out of juice at the end. It did however still manage to pull me up the hill, albeit a lot slower than previous attempts but still faster than me on pure peddle power. I now charge it after every 2 days use but have found on good days like today, I get home and have only used 1 bar so probably could do the 3 days again.
To cycle on it's own on anything other than flat does take some exertion and is probably not possible in my area without any assistance. From the 15mph point to get above that takes more effort due to no gears but on the flat is really smooth particularly with the carbon belt which I do love already. A quick watering can full of water is all the maintenance it seems to need, just washing the dirt off, no degreasing, oiling, etc.
The 2 assistance levels advertised are perhaps a bit of a misnomer. low level seems to assist to about 5mph and then stops, high level assists to 15mph, the initial input from the motor appears the same.
IMO - good for my use. A short commute and allows me to keep cycling on days when I would have been in the car. Good for somebody with a reasonable fitness level.
I would not have bought it if I meant to cycle longer distances, however I've decided it fits me and I'm keeping it.
