Cyclamatic Power Plus CX1 Electric Mountain Bike with Lithium-Ion Battery

This bike is surprisingly good for the price. It's the only electric bike I've ever ridden so I can't compare it to others, but it's better than I expected and great for the price.There are three modes: you can ride it without the power on; with power assist (where the motor cuts in automatically to help; or under full power, where you don't have to pedal at all. You turn power assist mode on and off with a switch on the handlebars and in full power mode, a twist throttle controls the speed.I use the bike to ride to the station, which is five miles or so up a shallow but constant incline. It's quite a busy road with several busy and quite large roundabouts. The motor means I can get to the station without being tired and sweaty and makes me feel a lot safer when I'm negotiating the roundabouts: pulling away under power gets me up to speed almost instantly. The battery easily lasts the 10 mile or so round trip using power assist and the occasional burst of full power (roundabouts). It certainly helps on hills, taking much of the effort out of pedaling but still providing some exercise.The bike was easy to put together and seems sturdy enough. I wouldn't want to take it off road, but it's not going to fall apart. There's a kickstand, which is useful, and plenty of space to attach a small bag to the frame.The only slight problem is that there's no place on the frame to attach a d-type lock, which I'd have preferred.

Overall, the bike is a good purchase and has a premium feel even though it is one of the cheaper electric mountain bikes on the market.The main thing I want to talk about is the assembly: the instruction manual is full of useless information about folding mechanisms that dont exist (for another model). When the bike arrived it was in a durable box and came with the front wheel detached. The instructions on how to install the front wheel do exist but they do not stress the importance of lining the wheel up so that the disk brake fits into its slot, and there is absolutely no information on how to adjust the disk brake so that it allows the wheel to spin freely until you want to actually slow down.There are tools included in the delivery but I found that the alan key that is needed to adjust the brakes and certain other parts of the part are not supplied. In fact, I recieved 3 sizes of alan key and I have only needed to use one of them, and another I already had in a toolbox.The instructions do not tell you how the handlebars actually go either. Out of the box you see a handlebar, and to fit this to the bike you need to turn the steering shaft so that the horseshoe where v-brakes would go is facing forwards, and then adjust the shaft so that the knuckle is also facing forwards. For me, it was facing backwards out of the box and required my own alan key to adjust.Next (after installing the pedals, which is easy), do test out the gearing and the brakes before you ride. You'll need to make sure that the gears change smoothly and the brakes will stop you. I would highly recommend taking your bike to a bike shop if there is any issue here - they know what they are doing and the job is fiddly just like on all bikes. Be extra sure you have placed the front wheel properly! It should run smoothly and should not wobble.The instructions supplied do not say any of this.The next thing you'll notice is that this bike has substantial weight to it. Personally I like the heft, and am reassured to know that the motor will be helping me to pull the extra weight. The saddle is also lose, so make sure you tighten up the screws well. Honestly the saddle is probably the first thing that most people would seek to upgrade but I think this is normal for standard bicycle sales. The saddle is standard and most people prefer sprung or cushioned custom saddles.Charge the battery (there is a key to unlock it from the bike frame, and a rubber seal on the side reveals the charging socket) and away you go.I've been using the bike to get to work. On the way to work I set the power to lowest and just get help with hills really, but on the way home I'm a little more tired so I set it to full power, change down some gears and let the motor do most or sometimes all of the work. As long as my feet are moving the pedals then power is being applied. It seems to also detect braking somehow, so be sure to give a quick tap on a brake before you round a corner - otherwise you might feel the kick of the motor while you are turning (I never realised how much I moved the pedals as I rounded a bend before I had an electric bike lol).A kickstand is included with the bike. The battery has a set of keys and locks to the frame - which alleviates one fear I had about someone stealing it. I recommend buying a hefty metal lock and chain for security, and a rain proof cover to protect your investment. This bike is the first one I have spent more than £50 on (indeed, most previous bikes I have owned have been gifts for helping out friends and family, rewarding me with a bike buried in their garage) so with this one I feel the need to make sure I protect it properly.I would certainly recommend this bike to a friend who has a commute between 1 and 5 miles each way. I would definitely recommend that anyone who hasn't built a bike and isnt totally confident adjusting brakes and gears go down to a local bike shop and get those adjustments done there. It cost me £25 to get the old guy in the independent shop to give it a look and tighten it up, which is money well spent I think.

I already had a mountain bike, but I'm gettiing on now, 67 so the bike was getting harder and harder for me, legs dont have the power they once had... I had heard of these new "electric bikes" so I did a bit of detective work...... Anyway I went ahead and bought one, and it was the best buy I have made in years, it came within two days of ordering and it comes in a large box, there is some loght putting together all very easy if you've handled bikes it, s nott hard to do...... It says the batty comes fully charged but I put it on the charger and was eager to try it out.....one could do with an extra low gear, only 6 to play with but if you don, t have the push in your legs the motor gives you that aid, and on the flat and your free wheeling you can use the accelerator on the handle bars and give yourself a break....... you will enjoy it, I, m out every day on it...