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Douglas Raith
I'm very happy with my Swytch Eco kit, a 28-inch Eco kit, which I've fitted to my trusty Saracen Skyline touring bike (with drop handlebars replaced by raised bars). Fitting was simple, with no hitches. I ordered my kit with no tyre on the wheel, as I've go plenty of experience with fixing punctures, and with no noticeable drag from the motor when it's turned off, I don't envisage wanting to swap in my old wheel at any time. I don't feel much difference between the power levels - maybe a bit faster on climbs at level 5, but I keep it on level 3 to conserve the battery. On a range test, I went for a 24-mile round trip without running out of charge, and the 2 hours was just about my comfortable limit anyway, so that's plenty for me. I ordered the kit expecting to use it mostly for my daily cycle commute, so save the wear and tear on my aging joints (I'm pushing 60), but as I'm working at home during the lockdown, I've been using it for evening and weekend exercise / leisure runs. I find the assistance is responsive. It feels like a friendly gentle push like a parent might give a child learning to cycle - very comforting. My exercise / leisure rides are now further / faster, therefore more interesting, and I still get plenty of pleasant exercise without getting exhausted. I do get a bit of a guilty feeling cruising past some younger unassisted cyclists, but I guess I'll have to get used to that! Only a couple of minor quibbles to mention - I've had to be creative about finding a place to mount my front light, now that its place on the handlebars is now taken by the power pack. The belt-loop things on top of the pack just weren't up to the job. The unused connectors from the power pack (I think for thumb throttle & brake sensor) did not have covers supplied, so I've wrapped them with gaffer/duct tape for wet weather protection. In summary, the Swytch Eco has been a great success, and I'm looking forward to commuting with it when office working returns. I posted a speeded-up video of a trip around my area (NW Edinburgh) on YouTube, which I took last week with my phone tied to my chest. Not perfect (a bit of shake on bumpy sections) and not quite horizontal, but still quite a fun watch: https://youtu.be/LGtVEiKmshs
4 years ago
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Swytch Bike has a 4.1 average rating from 1,659 reviews