“We love our Swytchbike kits so much we have three. Installation on all three was easy, just follow the directions. As a 74 yr old with back/nerve issues, Switchbike is the only way I can achieve an e-bike light enough to safely lift onto a bike rack. We transport our Swytchbikes by car to the many available bike paths/trails in San Diego County and beyond. Swytchbike is a good balance between power and weight and has allowed us to expand our repertoire of “rides” to include more challenging areas. An added benefit is that you don’t need a $600 - $700 bike rack to transport them.”
“Amazing piece of kit, wish I'd bought one years ago. A friend of mine with some cycling knowledge had to fit it for me and it didn't take too long. Really great that there is a great choice of wheel sizes and very good instructions and customer support. It now makes cycling so much enjoyable for me as I get older!! Small hills are now so easy for me as well. Love the way I can take the power pack and I would keep the basket on the front of my bike as well. Even though you have to wait a few weeks for it to arrive I would say it's well worth the wait”
“After much research I ordered two Swytch kits (pro) for our two Bromptons. I ordered in March 2020 and the kits duly arrived in December 2020. Nine months, but to be fair COVID was right in the middle, which nocks three months off, and probably another month for getting back into operation again. All in all I was very happy with the time frame.
Being Brompton specific, the kits fitted very easily, even coming with Brompton specific PAS sensors, giving ample choice of which sensor fitted best. The fitting guides and videos were a great help. The hardest part for me was fitting the handlebar mount, as on Bromptons the cockpit is rather cramped, but it did finally fit. If you own a Brompton with sport (straight) handlebars, there will be no problem whatsoever.
I had an initial problem with some defective parts, but after a couple of emails and a zoom meeting with an engineer, the replacement parts were duly dispatched and arrived quickly. I found customer support to be good, all communication is by email. Not being able to phone is unusual, but thinking about it, it makes sense as everyone has copies of what was said and it allows Swytch’s representatives to operate efficiently. Warranty registration is straight forward and online.
The kits work really well, and are much more powerful than I imagined they would be. Simple to operate and do not seem to affect the handling of the bikes. There is on option for a Brompton mount that utilises the Brompton luggage mount, thus removing any weight from the handlebars. However for us this was not an option as we have Brompton bags that cannot be used if the mount is used for the battery.
Overall we are very happy with the kits, they blend well into the bike and most importantly, the bikes can be used as normal if the battery goes flat.
The biggest difference for myself is that my wife has changed from being a “I want to cycle somewhere flat” or “not that way, there’s a hill” to a “ooh look, there’s another hill, lets try that one!”, cyclist. Priceless!”
“Bike speed and crank cadence
After some delay, I received the kit on Nov. 1st, and with some innovation installed it on my Bike Friday folding recumbent bike. In trying it out, I was surprised to find that the speed of the bike was constant at about 15MPH regardless of how fast or slow I pedaled. The supposed 'cadence' of the crank had no meaning. I often ride on a bike path that is shared with children and people walking with dogs. It is then helpful to ride very slow. With the Power Pack mounted behind the seat on the recumbent bike, it is not possible to turn the system on and off while riding. I now have an in-line brake sensor, and will see if that helps.”
“I owned Swytch kit for just over 2 years now. My honest advise is do not buy Swytch. Go elsewhere.
My purchase (The Brompton Conversion Kit) developed problems after 4 months of use. It took 6 months to address those problems and I did not get any warranty extension, despite not being able to use the product for more than half of the warranty time. 4 months after the repair I got the same issue. Swytch told me that my Warranty has expired and refused to repair under Warranty. Long wait again and only after legal actions taken I received battery replacement, which failed after 5 months!!! Now I am waiting for over two months to receive the controller, which was under 6 months extended warranty.
APPALLING!!!
Why 2 stars – well, if the kit works it is great to ride. However, these kits are made in China and there is probably no quality control check at all. So, if you are lucky and it works, then it is great addition to your bike at reasonable cost. Otherwise, waste of money and time.
I think SwytchBike also suffers from suppliers side which is down to either Brexit issues or poor choice of supplier (probably in attempt to cut the costs). You can see that from number of complaints about late deliveries (and I am not saying late by few days, or even weeks… it is months).
It looks SwytchBike do not hold much (if any) spare parts, so if you (like myself) have issue with one component you are stuck for months with unusable kit. I have been to their office/shop – it is a small warehouse, barely 50 sq meters.
Customer service would definitely be 1 star, or even zero star. SwytchBike actually lies to us – on the website they state ReviewsIO as 4.8 stars. It is actually 2.9 stars, and going down. TrustPilot is 3.2 and going down. From reviews you will see that SwytchBike lie about delivery and repairs time. They lied to me so many times.
Judging by my experience, my advice would be to stay clear from Swytch and look elsewhere for electric bike solution.
I am now exploring my legal rights and try to get some justice (an repair) that way.
I do not know how Reviews.io works, but I would be happy to be contacted and exchange experiences and give more advises.”
“Terrible customer service, take forever to respond to emails. Got fed up in the end and have now requested a refund. They are not even acknowleding my email. Be careful, as I think this company is a scam.”
“Cannot recommend Swytch – the manufacturing and shipping is longer than you will be told- the delivery very uncommunicative and time wasting which would be fine if it actually worked well. The plus side is that it is easy to install. Negative side is that it is very underpowered (the standard one) does not get a 96kg me up a hill on a brompton. The motor started cutting out after 3 days and despite repeated requests to Swytch for tech help nothing received- so it is both unreliable and useless– I will change this review if they ever get back to me and resolve the issue.”
“It took swytch over a year to deliver the kit. The eco-battery isn't stellar, I get range anxiety on a 15 mile hilly ride as the extra weight and drag of an unpowered motor are harder to get over the hills. I was also shocked by the need for annual warranty checks. I would have been better off spending the money a year ago on a lighter bike. I have followed two delivery cycles and now believe the company over-promises. I really wanted to see swytch be a solid e-bike option but after my experience I have lost faith. The business model is flawed: since I commited to buy better alternatives have come on the market. See the reviews on trustpilot.”
