Lightweight or Swytch?

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
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Anjistar
Posts: 12
Joined: 21 Jul 2011, 6:55pm

Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by Anjistar »

I am of an age where I can cope with 70-odd km a day, shallow undulations and slow, steady climbs on my old Specialized Dolce Sport, which I love, but show me a steep hill and I'm left behind. So I need a little extra help.

Is a Swytch type thing any good for a road bike?

Or do I need to go full-on e bike?
If so, it needs to weigh no more than 15kg all in, as it has to hang off the back door of a van with my husband's Croix de Fer and not exceed the total weight limit.
Suggestions welcome!
fivebikes
Posts: 233
Joined: 9 Mar 2008, 12:46pm
Location: West Yorks

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by fivebikes »

As a Swytch user, largely to make the Bromptons we have more suited to day rides in hilly areas, I am happy with them. Sure they will fit your current bike too and when travelling, only the motor wheel will add to the bike weight, you’ll keep the battery in the vehicle. They aren’t too expensive to try, if you do their pre order scheme or buy (with care) used from eBay, and are easy to fit. Plus the after sales service is good too in my experience.
Other kits are available, obviously, or you could splash out on one of the more discreet ebikes that use an integrated drive….anything with a Fazua system ….Boardman, Orbea, Scott and others but they’re fairly pricey.
Depends on your budget as well as the weigh scales!
peterb
Posts: 392
Joined: 2 Dec 2017, 10:13am

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by peterb »

Can you fit the Swytch battery pack to drop bar bikes?
stodd
Posts: 708
Joined: 6 Jun 2018, 10:24am

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by stodd »

A conversion of some kind should certainly be fine for you. It may come out a little heavier than a custom bike with Fazua, but almost certainly a lot lighter than a typical Bosch driven ebike.

Swytch mostly seems quite good. Absurdly overpriced at the 'full' price. They are almost always available (but maybe with a waiting time) at around half price, which is just a little overpriced. (The rest goes in marketing to make sure Swytch is the name you think of.) Cytronex (https://www.cytronex.com/shop/kit-selector) is another maker of lightweight conversions kits, but again expensive. The lightweight kits tend to have relatively low power and low capacity battery. They will give less assistance than cheaper heavier kits; and very limited range if you rely too much on that assistance. That may well be fine for the kind of riding you are expecting to do, just be aware.

There are pros and cons of front hub, rear hub and crank driven motors. I'm not going to repeat them all here, browse https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/forums ... ussion.42/ and other subforums there. Look at Woosh (https://wooshbikes.co.uk/) for a range of conversion kits at reasonable prices and with excellent customer service, and advice on the most appropriate kit for you. You can probably save a little buying elsewhere, especially if you buy parts separately, but without the service. Buying a complete kit gives you reasonable assurance all the bits will work together.

One disadvantage with several proprietary systems (kits or bikes) is that you are locked in for spares and repairs. These are often very pricy, and in extreme cases the spares may not be available in a few years time. If you get kits made of more standard generic parts (most of the Woosh kits are) you can be pretty sure that appropriate parts or near equivalents will be available at a reasonable price.
Anjistar
Posts: 12
Joined: 21 Jul 2011, 6:55pm

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by Anjistar »

Thank you for the considered replies, I will have a ponder.
fivebikes
Posts: 233
Joined: 9 Mar 2008, 12:46pm
Location: West Yorks

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by fivebikes »

peterb wrote: 2 Jul 2022, 9:28am Can you fit the Swytch battery pack to drop bar bikes?
A couple of images of Swytch kit on drops.
D0272B88-AF72-4BF3-A277-2607FA0F4F0A.jpeg
Attachments
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PAB855
Posts: 396
Joined: 26 Apr 2014, 3:07pm

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by PAB855 »

Another point worth considering is that as far as I know you can't fit a throttle to a Cytronex, but you can fit one to a Swytch.

Legally they should only give assistance for a short time just for easier starting off. My daughter has only recently added the throttle and finds it a huge help on hillstarts, particularly at an uphill give way junction she frequently uses as without it she would struggle to get going.

Good luck
Bonzo Banana
Posts: 416
Joined: 5 Feb 2017, 11:58am

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by Bonzo Banana »

PAB855 wrote: 2 Jul 2022, 5:06pm Another point worth considering is that as far as I know you can't fit a throttle to a Cytronex, but you can fit one to a Swytch.

Legally they should only give assistance for a short time just for easier starting off. My daughter has only recently added the throttle and finds it a huge help on hillstarts, particularly at an uphill give way junction she frequently uses as without it she would struggle to get going.

Good luck
Throttles are perfectly legal as long as they only operate as you pedal. It was twist and go throttle ebikes that were no longer legal to sell after 2016 but still perfectly legal to use if you have one. Also you can have individual bikes approved for twist and go and legal to ride today.

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/wisper-annou ... le-models/

The law is a bit of a mess with regard ebikes, the EU legislation is frankly rubbish and there is no reason at all to ban throttles for twist and go as long as the bike only assists to 15.5mph. A throttle delivers power in a much safer way than a cadence sensor which can be more abrupt at times and not what you want in busy traffic. People who are struggling to cycle perhaps can only assist very minimally should not be prevented from using ebikes, these could be disabled or elderly or other health conditions. Now out of the EU we should ignore this garbage legislation and restore our more sensible legislation to maximise the number of people who can safely use ebikes. Maybe this will happen I don't know.
Teggletone
Posts: 20
Joined: 9 Mar 2021, 1:31pm

Re: Lightweight or Swytch?

Post by Teggletone »

At last One good reason for leaving the EU !!!!!!!!!
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