Opinions solicited.

[Old Fat Bloke]

My local bike shop is getting some Forme Alport HTE ebikes in at the end of the month.

Could people have a look at the specs (link to the manufacturers website below) and let me know if it a decent bike. I intend to use for commuting to work, and some off-road riding (nothing to serious).

I should it is a Bosch motor, and the local shop is a recognised Bosch service agent.

Alport HTE

Touring, trekking or trail riding? The Alport HTE provides reliable agility with Bosch Performance CX Line power engineering built onto a high quality, Kinesis manufactured lightweight frameset.Learn more

formebikes.co.uk

 

[Norange]

For commuting and light off road, I would say a bike with 29" wheels would be a better bet. Spec wise, doesn't look massively different from other similarly priced bikes from other manufacturers. I did think it didn't look too great VFM but that's inflation for you! Is there anything else locally available?

 

[The Hodge]

I'm of the same opinion that other than the Deore parts ..spec wise for the money its not fantastic .
Without wishing to offend in any way ..you have signed yourself in as " Fat Old Bloke " ..which I'm assuming means that you are carrying a little excess..
Before buying any bike make sure that it's max load comes somewhere near your body weight ..
Hope you find something suitable ..

 

[Old Fat Bloke]

The Hodge, yes I am a bit overweight, which is one reason I want to get back into cycling. Don’t worry about causing offence!. I am about 100 kg.

Living near Cardigan in West Wales there is not much in the way of flat roads round here. And being so rural, LBSs are thin on the ground.

I think I might carry in looking, but as there is a local place that can service Bosch motors, and given they are pretty good, I think a Bosch motor might be a good idea.

 

[The Hodge]

No problem with regard to a Bosch motor ..( I have one too) but I would be very surprised if you got anywhere near the 60 miles quoted on a 500w/hr motor with 65 nm torque ..especially if the terrain is non too flat .
The point I was trying to make was that regardless of which bike you eventually choose ..make sure that you don't over exceed its max carrying capacity ..as warranties can be voided and you will be left with a £ 2,700 headache ..so make sure you ask the question ..

 

[Old Fat Bloke]

The Hodge, no worries. It was something I was aware of.

I was planning to get a second battery anyway.

 

[The Hodge]

I'm not trying to tell you what to do here ..but instead of spending anywhere up to £700 on another battery ..why not add that amount of money to you bike budget and look for a better specc'd bike ?
That then puts you nearly into the range of a full sus Canyon ..with the new Shimano ep8 motor ..

Neuron:ON 7

Like a never-ending tailwind, the Neuron:ON 7 keeps powering you along hour after hour – whether you’re up in the mountains or tearing up your backyard trails. With Shimano’s new EP8 motor and fast-rolling 29-inch wheels, this bike’s sure to keep you out riding more trail than ever before.

www.canyon.com

 

[RustyMTB]

I'd say for the money, it's alright. It's not great by any means but given where price & availability for ebikes is right now, the spec is acceptable & if you get on with it, you can always upgrade components or kick on to a better bike altogether when the time is right.

 

[alan_sh]

I think it's OK. It will do the job you want. A tad expensive compared to (for example) the Decathlon ones but at least you can get one.

Alan

 

[04fuxake]

Overall it'll be fine.

I would recommend changing the fork if you plan to go off-road regularly.

 

[Old Fat Bloke]

Thanks everyone

 

[Old Fat Bloke]

I have been looking at the Riese and Muller bikes, in particular the Charger 3 and the Supercharger 2. They are available with a heavy duty option which raises the max weight from 140kg to 160kg.

They are pricey, but they seem to be quality bikes. What are the opinions of others here about them?

 

[Jackware]

The Cube Reaction Hybrid SL & SLT hardtails are rated upto 150kg ;

https://www.cube.eu/fileadmin/2021/Service/Systemgewicht/Hybrid__weight_limits_MY21.pdf

 

[Old Fat Bloke]

The Cube Reaction Hybrid SL & SLT hardtails are rated upto 150kg ;

https://www.cube.eu/fileadmin/2021/Service/Systemgewicht/Hybrid__weight_limits_MY21.pdf

Yes, I have noted those bikes but there seem to be none available!

 

[Norange]

I have been looking at the Riese and Muller bikes, in particular the Charger 3 and the Supercharger 2. They are available with a heavy duty option which raises the max weight from 140kg to 160kg.

They are pricey, but they seem to be quality bikes. What are the opinions of others here about them?

You're looking at bikes that are more towards the dedicated commuter end there. Nothing wrong with that at all - especially if it suits your needs. But this forum is more aligned to mtb, so I don't know if the user experience you want is that common here. I do remember someone commenting on a CVT bike, which might well have been the Charger 3 Vario, recently.

 

[Janc]

Thanks everyone

How tall are you?
Canyon have some XL currently in stock and if you don't mind going external battery but better spec, check out Commencal. Previous years at significant discount.
I have used my lbs for Shimano warranty work on a Commencal and put some normal maintenance their way as well.
With ebikes you can get away with much more off road type bikes than with non electric, so if you want to do some off-road err towards full suspension. However if you really Will only do mostly road with a single digit amount on easy gravel road go hard tail.
I live in coastal Dorset, hills everywhere and ebike is a great way to lose a few pounds.
Availability is your enemy at the moment unless you want to wait.
Also I know it's obvious, but try a few bikes with different motors older and newer and different manufacturers.