So I'm confused, the swytch website has kits on a waiting list at 835 quid but this bike is 999. Are we being overcharged for the kits, or is this bike a piece of junk with a kit attached? I really liked the swytch business model, keep your own bike (with mudguards) and upgrade it with a kit, that's better for the environment, its more sustainable, upcycling. Now instead of trying to cut their waiting list and reduce costs for the kit business through R&D and supply chain management, they have spent the budget and focused on producing a cheap bike with no lights, mudguards, or rack, I don't even think it has reflectors on it. Maybe the country that they source it from doesn't require any "extras", or maybe marketing decided extras would distort the clean lines of the bike, either way the finance department decided to call it customizable. Since when were mudguards considered custom? They saw an overcrowded market place and decided to produce an incomplete product that the buyer will have to add the necessary accessories to it before they leave the shop. Surely if you are buying an ebike its for 365 days of weather, not just the odd sunny weekend. I think swytch are totally out of touch with this one and have produced another non descript, overly expensive, basic ebike with no attributes to join the countless other manufacturers. Its 18.5 kg with an aluminum frame, nothing ground breaking there, I could put a kit on any steel bike from the 90's and beat that. In short, boring, expensive, unfinished bike, so set your expectations low.
I think the main advantage of having a bike like this is that when the battery needs charging, you are not stuck with a bike that is too heavy or unusable. You can still get where you want to go, albeit with a bit of extra effort. Also, lighter tires and an ordinary rear wheel would make this bike more agile. The other use case I see is putting in an ordinary rear wheel and using this as a touring bike, which can be transported on a plane, which is not the case with e-bikes.
What you've got there is a bike with components as good as a Halfords Apollo ~£200 with an e-bike kit that can be bought for ~£450 for £999 doesn't seem like great value to me
Or for the same cash you can buy the well-reviewed entry-level Decathlon electric mtb with a guarantee and actual stores to honour that guarantee, right now!
I have a ten year old Dahon folder with a Swytch kit. Love it. Began with the original battery on the handlebars which was not great for the overall balance. Now I have the cassette battery just above the front wheel. Perfect. Copes surprisingly well with the Pennine hills around here. Better than original Estarli 20.7.
Most 200 quid bikes won’t have disc brakes, an aluminum frame and weigh 35 lbs without the hub motor. This is 35 lbs with a motor and I think that motor has to be at least 6 or 7 lbs. A 28 lb hybrid is going run usually 500 quid or more.
@@visualpun650 Good point, but it is still doable, I am not saying it will be easy, and you need to be capable of finding good deals , and I don't care if it weighs 5 lb extra. For the bike I had in mind is the white ax 290 usually on sale for under 200 and it has disk brakes that weigh 28 lb, and if it is coupled with a lightweight motor and small battery pack similar to the switch bike it will be comparable. But yes I get it The switch bike is ready, complete package comes with a warranty and it is refreshing to have a light weight bike which will be suitable for the majority of people, compared to most bikes in the market pushing 50lb.
Brilliant bike, Eilis, perfect with its modularity, future proofing and sensible, realistic price. Swytch seems like a company that wants to engage with its customers, not just flog and run. Great review. Evening complete.
Switch's original idea is pure genius, more people should be doing kits. Good to see they growing. Thanks electroheads for showing this for a nobody in Brazil
No bottle cage mounts… not intended for exercising. No front rack mounts…not intended for carrying more cargo than an acoustic hybrid bike. Why? If you are going to put a motor on it, why not push what the bike can do for the rider? Inspire what people can accomplish on a bike. The technology is finally up to snuff where bike designers can really get creative. But generally weight and looks are decent. Always good to see more lightweight e bikes, not aimed at roadies.
Normalize distance ratings to most power and heaviest rider. Then go back from there. Like if your 120 kilos and use max assist you will get 13 miles but if you’re 90 kilos and using less assist then you can get 25 miles.
insta 360. How it works is the software removes the stitching of the 2 lenses and also it removes the stick. This is why it looks as if no one is filming her.
@ I didn’t know that but I do all of my own maintenance and have even built an e bike from scratch. I wanted a kit for my folding bike. I won’t be paying for labour on something so simple to do, so it looks like I’ll be going down the Ali Express route. Thanks for the reply though.
@@garycwikla6385 You don't have to pay anyone. Why not go on the waiting list for the kit? As the company grows, their supply chain will be better and the waiting list will shorten.
@@garycwikla6385 I think you're missing the point of buying a kit from a local source. Either local shop or UK based company. If something goes wrong you have technical support and warranty.
Its not worth the money if you have to pay extra just to get the basics. Anyone who buys this must be mad when you can get a bike for the same money but with everything included. It looks quite squat as well. You cant say a medium bike suitable for anyone 5ft 3 to 6ft 4. I am 5ft 10 but have long legs. This bike would be no good for me because my legs would be hitting handlebar stem. All in all, it's not a very good bike and way overpriced.
The ebike seems overpriced based on its spec. I assume being the entry model the battery pack is low capacity and Swytch do some very low capacity battery packs. The drivetrain is a basic Tourney derailleur and single shifter with a 7 speed presumably Shimano freewheel. Those parts have been fitted to standard bikes close to £100. It looks like single piston mechanical disc brakes and fairly small rotors and fairly generic tyres. Direct from a Chinese supplier a similar spec ebike would likely be around £500-600 I would say with possibly a larger battery pack. Having a single frame size saves Swytch a lot of money with less warehousing costs etc but really with such a configuration the stem fitted should be angle adjustable. They are only a dollar or so more than a rigid stem and would make the ebike much better for a wider range of rider heights. Having the handlebars at a fixed height is not ideal and its not a mountain bike so a angle adjustable stem is fine. It doesn't seem a bad product, nicely configured mostly apart from the stem but clearly its a high margin product compared to many of their competitors. You would likely get a better ebike locally from Halfords for the same money with better support too. Argos do similar ebikes to this for maybe £300 less but like Swytch support will not be great. They are a box shifter only. I have a local Evans store and have looked in their recently. They had one Muddyfox ebike with a single gear I think for £600 but apart form that everything was well over £1000. Swytch maybe planning to distribute this ebike as a wholesaler and with retailers needing their cut too that would probably explain the fairly high price. Buying it from such retailers could be a good deal for a £999 with local support. Lets face it though this is a basic easy to maintain ebike. No stupid suspension, nice reliabile hub motor and easy to main drivetrain and brakes. There is nothing here that would give someone with basic mechanical skills any problems. The hub motor is probably good for 12,000 miles give or take before it needs any maintenance which would likely be bearings or nylon planetary gears replacement by that time the battery would be toast anyway and you may as well fit a new ebike kit to the bike rather than attempt to repair or replace the original Swytch electrical components especially the battery.
Um..so their overpriced kits were a failure and therefore they've decided to make a bog-standard e-bike just like everyone else? That's really radical.
@@u539771i bought one and id have to agree. It wasn’t very good, and costed in with a mid range bike it was cheaper (with a better result) to buy a bespoke ebike. I did reach out to switch but they weren’t particularly interested in helping me. So for me it’ll be a NO
Now put a swytch kit on it! 2 wheel drive, they must have tried it 😁
So I'm confused, the swytch website has kits on a waiting list at 835 quid but this bike is 999. Are we being overcharged for the kits, or is this bike a piece of junk with a kit attached?
I really liked the swytch business model, keep your own bike (with mudguards) and upgrade it with a kit, that's better for the environment, its more sustainable, upcycling. Now instead of trying to cut their waiting list and reduce costs for the kit business through R&D and supply chain management, they have spent the budget and focused on producing a cheap bike with no lights, mudguards, or rack, I don't even think it has reflectors on it. Maybe the country that they source it from doesn't require any "extras", or maybe marketing decided extras would distort the clean lines of the bike, either way the finance department decided to call it customizable. Since when were mudguards considered custom?
They saw an overcrowded market place and decided to produce an incomplete product that the buyer will have to add the necessary accessories to it before they leave the shop. Surely if you are buying an ebike its for 365 days of weather, not just the odd sunny weekend. I think swytch are totally out of touch with this one and have produced another non descript, overly expensive, basic ebike with no attributes to join the countless other manufacturers. Its 18.5 kg with an aluminum frame, nothing ground breaking there, I could put a kit on any steel bike from the 90's and beat that. In short, boring, expensive, unfinished bike, so set your expectations low.
Right on both counts. 😮
I think the main advantage of having a bike like this is that when the battery needs charging, you are not stuck with a bike that is too heavy or unusable. You can still get where you want to go, albeit with a bit of extra effort. Also, lighter tires and an ordinary rear wheel would make this bike more agile. The other use case I see is putting in an ordinary rear wheel and using this as a touring bike, which can be transported on a plane, which is not the case with e-bikes.
This bike looks excellent!
What you've got there is a bike with components as good as a Halfords Apollo ~£200 with an e-bike kit that can be bought for ~£450 for £999 doesn't seem like great value to me
A very nice review,no mud guards ,but an excellent price could be on to a winner for commuters 😊
🤙🏽⚡️🤟🏽⚡️👌🏽
*Hope they offer a belt drive version*
Or for the same cash you can buy the well-reviewed entry-level Decathlon electric mtb with a guarantee and actual stores to honour that guarantee, right now!
nice ride! 🖖
I have a ten year old Dahon folder with a Swytch kit. Love it. Began with the original battery on the handlebars which was not great for the overall balance. Now I have the cassette battery just above the front wheel. Perfect. Copes surprisingly well with the Pennine hills around here. Better than original Estarli 20.7.
Thank you.
Thats a 200 quid bike with 200 quid ebike kit for 999.
😅
Most 200 quid bikes won’t have disc brakes, an aluminum frame and weigh 35 lbs without the hub motor. This is 35 lbs with a motor and I think that motor has to be at least 6 or 7 lbs. A 28 lb hybrid is going run usually 500 quid or more.
@@visualpun650 Good point, but it is still doable, I am not saying it will be easy, and you need to be capable of finding good deals , and I don't care if it weighs 5 lb extra. For the bike I had in mind is the white ax 290 usually on sale for under 200 and it has disk brakes that weigh 28 lb, and if it is coupled with a lightweight motor and small battery pack similar to the switch bike it will be comparable. But yes I get it The switch bike is ready, complete package comes with a warranty and it is refreshing to have a light weight bike which will be suitable for the majority of people, compared to most bikes in the market pushing 50lb.
Thanks for the test of a more modestly price bike. Looks like a winner! 👏👏👏
Brilliant bike, Eilis, perfect with its modularity, future proofing and sensible, realistic price. Swytch seems like a company that wants to engage with its customers, not just flog and run. Great review. Evening complete.
What ?!!! £999
I’ve bought this Swytch go kit for £300 . So the extra bicycle will cost £700!!! I dont think this bicycle is worth £700
It’s a awesome bike! I think it should have a belt drive….
Switch's original idea is pure genius, more people should be doing kits. Good to see they growing. Thanks electroheads for showing this for a nobody in Brazil
No bottle cage mounts… not intended for exercising. No front rack mounts…not intended for carrying more cargo than an acoustic hybrid bike.
Why? If you are going to put a motor on it, why not push what the bike can do for the rider? Inspire what people can accomplish on a bike. The technology is finally up to snuff where bike designers can really get creative.
But generally weight and looks are decent. Always good to see more lightweight e bikes, not aimed at roadies.
for normal people: 5'10'' is about 178 cm
B is for bellybutton. 😅
they should make a mid drive for UK next
Great video bikes great way to get about healthy and cheap.
We need the when, how, where, etc.
I don't think that bumble bee would have the desired buzz 🤔
That bike weighs more (without the battery) than my Specialized Turbo Vado SL & my bike has a 320WH battery in it
Yeo great idea
Normalize distance ratings to most power and heaviest rider. Then go back from there. Like if your 120 kilos and use max assist you will get 13 miles but if you’re 90 kilos and using less assist then you can get 25 miles.
Push bike's should have mud guards fitted as standard. After all you are paying a lot of money.
Without mudguards ...
Not a good idea for a wet place.
Just one stupid Q. How are you getting the side-on shot? Is it like a drone or something. Great review btw!
Insta 360 camera on a long selfie stick
insta 360. How it works is the software removes the stitching of the 2 lenses and also it removes the stick. This is why it looks as if no one is filming her.
It’s a shame that you can’t actually buy switch kits. The website only gives an option to go onto a waiting list.
Swytch sells kits direct through local bike shops - you can have it fitted for you
@ I didn’t know that but I do all of my own maintenance and have even built an e bike from scratch. I wanted a kit for my folding bike. I won’t be paying for labour on something so simple to do, so it looks like I’ll be going down the Ali Express route. Thanks for the reply though.
@@garycwikla6385
I'm looking for a kit for my 20" folding bike too.
Any suggestions?
@@garycwikla6385 You don't have to pay anyone. Why not go on the waiting list for the kit? As the company grows, their supply chain will be better and the waiting list will shorten.
@@garycwikla6385 I think you're missing the point of buying a kit from a local source. Either local shop or UK based company. If something goes wrong you have technical support and warranty.
Wish the size can fit for 4’9 to above height. Sigh…
Halfords do a Carrera Subway Ladies Ebike in a 14" frame, that should fit you OK, and it's just under £1,000 at the moment. They're really good bikes
"I film myself riding bikes"... keep walking lads, get away from the crazy person 😆
😂
Its not worth the money if you have to pay extra just to get the basics. Anyone who buys this must be mad when you can get a bike for the same money but with everything included. It looks quite squat as well. You cant say a medium bike suitable for anyone 5ft 3 to 6ft 4. I am 5ft 10 but have long legs. This bike would be no good for me because my legs would be hitting handlebar stem. All in all, it's not a very good bike and way overpriced.
What a rip of😮
The ebike seems overpriced based on its spec. I assume being the entry model the battery pack is low capacity and Swytch do some very low capacity battery packs. The drivetrain is a basic Tourney derailleur and single shifter with a 7 speed presumably Shimano freewheel. Those parts have been fitted to standard bikes close to £100. It looks like single piston mechanical disc brakes and fairly small rotors and fairly generic tyres. Direct from a Chinese supplier a similar spec ebike would likely be around £500-600 I would say with possibly a larger battery pack. Having a single frame size saves Swytch a lot of money with less warehousing costs etc but really with such a configuration the stem fitted should be angle adjustable. They are only a dollar or so more than a rigid stem and would make the ebike much better for a wider range of rider heights. Having the handlebars at a fixed height is not ideal and its not a mountain bike so a angle adjustable stem is fine.
It doesn't seem a bad product, nicely configured mostly apart from the stem but clearly its a high margin product compared to many of their competitors. You would likely get a better ebike locally from Halfords for the same money with better support too. Argos do similar ebikes to this for maybe £300 less but like Swytch support will not be great. They are a box shifter only. I have a local Evans store and have looked in their recently. They had one Muddyfox ebike with a single gear I think for £600 but apart form that everything was well over £1000. Swytch maybe planning to distribute this ebike as a wholesaler and with retailers needing their cut too that would probably explain the fairly high price. Buying it from such retailers could be a good deal for a £999 with local support.
Lets face it though this is a basic easy to maintain ebike. No stupid suspension, nice reliabile hub motor and easy to main drivetrain and brakes. There is nothing here that would give someone with basic mechanical skills any problems. The hub motor is probably good for 12,000 miles give or take before it needs any maintenance which would likely be bearings or nylon planetary gears replacement by that time the battery would be toast anyway and you may as well fit a new ebike kit to the bike rather than attempt to repair or replace the original Swytch electrical components especially the battery.
Um..so their overpriced kits were a failure and therefore they've decided to make a bog-standard e-bike just like everyone else? That's really radical.
A failure? How so?
@@u539771 Hardly anyone bought them probably?
@@u539771i bought one and id have to agree. It wasn’t very good, and costed in with a mid range bike it was cheaper (with a better result) to buy a bespoke ebike. I did reach out to switch but they weren’t particularly interested in helping me. So for me it’ll be a NO
@jinxterx They're that popular that there's a waiting list of a few months for some of their kits.
Hardly a failure!
@@u539771 Nonsense, lol
It needs suspension options!