ashtead
Well-known member
Did you say Concerto which make and how much it weighs? It’s the weight which worries me most.
Round Britain day 30
- Thread starter Concerto
- Start date
Concerto
Well-known member
Concerto is a Westerly Fulmar. Fully laden according to the marina crane, she weighs just over 5½ tons. This compares to the 4,500 Kg displacement. So the extra ton covers sails, water, fuels. inflateable, outboard, tools, personal effects, etc. Roughly what I would expect for a 32ft yacht.
Concerto
Well-known member
The next report is here.
Round Britain day 34
Round Britain day 34
ashtead
Well-known member
Hi -sorry I was meaning the new electric cycle ?
Daydream believer
Well-known member
We changed our bikes to electric Brompton. The folding is very quick compared to my old ones & much smaller. If one is concernd about weight the non electric is very light. The world record for folding one is 5.3 seconds.
But one could get a couple of electric scooters. One cannot use them in the Uk although around the islands they would probably not complain. Abroad it would be Ok as scooters abound & have a good range
But one could get a couple of electric scooters. One cannot use them in the Uk although around the islands they would probably not complain. Abroad it would be Ok as scooters abound & have a good range
Concerto
Well-known member
Clear questions get clear answers. I bought a Volt Metro, which is made in Britain. It weighs 23.5 Kg with the battery fitted, but 19.5 Kg with the battery removed and 19 Kg with the seat removed, which you have to do to remove the battery. It is not the lightest bike despite the alloy frame but it is mid price range and far more sophosticated and with known brand parts than the budget ones, plus a lot cheaper than a Brompton. The battery is also more powerful and has a double length life to most budget bike batteries. The other reason I bought it was it was immediately available and the nearest place I could have bought a budget one would have been Glasgow in about 6 to 8 weeks time, which was no use to me.
To be honest I have never ridden a bike as smooth as this one. In no power mode it is very smooth and almost silent. The gear switch is very easy to use and the digital display of the speed is clear to read. Adding power assistance is just a button push away and makes cycling up hills so much easier, and another button push to reduce or stop assistance. Having front suspension and a suspension seat post makes most road faults vanish. After the first ride I have now moved the seat backward as it felt to far forward for my liking. It also has a stand, a small carriage rack, mud guards, hydraulic disc brakes, security lock, kevlar reinforced tyres with thicker inner tubes to resist punctures and lights. The battery can be turned on on the battery but it cannot be used until the digital card is placed against the digital display. The only extra I did buy was the additional security chain to secure it to a solid item and this fixes into the bike lock. The only thing I could not obtain was a storage bag as they are out of stock until mid July. Naturally I bought a helmet, cycle clips and a pump.
Folding or unfolding is very easy, as the video in the link below shows. It is still a fairly bulky item, but with a little rearrangement of things on the boat I have managed to store it at the head of the quarter berth. Once I get the storage bag there will be less chance of marking my woodwork.
Volt Metro | Folding Electric Bike
Daydream believer
Well-known member
I do not know how you have insured it, but my home insurance does not cover me public liability for electric bikes. It only cost an extra £ 11-00 per bike but it includes Pl plus theft etc. I have to have a special lock & that cost me an extra £ 120-00 complete with 2 cables. It is very heavy as well.That is a pain, but better than losing £3k of bike.
You may decide to look at your home policy if you wish to be covered. You may find yourself at the end of a claim if you were deemed to have caused an accident. Separate bike policies are in the £120 region as far as I could see
We bought the bags from Brilliant bikes for £ 45-00 approx each They are dedicated for Bromptons but are excellent quality. They can be found online & an email request will tell if they suit your bike. But a friend of mine bought his bag for my old folding bike I gave him, from Halfords for circa £25-00. You really need a bag as they seem to catch on every single piece of string, door handle etc in the boat
You may decide to look at your home policy if you wish to be covered. You may find yourself at the end of a claim if you were deemed to have caused an accident. Separate bike policies are in the £120 region as far as I could see
We bought the bags from Brilliant bikes for £ 45-00 approx each They are dedicated for Bromptons but are excellent quality. They can be found online & an email request will tell if they suit your bike. But a friend of mine bought his bag for my old folding bike I gave him, from Halfords for circa £25-00. You really need a bag as they seem to catch on every single piece of string, door handle etc in the boat
Concerto
Well-known member
Thanks for the insurance tip. I am currently on a free 30 day policy. To continue that policy is £100pa. Will get my wife to check our household policy.
As soon as the storage bags are in stock I will order one to be delivered to a marina I will shortly be visiting. The other options are really not practible due to where I currently am.
ashtead
Well-known member
Thank you for detailed reply - will see if there is one stocked locally . I wonder if Volt will sponsor your travels with that review.
Concerto
Well-known member
I doubt it as I did manage to get a £200 discount and that certainly was worth it.
You can try asking for a discount as the stock bikes are owned by Volt, not the shop. Reading about the company they employ 30 people and they produce 25,000 bikes a year. So every bike sold is good for them.
As an aside I always had a standard answer for anyone who asked for a discount in my business. "Oh, I do hate Christians" and everyone laughed, even if they were not a Christian. When I asked why they laughed, they did not know. My reply was "Ask and thou shalt receive." So I gave the a discount.
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Daydream believer
Well-known member
They may be good bikes but the problem with evolving types is that spares may not be available in a few years time. However, the Volt has great reviews. One would be unlucky to need a spare that could not be obtained, considering the obvious parts are main line stuff.T hat is an issue with lots of other makes.
The Volt does claim a good range. If it meets it then it is better than many. My Brompton only did 20 miles when i was 18 stone on the middle of the 3 levels. The lower level gives so little aid it is worthless.
The Volt scores on price but, not size when folded & is 2.5KG heavier. That counts if carrying. the Brompton can be wheeled when folded. But is that worth another £1K?
The Volt does claim a good range. If it meets it then it is better than many. My Brompton only did 20 miles when i was 18 stone on the middle of the 3 levels. The lower level gives so little aid it is worthless.
The Volt scores on price but, not size when folded & is 2.5KG heavier. That counts if carrying. the Brompton can be wheeled when folded. But is that worth another £1K?
