Haibike eQ Xduro Cross

[EddieJ]

Larry, underestimating range is a very creditable policy to adhere to.

I think that from any end users point of few, disappointment is quickly going to set in if wild claims about range are included within sales material. Which sadly it so often is.

Obviously there is never going to a be definitive answer to the question of "what's the bikes range" as there is an endless amount of variables to consider.

Being honest is always the best policy, and is one that leads to repeat custom, along with hopefully a hassle free life.

 

[EddieJ]

How annoying..

I decided that I'd give the bike a bit of a test earlier, so stuck it in turbo from the off and just went for it. I intentionally choose a balanced route, that had both down hill, flat and two tough climbs. The first climb reaches 19% over a 1 mile distance and the second 14% over 1/2 a mile. Frustratingly only the first half of the ride recorded which didn't include the extra two hills. The weather turned bad on me as well. It was sunny and 14 degrees when I left, so I just had my short sleeve top and shorts on. At roughly the half way point the temperature dropped and it hailed it down for the rest of the ride. It felt like thousands of wasps stinging me, and when I got back home, I looked as though I had bad sun burn. Not the most successful of rides, but as a guesstimate, it was 15miles long and used just under half of the battery in turbo mode. After rest, the battery indicated three quarters full. My times are certainly several mph quicker on the BH in respect of hill climbing, but the Bosch system is certainly an efficient one in relation to battery use.



Black line show the lost section.

 

[JoePah]

How annoying..

I decided that I'd give the bike a bit of a test earlier, so stuck it in turbo from the off and just went for it. I intentionally choose a balanced route, that had both down hill, flat and two tough climbs. The first climb reaches 19% over a 1 mile distance and the second 14% over 1/2 a mile. Frustratingly only the first half of the ride recorded which didn't include the extra two hills. The weather turned bad on me as well. It was sunny and 14 degrees when I left, so I just had my short sleeve top and shorts on. At roughly the half way point the temperature dropped and it hailed it down for the rest of the ride. It felt like thousands of wasps stinging me, and when I got back in I looked like I had bad sun burn. Not the most successful of rides, but as a guesstimate, it was 15miles long and used half of the battery in turbo mode.

View attachment 696

Black line show the lost section.

View attachment 697

Is that a dedicated GPS you're using or an App? tia.

 

[EddieJ]

Hi joePah.

It is just Strava.

 

[Admin]

That sounds frustrating Eddie, a few times I've shot entire reviews and then realized later (after getting home and trying to import the footage) that it got cut off. It can be extremely frustrating to have technology fail like that... At least you didn't crash or have something worse happen

 

[EddieJ]

Frustrating yes, but at least I had some exercise and fresh air.

That must be worse than frustrating in respect of reviews though.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Frustrating yes, but at least I had some exercise and fresh air.
That must be worse than frustrating in respect of reviews though.

Eddie,
Just wanted to check back on your Haibike.
I had a long chat with a BH rep in California and they were in fact thinking of bringing in a Bosch mid drive 29er but in their experience the improvement was only marginal and decided not to.
I think Haibike may still have an edge in terms of power consumption but not sure about acceleration. How has been your long term ride experience with that bike?
Also, do you think 350W performance line would have made a difference?

Edit: this is the bike I'm talking about.

 

[EddieJ]

Hi Ravi,

I'll hunt out some info for you over the next day or so in relation to the 250w versus 350w debate.

I had originally intended to buy a 350w S pedelec, but decided that the legal implications over here in the UK if I were to ever have an accident, would be just too great. I have already come very close to a head on crash with a female cyclist who was too busy talking and not watching where she was going, but had I been on an S pedelec and hit her, the implications don't bear thinking about.

In respect of my own thoughts about the Bosch system. I'm afraid that it just doesn't excite me in the slightest. I can't deny that it is a super efficient system with massive mileage potential from each battery charge. But it totally lacks the fun of a hub drive, is far louder as a system, but is doing me good in respect of my fitness level, as it requires that you have to work hard for any gain. With the BH, I get a two gear advantage when using the motor, but on The Haibike it is like for like. It is also 4mph slower up 14% 1 mile long test hill that I have found. Oddly on other sections of regular routes, according to Strava the Haibike has given me many personal records.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hi Ravi,

I'll hunt out some info for you over the next day or so in relation to the 250w versus 350w debate.

With the BH, I get a two gear advantage when using the motor, but on The Haibike it is like for like. It is also 4mph slower up 14% 1 mile long test hill that I have found. Oddly on other sections of regular routes, according to Strava the Haibike has given me many personal records.

Thanks Eddie,
Always good to hear from the horse's mouth.

 

[EddieJ]

Hi Ravi, I still need to find the required info you but....

Something that may interest you, is that the BH currently has a few issues, and the battery has now gone back to BH, which leaves me with a big problem.
I am booked on to another MTB event on 17th May, and don't want to miss it, as it is the first time that the venue has been used. Plus I've already paid my money!
I've tried without luck so far to find a UK dealer who would be prepared to step in with a bike for me to use for the day, so this now leaves my with only one option, use the Haibike.
Clearly the bike isn't designed for MTB use, but I have already stripped off as much as I can from it, added a couple of parts from the BH and have some cheap cyclo cross tyres on their way from Germany. I really can't understand why tyres are half the price in Germany compared to the UK. It just seems crazy!
The bike is still nearly 2.5kg heavier than the BH and has forks that are very much not intended for this use, but I'm going to go for it anyway. I rode some of the course last week as a test on the BH and it isn't going to be easy. Normally cyclo cross bikes are encouraged, but I have already read that the route is not suitable for cyclo cross bikes, and the Haibike is closer to a Cross bike, than it is to an MTB , so things could be interesting.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Hi Ravi, I still need to find the required info you but....

Something that may interest you, is that the BH currently has a few issues, and the battery has now gone back to BH, which leaves me with a big problem.

That's not good Eddie.
Here in US, I am more than happy with BH guys. With all these hassle, you should just dump the BH and find something reliable.
I am actively looking at few mid-drives and I will dabble with Bosch (Haibike) and Impulse (Focus Thron) systems this summer.
I hope Haibike can take that rugged terrain and leave you trouble free during the MTB event..

 

[EddieJ]

Don't worry Ravi, I'm not knocking the BH, I still love it as a bike.

Hopefully there won't be any hassle with BH as a company, it is just a very rare issue issue with the battery, and the dealer has made them very aware of the urgency for return, so we shall see.
I won't be annoyed with them though if it's not back in time for the event, as it's asking a lot to get the battery sent off to be looked at and returned with five days (no weekend post). It's just life.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

May be get a 12ah replacement instead of 9ah?

 

[Brambor]

I would probably get the 12ah as a spare

 

[EddieJ]

Right the Haibike is all prepped ready to go. The tyres arrived from Germany in three days, which is faster than had I bought them here in the UK, I fitted them after work, and then thought that I had better give the bike a try out.
I'm glad that I did, as for some reason I really struggled to get the back wheel to fit back onto the bike. I hadn't fitted the SRAM gear selector back on properly, so there was only the lower range of gears working. For some reason there was also a pinging noise from the front disk. I tried several times on the ride to cure this with no avail, then for some reason it just stopped of it's own accord. No idea what it was though.

Now for the Schwalbe CX Pro Cyclocross tyres. I have to say WOW!!! These tyres are quite incredible. They are 290g lighter per tyre than the OE ones, and grip far better than they possibly should. I tried them on road, dry trail, stony ground, and grass. They just keep going and what impressed me most of all was that I intentionally tried to cross rut them to find their limits (and mine) and it took a lot for me to get them to brake sideways, and even then they straightened straight up again.

The MTB event in three days time should prove to be good fun after all.

The hills that are in the distance of the first photo are 25miles away, and are where I have been taken the BH to ride, and is also where the next event is for the Haibike.

 

[EddieJ]

Not the most flattering of photos! The first one is of me arriving at the top of the first major climb, with everyone else a very long way behind.



In this shot, the bike was traveling at just over an indicated 28mph.



Note that the chain has jumped off, and also the connector to the three speed SRAM hub. When I pulled the bike down yesterday, I was also quite surprised to discover that many of the rear wheel spokes had also worked loose.

Now for a glitch in the Matrix!!! Or is it!

 

[Admin]

Great pictures and updates as always Eddie! I noticed you've got a knee brace on here, which kind is it and what is it designed to do? Sometimes I get a tight IT band when riding my bike, does it help with that?

 

[EddieJ]

Interesting that you mention the IT band, as that is an issue that I have also been suffering from without realising what it was. It was picked up upon when I made a recent hospital trip, and I have now been carrying out stretching exercise every day to help sort things out. I've also decided to embark on a Yoga course, to help with my general stiffness. Anything has to be worth a try.

I mainly wear the knees support at work, and it certainly helps.

Cycling wise, it achieves two things... It reminds me not to push my knees too much, which is exactly what I have now done this week when I wasn't wearing it, and it also helps take the heat of adverse comments at the mtb rides. Daft I know, but people see it, and then tend not to give me a hard time.

I'll have to get back to you in relation to which make that it is. It wasn't the cheapest, but it is certainly comfortable and doesn't ride up or down. If I had to rate it, I'd struggle to find fault with it, and possibly the only expected issue, is that it makes your leg sweat.

 

[Admin]

it also helps take the heat of adverse comments at the mtb rides.

Smart! When people begin relating to another human vs. judging technology it may help to position change more positively. Aching knees is what inspired me to try an ebike at first and eventually build this site, maybe your subtle display will help to unlock more minds