Purchasing a Kit from Leed

[bikerjohn]

Oops!!
Maybe superpedestrian is something that might interest you.!!

Ravi, The "Superpedestrian" suggestion has indications of an entry level product, which will not be available due to back-order status -until Fall 2014. So perhaps waiting just a bit longer will allow the e-bike industry to catch up with their advertising hype?

Actually I do believe that Leed and other entry level kit Companies have a viable product right now. The situation with Leed will be easily corrected with a bit more emphasis on bench checking each order before shipping. In Leed's case, there was an intense desire to do a fast and satisfying sale, where both me and the Company would have derived complete satisfaction. Leed tried but rushed a promotion that they were unable to properly fulfill.

I believe it was an avoidable situation. First, a company should only advertise realistic order and performance expectations. Accomplishing that, a company needs to have an absolute control over the quality of their items,. That can be accomplished with a steadfast ideology for checking and re-checking product quality.

In the case with Leed, they stated the 2nd wheel was bench- checked and performed properly. I believe them, but then the controller must not have been properly tested. Having a bad Controller is a bit more problematic due to the fact that it is attached to their battery system. Also, by the time my initial order was delivered, I was already more than a bit frustrated, having been led to believe the items were in stock and would ship within 48 hours. That sizes up the situation. Now I send back the goods and await credit to be applied to my PayPal account.

Ultimately I may wait or may try another kit package with Leed or elsewhere...

 

[Admin]

Bummer man! I appreciate your high standards for companies "checking and re-checking quality" but in the age of Walmart, IKEA and Amazon to get the instant gratification and low prices of the LEED kit (and others) it's not always possible.

I truly wonder what the issue is here? Bummer for them and you... thanks for sharing and giving them credit for trying to work it out. I'm sure they're doing their best

 

[bikerjohn]

Bummer man! I appreciate your high standards for companies "checking and re-checking quality" but in the age of Walmart, IKEA and Amazon to get the instant gratification and low prices of the LEED kit (and others) it's not always possible.

I truly wonder what the issue is here? Bummer for them and you... thanks for sharing and giving them credit for trying to work it out. I'm sure they're doing their best

Court, on the subject of quality control, statistically checking one part, and finding it to be good in a production run of say ten parts, may be appropriate assurance of quality control in a manufacturing process . But that only assures that the part checked passed the inspection. When selling an after market item, those other 9 parts could all be bad. One bad part delivered to a customer, is a bad sale that could have been good -except for the lack of proper testing before shipping. If you leave bench checking and trouble shooting up to the customer, there is a whole lot speculation and faith to believe you will make a good sale or a satisfied customer. And for a business in sales to succeed, it is all about customer satisfaction. I think Leed is going to make sure that a fiasco like my sale won't happen again.

 

[James]

I don't think Leed could afford too many transactions like they had with you John! What a frustrating mess

 

[Admin]

I don't think Leed could afford too many transactions like they had with you John! What a frustrating mess

Yeah, I feel for them but I also see where you're coming from of course John. I try to reserve judgement until all of the details are clear because as frustrating as your experience has been we may not know if it was really an issue in shipping or some sort of short that occurred during install. I don't even know what testing they do or do not run at this point but the kit I received worked very well and I know they have good intentions.

I'm excited to hear what you do next, which ebikes are you considering? Or will you go for another kit... You can get basically the same one as what LEED is selling from Clean Republic and the price is about equivalent.

 

[bikerjohn]

I genuinely believe Leed has a great product IDEA, a decent business ethic, and are a good business entity. That's primarily why I placed an order with them.
However, it is clear that the product they sent could NOT have been thoroughly tested before they shipped. I read the instruction packet carefully. The instruction pamphlet included in the kit alluded to potential issues with the controller or battery. In discussions over the phone with Leed personel, the controller or battery did not seem to be a consideration for them during our conversations. Ultimately they were unable to offer any constructive solution to the malfunction other than having me decide what should be done.
A more proactive approach to resolving the issue could have been an immediate complete replacement or at least a replacement battery/controller assembly.

 

[Admin]

Cool, well I'm excited to hear about what you end up with next

 

[bikerjohn]

Today I received notice of a pending total refund transaction through PayPal. The Leed Company goal was to assure me right along that this whole experience was not going to leave me on the hook for any expense. They have been true to their word. I sent along a note of thanks! At the end of this experience I am still a bit confused. I would like to know what the defect was in the kit.

Having 7 bikes in my transportation stable, I will reconsider a kit purchase in the future. I think that Leed has a superb entry level idea. What is most important, from my perspective on value, is assurance of reliable quality. The Leed people are sincere in putting forth an effort to attaining that goal. Therefore it is my intention to give the Leed Company priority in on any future kit purchase.

 

[bikerjohn]

It has been a few weeks since the saga of attempting to utilize a Leed kit. Still, after asking to be informed of the cause for the problem with the kit last time around, I have not received any communication from Leed. As I have previously written, aside from the frustration of having a faulty kit and not being able to get the wheel to roll, my overall experience of dealing with Leed was a positive one.

At this point I am considering a conversion for at least two bikes in my "Stable". The two bikes which seem perfect for a front wheel (100mm width) kit are a Dahon Cadenza and a Cruzbike Quest model. I am really jacked up with the idea of putting a motor on the non drive (rear)wheel of the Quest.

It is more than a curiosity to want some follow through. My next purchases related to e-biking will be a kit. Court, any thoughts or feedback from Leed on your end?

 

[Admin]

It has been a few weeks since the saga of attempting to utilize a Leed kit. Still, after asking to be informed of the cause for the problem with the kit last time around, I have not received any communication from Leed. As I have previously written, aside from the frustration of having a faulty kit and not being able to get the wheel to roll, my overall experience of dealing with Leed was a positive one.

At this point I am considering a conversion for at least two bikes in my "Stable". The two bikes which seem perfect for a front wheel (100mm width) kit are a Dahon Cadenza and a Cruzbike Quest model. I am really jacked up with the idea of putting a motor on the non drive (rear)wheel of the Quest.

It is more than a curiosity to want some follow through. My next purchases related to e-biking will be a kit. Court, any thoughts or feedback from Leed on your end?

I like the smaller sized kits for their affordability and low weight. Clean Republic makes the Hilltopper (actually had this before Leed came out with a similar kit) and I've had good luck with them. I also just reviewed the FlyKly and really loved the performance it gave.

 

[David Barovian]

I just pledged LEED 500 series electric bike by Kickstarter. I wait to get it around February. 500w motor is faster than 250w motor.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/633370258/500-series-high-power-electric-bike-conversion-kit

 

[Bicyclista]

I also pledged $699 for a LEED 500-watt electric bike conversion kit a few days ago. I was the last of the early birds!

I know the OP had a bad experience a couple of years ago with the original LEED product. However, there seem to be many satisfied customers, so I decided to give it a go.

Perhaps once we get our conversion kit (in February 2016) it might be best to start a new thread.

 

[David Barovian]

Package of new 500 series e-bike kit will be coming to me on Monday. I can't wait.

 

[Bicyclista]

I was one of the "early bird" backers of the new 500 series e-bike kits, but LEED mistakenly put me into the second group, at No. 62. Bummer! Hopefully, LEED will pay closer attention to detail when assembling my wheel!

 

[bikerjohn]

I was one of the "early bird" backers of the new 500 series e-bike kits, but LEED mistakenly put me into the second group, at No. 62. Bummer! Hopefully, LEED will pay closer attention to detail when assembling my wheel!

Package of new 500 series e-bike kit will be coming to me on Monday. I can't wait.

I'm looking forward to reading how the kit performs for you.

 

[David Barovian]

I'm looking forward to reading how the kit performs for you.

I received packages of it last Friday. I was difficulty to read user manual ( no photo). So I had contacted LEED support about needing photos and instruction video. I finally got email message - same user manual with some photos but no video. I will try to install this kit on my bike soon.

 

[Bicyclista]

I received my LEED 500 Kit about two weeks ago. I wrote LEED the following:

"I have spent the past few days reading your instructions and trying to figure out how the kit would fit together on my bike.

"The instructions are completely inadequate. You sent two sets of instructions, which in itself is confusing. One is 13 pages long, the other 24 pages. At first, they appear to be duplicates with photos added to the longer set. But they are not. Some instructions appear on one set but not in the other. Very confusing.

"There are no instructions on how to connect the wiring. Zero. For an electric bike kit???

"To make matters worse, some of the photos in the instructions are blurry, and most photos do not have captions or labels with arrows pointing to the components in question. Even more confusing!

"There does not appear to be any mention of the controller or its housing (other than a photo), nor where or how to mount it. In fact, there does not appear to be a place on my mountain bike [a Salsa El Mariachi] where I could mount the controller, and the supplied locking arms are too small to embrace the diameter of my frame tubes. The controller appears to sit loose inside the plastic housing and the housing does not seem to be waterproof. Needless to say, without the controller I cannot use your kit.

"Also, mounting the heavy battery using only the two bottle cage screws seems unwise. The battery carrier does not embrace the down tube, which would be more secure; it simply sits on on the down tube at a tangent. A bike is subject to many sudden and strong forces as it travels over bumps, and I’m afraid the heavy battery would shear off. And no, I don’t want to use the other options such as a rear-carrier (my bike does not have bosses for a rear rack), a bag (ugly!), or drill holes in my frame.

"I did not even attempt to install the front wheel because I have not received a new tube and tire.

"I feel the Kickstarter description painted too rosy a picture. For example, no mention is made of the difficulty of installing the pedal assist sensor. To install it, one needs to remove the crank, which, for most bikes, requires a special tool (which, by the way, is not listed under your instructions “Tools Needed”).

"For the reasons above I would like to return the kit and get my money back. Please issue a return authorization."

 

[David Barovian]

I received my LEED 500 Kit about two weeks ago. I wrote LEED the following:

"I have spent the past few days reading your instructions and trying to figure out how the kit would fit together on my bike.

"The instructions are completely inadequate. You sent two sets of instructions, which in itself is confusing. One is 13 pages long, the other 24 pages. At first, they appear to be duplicates with photos added to the longer set. But they are not. Some instructions appear on one set but not in the other. Very confusing.

"There are no instructions on how to connect the wiring. Zero. For an electric bike kit???

"To make matters worse, some of the photos in the instructions are blurry, and most photos do not have captions or labels with arrows pointing to the components in question. Even more confusing!

"There does not appear to be any mention of the controller or its housing (other than a photo), nor where or how to mount it. In fact, there does not appear to be a place on my mountain bike [a Salsa El Mariachi] where I could mount the controller, and the supplied locking arms are too small to embrace the diameter of my frame tubes. The controller appears to sit loose inside the plastic housing and the housing does not seem to be waterproof. Needless to say, without the controller I cannot use your kit.

"Also, mounting the heavy battery using only the two bottle cage screws seems unwise. The battery carrier does not embrace the down tube, which would be more secure; it simply sits on on the down tube at a tangent. A bike is subject to many sudden and strong forces as it travels over bumps, and I’m afraid the heavy battery would shear off. And no, I don’t want to use the other options such as a rear-carrier (my bike does not have bosses for a rear rack), a bag (ugly!), or drill holes in my frame.

"I did not even attempt to install the front wheel because I have not received a new tube and tire.

"I feel the Kickstarter description painted too rosy a picture. For example, no mention is made of the difficulty of installing the pedal assist sensor. To install it, one needs to remove the crank, which, for most bikes, requires a special tool (which, by the way, is not listed under your instructions “Tools Needed”).

"For the reasons above I would like to return the kit and get my money back. Please issue a return authorization."

Did you got info on 500s e-bike installation video? http://blog.e-bikerig.com/2016/03/25/500-series-e-bike-kit-installation-video/

 

[Bicyclista]

No, by the time that video was posted I had determined that the LEED 500 Kit would not work on my bike.

LEED refused to refund my money because it was a Kickstarter project. However, they gave me credit towards the purchase of something else, such as a complete electric bike. They carry Magnum and Leisger electric bikes. Unfortunately, their mountain bikes come in a single size, but not my size. I ended up choosing the Magnum Ui5, a low-step city bike favorably reviewed on this website by Court. I also test rode the bike at a local dealer. Not bad. I only wish the Ui5 had 700C instead of 26" wheels.

LEED did not refund the shipping cost, and I had to pay for shipping the kit back to them. So I'm out about $50. On the other hand they offered $100 off on their Magnum Ui5 floor model (used only for a photo shoot, they told me), and I accepted.

 

[David Barovian]

Bicyclista, Sorry for not refunding money for returning Leed kit. . Should get hybrid bike including 700C tires instead mountain bike.

My installation on my Schwinn Discover hybrid bike was prefect. I took test to work both throttle and PAS. Working fine. But I can't wait to ride it soon. Weather will be prefect and warmer.