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If you do a search for estarli and the other one thats the same bike (forgot name now, but also claims to be UK built bike when its not, maybe sort of assembled) by me and others in the last year you'll find loads on this forum.
Main issue is that those two companies fit kinda cheap brakes but actually the wrong brake adapters on almost every single one I've seen, and will give you the 'SOrry, we've never heard of that happening before', when I personally by late 2023 had reported at 16 of 18 bikes I assembled and checked for customers with this exact issue. Means brake pad is only partially touching the rotor. Simple mistake, but shit response from a company, especially when its obviously a large issue.Hub drive is fine so long as you don't have hill starts with a load, massive reduction in available torque. However upside is the hub motor is doing the work so your drive chain isn't, so chain, chainring and cassette life is much greater. Not as nice to ride etc, but as you mention, there is a huge jump in price, Tern especially a large jump in price for (WAY ToO MUCH OF THE TIME) not an increase in quality, quality control or even having a frame thats not got weld holes blown through it in multiple places*
*Yeah this is a dig at Tern, well designed bikes mostly (GSD mk2 is an insane joke of a bike, read up on why its so hard to remove rear wheel unless you got a Rohloff model, when the Mk1 was so simple, I honestly don't know why they don't employ engineers), ride well and suit the majority of folks actual needs from a family cargo. HOWEVER, their quality control and mentality of dusting off frames with holes in, bent frames, brake mounts welded in the wrong place, seat tube deformities (weld issues), headset race misalignment, appalling cable routing on some does not match their price point, especially in the UK market. Maybe since Raleigh has gone and they've moved to someone else it will be different, but I'm not holding my breath. If you get a good one without those issues, great, great bikes and ideal for your family cargo use, but if you get a bad one, just make sure you paid on a credit card and don't have high blood pressure.
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amey
BrickMan
@nstock
I'm in need of some guidance. I'm planning on getting rid of my car and replacing with a bike for school runs, trips to the shops and general use around town. I've tried both front/rear loaders and prefer the latter. Kids are 4 & 2 and their school & nursery are less than a mile each way. It's the same distance to local shops.
I'd originally been looking at a GSD S00 but then saw the estarli longtail and I'm trying to work out how it comes in that much cheaper ... what am I missing - is Bafang vs Bosch that much of a difference? Otherwise both are belt drive with Enviolo hub, similar size, load capacity etc. Of course, I'd prefer to spend less where it's possible, but it would be my first ebike so think I must be overlooking something here.