Comments for Espokes

Comment on Basingstoke – The Hidden History within our midst by Malcolm Asbury

Malcolm Asbury — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 20:56:36 +0000

In the 1980:s USA multinational Monsanto moved its’ UK head office from London to Basingstoke’s Daneshill business park. The lease covered a new modern office block and the restored Daneshill House. I worked for Monsanto and I had an office in the Lutyens building which had a great view down to Old Basing.

Comment on Basingstoke – The Hidden History within our midst by Helen Smith

Helen Smith — Sat, 17 May 2025 16:26:50 +0000

A friend and I were driving up Wade Road a few months ago hoping to find a cut through to get to Dunelm, we turned left after the offices after the tip turning and discovered this beautiful building on our right. Neither of us had ever seen it before but recently talking to a friend he told me it was designed by Lutyens and was previously an office building. Its worth going up there just to have a look and its a good job it has never been knocked down along with other interesting buildings in Basingstoke.

Comment on EZEGO Fold LS Ebike – Folding Electric Bike by Tim

Tim — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 12:05:45 +0000

Generally practical but rear rack doesn’t take Ortlieb panniers easily. I had to shorten my fittings. Doesn’t take Hi-Gear either. Would be fairly simple to make rack take these in manufacturing stage?

Comment on RooDog Polka Dot Ebike by Jessica

Jessica — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 17:34:35 +0000

This bike has allowed me to stop driving to work and not arrive tired and sweaty from the big hills. The upright seating position is so comfortable. With a trunk bag on the back I can just hop on and go.

Comment on EZEGO Commute EX Electric Bike – Cross Bar Ebike by john poynter

john poynter — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:09:28 +0000

Brought this bike to use to get to work and home. Very pleased with it goes up hills very easily. Very happy. Would recommend. Espokes are very helpful and an enjoy to deal with thank you.

Comment on Ideal FuTour Ebike – Low Step by Darren

Darren — Sat, 14 May 2022 20:17:36 +0000

I purchased this model in February 22. I got it is a second bike to use with my old Free go Hawk that I purchased four years earlier, I brought it new and have rode just over 7000 miles on it and is showing signs of age.

I do around 1400 a year and wanted to have a high quality back up bike when the other bike cannot be used and to spread the wear and tear between the two.

Having had the Free go bike for so long I am aware of its short comings and the features I think are missing from it.

I use the bikes solely for commuting to work and I think this model is the perfect bike for me in the way of features and quality. I am sure that I will get good service from it.

I am only giving it four stars because the bike description states around 90 miles per a charge but I have only been able to get 62 miles max from a single charge.

I would still recommend this bike through. As a car driver I am well aware that actual mpg is a normally less than stated.

Comment on RooDog Chic Electric Bike by Sheila Peacock

Sheila Peacock — Sat, 16 Apr 2022 15:47:12 +0000

I’ve had the Roodog Chic now for two-and-a-half months and am pleased to say that it gets me from A to B on some hilly routes with no serious trouble. I can’t speak for its durability but nothing has gone wrong yet. The motor makes long flat stretches whizz by. I am grateful for the front suspension on potholes. The brakes (disc) are effective and work smartly. Gear shift is good and the extra low bottom gear makes it possible to ride up the worst hills round here. Battery life is good, easily does ~9 km into town and back, but I give it a lot of help on hills to keep myself fit. Big rear rack welded to body of bike gives more scope for padlocking but the tubes are too fat for the hooks on my Karrimor panniers. Good stable kick stand. Nice feeling of grips on handlebars. Pedals are a bit of a nuisance – asymmetrical type designed to go with toe clips so you have to kick them over to get them the right way up for comfortable pedalling (would the type of cyclist who uses this shape of e-bike ever want to use toe clips?). Bizarre arrangement of rear light on end of battery, powered by 2xAA cells, in place of a handle which would be much more useful (as it is, if you dropped the battery on its end the rear light would be smashed; and getting the battery on and off requires careful attention). Front light is driven by the battery and is very strong. The pedal assist control has buttons under a plastic sheet, which are very hard to feel and operate with gloves on (it’s a bit easy to switch the power – and hence the light – off, on a dark night while trying to reduce the pedal-assist level). All in all, so far I’m glad I bought it. Friendly service, a nice long test ride, and a lot of patience from the staff at E-Spokes were a great help.

Comment on RooDog Bliss Electric Bike – Compact folding ebike by C.K

C.K — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 19:09:34 +0000

My RooDog Bliss is only a couple of months owned so it’s early days yet. It has performed well so far. It’s a bit noisy compared to similar bikes and is a bit too heavy for the over 65’s. Coming from a conventional Brompton the gearing is very high and therefore very little resistance is felt and you won’t get any kind of workout on your legs and your unassisted bike speed is quite limited even when your in 7th gear. The bike is sturdy, folds easily and is quick to set up and take down. The large gel saddle is comfortable and lifts up when you want to remove the battery. The Battery has not been tested to the advertised range so I’m yet to be delighted or disappointed. The lights are a bit flimsy and the cabling to them is a bit iffy, but they work well. The bike is comfortable on semi rough trail paths and has good assistance on moderate hill climbs. The Gear change lever is easy to operate and the control for the electric motor easy to use. The electric walking assist mode is useful when I had to walk up a short but very steep slope. I’ve only scored a 3 star because its early days and the bike has not been tested enough, it may well get a higher mark if it the current level of enjoyment is maintained. I’m not sure compared to similar models if the price is a little on the high side, recommend you buy in a sale or negotiate a discount.

Comment on EZEGO Commute EX Electric Bike – Cross Bar Ebike by Djordje

Djordje — Sun, 24 Oct 2021 14:33:34 +0000

After commuting for 3 months now with this ebike around 10-11 miles almost every day during the work week, I can honestly say that the bike served me very well so far. The capacity of battery is better than expected and I had no any electrical or mechanical issues. Although I avoid cycling while raining, I was caught in heavy rain several times and there were no problems related to the battery and power. Assistance levels are more than enough even for the steep hills. The team in Basingstoke shop is also very helpful and professional.

Comment on Cross Bar Converter by Jennifer Child

Jennifer Child — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 19:01:53 +0000

I bought a step through e-bike and a Thule bike carrier. However I hadn’t realised I’d need as crossbar converter to be able to fit my bike on the carrier. I was unable to take my bike on holiday, but someone on an ebike forum recommended this converter and I’ve just fitted it to my bike and been able to put my bike on the carrier!!! Going away for the weekend and my bike feels really secure 😊