Discussion
Evening folks,
Having a bit of bother with the above eBike system. Bike is showing no faults either on the app or on the bike's display, but it is not providing any assistance. It switches on/off, charges fine, etc. but is making me do all the work myself. Anything I should be checking before taking it to the shop (it's still under warranty)?
It does see a lot of mud and water but that surely shouldn't be an issue? I've cleaned the bike since the issue started.
Cheers
Having a bit of bother with the above eBike system. Bike is showing no faults either on the app or on the bike's display, but it is not providing any assistance. It switches on/off, charges fine, etc. but is making me do all the work myself. Anything I should be checking before taking it to the shop (it's still under warranty)?
It does see a lot of mud and water but that surely shouldn't be an issue? I've cleaned the bike since the issue started.
Cheers
So it kicked in very momentarily once or twice on my way into work I think, though it was hard to tell because it was an absolutely awful headwind. Used 1% battery. It also definitely kicked in when I was pissing about with it this morning because I could hear it.
Sensors are only £30 so I'll get one bought and fitted and see if that sorts it.
Sensors are only £30 so I'll get one bought and fitted and see if that sorts it.
Bit of an update/bump.
I finally got 'round to cleaning the PAS sensor and magnets over the weekend and despite my hope it made no difference. Magnet still spinning, no lights still, etc.
(Just as a quick aside; I don't know what other bikes/systems are like but is having the sensor and magnets completely exposed next to the cassette silly? It's obviously going to get minging quite quickly and potentially cause issues.)
I actually hit a pothole the other day and it immediately kicked the motor in for about 5 minutes then stopped again when I was halfway up a massive hill. I don't know what, if anything, that means.
I finally got 'round to cleaning the PAS sensor and magnets over the weekend and despite my hope it made no difference. Magnet still spinning, no lights still, etc.
(Just as a quick aside; I don't know what other bikes/systems are like but is having the sensor and magnets completely exposed next to the cassette silly? It's obviously going to get minging quite quickly and potentially cause issues.)
I actually hit a pothole the other day and it immediately kicked the motor in for about 5 minutes then stopped again when I was halfway up a massive hill. I don't know what, if anything, that means.
If its under warrenty, your best bet is to use it rather than doing anything too invasive that might void it. Having said that you mention it kicked back in after taking a wack on a pothole. That might suggest a bad or dirty connector somewhere. Did you unplug the motor connector, check it and clean it up already? Its a inline connector on the inside of the frame near the rear wheel I believe.
stargazer30 said:
If its under warrenty, your best bet is to use it rather than doing anything too invasive that might void it. Having said that you mention it kicked back in after taking a wack on a pothole. That might suggest a bad or dirty connector somewhere. Did you unplug the motor connector, check it and clean it up already? Its a inline connector on the inside of the frame near the rear wheel I believe.
Yes, used contact cleaner on both sides of the motor connector, but it didn't look like any dirt/water had got inside anyway. Also, if I unplug the motor it indicates a fault so think it would so the same for a dirty connector. Thanks though. What I've not done is check the connection at the other side of the PAS.
Warranty claims could be an issue as the dealer I bought from is not local and the closest local eBike dealers don't seem to sell Mahle-equipped bikes (yes, yes, I know).
Unsure if this has any relevance, but the wife’s bike is a Ribble CGR with the same Mahle X35. She noticed it wasn’t providing any assistance a few months back but everything else appeared fine.
After speaking to Ribble they confirmed it did need a software update and that I should have received something in advance to confirm as the unit would in effect be useless. I’ve checked the bike over and it looks like she missed the flashing purple indicator to signify the issue on start up. Has to go back to Ribble for the update but thankfully they are not too far away otherwise I would have had to ship the bike to them at my expense. Was never advised of these software update requirements when we bought the bike…………..
Anyway be be a complete red herring but Ribble did say they’ve been doing quite a few recently.
After speaking to Ribble they confirmed it did need a software update and that I should have received something in advance to confirm as the unit would in effect be useless. I’ve checked the bike over and it looks like she missed the flashing purple indicator to signify the issue on start up. Has to go back to Ribble for the update but thankfully they are not too far away otherwise I would have had to ship the bike to them at my expense. Was never advised of these software update requirements when we bought the bike…………..
Anyway be be a complete red herring but Ribble did say they’ve been doing quite a few recently.
RLE said:
Unsure if this has any relevance, but the wife’s bike is a Ribble CGR with the same Mahle X35. She noticed it wasn’t providing any assistance a few months back but everything else appeared fine.
After speaking to Ribble they confirmed it did need a software update and that I should have received something in advance to confirm as the unit would in effect be useless. I’ve checked the bike over and it looks like she missed the flashing purple indicator to signify the issue on start up. Has to go back to Ribble for the update but thankfully they are not too far away otherwise I would have had to ship the bike to them at my expense. Was never advised of these software update requirements when we bought the bike…………..
Anyway be be a complete red herring but Ribble did say they’ve been doing quite a few recently.
I think you may have nailed it to be honest. I've had a pink light before but not been on for ages and it went away after an on/off/on, I assumed it was a glitch in the matrix. I've looked up the latest firmware and it's October 2023, version 4.3. I got my bike in October 2023 and the app is saying 'FW VERSION 4107'. (Edit: 4107 is for the Controller only, there are other firmware versions for the battery and joystick).After speaking to Ribble they confirmed it did need a software update and that I should have received something in advance to confirm as the unit would in effect be useless. I’ve checked the bike over and it looks like she missed the flashing purple indicator to signify the issue on start up. Has to go back to Ribble for the update but thankfully they are not too far away otherwise I would have had to ship the bike to them at my expense. Was never advised of these software update requirements when we bought the bike…………..
Anyway be be a complete red herring but Ribble did say they’ve been doing quite a few recently.
I'd not thought of this because I thought I'd read that a firmware update requirement gave a constant pink light. I wonder if the one a while back was a warning with a couple of months grace to get it sorted? That wouldn't explain it working for 5 minutes then other day but it's the best explanation yet.
Firmware update though, what a load of old s
te.Thanks my friend. Will update if this fixes it.
Edited by horsemeatscandal on Wednesday 14th February 13:06
So the only local bike shop that deals with the Mahle system apparently will only work on bikes purchased from them. Not ideal, but at least I know to avoid them in the future.
I'll be buying my own ~£100 GCU cable and doing it myself. Again not ideal but I got £400 off the bike plus the C2W savings so it's paid for itself I suppose. Assume that the bike will explode/set on fire/fall through a wormhole when I try to fix it but what will be will be.
Anyone in the Lakes area that wants to borrow it just let me know!
I'll be buying my own ~£100 GCU cable and doing it myself. Again not ideal but I got £400 off the bike plus the C2W savings so it's paid for itself I suppose. Assume that the bike will explode/set on fire/fall through a wormhole when I try to fix it but what will be will be.
Anyone in the Lakes area that wants to borrow it just let me know!
I'm considering a obea vibe with the X35(due to it being discreet) for commuting I've read mixed opinions about the lack ability/power when it comes to climbing my commute is 6 miles with up to 350ft climbing each way is the mahle system suitable for this usage
Edited by daydotz on Friday 16th February 14:49
Edited by daydotz on Friday 16th February 14:50
daydotz said:
I'm considering a obea vibe with the X35(due to it being discreet) for commuting I've read mixed opinions about the lack ability/power when it comes to climbing my commute is 6 miles with up to 350ft climbing each way is the mahle system suitable for this usage
I would say anyone criticising it for lack of power probably didn't do their research first and think all eBikes are created equal and they do all the work for you. The X35+ is at the bottom end in terms of how much torque it provides (40Nm, a very quick look at the specs will tell you that) whereas a lot of eBikes give you more than double that. Edited by daydotz on Friday 16th February 14:49
Edited by daydotz on Friday 16th February 14:50
I can tell you that while mine has been on the blink, hills have been harder. When it's working, it's still an effort but significantly easier. It would be easier still with an 85Nm Bosch CX system.
horsemeatscandal said:
daydotz said:
I'm considering a obea vibe with the X35(due to it being discreet) for commuting I've read mixed opinions about the lack ability/power when it comes to climbing my commute is 6 miles with up to 350ft climbing each way is the mahle system suitable for this usage
I would say anyone criticising it for lack of power probably didn't do their research first and think all eBikes are created equal and they do all the work for you. The X35+ is at the bottom end in terms of how much torque it provides (40Nm, a very quick look at the specs will tell you that) whereas a lot of eBikes give you more than double that. Edited by daydotz on Friday 16th February 14:49
Edited by daydotz on Friday 16th February 14:50
I can tell you that while mine has been on the blink, hills have been harder. When it's working, it's still an effort but significantly easier. It would be easier still with an 85Nm Bosch CX system.
Update time....
I never ended up updating it myself, Wheelbase in Stavely sorted it for me. Updated okay (they can be a bit awkward) but didn't fix the problem. So I've went and bought a new PAS cable for fourty quid, fitted it just now and I'm about to put the bike back together and test ride. No pink error light showing so that's a good start. Wish me luck....
I never ended up updating it myself, Wheelbase in Stavely sorted it for me. Updated okay (they can be a bit awkward) but didn't fix the problem. So I've went and bought a new PAS cable for fourty quid, fitted it just now and I'm about to put the bike back together and test ride. No pink error light showing so that's a good start. Wish me luck....
Ladies and gents, we have power!
No obvious damage to the old cable but there we go.
Changing the cable is simple enough, but releasing it from the rear drop out and the other end of the cable is tough, as is getting it back on the drop out.
In terms of buying the cable, I couldn't find one that was specifically for the X35+ (they were listed everywhere but always out of stock), only the X35. How different those two system are is unclear. So I bought the X35 cable, which was for some reason more expensive than the +.
No obvious damage to the old cable but there we go.
Changing the cable is simple enough, but releasing it from the rear drop out and the other end of the cable is tough, as is getting it back on the drop out.
In terms of buying the cable, I couldn't find one that was specifically for the X35+ (they were listed everywhere but always out of stock), only the X35. How different those two system are is unclear. So I bought the X35 cable, which was for some reason more expensive than the +.
That's good to know, thanks for updating. My wife has had an X35 equipped La Pierre for a couple of years, never had any firmware issues so reading that it might need a dealer to keep it up to date was slightly worrying. Surely left alone it should just continue to function on the old firmware.
To answer the other posters question regarding uphill assistance. As others have said you do still need to put in some effort, but my wife's electric bike has allowed her to come out riding with me, keep up and even beat me up all but the steepest of hills (20% +) where as on a normal road bike I'd previously be trying to find the flattest routes I could when she came out with me.
To answer the other posters question regarding uphill assistance. As others have said you do still need to put in some effort, but my wife's electric bike has allowed her to come out riding with me, keep up and even beat me up all but the steepest of hills (20% +) where as on a normal road bike I'd previously be trying to find the flattest routes I could when she came out with me.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff