Update 50cycles have just been named as Kalkhoff's International Distributor of the Year for the second time. We now have another trophy for the mantelpiece, thank you very much for this honour, Derby Cycle!
One of the leading authorities on electric bikes in the UK is David Henshaw, editor of the pioneering A to B magazine. He rates Kalkhoff electric bikes as the best on the market, so here's his detailed explanation of why he takes this view:
"Arguably the best crank drive machines are the Kalkhoff Agattu and Pro Connect. The Agattu is an excellent mid-range electric bike - keenly priced, reasonably well equipped, and more or less multi-purpose. Whether you live in the flat Netherlands or mountainous Swiss Alps, this bike will suit you well enough.
The Pro Connect is altogether sportier. With three power settings, you can opt for 50+ miles at modest speed, or a much perkier 40 miles on the 'High' setting. Prices rose considerably last year, but they've dropped back since, making these German/Japanese machines great value against the more expensive Chinese bikes.
Panasonic's own 270Wh battery has now been replaced with a range of three sizes (212Wh, 318Wh and 486Wh) produced for Derby Cycles in Germany. As we'd hoped, these new batteries have been introduced with a two-year guarantee, but we're hoping battery life will be well in excess of this.
Watch out too for the BionX direct drive version, the Image B27. This is well priced against the similar Trek models and offers regenerative braking and near silent operation, albeit with limited hill-climbing abilities.
At the sportier end of the scale, Kalkhoff are also quietly selling a couple of top-end 25mph bikes in the three grand region. Great fun, but not strictly speaking road legal in the UK. Still, who cares? We seriously need our electric bike laws reviewed... why should the Germans and Swiss be allowed 'Sports Class' entertainment? Cast off your chains and man the barricades!
Low, medium and high power alike, the Kalkhoff bikes provide stylish, practical, economic and effective transport."
Kalkhoff celebrated 90 years of manufacturing bicycles in 2009, the sort of longevity that comes from consistently staying ahead of the game and producing quality bikes on a large scale. Kalkhoff's state-of-the-art factory in Cloppenburg, Germany produces in excess of several thousand bicycles every day, making it the largest cycle manufacturer in Europe.
Kalkhoff's buying power also means they are the first to introduce many innovations. The Pro Connect S is the first and still the only electric bike to use Panasonic's new high power unit and Kalkhoff bikes were among the first to use Busch & Muller's latest LED light technology. Kalkhoff have recently developed their own battery pack that offers a huge 18Ah capacity and 87 miles range in normal assist mode, even more in energy-saving eco mode.
Kalkhoff Quality Bikes
Kalkhoff bikes incorporate decades of cycling know-how along with the latest computer-aided design, testing, manufacturing & quality assurance techniques. We've toured the facility on several occasions and we're always impressed by the scale and quality of the operation. Owning a Kalkhoff bike means buying into one of the most impressive manufacturing and support operations anywhere.
There are a number of factors that really set Kalkhoff bikes apart from any others on the market, notably the strict testing regime, use of the latest electric bike technology plus superb design and quality of finish.
Kalkhoff Testing and Quality Control
Every bike produced in Europe has to meet certain quality and testing requirements, but there is a much higher specific requirement in Germany called DIN certification. In addition, Kalkhoff bikes must also meet their own super-strict DCW (Derby Cycle Werk) standard. Derby Cycle also manufacture bikes under the names Rixe, Raleigh, Focus, Spencer Ivy and Diamondback in the same facility.
Under DCW, each Kalkhoff bike endures twice the hours on testing simulators than is required by law. Handlebars, forks, frames, pedals, kick stands and more are all individually tested on custom-built machines.This level of quality and attention to detail is simply not available to any other bicycle manufacturer, electric or otherwise. These bikes are the best of the best.
If you're looking for the latest and greatest in electric bicycle technology, perfectly integrated with what is a superb bicycle by anyone's standard, electric or not, then you need a Kalkhoff bike. But please, don't just take our word for it - please read some of the reviews we've received from just a few of the thousands of Kalkhoff electric bike owners in the UK.
