“My purchase was a little bit of a reluctant one for me and a must from my wife’s perspective. I didn’t want it so that I wouldn’t depend on it but after 3 major breakdowns on my almost 30 year old Vision Recumbent it started to make more sense. So I ordered my swytch for that bike and after placing the order it finally broke down a 4th time braking parts of the frame making it nearly impossible to trust it out on any long rides with any distance from home.
So I then flew from Boston to Central New York to visit a dealer that had the 2 most popular 2 wheel recumbents to try them out. After settling on the Streetmachine GTE ordering it and waiting 6 weeks for it the kit had arrived for my old machine. The wheel had to be swapped but other than that the install went smooth. The mounting of the battery was the next problem. Being a machinist and mechanical designer it was easy to design and build a delrin (plastic) block to mount it under my main tube. A few weeks after I made the adapter I received a surprise package from Swytch and in it was a very nice aluminum cast part made for the very same purpose and almost identical design to mine. That is great service sending me out the part and at no cost to me.
It’s winter time in New England and too cold for me to ride but I can’t wait till the weather turns and I can try out my new kit just to get over that last hill home or to take me farther in my journey than I dared travel before.”
“I have a Tern BYB S11 folding bike (for easy carriage on trains and comfortable to ride) and have adapted the Swytch fitting by removing the handle bar attachment from the battery holder/control unit and fitting to a wooden board which attaches to the KlickFix front basket bracket so it can be easily detached for unpowered cycling. I have also added a toggle switch in the pedal cadence detector to more easily switch on the motor just for steep hills (I am a long distance cyclist). Delighted with result. Further info available on request from mwillmot@talktalk.net .”
“We started on the first of our two Bromptons. The kit arrived on time, and all the parts were also there! Installation was a breeze with the documentation provided on the website. I was amazed by the power of the assistance provided by the kit. I quickly learned that for most trips, setting the assistance to le lowest level is more than enough. Otherwise, wifey, that didn't want the electric kit gets upset as I disappear over the horizon... Wifey has changed her mind, and we have ordered a second kit and are awaiting it. The weight is an important consideration. We fold our Bromptons and put them in our plane. It's far from being a business Jet. So, the low weight of the kit is a good surprise as the Brompton is not much heavier than without the kit.
The only thing that we think could be improved is the battery. Even the "big" battery can drain pretty fast if you have a few hills to climb... But the price/performance/enjoyment ratio favors electrifying your bike!”
“I love it! My swych kit has brought the “Wee!” back into bicycling. I installed it on my ZiZZO Urbana folding bike. Installation was a little confusing but with a few calls to my sister, who added one to her bike last year, I got it done. One small glitch, the battery bracket on the handlebars prevents folding the wheels closely together so the bike will no longer fit in its carrying bag. No worries though, ZiZZO + swytch = an electric bike that weighs about 30 lbs! Hurrah!”
“Really pleased with the latest Swytch kit installation on my Brompton. It took about 30mins to install, carefully, and has given me a much needed blast of power ever since. Loving it and an occasional 10mile ride I do on this folding bike has seen a reduction in journey time from 45 to 30minutes and I don't have to take a change of clothes anymore as I don't get hot and sweaty cycling anymore - what a transformation! A great minimalist kit, now the battery is so neat, that really suits the Brompton cycles, and the battery and charger even fits neatly in the Brompton front bag pockets when its all stowed-away - brilliant!”
“The Swytch kit is amazing! I don't even't think twice about my commute now because it is so enjoyable. The team are great - I had an accident which meant one of the parts got broken and they replaced quickly and at a discount. I would recommend paying a bike shop to fit it. I do wish the battery lasted a full hour of my commute (it is more like 45 mins) but appreciate this is probably because I bought the smallest battery.”
“Some parts were awkward to fit. My Brompton dates from 2001 so fitting the front wheel needed the torque washers modifying. End result though is excellent.
Customer service was good if a little slow.”
“Dahon Mariner Owner: I have the Swytch Max Kit and it works great for NYC riders! However, the Swytch mount on my handlebar is making my foldable bike unfoldable. I need the mount that goes to the seat saddle so I can fold my bike again. The Swytch website is not allowing me to purchase only the accessories, I have to purchase another Swytch kit so I can get access to the accessories. This issue needs to be fixed or easy and accessible for the current Swytch kit holders worldwide. Other than that it’s an awesome product!!”
