I love telling people there are around 12,000 different combinations of Riese & Müller bikes available for you to purchase.
But I guess this isn’t that helpful when you are trying to work out which one would be right for you!
So, where do we start?
So, when I meet with you at the showroom, I will start by asking some basic questions like;
- Do you currently ride and what type of riding do you enjoy?
- How far do you currently go on a ride and how far do you hope to ride when you get your new bike?
- Have you thought about the gearing options?
- What type of riding do you intend to do?
- Do you already have a specific model in mind?
- What is your budget?
Let’s break each of these down to try and figure out what bike will be best for you.
If you would rather do this with an appointment at the showroom click here to book yourself in. Or give me a call on 01453 834300 and we can arrange a time to talk through the options.
Do you currently ride and what type of riding do you enjoy?
I want to know more about you.
I love hearing your story, and why you have decided you should purchase an electric bike.
There are so many different reasons, and this makes my job so interesting.
Some of you have been cycling for years and are looking for a high quality touring bike with a bit of assistance for their next LEJOG or tour of France.
Others are looking for adventure and are trying to find the ultimate trekking machine with Rohloff E-14 Hubs, Belt-drives, Dualbattery technology, full-suspension and built-in sat navs.
Some of you are just wanting to buy a bike for leisure rides with your partner at the weekend. For you, comfort, quality, low maintenance and budget are key.
And quite often we speak to people who don’t currently ride and are looking to get into it.
I love it when I get to speak to these people, as the pressure is really on me to find the perfect bike to ensure you can fulfil the dreams you have, and cycling becomes something big part of your life moving forward.
There are so many different uses for a bike and it is important for me to understand you, and what you expect from your bike.
This then helps me recommend suitable bikes.
How far do you currently go on a ride and how far do you hope to ride when you get your new bike?
This is a really important question as it affects the size of the battery you will need and ultimately the price of the bike.
And I need to put this into context with the type of riding you will be doing. By this I mean, will you be riding on or off-road, will there be a lot of hill climbing, will you be stopping regularly with the opportunity to re-charge?
As a guide, if you are thinking the biggest ride you will do is no more than 40 miles then I would happy with specifying a model with a 500Wh battery; 40-60 miles then a 625Wh battery, 80-100 miles a 1000Wh version, and for 100+ miles we are looking at the 1125Wh and 1250Wh Dualbattery options.
And it is important to select the right battery for the intended application. The easy option is to select the largest available, but this can easily add another 4kgs making your wallet lighter but your bike heavier.
If you are thinking of multi-day bike packing trips, then you will probably be away from the opportunity to re-charge and carrying a lot more weight on your bike. In this instance, I always prefer a large battery over the lightweight, fast, small battery versions.
Have you thought about the gearing options?
This is really important.
If you are buying a Riese & Müller bike you probably will have seen the option for a belt drive exists..
But there are 3 main combinations of drivetrain you can select.
- Touring (chain, cassette, derailleur)
- Vario (belt-drive with Enviolo hub)
- Rohloff (belt-drive with Rohloff E-14)
All three are fantastic, but they have benefits and limits and it is important for me to understand your needs to select the most appropriate system for you. But, as a guide here are the main drivers when choosing;
- Touring – Lowest price, most efficient, lightest, needs regular maintenance.
- Vario – Mid-priced, less efficient, shorter range of gears, very little maintenance, clean and quiet.
- Rohloff – High price, very efficient, low maintenance, clean, huge range of gears, electronic shift.
Again, like the batteries, by spending more money you will not necessarily get the very best bike for your needs.
As an example, I wouldn’t usually tend to recommend upgrading from Touring to Vario if you were thinking of heavy off-road riding. This is mainly because of the short-range of gears and the inefficiency of the hub which would mean your range was significantly reduced.
It would work, but if this was 90% of your riding I would recommend another combination.
What type of riding do you intend to do?
Essentially, I want to understand what sort of terrain you are going to be riding on to try and help decide the specification of the wheels and if you would benefit from full suspension.
First the wheels;
There are three options we can go for. Standard, GT or GX.
Standard wheels are 28” with narrower tyres. They are really great for road riding and offer low rolling resistance. They are perfect for long-distance touring especially when combined with a chain and cassette.
GT wheels are 27.5” and are fitted with a fat tire with a road bias tread pattern. These are not as efficient as the 28” wheels but have the benefit of more comfort and being capable of more varied terrain. I like to run these at a lower pressure for a really smooth ride.
The GX pack means your 27.5” GT tyre gets upgraded to an all-terrain tyre. This adds slightly more resistance but means you can now attack any surface. Mainly aimed at riding off-road, they are a cross-over tyre and suitable for doing your daily commute as well as weekend adventures.
Then suspension;
The function of full-suspension on a Riese & Müller bike is twofold; both comfort and safety.
Previously suspension was the reserve of high-end mountain bikes and designed to reduce the impact when landing some ‘big air’. But now, just like hydraulic disc brakes, we see it being fitted as standard on the front forks of all our bikes.
Rear suspension is also becoming more broadly fitted, but only on the highest specification models like the Homage, Delite and SuperDelite.
Rear suspension is designed to keep your bike in contact with the tarmac (or gravel) at all times. This means you will have far better control of your bike and it will inspire enormous confidence when riding at higher speeds.
But the other big plus of rear suspension is the comfort it offers you as a rider. Our roads are full of pot-holes and hitting these at speed can be quite jarring. Your suspension will absorb this making your daily commute a breeze.
Do you already have a specific model in mind?
Most people who come to see us already have an idea of the bike they would like to be riding.
And this is good, as it gives us a clear idea of what will be suitable.
We will always start by talking about this and giving you a ride on that bike.
But it’s always good to keep an open mind as once you start trying the bikes, it’s surprising how many people change their minds completely!
What is your budget?
Probably the most important item on the list, but I always like to leave this to last so we can build a picture of the perfect bike first.
If you are fortunate enough for this not to be a significant restraint, finding a bike from Riese & Müller can be reasonably straightforward.
But more commonly, there is a cap on your spending and I will help you try and decide where we save money.
For example, if you are planning multi-day bike packing trips and you have your heart set on the fully kitted Superdelite GT Rohloff, then we need to think about what are most important features?
The three big savings you could make are;
- Single battery instead of Dualbattery,
- Chain and derailleur instead Rohloff E-14 hub with belt-drive
- Hardtail Charger/Supercharger instead of full suspension.
Choosing the right bike
Only once we have understood all the above can we start to make some suitable suggestions for the right bike for you.
We are independent partners of Riese & Müller and specialise in their full range of bikes. At our showroom in Nailsworth, we hold all models in the range and make them available to test ride.
As we only sell Riese & Müller bikes, we have time to learn the model range and provide you with the most in-depth knowledge of any Riese & Müller partner in the UK.
If you would like us to help you build your Riese & Müller e-bike, you can call us on 01453 834300, drop us an email at [email protected], or even book yourself a showroom appointment.
Still just thinking? Download your FREE copy of EDEMO’s Riese & Müller UK Buyer’s Guide