I bought my Axcess Hunter electric bike about a year after my wife bought a similar bike from Axcess as I could no longer keep up with her on the hills! The bike is very sturdy, and the step through frame and "sit up and beg" riding position are very comfortable. The three levels of power assist are combined with a normal 7 speed gear system. I find that on most cycle trails only level one is needed with the assist kicking in when required. Out on the road (in Devon and Scotland) the other two levels are more than adequate to get me up hills without having to pedal too hard. They are also good in town traffic, with the "thumb throttle" feature being very useful at traffic lights. We carry our bikes on a small motor home and they are very useful for getting to shops etc from camp sites, as well as for cycle excursions. Recharging of batteries is simple and can be done overnight in the home (or in our motor home when using a power hook up). The range the bike covers does depend on which the level of assist used, but we reckon on covering at least 25-30 miles on a full charge. The only time I ran out of battery power was my own fault as I neglected recharging! However I had no problems covering 7 to 8 miles back home under under "pedal" power. The bikes are heavier to lift than ordinary ones and did require a more sturdy carrier than we had before. Ours go on a towball mounted rack and we had no trouble with that on a three week trip to Scotland from Devon. The brakes work well, with the power being shut off as soon as they are touched. The personnel at Axcess were very knowledgeable and gave good, sound advice when we were choosing our bikes. I used to have a 3 mile commuting cycle, ending in a very steep hill, when I was working. I wish that I had the Axcess Hunter back then!