Cool set, good quality too; I really appreciate the gift. Many thanks, Quella!
The bike is a great ride. Customer service was excellent and helped me through set up questions. The bike looks great.
Great advice when contacting the company directly. Parts are competitively priced and easily available so no reason to seek out elsewhere.
Pretty good all round, packaged well, a bit of a variation in component quality (lower quality brake levers & bars). All assembled easily apart from one of the rear dropouts had to be opened out.
The rear wheel position adjuster screws definitely require lock nuts to prevent movement or loss.
I purchased this bike with the help of the lovely Jess, who was excellent.
It took about five and a half weeks to arrive. I did say there was no rush so that was fine.
Bike was very easy to put together, just took a few minutes. I do build a lot of bikes but it was really straightforward.
Initial response was disappointment. The paintwork was not glossy, but then I didn't ask whether it would be satin or gloss.
A rack was fitted but it had been bent to fit and the paint was chipped and missing in places where it had been bent.
Handle grips were cheap and awful and didn't match the seat.
Handlebars were shiny black, on a matte black stem and also looked awful.
The reach on this bike is really long- ok if you ride in an aggressive position but not for me. Adjustable stem worked fine but still too far forward. Seat post is set back so that didn't help.
Overall geometry is not stiff.
Some cut vinyl stickers were applied, in black rather than the white I requested. One of these was wonky. Rear rack was not level either.
Anyway I addressed these issues with a new stem riser, handlebars, handgrips, seat post and black nail polish to cover up the chipped paint on the rear shelf, and levelled it up.
So I now have a bike I'm happy with, other than not getting the white decals that I requested, but that's not a deal breaker.
The Zehus hub is amazing. No drag whatsoever when you're not using the electric. It delivers a surprising range, for the battery size. Regenerative braking is great and should make the brake pads last longer.
Rear rack is a great size, perfect for a proper sized bag. There's a fitting for a rear light at the back.
I think I will use this bike a great deal! Thank you Quella xx
Dear Cathy, thank you for taking the time to reply and really pleased you'll be making full use of our electric bike. I think it first important to point out that you had a custom paint colour which we advise can take 4-5 weeks. If you sort one of our standard colours from our website delivery would have been within 2-3 days. We use powder coating on all our custom paint jobs and the process can be lengthy depending on waiting times, as the frame is shot blasted, takes several layers of paint and is finally lacquered. We do provide the option of a gloss or matt finish? We don't have many issues over our grips and many folk like the rubber as they tend to be more plyable and better in the wet than our leather option. Sounds like the rear rack may have taken a bumpy ride on the way to you with our couriers. We don't bend the racks into any particularly shape and as you mention they are a good width perfect to avoid bags interferring with componentry which is the feedback we generally get. Decal position is annoying along with the chipped paint? Not sure why decals were not applied well, best cause of action here would have been to send us over an image and we would have addressed this matter immediately for you. All in all it seems you got there in the end and really pleased to hear you are enjoying the electric support, enjoy the commute and do please contact us should you need any further assistance.
Good, should come with instructions on how to put it together
Hi Ryheen, thank you for your review. We send information in the literature with every bike, it provides a link to our online video. After many years of selling thousands of bikes we have found the video much more effective and less impactful on the environments from our customers perspective. Visually seeing how to set-up the bike certainly helps rather than the written word for most, as some of the terms in 'bike world speak' cannot be understood by all. Also, for many they prefer bikes to built by mechanics, which always tends to be a preference and provides further reassurance that the bike has been built correctly. Mechanics will also request a 6 week follow-up to ensure that all is operating effectively and the torque remains accurate. Rather like a new car, quite often a 500 mile service is required just to ensure the smooth running of the vehicle. We are also very happy to help over a call on 0333 400 2400, do feel free to contact us.
Delivery was good, assembly took longer than necessary as no allen key was provided for the bolts that move the rear wheel for tightening the chain. I would say more information needs to be provided on tightening brake cables. Noticed the front wheel has a noticeable shimmy and isn't aligned properly. Pretty annoying for a new bike. I hoped it looked that way because the tyre wasn't inflated yet but unfortunately not. On the 3rd time riding the bike I felt the chain come loose and get off to check the rear wheel bolts hadn't come loose. Turns out the chain had snapped on two separate links thus allowing the chain to elongate and the bike was no longer ridable. I had ensured that the appropriate chain tension was applied during setup (1cm up/down slack as per the video) and ensured proper wheel alignment as I know misalignment can asymmetrically stretch the chain. I have a tendency to check new bikes pre and mid-ride in the first weeks using them in case of anything coming loose. Didn't notice anything so not sure what's happened. Anyway, currently looking for a new chain from a different brand. Will also replace the front wheel with a different brand's should the misalignment get worse. Shame because I got the teal rims.
Hi Daniel, sorry to read of our experience. For the chain to break so early on most certainly identifies a problem with your drivetrain. It could be for several reasons, a damaged tooth/teeth on your chain wheel, rear wheel hub torque, freewheel sprocket, bottom bracket alignment, chainwheel circumfrence...... Very happy to chat this over with you. We do recommend taking bikes to a professional mechanic to assist in the set-up, quite often they can identify if their is a component issue or it is simply a set-up fault. Simply replacing your chain will more than likely not be the solution here. Drop us a line and we'll be happy to discuss next best steps with yourself. Team Quella
This was really useful. Every thing I’d have bought to add to my bike for peace of mind. The pump could be better but that’s just my personal preference to have a chrome Lezyne for the complete retro look.
the pedals seem very nice at first. The axle starts becoming wobbly There seems to be no way for anyone to adjust this
Sorry to hear you've been having some problems with the MOTO reflex pedals, we've never had this before. It might be worth taking them to a local mechanic to get them to have a check them over. Feel free to send us an email to sales@quellabicycle.com if you continue to have issues with these.
Aesthetically it’s lovely. Having brazed on cable clips or hoops, like I have had on any alloy frames previously, would be more functional and aesthetic than cable ties. I bought some stick on clips and much may look better if they hold to the frame. From a box to use perspective there was more to do than I’ve had with online ordered bikes previously. If you are a novice you will probably not have the skills to piece this together. I’ve removed the luggage rack as it’s not needed by me, but I wanted the 32” tan rubber and mud guards. On that topic, the mud guards rub a little with the 32” tyres. I’ve bent and adjusted as much as I can. Possibly lowering the pressure will completely remove it. One thing that Quella should make clear with the hub gear, is that it has an internal braking mechanism operated by freewheeling or more aggressively by back pedalling. If you have had 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub gears, you will not be used to this. Lastly, I think putting the Shimano 8 speed hub gear wouldn’t have cost more to put on this package and maybe an 11 speed option would be nice. Small points for what is a lovely comfortable nice riding bicycle. Ps I have added tan ergo handlebar grips for comfort and look, and splashes out in a tan Brookes B17 saddle, which finishes off the retro look and well worth the investment to uplift the experience. Maybe another good option for Quella to add to their catalogue.
I had a great experience from start to finish. I had lots of questions and made a custom bike to suit all my needs. The lady who I was dealing with was excellent and I love the bike. Fully recommended! Thanks
Excellent quality and feels really comfortable. Would highly recommend.
Work perfect. They were simple to fit and are quick and easy to adjust. They feel secure and definitely look good. A worthwhile and happy purchase.
It’s a lovely bike. My only complaint is that as a designer (so yes I’m picky) the colours are off. The promotional images are pushed towards the yellow. The bike is considerably more pale blue than the green blue of the online images and the wheels are considerably more pale and white shifted than the promotional images suggest. I was hoping for that nice buttery wood hue of the online bikes. Don’t get me wrong it’s a beautiful bike but in retrospect I would have ordered the Oxford.
Additionally the front wheel arrived with a chunk taken out of the paint work.
I’m sure I sound petty and picky and uptight but when you pay $1500 to land a bike in Australia you have reasonably high hopes.
Fantastic bike, solid and perfectly balanced. Runs smoothly and almost silently. It was an instant bond! Very happy. Many future miles to enjoy.
Excellent service, help and advice from Quella before, during and after sales. Many thanks, much appreciated.
The rear mudguard is too short and doesn't provide adequate coverage for the rear wheel. On a rainy day, my back ended up completely soaked. It definitely needs to be larger to offer better protection.
I have now had my Quella Varsity Courier for a few week and have cover a little over 400km on it. Overall I have been very happy with it but with a few snags.
Firstly the snags. (I have some good comments to make after)
The Kenda tyres that are included with the bike are not great. On the plus side I had done my research before hand and was already aware of this however they were worse than expected. I got my first puncher much sooner than I normally would. Don’t get me wrong this could be bad luck so no drama but after swapping out for a new tube I noticed that the side wall of tyres were not great quality and were easy damaged the first time this have ever happened to me with any bike tyre. I was always going to swap these tyres out for a new set at some point (and had even purchased some in advance) but I thought I would get at least 800km before having to do this.
The second snag is the brake pad included. These were not great quality and have already worn down to “need to be replaced levels” that said if you ride the bike fixed gear (I ride single speed) there would be a lot less wear on them and my guess is you would get X5 the use I got from them.
These last Snag was the spokes. After only about 5 days of riding I had a spoke completely separate from the wheel and had to rescue the cap from inside the wheel and reconnect. You should always get you wheel spokes checked over once you have had a bike for a little bit as the bike “beds in” to make sure the spoke tension is good; but this was more than that. I details check reviled 22 loose spokes across both wheels. I got that sorted quickly via my local bike shop (you should do this even if you don’t have this issue) but I felt that maybe the wheel build before the bike was sent out could have been better.
The good stuff
My bike now has a new rubber, correctly tension spokes and a new set of brake pad on the way…. And it is brilliant. My morning commute is a mix of bike lanes and slow moving traffic and this thing has been great for it. The Bull Horn bar are great for helping you get up to speed quickly and helping you get up them hills. The bike is very good at getting in and around traffic and people with ease. I have been having so much fun on it.
I know I am ride this “as the edge of what most people would use it for and it’s still great…. if you want a great city centre bike with super low maintenance this would be amazing no matter if you are going to ride it fixed or single speed. This would also be a great bike if you like the idea of riding a Fixie but are not 100% sure if you are ready for it….. just setup as a single speed for your daily ride then switch to Fixie for the weekend until you are ready to go full Fixie. They have some great YouTube videos to support you getting the bike setup if you need it.
The bike looks great, rides great and is great…. It’s not perfect but no bike is…. The “SNAGS” I had were all basic issues to sorts and shouldn’t put you off, more just things to be aware of…. it is 100% worth pressing the buy button
Hi, I was really excited once I‘ve discovered the bike and ordered it. The delivery was quick but unfortunately it was the wrong bike. Jess from customer service did a great job. The response was very fast and the change was organized. The weing bike was picked up and the right bike came one day later. While putting the nut on the front axle it was overtighten with very very very little effort. Again Jess from customer service replied very fast and sent a new set of nuts to me. Hopefully then everything will be fine and I can enjoy my new bike finally after a bumpy start.
This delivery is in relation to the bike being sent to an incorrect address, see other review (Philippe) further down, however very kind for the customer to commend Jess on this occasion for her customer service to re-organise delivery very efficiently and effectively. A good measure of customer service is how well situations are handled when they don't go smoothly and how swiftly these are addressed and rectified. The nut issue is not something that we experience. Always worth getting a torque measure to ensure over tightening doesn't happen if fitting oneself, we wouldn't live without one in our workshop! Have fun riding.
Had to replace the chain, requested one for my 46/16 set up and without hesitation it was delivered. Result one very happy 61 year old bloke speeding around Leeds like the Olympian he believes himself to be!
Great T- shirt. Love the design and the quality.
Only down side was the cost of posting, but after reaching out direct the team were able to send a t shirt out at reduced rate.
Will definitely buy again.
Long story short, they don't work. Have used in light rain - did not stop the water.
Not sure quite how these have been applied to the bike and which Quella model is being used? We can confirm that on our current bike geometry used since 2020 these guards work perfectly well when applied correctly. There is no record of a Quella being purchased from this customer however we are very happy for you to give us a call and chat this through so we can evaluate your case/bike model. We've sold many of these guards and this is the first review of it's kind. After our testing on the bike they work very well and allow the flexibility to simply remove when the weather is fine. Do give our team a call on 0333 400 2400 so we can assist you further.