GK in Witham were very helpful and mini and I spent a while riding various bikes up and down the shop, if the weather had been decent they would have let us try them in the park. Power delivery felt much better on the bottom bracket dive. £2.5k though.
Decathlon have an interesting range online but don't stock them in chelmsford - have to go to lakeside or Harlow.
Cycles UK had some treks that seemed reasonably priced.
Halfords have a good range, from £500 front wheel drive - not a fan to a £1.5 bosh Rayleigh which felt ok with and without the power.
One issue giving me pause for thought is the thickness of the battery containing down tube and its incompatibility with roof rack bike carriers. From this point of view the ones with the battery on the rear rack look more useful.
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