Electronic / power bikes

passout

Hi. My wife wants an e-bike for commuting. She already has a pretty good Trek hybrid but is not fit & won't take the commuting plunge without electric help! Should I buy an E-bike or convert? Budget is a max of around £850 unless cyclescheme is available in which case around a grand. Range not a big issue - short commute ot 10 miles total per day. Any advice or news on bargains appreciated.

rolf_f

I think you just need to do a bit more research - Wiggle, Ebay, Chain Reaction. I'm sure somewhere you can find a well discounted new wife to suit you.

passout

I guess no body has an E-bike then? Or at least won't admit it? Oh well...

jonomc4

You may have tried this already but how about going for a ride with your wife of 3 or 4 miles in the evening a few times a week - gradually she will realise that 5 miles each way is not a lot and then she will also benefit from being healthier.

passout

jonomc4 wrote:

You may have tried this already but how about going for a ride with your wife of 3 or 4 miles in the evening a few times a week - gradually she will realise that 5 miles each way is not a lot and then she will also benefit from being healthier.

Good idea, thanks. I tried selling this but heels were firmly stuck in.

Sprockety

Ive got one on order through CycleScheme and have spent the last 6 weeks researching them, anything I can help with?

What sort of bikes have you looked at/tried already?

alan_sherman

A lot of them are based on pretty cruddy bikes with heavy, pointless front suspension. My mum has one (but it has kept her mobile). The good modern ones like the trek and giant ones are over a grand. So look at either converting your wife's existing hybrid (kits aren't cheap) our maybe a trade in? There is a whole forum on the Web for pedelecs or e bikes. Have a search.

passout

Thanks chaps. These are the sort of bikes we've been looking at:

http://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/shop ... d_629.html
http://www.rutlandcycling.com/40673/Tre ... 17-5-.html

The conversion kits are 700 quid full price - water bottle batteries.

I agree that the bikes these things are built on do seem to be low quality unless you pay a good deal. I guess that's the advantage of the conversion, but the conversion kit doesn't seem good value to me, even if you find it a cheaper on E-Bay.

Sprockety - what bike did you go for?

alan_sherman

The Trek's look good, based on a decent base bike. I have a feeling that they are sold without battery and you have to buy them separately - worth checking. Also the battery weight is higher as it is on the top of the rack.

The other one is very similar to my mum's, I think she has a wisper. The battery died after about 3 years and cost a lot to replace. The weight is low but the front shock is truly terrible. Also the weight of the bike is very heavy so if you need to lift it (up steps, onto bike rack) then it's hard.

Found the forum for you: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/

passout

Thanks for that - I'll tell my wife about the forum.

Sprockety

Hiya This might be a bit long, bear with me.
Ive bought a Rayleigh Velo Trail and had the tyres swapped for hybrid ones.

Here are a few things that I have found out on my looooong journey to find the right one.

1. I can ride a bike, however an electric bike has a definately different feel. DO NOT buy one without trying it first. Part of the problem is that on most ebikes (including the two you have chosen) they have at least three speed settings which are set to certain motor speeds ie, 3mph, 7mph and 15mph. For example, you have set your bike to the mid setting so 7mph, you are stationery at the traffic lights and the lights go green. You pull off and within the first two rotations of the pedals (so still quite slow) the motor kicks in and its like someone has stamped on the accelerator in a car and you go from 0-7mph within a few feet. This can give you the feeling of being out of control and if your gears arent set at the right one, the pedals spin out. One of the bikes I tried, going downhill the pedals were useless until I was in 7th Gear. So you pedal along and get to a sharp corner, like turning into a car park. You freewheel into the corner so the motor switches off and where you want to pedal slightly out of the corner because your hand cant reach easily into the middle of the handlebars (where the controller normally is) you are still in the middle speed setting. You pedal twice to get out of the corner and then the motor kicks in at the 7mph again find yourself at a too higher speed for where you are going.

These types of bikes are sometimes called 'pedal assist with three settings' with a 'pedal sensor'. If you have a throttle as well then if you use that, it takes priority, it normally only covers half the hand grip. There are some rules and regulations regarding these in some countries. It does mean that you have to keep quite a small part of the handgrip rotated and its not easy turn as you dont want to turn it by accident. Also what happens if you want to signal right as its not like a moped that has indicators? Pedal assist sensor bikes, so Juicy Classic, Powerbike, Powercycle, Kudo and Freego all seem to come from the same stable, some of them have massive untidy welds, they seem quite cheap and cheerful to look at however cost a bomb and are like lumps of granite to lift. Most of them are 18" frames and most are 26" wheels.

I have tried loads of bikes to find one that doesnt give you that lurching forward sensation and stumbled quite by accident upon the Raleigh range. Velo Cite and Velo Trail. These work in a different way altogether and have a torque sensor usually only found on above £1500 models. The velo cite is the road bike, however with the 700c wheels and the 18" frame plus the suspension seat bracket it became too big for me and was too expensive. So I went for the Velo Trail at 18" frame but 26" wheels to make it easier.

The torque sensor works in that you still have three settings, eco, mid and high, however it matches the speed you are cycling much better and there is no lurching forward. So you start of cycling in the mid setting and set off down the road, if you dont put much pressure on the pedals because the road is flat, it gives you slight assistance, you feel that it gets slightly easier and there is the tiniest noise from the motor. You freewheel and the motor stops, you go up a hill and at the beginning where not much pressure is on the pedals it helps you a bit, as you go up the hill it matches the motor aid to the effort so it flattens out the hill. It does honestly feel like you are still on the flat. However it is a smooth transition rather than the speed settign of the other types of bike.

This is the reason why you have to try them out first as it may be the sort of thing that you enjoy or hate.

Other things to look for is what sort of battery, a 36v 10ah, I normally look at them is first figure how much oomph the motor has, next figure is how far it will go before needing recharging. On my bike the 10ah will take me about 25miles before recharging.

You also have to look at the battery warranty. Most are one year sadly, so look for one with at least 2 years if you can. If you choose an obscure make, who will you get a new battery from in two years when it has worn itself out?

Where you buy it from also matters more than with a standard road bike. There are a lot more parts etc to go wrong with inaccessible parts with an ebike. My Raleigh's motor is in the front wheel, totally sealed etc. I wanted to make sure that I bought it from a LBS so if there were any problems I could easily get it back for them to sort repairs. An Ebike is a lot heavier, typically upwards of 22kg so its very difficult to courier and they have return to base type warranties.

There is a very good forum which has given me loads of help recently with all my questions. Google pedalecs

Hope that helps a bit
Janice

passout

Thanks Janice that's great; I hadn't considered 'surging'.

jonomc4

wow - I vote that as the most helpful post of the day! :shock:

Sprockety

Lol thanks - could probably get quizzed on Mastermind at the moment with the amount of info Ive had to look into over the last few weeks. When you are spending over a £1000 on a bike (albeit through Cyclescheme) you cant afford to get it wrong!

The Rookie

Well I don't see myself ever wanting one, but one useful post....

Maybe worth considering, the quality will be good!
http://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/rose ... aid:578906

passout, you could consider buying used, battery may be an issue, but you'll loose less on it if she progresses to a human powered bike.

Sprockety

The Rosebike one has only got an 8ah battery, this means that you will get a very limited time on full power before it runs out completely. I would suggest a minimum of a 10ah or if possible above. That bike is also considerably heavier than a lot of others at 24.5kg so if the battery did run out on the commute home it would be difficult to ride.

passout

Raleigh is looking favourite at the mo...

Sprockety

When I was looking and looking and researching (for hours lol) this is the best review I have found on the Raleigh Velo bikes. http://www.electricbikemag.co.uk/showSt ... orynum=120 Obviously the frame on the Trail is white, Ive got the step through version and the wheels are 26" but other than that it is absolutely identical. They have also moved the controller to be just at the end of the left hand grip so you can adjust it whilst riding. It also now has an Odometer which is mentioned in the report. The only thing Im having added apart from the hybrid tyres to the Trail, is a double stand. The battery is quite high up on the back of the bike and so a one sided stand makes it vunerable if someone knocks it. People generally cover the battery with throw over panniers.

passout

Yes, I saw that one thanks - looks good. Need to see one now...maybe some time but we will do it...

Phil Fouracre

Never pre-judge - thought I would never say it, but, choose a decent one and they are the dogs.......

Bought an emotion neo city a month ago and have been out on it at every opportunity

Read loads of forums before I bought it, saying true bikers would never buy one, bullshit

Have four bikes already, recovering from spectacular, non cycling accident - leg pinned and plated and unusable so the perfect bit of kit

Can't recommend them highly enough