Electric bikes (pedal)
Hi all
looking at electric bikes has anybody any recomedations on any to buy which are on the market
your feedback would be helpfull to me.
Comments
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the best source of information is a Pedelec forum, where many knowledgeable posters will discuss all aspects of electric bikes.
you will need to firm up on a few elements to see where you fit in.....
folding or not?
hub drive (front/rear) or centre crank driven?
pop to the shops or more serious trips (this will determine other aspects like comfort, range etc...)
budget....£500 or £2000+ or somewhere in between....?
plenty of CT members use a cross section of types and each will have its own strengths or weaknesses.
OH and i have a crank driven bikes (panasonic and Bosch respectively) and we ise them as everyday transport, either at home or when away in the van.
they werent cheap but Ive done 6500km in 18 months on mine, more than in our car in that time and almost as many as our annual van mileage.
we have panniers for shopping, they are used for recreation and any other trips we choose.....its quicker to use them than to bother with the car for a trip to our local Sainsbury, yet we also use them for trips to our nearest Waitrose which is a 22ml (35km)
roundtrip.range on mine is comfortably over 100km but i often do 60+ km trips when exploring whilst away in the van, so make use of the large capacity battery...
we can charge them from the van, even when not on ehu, via an inverter, fed by a solar panel.
im sure my usage will be different to many, hence no one definitive answer, but look at the usage questions above and tie them into any other respinses you get here and those on the forum i mentioned.....
good luck.
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I don’t know where you are located but if you can get to
OnBike near Worcester you’ll find them most helpful. I think they only do the ‘middle market’ bikes, but you can test ride their range and see how they ride. There is a hill nearby, which is useful for seeing how they perform other than on the flat. As
it happens, I bought from elsewhere.0 -
Excellent post BoleroBoy
Admiral0 -
i agree with Roger, test drive a couple of different types, and over a reasonable distance.....and terrain.
our pals have a couple of rear hub driven bikes.....not cheap but not very good quality IMHO....
when riding, they have more of an on/off type of motion, rather than the smooth progressive addition of assistance with the crank drive bikes....
sometimes, it seemes the bike surge forward despite being quite tardy in response to pedal pressure, and the not easing off sufficiently quickly when pedal pressure is removed, sometimes requiring brake use........giving a lurching surge/brake/surge/brake
type of ride......not good when you are looking to slow down (approaching a junction, say...) by easing off the pedal power but the bike takes a second or two to react, maintaining speed when it should be slowing....so test out this torque-sensing 'reaction' time on each type, and also the different assistance levels.....so that you can do a bit of 'work' while pedalling on a low setting.....
again, our pals' bikes seem to be a full power on each of the three settings (so not too subtle) again meaning not a relaxing ride.....sometimes you dont want too much power.....
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Excellent post BoleroBoy
Admiralthank you
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Wherever you are, eddieone, do try some out first. You’ll then start to appreciate the differences and understand what you get for your money. There have been discussions on this topic before and, if the search worked, you might be able to find some.
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,, Oh !! And don't forget the 'Spanish' legality !!0 -
good point, Tricky.....try and avoid the twist grip 'throttle' type if taking the bikes overseas.....some new rules in place regarding 'moped' type bikes....
also, from a cost perspective.....ebikes are a bit like MH and Caravans in that manufacturers are keen on colour and graphic changes as part of a new model release....so essentially a similar bike as last year bit for a few quid more....
so this time of year, there are plenty of 'last year' 2015 bikes at bargain prices, as the showrooms are rammed with the latest 2016 bikes.
buy a more upmarket 2015 bike over a cheaper quality (but latest paintwork) 2016 bike.....
many bosch driven bikes on ebay now at around £1500 or even less.....probably a saving of £500-£700 or so.
i know thats still an awful lot of cash, and if this isnt your thing, then it wont be worth it....however, if it is your thing, im just saying there are some bargains about.
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eddie, with respect, would you go to a bike shop on the off chance that there may be some caravans to check out .......?
at the show you will be spending your time looking at caravans wont you....?....if not, dont go there specifically to look for a decent electric bike without having at least a basic understanding of what you are looking for.
surely, you'd do this for a caravan purchase, wouldnt you?
try a serious bike shop, one that specialises in electric bikes or, even better, is exclusively electric, where you can spend a couple of hours understanding the different benefits of each drive type and what you get for your money as you go up the scale.
your OP suggested you needed advice on what was out there and any recommendations...
...my honest recommendation, have a good look at all the types on offer, in different price ranges before you go to the MH show, because there will only be one or two types on display there (one will almost certainly be a folding one which might not interest
you) and it might be difficult to get a decent test drive.....the show car park in the rain doesnt really appeal.if you get it right, an electric bike will be your next best friend, get it wrong and youll dump it in the garage and never want to see it again....
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Check out the 50 Cycles web site - they have new and second hand bikes for sale. We have a couple of Kalkhoff bikes that we used to carry on our motorhome (we now have non-electric!) - brilliant bikes - expensive but well worth it!
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In all probability there will be stands with with bikes at the show, see if you can get a list of exhibitors.
Trouble with local bike shops is the limited stock they carry so you have to travel to view/try so if you can see several at one show thats a winner
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...but the bikes at a caravan show wont cover a wide spectrum of drive types and prices.....
i know what they have there, ive seen them at every show.....'cheapish' hub driven (mainly) Chinese bikes.
there will be two or three suppliers (one will be AS bikes) but the bikes will be of a similar design and propulsion method, not a very wide choice.
im not saying the bikes are good or bad, merely that a vist to somewhere like 50 cycles as suggested above will allow many different types to be viewed/ridden.
of course, it all depends on those parameters i mentioned upthread.....and the big one is price....the Kalkhoffs mentioned by SJW above are terrific bikes, long range, comfortable but arent cheap.
50 cycles allows returning customers to use its website to sell their used bikes, so some great deals to be had there.
however, if the OP already has a budget of £500 or thereabouts in his mind, then buy one at a show by all means......
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if thats what you think, Im done....
enjoy whatever you buy, Eddie, good luck.
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Question for BB - with a good quality electric bike how easy is it to pedal up a steep hill ? - what I am getting at are they a real alternative to a moped for doing a bit of shopping etc.
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yes, this is the very reason for having one, that and riding into headwinds.
a 250w motor puts out a real slug of torque and will pull you up any hill.
of course, it wont maintain (say) 15.5 mph (top legally assisted speed) up a 1 in 4 with loads of shopping and a 18st rider.....but it will probably only lose 1or 2 mph amd will climb virtually any hill even if you have to drop down through the grearbox
a bit.......on mine, you drive it a bit like a car, drop a cog or two for a steep hill to maintain cadence and, therefore power.
you really must try a couple of bikes, loaded if need be, to get the feel of what they can do.
my bike looks and feels like a normal 'hybrid' touring bike, just a bit heavier due to the motor and the battery.
i see the latest Kalkhoff are marketed with a 125 ml (200 km) battery range .....in ideal conditions.
ive certainly done 80km in one trip and had at least 40% of the battery left.....
try a couple of different ones on hills, any decent electric bike shop will let you try a demo bike for a long test ride....where are you based?
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Has anyone had dealings with Prorider? They have a bike at £599 reduced from. £1500. Is this big reduction because it will soon not be legal? It only has a range of 30 miles, but that would probably be enough for my needs.
We have ProRider folding bikes, had them for 2 years and done hundreds of miles on them, we are very happy with them. I know there are some on here that will tell you that you have to pay loads of money for an ebike or else its rubbish It depends what you
require from the bike as to how much you need to pay, we use them for pleasure. When we are away with them we use them just about everyday, sometimes just to go and get the shopping or sometimes for a nice ride 25 - 30 miles We've had no problem going up hills,
(we have plenty here) we paid just over £1000.00 for the 2 bikes.0 -
We also have the ProRyder folding bikes as does our three friends and their wifes. We use them all the time in Spain and fully agree what Tammygirl has said. A solid bike with good reliability, easy to ride with or without electric mode and a really good
price.0 -
yes, this is the very reason for having one, that and riding into headwinds.
a 250w motor puts out a real slug of torque and will pull you up any hill.
of course, it wont maintain (say) 15.5 mph (top legally assisted speed) up a 1 in 4 with loads of shopping and a 18st rider.....but it will probably only lose 1or 2 mph amd will climb virtually any hill even if you have to drop down through the grearbox
a bit.......on mine, you drive it a bit like a car, drop a cog or two for a steep hill to maintain cadence and, therefore power.
you really must try a couple of bikes, loaded if need be, to get the feel of what they can do.
my bike looks and feels like a normal 'hybrid' touring bike, just a bit heavier due to the motor and the battery.
i see the latest Kalkhoff are marketed with a 125 ml (200 km) battery range .....in ideal conditions.
ive certainly done 80km in one trip and had at least 40% of the battery left.....
try a couple of different ones on hills, any decent electric bike shop will let you try a demo bike for a long test ride....where are you based?
Thanks BB. Sounds like they are worth further investigation - never riden one before. Will do some further research and check out local suppliers here in Kent. XMAS pressie maybe
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Think about it, Eddie. If you know very little about electric bikes any good salesman is going to appear to know their stuff. Having been sold the idea, I’d suggest you take a good look around before parting with your cash. E-bikes can cost anything from
£300 to £3000. The more you spend, the more you’ll get, but not in proportion.0 -
Thanks everyone especially BB for some very useful info. been researching for some bikes for a while now but learnt more on this thread than other forums. I've seen first hand the power of BB's bike, but hey BB you should use your bell when flying past us
old pedallers
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Thanks everyone especially BB for some very useful info. been researching for some bikes for a while now but learnt more on this thread than other forums. I've seen first hand the power of BB's bike, but hey BB you should use your bell when flying past us
old pedallerssorry.....i generally do....where was that, were you on a road, or a cycle track....
on shared tracks, it can sometimes get a bit crowded, strollers dont always realise that they are crossing into the faster part of the shared space.....we do use bells, but dont want to be doing it all the time, so we do also slow a lot when people about...
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BB, it was in Benicassim last winter.
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BB, it was in Benicassim last winter.
.....a few hills to sample.....but also a lovely prom and cycle tracks.....
did you (will you) get back this year?
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Do be aware of the published weight of electric bikes many are heavier than advertised.
I believe the Pro Rider Wayfarers much heavier than the suggested 15KG without battery.
Obviously important when they are carried on bike racks.
Would be interested for any Wafarer owners to comment?
http://www.proriderleisure.com/leisure/electric-bikes/e-wayfarer-electric-folding-bike-red.html
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Do people buy folding bikes purely because of being able to store in the van? We want to get a couple of electric bikes and quite like the look of the pro riders. Its unlikely we would use them for 30 mile journeys
but who knows! I have a Fiamma bike rack which would be my prefered option for transporting them. That rack can take a weight of 65kgs although I am a bit concerned about lifting them onto the rack which is quite high up. I think we will have to have a trip
upto Northampton to have a good look at them.David
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