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The only serious problem in my Pedelec forum living memory was Eddieo(RIP) and Indalo - both banned. That's a fairly limited rap sheet in comparison to other forums. You've been on here a lot longer than me, so will know a bit more.

The Nuvinci is robust, but draggy. Makes a difference, even on an ebike. The constantly variable ratio is also not for everyone. I have a Rohloff on my charger. There is no better hub, reliable changes, wide range, and every ratio is evenly spaced. None of which applies to the Shimano hubs...

As a Riese and Muller owner, I can tell you you won't go wrong with one quality-wise. One thing against them is they are heavy, even for an ebike - seems to me they are built for durability rather than lightness. Another possible snag is I suspect it will be almost impossible to see or try one...

A Riese and Muller Culture ticks most of your boxes. It's certainly expensive, I mean high end, has full sus, high handlebars, and is aimed at the road and well-made cycle paths. A quality full sus eMTB with shallow tread tyres and raised bars would be a slightly cheaper option...

Maintenance can hardly be less given that hydraulic discs require none, apart from a pad change every few thousand miles. Potholes and the like can cause any wheel to go slightly out of true, in turn causing a rim brake to rub, when a disc brake wouldn't. Braking performance will be about...

Bit smarmy, David, but true enough. One thing I like about this place is forum members are generally polite, even-tempered and friendly. I suspect that's partly because most of us, to coin an old phrase, are old enough to know better. It does mean the forum trundles along with very little...

I would want hydraulic discs on a commuter. Nothing wrong with the performance of the hydraulic rim brakes on the Cube. But they will require occasional adjustment - hydraulic discs do not. They will rub if you get a slight wheel buckle - with hydraulic discs you can bash on regardless until...

Similar style by Electra available in the UK. I think Schwinn made cruiser-type bikes as well...

Cubes are good quality and good value in comparison to other Bosch motored ebikes. Have you had a go on it? The crank drive doesn't suit everyone, and no legal ebike is a ball of fire. Some people new to ebikes expect them to go like mopeds, which they don't. As Trevor says, the frame is...

Barrelling along at 15-18mph on a derestricted bike with some hills is going to slurp battery power. The rider's light weight has a very positive impact on range, but I still reckon it will be tight to get 50 miles at that speed from an average size 500wh battery. Hours of fun to be had...

Puncture resistance is a function of the tyre construction, rather than its size. I'm not sure how puncture resistant the Kendas are on the Katu, no punctures on that so far, but I have had a couple on the AVE. Tyre choice for 20" is more limited, but if you get punctures have a root around...

Decent cafe, too, so if nothing else it would be a nice bike-related day out. If you are seriously considering a Balance bike, try to assess if it has enough poke for your needs. You live in a very up and down area, and I'm not sure how powerful the hub motor is on the Balance. I tried a...

If it has to be a new bike, I suggest a trip to Cycle Heaven in York. They stock Gazelle, top quality proper Dutch ebikes which have Dutch roadster geometry which may suit. There is also the rather unusual Balance ebike, sometimes called a 'flat foot'. The saddle is set back which enables you...

A mate of mine had a knee done and found he couldn't get the foot of that leg to sit square on the pedal. For a while, he rode with his heel and the rest of his foot pointing outwards. That's got better over time - months - and he now rides pretty much as normal. We are all different, and the...

There's no good reason for the OP not to use ElectricBikeShed. And there's a lot to be said for buying locally. Al I would say is that if the OP is very price sensitive, he may get the bike cheaper from John in Rotherham. The cost in terms of time and money in traipsing down to Rotherham...

Just so we can all join in: http://www.theelectricbikeshed.co.uk/ Based in South Shields. The woman who runs it is a bit potty, but Vince, the ebike man, is a good guy and an excellent mechanic.

Derailer rather than hub gears. Either will do the job, although hub gears are a bit handier in stop/start conditions because you can change at rest. On t'other hand, it's an ebike so if you get marooned in a high gear, setting off in that gear is not such a problem. The Bosch system is...

Worth bearing in mind there is a new Katu front hub motor ebike. Derailer gears aren't quite so handy on a commute, but it does give the Katu experience for 'only' £1,200. https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/katu-e-50-lr-17

Oxygen bikes are quite well liked on here. I don't know how mobile you are, but a visit to Oxygen HQ near Rotherham is in striking distance from Newcastle by car. John, the guy who owns Oxygen, is very amenable, you could have a go before buying, and he would probably look after you...

An eMTB such as the Haibike is the last thing the OP wants for a commute in London. A large wheel trekking spec bike would be much better, could be a Haibike or one of the many other brands which offer that style of bike. However, I wouldn't rule out the Katu. The balloon tyres are good for...