118 kilos 55 and not very fit, which electric bike would suit me best?

[jimmysheffield]

I live in a quite hilly part of Sheffield and have been looking into buying an electric bike.
I don't know much about them but would be wanting to spend under £1000 and need one that would get me up those hills.
What is the difference between MTB, Hybrid and road bikes?
I am 6ft tall weighing 118kg and hoping to lose weight by riding a few days a week.
Any advice on which bike to buy would be gratefully received, the only ones I have really looked into are the Woosh sirocco bikes on here up to now.
I would also be interested in any clubs that do rides days out etc.

Thanks in advance.
Jimmy.

 

[Oldie]

Hi Jimmy and welcome to the forum.

I got my first ebike last March and that was a Sirocco CD. Best thing I've done in ages. It's very difficult to choose your first bike andI suspect that most of the ones that you'll read about on here are decent machines, as mine is.

Fitness wise, you should see an improvement quite quickly although, for me, cutting out sugar and biscuits etc helped a lot and I've lost a stone since taking up cycling.

Going back to specific bikes, most people say that crank drives are best for hills although I find my wife's Santana almost as good as the Sirocco so whatever you get will probably be fine. The bug will bite though and you'll soon want to collect some more

 

[patpatbut]

You can also consider woosh big bear
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/electric-bikes/bigbear/
It is designed for heavy rider with the suspension seatpost

Pat

 

[jimmysheffield]

The big bear and the sirocco are the ones I have been looking at, are they only suitable for on the road cycling or are they ok for light tracks as well?.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Jimmy,

Welcome to the forum.

We have a number of Cyclezee customers in and around Sheffield and a few are members of our rider reward scheme. This means that they would be will to demonstrate their bike to you and possibly allow a test ride.

If you would like me to put you in touch with someone please let me know.

Regards,

 

[Deleted member 4366]

If you only want to spend £1000 or less, the Woosh Sirocco Big Bear was designed for people like you. The forks clatter a bit, but it's a small compromise on a bike with a very strong motor. For just over £1000, the Ezee bikes also have very strong motors - not the Ezee bikes that cost less than £1000, which have smaller motors.
The Sirocco Big Bear | Electric Bikes from Woosh

Something in between and a bit more sporty is the Kudos Tornado. The Tornado has a smaller battery, so will go proportionally less distance than the other two.
.: Kudos Cycles - e-bikes with style :.

 

[RobF]

The big bear and the sirocco are the ones I have been looking at, are they only suitable for on the road cycling or are they ok for light tracks as well?.

Fine for light tracks but no good for crashing over tree stumps and boulders.

 

[Sheffmax]

Hi, I live on the edge of The Peak District and bought one of these recently: Freego Eagle for £1300; you can probably get one cheaper either with a smaller battery or second hand.

It doesn't race up hills but to give you an indication of what it can do I recently did a 34 mile round trip from Stannington which included up to Worrall, along Kirk Edge to Onesacre, down behind Agden to Strines, up the A57, up Wyming Brook to Lodge Moor, up Roper Hill then to Ringinglow village, up to the car park on Ringinglow Road, down the footpath to below Fox House, up to the Old Roman road back to Ringinglow, Hangram Lane, David Lane, Lodge Lane, Rails Road and home.

A total climb of about 2,100 feet which left about 25% power on the indicator.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Hi, I live on the edge of The Peak District and bought one of these recently: Freego Eagle for £1300; you can probably get one cheaper either with a smaller battery or second hand.

It doesn't race up hills but to give you an indication of what it can do I recently did a 34 mile round trip from Stannington which included up to Worrall, along Kirk Edge to Onesacre, down behind Agden to Strines, up the A57, up Wyming Brook to Lodge Moor, up Roper Hill then to Ringinglow village, up to the car park on Ringinglow Road, down the footpath to below Fox House, up to the Old Roman road back to Ringinglow, Hangram Lane, David Lane, Lodge Lane, Rails Road and home.

A total climb of about 2,100 feet which left about 25% power on the indicator.

How heavy are you?

 

[Sheffmax]

How heavy are you?

Are you flirting with me?

I weigh about 70kg so the OP would probably not get the performance nor distance, I was merely using the most extreme ride I've done in the short time I've had my bike.

 

[jackhandy]

Morning Jimmy,
In your situation, I'd definitely take up Cyclezee on his offer to put you in touch with someone in your area.
You're a big bloke & are going to be making considerable demands on the motor, particularly while you're regaining fitness.
The Woosh Big Bear has had good reviews, but you need to try one.

The Ezee mk2 is a powerful motor, providing shovelfuls of grunt on uphills & will be an excellent yardstick with which to judge other bikes.

As always - Try lots of bikes Before you make your choice.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Are you flirting with me?

I weigh about 70kg so the OP would probably not get the performance nor distance, I was merely using the most extreme ride I've done in the short time I've had my bike.

You'd have to add a massive 50kg to your bike, and then try the same journey. I'd be surprised if it would make it up the hills.

 

[JuicyBike]

Jimmy, try lots of bikes before you decide. Take care to find a local supplier from a brand with a decent reputation that's been around for a while.
For starters you could visit the Bike Tree in Dore (excellent shop) and the Edinburgh Cycle Cooperative in the city.

 

[Cyclezee]

Lots of good advice here Jimmy and always good to try before you buy where possible.

One thing to remember, buying from a local dealer rather than direct costs as much as 30% more.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Jimmy, I absolutely agree with Bob from Juicy, try as many bikes as you can before you buy. And always buy from a reputable local stockist if possible, they will look after you and will know your bike when you come to get it serviced or repaired. Also if possible try and buy from a BEBA (British Electric Bicycle Association) retailer or manufacturer.