Advice for a first time buyer - help appreciated

Hi good folk of Pedelecs,

 

I am looking to buy into the electric bike clan but I'm a little intimidated by the amount of choice and jargon out there. I'm hoping that I can draw upon the wealth of expertise and good nature of the inhabitants of this forum to help point me towards a few options that suit my requirements. If anyone is aware of a similar thread elsewhere, I would equally appreciate a pointer to it.

 

The context:

I live in Reading, I commute to central London via Paddington and [currently] cycle to my office on a Boris Bike. The nature of my work means that I don't have a permanent office, so I can't predict what amenities my office will have for parking/showers/etc.

 

My requirements:

- Folding bike - has to fit in FGW luggage rack and under a desk

- Weight restriction - can support a big guy like me (~110kg/18stn - don't jude!)

- Decent build quality/durable/low maintenance

- Motor - something which is best for pedal assist (as opposed to pure motor drive). The main reason I started cycling to work is to get some exercise, but the lack of showers makes getting really sweaty a problem. I would use the pedal assist to take the edge off hills; I can't imagine ever using motor only.

- Reasonable weight - something around or under the 20kg mark would be helpful, but I'm not completely averse to something slightly heavier, if it would be worth it

- Enclosed chain/other commuter-friendly features (preferable, but not critical)

 

Budget:

My employer runs the Cycle2Work scheme through Halfords, where I can get a bike up to £1000. Though I don't think Halfords themselves sell any bikes that fit my criteria, they work with a few suppliers that could source a folding electric bike. Ideally, I would like to use the scheme to get the bike, depending on what the trade-off would have to be. Ultimately, I want a bike that will be fit for purpose and last a few years without much further hassle. If I had to finance the bike myself, I would be prepared to go up to around £1500, perhaps a bit higher if I really felt the extra money was worth spending.

 

A quick note on conversion kits:

In principle, I'm not that precious about 'native' electric bikes vs converted push bikes. However, it's very important that the end product is of decent quality (a botched conversion would be my worst nightmare), and not require much maintenance. I am a complete novice when it comes to bikes and even more so when it comes to electric bikes, so it needs to work out of the box and work well. I wouldn't be opposed to getting something like a Brompton and getting a professional to do the conversion, though I wonder about value for money if I did that.

 

Grateful for any recommendations or pointers in advance.

 

Cheers,

 

Alex

Hi Alex and a warm welcome

 

Lets start at the top then

 

Foldable – FGW policy seems to say that as long as a folding bike fits in the rack then its fine. Some others only allow bikes that fold twice (basically Bromptons). Good news as this really opens up your options. Tick

 

Budget – is plenty big enough - most of the market is your oysterTick:). BTW cycle2work scheme is not exclusive to Halfords – plenty of others accept this too, at least as I undertand it. Different to the Ride2Work scheme which is Evans cycles specific

 

Motor vs pedelec – throttle only power is specifically excluded by EU law. As you don’t need this its not an issue – you can get bikes/kits with it anyway – but just best to make you aware. The law is rather confused and you are best searching on other threads for lengthy discussions. In short – tick

 

Power – you need others advice here, legal limit is effectively 250w but there is a huge range of actual real world power that’s comes out of motors that achieve this rating. As you are a bigger chap you could probably do with a slightly meatier one. I’m not the best person to advise here as only ridden one electric folder ever

 

Kits vs complete bike – if reliant on it for work, and your not au fait with electrics already, then perhaps the complete bike with a good warranty is the way to go

perhaps a woosh zephr CD would be a good option for you ? can always ask if it has a max weight for the frame ?

 

The Zephyr CD | Chain Drive Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

Alex,

 

as you're in Reading, i'd say pop down to velospeed (if you're the west/north side of reading) or aldershot ebikes (if you're south/east)

 

Give them a bell first to check stock based on your requirements above, When we were looking both were very helpful and have a number of bikes that should fit your criteria.

 

also - I hear boris bikes are going electric shortly, so might want to factor this into your th

You wont get better than a Brompton. If you need to stow it under a desk you can forget most other folders. I have dealt with both of these companies that can supply fitted kits to your Brompton. Both have shops not too far away from Reading.

 

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Electric Bike Sales - Shop Online for Electric Bikes, Electric Vehicles and Cycle Accessories - Brompton Sparticle

 

Many people on this forum are very knowledgable about Brompton conversions - I have one and it's amazing to ride in the city.

If you want to take a bike on the train and into the office, a Brompton is the only serious contender. Other folders are OK for going in the boot of your car, but that's about it.

I'd agree a brompton is the best bet, and by quite a long way, but its also very pricey.

 

I rode a (non-electric) dahon into the office for several years (i got some funny looks in the lift, but thats how it goes ) and while it wasn't as good quality or as long lasting as the brompton, it was almost as small to fold, and worked reasonably well.

 

I also used my dahon fold in half bike (with a hidden hinge, suspension and full size wheels) travelling by train alone from reading to london, you can use any folding bikes on the train - you don't need a double folder, its only if you're going to use the tube that this become a problem.

 

that said, If you have the cash - brompton is without a doubt the preferred choice for pure folder (and everyone here knows more than me on the electric side of things)

Brompton is a good choice, and a fair number are available second-hand. Can be very good buys; we bought ours years ago (maybe 10, and they weren't new then) and they've lived in the back of the car ever since. We also use a pair of JuicyBike Classics, about three years old now and (fingers crossed) which have proved trouble free.

Happy hunting; make sure you ride as many as you can before you buy;

Tom

Thanks all for your helpful comments. It sounds like a variant of the e-Brompton is what I need. From what I've seen so far, the conversion alone costs around £1000, without factoring in the bike itself.

 

If anyone has any pointers to good threads/other sources of information about what the options are for getting a Brompton converted, I would be grateful if you would share your wisdom.

 

I'm hoping I can get a regular Brompton though Cycle2Work (I haven't seen them on the Halfords website, but they might have a partnership with a supplier that has them; my company's C2W vouchers are only valid with Halfords, it seems... if anyone thinks otherwise, I'd be interested to hear). I can then take it to one of the places people have suggested and get them to install a kit.

 

Thanks for your help guys - I really appreciate it.

I'd save your money and get a used Brompton for half the price. You only have to type into the search box "Brompton Conversion" and check the titles.

I'm similarly sized to you, and I tried a Cudos Secret at eden. It performed pretty well, and is about £700 I think.

I'd save your money and get a used Brompton for half the price. You only have to type into the search box "Brompton Conversion" and check the titles.

 

which of course would knock you out of hte cycle to work scheme, which in my view would be a bonus as its a bit of a con anyways but if they force you to buy from halfrauds its even worse

Several people have given you good advice, my only comment is watch the gearing. My Powertrek 16" wheel folder is a real pain, it has deraileur gears so even in the highest gear you have to pedal at about 2 revolutions/second to keep up with the motor. It also only has 1 power assist level. The 180 watt motor works well, on a slope the low gearing and motor make most slopes easy work.

which of course would knock you out of hte cycle to work scheme, which in my view would be a bonus as its a bit of a con anyways but if they force you to buy from halfrauds its even worse

 

I'm curious what makes you say C2W is a con... Also what's behind "Halfrauds"...

 

Several people have given you good advice, my only comment is watch the gearing. My Powertrek 16" wheel folder is a real pain, it has deraileur gears so even in the highest gear you have to pedal at about 2 revolutions/second to keep up with the motor. It also only has 1 power assist level. The 180 watt motor works well, on a slope the low gearing and motor make most slopes easy work.

 

I think I'm all but set on the Nano conversion. The mechanics behind the gearing, etc. is all a bit beyond me. Do you know much about the Nano kit, and whether gearing would be a problem?

The gearing is provided on the Brompton itself. You have choices of 1,2,3 or 6 gears with Bromptons. I have the 3 speed hub which gives adequate coverage - perfectly acceptable for 15-20mph at a reasonable cadence. I know what pinnaboy means with some small wheel folders but this isn't a problem with the Brompton. I had a Nano kit on a previous bike but there is now a new one out. I had no problems with mine but some have suggested they are a bit on the fragile side. The Electric Transport Shop Sparticle conversion has more power (lots of options available) but is much noisier (imho).

The gearing is provided on the Brompton itself. You have choices of 1,2,3 or 6 gears with Bromptons.

 

Right, gotcha. I was thinking of going for the H3L (assuming there is no difference between the M type and H type, when it comes to conversions... as I'm quite tall and enjoy an upright posture anyway, I thought the H type would be more suitable).

Do I read into your spec that you want to carry the bike on a train folded,then exit the train and ride the bike to work. If that is the idea,then I strongly recommend that you practise the folding/unfolding/carrying in an environment like a railway station.

Note,I am not pushing my own bike-I have seen some so called commuter ebikes that would take 5mins to fold/unfold,some that weigh 27 kilos and some that are just so badly balanced that carrying them is embarassing.

Don't believe the hype,even on expensive bikes,you have to try the bike for the usage you intend.

KudosDave

I saw a girl come into a bar in Holland on a Brompton,she collapsed the bike in 15 secs,slid it under the bar with absolutely no fuss-but she was a 5ftx55kg gal.

I tried riding a 14" wheeled ebike with what they called magnetic drive,it felt a toy under my 6ftx17stone-to be honest I felt silly riding it.

I keep looking for a baby commuter bike such as you require but it always seems too much of a compromise in design-the comfortable ones are 20" wheeled and weigh min 18kgs-like my Secret or the Riese and Muller baby hybrid (now imported by Wisper)-the tiny wheeled ones are just too toy like-I wouldn't want to go down a pothole on one!

I must say I have no experience of an electric Brompton,maybe that is the only solution.

KudosDave

I'm curious what makes you say C2W is a con...

 

 

a few reasons i don't like it - i don't like the organisers taking 10% - id rather profits went to cycle shop or back in to my pocket tbh, i also think the way its setup is weird - you don't own it, but your responsible for maintenance, if you leave/change jobs, you have a world of pain.

 

all seems a lot of trouble for what you get.

 

so for me, saving a few hundred quid on s/h brompton (which to be fiar they do last forever) sounds a much better option to me.

 

Also what's behind "Halfrauds"...

 

sorry that was just me being flippant - we always called it that since i worked as an autoelectrician as everything was twice the price, and they never had what you wanted.

 

 

 

I think I'm all but set on the Nano conversion. The mechanics behind the gearing, etc. is all a bit beyond me. Do you know much about the Nano kit, and whether gearing would be a problem?

I had my Brompton Nano'd last year and have found it to be an excellent conversion.

 

The motor is all but silent, the controller fits neatly on the crossbar, and the battery in the Brommie bag with the connection via the luggage block is also well-engineered - no need to unplug anything to remove the bag.

 

Mine is throttle-only, which is ideal in town - Brommies accelerate well anyway because of the small wheels, adding a throttle controlled motor makes it even easier to get up to speed.

 

Slight minus point is there's no assistance when your throttle hand - the right one - is making a turn signal.

 

What I'm not so sure about is using a Nano regularly on a train.

 

An ordinary Brommie is just the job and so superior to other folders as to make them irrelevant.

 

But the extra weight of the motor does make a difference, and then there's the bag and lumpy battery inside to carry as well.

 

It's up to the OP, but I reckon my Brommie is now only portable in the sense of lifting it in and out of the boot of a car.

Right, gotcha. I was thinking of going for the H3L (assuming there is no difference between the M type and H type, when it comes to conversions... as I'm quite tall and enjoy an upright posture anyway, I thought the H type would be more suitable).

 

Good choice. If you are >5'10" I would recommend the H-type and an extended seat post. This is only a problem if you are buying second hand as there are very few around as they were only introduced last year. The conversion is not effected by either choice. The 'L' version (no rack) is fine, it's what we have but the wheels on the rack are supposed to make it easier to pull along if this is preferred to carrying. The 3-speed hub is ample and would be my choice. I have an M3L which I got second hand but if I was buying new I'd get a H3R. They can be quite addictive, it's a bit like having a classic car - you don't just get a bike, you become part of a club.

I saw a girl come into a bar in Holland on a Brompton,she collapsed the bike in 15 secs,slid it under the bar with absolutely no fuss-but she was a 5ftx55kg gal.

I tried riding a 14" wheeled ebike with what they called magnetic drive,it felt a toy under my 6ftx17stone-to be honest I felt silly riding it.

I keep looking for a baby commuter bike such as you require but it always seems too much of a compromise in design-the comfortable ones are 20" wheeled and weigh min 18kgs-like my Secret or the Riese and Muller baby hybrid (now imported by Wisper)-the tiny wheeled ones are just too toy like-I wouldn't want to go down a pothole on one!

I must say I have no experience of an electric Brompton,maybe that is the only solution.

KudosDave

 

Hi Dave, we will have a good range of non electric Birdies at Bristol, of course you would be most welcome to try one out, however we will not be bringing in the electric version until 2014 due to a tech hitch with the LCD.

 

All the best

 

David

it's a bit like having a classic car - you don't just get a bike, you become part of a club.

 

its true! and just like with classic car envy, anyone who rides a folder and doesn't have a brompton secretly wants one, no matter what they tell you

 

(i've never owned one by the way, and have no need of a folding bike anymore so can admit it)

its true! and just like with classic car envy, anyone who rides a folder and doesn't have a brompton secretly wants one, no matter what they tell you

 

(i've never owned one by the way, and have no need of a folding bike anymore so can admit it)

 

Unless they have a bickerton the made in a shed precursor to the bromton

I have an M3L which I got second hand but if I was buying new I'd get a H3R.

 

I went into Evans today and had a go on the Brompton H3L - an odd sensation, but I could get used to it. The fold is going to take me a while to get the hang of - I felt so silly while I was doing it, and I swear the man in the shop stole a giggle while I wasn't looking.

 

We are one step closer to the answer - it's going to be a Brommie, and I know which model I want. I'm going to look at the small print on my company's C2W scheme - the ownership issue, etc. scares me a little bit.

The last thing left to figure out is what to do about the conversion.The two options I'm aware of are Sparticle and Nano, of which I prefer the latter, I think.

 

The total cost of the conversion (from Home) is coming to £1000, which I'm struggling to justify on top of the price of the bike, if I'm honest. Is there something I'm missing, or is that the real cost of converting a Brompton?

 

I'd appreciate the views of the community on whether I'm right to go for the Nano, whether there's a third option I've not come across, and how much I should be looking to spend.