Advice needed on e-bike.

sapper44

Pedelecer
Apr 22, 2011
33
0
Hi all new to the forums so looking forward to some good advice about e biking. Have looked around their is lots of advice here if anything too much. Head is about to explode. So best I just ask the experts myself about my needs.
I’m looking for an all round e-bike that can do most things. The plan is to use it for commute to work 12 mile round trip with a couple of big hills both ways. I am also planning to use it for pleasure I like photography so this bike will be used along long bike tracks around country lanes costal paths possibly 50 mile round trips in a day. I’m also a big chap 18stone 5.10 height but hope to lose a bit using the bike. I live in Swansea South Wales not to many e-bike stockest in my area Halfords have a couple with their urban mover range. Prices vary from £699 to £1200.Batery on the lower priced are 26v as the £1200 is 37v both seem to be rated at 200w.Found another stockest which had a Giant e-bike which was priced just under £1700 a bit on the pricy side for me so have dismissed it. So I have a limit of up to £1200 max but don’t want to spend that sort of money not unless I have to. Thinking of getting a bike with spare battery to give me more range within my budget. So what do you think my best options are? Thank you all for reading this and for any advice you can give me.Thankyou.;)
 

dmcgoldrick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 17, 2010
446
-1
Hi all new to the forums so looking forward to some good advice about e biking. Have looked around their is lots of advice here if anything too much. Head is about to explode. So best I just ask the experts myself about my needs.
I’m looking for an all round e-bike that can do most things. The plan is to use it for commute to work 12 mile round trip with a couple of big hills both ways. I am also planning to use it for pleasure I like photography so this bike will be used along long bike tracks around country lanes costal paths possibly 50 mile round trips in a day. I’m also a big chap 18stone 5.10 height but hope to lose a bit using the bike. I live in Swansea South Wales not to many e-bike stockest in my area Halfords have a couple with their urban mover range. Prices vary from £699 to £1200.Batery on the lower priced are 26v as the £1200 is 37v both seem to be rated at 200w.Found another stockest which had a Giant e-bike which was priced just under £1700 a bit on the pricy side for me so have dismissed it. So I have a limit of up to £1200 max but don’t want to spend that sort of money not unless I have to. Thinking of getting a bike with spare battery to give me more range within my budget. So what do you think my best options are? Thank you all for reading this and for any advice you can give me.Thankyou.;)
hi, there are a couple of decisions that can only be made by yourself by going around and trying out the bikes

1. there are 2 main systems of drive and both are discussed at length on the forum......the 'panasonic' pedal drive and the direct drive hub on either front or rear wheel. both systems have positive and negative comments from many users. this is a big decision..........there is also still time to get a throttle bike....which may not be the case in the future.....

2. you really do get what you pay for , and with higher price comes better components, batteries with longer range, warranty, and service........

3. unless you are already a cyclist and have bike 'stuff', then there will need to be some money left to buy a few accessories a lock and maybe some dedicated clothing and a helmet.......(helmet wear is a hot topic)........

4. you will get a good e bike for a grand....many will say you can get one for less.......the 'top' brand bikes are now over £1500 with some latest models breaking through the £2000 mark......

5. choose your bike supplier with care and look at the advise on this forum using the search facility.........when you narrow down the choice ask lots of specific questions on here .........

good luck with the search.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
Are you handy with spanners and able to do your own maintenance, modifications, repairs, etc? If so, you can take advantage of the cheaper ones on ebay, like this one:
ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE - GREENE | eBay UK
These good value bikes are as good as most and have the same power and range (if not more) than some branded bikes. They do the job, but you'd need to be prepared to make a few adjustments and minor repairs (perhaps) as you won't be able to get minor things fixed under waranty.
If you can't do your own repairs and servicing, then you're stuck with whatever nearby dealers have in stock. Have a look at Juicy bikes and Alien Bikes. The Alien Aurora would suit you well, but has a bit more power than is legal. Slightly more expensive, but with good support is Wisper bikes. After that, there's thousands of bikes to choose from, but remember: If they're legal, they are all limited to more or less the same power. You don't need a super, lightweight, state-of-the-art bike. Just make sure that it's got 36v and at least a 9aH battery and you should be OK. The lower voltage crank-drive are probably outside your price range and might not have the range that you want and spare batteries are hideously expensive.
 

allen-uk

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 1, 2010
909
25
Hello Sapper.

I'm similar to you - over 18 stone, unfit, 5.10, and in my case old as well! (Oh, and only one leg...)

Good news, bad news. Your £1200 will get you a good enough bike to do your commuting, including hills - bottom end Wispers will suit, or top end Juicys. But I haven't come across an ebike which will do your 50 mile pleasure trips, not on one charge - and unless you are a SUPERFIT fellow, forget about pedalling the thing. They WILL pedal, but darn me you will know all about it after a mile (if that!). They are very heavy, and the gearing is not designed to be leg-powered, but electric-powered.

I bought a top-end Wisper - 36v, 14Ah - which cost me £1600, and it's great. But the top range is in the low 20s (when the weather is good - in very cold weather it drops down to 14-16-ish miles).

I do use the throttle more than most people, just to get from stationary to moving, but then I pedal all the time. It's the weight that really does for it. They're designed for much smaller, fitter people!

But don't despair, there are ways - second-hand, for example - and if you can find the dosh, carry a second battery around for those long trips.


A.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
..

4. you will get a good e bike for a grand....many will say you can get one for less.......the 'top' brand bikes are now over £1500 with some latest models breaking through the £2000 mark......
.
I can't agree at all.

My bike cost £520. A spare battery (which I don't have a reason to use) cost £200. A complete set of all the electrical bits as spares (motor in wheel, controller, throttle, sensor, etc)are readily available and cost about £130 - if I ever need them. I've done approximately 2000 miles on it so far and nothing has needed replacing. The only thing that went wrong was that the sensor came loose: An easy repair. I get a range of about 70 miles with it's 9aH battery, and it has enough power to pull my bulky 98kg (was 108kg) up all but the very steepest hills. I'm quite happy to do 75 miles in a day on my bike (as I did recently) and I'm sure it will continue to give me many more such enjoyable journeys.

There's nothing wrong with budget bikes. I know many people that have them and, like me, they are very happy with them.

Some people like to spend a lot of money on having the best components. Good for them if they think it gives them some advantage, but, for me there's not enough advantage to justify the cost.
 

morphix

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 24, 2010
2,163
119
Worcestershire
www.cyclecharge.org.uk
No disrespect to the OP but we seem to get "need advice/which bike to buy?" questions over and over with many people repeating the same advice.. isn't it time someone made a sticky primer thread for newcomers which provides general info, pointers and advice? Assuming such a thing doesn't already exist on another forum..
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
Hi d8veh

70 mile range on a 9Ah
what did you do unplug the battery and leave it at home to save weight

Frank
On the contrary, I carried 2 batteries for this one because I was testing my 10.4aH (nominal) lipos. They expired at 65 miles. My 9aH normal battery would probably have made the journey because on my meter it has an additional 1.3aH - enough to do about 15-20 miles with no big hills. I just pedal steadily with a bit of effort that I can keep up for 5hrs. There were no significant big hills in this journey except for one about 2 miles long near my home. The rest was just nice gentle undulations, so that a lot of the time I could pedal above the 15mph assist level. My motor has no discernible drag, so it's easy to pedal above the assist level.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,260
30,648
Hardly any people can get 70 miles from 9Ah though, the experience of most is more like 20/25 miles.

Even the experienced and strong riders at A to B Magazine in gently rolling central Dorset or their previous flat Somerset levels location only get 20 to 30 miles from various e-bikes with about that capacity.

You are undoubtedly a strong and experienced rider d8veh, emphasized not only by that range but the number of riding hours on a trip you mention elsewhere. Most have their e-bikes because they are far from being strong riders.
.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
When I first started last September, I could hardly pedal without getting out of breath and my battery was going flat after about 35 miles or about 20 miles throttle only. Since then I've done approx. 2000 miles, but I wouldn't say that I'm a strong rider - I'm 58yrs old and a lot overweight and the lycra boys always come steaming past me. However, I do have a lot of dertermination, so I can usually make a sustained effort, where perhaps other people might be calling for a break. Other than that I don't have an explanation for why A to B magazine can't get a decent range out of their bikes. Maybe my bike has mystic powers than enable it to break the first law of thermodynamics and therefore can produce more energy than what is fed into it, or perhaps it can warp the space-time continuum so that it effectively moves destinations closer. All I know is that I can do 3 of my 14.4 mile each way commutes on one charge of the battery if it's not windy, which gives a range of about 90 miles. As I said before: As long as I pedal over 15mph, which is fairly easy, the bike uses no electrical power, so the range would be infinite.
 

allen-uk

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 1, 2010
909
25
we seem to get "need advice/which bike to buy?"
...isn't it time someone made a sticky primer thread for newcomers which provides general info, pointers and advice?
Well, speaking for myself I'm always happy to answer questions from newcomers (as I remember the help I got when I was brand new to ebikes, only 9 months ago).

And continuing the 'no disrespect' line, no disrespect, but you haven't got to read them!

All newcomers are different in one way or another. Their budgets differ, they live in widely differing places, their physical condition is different, their experiences are different, and the general primer probably wouldn't be as personal and friendly as answering each individual as they come up.


A.
 

Scottyf

Esteemed Pedelecer
Feb 2, 2011
1,403
-1
Or untill your leg's fall off.

I'm with D8veh. I cycle the 18miles round trip to work and back and at best have only used up 3.6amp hrs.

Technically if I kept doing the same journey backwards and forwards I should be able to get 45miles. Althouggh I'm sure my leg's would fail. Just depnds how much you pedal over the 15mph barrier. But saying that the controller and motor combination don't really use up that much amp's. An its hardly like I can just ride it on assist as it just feels very slow (I dont think it is but it feels it).
 

rsscott

Administrator
Staff member
Aug 17, 2006
1,399
196
No disrespect to the OP but we seem to get "need advice/which bike to buy?" questions over and over with many people repeating the same advice.. isn't it time someone made a sticky primer thread for newcomers which provides general info, pointers and advice? Assuming such a thing doesn't already exist on another forum..
I've added a Wiki to the new site which will be editable by the members. There will also be some other new features to assist people new to the pedelec scene.

If anyone would like to be a Wiki editor let me know and I'll give you access to the test site so you can have a play around.
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,260
30,648
Other than that I don't have an explanation for why A to B magazine can't get a decent range out of their bikes.

As I said before: As long as I pedal over 15mph, which is fairly easy, the bike uses no electrical power, so the range would be infinite.
A to B's figures are the norm, borne out by the ranges most members in here report. Many, if not most, also report that they find it difficult to pedal their bikes beyond the 15 mph assist limit, so it's in those terms that you are somewhat different from the norm, and radically so with that 70 miles.

The fact is that most e-bikers use their motors all or nearly all of the time, and use the assist freely. Only a tiny minority ride off power and they provide these range exceptions.
.
 
Last edited:

dmcgoldrick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 17, 2010
446
-1
I can't agree at all.

My bike cost £520. A spare battery (which I don't have a reason to use) cost £200. A complete set of all the electrical bits as spares (motor in wheel, controller, throttle, sensor, etc)are readily available and cost about £130 - if I ever need them. I've done approximately 2000 miles on it so far and nothing has needed replacing. The only thing that went wrong was that the sensor came loose: An easy repair. I get a range of about 70 miles with it's 9aH battery, and it has enough power to pull my bulky 98kg (was 108kg) up all but the very steepest hills. I'm quite happy to do 75 miles in a day on my bike (as I did recently) and I'm sure it will continue to give me many more such enjoyable journeys.

There's nothing wrong with budget bikes. I know many people that have them and, like me, they are very happy with them.

Some people like to spend a lot of money on having the best components. Good for them if they think it gives them some advantage, but, for me there's not enough advantage to justify the cost.
er....what exactly do you not agree with ????
the quote you refer to actually covers every situation......
your own experience looks very biased to being able to fix everything yourself and hardly using assist which is not what the majority of users are purchasing e bikes for......i have no doubt that a good bike mechanic who has a full understanding of electrics and likes to spend hours in the shed fixing and playing about with things can 'save' lots of money by buying an inexpensive bike....... i prefer to play golf........
some of us are fortunate enough to be able to pay for the bikes which come with warranty and service and we know we are paying a premium for this...
.... so that we can spend time riding the bike rather than playing in the shed :D :D
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
er....what exactly do you not agree with ????
Sorry, I misread your post bl**dy vari-focals. I thought you said that you could not get a decent bike for a grand. My mistake. I hope you accept my apology.
 
Last edited by a moderator: