Advice please for a "commuter bike"

[krushy]

Hi,
We are looking to buy your first electric bikes.
I have been reading up across various websites and have just got even more confused.

The first requirement is for my wife to travel to and from work.
The daily trip is just over 20 miles and has a few pretty steep climbs (they must be 1:10 even cars are in low gear).
I checked on google maps and the total overall climb is 520ft, however you do get a down hill run of the same 520ft. This is split over a couple of steep hills.

She is 5ft 8", around 14 stone and would like a step through design.

We have access to a "ride to work scheme" which will provide access to an interest free loan of £1000.
So that is the max budget.

Leisurely peddling is ok, however not interested in having to wear specialist cycling gear etc

Is she stuck with the car?

What do you think?
Thank you in advance.

 

[soundwave]

http://www.ecycleuk.com/home

there over in stroud and have bikes in ur price range that she can test ride

 

[krushy]

Yes, a test ride will be essential.
Ideally up a steep hill or two!
Thanks for a very quick first response, the info is appreciated.

 

[soundwave]

the hole of stroud is a hill even in the middle of it

 

[Benjahmin]

She will need to get to feel the difference between torque sensing and cadence sensing.
The first measures the force being put on the pedal and gives a percentage boost from the motor (e.g. 50%, 100% 125%).
The second senses the pedals rotating and simply turns the motor on.
The first only gives power in relation to the amount of work the rider does.
The second gives full power by mearly rotating the pedals, no 'work' necessary. Good on the way home from work when tired.
Neither will get the wife up a 1:10 without some work, but they sure as **** take the muscle burning grunt out of it.

For £1k I think you'll be looking at a hub drive.

There's a few shops selling pedelecs in Bristol. The advantage being that there is a ready supply of cruel hills to try 'em out on

 

[Deleted member 4366]

There's plenty of good bikes for under £1000, but you don't normally find them in local cycle shops. The Woosh Big Bear LS is one of them. It's very powerful and comfortable. It's sold by Woosh in Southend, who also sell it mail order. Ebikesdirect have a few suitable bikes, though not as powerful as the Woosh BB.

 

[Nealh]

2nd with d8veh have a look at Woosh they use the bpm hub (Big power motor) or SWX hubs which are also powerful. Even the new Crusa looks good.

 

[Woosh]

14st? the Crusa and the Santana2 will also do the job and are a fair bit cheaper.

 

[krushy]

Thanks for the responses.
The main hill is indeed a 10% gradient, will these suggestions cope with that?

 

[D8ve]

20 mile round trip is getting into serious cycling.
It means 1.5 hours a day in the saddle.
That's going to hurt a lot at first but then your fitness will climb greatly.
You will save money on the car. Half a gallon a day? So 2.5 a week or £15 in fuel alone.
The bikes will need maintance, think new chains, brake pads and cassettes every year. Marathon plus tyres are recommended to reduce punctures too.
Batteries for the lights( see recommended lights thread)

You need to remember the three rules of bike buying
1 test ride
2 test ride
3 test ride.
Me I do 8 miles a day when the weather is carp. And 30+when I wake early and the sun is shining ( 2 to 3 days PA)

 

[Perseus]

Ten miles

Hi,
We are looking to buy your first electric bikes.
I have been reading up across various websites and have just got even more confused.

The first requirement is for my wife to travel to and from work.
The daily trip is just over 20 miles and has a few pretty steep climbs (they must be 1:10 even cars are in low gear).
I checked on google maps and the total overall climb is 520ft, however you do get a down hill run of the same 520ft. This is split over a couple of steep hills.

She is 5ft 8", around 14 stone and would like a step through design.

We have access to a "ride to work scheme" which will provide access to an interest free loan of £1000.
So that is the max budget.

Leisurely peddling is ok, however not interested in having to wear specialist cycling gear etc

Is she stuck with the car?

What do you think?
Thank you in advance.

Ten miles each way a day and a moped would be better.

Ebike copes with 6 miles each way on the flat in the £2K region.

I can't find a value for money ebike to do a trip like that once a week.

 

[Trevormonty]

The factory mid drives(Bosch, shimano, Yamaha) with right gearing shouldn't have any problem with these hills. Unfortunately they start around £2000.

Hiring a bike for a few days would be best way to find out if you are up to this commute on regular basis.

 

[Danidl]

Ten miles


Ten miles each way a day and a moped would be better.

Ebike copes with 6 miles each way on the flat in the £2K region.

I can't find a value for money ebike to do a trip like that once a week.

I would disagree . Machines like the Bosch powered Raleigh Motus , and similar level at the 2k mark will have no difficulty in doing a 20 mile round trip at full assist and still have a lot left in the tank. I will get 20km up and down moderate hill at 20% to 30% of 400whr consumption. It will depend on whether this is urban ( multiple start stops) or rural , suburban ( more wind) , but in the latter a 10 mile journey should take 45 minutes.

 

[Andy Bluenoes]

I do a 30 mile a day commute and apart from a few niggles ive never thought the bike isnt capable of the daily run.
Surely an ebike should be expected to be capable of this sort of mileage?

Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk

 

[Woosh]

I am with Andy Bluenoes on this. A £500 kit should be capable of doing 20 miles a day.
If you have £2k, then spend it on something nicer but it is not necessary at all.
More miles means your brake pads will wear out a bit more quickly and you have to spend a bit more on tyres but for the electrics, it won't matter much.
As far as which type of motors is cheapest to buy and maintain, I'd say rear geared hub in the OP's case.

 

[Zack @ Byocycles]

the Byocycles Zest, with a free upgrade to 11ah (worth £150) for a limited time, come in slightly over budget at £1099, however most shops would let you pay the £99 difference.

2 year warranty, Samsung battery cells, all branded components, and would easily cope with 20 miles a day!

 

[Perseus]

I do half this distance on a pedal bike every day and it will have to be a good one in the £400 range bought new. Otherwise, it will just fall to bits. Add on the electric bike components and it is going to cost over £1000. Resigned to that cost.

Then good for ten years or more but at one stage the replacement of components becomes prohibitively expensive and performance deteriorates. A new back wheel is required after a few years. Just like a car but they have a 3 year warranty.

I have only found one person who has used an ebike for over two years. I just hear complaints about them breaking down or performance deterioration to nought, just like mine. That's about a dozen people. All the people (extra) that ae pleased about their ebikes have had them for under a year, mostly only a few months. Even then they have niggly problems with the electrics.

It's the electrics/motor that go! I will still probably get one. Which one? One with a throttle probably. Or rather ideally. All the continual stopping and starting which is what cycling really is in traffic nowadays.

I have working pedal bikes for 15 years old, but they do get a bit cranky. The one 78 years old (secondhand purchase) is not working at present. Hub gears stripped.

Times, going full pelt I can average 12 mph on a pedal bike over 12 miles. What slows me down is the traffic, cars on the road, but quicker on the cyclepaths. 10 mph would be more realistic. And that wasn't at rush hour (Sussex).

 

[Woosh]

Perseus, I agree with most of what you say but I think it depends on the bike.

I have in my range the Karoo that I think will suit high milers. The step through version of this bike is the Crusa.

I think the Crusa would suit the wife's physique (5ft 8", around 14 stone).

Quick points about the Crusa:

- step through frame, 26" wheels, perfect size for her height
- rear Bafang SWX01 motor
- 13AH battery
- Pedal assist and throttle
- 13AH battery
- LCD


For more details:
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?crusa

Here is the Crusa:

 

[Danidl]

I do half this distance on a pedal bike every day and it will have to be a good one in the £400 range bought new. Otherwise, it will just fall to bits. Add on the electric bike components and it is going to cost over £1000. Resigned to that cost.

Then good for ten years or more but at one stage the replacement of components becomes prohibitively expensive and performance deteriorates. A new back wheel is required after a few years. Just like a car but they have a 3 year warranty.

I have only found one person who has used an ebike for over two years. I just hear complaints about them breaking down or performance deterioration to nought, just like mine. That's about a dozen people. All the people (extra) that ae pleased about their ebikes have had them for under a year, mostly only a few months. Even then they have niggly problems with the electrics.

It's the electrics/motor that go! I will still probably get one. Which one? One with a throttle probably. Or rather ideally. All the continual stopping and starting which is what cycling really is in traffic nowadays.

I have working pedal bikes for 15 years old, but they do get a bit cranky. The one 78 years old (secondhand purchase) is not working at present. Hub gears stripped.

Times, going full pelt I can average 12 mph on a pedal bike over 12 miles. What slows me down is the traffic, cars on the road, but quicker on the cyclepaths. 10 mph would be more realistic. And that wasn't at rush hour (Sussex).

Cannot agree fully with your assertion.
I purchased an UrbanMover brand bike in 2007 I think. Used it everyday for commuting on a 7 mile round trip until 2014. I had to replace the battery on one occasion, .. went from 24v mehydride type to a 24v li ion pack of Chinese origins. Needed to have a number of spokes replaced 2 years ago , needed to have the chain replaced once..Tyres replaced a few times . I damaged the derailleur spring and needed it replaced . It now needs a new battery pack, but the motor is fine. Battery life measured in minutes All the damage such as spokes and derailleur was due to my abusing it .. bouncing up footpaths etc.
The motor and controller are still fully operational and it has minimal signs of rust.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Ten miles


Ten miles each way a day and a moped would be better.

Ebike copes with 6 miles each way on the flat in the £2K region.

I can't find a value for money ebike to do a trip like that once a week.

Hmmm! I commuted 30 miles a day on three different bikes, which cost between £550 and £1000. I knocked up 6000 miles altogether on them. During those three years, I never broke down once. One time, my crank came loose, which meant I couldn't pedal, so I throttled the 15 miles home.

We have/had forum Bazwaldo, who racked up a massive 26,500 miles on his £1000 Bearprint bike after some initial warranty issues.

Ask Awol how many miles he commutes and how much his bike cost that's done 13,000 miles.