Another big Aussie guy looking for an ebike

[pugsly]

Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd introduce myself as I'm on the hunt for an ebike and pedelecs looks like the best forum on the topic that I can find!

I've been riding on and off since buying a Giant Boulder disc back in 2007. I bought it for to get some fitness and lose some weight and rode it for quite a while. I live in a hilly part of Melbourne and in the end the thought of tackling the hills on my ride home, coupled with that embarrassment of getting off and walking the bike up hills has led me to leaving it in the shed for the last year or so.

Now I'm seriously looking at getting fit again, and thought an ebike might help ease me into the journey. I'm thinking of using it to commute into work (22km/14miles one way) and also for run rides with my wife and 3yo son.

My challenge is I'm significantly too short for my weight (180cm/6' and 150kg/24stone) and whilst I can quite happily ride along on the flat at a decent clip, as soon as I hit a hill it feels like someone has let both tyres down, created a 60mph headwind and applied the brakes at about 75%. In short - they kill me.

So I'm here to research ebikes. The ebike market in Australia is still fledgling. The recent change to laws in the state I live means 250W is now legal, which will help in terms of alignment with EU laws and bring more bikes in, however right now, bikes for blokes with my ample frame here in Australia are non-existent. I've not been able to locate one.

So, at the moment, my research has led me to think that a centre drive system is a good thing for what I want (climb hills, don't really care for high speed). A 10AH battery is probably sufficient and the Kalhkhoff XXL bikes might really fit the bill.

However, there is no Kalhkhoff dealers locally, which would mean ordering from that side of the pond which means shipping costs and problems with warranty.

I'm thinking perhaps I should build my own, which means perhaps converting my current bike. I know then the frame is ok, but I've no idea (yet) how robust the hub v centre drive solutions are. No point outlaying a grand or two and having a motor burn out early on.

As you can see. I'm at the start of my ebike journey. I'll be lurking for a bit, researching a lot and asking a bunch of questions as well as providing updates with my progress.

It's nice to meet you all, and I look forward to participating in the forums.

 

[pugsly]

Due to unknown reasons, my posts here were stuck in limbo. The admin has kindly fixed that, so I'm giving them a bump.

 

[funkylyn]

Nice to meet you too pugsly, welcome to the forum....the best..... as you so rightly say

How about trying a Tonaro ?

Lynda

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Pugsly,

Welcome onboard.

I know it is fair distance up to Sydney, but you should check out these guys Home | Glowworm Bicycles - Electric Bicycles Sydney

I can highly recommend the eZee Forza RWD or if you want to carry your son on the back, an eZee Expedir, they also have eZee conversion kits so that you can covert a non powered bike.

Just tell them John said you would get a big discount

eZee Forza RWD

eZee Expedir LTS

 

[RobF]

Pug,

I suggest you aim towards a crank drive bike, or a front wheel drive one.

Your weight, the weight of the motor, the twisting of the motor against the spokes, and the weight of any luggage might all be too much for the rear wheel.

A bike with the motor in the front wheel would spread the load/loadings nicely.

Or a crank drive which uses standard wheels.

There are quite a few happy Tonaro owners over here, and I think the bike is sold in Aus, possibly under different model names.

TONARO

 

[Cyclezee]

Down Under the Tonaro is known as the Zoco Rosa and available here ZOCO ROSSA - The Ultimate Electric Bicycle | Zoco Electric Bike

 

[Alan Quay]

Building your own is a very real possibility, and not as hard as you might think. Change out the front wheel, add a throttle/pedal sensor, or both, chuck a battery and controller in a bag, strap it onto a rear rack and connect it all together (usually plug n play). You may also want/need to change the brake levers or add a brake cutoff switch. I've never bothered.

I'm also 'under tall' and my 250w system will happily haul me and my son around. Probably a combined weight of 22 stone with luggage. With a 20ah lithium battery I would estimate a practical range of 30-40 miles.

BMS battery will sell you all the parts you need, and I think will export to Aus. Personally I haven't used them yet, but plenty I know have. In UK, I would expect to pay about £500 for a basic but robust kit.

I have a couple of Bafang front drive hall sensor motors, and they have so far proved utterly reliable. (prob 200 miles).

Whichever way you chose to go, you will find plenty of valuable advice from the guys n gals on here.

 

[Cyclezee]

If pugsly decides to go down the kit route, he can get the eZee kit from Glowworm in Sydney, they have lot of expertise and can offer support with 2 year warranty. eZeebike electric bicycle conversion kit | Glowworm Bicycles - Electric Bicycles Sydney

 

[banbury frank]

Hi Pugsly Just seen your Thread You are TOTAL wasting your time with a 250 watt toy kit Sorry to be so blunt So Hear is what you need and where to Buy 20AH Battery 48 volts with High power BMS 1,000 watt direct drive Rear Motor 40 Amp Controller Cycle analyst Right Hear we go links Below

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/M2807RD26.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/CA-DP.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/C7240-NC.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/T-HTwist_B.jpg

48V 20Ah 38120 LiFePO4 Battery 32 Cells 2P16S EBike Battery Pack - BMSBATTERY

Note on the above to select the 50/100Amp BMS

Put that on a Good Bike that fits you Must have Hydraulic disk brakes


Hope this Helps

Frank

 

[mountainsport]

Hi Pugsly Just seen your Thread You are TOTAL wasting your time with a 250 watt toy kit Sorry to be so blunt So Hear is what you need and where to Buy 20AH Battery 48 volts with High power BMS 1,000 watt direct drive Rear Motor 40 Amp Controller Cycle analyst Right Hear we go links Below

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/M2807RD26.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/CA-DP.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/C7240-NC.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/T-HTwist_B.jpg

48V 20Ah 38120 LiFePO4 Battery 32 Cells 2P16S EBike Battery Pack - BMSBATTERY

Note on the above to select the 50/100Amp BMS

Put that on a Good Bike that fits you Must have Hydraulic disk brakes


Hope this Helps

Frank

Good link for people Frank,very kind of you.

Mountainsport.... DID YOU KNOW THAT WASABI IS GROWN IN GRAVEL AND NOT SOIL-REMEMBER NOW I'M STILL ON THE TOPIC OF CHINESE

 

[GaRRy]

Hi Pugsly Just seen your Thread You are TOTAL wasting your time with a 250 watt toy kit Sorry to be so blunt So Hear is what you need and where to Buy 20AH Battery 48 volts with High power BMS 1,000 watt direct drive Rear Motor 40 Amp Controller Cycle analyst Right Hear we go links Below

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/M2807RD26.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/CA-DP.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/C7240-NC.jpg

http://www.ebikes.ca/store/photos/T-HTwist_B.jpg

48V 20Ah 38120 LiFePO4 Battery 32 Cells 2P16S EBike Battery Pack - BMSBATTERY

Note on the above to select the 50/100Amp BMS

Put that on a Good Bike that fits you Must have Hydraulic disk brakes


Hope this Helps

Frank

Nice solution but you forgot to mention that this solution is actually completely illegal to use on the road (in Australia as well as UK).

Yea I know its a bit boring and OP may not care but should at least mention the fact just in case they do.

 

[pugsly]

Wow, thanks for all the replies.

Here's my thoughts (for now).

I'd like to keep inline with current local laws. This limits me to 250w.

I'm definitely leaning towards crank drive.

I've had a look (online) at the Tonaro's and their variants. They don't appear to come close to the weight capacity, though the motor/battery combination looks good and overall is very cheap.

The Forza RWD seems to top out at 120kg Though the elmundo can do 200kg. It's one I'm considering given I can get it locally. The only downside is it being hub driven, and it's, uh, a tad large.

The eZee Expedir LTS could be a real contender. I love the size batteries that are available for it, however it isn't advertised locally yet. I'll get in touch with Gloworm and see if they can get it.

I must admit, for a commuter, I do like the look of the Agattu XXL, the trick will be finding a cost effective way to get it shipped here.

One other I've found, though illegal in Australia is the Zuma Heavy Duty in the USA. It's rated to 193kg.

It's looking like I'm going to have to spend around $AUD3000 (GBP2000) to get what I want.

Interestingly, looking at the build kit mentioned earlier in the thread, if I take an entry level Giant 26" MTB at roughly $500, and put the kit on at $1750, that brings me to $2250 without taking my time into account. When I compare with the prices of bikes I've looked at so far, especially the US bike at $2300, I'm starting to think the kit maybe isn't for me.

Thanks for your help so far! It's given me plenty to think about.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Pugsly,

I know you are quite a distance from Glowworm in Sydney, but if you were to contact them, they may have customer more local to you who would be willing to show you their bike.

No offence, but if anything, your size makes choice easier, as you will be aware there are very few bikes that are capable of carrying 150Kg.

I don't know if Glowworm have them in stock yet, but there is another variant of the eZee Expedir, the GTS as shown below.


And here is a photo of Stefan, the German eZee distributor riding it at the factory with a couple of passengers, just to show what it can carry. Incidentally, the two lightweight Chinese guys had a combined weight of 110Kg.

 

[RobF]

...as you will be aware there are very few bikes that are capable of carrying 150Kg....

Steady on, let's not panic the guy.

Any ordinary bike of reasonable quality can carry that weight.

Pug knows this from his Giant.

Any ebike problems are likely to come not from the frame, but from the spokes in a hub drive rear wheel.

Pug says he's leaning towards a crank drive which will have standard wheels of similar strength to his Giant, so no worries.

 

[pugsly]

Any ordinary bike of reasonable quality can carry that weight.

...

Any ebike problems are likely to come not from the frame, but from the spokes in a hub drive rear wheel.

Pug says he's leaning towards a crank drive which will have standard wheels of similar strength to his Giant, so no worries.

You're right Rob. I'm starting to lean towards only crank driven, quality bikes. In doing some searches of my 'wish list' forgetting the weight aspect, this is an almost perfect fit.

My problem is, with the exception of the Torano and it's variants, there are almost no other options in Australia. Hmm, I need to find an excuse for my work to send me to the UK or Europe.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I just had a look on Australian Ebay to see what's available and noticed that our dodgy friend is active there. Don't buy from this seller, although there's a legitimate supplier underneath.
2013 EBIKE 48V 1000W Electric Bicycle 20AH Lithium Battery Suspension SeatPost | eBay

NEW!! EBIKE 48V 1000W Electric Bicycle 20AH Lithium Battery Suspension SeatPost | eBay