- although my requirements are different from the new member this morning posting here.
In January or February I was making initial enquiries about buying an electric bike (having read the very detailed examination in the CTC mazagine of 2 bikes, a Trek and a Pro Connect), so I went to try a Pro Connect with the Importer in Leicestershire, but despite making a prior appointment and clearly being a serious purchaser, my wife and myself having travelled for over an hour to get there, the implication was I should only go for a 10 minute ride around Loughborough. I was therefore in the process of arranging a full days hire on a separate day (quoted at a whopping £60 to £80 even though as I say I was clearly a serious purchaser) and we were waiting first for the 2011 battery powered bikes to arrive when it all got cut across as I received an invitation to sign up, as a holiday cottage provider, to the experimental ‘Electric bike Network’ being set up in the Peak District – accommodation providers lease Giant bikes, and then rent them out to their guests, various charging points have been made available in pubs and tea stops. (Anyone interested I can provide details as surprisingly this does not seem to have been mentioned on this forum). However I have had no take-up at all from our Guests for these electric bikes (have 9 cottages always full so you would think every week one set of guests might be interested) so am using extensively one of the two Giants myself. Even in the ECO only mode, they are extremely limited on the hilly routes I choose, 21 miles, or an averagely hilly route, 30 miles, so I take the battery from the other bike with me.
I wont be renewing the leases, (far too dear, and guests not interested) but I will certainly be buying an electric bike for myself when the lease expires at the end of October.
The Giant bikes are Dutch style.
I an enthusiast road rider, I would ordinarily be looking for a similar road bike in electric form (Cannondale might have fitted the bill), but as it would also be for my wife when travelling a couple of weeks a year on relatively flat German bike routes (so that I could then travel at roughly the same speed as her on one of my non-electric bikes), I guess it would have to look for a trekking style bike (actually not really sure what a trekking style is, as my mentality is still fixed in the 1970s, when you simply had either race bikes or touring bikes!)
Anyhow I am not worried about power – my legs can provide that – but certainly interested in
a) Distance
b) smooth change from electric to manual at circa 15mph. and no drag (except perhaps with regenerative braking (is that the word?)
c) reliability all round as I am rubbish at cycle maintenance.
d) Bike to be happy on tracks, but would not be interested in taking it on mountain bike routes.
It seems the 2011 Panasonic powered bikes gives an alleged 87miles on medium power, so as distance is my number one priority, is that really the only choice? The CTC magazine review suggests the best cadence for this is low, and goes on to suggest that it is therefore not really suited for more experienced riders, but am I right in thinking from other contributions on this forum, this is different with the 2011 battery?
I certainly want to be able to go up one in five hills (even if a lot of assistance is required, that does not worry me at all, just the design of the Dutch style Giant almost prohibits that)
I look forward to contributions from other members of this community
In January or February I was making initial enquiries about buying an electric bike (having read the very detailed examination in the CTC mazagine of 2 bikes, a Trek and a Pro Connect), so I went to try a Pro Connect with the Importer in Leicestershire, but despite making a prior appointment and clearly being a serious purchaser, my wife and myself having travelled for over an hour to get there, the implication was I should only go for a 10 minute ride around Loughborough. I was therefore in the process of arranging a full days hire on a separate day (quoted at a whopping £60 to £80 even though as I say I was clearly a serious purchaser) and we were waiting first for the 2011 battery powered bikes to arrive when it all got cut across as I received an invitation to sign up, as a holiday cottage provider, to the experimental ‘Electric bike Network’ being set up in the Peak District – accommodation providers lease Giant bikes, and then rent them out to their guests, various charging points have been made available in pubs and tea stops. (Anyone interested I can provide details as surprisingly this does not seem to have been mentioned on this forum). However I have had no take-up at all from our Guests for these electric bikes (have 9 cottages always full so you would think every week one set of guests might be interested) so am using extensively one of the two Giants myself. Even in the ECO only mode, they are extremely limited on the hilly routes I choose, 21 miles, or an averagely hilly route, 30 miles, so I take the battery from the other bike with me.
I wont be renewing the leases, (far too dear, and guests not interested) but I will certainly be buying an electric bike for myself when the lease expires at the end of October.
The Giant bikes are Dutch style.
I an enthusiast road rider, I would ordinarily be looking for a similar road bike in electric form (Cannondale might have fitted the bill), but as it would also be for my wife when travelling a couple of weeks a year on relatively flat German bike routes (so that I could then travel at roughly the same speed as her on one of my non-electric bikes), I guess it would have to look for a trekking style bike (actually not really sure what a trekking style is, as my mentality is still fixed in the 1970s, when you simply had either race bikes or touring bikes!)
Anyhow I am not worried about power – my legs can provide that – but certainly interested in
a) Distance
b) smooth change from electric to manual at circa 15mph. and no drag (except perhaps with regenerative braking (is that the word?)
c) reliability all round as I am rubbish at cycle maintenance.
d) Bike to be happy on tracks, but would not be interested in taking it on mountain bike routes.
It seems the 2011 Panasonic powered bikes gives an alleged 87miles on medium power, so as distance is my number one priority, is that really the only choice? The CTC magazine review suggests the best cadence for this is low, and goes on to suggest that it is therefore not really suited for more experienced riders, but am I right in thinking from other contributions on this forum, this is different with the 2011 battery?
I certainly want to be able to go up one in five hills (even if a lot of assistance is required, that does not worry me at all, just the design of the Dutch style Giant almost prohibits that)
I look forward to contributions from other members of this community
