Best bike for hills?

flecc · Apr 6, 2015

chelle said:
I don't really understand motors. I heard that crank drives were better for hill climbing? Anyway, I don't understand the difference between a 250W BPM - CST Bafang Motor and Bafang BPM Alloy 36v 250W Rear.. but you say the latter is more powerful? I thought flecc was saying the Volt had the most powerful motor, but if it has a weaker motor I'll discount it for sure.

No, I said the Volt you listed was less powerful Michelle, using the SWX motor. The higher priced Volt Pulse X uses the BPM motor, but that's nearly £2000.

The CST version of the BPM just uses a different type of chain sprocket assembly when the motor is in the rear wheel, in the front it doesn't have sprockets of course.

The motor position is this:

BPM, BPM-CST and eZee motor are all about equal and the most powerful legal motors.

Other e-bikes like the lower priced of the Volt models, the Volt Pulse (no X), generally have the SWX motor which is averagely powered and no match for the ones above for hill climbing. Fine in undemanding areas, or for the fittest people in more challenging areas.

There's no clear outright winner in the powerful models, it's more about features and any other perceived advantages like how you think they look. They all come from soundly based companies and will do the job.

The most obvious difference is the one I mentioned of battery sizes. The Woosh Big Bear has the advantage of the 15Ah batttery as standard, and eZee has a similar option and even bigger ones available. The others have around 10Ah. Ezee are also the only maker who have never changed their battery mounting so replacements are reliably available no matter the bike age.
.

Kudoscycles · Apr 6, 2015

Michelle...I looked again at the Volt bike....I don't think it has a BPM type motor,the diameter of the motor housing doesn't look large enough,but,to be fair,I cannot be certain.
If it does have the SWX type motor,there are dozens of bikes using that motor,the Vita bike from the London Electric Bike Company is on special currently for £599.00,but it is probably not powerful enough for your requirements,unfortunately you won't know until you try.
All these motors are made are made by Suzhou-Bafang.
There is no difference between the BPM motors you stated except the cassette mounting,hence CST suffix,the power is the same.
Most of the time it is easier to cycle up hills than walk up them- I did an event at the Eden project in Cornwall,I made the mistake of walking out of that quarry,absolutely knackered.Next day I rode out on a Tornado bike,only just out of breath,these motors help a lot.
5' 6" is the ideal height for a 26" wheeled bike with the 46cm frame size-this frame size is the most popular size sold by most e-bay sellers,all the Kudos and Vita bikes use that frame size.
I agree with all that Flecc has said above excepting that the bottle style battery fitted to all the models I have mentioned above is probably the most popular to come out of China,we sell them for about £200 but they are available from dozens of suppliers,it is the only standardising amongst many of the e-bike suppliers.
Hope that helps
KudosDave

RobF · Apr 6, 2015

chelle said:
I'm 5'6. I'm 28 and fit apart from the missing lung. I still want to put effort in when cycling and can't see me not peddling at all. I get very out of breath just walking up hills never mind cycling. I miss my lung!!

I don't really understand motors. I heard that crank drives were better for hill climbing? Anyway, I don't understand the difference between a 250W BPM - CST Bafang Motor and Bafang BPM Alloy 36v 250W Rear.. but you say the latter is more powerful? I thought flecc was saying the Volt had the most powerful motor, but if it has a weaker motor I'll discount it for sure.

The oxygen looks like a very nice bike but is a little more expensive. You say you can sometimes get money off but it doesn't seem like you can buy them from the website?

I will definitely be doing closer to 15 miles most days. And it's only harris that is hilly, the rest of the way and where I generally cycle at home is pretty flat. On the occasions where I do meet a hill I generally have to walk my bike and struggle even with this.

http://www.cyclezee.com/ezee-torq-mk3.html This seems decent too but quite heavy!

Thank you all so much for your patience with my very limited understanding.

Does any bike come out on top then?

You say you want to do some pedalling - all the bikes will allow you to do that.

Normal use would be to bowl along on the flat using a lower assistance level, then turn it up/change gear/deploy the throttle when you reach a hill.

Give John at Oxygen a ring, he will sort you out one way or another.

Likewise Cyclezee, a chat there should assist you.

Cyclezee bikes are famously robust, but don't take too much notice of the weight figure.

Let's just say some makers seem to use more accurate scales than others.

The Torq in your link has a 19" frame and 700c - big - wheels.

At 5ft 6", it may be too big for you.

Cyclezee will be able to point you in the direction of a 26" wheel Ezee bike.

Kudoscycles · Apr 6, 2015

RobF said:
You say you want to do some pedalling - all the bikes will allow you to do that.

Normal use would be to bowl along on the flat using a lower assistance level, then turn it up/change gear/deploy the throttle when you reach a hill.

Give John at Oxygen a ring, he will sort you out one way or another.

Likewise Cyclezee, a chat there should assist you.

Cyclezee bikes are famously robust, but don't take too much notice of the weight figure.

Let's just say some makers seem to use more accurate scales than others.

The Torq in your link has a 19" frame and 700c - big - wheels.

At 5ft 6", it may be too big for you.

will be able to point you in the direction of a 26" wheel Ezee bike.

Rob....I and d8veh walk round shows with one of those luggage weighing scales,they are very accurate to 0.1kg,I checked them against the scales on the airline check-ins.
You are absolutely right about manufacturers fibbing about the weight of these bikes...some are miles out....I picked up one at a show that said 15kgs,the salesman got fed up when it weighed 23kg on my scale....some get quite aggressive about letting me weigh them.
To be fair,I don't think they weigh them,the weights are more what they want them to be,not the actuals.
The usual excuse that the weight is a bare bike with no battery!!!
KudosDave

RobF · Apr 6, 2015

Kudoscycles said:
Rob....I and d8veh walk round shows with one of those luggage weighing scales,they are very accurate to 0.1kg,I checked them against the scales on the airline check-ins.
You are absolutely right about manufacturers fibbing about the weight of these bikes...some are miles out....I picked up one at a show that said 15kgs,the salesman got fed up when it weighed 23kg on my scale....some get quite aggressive about letting me weigh them.
To be fair,I don't think they weigh them,the weights are more what they want them to be,not the actuals.
The usual excuse that the weight is a bare bike with no battery!!!
KudosDave

Dave,

You forgot to say the weights quoted by Kudos are accurate.

The Cyclezee bike might be a bit heavier than a comparable Kudos, not least because of the two-legged centre stand.

trex · Apr 6, 2015

the Woosh Zephyr-B is a 26 inch wheel bike with BPM motor and hydraulic brakes, inexpensive, lightweight and pleasant to cycle unpowered.
it also folds.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?zephyr-b

Deleted member 4366 · Apr 6, 2015

If you want to enquire about the price of an Oxygen bike, you should ring South Yorkshire Electric Bikec Centre and use your best negotiating skills.. Ebikes Direct have also been known to give good discounts..

Regarding the motor types. This is a case where size matters. If you look at the pictures, you'll see that some motors are bigger than others. The Volt bikes have the 120 mm Motors except the Volt X that has the 180mm diameter one. The Oxygen MTB, Ezee, Kudos Tornado, Woosh Big Bear all have the 180mm ones.

EddiePJ · Apr 6, 2015

chelle said:
I get very out of breath just walking up hills never mind cycling. I miss my lung!!

Sorry that this has nothing to do with electric bikes, but you have reminded me a wonderful guy called Svengaillie. Sadly he is no longer with us, as he died in a fire, but I'm mentioning him to show what can be achieved when you only have one lung.

Svengaillie was an inspiration to many, myself include, and it was indirectly because of him that I became interested in e-mtb's. He was also kind enough to offer me the opportunity to ride with him, but sadly the kind offer was never to be fulfilled.
I ride many of his very concise and thoroughly detailed routes, and this one that I have intentional shown for being tough, is just a couple of miles away from my house. I've ridden down a couple of times, but never up.

I hope you will have plenty of fun with your e-bike when you get it.

The Onelungwarrior showing what can be achieved with just one lung.

Cyclezee · Apr 6, 2015

The weight of an eZee bike is the total weight including a battery of at least 11Ah capacity and things like mudguards, lights, AXA locks, rear carriers, stands etc., so when making comparisons with other bikes these factors need to be taken into account.

I doubt if many electric bikes are robust enough to have survived some of the grueling long distane rides that eZee have done.

Over engineered, I don't think so, built to last, definitely.

Deleted member 4366 · Apr 6, 2015

You have to look at the size of the motor. Their discriptions don't mean anything. Once you've looked at a few pictures, you will see the difference.

2Lazy · Apr 7, 2015

Hi Michelle,

I'm in the market for an ebike myself at the moment. I've test ridden quite a few over the last couple of weeks including the following which are on your shortlist - Ezee Torq, Volt Pulse and Pulse X, Oxygen MTB 13ah, Oxgen E-mate, Freego Eagle.

As you're looking specifically for a good hill climber I would discount the Volt Pulse, Oxygen E-mate and Freego Eagle. They're all good bikes but they have the lower powered SWX motor.

That leaves the Ezee bikes (Torq, Forza, Sprint etc.), Volt Pulse X and Oxygen MTB 13ah. In summary I would say the Ezee bikes have marginally more power and hill climbing ability than the BPM powered Volt Pulse X and Oxygen MTB 13ah but it's a close call. The Oxygen MTB might be slightly better once it's up to speed but the Ezee bikes have significantly more 'umph' on throttle alone from a standing start or low speed. But they all offer decent performance, easily pulling my 13.5 stone up moderate (5 to 10%) inclines at 10mph on throttle alone. And they all feel like really well made good quality bikes. Funnily enough it is this triumvirate of bikes which is on my final shortlist.

Aside from power/hill climbing there are, of course, other considerations. The Volt Pulse X is a gorgeous bike (I liken Volt to the Apple of ebikes, really smart design) and a really smooth refined ride, but pricey at close to £2000 and it doesn't have integrated lights. The Oxygen MTB 13ah also has appealing looks, it's quite stealthy with the bottle cage mount battery so it doesn't obviously look like an ebike, performance is great (it can go beyond the 15mph limit if desired), and the MTB tyres will offer more grip off road but it lacks lights, mudgaurds and pannier rack (although these could be added). The Ezee bikes have in my opinion a somewhat understated utilitarian look to them but they have good power/hill climbing, renowned durability, integrated pannier rack, Axa Wheel lock, kick stand and lights, choice of battery capacity and other configuration options, and good specification / value for money. There's a good review of the Ezee Forza here

http://www.ebikereviews.com.au/electric-bike-reviews/ezee-forza-rwd-city-edition-review/

I have heard good things about the Kudos bikes and I understand that the Kudos models with the BPM motor are good hill climbers but I haven't ridden any of them. Aside from the Kudos Secret they don't have a full throttle (to max speed) and as such were not on my shortlist. If a full twist and go throttle is something that you'd like it's worth bearing that in mind.

The BPM powered Woosh bikes would also be worth considering. They don't have quite the right bike for me (in terms of style/configuration) so I haven't test ridden any of them but they have by all accounts a good reputation and offer excellent value for money.

I recommend that you test ride a few bikes before making a decision but I'm happy to provide further information if it would be helpful.

trex · Apr 7, 2015

IMHO, the Krieger is the best bike for the OP. It's got the right size and shape. Its motor is just as powerful as the BPM. It can use gears to climb steeper hills than the BPM can (on throttle, albeit slowly) and have a decent sized battery. The only alternative is to do a conversion with 500W or 750W 8-Fun BBS02.

trex · Apr 7, 2015

most bikes from woosh are delivered fully built except the pedals and handlebars. Ring and ask them to confirm.

flecc · Apr 7, 2015

chelle said:
When i'm looking through on websites like e-bikesdirect it often just says things like '250W rear hub brushless' for the motor. So i'm not even sure if it's BPM or what? So am I looking for something that says BPM or 8FUN?

I'm now thinking of one of these:
http://www.kudoscycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=346
http://www.cyclezee.com/ezee-forza-mk2.html
http://www.wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbear#!prettyPhoto

Once again, thanks everyone for being so helpful

All three bikes you linked to would be fine Michelle.

The references to 250 watts are meaningless, since that's just the legal rating applying to all legal e-bikes, not the actual power. 8fun, otherwise known as Bafang is the main Chinese manufacturer of hub motors and they make both the powerful BPM and lower powered SWX motors.

As said, either the BPM or eZee's own motor are the more powerful ones for climbing. The Kudos Rapide and Woosh Bear that you linked to have the BPM and the Forza eZee's own motor, so all three are powerful enough.

As for choosing from those three, the Kudos Rapide is certainly the more stylish in my eyes as well as yours, but it does have the smaller battery which is marginal for your intended 20 miles.

The Woosh Big Bear has a battery big enough for you, a sound bike but the low price reflects the basic components.

The eZee Forza has above average components for it's price, but you'll need the battery upgrade to 15Ah.

P.S. Rob below makes a good point, so of your choices, best narrow down to either the Woosh Big Bear or the eZee Forza.
.

RobF · Apr 7, 2015

The Rapide has a 51cm - 20" - frame, riding on 700c tyres.

I am sure it will be too big for you.

2Lazy · Apr 7, 2015

chelle said:
Out of the ones I posted above I most like the look of the kudos rapide! But feel i would get much the same out of the tornado.. for a few hundred pounds less, if I wasn't being so vain! The whoosh big bear is even cheaper! Is this as good in other peoples opinion?

The Woosh Big Bear I think will have comparitively lower spec components. Once you've narrowed it down to two or three manufacturers I would recommend a trip to the bike shops for a test ride. Nothing beats actually riding the bikes even if it just confirms what you already thought about them. Depends where you're based of course but they're all within fairly easy reach if you live in the South East.

Cyclezee are in Milton Keynes
Woosh are in Cambridge

If you're driving you could visit both on the same day as they're in the same neck of the woods.

London Electric Bike Company in Hampton Wick stock the Kudos Rapide and Tornado. Alternitively E-bikes Direct in Bodiam stock probably the widest range of ebikes from a whole selection of manufacturers including the Kudos Tornado and most are available to test ride so if you're curious to try out a number of different ebikes it's a good place to visit.

I haven't visited London Electric Bike Company or Woosh but I've been to Cycleeze and E-bikes Direct and at both there is the opportunity for a good test ride on safe traffic free paths.

2Lazy · Apr 7, 2015

Ah since my last post it looks like you made a choice. I'd still recommend a test ride if you can. Either way I hope you enjoy your new bike.

Best bike for hills?

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