Best bike for least peddling
- Thread starter Andy88
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That's right. It's actually easier to pedal than not pedal when riding an ebike. You can pedal with low or high effort. You have the choice.
With some bikes (nearly all the cheaper ones), all you need to do is wave your legs about to get maximum power from the motor. Many of us started like that, but before long, you'll be pedalling hard and enjoying it like the rest of us.
Throttles can be useful, but not as the primary means of controlling the motor's power. A pedal sensor is much easier to use.
Interesting, point taken. Do you have any thoughts on the two kinds of sensor? Candence vs Torque
The point has been well made here, particularly by 'Artstu' but I can remember when I was very young being defeated on occasions by the odd, very steep hill when I was exhausted. I got off the bike and walked it up to the top or just stopped, sat down and had a breather.
Nowadays, of course, I have only a fraction of the energy I had back then but these modern EAPCs are really excellent in providing that missing energy. It's only rarely I feel exhausted but on those occasions, guess what - I take a breather! Maybe if I were a commuter and were up against the clock every day trying to get to work on time, I'd need to reconsider my mode of transport or leave home a bit earlier. With age though, comes the realisation that there is no need to rush anywhere. In fact, a relaxed 10-12mph on a bike allows one to actually see things and appreciate what's around, things that go unnoticed when it's head-down, tuck position, hell-for-leather stuff every time one mounts a bike.
Tom
Thanks, I'm thinking I got to get my head round the derailleur gears, gives me more options
Hi Tom, your comments brought back some childhood memories, I did exactly the same.. Do you use an electric bike these days?
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The best bet is to buy a bike that has a throttle, torque sensor and cadence sensor!
Given who made the suggestion, I think you could guess.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Andy, yes I do....that's why I like to read the latest material about the EAPC world in the UK.
Actually, I have three EAPCs and two manually-powered, FS MTBs. The MTBs are ok on the flat but tire me out too quickly on hilly terrain. For that reason, which might be one you can empathise with, I'd suggest you get along to one of the dealers who contribute to this forum and have a test-ride of the different types of power delivery. 'd8veh' provided some good advice in post #22 but until you actually ride some of these machines, you won't be able to judge properly.
In some ways, other aspects may be more important than the simple matter of how assistance is provided and where the motor is positioned. If the geometry of a bike doesn't make for a comfortable riding position right from the outset, it probably never will - unless you spend further money adapting bars, seat or anything else that isn't quite right for you.
Also, the intended usage is important to the type of bike you choose; leisure and utility cycling may not require the kind of machine that a daily commuter doing a 30 mile round trip may require. Equally, lots of off-road terrain cycling demands something else again so it depends really on what job you want the bike to do.
Fortunately, most of the major players have a range of bikes that should satisfy whatever you have in mind.
All the best,
Tom
Funnily enough on the way home from work last night I turned the assist down in order to pedal harder and warm up more in the freezing temperature.
It's nice to have the option though
On my motorbike would have been absolutely Baltic.
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It's nice to have the option though
On my motorbike would have been absolutely Baltic.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Hi Andy88, i have just stumbled across this thread, and for some reason looked on the 50 cycles second hand bike sales section earlier today and they have an Oxygen Emate City from the throttle era for sale apparently little used for I think £450.
I own a Oxygen Emate City that I bought from 50 cycles in 2011 and still works really well and can be ridden to its top assisted speed just using the throttle with no pedaling required.
Although as I think others have said it will not be able to haul you up a steep hill without some help ie pedaling from you. Although you can dismount and walk alongside the bike using the throttle to move the bike with no effort from you.
I own a Oxygen Emate City that I bought from 50 cycles in 2011 and still works really well and can be ridden to its top assisted speed just using the throttle with no pedaling required.
Although as I think others have said it will not be able to haul you up a steep hill without some help ie pedaling from you. Although you can dismount and walk alongside the bike using the throttle to move the bike with no effort from you.
Today my chain came off and got jammed. Rather than stop on a main road I just twisted the throttle open and cruised hone...about 500 metres away. Then on the safety of my drive it was quickly sorted.
I have also found the throttle on my Oxygen useful in ways I had not thought of when I bought it. As above if the chain jams or comes off it still provides forward movement to allow you to choose a safe place to stop and sort out the problem. If you cannot solve the problem it will help to get you home.
Also when at traffic lights or similar where you want to get away as fast as possible to be safe the throttle engages the motor immediately from the off and quicker than the cadence sensor.
A proper throttle is much better than a walk assist button when you want the bike to help when you are pushing it perhaps with full panniers and I have even negotiated over bridge stairs at railway stations where no lift has been provided although thankfully more lifts are being put in at the stations around me.
On the naughty side of useful with a little practice you can put one foot on a pedal with your body on that side of the bike pushing along with the other foot apparently bionically as with careful use of the throttle you can coast like this for a long long way perhaps where actually riding a bike might be frowned upon but used in this way is seen as OK.
However use your common sense when doing this! and at a speed and in locations where it is not dangerous to you or other people.
Considering an electric bike is really not that powerful really and a throttle allows less fit people or indeed anyone who might struggle to ride a normal bike a way to get some exercise and provide a useful and cheap mode of transport I don't know why any change of legislation was needed?
Perhaps with the passing of time, in the future my Oxygen will be viewed like a classic car and start to appreciate! Maybe not!
Also when at traffic lights or similar where you want to get away as fast as possible to be safe the throttle engages the motor immediately from the off and quicker than the cadence sensor.
A proper throttle is much better than a walk assist button when you want the bike to help when you are pushing it perhaps with full panniers and I have even negotiated over bridge stairs at railway stations where no lift has been provided although thankfully more lifts are being put in at the stations around me.
On the naughty side of useful with a little practice you can put one foot on a pedal with your body on that side of the bike pushing along with the other foot apparently bionically as with careful use of the throttle you can coast like this for a long long way perhaps where actually riding a bike might be frowned upon but used in this way is seen as OK.
However use your common sense when doing this! and at a speed and in locations where it is not dangerous to you or other people.
Considering an electric bike is really not that powerful really and a throttle allows less fit people or indeed anyone who might struggle to ride a normal bike a way to get some exercise and provide a useful and cheap mode of transport I don't know why any change of legislation was needed?
Perhaps with the passing of time, in the future my Oxygen will be viewed like a classic car and start to appreciate! Maybe not!
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I'm 76, not exersizing regularly. But have an el mountain bike with no throttle which I often use in our hilly terrain. But ofcourse overweight is a limiting factor, but not more than can be helped by high motor power and low gear combination.
It was solely to align with mandatory EU law where pedelec only had long been the rule.
Ironic considering we've now voted to leave the EU.
For the following three reasons don't hold your breath for it to be changed again though:
First is Theresa May's bill to convert all incorporated EU law into UK law, this to avoid many years of expensive replacement legislation.
Second there's no legal pressure for change as there was for us to change to EU law.
Third we can't change back since there never was any UK law permitting throttles on e-bikes. Our law merely failed to prescribe a method of control.
.
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