Thanks D8ve. I think I'd prefer a ready made bike, but if I did decide to add a kit do you know anywhere in Bristol that fit them? I wouldn't trust myself to do it...
Best choice?
- Thread starter DR2501
- Start date
Perhaps I could have been clearer. There are plenty of electric bikes on eBay. Look for step through with a frame size around 45 cm. But test ride is best. Try an electric bike with the power off as well as on. If you can't ride it on the flat unassisted. Then I wouldn't touch it.
Some of the experts here could set your bike up for you if you had a kit.
Offers of real ale will often tempt them.
Some of the experts here could set your bike up for you if you had a kit.
Offers of real ale will often tempt them.
D
Deleted member 4366
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£35 to send it via Paisley Freight.
I keep forgetting about Tonaros. They seem to have fallen out of the spotlight recently, but they're pretty good bikes.
I keep forgetting about Tonaros. They seem to have fallen out of the spotlight recently, but they're pretty good bikes.
Had an ebayer come look at it tonight, then try to knock me down by a lot! £475 is the start price so they could have at least offered me that!
Hi, are you commuting in from around Fishponds or Warmley? I do the same route everyday and I find the Cycle Path pretty flat <well it is for a ebike 
>, the whole length can be done on throttle only on my E-Bike and I tend to get off at Fishponds then go uphill to Staple hill - Kingswood - Hanham.
Pretty much any ebike will handle your weight along that route. Are you looking for a mountain bike style machine?
>, the whole length can be done on throttle only on my E-Bike and I tend to get off at Fishponds then go uphill to Staple hill - Kingswood - Hanham.Pretty much any ebike will handle your weight along that route. Are you looking for a mountain bike style machine?
Thanks but I like step over framed bikes I'm afraid - good luck with the sale though
I've found a couple of bikes I like but I want to make sure the motor is adequate for what I need. Does anyone have any thoughts on the Trek FX+ 2011 and the Kudos Tourer? Both seem to do what I want but I'm not an expert with motors clearly so any advice would be appreciated!
D
I've found a couple of bikes I like but I want to make sure the motor is adequate for what I need. Does anyone have any thoughts on the Trek FX+ 2011 and the Kudos Tourer? Both seem to do what I want but I'm not an expert with motors clearly so any advice would be appreciated!
D
I commute from Mangotsfield to the city centre cycle path all the way. It seems flat on the way to work but going home is definitely uphill and I want the ebike for the return leg! Plus we plan to move to Longwell Green at the end of the year and theres a monster of a hill on the path from there, so I want to make sure I don't have to buy twice.Hi, are you commuting in from around Fishponds or Warmley? I do the same route everyday and I find the Cycle Path pretty flat <well it is for a ebike
Pretty much any ebike will handle your weight along that route. Are you looking for a mountain bike style machine?
Not really, more a hybrid style - I have a mountain bike (non elec) which I'm using now and I like the idea of panniers and closer fitting mudguards!
Do you currently use a ebike for your commute? I imagine you use a normal bike as you say the return leg of Bristol-Bath Cycle path is more uphill but as I use a e-bike I can honestly say I do not notice it
I do notice the hills between the Cycle Path and Kingswood and I actually get off the bike at the end of Lodge Causeway as I need more fitness to get me up there in 1st gear haha
I imagine you get off the cycle path at Staple Hill/Page Park then ride into Mangotsfield, if you move you will be able to stay on cycle path right the way round to the Keynsham Bypass. I use a normal mountain bike type ebike and weigh 5 stone more than you, the route you are taking will be simple for any ebike with your weight, so just look for the bike you like the look of the best
I do notice the hills between the Cycle Path and Kingswood and I actually get off the bike at the end of Lodge Causeway as I need more fitness to get me up there in 1st gear haha
I imagine you get off the cycle path at Staple Hill/Page Park then ride into Mangotsfield, if you move you will be able to stay on cycle path right the way round to the Keynsham Bypass. I use a normal mountain bike type ebike and weigh 5 stone more than you, the route you are taking will be simple for any ebike with your weight, so just look for the bike you like the look of the best
The Trek is a sound bike, but I believe a 2011 one will have a 24v motor, which is not as powerful as more modern 36v bikes.
The specs are not immediately apparent online, but others may be able to confirm.
Smallish battery, too, fine for a 12 mile round trip, but you mention a more arduous commute is on the cards - how far is that?
The specs are not immediately apparent online, but others may be able to confirm.
Smallish battery, too, fine for a 12 mile round trip, but you mention a more arduous commute is on the cards - how far is that?
the hill down the road from Longwell Green is about 9-10% - you are not heavy, most decent e-bikes will climb it without much trouble. I would like to take the opportunity to make a point about choosing a bike for hills, it seems a recurrent question in this section of the forum. Climbing hills require instant power, that power must come from your battery, in Watts, it is roughly twice the watt hour of your battery. A 36V 10AH battery can deliver at most 720W, a 15AH at most 1,000W.
It is not illegal (under EN15194) to supply that much power to the circuitry, because you won't get it unless the speed is very low when that much is drawn from the battery.
When that happens, your hub drive motor will run below 30% yield, converting most of that power into heat. If you have a crank drive, you will shift to the lowest gear, allowing the motor to run about 3 times faster than on its highest gear. At that lowest gear, a crank motor will run at about 55%-65% yield.
That is the reason why a crank drive is more efficient at climbing the worst hills than hub motors.
However, even if your battery can supply 1,000W, your motor may not be able to take it all. Its magnets may be saturated at less than the maximum power that you can draw from your battery. This is the case of the smaller hub motors, such as 8-Fun SWX. The SWXK3 or 5 for example have higher saturation current than the SWXB but they saturate still around 500W. The BPM have 50% more magnets, thus will saturate at around 700W. The Chinese crank motor TCM (and the Bosch) will saturate about 500W too.
If follows from these observations that on hills less than 5%, you won't see much difference in climbing ability, between 5% to 10%, the BPM is best, between 10%-15%, the BPM and TCM are neck and neck, above 15%, the BPM won't climb on throttle alone while the TCM just might, abeit very slowly.
PS: d8veh xiongda XD is better at 10%-15% hills than BPM and TCM, but new more powerful Chinese crank motors will hit the market soon.
It is not illegal (under EN15194) to supply that much power to the circuitry, because you won't get it unless the speed is very low when that much is drawn from the battery.
When that happens, your hub drive motor will run below 30% yield, converting most of that power into heat. If you have a crank drive, you will shift to the lowest gear, allowing the motor to run about 3 times faster than on its highest gear. At that lowest gear, a crank motor will run at about 55%-65% yield.
That is the reason why a crank drive is more efficient at climbing the worst hills than hub motors.
However, even if your battery can supply 1,000W, your motor may not be able to take it all. Its magnets may be saturated at less than the maximum power that you can draw from your battery. This is the case of the smaller hub motors, such as 8-Fun SWX. The SWXK3 or 5 for example have higher saturation current than the SWXB but they saturate still around 500W. The BPM have 50% more magnets, thus will saturate at around 700W. The Chinese crank motor TCM (and the Bosch) will saturate about 500W too.
If follows from these observations that on hills less than 5%, you won't see much difference in climbing ability, between 5% to 10%, the BPM is best, between 10%-15%, the BPM and TCM are neck and neck, above 15%, the BPM won't climb on throttle alone while the TCM just might, abeit very slowly.
PS: d8veh xiongda XD is better at 10%-15% hills than BPM and TCM, but new more powerful Chinese crank motors will hit the market soon.
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may I make a suggestion? why don't you ask d8veh to convert your bike with his xiongda XD motor? that motor with a good battery will whisk you up that hill at pretty close to 12mph and it's also the cheapest option (under £500).
d8veh is going to get 5 more of those XD motors soon. (or 350W 48V souped up version that xiongda told me they have).
d8veh is going to get 5 more of those XD motors soon. (or 350W 48V souped up version that xiongda told me they have).
D
Deleted member 4366
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Woosh Big Bear and Kudos Tornado.
The Tonaro is also a good climbing bike. It's a bit more expensive than the Woosh crank-drives, but has more power. They pop up from time to time at sub-£1000. At the moment,the top of the range Bighit is discounted to £1000:
http://www.powerpedals.co.uk/our-products/bighit.html
Duane is only 5ft 5. The Tornado 18" frame is better suited than the Big Bear 20" frame.
I still think best to ask you to convert his bike with the XD motor and a good 36V 11AH battery. Think of a 17kg bike that climbs hill better than a BPM - good?
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