Bike Purchase Advice - 22 Mile (one way) Commute

[Woosh]

I'm in my early thirties and go to the gym / muay thai 5+ times per week so I'm pretty fit. On a normal bike I can do the route in about 1h 45 minutes but I arrive sweaty and don't really want to sustain that level of effort 5 days per week continuously, as all of my free time would be spent sleeping to recover!

Adam, if you don't mind me asking, which bike do you use to ride to work at the moment?

 

[mooksy_86]

Adam, if you don't mind me asking, which bike do you use to ride to work at the moment?

Sure I don't mind at all Woosh, my current bike is a Norco Indie. It's a hybrid city style bike from Evans. Although I don't actually ride in to work all that regularly for the reasons stated in my last post.

 

[Powerbikes]

I'm not sure I fully understood that. Riding at an average of 20mph and arriving at work without being drenched in sweat would be the aim. I can charge the battery at either end if necessary. I weigh just over 90Kg and would be carrying a change of clothes etc in my panniers so max carry load would be something like 100Kg. What wattage motor and size battery would I need in amp hours to achieve that? Based on browsing this forum an Oxygen S-Cross MTB sounds like a very reliable bike capable of covering the distance if charged at either end http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/oxygen-scross-mtb-ongoing-review.28142/ Do I have that right? I've also been looking at the Wisper 905 Torque 2 which also sounds like it might be an option but the Oxygen looks more suitable to the gravel trails https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/brands/wisper/wisper-905-torque-mkii-16ah-75-mile-range Thanks for the response and sorry I'm a total ebike noob!

I was going to suggest the Wisper 905 then spotted you have already considered it. We're doing 10% off e-bikes over £1000 if you are interested in it. https://powerbikes.uk/shop/e-bikes/style/urban/wisper-905-torque/

If you are thinking of conversion kits this one has proved popular. Especially with commuters. This will do just over 30mph when de-restricted.
https://powerbikes.uk/shop/conversion-kit/dual-power-2501000w-switchable-conversion-kit-rear-wheel-motor/
It's a cheaper option too!

 

[Woosh]

Sure I don't mind at all Woosh, my current bike is a Norco Indie. It's a hybrid city style bike from Evans. Although I don't actually ride in to work all that regularly for the reasons stated in my last post.

it's a pretty good base for conversion. Fit an XF08C kit with 17AH battery for £599. You can get about 100 mile range with it at 15mph, of course less at higher speed.

 

[mooksy_86]

it's a pretty good base for conversion. Fit an XF08C kit with 17AH battery for £599. You can get about 100 mile range with it at 15mph, of course less at higher speed.

Thanks Woosh I'll add that to the list of options. How technical is it to setup one of these kits? I'm reasonably capable with basic bike maintenance but I'm no sparky. I just had a quick look at the kit on your site but it doesn't look like that particular one comes in a 700cc wheel size?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

It may be worth considering, we have an ex demo model Riese and Muller Charger, as new. Perfect for your commute with the Bosch CX motor. We would be pleased to let you have the bike for £1,950.00. instead of the current £3,239.00

Just a thought!

All the best David

https://www.r-m.de/en-gb/e-bike/charger/charger-mountain/#17Z13_05010927

 

[Woosh]

How technical is it to setup one of these kits? I'm reasonably capable with basic bike maintenance but I'm no sparky.

The trickiest bit is to fit the pedal sensor but help is at hand! You need to turn the bike upside down, take a picture of the bottom bracket area and email it to support. Andy will make sure that you get the exactly right pedal sensor for your bike. If any tool is required, he'll send you a link to get it from the net.
If you convert your Norco Indie 4, it has a straightforward Shimano UN26 BB, we only need to see that it is long enough to leave a clear 5mm gap between itself and the left crank to take a left side pedal sensor. If not, you need to fit the conventional right side pedal sensor. We would then supply a 3D printed mounting piece to fit your bike. The next difficult bit is to fit additional one or two M5 rivnuts to strengthen the support for the weight of the battery because you ride on gravelled roads. The rest is fairly straightforward. For the rear wheel, you can order the 700C wheel with an 8-speed cassette pre-fitted. Just take the old wheel out and shove in the new one.

I just had a quick look at the kit on your site but it doesn't look like that particular one comes in a 700cc wheel size?

Sorry about that, the 700C wheels arrived just before we broke off for XMAS holiday, I forgot to update the web page. It's now shown.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits#xf08ckit

 

[mooksy_86]

It may be worth considering, we have an ex demo model Riese and Muller Charger, as new. Perfect for your commute with the Bosch CX motor. We would be pleased to let you have the bike for £1,950.00. instead of the current £3,239.00

Just a thought!

All the best David

https://www.r-m.de/en-gb/e-bike/charger/charger-mountain/#17Z13_05010927

Thanks David I'll certainly consider it. As a seller of both mid drive and hub drive systems yourself. What are your thoughts on the two systems? Are the mid drive Bosch motors reliable in your experience?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi Mooksy, In a word "yes" the Bosch system is very reliable and certainly better suited for eMTBs than hub motors. However, we chose the Shimano E8000 for our eMTB range as we feel it's better in many areas, especially on a true mountain bike. For rides along the canal paths and less taxing rides the Bosch is an excellent choice, and if you are climbing very steep hills it's better than a hub motor.

The hub motor is perfect for commuting and general day to day use, it's less expensive to buy and when eventually there is a problem less expensive to repair and service than a centre motor. They are also slightly more efficient than a centre motor which put much more wear and tear on the chain and drive mechanisms.

In nut shell, for commuting and every day use I would recommend a hub motor unless you are hitting very steep hills. For serious mountain biking I would recommend a centre motor.

The above is my opinion only and I am sure there will be others that disagree!!

Good luck with your search.

 

[Trevormonty]

There have been lot cases including my bike, of early Bosch CX drive being replaced under warranty due to water damaging main being. They've fitted extra seal now but needs changing on regular basis. Unless you have big hills to climb I stay clear of it.

The Cube has new Active line Plus which is direct drive like all the other competitors middrives. I would expect Bosch have done better job of bearing design, no reason to believe it is not reliable.

On level ground it shouldn't have any problem maintaining 20-25mph with cutoff disabled. At these speeds you may need charge at work. At 15mph on level ground round trip on single charge shouldn't be problem.

29" MTB wheels give you more options for larger volume tyres than 28" road wheels. Plus 29" roll better which makes for faster bike.

The standard 38T chainring and 11t -34t cassette on rear will give around 20-23mph in top. If Bosch do a larger chainring I fit that, as your wear out 11t on cassette. NB you might be able to buy the 11t separately instead of new cassette.

 

[mooksy_86]

Hi Mooksy, In a word "yes" the Bosch system is very reliable and certainly better suited for eMTBs than hub motors. However, we chose the Shimano E8000 for our eMTB range as we feel it's better in many areas, especially on a true mountain bike. For rides along the canal paths and less taxing rides the Bosch is an excellent choice, and if you are climbing very steep hills it's better than a hub motor.

The hub motor is perfect for commuting and general day to day use, it's less expensive to buy and when eventually there is a problem less expensive to repair and service than a centre motor. They are also slightly more efficient than a centre motor which put much more wear and tear on the chain and drive mechanisms.

In nut shell, for commuting and every day use I would recommend a hub motor unless you are hitting very steep hills. For serious mountain biking I would recommend a centre motor.

The above is my opinion only and I am sure there will be others that disagree!!

Good luck with your search.

Brilliant thanks for the impartial advice David All things considered I think I'm going to go for a hub motor as there isn't anything particularly steep on my route, it's just long with a few moderate climbs. Now it's just a case of weighing up which model or kit to buy. Woosh's motor hub kit is sounding quite appealing at the moment.

 

[mooksy_86]

There have been lot cases including my bike, of early Bosch CX drive being replaced under warranty due to water damaging main being. They've fitted extra seal now but needs changing on regular basis. Unless you have big hills to climb I stay clear of it.

The Cube has new Active line Plus which is direct drive like all the other competitors middrives. I would expect Bosch have done better job of bearing design, no reason to believe it is not reliable.

On level ground it shouldn't have any problem maintaining 20-25mph with cutoff disabled. At these speeds you may need charge at work. At 15mph on level ground round trip on single charge shouldn't be problem.

29" MTB wheels give you more options for larger volume tyres than 28" road wheels. Plus 29" roll better which makes for faster bike.

The standard 38T chainring and 11t -34t cassette on rear will give around 20-23mph in top. If Bosch do a larger chainring I fit that, as your wear out 11t on cassette. NB you might be able to buy the 11t separately instead of new cassette.

Thanks Trevor. How easy it it to disable the cutoff on the Cube bikes? DO you need to buy a special bit of kit?

 

[soundwave]

it takes about 5sec to fit a bad ass dongle and move the magnet tho the speed shown will be half on the display

 

[mooksy_86]

The trickiest bit is to fit the pedal sensor but help is at hand! You need to turn the bike upside down, take a picture of the bottom bracket area and email it to support. Andy will make sure that you get the exactly right pedal sensor for your bike. If any tool is required, he'll send you a link to get it from the net.
If you convert your Norco Indie 4, it has a straightforward Shimano UN26 BB, we only need to see that it is long enough to leave a clear 5mm gap between itself and the left crank to take a left side pedal sensor. If not, you need to fit the conventional right side pedal sensor. We would then supply a 3D printed mounting piece to fit your bike. The next difficult bit is to fit additional one or two M5 rivnuts to strengthen the support for the weight of the battery because you ride on gravelled roads. The rest is fairly straightforward. For the rear wheel, you can order the 700C wheel with an 8-speed cassette pre-fitted. Just take the old wheel out and shove in the new one.


Sorry about that, the 700C wheels arrived just before we broke off for XMAS holiday, I forgot to update the web page. It's now shown.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits#xf08ckit

Thanks Whoosh. I'm definitely weighing this up as it seems like a great option but I am a bit daunted by the fitting process though. I'll have a look at some YouTube videos to see if I can get my head round it. The exact model of my Norco Indie is this one https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-indie-2-2015-hybrid-bike-EV211749 I already have a pannier rack and mudguards fitted to it and I'd prefer to have the battery on the rack than on the frame I think, so I suppose I'd need to get a special rack like you have on the models on your site. Do you sell these separately as well? Thanks for all your advice so far!

 

[Rohloffboy]

Suprised no one has mentioned the Halfords Carrera Crossfuse at £1,600 ticks all the box's for a Bosch Crank Drive Ebike commuter bike.

 

[Rouge Rider]

Try the turbo vader

 

[Nealh]

I have a Norco indie 2 from Evans from 2012, converted it to leccy in Autumn 2013 it has now seen four different motors and still going strong as are all the motors fitted now to other bikes. 18 -21 mph is my flat running speed once on the go with 36v at 48v it would be a bout 4 or 5 mph faster.

 

[Woosh]

Suprised no one has mentioned the Halfords Carrera Crossfuse at £1,600 ticks all the box's for a Bosch Crank Drive Ebike commuter bike.

that one comes with a 400WH battery, too small for 44 miles a day.

 

[Woosh]

The exact model of my Norco Indie is this one https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-indie-2-2015-hybrid-bike-EV211749 I already have a pannier rack and mudguards fitted to it and I'd prefer to have the battery on the rack than on the frame I think, so I suppose I'd need to get a special rack like you have on the models on your site. Do you sell these separately as well?

that's a nicer bike than the Norco Indie 4. I only have 15AH (550WH) in rear rack battery at the moment. FYI, the XF08C can be supplied with rear rack and 15AH battery for £575.

 

[mooksy_86]

I have a Norco indie 2 from Evans from 2012, converted it to leccy in Autumn 2013 it has now seen four different motors and still going strong as are all the motors fitted now to other bikes. 18 -21 mph is my flat running speed once on the go with 36v at 48v it would be a bout 4 or 5 mph faster.

Good to know Nealh thanks. 18-21 mph would do me nicely to be honest. What motor kit and battery have you got on the bike currently and when you say four different motors do you mean each one has only lasted 12 months on average? Or have you just swapped them onto your other bikes?