Help! Bike required for 30 mile West Yorkshire commute (round trip)

[anonymous]

Hi,

I'd like to commute to work via ebike, using the komoot app given that Google maps wants me to go an A roads which is not very safe

I'd be travelling between Headingley, and Ben Rhydding, and back of course. I'd probably also require something for my lunch

I'm 27,1.69m tall, 86Kg I hope with cycling I could bring that weight down

I don't have a budget per se, however I've calculated that it costs at least £4.39/day in fuel between Headingley and Ben Rhydding

RE: safe storage. I could probably store it and work, and if it folds, maybe in my car? I currently drive a Prius, and in the future maybe a Lexus CT200h even if I barely drive atm..

I don't have a motorbike licence, nor did I pass before 2001 either which rules out pedelecs at least for the time being

As a kid, I rode £100 mountain bikes, as well as cheap £30 bikes I found on eBay.

Also, I'm not very handy RE: servicing, and would really need this all built for me too.

Not sure what other information I need to let people here know?

 

[TETS]

Hi Anon, welcome to pedelecs. We have a store in York where you can test ride and get independent advice: https://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/pages/contact/
The store manager is called John and you can see from the reviews what existing customer think.
John can certainly help you and discuss the maintenance (or lack of) requirements based on the components on each model.

KR
Eddie

 

[anonymous]

Hi Anon, welcome to pedelecs. We have a store in York where you can test ride and get independent advice: https://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/pages/contact/
The store manager is called John and you can see from the reviews what existing customer think.
John can certainly help you and discuss the maintenance (or lack of) requirements based on the components on each model.

KR
Eddie

Hi Eddie,

That might be useful. I think first I'll probably look to hire an e-bike, try the komoot trip (after buying the other relevant equipment), and then buying an e-bike too

Also none of those can fold?

What sorta helmet, and well clothing in general should I wear to keep warm on the bike but also comfortable?

 

[anonymous]

Is this any good?

FuroSystems

www.furosystems.com

 

[anonymous]

Or perhaps I need something with say 1000W of power? Is that legal?

 

[soundwave]

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[Nealh]

Or perhaps I need something with say 1000W of power? Is that legal?

If labelled as so then illegal.
A 250w rated motor can output more then 250w so potentially you could see over 700w of power for 36v or over 900w for 48v both using a 25a controller.

 

[anonymous]

If labelled as so then illegal.
A 250w rated motor can output more then 250w so potentially you could see over 700w of power for 36v or over 900w for 48v both using a 25a controller.

Thanks. What should I get as an actually legal bike? Ideally one that folds

 

[Wicky]

Montague Paratrooper MTB Folding Bike

Montague Paratrooper MTB Folding BikeYES INSTOCK finally after a long time away !

fudgescyclesonline.com

 

[anonymous]

Montague Paratrooper MTB Folding Bike

Montague Paratrooper MTB Folding BikeYES INSTOCK finally after a long time away !

fudgescyclesonline.com

That's not an ebike?

 

[Wicky]

 

[Nealh]

You can buy any pedelec legally 250w rated/labelled, you do not need any licence to ride one. Most with a 14ah+ battery is capable of 30 miles, it depends on what you are expecting from a pedelec.

If you want e-bike with more then 250w bike then you either ride it oblivious to the law set out or have to register it, which in your case you say you can't do.

 

[anonymous]

Thanks though looking further it appears to require a conversion kit?

 

[Nealh]

30 miles on a folder may wear thin after a while, a larger non folder will be more comfortable in the long run.

 

[anonymous]

You can buy any pedelec legally 250w rated/labelled, you do not need any licence to ride one. Most with a 14ah+ battery is capable of 30 miles, it depends on what you are expecting from a pedelec.

If you want e-bike with more then 250w bike then you either ride it oblivious to the law set out or have to register it, which in your case you say you can't do.

Essentially I'd want to cycle to work without breaking a sweat

 

[vfr400]

I don't have a budget per se, however I've calculated that it costs at least £4.39/day in fuel between Headingley and Ben Rhydding

There isn't really an economic case for using an electric bike to save money if you're going to buy anything other than a cheap Chinese one.

You've underestimated the cost of running your car. By the time you add on tyre wear, servicing and other variable running costs, it will be closer to £6 per trip.

If you're keen, you will probably manage around 150 -180 trips a year on the elecric bike because some days it will snow, others there will be a howling gale and horizontal rain, or you might decide that -10C is just too cold. Other times, you have something on after work or you need to do some shopping or something like that, so you take the car. If you're really keen you might make 200 out of the approx 230 working days in the year.

Using 180 x £6 gives an annual saving of £1080. The average cost of a reasonable bike will be around £1500, then you need winter and summer riding gear, probably lights, mudguards and other stuff like that, so maybe £1700, then there will be running costs for your bike, like chains and tyres and other things. Without doing accurate sums and estimates, you can see that it will take approximately 2 years to get payback. By that time, you'll be needing a new battery and you'll probably be thinking about buying a new bike.

On the plus side, you make yourself more healthy and it builds your character stronger. You also free the roads of one car to make driving easier for everybody else and you save a bit of pollution, though you have to compare that with the pollution made when they manufactured your bike.

 

[Nealh]

A pedelecs is the ideal then, as faster speed requires more rider effort which as we know means exertion and sweat. You will find a rear hub motor more user friendly for commuting with simple rotation PAS ( cadence PAS), a torque drive/mid drive bike is a torque multiplier PAS system which requires you to add more effort.

 

[anonymous]

A pedelecs is the ideal then, as faster speed requires more rider effort which as we know means exertion and sweat. You will find a rear hub motor more user friendly for commuting with simple rotation PAS ( cadence PAS), a torque drive/mid drive bike is a torque multiplier PAS system which requires you to add more effort.

Sorry. A rear hub motor? What would you recommend? Ie: one that folds too? It'd have to be able to take me from Headingley to Ben Rhydding with some ease.

 

[anonymous]

30 miles on a folder may wear thin after a while, a larger non folder will be more comfortable in the long run.

It'd have to go outside then. I'm guessing I'd need to tie the bike down in both areas?

 

[KirstinS]

Having read the thread my observations are that suspect you underestimate the clothes and kit required to do a long commute all year round. And, frankly, the level of will and determination needed to do that commute regardless of the weather. (I've done it for a decade on only 15 mile trip). I see many aspire to do so and faail/give up.

Forget arriving with no sweat also. You just can't with a legal ebike, that distance and winter weather. You'll freeze or you'll sweat some

Tbh, seems you need a CBT and a moped