Bike suggestions for a couple of chunky gents :-)

[Yorkshire Traveller]

We seek the advice from the forum for the purchase of two electric bikes for us to take on holiday with us in our motorhome (we already have a two bike rack on the motorhome).

The bikes will be used for day rides out from campsites to visit the local sights and restaurants. I would anticipate a maximum of 10 - 20 miles per outing.

2 x males 18 & 20 stone (yes - we are on diets!).

We would prefer a 'step through' design, large wheels, twist and go without the need to change gears manually.

Would like to try and keep the cost below £1500 per bike if possible (but appreciate we may have to go over budget to get everything we want).

Any help and advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Woosh Big Bear LS. Nothing else comes close.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbear-ls

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

Thanks dv8veh for your suggestion.

It looks as though this has a manual gear change which we would like to avoid, however could live with this but would want to have a test ride on the bike before purchase just to make sure (have tried a couple of electric bikes in the past and just didn't feel comfortable on them). WOOSH supply direct and not through dealerships so no able to have a test ride :-(

Any further thoughts?

 

[Woosh]

would you consider conversion?
the Woosh 48V SWX02 hub kit will whisk 20st up most hills with ease.
It's my favourite runabout town at the moment although I don't weigh anything as much, I do enjoy a fast start off at traffic lights!
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

would you consider conversion?
the Woosh 48V SWX02 hub kit will whisk 20st up most hills with ease.
It's my favourite runabout town at the moment although I don't weigh anything as much, I do enjoy a fast start off at traffic lights!
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits

Thanks for the suggestion but we don't have any pedal bikes to convert!

 

[Woosh]

Ask your local bike shop, they may want to suggest something nice to suit and perhaps even do the conversion for you.
Here is my runabout, fitted with the 48V SWX02 kit. A new donor bike like this costs about £350 at Halfords. The donor bike weighs about 13kg-14kg, the kit adds 6.5kgs.

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

Ask your local bike shop, they may want to suggest something nice to suit and perhaps even do the conversion for you.
Here is my runabout, fitted with the 48V SWX02 kit. A new donor bike like this costs about £350 at Halfords. The donor bike weighs about 13kg-14kg, the kit adds 6.5kgs.

Thanks agin for the suggestion - we're more looking for a step through type frame (old age and all that!).

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It looks as though this has a manual gear change which we would like to avoid

Any further thoughts?

There's no electric bikes without manual change that would suit you, so you're out.

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

There's no electric bikes without manual change that would suit you, so you're out.

I've come to the same conclusion so compromises will have to be made - back to the Woosh Bigbear LS methinks!

A while back I saw the Bergamont E-Line Harmony which fitted the bill perfectly but the price of £2000+ was way out of our range.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

A while back I saw the Bergamont E-Line Harmony which fitted the bill perfectly but the price of £2000+ was way out of our range.

Just as well - you'd hate it anyway.

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

Just as well - you'd hate it anyway.

Out of interest why do you say that?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It's a crank-drive with a torque multiplication system. You'd most likely stall out on steep hills and not be able to get going again. A freind of mine has that bike but with normal hub gears. She stopped using it because she couldn't get going on hills when it stopped and she has a lot of hills where she lives, so now she's happily using an Ezee bike, which has similar motor and power characteristics as the Big Bear. She's not that heavy either. Her slim fit husband has started using the Bergamont now, and he likes it.

I doubt that the automatic gears would change with your weight as they struggle with a 100kg rider on a hill.

I tried a Harmony bike when I was 100kg. It was in the wrong gear all the time and stalled out on the slightest hill. My 65kg mate rode it after me and found it perfect.

Different bikes work for different people, but having been quite heavy and unfit myself, I can tell you that not many e-bikes will work for you. If you want a branded one from a shop with a guarantee, that choice goes down to the Woosh Big Bear and the Volt Pulse X at double the BB's price. I'm not sure whether the Volt has a 20A controller. You'd need to check that. It's not a stepthrough anyway, so doesn't meet your requirements.

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

It's a crank-drive with a torque multiplication system. You'd most likely stall out on steep hills and not be able to get going again. A freind of mine has that bike but with normal hub gears. She stopped using it because she couldn't get going on hills when it stopped and she has a lot of hills where she lives, so now she's happily using an Ezee bike, which has similar motor and power characteristics as the Big Bear. She's not that heavy either. Her slim fit husband has started using the Bergamont now, and he likes it.

I doubt that the automatic gears would change with your weight as they struggle with a 100kg rider on a hill.

I tried a Harmony bike when I was 100kg. It was in the wrong gear all the time and stalled out on the slightest hill. My 65kg mate rode it after me and found it perfect.

Different bikes work for different people, but having been quite heavy and unfit myself, I can tell you that not many e-bikes will work for you. If you want a branded one from a shop with a guarantee, that choice goes down to the Woosh Big Bear and the Volt Pulse X at double the BB's price. I'm not sure whether the Volt has a 20A controller. You'd need to check that. It's not a stepthrough anyway, so doesn't meet your requirements.

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

Thank you so much for the comprehensive information which is really appreciated.

 

[Warwick]

Wisper do a couple of step-throughs: https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/electric-bikes/step-through-frames/wisper-705-torque-mkii

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

Wisper do a couple of step-throughs: https://www.e-bikesdirect.co.uk/electric-bikes/step-through-frames/wisper-705-torque-mkii

Thanks for the suggestion - a bit more expensive than the Woosh!

 

[Warwick]

By the way, you may want to check the maximum weight recommended for your bike rack, as ebikes are heavy beasts...

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

By the way, you may want to check the maximum weight recommended for your bike rack, as ebikes are heavy beasts...

Good point - though we are fortunate to have a large indoor garage under the rear bed which will accomodate the bikes if necessary.

 

[daveboy]

The way you have described your riding needs you could leave the Big Bear in the lowest gear and only peddle when setting off or on the steepest hills
(using the throttle the rest of the time)

 

[Yorkshire Traveller]

The way you have described your riding needs you could leave the Big Bear in the lowest gear and only peddle when setting off or on the steepest hills
(using the throttle the rest of the time)

Yes - think that will be the case. Thanks for your advice.