Bike wanted for short fast commute

[enndee]

Hi, I've just been to try a number of the Woosh bikes and while I found the Big Bear to be ok, didn't like the Sirocco 2 or CDL much as they didn't seem that powerful and when the assist ran out seemed to take some effort to get going much faster - too lower a top gear, resistance or my unfit legs could be the cause.
The differences between these models has made me realise I need more advice and so here I am. What I'm looking for is slightly different to others and may mean an ebike isn't the solution. My commute is around 1.5miles through a town centre with the usual pot holes, speed bumps and traffic lights(you just wouldn't believe the number) and the only 'hill' involved is around 10%. So range isn't important but getting moving quickly and then being able to pedal above the top assistance speed is (got a train to catch not just taking in the sights). So any suggestions that would fit a 6ft (my current bike has a 20in frame which seems unusual for ebikes for some reason) 15 st guy who is able to pedal but doesn't want to be all sweaty on the long train journey to work that would fit in the cycle2work scheme please? Suggestions so far are the Freego Hawk and the Roodog Avatar? Would like to try before I buy but Suffolk doesn't seem to have much in the way of ebike shops so probably going to have to go with you advice so no pressure

 

[trex]

if you want a fast bike, you have to build one yourself or buy an s-pedelec like Kalkhoff BS10 - most UK suppliers have to restrict their bikes to 15mph. If you only need to go short distance, maybe a folder would do?

 

[enndee]

I'm 'happy' that the assist stops at 15mph but I still want to be able to pedal myself faster, the sirocco's felt like they would take more effort than my old normal bike would once the assist turned off. It's the initial acceleration and the ability to pedal myself faster that I want to maximise.
Do folders accelerate faster, thought the bigger wheeled leg over ones would? I don't need to take the bike on the train as they are installing a secure bike area at my station and I walk the other end (London being a cyclist death trap as far as I'm concerned....)

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The Sirocco CD can be deristricted to 24 mph y simple software setting.

 

[oldtom]

Enndee, you sound like a perfect candidate for a Cytronex-powered road bike or hybrid.

You can check them out here: http://www.cytronex.com

Tom

 

[trex]

you can get the Big Bear and change the chain ring to 52 teeth. It would then let you pedal comfortably at 22mph.

 

[EddiePJ]

Why not just get up earlier and cut out the rush.

 

[enndee]

Already get up before 6am so I can work my hours and still get home before 7pm . Except Fridays where I get a lie in till 7 but then can end up working till gone 2am Saturday

Admitted I could get up 20 mins earlier and walk it and have beat driving by walking, but could do with more sleep.

Any opinions about the Hawk or the Avatar or maybe the Kudos Typhoon or am I barking up completely the wrong tree?

 

[enndee]

Or the cytronex as that seems to be claiming to be fast and light as oldtom suggested?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The biggest problem you need to solve is how to keep your bike safe at the station. The chances are that you'll come back one night to find the battery gone. hardly any battery lock systems are secure. That might swing it for the Avatar.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi endee,

We may have a bike that will give the performance that you are looking so take a minute or two to check out our website http://cyclezee.com/ or give me a call.

Coincidentally, we have someone coming from Suffolk on Monday for a test ride.

 

[Jimod]

Any opinions about the Hawk or the Avatar or maybe the Kudos Typhoon or am I barking up completely the wrong tree?

I've got a kudos typhoon and it pedals easily above the cut out speed. You could use the typhoon and simply turn the pedals and it will take you to 15 mph on the flat, a bit of effort on the pedals and you'll climb your 10% hill. A 1.5 mile trip will take you 6 minutes. You could also pedal at 25 mph and get sweaty on warm days. Your 1.5 mile trip will take 3.6 minutes. You'll get sweaty and save 2.4 minutes!

If you look in the electric bike review part of pedalecs you'll find a review I did on the typhoon. To save 2.4 minutes isn't worth hard pedalling for. The review is here http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/kudos-typhoon.17295/

 

[Deleted member 4366]

when the assist ran out seemed to take some effort to get going much faster - too lower a top gear, resistance or my unfit legs could be the cause.

This is often an illusion. The electric motor makes pedalling easy. Once the power runs out you're on your own. You probably wouldn't have been able to go any faster on a non-electric bike. The difference between 250w help and 0w is substantial, when you can only sustain 100w yourself.

 

[D8ve]

Simple sums
1.5 miles
15 mph 6 mins
20 mph 4,5 mins
I don't think top speed realy makes a lot of difference.
Acceleration.
Normal cyclist circa 100 watts. Takes a while.
Fit cyclist 250 watts quick.
Normal plus electric circa 350 watts. Like a tour rider
Given it is 250 watts continous the peak output can be over 500 watts on climb. Most modern 36 volt will turn you bionic. Flying up hills and off the line.
( me 50 year old and 16 stone beating a 23 year old whippet up park street on my old BH)
A suspended or mountain bike would deal with lumps and bumps.
A road machine is normally better for distance acceleration.
You choose. But the whoosh seams a good deal. Try a bigger ring on the front perhaps?

 

[RobF]

You say the commute has an 'unbelievable' number of traffic lights.

Assuming you stop on red, any saving you could make would be wiped out by catching a couple of red lights.

Trying to time this to the second is impossible and pointless anyway.

Allow 10 minutes and buy any ebike you fancy.

 

[enndee]

hi d8veh, the train company have built a new cycle park on the platform with an electronic key fob system and in view of CCTV cameras so I'm hoping it will be safe.
You could all be right and it was an illusion and I would struggle to go faster, I did try out my old bike and could feel the strain going up my hill compared to the ebikes but felt faster on the flat, not a good test as different roads and no speedo on my bike.
It was more the difference I felt between the three bikes that's got me wondering about things like weight and peak power. I've found it strange that companies don't put out more info about their motors as I would think that would be a big differentiator.

 

[trex]

peak power of the 8-Fun BPM (on the big bear) is about 700W, of the TCM (on the CDL) is about 500W. Both bikes have to be restricted to comply with EN15194. The Big Bear is has more grunt and acceleration. It's not very fast, about 21mph max derestricted. The CDL has higher pedalling speed - about 24mph max desrestricted and able to climb steeper hills, slowly.
Bikes fitted with LCD are usually faster than 15mph, the LCD is used to restrict their power and speed. Bikes with LED are not restricted because they don't go faster than 15mph.

 

[jackhandy]

Bikes with LED are not restricted because they don't go faster than 15mph.

Any bike with the Ezee mk2 motor & led handlebar unit is most certainly resricted as supplied, and needs to be.

 

[Geebee]

E-bikes can be deceptive regarding average speeds, you really need to time it.
At the very least you will not have to raise a sweat.

 

[enndee]

D8ve, Jimod, I see the point you both are making about the time difference, probably right as the idea on the way to the station is not to get sweaty. Didn't realise that I would only be putting out 100w, puts 250w into perspective a bit.
Trex, Ive seen various threads about all 250 w motors not being the same and this continuous versus peak power was what I was thinking they were on about. So does the bpm as fitted to the big bear and typhoon have the highest peak (ignoring one off specials)? Do any others have this motor fitted?
Think there's 9 traffic lights on this route, council have recently put more in. On my ordinary bikeI always feel I just get cruising and have to slow or stop, it's why I'm interested in the acceleration as that will have more of an impact on my average speed. The route I take in my car takes over 20mins due to the jam caused by the lights on its route, hence why I'm here...