Commute and some off road?

[Jaywarren]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to get a bike that I can use on my commute of 9 miles each way on roads and some muddy roads and tracks.

I've had a little look at Cube and Specialized. The local dealer tells me I should get a hybrid like a Vado.

Should I really get a hybrid or could a mountain bike work as well? I assume rolling resistance etc makes the hybrid more suited? Does the motor negate this?

Looking to spend up to approx £2.5k.

I would like to use the bike for the odd trail but this would probably not happen anything like as often as I would like....

Advise please!!!

 

[soundwave]

get a fs mtb and dongle it, it will also hold its value more

 

[Jaywarren]

Thanks! What would you recommend for this price? Would I need to put different tyres on for the road?

 

[soundwave]

you can change the tyres but with a motor rolling resistance is out the window they just wont last as long on the road.

@2.5k thats about the entry level for a fs like cube.

 

[soundwave]

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Full-Suspension-eBikes/Haibike-sDuro-FullSeven-3.0-2019?filter=12

you will get better spec parts on a cube as haibike a premium brand but ebike shop fits dongle and honers the warranty that no other uk dealer will.

 

[georgehenry]

Ebikeshop have 20% off Haibike 2018 models.

I like a hardtail for commutting for their reliability and simplicity and also easy to fit a sturdy rack to for panniers also very useful for commutting.

They have a Haibike 2018 trekking model that comes with lights and mudguards that would be £1799.20 with the 20% discount

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Hybrid-Town-Trekking-eBikes/Haibike-sDuro-Trekking-4.0-2018?filter=19&sort=p.price&order=ASC

Or a 2018 Haibike sDuro Hardseven hardtail mountain bike for £1599.20 after 20% discount that you can add a rear rack and mudguards to if you want too and use re-chargeable lights.

https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Hard-Tail-eBikes/Haibike-sDuro-HardSeven-1.0-2018?filter=19&sort=p.price&order=ASC

soundwave is right that they will fit a dongle if you wanted one and honour any warranty issues.

 

[Trevormonty]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking to get a bike that I can use on my commute of 9 miles each way on roads and some muddy roads and tracks.

I've had a little look at Cube and Specialized. The local dealer tells me I should get a hybrid like a Vado.

Should I really get a hybrid or could a mountain bike work as well? I assume rolling resistance etc makes the hybrid more suited? Does the motor negate this?

Looking to spend up to approx £2.5k.

I would like to use the bike for the odd trail but this would probably not happen anything like as often as I would like....

Advise please!!!

Work mate uses Vado and fits it with offroad tyres for his offroad commute. Has found 50mm shock bit limiting especially for small drop offs. A 63mm shock should be ok if you only use bridle paths.

 

[Nev]

get a fs mtb and dongle it, it will also hold its value more

I can understand the temptation to fit a dongle when using the bike for a reasonable length commute but wanted to pass on this information.

I had a coffee a short while ago with an ex work colleague who now works for the Police as a road accident investigator and has recently completed all his training with them.

I had my pedelec with me at the time, and without any prompting from me, the first thing he said to me was "make sure you do not doctor it to increase the speed".

He told me he has only been involved with one serious accident so far concerning a pedelec, but one of the first things the team did was to check to see if the bike complied with current legislation. This obviously includes ensuring no dongle had been fitted.

I asked him what would happen if a pedelec has been involved in a serious accident with a car but it would appear that it was the car driver at fault. He told me that the car drivers lawyer would have a field day if that was the case.

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Try and find a bike with Schwalbe Super Moto X tyres. They will be excellent both on the trails and the road.

I wish our new Wayfarer bikes were ready!

All the best, David

 

[soundwave]

www.ElectricBikeSales.co.uk

they also will fit dongles and honer the warranty.

 

[soundwave]

I can understand the temptation to fit a dongle when using the bike for a reasonable length commute but wanted to pass on this information.

I had a coffee a short while ago with an ex work colleague who now works for the Police as a road accident investigator and has recently completed all his training with them.

I had my pedelec with me at the time, and without any prompting from me, the first thing he said to me was "make sure you do not doctor it to increase the speed".

He told me he has only been involved with one serious accident so far concerning a pedelec, but one of the first things the team did was to check to see if the bike complied with current legislation. This obviously includes ensuring no dongle had been fitted.

I asked him what would happen if a pedelec has been involved in a serious accident with a car but it would appear that it was the car driver at fault. He told me that the car drivers lawyer would have a field day if that was the case.

dont crash it then

 

[gstheo119]

I had a coffee a short while ago with an ex work colleague who now works for the Police as a road accident investigator and has recently completed all his training with them.

I had my pedelec with me at the time, and without any prompting from me, the first thing he said to me was "make sure you do not doctor it to increase the speed".

He told me he has only been involved with one serious accident so far concerning a pedelec, but one of the first things the team did was to check to see if the bike complied with current legislation. This obviously includes ensuring no dongle had been fitted.

I asked him what would happen if a pedelec has been involved in a serious accident with a car but it would appear that it was the car driver at fault. He told me that the car drivers lawyer would have a field day if that was the case.

Thanks, I have been wondering how the police are training up on this. As a hacker I acknowledge there is personal injury claim risk if involved in an accident and the bike is found to be derestricted. It's a risk I'm reluctantly taking. I wouldn't have bothered with a pedelec if I couldn't have hacked it. 25kph is just not a useful enough speed - its also less safe on Londons roads than say 35-40 kph. The law needs to recognise these machines potential but also address having quite fast bikes on bike lanes etc.

 

[Andy McNish]

Thanks, I have been wondering how the police are training up on this. As a hacker I acknowledge there is personal injury claim risk if involved in an accident and the bike is found to be derestricted. It's a risk I'm reluctantly taking. I wouldn't have bothered with a pedelec if I couldn't have hacked it. 25kph is just not a useful enough speed - its also less safe on Londons roads than say 35-40 kph. The law needs to recognise these machines potential but also address having quite fast bikes on bike lanes etc.

E-bikes are already heavier than normal bikes. And ebike users are often heavier than average road cyclists. Mass x velocity = potential for damage. Up their speed to race bike levels that only light bikes with fit riders can usually sustain and then ride them in cycle lanes and you have a recipe for killing people. It's simple physics.

Also you are not just risking a PI claim - you are risking really hurting someone and a bucketload of serious criminal charges (up to manslaughter potentially) if you hit someone with what is effectively an e-moped - unlicensed, unregistered and uninsured - especially if driven on a cycle route restricted to bicycles and legal ebikes.

If you want something to do 30mph+ on London roads then get a moped IMHO. If you must use an illegal ebike then for God's sake stay out of cycle lanes/off pavements when you are at derestricted speeds. We don't need any more ebike v pedestrian deaths to spoil the reputation of ebikes.

The police can also confiscate and scap the bike of course.

 

[James63]

I often find myself tootling along at a little over the 15.5 mph cut-off speed, 16 to 19ish on the flat and don't notice the lack of assist untill I glance at the Speedo. I don't mind being quite slow. (Bosch performance line motor on a Gepida Alboin). My legs will get stronger in time.

It is a bit of a slog getting from 0-15 without assist though. I have only done that by accident when the controller wasn't properly clicked in.

Edit - oops that was meant to be in the thread about the 15.5mph cut-off feeling. I am not sure how to cut and paste it on this phone though. Soz.

Another edit - In fairness to my bike, I should mention that it was a bit of a slog from 0 - 15 mph with the controller not seated properly because I set off in too high a gear because I'd anticipated electric help before I realised things weren't right. I'm quite new to this game. Apologies for the thread drift. As you were

 

[georgehenry]

Andy McNish said E-bikes are already heavier than normal bikes. And ebike users are often heavier than average road cyclists. Mass x velocity = potential for damage. Up their speed to race bike levels that only light bikes with fit riders can usually sustain and then ride them in cycle lanes and you have a recipe for killing people. It's simple physics.

Also you are not just risking a PI claim - you are risking really hurting someone and a bucketload of serious criminal charges (up to manslaughter potentially) if you hit someone with what is effectively an e-moped - unlicensed, unregistered and uninsured - especially if driven on a cycle route restricted to bicycles and legal ebikes.

If you want something to do 30mph+ on London roads then get a moped IMHO. If you must use an illegal ebike then for God's sake stay out of cycle lanes/off pavements when you are at derestricted speeds. We don't need any more ebike v pedestrian deaths to spoil the reputation of ebikes.

The police can also confiscate and scap the bike of course.[/QUOTE]

Reply:

I do not disagree with your sentiments, however as a heavy but fit rider myself riding on even a slightly downhill gradient on my ebike with the motor off my speed can very quickly exceed 20 mph and often approach 25 mph.

I clock around 40 mph down steep hills with the motor off.

Equally on a shared use path with pedestrians 10mph could be recklessly too fast let alone the legal cut off speed. So you could easily be riding recklessly on a legal ebike with all the momentum of that extra weight.

I think the speed cut off point was not chosen for any safety reason but to appease the motor/motorcycle industry.

If safety was the real reason then ebikes should have their speed limited to the cut off point in all circumstances, and most importantly downhill, though how you achieve that I do not know.

But you are right about the legal implications of riding an illegal bike.