Commuter bike for hilly Bristol

[Bobo12345]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some advice about a good e-bike for commuting purposes in Bristol at the lower end of the price spectrum. I'm planning to use Cyclescheme for the first £1000 and am willing to add around £300 more on top of that. My key criteria are:

• 15 mile round-trip commute with the steepest incline I'd encounter around 21%, although only that severe for short sections
• I'd like to buy it from a local shop in Bristol which can also service it, so probably limited to what's available at Atmosphere (www.electricbikes.org.uk), Electric Bike Sales (www.electricbikesales.co.uk) or The Electric Bike Shop (www.theelectricbikeshop.co.uk) unless there are other shops I don't know about?
• I'd prefer a brand that is likely to still be around in 5 years' time (my wife bought a Freego about a year ago which has recently gone under, so worried about parts etc. in future)
• Disk brakes
• A smooth ride over bumpy roads and small potholes (it will never go off-road but might go on the occasional footpath)
• Comfy saddle
• Would like mud guards and a rack
• Relatively conventional looks - I'm in my mid-thirties and not looking to make a fashion statement with my bike!

One shop I went to advised that I really should spend a little extra and go for a crank motor over a hub motor as hubs were "yesterday's technology", but I'm aware that cranks are more expensive. How much of a difference does the crank motor make? Is it really that much better?

Here's the list of bikes I've been suggested so far:

Wisper 905 SE
Batribike Alpha
Gazelle Orange C7
Raleigh Captus
Cube Town/Touring Hybrid One 400 (but might be too dear at £1500)
Lapierre Overvolt Urban 100

Would welcome any advice/comments/suggestions you'd be able to provide!

 

[Nealh]

Have a look in local Halfrauds ad they have Carrere Bosch drive bikes, you should get one for you £1300 upper limit, join Britih cycling for a 10% discount as well.

 

[Chainring]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to get some advice about a good e-bike for commuting purposes in Bristol at the lower end of the price spectrum. I'm planning to use Cyclescheme for the first £1000 and am willing to add around £300 more on top of that. My key criteria are:

• 15 mile round-trip commute with the steepest incline I'd encounter around 21%, although only that severe for short sections
• I'd like to buy it from a local shop in Bristol which can also service it, so probably limited to what's available at Atmosphere (www.electricbikes.org.uk), Electric Bike Sales (www.electricbikesales.co.uk) or The Electric Bike Shop (www.theelectricbikeshop.co.uk) unless there are other shops I don't know about?
• I'd prefer a brand that is likely to still be around in 5 years' time (my wife bought a Freego about a year ago which has recently gone under, so worried about parts etc. in future)
• Disk brakes
• A smooth ride over bumpy roads and small potholes (it will never go off-road but might go on the occasional footpath)
• Comfy saddle
• Would like mud guards and a rack
• Relatively conventional looks - I'm in my mid-thirties and not looking to make a fashion statement with my bike!

One shop I went to advised that I really should spend a little extra and go for a crank motor over a hub motor as hubs were "yesterday's technology", but I'm aware that cranks are more expensive. How much of a difference does the crank motor make? Is it really that much better?

Here's the list of bikes I've been suggested so far:

Wisper 905 SE
Batribike Alpha
Gazelle Orange C7
Raleigh Captus
Cube Town/Touring Hybrid One 400 (but might be too dear at £1500)
Lapierre Overvolt Urban 100

Would welcome any advice/comments/suggestions you'd be able to provide!

Well, Juicy Bikes sell hub motor bikes, and they are in a hilly area, so should have a good idea of what they are capable of. Woosh bikes are hub motored (in the main) and sell well. EBikes Direct is a good site to look at for info as well. My personal preference is front hub motor, central battery, then you have a choice as to what sort of gearing you have in the back wheel. Paying a lot of money does not always guarantee you get more. Some bikes are over-priced, while you would not want a £400 one from EBay - you would be disappointed! Don't rush, just keep looking. If you spot one parked somewhere, try and grill the owner!

 

[Chainring]

I forgot to add, go for the largest capacity battery you can afford. It will last longer, as it will not drain so quickly, plus giving you a better range.

 

[Eagle]

“One shop I went to advised that I really should spend a little extra and go for a crank motor over a hub motor as hubs were "yesterday's technology"

I am sure that many pedelecers with hub motors would raise an eyebrow at that particular comment.

Post #4 may help you with the hub vs crank question:
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/convert-existing-bike-or-buy-a-new-cube.33767/

In a hilly area I would be looking for hydraulic disc brakes and a high capacity battery.

The reviews for Atmosphere Electric Bikes in Bristol seem very positive. I would be inclined to have a chat with them and try a few bikes up the local hills before making a final decision.
A decent local bike shop is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Electric Transport Shop]

Hi Bobo, Welcome to the site.
It looks like you're aware of our Bristol store already: https://www.electricbikesales.co.uk/bristolstore

We should be able to help with this and also to keep your Freego going for as long as your wife wants to use it.
Chris and Ben always look after their customers.

 

[georgehenry]

Done 10634 miles on my Haibike sDuro Yamaha March 2015 bike that I paid £1750 for and use over 50% proper off road. 9 speed transmission cheap to replace cassettes on. Absolute beast climbing hills. Still using the original 400Wh battery working well.



https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-Bikes-UK-Dealer/Haibike-sDuro-HardSeven-1.0-2018

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00LGLYYRM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/haibike-sduro-hardseven-sl-2015-yamaha-7-month-1600-miles.22644/

That having been said using your local bike shop is a wise way to go to get their support after purchase and the Oxygen Mountain bike rear hub powered bike is well regarded and powerful. The other shop sells Haibikes. Also the Raleigh Captus is well regarded though not as powerful as the other two.

You need to try all three and maybe others by test riding them. THat is the best way to find out how they suit you.

 

[georgehenry]

This is a link to a commuter using a modern Oxygen
https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/oxygen-scross-mtb-ongoing-review.28142/page-27#post-484545

 

[Dewey]

E-City from Jake's Bikes, an earlier model got a decent review from Dave Atkinson. The bikes are designed and assembled in Bristol. They will deliver an e-bike for you to take a test ride anywhere in Bristol or you can pop down to the shop for a fitting on a test bike set up on a roller, and choose your parts - handlebars, saddle, etc.