Confused!

[BigG]

Hi....
I'm a 65 year old guy who's 18stone, 6ft 7in tall and have no right kneecap as a result of playing "blood sports" (Rugby!) and a creaky other knee as it's been overused.
It's some years since I've had a bike but think an ebike would be a sensible option to try to get a bit fitter, help lose a bit of weight and get out into the countryside.
We have several of the Gtech products, which I have found to be excellent and their site got me thinking about an e-bike.
I am going to go and test drive various types, including the Gtech. A friend who cycles suggests I'd need gears, which the Gtech doesn't have, not to think about a folder because they are heavy (a bit like me!)....... in fact I'm getting even more confused looking on the internet!
I realise my weight and size, combined with my budget, causes even more issues! So hopefully this forum will help me not to make an expensive mistake!
Budget-wise I'd like to keep it as near £1000 as possible, but not averse to spending a few hundred more if the quality of the bike is greatly increased.

 

[Angelnorth]

Hello, welcome!

I think your friend is right - a combination of Co Durham and your knees is going to make you appreciate some gears. Your knees also point to a cadence sensor rather than a torque I suspect (good news on the budget front since they tend to be less pricey).

All ebikes are pretty heavy - if your expected use doesn't make a folder necessary then you're probably better off with a full size bike in any case.

You say you plan to test ride - can you get to a dealer who has several different makers on show? Not sure where your starting point is but there are a couple of places in Newcastle I think, and the Electric Bike Shed in South Shields (test rides on Saturdays there according to their web site). Testing out a couple of bikes will tell you a lot in terms of how you feel on them, how useful gears are etc and a decent seller will be able to make some suggestions for you based on your needs and expected use.

 

[trex]

the Gtech frame is too small for your 6ft7 and its motor too small for 18st with creaky knees.
Within your budget, check out the £999 Woosh Big Bear. It is not a small bike but may still be too small for you. You would feel more comfortable on the Woosh Zephyr-B, but at £1,049 is over your budget.

Woosh Big Bear: 15AH battery, Bafang BPM motor, mudgards, rack, lights and bell.

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

 

[BigG]

the Gtech frame is too small for your 6ft7 and its motor too small for 18st with creaky knees.
Within your budget, check out the £999 Woosh Big Bear. It is not a small bike but may still be too small for you. You would feel more comfortable on the Woosh Zephyr-B, but at £1,049 is over your budget.

Woosh Big Bear: 15AH battery, Bafang BPM motor, mudgards, rack, lights and bell.

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

Many thanks for the advice so far..... I'm going to go and try a few out as suggested... The "Big Bear" does look good, so it's on my "to check it out" list.
Regarding my budget I think £1500 would be the top end... So it does widen the choices.

 

[Danidl]

As the new owner of a Raliegh Motus , I am singing it's praises. With the weight you are carrying you need a bike with very strong brakes. The Motus is specified for up to 120Kg and you will be pretty close to that limit. The Motus has hydraulic brakes and these have excellent stopping power. Having had a scary moment this summer with cable brakes fading (on a conventional bike) , has coloured my judgement so I would recommend a bike with hydraulic brakes. I also think that ithe Motus has a strong frame. So I think that it should be considered , perhaps as a second hand buy. New it is above the limit you have mentioned. You will exercise more on a central motored torque sensing bike, but it need not be hard work. The gears on the Motus allow very low pressures on the knee. Similar to an exercise bike on the lowest setting.

 

[BigG]

As the new owner of a Raliegh Motus , I am singing it's praises. With the weight you are carrying you need a bike with very strong brakes. The Motus is specified for up to 120Kg and you will be pretty close to that limit. The Motus has hydraulic brakes and these have excellent stopping power. Having had a scary moment this summer with cable brakes fading (on a conventional bike) , has coloured my judgement so I would recommend a bike with hydraulic brakes. I also think that ithe Motus has a strong frame. So I think that it should be considered , perhaps as a second hand buy. New it is above the limit you have mentioned. You will exercise more on a central motored torque sensing bike, but it need not be hard work. The gears on the Motus allow very low pressures on the knee. Similar to an exercise bike on the lowest setting.

Mmmm.. interesting information... I hadn't thought about brakes, they are a thing I took for granted they would have enough stopping power to work! I have put the Motus on my list to try out.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Hydraulic disc brakes would be better. You only need a front one. Any brake on the back would be OK. Don't worry if the bike you want has cable disc brakes. It only takes about 5 minutes and £40 to convert one. It's very simple, and I'd recommend that everybody should do it.

 

[BigG]

Yesterday I tested a KTM Macina Cross 9 with hydraulic disc breaks and Bosch electrics. I loved it. Bearing in mind I haven't really ridden a bike for 30 years I found I could balance on it!..... I found the assistance, combined with the gears, made life very easy. I went about a mile up and down hills and due to one knee without kneecap, a knackered other knee and pain after a "delicate" operation I left it at that to see how I felt today. I feel great. Next step is an hour's test ride then decide.
Next issue is a rack. The clip on over the tailgate I think may cause dents to my Yeti's bodywork so I'm contemplating fitting a towbar and getting a Thule 970 Express which clips onto the towball an stands upright.
Am I on the right track?

 

[RobF]

Tow bar carriers are reckoned to be the best, particularly for a heavy bike such as an ebike.

I don't know the spec of the model you are buying, but I believe Thule make an ebike carrier which has a ramp for easy loading.

 

[jdallan]

Yesterday I tested a KTM Macina Cross 7 with hydraulic disc breaks and Bosch electrics. I loved it. Bearing in mind I haven't really ridden a bike for 30 years I found I could balance on it!..... I found the assistance, combined with the gears, made life very easy. I went about a mile up and down hills and due to one knee without kneecap, a knackered other knee and pain after a "delicate" operation I left it at that to see how I felt today. I feel great. Next step is an hour's test ride then decide.
Next issue is a rack. The clip on over the tailgate I think may cause dents to my Yeti's bodywork so I'm contemplating fitting a towbar and getting a Thule 970 Express which clips onto the towball an stands upright.
Am I on the right track?

I use the Thule Europower 916 carrier mounted on a detachable towball to carry 2 ebikes on my Yeti and can recommend it. As far as I am aware none of the clip-on type carriers is suitable for the weight of 2 ebikes.
Hope this helps.

Jim

 

[BigG]

I use the Thule Europower 916 carrier mounted on a detachable towball to carry 2 ebikes on my Yeti and can recommend it. As far as I am aware none of the clip-on type carriers are suitable for the weight of 2 ebikes.
Hope this helps.

Jim

This looks a very strong bit of kit. Its on my lost of possibles. I wonder if anyone has tried a rack which just hangs on the tailgate or am I correct in thinking an ebike would be too heavy an likely to cause damage.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I tried a tailgate rack. Ebikes are quite awkward to attach due the weight, and mine held the bike too high, so it got the full force of the wind and lost me 20 mpg. There are good cheap towball racks as well. You don't have to pay anywhere near £500. I think I paid £60 for my first one, but there's a good one fopr about £125. They all work, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell them. My £60 took about 5 minutes to fit. Now, my Cykell one takes about 10 seconds. That's what you get for £500, plus, there's a bit of easy self-assembly with the cheap ones.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/towbar-mounted-bike-racks/bnb-explorer-towball-mounted-tilting-2-bike-cycle-carrier?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istItemId=xtlamrmxpm&istBid=tztx&_$ja=tsid:35522|cid:627838503|agid:32471675884|tid:aud-80976661309:pla-223955520244|crid:112784842684|nw:g|rnd:8568481323855787015|dvc:c|adp:5o13&gclid=CjwKEAjw-Oy_BRDg4Iqok57a4kcSJADsuDK1dwFgDOHpcosnZPxz-qpuXYdbDL6nl4Mpti3Bgsq6eBoC8t7w_wcB

 

[RobF]

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

trex,

I don't think picturing a Big Bear next to a dustbin - even a woosh sponsored one - shows the bike to its best advantage.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

trex,

I don't think picturing a Big Bear next to a dustbin - even a woosh sponsored one - shows the bike to its best advantage.

Good point, well presented.

Trex, put a couple of Bosch bikes in the dustbin, half sticking out, for the best effect.

 

[RobF]

Good point, well presented.

Trex, put a couple of Bosch bikes in the dustbin, half sticking out, for the best effect.

Would putting in a couple of Bosch bikes make it The Best Dustbin in the World?

 

[D8ve]

Would putting in a couple of Bosch bikes make it The Best Dustbin in the World?

No you have to make a smarter choice for that.

 

[BigG]

Well I'm less confused now!...... I've done the deed! I test rode, and ordered, a KTM MACINA CROSS10. I went for this one as it has the more powerful Bosch motor and 1kg lighter to lift onto the rack.
I've added it to my John Lewis Home Insurance. Ok the policy says it doesn't cover motor assisted pedal bikes. However if you ring them they will cover it. The premium for the remaining 6 months of my policy is £48.37 with a £100 excess. They don't stipulate gold/silver or bronze locks and say it must be attached to something static and immovable when kept in the garage. I'm getting a gold standard lock anyway!

 

[Danidl]

I tried a tailgate rack. Ebikes are quite awkward to attach due the weight, and mine held the bike too high, so it got the full force of the wind and lost me 20 mpg. There are good cheap towball racks as well. You don't have to pay anywhere near £500. I think I paid £60 for my first one, but there's a good one fopr about £125. They all work, otherwise they wouldn't be able to sell them. My £60 took about 5 minutes to fit. Now, my Cykell one takes about 10 seconds. That's what you get for £500, plus, there's a bit of easy self-assembly with the cheap ones.

Well I'm less confused now!...... I've done the deed! I test rode, and ordered, a KTM MACINA CROSS10. I went for this one as it has the more powerful Bosch motor and 1kg lighter to lift onto the rack.
I've added it to my John Lewis Home Insurance. Ok the policy says it doesn't cover motor assisted pedal bikes. However if you ring them they will cover it. The premium for the remaining 6 months of my policy is £48.37 with a £100 excess. They don't stipulate gold/silver or bronze locks and say it must be attached to something static and immovable when kept in the garage. I'm getting a gold standard lock anyway!

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-racks/towbar-mounted-bike-racks/bnb-explorer-towball-mounted-tilting-2-bike-cycle-carrier?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istItemId=xtlamrmxpm&istBid=tztx&_$ja=tsid:35522|cid:627838503|agid:32471675884|tid:aud-80976661309:pla-223955520244|crid:112784842684|nw:g|rnd:8568481323855787015|dvc:c|adp:5o13&gclid=CjwKEAjw-Oy_BRDg4Iqok57a4kcSJADsuDK1dwFgDOHpcosnZPxz-qpuXYdbDL6nl4Mpti3Bgsq6eBoC8t7w_wcB

I purchased the Thule 3 bike rack . See the Halfords website. Assembly was very straightforward. The instructions are very clear. Mounting it on the car was OK and future mounting dismounting will be much quicker. The screw locking the rack to the ball hitch needs to be severely tightened. A proper 19mm ring spanner rather than the device supplied should be used for sanity. Mounting a central motored bike is more difficult than for a hub motor unit as the motor interferes with the central vertical members. Both the battery pack and the control panel should be removed, and stored in the car. In transit. I expect that 2 E bikes can be carried although I have carried only one so far I t is very stable.
I think it would be rather difficult to mount the weight of a E bike on one of the rear window/ tailgate cycle racks

 

[Izzyekerslike]

Yesterday I tested a KTM Macina Cross 9 with hydraulic disc breaks and Bosch electrics. I loved it. Bearing in mind I haven't really ridden a bike for 30 years I found I could balance on it!..... I found the assistance, combined with the gears, made life very easy. I went about a mile up and down hills and due to one knee without kneecap, a knackered other knee and pain after a "delicate" operation I left it at that to see how I felt today. I feel great. Next step is an hour's test ride then decide.
Next issue is a rack. The clip on over the tailgate I think may cause dents to my Yeti's bodywork so I'm contemplating fitting a towbar and getting a Thule 970 Express which clips onto the towball an stands upright.
Am I on the right track?

I've got the Thule 970 express and its really good easy to fit and exceptionally secure. I would recommend it.

 

[BigG]

Thanks for the information. I have used Thule products when I used to windsurf and dinghy sail, so I know the quality of their products.
I have a medical condition and have to be very careful about how I lift.... lifting straight up is ok but stretching across and lifting is a no no!
In the light of this I've checked out the folding type of towball mounted rack. The Thule Easifold can be attached to the tow hitch without leaning and lifting... pretty well a straight lift. So..... I've raided my piggy bank and ordered a Thule Easifold with an aluminium ramp so I needn't lift the bike.
Ok it's not the most economical option but far better than damaging "my bits" any more!