Ebike vs Road bike

[flik9999]

Hey so I know that going fast while commuting doesn't matter that much. But im wondering how fast do legal E-Bikes (15.5 mph not overclocked) compare to high end road bikes. Does the extra weight (20kg vs 6kg) mean you actually go slower than someone whos good with a road bike.

I would imagine that an ebike accelerates faster than a road bike but how does the extra weight effect this. Also do ebikes reach the same max cruise speed, iv read thar road bikes tend to max out at about 17 mph if not in the hands of a pro.

My bikes weight is about 12kg, im going to add the cyclotricity kit which they told me is 10KG total weight of 22KG. Would this bike be able to go about the same speed as a top notch road bike? Also how much weight should I aim to trim off if I want to be able to ride the bike normally and not feel like im lugging a tank around.

Also if anyone actually knows how much the cyclotricity kit 250W is id like to know.

 

[soundwave]

 

[D8ve]

Weight isn't the issue it's wind and rolling resistance.
I can at 50+years and 100+kg do around 20 on the flat.
But my bike and position is streamlined.
The fastest bike is a streamer at over 80 mph.
The weight is a small effect as acceleration is for you and the bike.
Imagine your 78 kg plus your current bike that's 12 kg= 90 kg.
The kit takes you to 100 kg that's a 10% difference.
Thar acceleration is a little slower and top speed virtually the same.
Ow except the motor doubled your power up to 15 mph and then your fresher so you can have more umph than the unpowered bike.

 

[Gubbins]

In the real world.... I am late 60's and on a carbon (8.5kg) racing style bike I can maintain 20mph until i encounter a hill or a headwind and it's hard to avoid both. On an electric (18kg ish) racing style bike I can only maintain 20mph for short distances but hills and headwinds don't have much impact so my average speed is higher on the ebike than the unpowered carbon and the difference becomes more noticeable on a hilly ride. Accelerating from a standstill, especially on a gradient, is indescribable to someone who hasn't tried one and I can leave the fittest licroid yards behind me at the lights. I ride as fast as i can all the time and looking at my average hr on any ride done on both bikes it is about 10 bpm lower on the ebike, plus I don't get in the red on the hills.
That's my experience.....

 

[Rohloffboy]

Interesting question from the OP, my take is that an ebike would be left standing by a fit rider on a road bike or hybrid, unless the route included a few hills, on the flat the none ebiker would be ahead.

This is the problem with UK ebike law, it is but an ass, for a true faster commute to work, UK ebike law needs to make a provision for "S" Pedelecs like what they have in Germany, France, Holland and almost the USA.

Why the UK ebike industry is not fighting for such parity is a joke, and shame on them for not getting the matter sorted.

 

[soundwave]

my bike is faster than sclass and im not even in the same universe time wise

 

[Rohloffboy]

Yep, soundwave, those roadies are often more fit than a butchers dog!

 

[Danidl]

Hey so I know that going fast while commuting doesn't matter that much. But im wondering how fast do legal E-Bikes (15.5 mph not overclocked) compare to high end road bikes. Does the extra weight (20kg vs 6kg) mean you actually go slower than someone whos good with a road bike.

I would imagine that an ebike accelerates faster than a road bike but how does the extra weight effect this. Also do ebikes reach the same max cruise speed, iv read thar road bikes tend to max out at about 17 mph if not in the hands of a pro.

My bikes weight is about 12kg, im going to add the cyclotricity kit which they told me is 10KG total weight of 22KG. Would this bike be able to go about the same speed as a top notch road bike? Also how much weight should I aim to trim off if I want to be able to ride the bike normally and not feel like im lugging a tank around.

Also if anyone actually knows how much the cyclotricity kit 250W is id like to know.

Lycra clad club cyclists on their 3 HR weekend cycles overtake me slowly on my legal 25km HR , Dutch style. Bike with large anorak open and fluttering in the breeze, I can continue this for two hours with only slightly raised heartbeat. Both of us are happy in our own ways., Mine being less painful.

 

[Gubbins]

Interesting question from the OP, my take is that an ebike would be left standing by a fit rider on a road bike or hybrid, unless the route included a few hills, on the flat the none ebiker would be ahead.

This is the problem with UK ebike law, it is but an ass, for a true faster commute to work, UK ebike law needs to make a provision for "S" Pedelecs like what they have in Germany, France, Holland and almost the USA.

Why the UK ebike industry is not fighting for such parity is a joke, and shame on them for not getting the matter sorted.

I went for a 40 mile ride that had 4000ft of hills with my son who is 25 years younger than me.. he on his very light bike and me on my road ebike. I paced him up the hills and he eased off for me on the flats and he managed his fastest ever ride on this run. I wouldn't attempt this ride on an unpowered bike.
I wouldn't say left standing exactly because for me the help on the hills more than outweighs the weight penalty on the flat.
My experience with the road orientated ebike is very different to the offroad ebike which is what most posters seem to be basing their opinions on. I think that even the most experienced emtb rider would be surprised by a road specific ebike.

 

[flik9999]

Hopefully theyl make a kit which weighs 5KG including battery soon and a carbon fork that can accomodate the motor.

 

[soundwave]

http://www.vivax-assist.com/en/unternehmen/

 

[Danidl]

http://www.vivax-assist.com/en/unternehmen/

Lovely concept and engineering ... But what a price!

 

[soundwave]

you can pay 10-20 grand for a custom made road bike light and cheap is not going to happen

 

[flik9999]

Soundwave what type of bike is your ebike? Drop bars or standard flatbars?

I think that tech of the 2KG kit may become cheaper eventually. I also saw an ebike that weighs only 13kg.

 

[soundwave]

21kg £5500 rrp 2014

 

[Gubbins]

View attachment 17246
21kg £5500 rrp 2014

Never been ridden. He dusts it off every day... looks like new..[emoji56]

 

[flik9999]

Were you racing against manual MTBs or Roadies? Would the roadies have the edge over you with the aerodynamic position and thin wheels? Or was it a track where you use thick tyres?

Also 30MPH max speed? Assume that must have been downhill or is your motor more than 250W?

 

[soundwave]

 

[Geebee]

It should be easy enough to make a light road bike into a light e road bike.
My recumbent trike is 13 kg standard and with the new batteries about 19 kg, the extra weight is not an issue as the only place it would hurt is up hill or acceleration which it more than compensates for.
With the legal crank drive and just the speed limit turned off with a fit rider I would hate to think what king of average speeds it could set due to the aero dynamics of it.

This is my trike before I purchased it note the front crank wheel

 

[anotherkiwi]

I am of the same thinking as Geebee. The problem with trikes here is the second hand market is non existent and I can't afford new...