Electric Bicycle for Deliveroo

[WonderingLeaf]

Hello everyone, my first post on this forum!

I have been interested in cycling for a while but never taken it seriously.

I used to work for Deliveroo a few nights a week on my mountain bike. I am looking to get back into it with an electric bicycle to help with hills. I have had a look around at the huge variety on offer and quite like the look of this one: https://urbanebikes.com/collections/qwic/products/rd11-performance-28mph?variant=31403307302976

It has excellent range and large battery. It is far more than I was looking to spend although will get a lot of use out of the bike and can claim the cost on my Self Assessment anyway. What do people think? I asked for opinions on a facebook group and someone said "I personally wouldn't advise on something that cheap and with a hub motor" - what do they mean by this? It is NOT cheap at all.

Instead they recommended this one: https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Electric-B ... 4HY8IYW5fY

Apparently I would get more for my money. The person claims to have a 2021 cube with bosch gen 4 motor which they have not had issues with.

Please could someone explain to me how and why this is bicycle is better than the one I found? What is a hub motor and how could this person claim a bike costing more than £2,000 than their suggestion is cheap or inferior?


Someone on another forum said: You can get excellent bikes with very standard good quality parts that are easy to maintain, and cheap to fix and replace parts if needed. For example: https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?gran-camino, but there are many others (Juicy, Oxygen, ...). Reliability is likely to be just as good on that as on either of those other bikes; and Woosh have excellent pre and post sales service.


Now I am very confused and don’t know what to do. Would the bike that I found myself any good for hills and for doing Deliveroo in general? I live in Kent and there are quite a lot of hills. I don’t expect to be going up them very quickly although on an average shift I could be doing anything up to 20 miles so not coming home with sore legs would be nice.

I am interested to hear from everyone thoughts. Please feel free to suggest a bike that you think would be better suited to me. Nothing less than a 70 mile range and a big battery if possible though if possible. I am looking for something quality and reliable

Thanks!

 

[WonderingLeaf]

Just to add, I stumbled across this one too:

Stromer ST5

The Stromer ST5 is at the forefront of electric speed pedelec technology. Hand crafted with a huge 850W motor, the ST5 has been designed and built to perfection. Available to buy online from UK stock. Regenerative braking, huge power, flawless design all make this the ultimate electric bike of 2018.

urbanebikes.com

Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[soundwave]

you wont get anywhere near 70 mile range going 28mph i have a bosch mid drive with a dongle to remove the speed limit and going flat out i can empty the batt in 25 miles with a 500w 14ah pack.

id go for a 1000w bafang hd motor and the biggest batt you can fit on the bike 20ah+ or use 2 batts.

KirbEbike Vapour full suspension eMTB (FULLY BUILT BIKE)

KirbEbike Vapour full suspension eMTB (FULLY BUILT BIKE) KirbEbike Vapour KirbEbike Vapour full suspension eMTB (FULLY BUILT BIKE)

www.cloudsto.com

 

[flecc]

Just to add, I stumbled across this one too:

Stromer ST5

The Stromer ST5 is at the forefront of electric speed pedelec technology. Hand crafted with a huge 850W motor, the ST5 has been designed and built to perfection. Available to buy online from UK stock. Regenerative braking, huge power, flawless design all make this the ultimate electric bike of 2018.

urbanebikes.com

Any thoughts? Thanks

The models from Urbanebikes with an 850 watt motor and capable of assist to 28 mph are illegal as pedelecs. 250 watts and asist to 15.5 mph are the maximums allowed. You'd need to register them, fit with a rear number plate and insure as a moped. You'd also need a moped driving licence.

I hestitate to suggest a pedelec for that Deliveroo work in a hilly area for a whole shift, but if you must, the Woosh e-bike in your first post is a sound choice wuth mudguards, carrier etc. Don't worry about a 70 mile range, so long as you easily cover the 20 miles or so you mention is all that matters since you can recharge between shifts.

The Haibike should be good to, though with no mudguards and carrier, but you could almost get two of the fully equipped Woosh for that price and not have to worry about a breakdown!
.

 

[Terry777]

Get one like mine! It’ll last your whole shift no probs. Hills are easy!

Just don’t ever tell “flecc” you went faster than 15.5mph on the hill… like EVER!! lmao

 

[flecc]

Get one like mine! It’ll last your whole shift no probs. Hills are easy!

We don't appreciate anyone giving advice to go illegal without warning them that the advice is just that. Especially when spending a lot of money on an e-bike is involved

I don't care what speed anyone does or whether they break the the law, it's their choice, but they are entitled to know what the law is so they can make the choice knowingly.

Just don’t ever tell “flecc” you went faster than 15.5mph on the hill… like EVER!!

And I've already explained to you that its not about speed on this link, It's about riding an illegal moped at any speed, however slow or fast.
.

 

[Terry777]

We don't appreciate anyone giving advice to go illegal without warning them that the advice is just that. Especially when spending a lot of money on an e-bike is involved

I don't care what speed anyone does or whether they break the the law, it's their choice, but they are entitled to know what the law is so they can make the choice knowingly.



And I've already explained to you that its not about speed on this link, It's about riding an illegal moped at any speed, however slow or fast.
.

Seems you mean “you” and not “we”…

Who made you god on what’s to be given as advice?

Seems the other person who gave the OP advice on this post didn’t go by the letter of the law either, like most people I’d say. You seem to think your way or opinion is the only way. I tried to be friendly but your too ignorant for me so let’s just ignore each other and we’ll get on great?

 

[Nealh]

With deliveroo do you need to buy independent liability insurance ? If so a moped/illegal ebike may make that invalid esp if an accident occurs and the bike is investigated.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Someone on another forum said: You can get excellent bikes with very standard good quality parts that are easy to maintain, and cheap to fix and replace parts if needed. For example: https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?gran-camino, but there are many others (Juicy, Oxygen, ...). Reliability is likely to be just as good on that as on either of those other bikes; and Woosh have excellent pre and post sales service.

Of all the things you've considered above, in your position, I'd agree with those thoughts the most. £2000-4000+ would be an awful lot to spend on a working/high-mileage e-bike, especially one that might need more specialist parts to fix... that's time off the road and not working. And I'd guess a higher cost e-bike is at a higher risk of being stolen when the nature of delivery riding is hopping on and off frequently, and maybe not always locking it?

A lot of delivery e-bike riders on Youtube seem to keep it relatively simple (i.e. lower cost Carreras) or self-build e-bikes for ease and speed of fixing and less loss in case of theft. Many do say though that having an e-bike gets you job priority, especially when it comes to delivering hot food/takeaways, so an e-bike is probably worth it. I'm sure Woosh have said before they've sold quite a few e-bikes to delivery riders, so it may be worth having a discussion with them?

 

[soundwave]

What you'll need

• Scooter, bike or car (with licence and insurance)
• Safety equipment (e.g. helmet)
• Smartphone with iOS 12 / Android 6 or above
• Proof of your right to work self-employed in the UK

Deliveroo | The Deliveroo Riders Website

riders.deliveroo.co.uk

so the bike phone and cloths are not covered so imo they dont care if you have a non road legal bike as seen loads lol

 

[flecc]

Who made you god on what’s to be given as advice?

Who made you above the law to advise someone about to spend a huge sum of money to risk it on an illegal machine?

Will you compensate him if that advice costs him dearly?

I'm not acting as a god, just ensuring the OP knows the legal position and trying to stop you irresponsibly treating the issue as a joke.

Nobody is trying to gag you, least of all me, since there is a forum in here covering overpowered and faster electric bikes so you're welcome to post in there on those subjects.

Speed Pedelecs General Discussion

Discussions concerning speed pedelecs, motor propulsion beyond 15mph or maximum power outputs above 250w, or e-bikes being used in other countries.
.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Who made you god on what’s to be given as advice?

It might just have been a case of trying to follow forum rules;

"You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory, abusive, hateful, threatening, spam or spam-like, likely to offend, contains adult or objectionable content, contains personal information of others, risks copyright infringement, encourages unlawful activity, or otherwise violates any laws."

 

[Terry777]

It might just have been a case of trying to follow forum rules;

"You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory, abusive, hateful, threatening, spam or spam-like, likely to offend, contains adult or objectionable content, contains personal information of others, risks copyright infringement, encourages unlawful activity, or otherwise violates any laws."

I take it post #4 is me “missing the point” again, or is it ok if you just break the rules a wee bit? Or, are you allowed to give advice that “ encourages unlawful activity” so long as you advise correctly before you break the rules? Just sayin… don’t want to argue…

 

[soundwave]

they need to change the name of that forum no one knows what sclass means.

should be more like, de restricted pedelecs to avoid confusion on where to post such questions, i did ask but was told no!

tho saying that everyone i have ever known call these things ebikes, not pedelecs !

 

[WonderingLeaf]

With deliveroo do you need to buy independent liability insurance ? If so a moped/illegal ebike may make that invalid esp if an accident occurs and the bike is investigated.

No we do not. They provide us with basic insurance. Although anyone delivering in a car or motor bike has to show proof of Hire and Reward insurance. Anyone on any type of e-bike is exempt in their eyes.

 

[WonderingLeaf]

The models from Urbanebikes with an 850 watt motor and capable of assist to 28 mph are illegal as pedelecs. 250 watts and asist to 15.5 mph are the maximums allowed. You'd need to register them, fit with a rear number plate and insure as a moped. You'd also need a moped driving licence.

I hestitate to suggest a pedelec for that Deliveroo work in a hilly area for a whole shift, but if you must, the Woosh e-bike in your first post is a sound choice wuth mudguards, carrier etc. Don't worry about a 70 mile range, so long as you easily cover the 20 miles or so you mention is all that matters since you can recharge between shifts.

The Haibike should be good to, though with no mudguards and carrier, but you could almost get two of the fully equipped Woosh for that price and not have to worry about a breakdown!
.

I completely understand, registering the bike would not be an issue.

I didn’t mention it so not to complicate my post further, but I do not drive and will be interested in maybe using the bicycle to travel long-ish distances (20 to 40 miles) to visit friends and run errands of my own when not working for Deliveroo.

This is why the 70 mile range will be important. According to my Strava app this week, on a single day my lowest was 16 miles and my highest was 28 miles. Had I travelled to another town on the bike before starting my shift, those would probably be a lot higher

Knowing this information, does this change the advice given? I am looking to buy something proper and “cheap self build” on YouTube is not an option for me. I need something, sturdy, fast and ready to go out of the box, premium is fine. Do none of the options I linked to look suitable?

 

[WonderingLeaf]

you wont get anywhere near 70 mile range going 28mph i have a bosch mid drive with a dongle to remove the speed limit and going flat out i can empty the batt in 25 miles with a 500w 14ah pack.

id go for a 1000w bafang hd motor and the biggest batt you can fit on the bike 20ah+ or use 2 batts.

KirbEbike Vapour full suspension eMTB (FULLY BUILT BIKE)

KirbEbike Vapour full suspension eMTB (FULLY BUILT BIKE) KirbEbike Vapour KirbEbike Vapour full suspension eMTB (FULLY BUILT BIKE)

www.cloudsto.com

This looks like a good option to me, is this better than the one for £8000 listed above that is only 850w?

 

[Nealh]

Assisted speed on an ebike kills battery range, generally up to about 18/19mh range is good. Once you are assisted above this speed the range will drop quite quickly so you have to balance usage out accordingly.
My bikes cut out at approx. 16.2 mph on the lcd and I can pedal above this limit to 22mph in benign conditions.
For longer rides one has to pace it so the battery can get you there and back, obviously if not worried about weight just get a mega capacity battery of twice you need but then it costs more.

 

[flecc]

I completely understand, registering the bike would not be an issue.

I didn’t mention it so not to complicate my post further, but I do not drive and will be interested in maybe using the bicycle to travel long-ish distances (20 to 40 miles) to visit friends and run errands of my own when not working for Deliveroo.

This is why the 70 mile range will be important. According to my Strava app this week, on a single day my lowest was 16 miles and my highest was 28 miles. Had I travelled to another town on the bike before starting my shift, those would probably be a lot higher

Knowing this information, does this change the advice given? I am looking to buy something proper and “cheap self build” on YouTube is not an option for me. I need something, sturdy, fast and ready to go out of the box, premium is fine. Do none of the options I linked to look suitable?

Thanks for the extra information, I understand your need better now. To be honest it's so far outside of what pedelecs are that means they may be unsuitable, needing speed as well as longish range it's really more moped than assisted bicyle territory.

For example on a legal 15 mph pedelec, you'd probably average about 12 mph so 70 miles total would entail some six hours of cycling plus your other Deliveroo activity, perhaps a bit much to face. And none of them as standard can guarantee a 70 mile range, so much of the range capability of a pedelc depends on the rider's cycling ability, so you may need to buy and carry a second battery.

There are two classes of powered bicycle that might fit better. There's the S Class, basically high speed pedelecs used in four Continental countries with reduced bureaucracy but treated as mopeds here. They usually have 350 watt motors and assist to 28 mph, often having Bosch crank motor units. Quality and price usually high, but they do need lots more maintenance since their bicycle chain transmission suffers from the combined motor and rider power meaning frequent new chains and sprockets. That varies by rider but new sets every 1500 miles is common.

Then there's the out and out moped class bicycles like the 850 watt Stromer that you mentioned, very few of those on the market and again you'd need a second battery. As Nealh posted, speed kills range so using all that power it's unlikely the standard battery would get you to 70 miles.

Both the S class and Moped class of e-bicycles if bought from a respnsible dealer like Urban e-bikes come with a certificate of conformity so registration and number plate are no problem and there is no road tax (VED) to pay. However, the compulsory third party insurance can be a problem here and also expensive, since the motor insurance companies don't have these in their lists. So I'd advise checking this out before buying any particular model, possibly Urban e-bikes will have some recommended insurers.

I'm assuming you already have a suitable moped driving licence. Category AM covers the S Class, category P covers the mopeds as well if they don't power to over 30 mph. Categories A, A1 and A2 cover any powered bicycle.
.

 

[WonderingLeaf]

Thank you for your reply @flecc perhaps I need to manage my expectations a little better. I am not sure which one to for go now. The Stromer does look very fancy and powerful but if I can't use it legally then I am stuck.

The KibeBike that @soundwave suggested with a Bafang motor looks good. https://www.cloudsto.com/forum/kirbebike-vapour/kirbebike-vapour-full-suspension-emtb-detail.html

Which one would you choose and why? Opinions please

 

[Woosh]

Which one would you choose and why? Opinions please

none of the above.
Deliveroos don't earn a fortune, so you'll need not only a reliable transport, but a cost effective transport too.
Bikes tend to lose a lot of value compared to cars at the same age.
You need you budget your transport over a year for example. Let us know how much you can spend on transport then we can give you a more objective advice.