Electric VS Just Highly Efficient Regular Bike?

[itaa]

Currently have sub 10kg boardman hybrid pro that I picked up for £250 in new condition some years ago, best bike I have ever had , love it and with the GP4000 tyres there's almost no rolling resistance, if keeping under 15km/h when there is no aero drag compared to bikes others ride there's almost no need to pedal as it just glides itself.

I don't commute on bike nor use it for competitive stuff ,just have one to go to places and cruise around, not even for exercise, most of the time I just stay at around 15km/h speed so there's almost no need to pedal but you can just enjoy the view.

Now to get a decent used electric bike you need to spend ~£1k to get something which has been £2-2.5k new and play russian roulette with used battery,and the components on those won't even be any better than What I already have + twice the weight.

I'm only considering electric so that I don't have to pedal/walk up the hills (not huge ones ,just regular inclines) and to get home easily when I'm tired as I'm pretty much banned from even riding a bike due to health problem (where I can't get tired too much)

Just wondering if perhaps someone already had a nice bike which would just roll itself when there's no aero drag and than got an electric bike?
Was it even worth for the stuff that I plan to use it for? Don't really even want another bike that much, only I have never ridden one so can't really compare to what I already have.

 

[sjpt]

I can't answer you question exactly, but ...

You might do best to go for a conversion kit on your current bike. That will probably cost around £600; you'll be getting new batteries etc. I'd look at https://wooshbikes.co.uk/. I expect he will respond to your question pretty soon. If you go for his lightest kit it will help a huge amount on the hills and the weight will not be too damaging on the flat.

For a completely fit user and that riding style I'd say stick with the regular bike, but you indicate some issues for which I think electric bike will really help.

There are people who specialize in really light conversion kits, but they tend to attract a premium price and often very limited batteries.

 

[Nealh]

All ebikes have an achilles heel an that is the motor/electronics weight when fitted, generally 3 or 4 kg min. Unassisted the weight will make riding a little harder.

To keep the bike to minimal weight you need the lightest hub motor and a small battery of about 200wh (21 cells)for 24v or 300wh (30 cells) for 36v for up to 25 - 30 miles of assisted range.
2.1 kg is the lightest hub motor with inbuilt controller combo for a cassette motor but how reliable they are we don't as no one here has one afaik.
A 200 wh battery is about 1.2/1.3kg , a 300wh about 1.7-2kg.

If you can cope with your current bike then no need to go electric if you don't really want another bike , most ebikes will com in at about 22 - 25kg.

 

[Kwozzymodo]

The Boardman is a pretty good hybrid bike to start with. If you are just enjoying riding around at 15kph, this is easily achievable on your current set-up.

However, if you are keen on going faster/further, then an eBike might be the way to go (particularly if you ride into headwinds/up hills, etc).

You don’t need to spend anything like £1k on an eBike. Using your existing bike as a base, buy a rear hub motor kit for between £150-200 and a 36v 6.8ah battery, for around £175 (range around 20 miles). I have a similar set up and, contrary to common thinking, it keeps me fitter than using a standard bike.

 

[Woosh]

use the Woosh Faro as a yardstick for lightweight.
It has the Aikema 85SX motor (2kgs), a seat tube controller (250g) and 36V 8AH inframe battery (1.8kgs).
Total weight: 16.5kgs with lights, bell, rack and mudguards
If you use an external battery, you can unlock and remove the battery to ride without power.
The Faro without battery comes in at 14.5kgs.

The Faro | Very Lightweight Electric Bikes from Woosh

The Faro: very lightweight road electric bike from Woosh with hydraulic brakes and in-frame 36V 8AH battery or 20AH external battery.

wooshbikes.co.uk

 

[Nealh]

I have a similar set up and, contrary to common thinking, it keeps me fitter than using a standard bike.

It can do if you use the bike a lot more then an unpowered bike.

The downside to ebikes is when someone starts using the bike in high assist mode all the time there is little effort needed, I ride mine in assist 1 mostly.

 

[Woosh]

depending where I go, I always take out the lightest bike for the job so you need at least 3...

 

[Benjahmin]

The Boardman is a really nice bike to convert. However if weight is going to be a thing for you, don't do it.
If you do convert I can guarentee that you'll be using it more. A hub motor with a pas control system will allow you to ghost peddle when tired. i.e. you only have to lightly turn peddles to get power. But when you want the excercise, keep the assist level low and lean on the peddles.
Personally, I would go for the biggest battery you can afford (hang the weight) 'cos you'll want the range and a less deeply cycled battery is a less stressed longer lasting battery. You can always ride without the battery if you want.