Going electric, too lazy to pedal

[amyjaneblue]

Helloooooo good people of the pedelec forum,

I gave up my car in January to save a bit of brass and started taking the bus to work, I very quickly discovered that bus drivers are arseholes, never on time, and after an incident last Friday where the only bus for an hour drove past me nearly knocking my arm off whilst the driver laughed at me, LAUGHED!! I have decided on an alternative mode of transport.

My office is 6.3 miles from my house and the route by cycle would be a mix of paths, road and fields. I weigh about 65kg and am fairly fit but i'm looking for something that would take me allllllll the way so the bike would do all of the work. I do like to cycle but i don't want to turn up to work looking like i've emerged from a lagoon - I sweat like Beth Ditto at a rave by merely climbing one set of stairs.
i'm looking to pay about 500-1000 for a decent robust bike.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be highly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[amyjaneblue]

Oh and i'd prefer a rigid frame to a fold away - I can put it in the kitchen at night to charge and under the stairs at work.

thanks

 

[Woosh]

Hello AJB,

I would recommend you take a look at the Woosh Petite. It has 15AH battery (that is the most you would find at the moment within your budget), is very comfortable to ride, requires very little maintenance and will do about 50 miles without pedaling at your weight.

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

 

[amyjaneblue]

oooooh that looks perfect! thank you very much i'll have a look into that.

Blue too!!

 

[JuicyBike]

Amy, have you looked into the Cycle To Work scheme, where the bike you buy can cost a whole lot less.
It's easy for your employer to sign up if they're not already part of the scheme.

My only other suggestion is that you make sure you test ride any bike that takes your fancy. It would be silly to suggest any bike to you without even knowing your height for example.

If you say where you are we can recommend a good local specialist with bikes to try.

 

[Artstu]

the Woosh Petite. It has 15AH battery (that is the most you would find at the moment within your budget), is very comfortable to ride, requires very little maintenance and will do about 50 miles without pedaling at your weight.

That's a very very bold claim, is that at 4 mph on a pan flat route with zero wind then?

 

[Woosh]

That's a very very bold claim, is that at 4 mph on a pan flat route with zero wind then?

The Petite has a full throttle, all the way to 15mph.

 

[Artstu]

The Petite has a full throttle, all the way to 15mph.

I don't doubt it, but that wasn't my point. I struggle to get 50 miles from 20 ah with some serious hard pedalling on my part, so how you can think anyone can get 50 miles on 15 ah without pedalling I don't know? perhaps it's sales patter?

 

[Woosh]

Her battery is a 36V 15AH, 540W. How many miles do you get with a Bosch 500WH battery? She weighs only 65kgs and probably less bulky than you.

 

[Artstu]

Her battery is a 36V 15AH, 540W. How many miles do you get with a Bosch 500WH battery? She weighs only 65kgs and probably less bulky than you.

Like I said I'd struggle to do 50 miles on 20 ah, that's 2 batteries, and even when they were new.

Now it's sounding like you plucked the 50 miles without pedalling from fresh air, which I knew you had anyway.

 

[Woosh]

does your bike have a dongle by any chance?
I have a lot of feedback from my customers and you can also look up posts from members of the forum about realistic range of my bikes. Even one did it with a Big Bear and posted it on the forum not long ago. The Petite is more economical on battery than the Big Bear and the lady weighs only 65kgs. Most estimates are for rider + bike = 100kgs.

 

[Nealh]

We are back on the same old egg again of how far how many ah, and too may possibilities.
15ah new battery will do 50 miles (mine did with good peddalling input) but not on throttle all the time, even my 11ah did 45 miles when new.
Terrain/ weather is also a major factor, Amy Jane is only 65kg so not very heavy. I wish I was 65kg instead of 85 kg then I would get more range, also her route is only 12.6 miles return so throttle only will do that journey. But expect she will get bored of throttle all the way and will want to give her thumb/wrist a rest sometimes so will find pedalling quite relaxing on the road.

 

[Crockers]

I hate all this kg stuff. What's that in stone and pounds? Remember we've now started under article 50. Maybe soon we'll be buying petrol in gallons again???

 

[Woosh]

the OP weighs 10 stone Crockers.
She said she doesn't want to pedal at all, but I suspect when she gets her e-wheels, the pedaling is so easy and nice that she soon forgets about using the throttle. Most of my customers like to have it but don't use it much. The throttle is still very useful when you start on hill..

 

[gray198]

Only ever use my throttle to get moving for a couple of yards or if I need to get across road quickly

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Yes, a lot of people think they want a throttle because they don't know how a modern ebike works, and like Woosh says, people soon start pedalling when they find out how easy it is. A throttle is still a very useful thing to have. I use mine occasionally on start up, when I have to do an emergency stop in a high gear, when I'm hampered by my shopping. I was saved twice by it when I fell off and damaged my knee, which made it impossible to pedal, and when a crank came loose.

Mind you, one time I was out on my roadbike and the pedal fell off because I forgot to tighten it. I managed to ride 8 miles with only the one pedal, though I had to walk up the steep hills

 

[Artstu]

does your bike have a dongle by any chance?
I have a lot of feedback from my customers and you can also look up posts from members of the forum about realistic range of my bikes. Even one did it with a Big Bear and posted it on the forum not long ago. The Petite is more economical on battery than the Big Bear and the lady weighs only 65kgs. Most estimates are for rider + bike = 100kgs.

It isn't about me and what my bike can achieve.
You said your bike will cover 50 miles on throttle alone, but you haven't actually put it to the test. Go out and find your 65 kg rider and put it to the test.

 

[Woosh]

Artstu,

Go out and find your 65 kg rider and put it to the test.

It's my estimate. If you want to be certain, buy one and test it yourself.
No dongle nor derestriction please.

 

[Artstu]

Artstu,

It's my estimate. If you want to be certain, buy one and test it yourself.
No dongle nor derestriction please.

But I'm not the one trying to sell a bike. I estimate the bike will do 10 to 15 miles on the flat on throttle. Here with me on it would simply grind to a halt on most routes I do.

 

[Woosh]

But I'm not the one trying to sell a bike. I estimate the bike will do 10 to 15 miles on the flat on throttle. Here with me on it would simply grind to a halt on most routes I do.

Artstu, I wrote a tool to give estimate of battery consumption on my website here:
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/clearway.php
If the OP wants to give me or input into the tool her postcode and the postcode where she works, the tool gives her a more accurate estimate for her commute.
The tool assumes bike + rider = 100kgs and normal pedaling (100W user input). I can always refine the result using her real weight and remove the pedaling input. It's not rocket science.