Help! Help buying first ebike

[neonplanet40]

Hi folks

I'm about to get my first ebike in UK through the halfords cycle2work scheme (it's the one my employer uses). So I am looking at options with a max spend of £3000 (schemes max amount). I will likely be buying online as a quick search on thr cycle2work independent dealer check doesn't show much in my area (central scotland).

In terms of me: I'm male, 6ft 6inches and about 112kg in weight.

My usage will mostly be on back paths and cycle paths. I won't be on the main road. Weather conditions in Scotland tend to be temperamental haha. Some hilly terrain but not mountain biking. Im not super fit. So looking at an urban type ebike. I like the idea of it have mudguards and pannier rack etc.

So far, I have posted the following as options:

Haibike Trekking 5
Specialized Vado 3.0 IGH
Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 625
Cannondale equivalent

But I'm getting pretty overhwlemed with specs etc and not finding much in way of reviews for many of these, so hard to compare.

So I'm just looking some advice from folk on here who perhaps can compare the bikes and tell me if they are all much of a muchness or not. And whether there are others I need to consider.

Thank you.

 

[soundwave]

with all these mid drive bikes there not meant to be fixed ie if a bearing in the motor goes out of warranty it will be 1k for a new motor.

batts are also a rip off and can bus locked to the bikes so no diy batts as they wont work.

tho if you get a bike with a Yamaha motor you can buy parts for those but thats about it out of warranty.

 

[neonplanet40]

I had hoped that they would be quite reliable? Reading up on the bosch units and Tamara ones, they seem to be well regarded for reliability.

In terms of the options above, so any stand out as being better specced? Or are they all pretty much the same?

Likewise, for people in the know can I get better for the money from a retailer that accepts the vouchers?

Thanks for your help.

 

[soundwave]

if anything goes wrong out of warranty these guys are ur only hope.

eBike Motor Repairs & Servicing - Homepage

eBike Motor Parts Repairs & Servicing, (formally, Performance Line Bearings) has become the “go to place” for all your e-Bike motor repairs...

www.ebikemotorcentre.com

they now do all warranty work for Specialized but still limited parts.

like a Mobil phone bosch ect treat these things as throw away items out of warranty believe it or not given the eye watering price of them.

just because it cost 10k does not mean it wont be a pile of junk.

my bike is over 10 years old with a gen 2 cx motor from peter custom built but there new smart batts will not work with the older motors.

m8 has a 6k canyon bike with a shitmano motor and they wont even sell him a new one so when that goes the bike is a bin job

 

[soundwave]

Bafang Motors – Red Dragon Ebikes

reddragonebikes.co.uk

you get a lot more bang for the bucks with a diy kit not sure if they do c2w but it wont look as good as a pre built bike

 

[saneagle]

I had hoped that they would be quite reliable? Reading up on the bosch units and Tamara ones, they seem to be well regarded for reliability.

In terms of the options above, so any stand out as being better specced? Or are they all pretty much the same?

Likewise, for people in the know can I get better for the money from a retailer that accepts the vouchers?

Thanks for your help.

There are plenty of online suppliers that'll deliver a bike. You need a local shop only if you haven't a clue about how to adjust gears or brakes and are not clever enough to learn.

 

[Pingk]

Counter example, my parents are casual cyclists with premade ebikes of similar cost to what you're looking at and they've never had problems in 3-4 years.

They have Bosch motors, only cycle in warm dry weather for fun, and rarely longer than 15 miles. My dad is mechanically competent and takes care of good care of them though. Your mileage may vary if you want to go longer, harder, in worse weather, or you're less capable of performing your own maintenance.

The biggest issue I have with premades is the battery size/cost ratio. My ebike is my only personal transport so I wanted a range that let's me go far, which would be prohibitively expensive if I hadn't gone DIY.

The community here is pretty DIY focused so don't be surprised if people are against premades (range, price, repair costs, limited spare parts etc.), they wouldn't be a growing market if they were completely unreliable/terrible.

 

[Az.]

The community here is pretty DIY focused so don't be surprised if people are against premades (range, price, repair costs, limited spare parts etc.), they wouldn't be a growing market if they were completely unreliable/terrible.

We are not against premades. We just point out rip-off costs of some ready made bikes. I would suggest checking what Woosh or Wisper have to offer.

Woosh Bikes

Woosh Bikes Ltd Electric bikes and kits assembled in Southend-On-Sea. Affordable and comfortable e-bikes to suit every pocket.

wooshbikes.co.uk

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Wisper is the UK's most experienced manufacturer of Electric Bikes, and has been making ebikes since 2005. Shop the Wisper Range Today!

wisperbikes.com

 

[matthewslack]

Tomorrow when I get back from work, my Shimano E5000 mid-drive will have clocked up 15,000 miles with no battery, motor or display issues. The speed sensor has been replaced once. It is used almost daily, in all weathers, and for the winter half of the year, never sees 'dry'!

The rest of the bike is getting a spring refresh, after which the only original parts will be the frame, brakes, seat post, saddle, front hub and most of the front spokes.

The scheme my bike is part of has 16 bikes, mostly mid drives covering Yamaha, Bosch and Shimano, and after a couple of very early days issues sorted under warranty, has had no further problems.

So unless you will be extreme mountain biking, I would not worry too much about reliability. Look after it, don't pressure wash it, don't push it to it's limits day in day out, and give it a good check over before warranty runs out.

If you can ride examples of the various motors to feel and hear their differences, that would be worthwhile, and then choose a frame you like of the right size, with a good compromise between component quality and total price - remembering that most bits will get replaced down the line.

 

[saneagle]

Tomorrow when I get back from work, my Shimano E5000 mid-drive will have clocked up 15,000 miles with no battery

15,000 miles with no battery is pretty good. Are you sure an electric bike is right for you?

 

[matthewslack]

15,000 miles with no battery is pretty good. Are you sure an electric bike is right for you?

How else would I maintain my Olympic-ready fitness levels?

 

[Waspy]

15,000 miles with no battery is pretty good. Are you sure an electric bike is right for you?

"With no battery issues"

 

[thelarkbox]

I have not read/heard a single good thing about halfords after sales service, Woosh and Wisper have very loyal customers who post in here.. worth a look see and probably a phone call imho

 

[AndyBike]

Hi folks

I'm about to get my first ebike in UK through the halfords cycle2work scheme (it's the one my employer uses). So I am looking at options with a max spend of £3000 (schemes max amount). I will likely be buying online as a quick search on thr cycle2work independent dealer check doesn't show much in my area (central scotland).

In terms of me: I'm male, 6ft 6inches and about 112kg in weight.

My usage will mostly be on back paths and cycle paths. I won't be on the main road. Weather conditions in Scotland tend to be temperamental haha. Some hilly terrain but not mountain biking. Im not super fit. So looking at an urban type ebike. I like the idea of it have mudguards and pannier rack etc.

So far, I have posted the following as options:

Haibike Trekking 5
Specialized Vado 3.0 IGH
Cube Reaction Hybrid Performance 625
Cannondale equivalent

But I'm getting pretty overwhelmed with specs etc and not finding much in way of reviews for many of these, so hard to compare.

So I'm just looking some advice from folk on here who perhaps can compare the bikes and tell me if they are all much of a muchness or not. And whether there are others I need to consider.

Thank you.

Bosch is fine really. Warranty thing will bite anyone no matter what make/model it is so i wouldnt put to much into that as any sort of reason.
Certainly make big makes are backing Bosch on their bikes, and if there was a continuing problem, that would seriously affect their sales, and no bike company is going to pick a system if thats going to cause them problems, especially the biggest names who need to keep their position in the market.

Im also in Scotland(Glasgow), and I have a Bosch, which i've been riding daily now for the last 2 1/2 years without any issues, and that in rain,snow,wind and even the scant bit of sun we get.

But Soundwave is correct as far as that goes. Bosch is a sealed unit, and there's a very well regarded company called performance bearings.

eBike Motor Repairs & Servicing - Homepage

eBike Motor Parts Repairs & Servicing, (formally, Performance Line Bearings) has become the “go to place” for all your e-Bike motor repairs...

www.ebikemotorcentre.com

As far as I know, they wont touch Shimano systems. That was always their position, but i couldnt say if that has changed, though probably not.

They will service and replace the bearings part of most motors, should something like water get in thats a real killer, but again I reckon thats a problem thats going to kill any motor no matter the make,model or type.

Im riding a medium/long travel full suss EMTB, and thats ot because I do enduro or anything like that these days(Im to old now, I not longer bounce back up if I fall off, just lie there whimpering pitifully), but because I like my comfort, and want something thats up for any task, be that trail or road and looks the part.

This looks ideal. But you said Halfords and i dont know how that goes with other companies, whether they order them in or you can spend anywhere, but the bikes you mentioned I dont seem to ever see Helfrauds doing them so maybe im wrong about that.

Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLX 750 2024 - Out of Stock | Tredz Bikes

Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC SLX 750 2024 - Electric Mountain Bike. Out of Stock. All Electric bikes are delivered free to the UK mainland, 365 day returns & Price Match.

www.tredz.co.uk

The company selling it TREDZ is very well known and respected, I'll been buying stuff from them for a good while, as are others on forums im on.

It's carbon fibre main triangle
Long travel, plenty of bounce, very good componentry, and if you consider a suss bike is relying on the suss bits, those need to be good. Zeb is a top of the Rockshox range(not the top spec fork, but the top most capable, rear shock is also very good
Full XT drivetrain is very high end,1x12 which believe me is more than enough.
High end 4 pot brakes, these ones speccing retail at about £85 each end, that are probably better suited to your body weight, than the afterthoughts some ebikes seem to have fitted. Just because it says 'Hydraulic brakes' that in itself is meaningless, as you can guess there are hydraulic brakes, and there are hydraulic brakes
A good strong set of wheels of a good brand.
Latest bosch system with the larger 750wh battery. Mine is 625wh, which on turbo(there is only one) gives me about 35 miles, or 70+ on the lowest setting that I've never used. Has a much better than basic and centrally mounted controller thing.

If i was currently in the market, i'd go for this one myself. Im not quite as porky as yourself(not far off it lol), and 6'3", but thats going to be the deal whatever you get, and the bigger battery is going to help keep the range up there.

The more I look at it the more I wonder If I should burden my bank account with the £91/month/3 years financing thats available on it lol

 

[soundwave]

they did fix shitamo motors untill they blamed him for opening the motor to fix them for a firmware update bricked the lot and cost them a lot of money.

dont forget he has to get all the bearings custom made and min order of 1000 per bearing gets expensive fast so when his stock has gone it wont be replaced as want nothing to do with shitmano motors.

 

[AndyBike]

Dont be worried or swayed by people talking about needing servicing or throwaway motors etc. 99% of the time you're going to buy an ebike and its going to last you years without any issues. Its when you buy cheap that the problems arise, I dont really mean from the electrical system, but the cheapo no name parts they fit to keep the price low.
Mid drive or hub its more than likely going to give you years of enjoyment.
I'd say stick to mid drive because its a better balance of the weight these bikes are. Nice and centrally positioned. Not everything over the back end.

Possibly look at other ebike forums. This is a very good site. plenty of riders or all types, systems etc

Forum list

EMTB Forum. Discuss electric mountain bikes, the power to get you out for more miles, big speed, turbo times and all round epic fun on your ebike. We cover all makes, Specialized, Haibike, Scott, Trek, Focus, Mondraker, Lapierre and much more. Register now.

www.emtbforums.com

 

[Bogmonster666]

If I had your sort of money for a bike I'd be happy with a Bosch or similar. I do indeed have the money tbh, but I leave my bike outside of pubs late at night (ok, it's a country pub, not a town pub), outside supermarkets, in caving huts etc. So my main concern would be some scroat stealing it. Locks don't do that much to deter an experienced thief.

Therefore, I ensure my bike looks so hopelessly worthless that nobody gives it a second glance. I remove the battery, the mid motor usually goes unnoticed, it's just the stupid, enormous TV like display on the handlebars that draws attention to it

Sadly, there is a reasonable chance your bike will be nicked long before it breaks down.

 

[neonplanet40]

Thanks for the help and advice folks. I'll be getting it next mo th or so, so I have a bit of time to read around.

I am liking the look of the Cube Kathmandu. I would need to add mo eye to this to get it o the cycle scheme.

Again, I don't know a lot about specs, but looking at some of the parts, they seem good. i cant find fmanything ekse coming cloae at simipar price unkess im miasing something?

Such as the Gen 4 Bosch CX. I like the look of Cube in general, but the Reaction Hybrid Pro range don't have guards or rack etc. Unsure how the rest of it compares given that's it's cheaper. If it was much of a muchness, I'd possibly be able to add guards and rack separately.

Lots of reading to do

 

[AndyBike]

Locks don't do that much to deter an experienced thief.

Very true, though they're more than likely going to go for the mid drive high end than hub type
Obviously its down to quality of bike, level of equipment on it, and while dedicated thieves can steal anything using a cordless grinder, many of the thefts are people using bolt croppers and cable cutters.
So even if you use a cheaper bike, having a good quality lock is going to deter all but the most determined thieves.

Plus you can make your bike look tatty, which was the concept of the rat bike. a bike(motorbikes usually) that were designed to look as rough as a badgers 4r5e, but were mechanically sound.

 

[neonplanet40]

I was going back and forth with my decisions. The cycle scheme I'm on tops out at £3000. So I've decided to stick to that.

I have ordered a Cube Touring Hybrid Pro 625 2024 (XL)for £2699. I figured that rather than have to add nearly £1000 of my own money, I'd get get this bike and see how I get on. I can always use some of the money I've saved in the future to upgrade bits that I don't like if needed.

 

[Woosh]

The Cube Touring Hybrid Pro 625 2024 is a sensible choice but at £2699 it is rather pricey in the context of cycle to work. You still pay for it, albeit at C2W rate and you still have to maintain it.
For cycle to work, you can't really beat a hub bike. There is little or no maintenance with hub bikes, and you pay a lot less for it to start with.