I need to carry it upstairs!!!!

[mersey_lady]

Hello all, you helpful bunch. I have read through many threads but no one else seems to have exactly this need. I have been riding an electric bike to work for a year now. I bought a Byocycle Zest Plus this time last year and on the whole it has been great. I bought it from ebikes direct for their keen price but, when I did have an issue, I was left wishing I had chosen a local dealer. Although, to be fair ebikes direct went above and beyond and sorted out the problem.
So my situation is this. I have two jobs, one six miles away and where I can stow the bike and charge it up without trouble and I love riding my bike on those two days. But my other job moved offices about three months after my getting my bike, it is now ten miles from home without steep hills but invariably a vicious head wind. Still I love riding my bike to work and on one day a week there is always a strong male colleague who obligingly carries the bike upstairs. So I want to be able to ride on the other two days. My employer is very accommodating and has been prepared to explore all sorts of possibilities of bike rack etc. but when you consider the level of security and convenience of charging etc I have concluded it will just be cheaper to buy a lighter bike! I have finished paying for the Byocycle through the payroll now so I would be willing to enter into another cycle to work agreement.
I feel prejudice against small wheels but, to be honest I haven't ridden one yet. Are there any full size bikes out there which are light enough for a middle aged lady who isn't very fit, carry upstairs? I don't think I have any need for a folder but acknowledge that smaller wheels might be more manageable up the stairs.
Just realised how long this post is, sorry for boring you all to death but any advice would be welcome.

 

[Woosh]

Hello ML,

I don't think there is.
The lightest full size bike weighs about 10kgs unless you want to pay £,£££.
If you carry the battery separately, you may find something with a motor weighing in the region of 12kgs-13kgs.
It's still heavy.
The lightest full size bike I sell is the Karoo.

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

The lightest folding bike I sell is the Gallego.

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

They are representative of what can be done at the moment.

 

[RobF]

A new bike won't be a great deal lighter than your Byocycle.

Maybe a kilo or two, but I doubt that will make enough difference for carrying up stairs.

As you've observed, smaller wheels would be more wieldy on the stairs, but only you can work out by how much.

You would be fine riding a bike with 20" wheels on the commute.

They are surprisingly comfortable - with podgy balloon tyres - and roll well.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The Gocycle would be perfect for you. It's only 13kg. Just one problem: £3499. It's a brilliant bike though: clean, portable, very powerful (fast too if you want), automatic gear changing, and best of all it's British.

https://gocycle.com/g3/

There is much cheaper version coming soon, but I don't know when.

 

[RobF]

The Gocycle would be perfect for you. It's only 13kg. Just one problem: £3499.

https://gocycle.com/g3/

The spec says 16.3kg.

Which would be about the same as a Brompton Nano with a small battery.

https://gocycle.com/g3/

 

[mersey_lady]

Thank you all for your replies, so quick.

RobF, I was under the impression that the Byocycle was freakishly heavy, it seems to be huge and weighs a tonne! I can't find any websites with it's spec on now, I thought retailers were probably skirting over the issue because it is sooooo heavy. Attempting to ride it without pedal assist is hard work and lifting it is a nightmare! (I still love it, though).

d8veh; yes obviously the gocycle would be perfect but that price tag is a bit much!!

Woosh; that Gallego is an unusual looking thing! The video of it folding is very impressive though and undoubtedly half folded would be easier on the stairs. Just not sure I'm ready for a bike that looks so unconventional.

I think I will make it the weekend's purpose to test ride a bike with smaller wheels and see how it feels. (Will remind me of my youth when we all proudly rode around on our Raleigh Shoppers!)

 

[Wicky]

Invest in secure lock/s for the bike and take the battery off to bring upstairs to charge.

 

[mersey_lady]

That's most of the problem, Wicky, the battery on my Byocycle is housed in the frame and to remove it you have to turn bike upside down etc to get it out, it's awkward. That didn't seem like a problem when I bought it as I intended to store it indoors with no more than a doorstep to contend with!

 

[E-Wheels]

Hello all, you helpful bunch. I have read through many threads but no one else seems to have exactly this need. I have been riding an electric bike to work for a year now. I bought a Byocycle Zest Plus this time last year and on the whole it has been great. I bought it from ebikes direct for their keen price but, when I did have an issue, I was left wishing I had chosen a local dealer. Although, to be fair ebikes direct went above and beyond and sorted out the problem.
So my situation is this. I have two jobs, one six miles away and where I can stow the bike and charge it up without trouble and I love riding my bike on those two days. But my other job moved offices about three months after my getting my bike, it is now ten miles from home without steep hills but invariably a vicious head wind. Still I love riding my bike to work and on one day a week there is always a strong male colleague who obligingly carries the bike upstairs. So I want to be able to ride on the other two days. My employer is very accommodating and has been prepared to explore all sorts of possibilities of bike rack etc. but when you consider the level of security and convenience of charging etc I have concluded it will just be cheaper to buy a lighter bike! I have finished paying for the Byocycle through the payroll now so I would be willing to enter into another cycle to work agreement.
I feel prejudice against small wheels but, to be honest I haven't ridden one yet. Are there any full size bikes out there which are light enough for a middle aged lady who isn't very fit, carry upstairs? I don't think I have any need for a folder but acknowledge that smaller wheels might be more manageable up the stairs.
Just realised how long this post is, sorry for boring you all to death but any advice would be welcome.

The Orbea Katu might be an option http://ebiketips.co.uk/content/news/orbea-launches-more-affordable-katu-e50-564
Can't find a reference to the weight though

 

[Woosh]

That's most of the problem, Wicky, the battery on my Byocycle is housed in the frame and to remove it you have to turn bike upside down etc to get it out, it's awkward. That didn't seem like a problem when I bought it as I intended to store it indoors with no more than a doorstep to contend with!

the Kudos Sprint is easy to carry.
Its battery is easy to take out, same as the Woosh Karoo.

https://www.kudoscycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=349

 

[Wicky]

That's most of the problem, Wicky, the battery on my Byocycle is housed in the frame and to remove it you have to turn bike upside down etc to get it out, it's awkward. That didn't seem like a problem when I bought it as I intended to store it indoors with no more than a doorstep to contend with!

Looks like from the manual it just needs laying on the side and disconnecting -- still quite a palaver.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/977884/Byocycles-Zest.html?page=6#manual

Might be worth considering a similar type of bike but with a more easily accessible battery.

Or commute to Amsterdam ;-)

http://www.frankieroberto.com/hijsbalk

 

[RobF]

Thank you all for your replies, so quick.

RobF, I was under the impression that the Byocycle was freakishly heavy, it seems to be huge and weighs a tonne! I can't find any websites with it's spec on now, I thought retailers were probably skirting over the issue because it is sooooo heavy. Attempting to ride it without pedal assist is hard work and lifting it is a nightmare! (I still love it, though).

Your Byocycle is a step though.

That type of frame is made from thicker metal to make it rigid enough in the absence of the bracing effect of a cross bar.

At a guess, it could be 23-25kg.

A £1,000 cross bar ebike could be under 20kg, but not by much.

The question is if the difference is worth having for your carrying purpose.

 

[mersey_lady]

The Orbea Katu might be an option http://ebiketips.co.uk/content/news/orbea-launches-more-affordable-katu-e50-564
Can't find a reference to the weight though

That looks lovely, I like that one! But strange that the weight isn't given.

 

[mersey_lady]

Your Byocycle is a step though.

That type of frame is made from thicker metal to make it rigid enough in the absence of the bracing effect of a cross bar.

At a guess, it could be 23-25kg.

A £1,000 cross bar ebike could be under 20kg, but not by much.

The question is if the difference is worth having for your carrying purpose.

I think it is at least 23kgs and quite a difficult shape to handle. A cross bar would not be suitable for me, I'm not very tall and I ride in whatever clothes I am wearing to work.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

That looks lovely, I like that one! But strange that the weight isn't given.

It'll weigh the same as the Kudos above, which is cheaper and easier to repair.

 

[mersey_lady]

Looks like from the manual it just needs laying on the side and disconnecting -- still quite a palaver.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/977884/Byocycles-Zest.html?page=6#manual

Might be worth considering a similar type of bike but with a more easily accessible battery.

Or commute to Amsterdam ;-)

http://www.frankieroberto.com/hijsbalk

To be honest my employer has even considered a stair lift of some kind!!! Those pulley things are a great idea though.

Being able to remove the battery easily probably would be an advantage (it is a tricky business on mine). I think I need to go around bike shops lifting bikes and removing batteries and lifting again to get a feel for what is less awkward to handle than mine!! I'll probably get arrested!

 

[mersey_lady]

the Kudos Sprint is easy to carry.
Its battery is easy to take out, same as the Woosh Karoo.

https://www.kudoscycles.com/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=349

No dealer close to me unfortunately, but could certainly be a contender.

 

[anotherkiwi]

To be honest my employer has even considered a stair lift of some kind!!! Those pulley things are a great idea though.

Being able to remove the battery easily probably would be an advantage (it is a tricky business on mine). I think I need to go around bike shops lifting bikes and removing batteries and lifting again to get a feel for what is less awkward to handle than mine!! I'll probably get arrested!

That is the easiest way to do things: get a new bike that you like which has a battery that is easy to remove. Leave the bike locked up downstairs.

 

[RobF]

The Kudos bike looks the most realistic option so far.

Dave - who owns Kudos and posts on here - has been known to send a bike on approval, so it's worth an ask.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Mersey Lady....looks like others are doing a good job for me,cost me a fortune in beers!!!!
Please also look at the Kudos Secret (20" wheels) and the K16 (16" wheels),both are about as light as its possible without reducing the battery size. The K16 is particularly light ,ideal for humping on/off a bus,but not really for more than 5 mile journeys.
When you have settled on a bike I can send up,if you pay the return carriage.
We have some ex-demo Secrets at from £500.00,
Good Luck.
KudosDave