If I was you...

[Spinalot]

Imagine for a few moments that you are me!

• You have this belly you are carrying around with you, it looks like you are pregnant! You want to lose about 1-2 stone in weight.
• You want to use a bike to go out and have fun and exercise in a relaxed and enjoyable way.
• You are totally confused by the array of bikes on offer and are scared of making the wrong choice.
• You have a maximum of £1500, (this could stretch to maybe £1800 but it has to be very justifiable) but would prefer to spend about £1000 or less.
• You live in a very hilly area with access to the peak district for some very scenic rides in the autumn sunshine. (my house is only 2 miles from the edge).

Please be as biased as you like. Tell me what you would buy and why.
To help you, research done so far indicates:

• Crank drive is the best for hill climbing, but more expensive.
• Hub gears are very nice (low maintenance).
• Sit up and beg, dutch style is the most comfy riding position for me.

The reason I ask this is that I am going around in circles looking at the vast array of stuff on offer, I am not a wealthy man so even a "cheap" eBike is a daunting prospect. I cannot afford to make a mistake with my purchase.

I look forward to your biased views.

 

[NRG]

This may sound blunt but: Easy answer, go and try some for a day. Make the effort, go and visit 50Cycles or OnBike etc and try them all out.

It does not matter how many opinions you ask for on an internet forum the only person who can decide is you, not me or anybody else.

Go and play!


Edit: Just re-read your post, for £1000 or less and good hill climbing ability the Alien Aurora nails it but its a 350w motor....

 

[overlander]

Before i bought my Trek FX + i tested a few bikes and i narrowed it down to 2. I decided on the trek because it was more designed as a fitness bike with help and that way i would lose weight and not strain my knee. One thing you need to be careful of is the trek has failed miserably as its just to damn easy to use the motor and my weight loss has not been as much as i wanted. What i am getting at, if you cannot lose weight on the trek which rides like a normal bike, basically is a normal bike with proper frame geometry to encourage you to pedal you really are going to struggle to lose weight on these one size fits all bikes as they are just not built for cycling. Now onto my second choice which i'm sure would have been even worse for my weight lose is the Alien Aurora by far the best budget bike i tried and based on a proper frame, but its just so powerful that you will end up using the motor all the time, it human instinct to make thing easier and get places faster i think.

So what i am saying is, unless you are extremely focused an electric bike is not the way to lose weight. I am now back on my normal bike and the weight is coming off. But if you really need to go down the electric route my first choice would be the Trek but its out of your budget so a close second is the alien aurora.

 

[NRG]

I disagree, for somebody who has not exercised for a long time and is overweight an electric bike is perfect for getting the heart rate correct for weight loss without putting undue strain on the rider.

 

[overlander]

I disagree, for somebody who has not exercised for a long time and is overweight an electric bike is perfect for getting the heart rate correct for weight loss without putting undue strain on the rider.

It all depends on how serious you are to lose the weight, i still stick by that as a means to lose weight an electric bike is hopeless. If i was that out of condition i would keep my money in my pocket and join a gym and train until next spring then look at the bike again. Lets be honest most bikes bought at this time of year will end up in the shed until next spring unless you are really motivated.

 

[eddieo]

I lost 2 stone before the summer but have put 1 back on, as have been busy with house move and not been riding

hilly area has to a crank drive and £1000 budget unrealistic

My hub bike is my fun bike as it is fast and powerful

my crankdrive (situation vacant at the moment) is my excercise, hill climbing, everyday bike, as I need to put more effort in. But I think it is a more pleasurable cycling experience, as your effort is rewarded. Plus it is a quiter, more natural type of E cycling....

 

[funkylyn]

Spinalot......you seriously must try to test a Tonaro.....seems to answer all your criteria......its not that far to devon.....worth the trip.

Lynda

 

[flecc]

My experience of successully losing weight is that it's 80 to 90% about eating less and 10 to 20% about more exercise.

Start by nailing the food input issue first, then add the exercise part. Every time you feel a bit peckish and want to snack, put on your jacket and go for a walk instead, exercise can depress excess appetite.

Adding a bike of any sort will be more about fitness than weight reduction.

 

[Scottyf]

I agree with the old codger Flecc. Its food intake that ramps up weight.
Drink more water when hungry, dont skip meals and as for the bike.

Most electric bikes will do everything you want. As for comfort you need to go and try a few no one hear can advise otherwise. Anyone that does will not be right for you personally.


Another memeber advised how much riding a bike answered for them rather than countless hours trawling through the internet with peoples opinions.

For the sake of your own peace of mind please try a few bikes. I'm sure there are even a few members that will live round by you that can offer you a go on theirs!

We can all give you pro's and cons of most systems and helpful knowledge but none of us know what you will like.

=-) happy hunting.

 

[Spinalot]

My experience of successfully losing weight is that it's 80 to 90% about eating less and 10 to 20% about more exercise.

Start by nailing the food input issue first, then add the exercise part. Every time you feel a bit peckish and want to snack, put on your jacket and go for a walk instead, exercise can depress excess appetite.

Adding a bike of any sort will be more about fitness than weight reduction.

Normally I would agree with this post. However let me give you some background in case you have not seen my blog.
Before my back pain got bad I was a furniture maker and very active at work. I am a quailfied scuba instructor and used to dive every week. I considered myself average weight and fitness. Since the operation and the pain got worse I have led a sedentary lifestyle. I do absolutely no exercise whatsoever. I sit at the PC and write or read books on the couch. I became self obsessed, morose, and depressed, living the life of a recluse. I eat no more than I did when I was working. I can hand on heart say that. I do not snack. I have one meal a day. The evening meal with the family, and we have always been normal eaters (veg included )
I have since had therapy in the pain management service at the Sheffield NGH (northern general hospital) and my head is in a better place. I am now far more optimistic about my future and I want to get back into a better shape than I am now. So although my eating habits are a little odd (only one meal a day). I will not eat less or I would starve! What is needed is more exercise. After the therapy I started to walk to the shop every day, about a mile each way for the paper. that really made a difference quite rapidly, but I am left in pain after the walk. So I want to get a nice comfy bike thats easy to pedal and slowly build up my outside the house time. I am not expecting unrealistic results and am happy to pootle around to start with, building up to riding harder and longer till I find that point optimum fitness. I believe, and so does my physio therapist and doctor this will make a world of difference to my well being, both physically and mentally.
I could never go to a gym, I hate the places. Not only do I find it totally boring, I do not do well seeing other people sweating and grunting! I am also a little OCD about using public showers etc. I cannot stand other peoples filth. I know that odd but its just me. I will stick to my exersises at home.

 

[Spinalot]

I still want to know what bikes you have and why chose them. Yes I agree there is no better way for me to personally find out than trying them for myself. But it would be nice to hear why you chose the system/spec you did and how you arrived at that. I was not expecting you to tell me what is best to buy. Maybe I worded it all wrong.
/shrug ah well.

 

[Spinalot]

Hmmm, looking back at the OP I understand your comments. I was trying to make it a fun exercise to get some discussion going and hopefully I would glean some insight. I failed!

 

[Artstu]

With regard to the 2 mile walk to the shop and back (a good 30 mins) and your back pain, I would honestly think that riding a bike would be even worse for your back?

 

[Spinalot]

With regard to the 2 mile walk to the shop and back (a good 30 mins) and your back pain, I would honestly think that riding a bike would be even worse for your back?

Not really, the nature of my back pain is made worse by standing. Also walking downhill is where it really hurts. The pressure of my heel going down sends a shock up my legs and hurts like thunder in my lower back.

 

[Artstu]

Fair enough. I have different health issues and find riding my bike tiring on my whole body, it really gives the whole body a good work-out.

I'm in a similar position to you looking for a new bike, although I've had an introduction to ebikes on a cheap Cyclamtic, which was fine for the money, but frustratingly slow on the flat or down-hill.
If I can bring myself to part with some serious money I'll be getting a crank-drive bike next, not sure which one yet though.

 

[funkylyn]

Sorry about your back problems.....have been there and done that.... I KNOW how awful it is......but just a point about your 'odd' eating habits......best way to lose weight is to eat little and often, or at least regularly and not to miss breakfast....which is the most important meal of the day...... and the worst way to get you daily intake is in one meal.....especially at night.......worth trying a few changes to see if it helps......
And get yourself out on a few bikes and find your perfect match........you really need to try all your favourites......

Lynda

 

[flecc]

I eat no more than I did when I was working.

I will not eat less or I would starve!

And there's the key, you are still eating too much!

When working your food intake matched your work consumption of energy while maintaining normal weight.

Now you do nothing, you need to subtract the food that was used to fuel that work you used to do. When you don't, you increase weight to a point of maintaining a much heavier weight/food balance which you seem to be at now.

I spent years eating only one meal a day with a good weight balance, but when I retired my weight started shooting up, quickly becoming two stones over the normal to fat boundary. So I greatly increased my (unpowered) cycling which increased my fitness but made very small reductions in weight at a rate meaning I would eventualy be a correct weight corpse!

So I kept on cycling quite a lot, but slashed my food intake to a genuine* 1000 to 1200 calories a day, which is medically the minimum safe level, and that lost the surplus in just over two months. From then on it was just a matter of finding a new intake level that keeps my weight ok and gradually training that in until it became normality in my life.

*I said "genuine" in relation to calorie intakes, for in my experience most people happily deceive themselves when calculating in calories how much they eat.

On the subject of e-bikes for exercise, probably best is a type of pedelec like the Panasonic powered ones that insist you provide around half the power needed when in normal power mode. The more powerful e-bikes with throttles too easily tempt one into allowing the system to do most of the work.
.

 

[piotrmacheta]

Have you tried a recumbent trike? They are ever so comfortable on your back and lots of fun and as it's heavier than a normal bike it will give you more exercise and of course you can put an electric kit on it for those days when you don't feel like pedalling.
I occasionally get back problems which I find are made worse by my upright bike.
As many have sid before, it's really important to try as many out as possible.

 

[Spinalot]

They are very expensive but I have seen a few.
Many years ago when Mike Burrows was developing the Speedy wind-cheater in Norwich, I went and tried one out. It truly is an awesome fun machine. That was when I was fit as a butchers dog though

 

[eddieo]

This really is not rocket science, and not that much choice particularly within the budget that you seem loathe to go beyond. So that dictates a hub bike, cheap crankdrive or a secondhand bike. There is only so much info that can be gleaned on here. One thing, if your back is as bad as you say, when testing bikes try picking it up from flat of the ground as part of the test.... and if you have to negotiate steps or stairs etc...make sure you try that as well

edit:

I have just re read thread and see that your budget has almost doubled! This opens up much more choice....Shame we no longer have the Bosch as a test ride on that, plus my Daahub/specalised hub bike, would have given you a very good idea of what is available at the top end of your budget....