Kitting up for the first time

[Chobbit]

Hi names Michael and I'm new here

I currently drive a 25 mile round trip and I'm looking to leave the car at home and cycle the 20 mile (none motorway route) round trip. I did a 12 mile round trip about 5 years ago but that was the first time I'd been on a bike since I was probably 15 (I'm 32 now).

Because I'm not the fittest person (which is one of the reasons I want to do this), there's some hills and I suffer from Asthema so I'm not sure I'd be able to handle 100 miles a week unassisted without collapsing or really suffering especially starting as it's getting to the coldest months, so I'm so happy to find eBikes exist.

I'm not looking for the latest and greatest but I do want to be serious about this so I've been looking around trying to put together what I need and thought I spend about £1500 a year on petrol driving so I'm looking around there for the bike, equipment & clothing. I was wondering if these are alright? is there anything I've missed & anything I maybe don't need?:

• Ebike - Gtech eBike Sports (with mud guards, lights & kick stand) - £1,064.85
  
• Multi Tool - Topeak Hexus 16 Function Bike Tool £17
  
• 28" Inner tube x2 - Continental Race Bike Inner Tube - 700c - 28" - £10
• Winter tyres - the gTech has 28" wheels can someone suggest decent winter tyres?
• Compact pump (for road) - Birzman Velocity Apogee Road Mini Pump - £19
• Full-size pump (for home) - Topeak Joe Blow Sport II Floor Pump - £30

• Baselayer x 2 - Race Base Mesh Base layer - £50
  
• Short sleeved jersey x 3 - B'TWIN 100 SHORT-SLEEVED CYCLING JERSEY - BLUE £15
  
• Bib Shorts x 2 - B'TWIN 500 CYCLING BIB SHORTS - CORPO £50
  
• Leg warmers - ARDENNES ROUBAIX LEG WARMER - £22
  
• Arm warmers - Prendas Ciclismo Merkalon Special Edition Armwarmers - £8
  
• Gilet - BTwin Ultralight Bike Gilet 700 £15
  
• Gloves - Altura Micro Fleece Gloves £18
  
• Overshoes - Madison Sportive PU Thermal Cycling Overshoes £20
  
• Softshell - Madison Sportive Mens Softshell Jacket £60
  
• 15.6" Laptop & bait work bag - Osprey Momentum 32 £46
  
• D Lock - Abus Granit X-Plus 540 300MM D-Lock £67

Hoping these should cover me for all eventualities hot or cold (and I'm naturally a hot person so layers will be for the extreme cold), any help for a newbie is much appreciated but hoping to make something good out of all this

Thanks

 

[kangooroo]

I'm unfit and cycle about 30-40 miles per day but, with the exception of a hi-viz jacket, I haven't needed to buy any 'cycling clothing' and just wear normal gear.

Because you're not going to arrive at work drenched in sweat, you may find you're ok wearing your normal clothing. E-bikes are very different to the manual type...!

 

[Peter Ball]

Re, bike pump, I've got a Joe Blow, fantastic bit of kit. does the bike, the car, and even our motorhome worth every penny.

 

[Benjahmin]

I'd think again about the G=Tec - no gears, ok if you live in the flat lands but on a hill in a November wind

Have a look at this, it's cheaper even with the biggest battery:
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?karoo
The nice folks at Woosh will help you choose the right one

 

[argoose]

I'd think again about the G=Tec - no gears, ok if you live in the flat lands but on a hill in a November wind

Have a look at this, it's cheaper even with the biggest battery:
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?karoo
The nice folks at Woosh will help you choose the right one

totally agree, I have a g tech for when away in the motorhome. It's great for messing about and although it will do medium hills, you use a lot of battery if your not a regular cyclist or rely a lot on the electric side of it. Like at the end of a hard day at work or into a headwind. I have done over 20 miles on it as a normal bike, girlfriend who doesn't cycle, used 50% battery.
For day to day commute, go for big battery and gears

 

[awol]

For ebiking in the cold weather all you need is -
Gloves - Aldi cycling gloves or lobster gloves, about £5
Jacket - Sports Direct- Dunlop Hi-vis padded work Jacket, with this you won't need arm/base layers or gilet or softshell, you will be warm enough. £22
You won't need the shorts, just go in your work jeans, you won't be sweating.
Bike - try Woosh or Kudos or Oxygen although I do like the look of the gtech belt drive.
Overshoes not needed if you use mid high Karimoor walking shoes £35 and gelert waterproof overpants £17 whilst in sports direct getting the jacket and maybe a £15 muddyfox cycle helmet too.
Leg warmers not needed as you can just use the waterproof overpants on cold days too or some old ones not waterproof anymore.
All work fine for my 20 miles a day all weather commuting.
How much cash have I just saved you?

 

[mountainsport]

For ebiking in the cold weather all you need is -
Gloves - Aldi cycling gloves or lobster gloves, about £5
Jacket - Sports Direct- Dunlop Hi-vis padded work Jacket, with this you won't need arm/base layers or gilet or softshell, you will be warm enough. £22
You won't need the shorts, just go in your work jeans, you won't be sweating.
Bike - try Woosh or Kudos or Oxygen although I do like the look of the gtech belt drive.
Overshoes not needed if you use mid high Karimoor walking shoes £35 and gelert waterproof overpants £17 whilst in sports direct getting the jacket and maybe a £15 muddyfox cycle helmet too.
Leg warmers not needed as you can just use the waterproof overpants on cold days too or some old ones not waterproof anymore.
All work fine for my 20 miles a day all weather commuting.
How much cash have I just saved you?

Hi awol, can you be a bit more specific in detail, I am trying my best to clock on.

MS.

 

[Chobbit]

Wow sorry didn't even bother looking last night as past experience with forums is you get like 1 reply a day, you guys are quick and very proactive.

Thanks for the advice so far I definitely get the feeling I was going a little overboard and a lot of that isn't needed, however I do want to take this serious and build myself up so that I can just use the battery less and less as I gain strength.

I really like the look of the gtech one because the price is fair for what I can see in the market, the battery looks like a water bottle so it's not too conspicuous that I'm going jumped and mugged for it. I also like the carbon belt meaning I don't have to mess with chains and finally the 14 day trial is very appealing to make sure I can do this and the bike is right.

I'll be charging the battery every night and at work so it will probably only do 10 miles between charges so shouldn't need to worry too much about how it's draining through usage. I know it won't be the best on hills with 1 gear but I want a bit of a challenge as long as there is some help it can provide, however do you think this bike will deal with these elevations according to google maps?:

Eventually I probably will get a better bike but at that point I may not decide I need the electric help but who knows.

I already have a helmet, padded shorts so maybe I'll get a bigger backpack to carry all my stuff (probably 30-35litres), some gloves, thin waterproof windproof jacket, over trousers, pumps, 2 inner tubes, multi tool and winter tyres.

 

[Tabs]

Jumped or mugged for a bike!!!!!! You must stay in a rough place.

 

[Chobbit]

I will be cycling through some dodgy areas sadly but my neighbour his and two others had their bikes nicked from a bike shelter outside Boots near here as the thiefs cut through the chains in broad day light.

 

[argoose]

If you are charging there and back will be OK.
Just be aware the belt is mega expensive, so treat it like gold.
Elevations look fine, having via A669 leads me to think it's going to be medium hills rather than Alps terrain

 

[Chobbit]

Thanks argoose, yeah it will be charged at every opportunity between journeys and yeah nothing major just some long inclines that would drive my asthema mad over time.

Yeah I know the carbon belt is more expensive but I guess if they can handle long stretches on motorbikes I'm hoping they can handle a small electric motor for atleast a few years and hopefully less chance of coming off not having to move around as much.

 

[Tabs]

I understand that bikes get stolen (happened to me once) but it must be really bad if men are getting mugged for their bikes.Get a good lock and keep it in view as much as possible,good luck and stay safe.

 

[Chobbit]

Thanks I'm tying to get a solid D lock thats not too heavy to carry. It will be kept in the house at home and in a bike shelter at work which luckily is in a nice area and there's never been anything stolen here.

Get paid tomorrow so going to place the order tomorrow evening but will probably miss the delivery due to working so will probably be the weekend before i get it redelivered for really excited

 

[Deleted member 4366]

What are you going to get - not a Gtech?

How much do you weigh?

 

[argoose]

Thanks I'm tying to get a solid D lock thats not too heavy to carry. It will be kept in the house at home and in a bike shelter at work which luckily is in a nice area and there's never been anything stolen here.

Get paid tomorrow so going to place the order tomorrow evening but will probably miss the delivery due to working so will probably be the weekend before i get it redelivered for really excited

when you get a delivery date you should be able to re arrange for convenient day.
I swapped out saddle put on a suspension seatpost and trekking bars making it a lot more comfortable.

 

[Chobbit]

Yeah the Gtech eSport bike do people think it's a bad bike?

I mean I've got the 14 day trial to get it free collected and returned so I should know soon.

I will probably end up swapping the saddle for a more comfortable one but it's good to know I can change the handles too thanks

 

[LeighPing]

What are you going to get - not a Gtech?

How much do you weigh?

 

[Chobbit]

Sorry I missed that part I weigh roughly 13.5 stone

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You'll probably be OK at that weight as long as you don't have steep hills. I tried a Gtech the other day up a medium hill. The problem is that the bike slows down to a point where the motor is making enough torque for you and the motor to get you up the hill, but the cadence goes so low that you can't get enough power. I'm a fairly fit 13st and that medium hill was done fairly easily, but I have many hills on my cycle route that I know that I'd be pushing that bike up. The problem is the lack of gears, not the motor power. If you can't help the bike, you stall out. A part from that and the lack of range, it's not a bad bike.

I'd summarise by saying that if you're under 85kg, your rides are less than 15 miles, you don't have steep hills and you don't want to carry heavy shopping, the Gtech would be a good match.