Knee issues, heavy rider, good power, 1500gbp budget help please

Fatterbike

Just Joined
Apr 14, 2024
4
0
Hello everyone

so I’m a large chap at 150kg but going down. I have had severe knee issues meaning exercising has been difficult and weight crept up.

im looking for an bike that’s comfortable and has some power. Higher hills where I live.
I saw the wispers are 120 Nm from their own motors but they are just twice what I can afford at 1500 gbp.

I’ve seen lots on amazon and my social feeds full of different makes.

could I have suggestions please for makes and models to consider? Power is key as I’m big as are the hills.
Thanks so much
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,997
6,536


so 560 left for a doner bike
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,997
6,536
the road bike wnkers try gang up on me they do on there fkn plastic twigs in try box me in going 25mph 1 left one right and a twat in front off me problem is i can go 40mph it dont end well.

DSC_0146_04.JPG

i was a fat blob but now 72kg and eat crap cider and weed for my power supply :eek:
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,997
6,536

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
7,005
3,241
Telford
Hello everyone

so I’m a large chap at 150kg but going down. I have had severe knee issues meaning exercising has been difficult and weight crept up.

im looking for an bike that’s comfortable and has some power. Higher hills where I live.
I saw the wispers are 120 Nm from their own motors but they are just twice what I can afford at 1500 gbp.

I’ve seen lots on amazon and my social feeds full of different makes.

could I have suggestions please for makes and models to consider? Power is key as I’m big as are the hills.
Thanks so much
Any Amazon or ebay bike with a 48v battery should be OK except the ones with the big direct drive motors in the back wheel, and obviously not one that has a folding mechanism. The best ones have standard downtube-mounted batteries.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cjd

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,328
609
1st thing is I would take all the torque figures with a pinch of salt - they all have different ways of measuring them and it's measured differently for mid drive bikes to hub bikes. For a first level approximation of how powerful they are use the controller voltage * max current to compare.

This one says up to 25 stone


I don't know if Woosh could do you a 48v 17 amp version (basically using their 48v dwg22c kit) ?

The only thing I have noticed that heavier riders are prone to break spokes on hub motored bikes. I had this on my hub bike and I took it into a wheel builder and they rebuilt it and I have no problems now. I guess you could just get a hub motor and ask a wheel builder to build a suitable wheel

Riding electric bikes is great exercise, low impact, you don't get bored, but you can go further (especially hills) in shorter times, without it being totally exhausting - you can turn up / down the assist to suit yourself

The other option is to convert (or get converted) a normal bike, you can get bargains from Facebook marketplace , ebay, Gumtree and add a kit either the dwg22c 48v hub kit from Woosh is a heavy duty hub or a 48v Bagang BBS01 mid drive kit
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cjd

Sturmey

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2018
648
354
68
Ireland
.....The only thing I have noticed that heavier riders are prone to break spokes on hub motored bikes. . .....
Front hub motors have a little bit of an advantage here in that they dont appear to have that problem and can be a good choice. Of course, the non motor ordinary rear wheel can break spokes but its generally easier to deal with this and other rear wheel problems / get replacement/ local bike shop repair etc when there is no electrics involved.
 

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,451
16,915
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
Heavy riders are best with front hubs, as others have pointed out.
A large rear hub motor will shorten the spokes considerably, lessening the weight the rear wheel can support without regular spoke maintenance.
If you live in a hilly area, converting a bike with a crank drive like the Tongsheng TSDZ8 is best.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fatterbike

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,328
609
Heavy riders are best with front hubs, as others have pointed out.
A large rear hub motor will shorten the spokes considerably, lessening the weight the rear wheel can support without regular spoke maintenance.
If you live in a hilly area, converting a bike with a crank drive like the Tongsheng TSDZ8 is best.
I hesitated recommending the TSDZ8 because of his knee issues and it being torque sensor - I just saw a post where it looked like there was a setting to make it behave as a cadence sensor ?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fatterbike

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,429
618
With bad knees, I would keep away from torque sensors. I think a throttle would be ideal. The bike below is designed for up to 25 stone weigh and I think would be ideal. Best of luck and ignore the negative comments.

https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?bigbearplus
A throttle is going to do nothing for fitness, or help drop body weight, and while the OP has knee problems, a bit of exercise will do more towards getting a bit of weight off, than a bicycle shaped moped will ever do.
Less body weight is less strain on the knees(+hips, ankles etc)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Fatterbike

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,451
16,915
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
I hesitated recommending the TSDZ8 because of his knee issues and it being torque sensor - I just saw a post where it looked like there was a setting to make it behave as a cadence sensor ?
the TSDZ8 comes with a throttle, he does not have to worry about steep hills.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Peter.Bridge

sjpt

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 8, 2018
3,850
2,763
Winchester
I throttle is going to do nothing for fitness, or help drop body weight, and while the OP has knee problems, a bit of exercise will do more towards getting a bit of weight off, than a bicycle shaped moped will ever do.
Less body weight is less strain on the knees(+hips, ankles etc)
If a throttle is used the whole time that is true. If it is used more discriminately (*) it will help the rider over the bits that would otherwise be difficult and potentially damaging, while still giving him plenty of exercise for the remaining 98% of the ride.

(*) It's odd how 'discriminate' has become a dirty word.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fatterbike

Sturmey

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2018
648
354
68
Ireland
I throttle is going to do nothing for fitness, or help drop body weight, and while the OP has knee problems, a bit of exercise will do more towards getting a bit of weight off, than a bicycle shaped moped will ever do.
Less body weight is less strain on the knees(+hips, ankles etc)
All my bikes have throttles as well as pedal assist but I generally pedal with pedal assist and use the throttle only as required when pulling away from stops, extra boost on hills, and when dogs chase me down the road. I suppose I might consider myself as a moderate user of the throttle rather than a full blown throttle addict.
 

Peter.Bridge

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 19, 2023
1,328
609
Heavy riders are best with front hubs, as others have pointed out.
A large rear hub motor will shorten the spokes considerably, lessening the weight the rear wheel can support without regular spoke maintenance.
If you live in a hilly area, converting a bike with a crank drive like the Tongsheng TSDZ8 is best.
Get a really high spec full suspension bike from ebay - something like this


check with Woosh the bottom bracket fits the TSDZ8 kit

And add the Woosh (or get Woosh to add) their 48V TSDZ8 kit and you would have something that rivals ebikes costing many thousands of pounds
 
Last edited:

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,451
16,915
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
that Rocky Mountain is a lovely bike.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fatterbike

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,451
16,915
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
But can you fit a battery to it?
Yes, I think it's possible. That bike has a large frame, not unlike your old Rocky Mountain.
If you can fit a piece of cardboard 10cm x 36cm then you can fit an HL battery.
Do you want to buy it? I have already got a 10kg full sus bike, I can't justify another one.
 

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,429
618
If a throttle is used the whole time that is true. If it is used more discriminatory
My bike has 4 modes. Eco,tour,Emtb,Turbo.
I've ridden it for 2 1/2 years and all that time in turbo.

Humans being humans tend to go mental and stick to one option. So the chances are you'd use throttle all the time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fatterbike

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,451
16,915
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
One good thing with a combo of torque sensing and throttle is people tend to use lower assist level on flatish roads and throttle to climb hills. That gives a good fat burn rate and avoid straining your knees and leg muscles on hills.