Help! light bike very good on steep hills?

[MG1]

I live in the countryside I am looking for a light weight e bike that is good on hills some of which are steep. The bi yeske needs okay to be light as i will use it to communte and my journey envoles train travel where i have to change platforms and so need to carry the bike.

Any sugestions please?

 

[Fordulike]

I'm assuming that on your train commute, it would be beneficial to have a bike with a small footprint i.e. foldable. The bike in the link below might be a suitable candidate for commuting with train travel included, although I wouldn't say it was particularly lightweight at 22kg.

With the included rack and small 20" wheels, I would say that even without folding, it would be easier to transfer it up and down stairs etc., than a full blown 26"er or bigger.

RoadHog EBike Electric Bicycle Folding Bike 250W Professional Commuter

Definitely read the buyer comments about the bike, or indeed any bike, before going ahead with a purchase though.

 

[Amoto65]

Any sugestions please?

Depends on your budget , I have a sub 14kg electric gravel bike that I sold my soul to the devil for that will get me up any hill around the Peak District and can be lifted with one hand, But on the flip side I used to have a cheap second hand Viking folder that was totally adequate for a short commute with a few gentle hills. I suggest if you want a folder look at the bikes from Woosh, Wisper and Juicy as a good start.

 

[Fordulike]

What's your budget?

 

[Nealh]

The most important bit is the largest bike one can get away with on the train journey ?

 

[vfr400]

Some trains only allow folding bikes and they have to be folded before you go on the platform. Make sure you know exactly what the rules are on your trainline before you buy a bike.

 

[MG1]

Thank you but I do not need a folding bike. I am looking for a lightweight bike to use around the countryside, lightweight important. Budget about £2500

 

[Fordulike]

Thank you but I do not need a folding bike. I am looking for a lightweight bike to use around the countryside, lightweight important. Budget about £2500

Sorry, that was my fault for assuming that you would probably need something compact.

£2500, well, that should get you exactly what you need

 

[Atlav4]

Lightweight and powerful don’t always go hand in hand. Normally the lighter ebikes have a smaller, hence less powerful motor with a smaller range battery. Larger more powerful motors and longer range batteries coming at a weight penalty. The choice mainly comes down to fitness ie using less assistance with a lightweight bike or more powerful assistance with a heavier bike, or something in between.

 

[vfr400]

Thank you but I do not need a folding bike. I am looking for a lightweight bike to use around the countryside, lightweight important. Budget about £2500

It's not about what you want. It's about what you're allowed. If the train company doesn't allow non-folding bikes, it'll be a long ride to work. All I said is to check what the rules are before you make any decisions if you want to avoid disappointment. all the different train companies have different rules. Also, it depends on trains and times. Some allow bikes, but only have two spaces, so if they're already occupied, you're out. Also, check the rules at both ends because rural stations often don't care, but mainline ones do.

Finally, have you thought about what you're going to do with the bike regarding security while you're at work? You need a secure location. If you lock a £2500 ebike to a lamppost outside, it'll be gone within a month.

 

[Amoto65]

Thank you but I do not need a folding bike. I am looking for a lightweight bike to use around the countryside, lightweight important. Budget about £2500

Light weight bikes to look at would possibly be Boardman, Ribble or possibly the Juicy Ticket or slightly more expensive than £2500 Specialized Vado SL.

 

[Woosh]

I live in the countryside I am looking for a light weight e bike that is good on hills some of which are steep. The bi yeske needs okay to be light as i will use it to communte and my journey envoles train travel where i have to change platforms and so need to carry the bike.

Any sugestions please?

if you have to take your bike into the train, you should consider electrifying a Brompton.
As far as I know, this is the only bike that is practical enough for this.

This is my Brompton with a 36V 13AH battery:

 

[Nealh]

This country in the main is anti bike, this is born out with the crap non existent bike infrastructure nearly every where. The same goes for trains they just don't want then on board but are happy to provide bike parks at the stations which are about as safe as allowing a tot to cross the road on their own.

 

[richtea99]

I live in the countryside I am looking for a light weight e bike that is good on hills some of which are steep. The bi yeske needs okay to be light as i will use it to communte and my journey envoles train travel where i have to change platforms and so need to carry the bike.

Any sugestions please?

Basically, the trade-off is weight versus power. More power usually indicates bigger battery, motor, etc.

And how steep is 'steep'?
If you mean in the 10% range then a Boardman (Fazua-based), Orbea, or Ribble (ebikemotion-based) will be good choices in terms of weight - around 15-16Kg, and in your price range. All are 250W, i.e. legal.

If you mean 15% or steeper then you may struggle on a lightweight ebike unless you're also light and relatively fit.
You'll get up all hills easier with any ebike, but in the 15% hill bracket for a 250W bike there's a fair bit of muscle still needed to get you up, I've found.

 

[Deleted member 33385]

The last time I looked into specific train and bus company policies, many insisted that folding bikes be transported in bags - it's easy enough to buy a generic one. Some specified folded size limits, the smallest being the dimensions of a folded Brompton (some slightly larger) - probably to dissuade owners of 26-inch wheel folders. If your folding bike is suitably sized when folded and bagged, at least you don't have to book to transport it on a train. Bromptons are the most train-friendly I know of, whether you can get one converted with enough oomph to make tackling a 20% hill easy, is another matter.

 

[vfr400]

The last time I looked into specific train and bus company policies, many insist that folding bikes are transported in bags - it's easy enough to buy a generic one. Some specified folded size limits, but at least you don't have to book to transport a folding bike on a train. Brompton are the most train-friendly I've know of, whether you can get one converted with enough oomph to make tackling a 20% hill easy, is another matter.

Bromtoms go up hills well with hub-motors because the wheels are small. The one I coverted with a Q85 and standard 15A controller at 36v could go up a 14% hill with 100kg on board without pedalling. The only problem is the much lower speed. It was doimg about 5 mph like that and top speed was only 15 mph.

 

[richtea99]

5mph and zero effort is still damned impressive!

A Boardman / Orbea / Ribble would need to be going 8-10mph to get decent assistance. Unless you modified the PAS sensor on an Orbea, for example, to have closer packed magnets?

 

[Fordulike]

@MG1
Have you made a shortlist of suitable bikes?

 

[budsy]

What about the Santana 3 from Woosh has also the throttle

and under your price range ..

The Santana 3 | Electric Bikes from Woosh

The Santana3, a new lightweight and powerful step through electric bike with 36V 15AH/17AH battery from Woosh.

wooshbikes.co.uk

 

[Electric Ruth]

What about the Santana 3 from Woosh has also the throttle

and under your price range ..

The Santana 3 | Electric Bikes from Woosh

The Santana3, a new lightweight and powerful step through electric bike with 36V 15AH/17AH battery from Woosh.

wooshbikes.co.uk

I don't call 24kg light.

 

[Woosh]

The Woosh Faro is lightweight but you can only take it into trains at off peak time.

The Faro | Very Lightweight Electric Bikes from Woosh

The Faro: very lightweight road electric bike from Woosh with hydraulic brakes and in-frame 36V 8AH battery or 20AH external battery.

wooshbikes.co.uk