Looking for affordable step-through to commute up-hill

[Linnipflanzen]

Hello everyone, I am determined to get an electric bike to help me going up hill daily and maybe going for a trip every now and then. I have tried the volt kensington. I liked it but if it was a normal bike, I would have never gone for it because it seem too small. But they only have one frame and one wheel size. Other than that, I really liked it. The price was 1459, which is quite a lot as I am a student. So I was wondering if you could give me any advice:

-I am 5"10 (177cm) and weigh 57 kg. I would love a bike that fits me!

-looking to spend, if possible, <£1000 but open to spending more if that means I get better batteries and get up hill better/have my e bike for longer.

-definitely a stepthrough

I have looked abroad as well and found these three German bikes interesting:

https://www.amazon.de/PROPHETE-Bike-Alu-Tiefeinsteiger-NAVIGATOR-7-4/dp/B01M6B8ZW8?SubscriptionId=AKIAJ6SK25PAYKQ6ODKA&tag=httpebikefo03-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B01M6B8ZW8

https://www.lidl.de/de/prophete-e-bike-navigator-flair-28-zoll/p244941

https://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B01G8W2B8C/ref=pd_aw_sim_200_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=47XX81PFXD1KMJ1021BF&dpPl=1&dpID=81Lvg6QN4KL

And I've considered a juicy bike. But they again look tiny like the volt:

https://www.juicybike.co.uk/electric-bikes/classic-lite

Also, I am unlikely to go more that 20 miles in one go but it'd be nice to make it at least 20. So I was wondering how long a 20 mile battery will actually take you 20 miles and how quickly that'll be more like 10?

Thanks for your help and any suggestions!!

 

[Woosh]

here is a bigger step through Linnipflanzen.

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

At £799, it fits your budget with plenty of spare cash. It has a powerful motor, 13AH battery. Andy on the right is 6ft2.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The Halfords Pendleton looks pretty good for what you want. They have one with a 19" frame in the Dundee store. This week, they have a special discount, so only £600.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/electric-bikes/pendleton-somerby-electric-bike-white-navy

Just in case you haven't thought about security, if you're going to leave it parked somewhere all day, you're going to need a good lock. Also, no e-bikes should be left out in the rain all day or night.

 

[Linnipflanzen]

Wow, thanks a lot to both of you! Neither are options I had considered before—so thanks a lot!!

Neither of these have lithium batteries. So I am wondering if the battery life is any good?

As much as I would like to get a good deal, I am really worried that I'll get something that won't get me up that daily hill for the next 2 years or so... I'd rather spend a bit more and be sure that the money is well-invested.

On the other hand, if these are just as good, I'd go for it! What I like about the second one in particular is that it comes in different frame sizes.

Does anyone have experience with a similar model as either of these and their durability?

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Woosh]

Neither of these have lithium batteries. So I am wondering if the battery life is any good?

Don't worry, all the modern bikes have Lithium-ion batteries.
The Woosh Crusa has Samsung cells, lightweight and powerful, about the best on the market.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

They both have lithium batteries. It would be unusual to find an e-bike today that didn't. At only 57kg, just about any e-bike will pull you up steep hills. I don't believe that you'll have any problems of not enough power.

There's no point in spending more money on an electric bike to get better reliability. You could buy 2 of those Pendletons for the same as most similar bikes. The electrical stuff is the same reasonably good quality Chinese stuff that you'll find on any bike. You can pay £1800 for a "better quality" bike, but you lose £600 in depreciation as soon as you wheel it out of the shop, so what do you gain? Every type of electric bike has it's own small problems that need attention from time to time. It doesn't make a difference how much you pay.

 

[Woosh]

I don't believe that you'll have any problems of not enough power.

that's true for her weight.
Still, the Crusa has a motor strong enough to pull Andy up Southend Pier hill, a throttle and a 13AH capacity battery instead of 8.8AH on the Pendleton Somerby.

 

[Linnipflanzen]

Thanks so much to both of you! I think I am convinced now!

(It's just that I always warn people about cheap (£120) normal bikes cause I once got one and the screws were made of "butter" etc. so just wasted £120 cause it was useless...)

Thanks again!!

 

[Woosh]

cause I once got one and the screws were made of "butter" etc

That's true on some bikes but FYI, the screws on the Crusa are stainless steel.

 

[Linnipflanzen]

The pendelton says 40-50miles with the smaller battery while the woosh says 30-40miles...

Can someone explain this to me? thanks!

 

[Linnipflanzen]

Also, I tried to find out how many aH The volt kensington had which I have already tried. I could not find the information anywhere but it did say it has a 60 mile range.

Does anyone know this information?

 

[Wisper Bikes]

Hi, assuming the batteries have the same capacity, I would suggest Woosh are being more sensible and giving you a good average rather than the absolute maximum range.

Ranges are always tricky so check the bikes are 36V and that the Ah figure match. Most legal bikes with the same battery capacity will perform roughly the same. There are some exceptions.

Bikes with torque sensors will normally out-perform bikes without by at least 20% due to the efficiency of the torque e-system.

All the best, David

 

[Woosh]

The pendelton says 40-50miles with the smaller battery while the woosh says 30-40miles...

Can someone explain this to me? thanks!

that's easy. If you put in half the energy requirement instead of riding on the throttle, your range will be twice as much.
The fact is simple: 13AH = 1.5 * 8.8AH
The Crusa is heavier than the Somerby, so it would require a little more energy to go at the same speed but roughly speaking, if you pedal as much on the Crusa as you would on the Somerby, you'll go nearly 1.5x farther.
It is not possible to predict the range accurately for each person because the energy requirement varies a lot with riding speed, weight of the rider, the gradient of the terrain, the wind speed and direction and clothing. However, you do get more out of a higher capacity battery. Better acceleration, better control.
I think it's not because you weigh next to nothing compared to Andy in the picture I posted that you should buy the cheapest bike on the market that will move you from A to B, I think you should get the best bike for your budget.
Another Woosh bike I can recommend for you is the Santana CD:

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?santana-cd

This is a crank drive bike, with 15AH battery. Very capable.

 

[JuicyBike]

And I've considered a juicy bike. But they again look tiny like the volt:

https://www.juicybike.co.uk/electric-bikes/classic-lite

Linni, at 5' 10" you'd find our 19" Classic Frame size a perfect fit, probably - though a test ride is what would truly confirm. You could visit our stockist in Edinburgh, if that's not too far. They also have many other bikes too.

You should ignore what manufacturers claim for range - all have different ways of calculating, some quoting only "eco mode" others giving "up to" figures. Instead compare battery capacity in amps, voltage in, um, volts, (or both those together, as Watt Hours, WH) and check motor power (Watts). Weigh these up against each other then you'll be comparing like for like (as Dave from Wisper says above).

Check too that you actually need a large battery - you're a light weight and should easily achieve much greater than our quoted ranges. Batteries get heavier the larger they are (obviously) and when placed up high on the bike can become quite unwieldy. So take a look at battery position when making up your mind.

You're doing the right thing by taking test rides - very wise.

Good luck with your search - electric bikes are brilliant!

 

[Deleted member 4366]

As you are light, a light-weight bike would be better. Unfortunately the bike's weight is often not listed; however, battery weight is normally a significant part of it, so it can be the case that the smaller the battery is, the better. Again, at only 57 kg, you will be able to go a lot further than most people. I estimate that you should be able to get at least 40 miles from an 8.8 Ah battery. Do you need to go that far?

You shouldn't take any notice of what range people tell you they get on their bikes or what's in advertisements. What range you will get is personal to you and your rides, but what you can say is that, as a general rule, your range will be in direct proportion to the battery's capacity, so a 15 Ah one will take you 50% further than a 10Ah one of the same voltage. I estimate something like 40-50 miles with a 10Ah one and 60-75 miles with a 15Ah one. Anything more than 50 miles in a day will make your legs very tired.

 

[Peter Thornton]

Just make sure you have a good long test ride and test the bikes on a real life hill! You will find that they are not all the same.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Just make sure you have a good long test ride and test the bikes on a real life hill! You will find that they are not all the same.

They are if you only weigh 57kg!

 

[Linnipflanzen]

Oh wow - thank you so much for all your replies and help! I really appreciate it!!

Just back from test riding the peddleton: after an hour of riding some pot-holey I feel concussed and definitely know what I was missing on that bike:

Suspensions!!

A slightly chunkier tire would have been nice. Also, it felt a bit cheaper/louder than the volt. It did not seem to have the same "zoom" and ran out of battery within the 40 minutes of testing it. Apparently that was because it wasn't fully charge though.

However, I didn't like how light it was and that the frame was much larger than on the volt Kensington.

I sat on a roodog chic, which was the last one in store and the guy claimed that bikes like it with a throttle are not being made any more. He also claimed that it used to be £3000. It is now £1100 but it is an ex floor model and I found it for 1000 online, which seems weird.

I also sat on a Carrera Hybrid.

I was not able to test them because they weren't charged but I will go back tomorrow because I have now decided that I can get a normal hybrid bike. Before I thought I needed their Holland bike. This is because my arms are quite weak and I cannot really lean on them. But the two I sat on and store didn't seem to put a lot of weight on the arms. I'm still looking for a relatively low bar in the middle Though.

So thank you again for all your advice! I was so glad I went and tested the bike today. It definitely brought me further in knowing what I want.

I also decided that I would be happy to pay a bit extra to have a good quality bike. I do not think that I will do more than 40 miles in a day but it is nice to have the option of going at least 30 if I wanted to.

Thanks so much one last time!!

 

[Trevormonty]

As you have found out there is no substitute for doing test rides. Suggest you try Bosch or Shimano STEPs mid drive bike, they are out if your price range but are a totally different experience.

 

[Woosh]

I was not able to test them because they weren't charged but I will go back tomorrow because I have now decided that I can get a normal hybrid bike. Before I thought I needed their Holland bike. This is because my arms are quite weak and I cannot really lean on them. But the two I sat on and store didn't seem to put a lot of weight on the arms. I'm still looking for a relatively low bar in the middle Though.

In that case, the new Woosh Rio may suit you.
13AH battery - range about 40-50 miles at your weight.
Nice and light, well equipped with hydraulic brakes, 100mm fork with preload adjust and lockout, GXP crankset, throttle. Price: £1,049 - still within your budget.
18" / 44cm frame, relatively low top bar.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?rio-mtb