New, confused and needing advice please!

[Nicxf]

Hello all. I'm Nic, I live in Gloucestershire and am trying to work out what sort of e-bike to go for. This seems like a friendly community and I'm really hoping you guys can help give me some advice! I have looked at other threads here, and read all sorts of reviews but am still a bit confused!

I have limited mobility and cannot walk far, but am not too uncomfortable doing easy cycling on the flat. I have cycled a lot in the past but now am unable to put much pressure down through my legs so cannot cope with anything but the gentlest terrain - and as I live in a fairly hilly area that's not much use.

So, an electric bike seems an ideal way for me to gently increase my ability to exercise, and just generally get around without driving; but I'm finding the range and variation of what you can get for a similar price, very confusing.

So, my requirements:

My budget is around £1000 - I'd go a bit higher for the right bike but would prefer not to massively overspend.

It needs to be as lightweight as I just don't have the strength to lift anything really hefty, so I'm hoping to keep it as close to the 20kg mark as possible. Even that's pretty heavy but from everything I've looked at they don't seem to come much lighter than that.

I've come to the conclusion that I need a step-through style bike as this would be the most easy and comfortable for me to get on and off.

I would mostly use it as a runabout for doing shopping - about a mile uphill into town. I would also like to be able to do towpaths, bridlepaths and cycle trails - I'm not a million miles from the forest of dean and there are some great, not-too-difficult-if-you-can-manage-the-odd-hill trails there; so some off-road ability would be useful. Fortunately I don't need to use it to commute so that's not a factor.

The bikes I've narrowed it down to through looking online are:

Kudos king - the obvious 'con' being that it's not a step through style so I have no idea how get onandoffable it might be for me.

Raleigh velo trail - this looks nice and has a sensible price, and would seem to be a good fit for my requirements, but I can't find much in the way of user reviews - anyone here tried one?

Smarta LX from the Electric Bike Shop - looks ok but seems to have a few mixed reviews. Is also an exclusive brand to the EBS so not sure if I could get it serviced or repaired anywhere but there

Freego Hawk - looks really well specified for the price but again I can't find many reviews.

Juicy classic - looks like a good spec but a bit on the heavy side - does the power make up for the weight?

Wispa 705 - sounds great but a bit of a budget buster, so I'd like to know if people here have tried it vs any of the others, and whether or not it really is worth the extra £300 or so.



I am not a million miles from Bristol, so am lucky in that there are two good bike shops (Atmosphere and The Electric Bike Shop) in the area where I can go and actually try a few bikes - BUT I'd really like to know a bit more about the pros and cons of various bikes before I go along, so I can ask sensible questions and have a clearer idea of what I'm looking at.




Sooo....any advice for a newbie?

 

[funkylyn]

Hi Nic,

From what you have said you need from a bike, might I suggest you try a Powacycle Windsor.

I have had one previously, indeed still have it in my collection, and although not the most powerful of bikes, it certainly was great off road along forest tracks etc and more importantly its light about 21kgs I think......and there arent many of the cheaper range of bikes that weigh that.

Mine served me well and I never had any problems with it on forest trails, slag heaps, and many many traffic free paths in 4 different countries

Decent enough range for what you require and as long as your hills arent too steep it could be worth trying one and see how it feels.

Main pros are that its around the weight and less than the price you are looking for.
Good luck.

Lynda

 

[Nicxf]

Cheers! I did wonder about these but they seem to have a pretty low spec compared to others. But, the hills around here aren't massively steep, just long - so maybe it'd cope ok and should go back on my list!

 

[funkylyn]

The thing is Nic.....try not to get too carried away by 'spec' that you, personally, might not need or use.
The main thing for you seems to be the weight of the bike, so try to concentrate on that and see where it leads you.

Lynda

 

[Nicxf]

Good point! I'm keen to have something that has plenty of power too - mainly as my family are keen cyclists and I've really missed being able to join in so I want to make sure that whatever I get will help me to be able to do that again. But yeah, I really don't know if I need to compromise on power to get the lighter weight, or compromise on weight to get more power. Hence much confusion!

 

[mike killay]

Nic,
I am 69 years old and have a touch of arthritis so pedalling is not my best point. But, I can pedal lightly, about the sort of force that would allow you to pedal about 10-12 mph along the flat.
This means that I must have a throttle, so that when pedalling becomes too much, I can take a rest.
I live in Swansea which has a lot of hills, some quite steep, so I need a crank driver that uses the gears, rather than a hub motor.
However, even a crank driver needs some assistance on the steeper hills.
What we really need to know is just how steep are your hills, and just how much pedalling and for how long can you manage.

 

[Nicxf]

Hmm...I'm not quite sure about how steep the hills are in technical terms - I'm in the Stroud Valleys area, so there are some really steep climbs around, and some shallower inclines. To be honest I'd probably avoid most of the really steep ones at the moment! So mostly I'd be doing the more gentle inclines / rolling hills rather than the mahoosive stuff. But, it would be nice to have the capacity to cope with the steeper bits, especially if/when I do get fitter.

In terms of how much pedalling I can manage...I don't really know yet. I do have a cycling machine at home, and have been gradually trying to improve my fitness, but still can't put much drive behind the pedals. Going gently and not putting a great deal of effort in I can manage 15 - 20 minutes at the moment, on a good day.

So like you, I'd be looking for a throttle to take over to give me a break!

I don't know if that helps...

 

[banbury frank]

Hi I can recommend the ezee promo step through twist and go throttle £750 It can be upgraded to a larger battery

Bikes & Conversion Kits - Cyclezee Ltd


Hope this helps Frank

 

[Nicxf]

cheers.


In terms of the hills, I found this video link to a Countryfile episode featuring the area I live in - gives you and idea of the terrain. Freego bikes on Country File - YouTube

 

[funkylyn]

cheers.


In terms of the hills, I found this video link to a Countryfile episode featuring the area I live in - gives you and idea of the terrain. Freego bikes on Country File - YouTube

OK Nic....if you have lots of hills like that then the Powacycle windsor is not powerful enough.....end of !

Believe me, Ive been there.....hence now putting up with 4 kilos more weight with my Tonaro Esprit and that includes my problem of lifting it up onto the cycle rack of my motorhome, but, boy.....power, comfort....try one you will love it.
Bit over your price range but well, well worth it in my opinion.

Look on Home Page of Powerpedals electric bicycles

If the extra price is a big factor then the Ezee bikes Frank mentioned are around the same weight......check with Cyclezee....... and pretty powerful too.......

Lynda

 

[Nicxf]

OK Nic....if you have lots of hills like that then the Powacycle windsor is not powerful enough.....end of !

Ah...yes, I did think that might be the case! Will look at the Powerpedals site, I've not come across those...

 

[funkylyn]

Good thing with them Nic, is that they are crank drives...great for hills.....and the only crank drives with a throttle and they are powerful.....and very strongly built.

Lynda

 

[Nicxf]

ah, see now you're getting into the stuff that confuses me. I've not yet found a succinct, idiot-proof description of the differences and pros/cons of crank drives vs..what would it be, hub motors?

 

[funkylyn]

Have just re read your first post Nic and it seems like you might find crank drive too hard maybe, because you have to put more effort into the cycling.
It might be that a powerful hub motor with throttle would suit you best.
But then you are still back to the weight problem.
But if you dont actually have to lift it much then it doesnt necessarily matter too much once you are riding it.
So that gets you back to Ezee, Juicy etc, hub drives and within your price range.

If you do a search of this forum ( top right of header...advanced search ) you will find lots of excellent descriptions of the differences between hub/crank motors which will put it much better than I can.

You really need to try as many as you can to see which suits you personally as we all have different needs from our bikes, and it IS a major outlay to most of us.
I know exactly how you are feeling though, because I swung backwards and forwards for ages, totally confusing myself by psychoanalysing the pros and cons of just about every part of the bikes

I am very pleased though that I stuck out for hub gears, crank motor and throttle....but that was my personal choice after much agonizing.

Yours could well be much different, so get out and do some hands on research...have fun

Lynda

 

[Nicxf]

LOL - thanks for all your help - you're dead right about the swinging one way then another and overanalysing stuff. Definitely how I'm feeling!

And yes, I shouldn't have to lift the bike very much - it'd just be nice to get one that potentially I could, to get it onto a bike rack for expeditions occasionally. But budget is an issue so it's a case of finding the best compromise, really.

Will keep doing my research then get meself to bristol to try a few when I'm up for the drive.

 

[banbury frank]

Hi If weight and step through is not a problem Then look at our Commuter Bike £1295

It will pull you up most hills Please come for a test ride in Banbury


COMMUTER £1295


Thanks Frank

 

[Kudoscycles]

Nicxf....The Kudos King bike is not ideal for you....myself and Alistair from Atmosphere bikes of Bristol have been working on a new bike,called Kudos 'Safari' which is perfect for you and I think meets all your requirements-
The spec was for an easy to ride,easy to mount,step through bike which had to suit riders from 4'10" to 6'2" with only 2 frame sizes.
The bike had to be as maintenance free as possible utilising the Shimano Nexus 8 hub gears,a sculptured strong frame and well proven,easy adjust brakes front and rear.
The 2.125 'fat' tyres on 26" rims,sprung saddle and high quality suspension forks offers maximum rider comfort,the resultant style gives the bike a unisex purposeful appearance,attractive to a man or lady.
Integral Spanninga LED lights,simple PAS LED display and a throttle is a no cost option.
Strong and substantial pannier bags are included.
Pretty much the standard Kudos spec of long life 10Ah Lifepo4 battery and 250 watt Suzhou Bafang hub motor.
Anti theft certified lock with extendable cable,upright V stand (motorbike style!)
Available in Black,White and Silver.
This bike style is pretty much unique at the moment,the prototypes are now finished and production will be with us May/June. I have e-mailed the full spec to Alistair at Atmosphere bikes,including photos.
Price will be £1145.00 incl vat.
The bike will be viewable at any of the shows Kudos is attending-full details on our website.
I think this bike will be ideal for what you are seeking.
Dave
KudosCycles

 

[Nicxf]

Dave, thanks for your reply - that sounds really hopeful! Can I ask what the bike weight is?

 

[Kudoscycles]

Nicxf....will probably be between 21-23 kgs, I will airship a sample over in next couple of weeks to weigh accurately and take photos. 40 of these bikes are pre sold to the hire industry.
Dave
KudosCycles

 

[Nicxf]

A bit heavier than your tourer then - but not horriffic!

Re the gearing, and how it might affect hill climbing ability and weight, I read this on your website:

"The market leader is clearly Shimano who offer both internal Nexus hubs and external derailleur gears. We consider that the internal hub, especially 8-speed, is ideal for city usage - the freedom to change gear whilst stationary being particularly useful. The derailleur gear allows considerably more choice of ratio, 21-speed or 24-speed being economically available and the system is generally lighter making it more suited to steep hill climb usage. "

Are you going to be offering a deraillieur option, if it has such an impact on hill climbing ability and could reduce the weight of the bike?