New convert
- Thread starter manalog
- Start date
Yep minimum of £2340 plus a donor bike which having spent that much would I assume be at least another £1000 and probably more.
Momentum Electric looks interesting. Might be worth a look. Or scour Ebay like I did for second hand.
I had a look at this and wow the price is astronmical. I beleive I might have followed one of this Grubber assisted bikes once the guy wasn't even pedalling and I couldnt keep up unless it was Wiggins. I had a closer look and I couldn't see anything but a controller on the handlebar with LEDS.
If you don't have hill issues, that's the rub at the other end of the rules - on lightweight bike kits, the 15-17mph cutoff kind of scuppers it if you want assist at all speeds.
My Kalkhoff accelerates to that speed so fast and so easily in normal flattish riding conditions, I barely have time to change up the gear in order to take over from it but the motor's already tailing off. It's a fleeting help really off the hills or past the traffic lights.
Rest of the time even with full power switched on I'm effectively riding an unassisted bike which is why the bike itself, components, etc. matter so much. Basically want to be left with a bike I like riding as effectively a 'non-eBike' beyond the point when the assist has done its stuff ... since that's what I'm ending up doing any time it's not climbing hills or carting loads of stuff round town, i.e. most of the riding miles it's done !
If you keep within the speed cap you'll obviously be assisted at whatever speed you ride at.
There are cheaper options than that Gruber assist thing - can't remember the link but it was up on here recently.
Think that's very sensible attitude to take - just go for the effort reduction and build in a bit more time if needed and you shouldn't be disappointed. Be interested to hear what you make of it - bike is cheap enough for a new bike.
Just make sure you've got the hang of how to deal with puncture repairs on it if you're not fitting puncture-proof tyres. You'll see what's involved in a particular eBike soon as you swap out the tyres.
If you're used to mending punctures without removing the tyre or wheel should not be much of an issue - otherwise bear in mind you're dealing with 20kg of bike at the side of the road rather than 8-10 and take the tools you need around with you. It does make a bit of a difference dealing with one rather than releasing a QR, slipping off a chain and whipping out a rear wheel in under 30 seconds !
I haven't yet. The speed limit is the biggest factor for me not buying a bike. I'd like someone to programme a Bosch motor for 20" wheels but actually have it on 27" wheels (700c or 26") that should give exactly what I want. The faster more powerful 350 watt Bosch (28 mph) is the other option, but they only come attached to much more expensive bikes not sold here in the UK.
The other option is to fit the device that fools the Bosch into thinking you're only going half as fast as you really are. But it's the reprogrammed option I'd prefer.
I don't want to spend 80% of the time riding a heavier bike without assistance and for the assistance to only be of benefit on the hills. I'll only be riding along between 15 and 20 mph, I just don't want to be cutting in and out of assistance. I'd also like to pedal all the time, I wouldn't want to sit there and throttle up the hills.
It is such a stupid stupid rule this 15.5 mph limit.
Its meant to fit in with what the average fitness cyclist can achieve over a reasonable distance. If you are fit enough to travel faster than this for a reasonable period of time the argument goes that you dont need the assistance as its not meant to be their to alow you to travel faster but just with less effort required.
Based on the fact that with the exception of the lycra brigade I can keep up with / over take most leisure cyclists I would say they have the limit about right.
That is exactly what I want from an ebike. Go faster but with less effort.
Edit, Isn't that why everyone buys an ebike
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I agree with you Artsu, it is very frustrating when you know the bike can go much faster but is limited. I can only assume they put in the limit for safety reason ie a 14 year old can legally ride one? But then again I heard that you can legally install a more powerful motor and use it on the road but it needs to be registered, insured and checked just like a Moped.That is exactly what I want from an ebike. Go faster but with less effort.
Edit, Isn't that why everyone buys an ebike
Yep plus MOT, Helmet and License. Anyway ebikes are not limited they are just not allowed to to assist you over 15.5 MPH. If you are prepared to pedal they can go as fast as your able.
So what do you consider a fair limit for a uninsured, unlicenced, untaxed vehicle to be able to travel with assistance bearing in mind a moped is restricted to 30 mph and needs all of those ?
That's a good question, I wouldn't like to see bikes going faster than good club cyclists with unfit people riding them, a 20 mph limit would probably suit me perfectly, and the Bosch in its lowest setting may do me, although I've yet to try one.
I believe it's a challenge to get the bikes with more powerful motors registered, insured, MOT'd when they are self-build / kit bikes. By no means an easy route - but the "S-Pedelec" type bikes are so crazily expensive you have to shell out a lot to get one that can be readily prepared to be registered as a motor vehicle with a few extra things done to it.
To be completely honest using an eBike at 16-23mph is no different to riding a regular bicycle for a fit cyclist. Speed/climbing ability off a 350-500W motor don't result in bikes going faster than unpowered bikes with fit young riders on them except on steep hills - and there, speed is likely 15mph or less anyway so no more unsafe. However, powerful motors have more acceleration potential and if not used responsibly they could be argued to be inherently more dangerous and therefore should only be ridden by people with the experience to control that. Save for this last consideration, there's not really any justification logically for electric vehicles assisting up to about 23mph being treated any differently to unpowered bicycles.
Banning them from trails is pretty ridiculous - conditions dictate speed off-road more than anything - just because you climb faster than the MTB purists doesn't mean you DH any faster. I read some place in the States was more worried about "hapless eBikers" being likely to need rescuing if they ran out of battery and therefore should be banned otherwise they would risk wasting Rangers' time. Well, I suppose they have a point in a way. But it's more that the 'trail lycra mafia' want the place to themselves and don't want more people there, especially not unless they're hardcore trail riders like themselves ! One tends to forget that not everyone applies common sense to how and where they ride their bikes. Lowest common denominator sets the lines on that front !
A throttle assist bike doesn't mean you can't pedal - it's just that you don't always have to if you don't want to. A throttle will only deliver so much power as you use with it so if you only want a light assistance you only have to apply it a small amount. In principle, basic hub motor conversions are simple and pretty inexpensive if you want a bike that can assist you above 15mph in normal conditions and choose the right controller, motor and battery. CST hub motors ride very much like normal bikes unpowered - a bit more effort needed maybe at lower speeds. You can then just add in as much throttle as you want - or if it's constant speed you're after fit a 2nd springless throttle as a speed control throttle. Bit more work but this is like a cruise control. You can then select the gearing you like to deliver as much pedal effort as you want and the motor only matches what you don't put in to keep your speed constant. For people who are set on constant cadence cycling this is a heinous thought - but if you have an open mind about different riding styles, it's a very user-friendly function.
If you don't want a freewheel the CST motor is actually a very good option, can be reasonably easily restricted to 15.5mph and comes in 250W variants for those who want to tread a more compliant path - but it's usually quite a bit more expensive than standard BPM motors. Btw ... just so there's no misconception ... in basic principle, changing the wheel size on a Bosch system to make it assist faster does not get around the technical requirement to register the bike as a vehicle, use with licence, insurance etc etc. It's no different to fitting a high powered unrestricted kit to a regular bike and not registering it.
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I am aware the nice fellow from BH Emotion is importing a bike and will be getting it registered so it will be interesting to learn from his experiences. Spoke to him at Redgridge and he mentioned it!
Hi Alex,
I think Im just getting old, 5 days a week commuting and feeling tired all the time. Just need something to make it a bit easier specially when I have to sprint 3 times every other week.
Fixing a puncture without removing the wheel? I have never attempted this. Mind you I can recommend Zefal Tyre Liner, I'm using them on my Road bike and I have not had a puncture for nearly a year.
Gerry
I think Im just getting old, 5 days a week commuting and feeling tired all the time. Just need something to make it a bit easier specially when I have to sprint 3 times every other week.
Fixing a puncture without removing the wheel? I have never attempted this. Mind you I can recommend Zefal Tyre Liner, I'm using them on my Road bike and I have not had a puncture for nearly a year.
Gerry
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