New to electric bikes

[kloos]

Hi all,

I have just got myself a new job and am waiting for the cycle to work vouchers to be approved. I used to cycle to work but my new job is a bit far for me (45 mins uphill on the way home) so I am going all out electric. I am pushing 50 with moderate fitness and love cycling (and hate the Manchester metro).

I have done loads and loads of research and have narrowed my search on the following based on price, weight, distance and charging time:

• Raleigh Strada Elite Electric Grey (2018)
• Haibike Sduro Cross 1 Bosch 2019
• Forme Peak Trail 2 E

Any thoughts on these or others?

Thanks very much
kloos

 

[Woosh]

You should also consider adding a rear hub drive bike for commuting.
They don't give the same feel as crank driven, torque sensored bikes in your list but they are much more suitable to do the miles when you are tired after a long day at work.
You can pedal as much or as little as you like with a hub drive and they require a lot less maintenance, beside keeping the tyres inflated.
http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?camino

 

[kloos]

I was looking at the Whoosh Karoo as it is much lighter than the Camino but they (you?) are updating it to the next model in November and I'm not sure about waiting that long. Also, the battery on the new Karoo is integrated so I would not be able to charge it.

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi welcome
What you need to do is have a go on a few different drives configuration wise and make and see what suits you best
I want a peddle bike to be just that so it's crank drive all the way for me but others like hubs but for me they just don't feel right
It's going to be personal preference thou so no one can or should tell you otherwise
Happy hunting

 

[kloos]

Thanks Fat Rat. To be honest, I haven't looked into the drive types. As long as it helps me peddle I don't really mind.

I am sure that this has been discussed in great detail elsewhere and I am not a purist with regard to this. I just want it to be light, quick to charge and to go a good distance before charging at a reasonable price.

 

[Laser Man]

My wife's friend bought a Forme Peak Trail back in the summer and is absolutely delighted with it.
She uses it for leisure riding on Sunday mornings - 20 to 25 miles per outing.

(Wifey went with her friend when she went to the shop to try out the bike - hence the question elsewhere about weight).

 

[Woosh]

I was looking at the Whoosh Karoo as it is much lighter than the Camino but they (you?) are updating it to the next model in November and I'm not sure about waiting that long. Also, the battery on the new Karoo is integrated so I would not be able to charge it.

we can fit the 17AH HL battery to the Faro's downtube.

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

 

[James63]

<pedal>

 

[JuicyBike]

Have you taken any test rides?

 

[kloos]

Nope. not taken any test rides. Is there really that much difference between different bikes? I live near to Cycle Republic so will pop in there when I am ready to make my purchase as they seem to have a good range at a good price and they have most of the ones on my list except for the Forme.

 

[lutin]

Nope. not taken any test rides. Is there really that much difference between different bikes? I live near to Cycle Republic so will pop in there when I am ready to make my purchase as they seem to have a good range at a good price and they have most of the ones on my list except for the Forme.

There's a big difference between torque vs cadence sensor. Good explanation from another thread:

Cadence just measures how fast you are pedalling. Most cadence sensors just sense if you are pedalling or not. Once it decides you are it provides power dependent on the level you select on the control.

Torque measures how hard you are pedalling, and the power is provided to give a factor boost. Typically 50% or so in low/eco, so you are doing 2/3 the work and it is doing 1/3; and 200% in full so you do 1/3 and it does 2/3.

Torque feels more like riding a standard bike with extra strong legs. It also can usually sense torque and give full torque from a standing start; very useful on hill start across junctions. Cadence usually does not kick in until you have manged 1/2 pedal turn or so.

With cadence you can be very lazy; put it in a low gear and pedal so slowly you aren't pushing at all; the motor will then do 100% of the work. Of course, you can also have that laziness with a throttle, but there are various confusing legal issues about throttles operating when you aren't pedalling.

Torque is more common with crank drive and cadence with hub drive motors; but that is not always the case. CD/torque systems tend to be the most expensive.

I personally have a cadence sensor (Gtech escent) and whilst it is a good fit for me (I want a commute with zero effort), it definitely isn't for everyone, especially not purists who want to 'feel' like they're cycling. My cadence sensor doesn't even care about how fast I am pedaling - if I am pedaling at all with will try to get me up to the maximum speed - it's more akin to an on/off throttle in my case, though I'm not sure all cadence sensors work like this.

 

[Nealh]

Nope. not taken any test rides. Is there really that much difference between different bikes? I live near to Cycle Republic so will pop in there when I am ready to make my purchase as they seem to have a good range at a good price and they have most of the ones on my list except for the Forme.

Mid drive bikes use torque sensing to multiply your input most hub bikes use cadence sensing so only needs to see pedal rotation (or ghost pedalling), there use is very different. Someone with weak legs or lack of stamina would not like the former.

 

[kloos]

Thanks lutin and Neath. There certainly is a lot to consider and I think that I am split down the middle! I'm not sure that it is my biggest consideration but definitely I am in a better position for knowing this and I will do some more research before making my purchase.

 

[Deleted member 25121]

You also need to try out your chosen bike for size, their geometries vary a lot and you don't want to end up with a bike that feels too small or too large.

 

[Nealh]

As mentioned it depends on you riding style/usage and fitness.
Pro's and con's for both types of system as well as mid drive vs hub.
The sporty rider will prefer a mid drive, a town/commuter may find a hub more relaxing.

 

[kloos]

My fitness level is average for a nearly 50 year old. But, I am a very slow rider on my current Correra Crossfire so need all the help that I can getting up that long hill on the way home (from Salford Quays to Heaton Park if anyone wants to look it up).

I will pop into Cycle Republic next week as they are nearby and seem to have a good range at good prices.

 

[Nealh]

My fitness level is average for a nearly 50 year old. But, I am a very slow rider on my current Correra Crossfire so need all the help that I can getting up that long hill on the way home (from Salford Quays to Heaton Park if anyone wants to look it up).

I will pop into Cycle Republic next week as they are nearby and seem to have a good range at good prices.

If you are slow rider it usually means a slow cadence/ pedal rpm so the Torque sensing might not be your best option, but to know for sure you will need to test ride both Torque sensing mid drive and cadence sensing hub bikes.

 

[Woosh]

slow cadence does not suit crank drive bikes.

 

[sjpt]

slow cadence does not suit crank drive bikes.

Is there any reason the gearing within a crank drive unit could not be engineered so that it does work well for low cadence? (I'm not suggesting rework of existing units, but design of a different unit). I would think there are a lot of older people who don't want that much speed and would be much happier with a cadence of around 40.

 

[kloos]

It's decision time! The cycle to work vouchers are in but only £1k as I couldn't get any more.
I have narrowed it down to either a

Raleigh Strada Elite (2018)
or
Cyclotricity Revolver Hybrid

Is the Raleigh worth me spending £500 extra for a 5 mile journey to and from work each day, or will the Cyclotricity do the job just fine?

Any advice would be much appreciated.