Newbie - very much need advice!

[ocb]

Hi all.

I am a Scotsman, emigrant living in Belgium. I'm very new to the whole electric bike thing - but I'm trying hard to learn!

Where to start. I am mainly interested in e-bikes for commuting. I live 15km from work, and for most of the way it's rather pleasant forest (option to take metalled road most of the way) and open city bike-friendly cycleways until the last couple of KMs. Brussels is competing to be one of the world's first super-friendly cities for alternate travel, has already put good lanes in place on the periphery and plans to improve the links into the centre over the next few years. No wonder - Belgium is also famous for some of the worst traffic jams in the Western world!

My passion started after I had a very nasty argument with a train ticket inspector this summer and I thought "stuff you pal, I take the train as a lifestyle choice" - and decided to commute in a more liberated way.

First thing I did was do some online research, and happened upon the a-bike electric. Being a Brit of a certain vintage, Sir Clive Sinclair is/was a massive hero figure in the geek community. I had a few hours of the Kickstarter to make my mind up...and I thought "go for it!". Alas, it's early December, and the product still hasn't arrived. Thankfully, my lovely wife - purely on a whim - bought me a Decathlon brand kick scooter, which has been my "ride to work" for the past 4 months.

I now have a few months of kick scooter experience with the commute - and a couple of weeks ago bought an electric kick scooter, the Ltrott Eco (a rebranded E-Twow), as with the weather turning nasty - the paths covered in slimy decomposing leaves and the top n'tail of the day being pitch dark - my kick scooter exploits had to come to an end. The bruising from my last fall 2 weeks ago is beginning to slowly subside, but the ribs still hurt....

I don't regret buying the Ltrott - I used it to do 14km the first day of the "Level 4" security alert, as the Police and Military were chasing after those who'd perpetrated the attacks on Paris 2 days earlier. That was with busted ribs and badly bruised all over from the previous week's spectacular horizontal flip/spin/bang.

It's clear though that Winter Is Coming, and 2 times 200mm wheels, either on my kick - my Ltrott or my "yet to arrive"A-Bike Electric aren't going to cut it with the coming months conditions.

So, the search for an e-bike commenced.
Requirements:
Foldable, such that it can fit in the boot of my car.
Big wheels, able to cope with offroad (I assume 26")
Electric (actually - I really don't need, but my inner geek cannot resist)
Not massively expensive
Legal(ish) in Belgium, and obviously possible to buy here!

I already have a good MTB - but I have young kids that have to be dropped off at school. I have a bike carrier that I'm very happy with, but it's a tow-bar 4-bike thing - I have a "monospace" and every day putting the bike carrier on, dropping the kids, putting carrier in the back of the car etc isn't an option.

I can see from this community, and some videos on YouTube that electric MTB aren't as rare as I'd have imagined, and even electric folding MTB do exist! Of course, finding one I like that's available to buy for less than the price of a decent 2nd hand car is a bit of a challenge.

Hence my turning up here, and asking for the wise words of those with a shed load more experience than me.

I have seen a Tianjin XianDi folding 26" offering on Alibaba that looks the part, but am obviously hugely sceptical, and obviously clueless about the reality of the whole e-bike universe!

http://xdddc.en.alibaba.com/product...er_with_magnesium_alloy_integrated_wheel.html

 

[JohnCade]

Welcome to the forum. It’s always difficult to advise others what to buy because you don’t know how much effort they want to put in for exercise, or whether they are really looking for an electric moped or motorbike. There are many bikes available, MB, commuter, hybrid all sorts. The best thing you can do is read up on what’s around, here and in other places. There are links on the front page here to online e bike magazines and other sources of information.

I think, but am not sure that S pedelecs are allowed in Belgium. They will go at up to 45 kph but need a hemet to be worn, as well as registration and insurance. Not sure about folders with full sized wheels though…. People new to pedelecs often think they want folders at first, but e bikes are heavy and a folder is no exception. So when folded can it be lumped around easily, or taken upstairs? Chances are you would need a hatchback with the seats down to take it anywhere as they don’t fold up as small as a none electric, and you can just take the front wheel out of a none folder easily.

I always think the KISS principle is a sound one. Good luck.

 

[ocb]

Thanks for the replies!
Dimensions of the bike from China folded is 105x58x47cm - not at all compact,but not too bad.
I just measured my MTB from end of the back wheel to the fork and it's 140x108, I should try that out in the Alhambra to see how it goes.

Weight is inevitable - I'm really only looking to get it in and out the back of the car though. The kids are 20+ kilos and they get thrown around

S Pedelec are allowed, but you need usual moped stuff - insurance,helmet, license plate. I don't actually want something that goes Super Fast anyway, just enough to keep my commute civilised. The profile is a real U shape, I most definitely want the power to help - but I do want to get some exercise!

 

[Alan Quay]

If you already have a bike you like you could convert it.

The big advantage of this is that you can chop and change things until they meet your needs.

 

[D8ve]

Good bike unpowered means powered is easy. I.e. ride it with power off to test.
Most midrange bikes are Chinese parts!
Simple is easier to fix.
Self build is similar cost to buy prebuilt. until you gain experience then cheaper for equivalent. Geek means make yourself for max fun, pose value.
Everything's a trade off?
Flat road = recumbent/ racer is quicker than e bike!( if fit)
Hill mean e bike better.
Have fun from another economic migrant

 

[ocb]

3 young kids means no time for the fun idea of building my own.

I went to a local shop (where I bought my MTB and get the kids bikes serviced).

He has a typical folding bike, but electric. 20" wheels. I explained about the forest part of the ride, and he says that offroad tyres on 20" rims is no different to 26". I'm a bit sceptical about that! Surely larger wheels will get over uneven surfaces safer?? On the comfort side, he did say something smart though - the upright position of a classic folder is more suited for daily commute. Got me doubting the MTB idea. I'm not fussed about doing mad speeds, I need to get there and back safely, day after day...

What do others think, especially those who already do a lot of commute cycling?? 20" electric folding upright be better than 26" MTB electric?

Profile of the commute is a U shape, 70m total elevation difference - but a few uppy/downy in between.

First 4 km is flat good dedicated cycle path, then it's into forest for the next 5km - there is hard path at some parts, but it remains a forest with potholes, root clumps sticking up out at parts, sticky slippery leaves and mud etc.

Then 4km of good cycle path that becomes more urban, until the last 2km which is city centre and dancing with the rush hour...
Reverse on the way back.

 

[Benjahmin]

That ride on a 20" folder sounds like a nightmare to me. What bike is it that you're being offered, at what price? What MTB do you have? A proprietary kit will take you 4-5 hours to fit with some basic knowledge - even with the kids around. Of course you'd need lights and mudguards, but all doable.
What's your budget?

 

[ocb]

Well, I'm tempted to rent a 20" folding (I think he rents as well, if not there's a rental place close by) to see how it goes.

What he offers is a Bizobike. Looks like a standard Aliexpress offering tbh:
http://www.bizobike.fr/modellen-elektrisch.html
They sell these for about 1750 euro, although that includes 1 year Touring roadside assistance plus at least a couple of years of servicing included.

I don't want to convert my MTB - it's for those rare times I take all the kids out to the park or go on holiday to Center Parcs.

I also want something that fits in the back of the Alhambra, hence the folding requirement.