No longer have a car, new to Ebikes...

Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,339
16,857
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
I dont understand where this thread is going? With maintenance and servicing I can do all that myself but if the retailer has a warranty, they can do it until it runs out. I'm used to working on cars and motorcycles so a bicycle is pretty simple for me. I'd likely sell the bike after 18 months anyway and go back to driving.
Volusia25, just to be clear on the warranty, the latter only deals with manufacturing issues. It does not cover the cost of maintenance and wear and tear parts like brake pads, tyres, lubricant etc.
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,916
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No recommends or help from me as I think you are a total PRAT, in this day and age there is no excuse for being a drunk driver. Just last weekend a p*** crashed his car outside my house in to a tree and did a runner, the old bill were there for 3 hrs trying to sort out the mess, the car was un-driveable with nr side front wheel and suspension f***ed and the car half blocking the road.

N.B.
Edited as it seems to have offended a drunk driver.
 
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Deleted member 4366

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Reviews are not worth anything. Most people who write anything do it immediately before they've done any serious miles on it. Also most of them have never had an ebike before, or worse still, they had a go on some cheap rubbish , and then extol the virtues of their new bike.

Just about any e-bike can do 35 miles and cope with hills if you only weigh 11 stone,

The Carrera Crossfire is not bad for the money, but it seems to get too many problems from what I've read. Even the people above have mentioned taking their bikes back to get fixed. You can do without that on a commuter. The Crossfire isn't as easy to derestrict as other Chinese bikes. That's sometimes important for people that have to do long commutes.

The Woosh bikes represent state of the art Chinese bikes. I could review one without riding it because I've ridden so many electric bikes and I know how all the components work. Their bikes have about 25% more power than most because they run up to 20 amps, compared with most at 15 amps.

I wouldn't leave any e-bike tied to a lamppost all day. there's a fair chance that it won't be there when you come back to it. 17.5 miles is a stroll on an e-bike, and you'd probably enjoy it. Even when it's raining, if you have a decent cape/poncho it can still be quite pleasant. I commuted 15 miles each way for a few years and really got to enjoy my rides to and from work.

For fast commuting, you need a thin lightweight bike with 700c (28") wheels to cut down the resistance. That can make a difference of 3 or 4 mph compared with a MTB, which reduces long journey times a lot. There's not many OEM e-bikes like that. The Woosh Rio is one of them.

I would avoid a crank-drive bike. They're not too bad in the summer, but in the winter when you have cold hands, all the extra gear-changing can become very tedious and painful compared with a hub-motor bike, which you can more or less leave in top gear if you want, except for the steep hills. IMHO crank-drives are better for fun riding rather than commuting.
 

Volusia25

Pedelecer
Apr 21, 2017
243
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leicester
No recommends or help from me as I think you are a total PRAT, in this day and age there is no excuse for being a drunk driver. Just last weekend a paki crashed his car outside my house in to a tree and did a runner, the old bill were there for 3 hrs trying to sort out the mess, the car was un-driveable with nr side front wheel and suspension f***ed and the car half blocking the road.
Didn't fancy the help from a racist anyway.
 
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Peter Thornton

Pedelecer
Apr 15, 2017
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You say your budget is £1,000?
I was the same when I went shopping for electric bikes, I thought I could get a good one for that.
But something like a Bosch crank drive motor and battery etc adds about £1,000 to the price of a bike, so if you buy a bike for £1,600 then your buying a £600 bike with a motor on.
Hub motors are cheaper but they still cost a fair bit along with the battery and other kit so a £1,000 bike is allowing, say, £300 for the bike itself.
I soon revised my budget up to £2,000 and would suggest that this is the right limit for a bike that is going to be used daily and needs to be reliable.
But the main thing is to try a few and, if possible, buy locally.
And you might want to buy a secondhand £100 non motorised bike as a spare .....?
 

Volusia25

Pedelecer
Apr 21, 2017
243
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leicester
after that time a cheap bike will not be worth selling as the most expensive part is the batt. ;)
Wow, £1000ish is cheap in the Ebike world? I find that surprising considering you can buy a perfectly serviceable 1.5 tonne piece of machinery for about that price used which would be good for tens of thousands of miles.
Why are they so expensive? It's basically a £200 bike with a little motor, power supply, a few cheap sensors and a little display and buttons?
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,867
6,491
bike hub motors are cheap depending what you want the batts are what is expensive and a throw away item after years off use.

a 500w bosch batt is 700 quid tho bga can make a pack that is the same for less than half the price 300 quid thus why the kits with batts are around 500 quid on ebay.

you then just add the bike that it will all fit on to.;)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500W-Electric-E-Bike-Conversion-Kit-With-Battery-36v-Lithium-Front-Rear-Wheel-/111894851838?var=&hash=item1a0d73f0fe:m:mtt2hlGX345iQKTNOfuj2LA
 
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Volusia25

Pedelecer
Apr 21, 2017
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bike hub motors are cheap depending what you want the batts are what is expensive and a throw away item after years off use.

a 500w bosch batt is 700 quid tho bga can make a pack that is the same for less than half the price 300 quid thus why the kits with batts are around 500 quid on ebay.

you then just add the bike that it will all fit on to.;)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/500W-Electric-E-Bike-Conversion-Kit-With-Battery-36v-Lithium-Front-Rear-Wheel-/111894851838?var=&hash=item1a0d73f0fe:m:mtt2hlGX345iQKTNOfuj2LA
Fair play. I guess we are a few years away from high energy, cheap batteries in bikes and cars.
I suppose i'm limited to Woosh or a Halfrauds special. Or used Ebay find. I'll keep an eye out. I'm not in a particular rush just yet but some time in the next 6 weeks i'll be looking to buy. I'd probably cover about 70 miles a week max. On that mileage how long would a battery last given my weight and medium level of fitness?
 
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Andy Bluenoes

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 31, 2016
849
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uk
Ive had bad experiences of online sales, particularly with my current bike.
But, I would still do it again. Just need to do some research and manage your expectations a bit before you take the plunge.

Yes, it would be great to live near the online retailer so you could just drop your bike in if you have any problems, but not always practical.

My first e-bike came from Halfords, and that was by far a worse experience even than my latest one, so I would never buy any bike from there again. I begrudge buying anything from there now, but when a part or something I need is cheaper than anywhere else, I'll go in.
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,867
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speed and hills kills the batts as it will be pulling full amps from the pack so for that the bigger the better a decent panasonic cell is 5 quid for a 3400mah one so x that buy 40+ and a bms case ect it soon adds up even if you make the pack ur self.

even so my 500w bosch batt for 700 quid is a fkn rip off when you compare the cost of them if both have decent rated cells in the pack just with bosch the bms is software protected so cant be recelled very easy and only 1 place in germany can do it atm.
 
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Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,916
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West Sx RH
Didn't fancy the help from a racist anyway.
That's the problem with the world today, too politically correct that people are scared of saying what they mean and lie instead. Every has been brainwashed by the do gooders.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,867
6,491
That's the problem with the world today, too politically correct that people are scared of saying what they mean and lie instead. Every has been brainwashed by the do gooders.

 
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Volusia25

Pedelecer
Apr 21, 2017
243
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leicester
That's the problem with the world today, too politically correct that people are scared of saying what they mean and lie instead. Every has been brainwashed by the do gooders.
What an odd thing to say on an Ebike forum...Anyway if you have no useful advice I'd recommend you go elsewhere. Thanks ;)
 
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Woosh

Trade Member
May 19, 2012
20,339
16,857
Southend on Sea
wooshbikes.co.uk
I'd probably cover about 70 miles a week max. On that mileage how long would a battery last given my weight and medium level of fitness?
your level of fitness is not important if you live in a hilly area because the motor will have to do most of the work.
there are basically two types of Lithium ion cells, cylindrical, typically 18650, and soft pouch cells. The 18650 cells are much more robust and longer lasting because they are encased inside a nickel coated steel jacket with built in anti-explosion safety valve and usually usable for up to 10 years. The soft pouch cells are cheaper to buy, tend to release gas and swell and usually usable for up to 8 years.
However, their life expectancy is as long as that of the weakest cell in a pack of 40 or 50 cells. Typical battery life for your case is 4 years.
The usual rule is 'use it or lose it'. Some people only ride a few weeks a year. Batteries need to be used regularly to stay healthy. It's not going to be a problem for you because you are going to ride your bike most days. Another danger is humidity. If the battery is frequently exposed to humidity, the battery management system can get corroded and kills the pack.
Do you have a dry storage for your bike?
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,867
6,491

FKN move :p
 

Volusia25

Pedelecer
Apr 21, 2017
243
106
33
leicester
your level of fitness is not important if you live in a hilly area because the motor will have to do most of the work.
there are basically two types of Lithium ion cells, cylindrical, typically 18650, and soft pouch cells. The 18650 cells are much more robust and longer lasting because they are encased inside a nickel coated steel jacket with built in anti-explosion safety valve and usually usable for up to 10 years. The soft pouch cells are cheaper to buy, tend to release gas and swell and usually usable for up to 8 years.
However, their life expectancy is as long as that of the weakest cell in a pack of 40 or 50 cells. Typical battery life for your case is 4 years.
The usual rule is 'use it or lose it'. Some people only ride a few weeks a year. Batteries need to be used regularly to stay healthy. It's not going to be a problem for you because you are going to ride your bike most days. Another danger is humidity. If the battery is frequently exposed to humidity, the battery management system can get corroded and kills the pack.
Do you have a dry storage for your bike?
Interesting thanks. Yes it would be garaged every night apart from the odd night where I stay at friends. 4 years is more than enough though
 

Solarbake

Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2014
45
21
I can't see why your moaning about spending a grand ,you can't drive cause you ballsed up,you saving 18 months worth of insurance tax and petrol,and probably safer off the roads not killing anyone so put you hand in your pocket and buy something decent for 2plus grand most are availiable on interest free finance and you can sell after 18 months and get some cash back ,your need it after that to pay for the car insurance with drink driving conviction ouch.!
Regards
 
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Volusia25

Pedelecer
Apr 21, 2017
243
106
33
leicester
I can't see why your moaning about spending a grand ,you can't drive cause you ballsed up,you saving 18 months worth of insurance tax and petrol,and probably safer off the roads not killing anyone so put you hand in your pocket and buy something decent for 2plus grand most are availiable on interest free finance and you can sell after 18 months and get some cash back ,your need it after that to pay for the car insurance with drink driving conviction
Regards
I'd rather save the 2 grand so I can buy a second car and kill twice as many people once my ban is up. Nice grammar though.
 

Solarbake

Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2014
45
21
That's if you can get insurance lol
Enjoy the banter on here we love it,where shall i go for a drive tomorrow.
 
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soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,867
6,491
I'd rather save the 2 grand so I can buy a second car and kill twice as many people once my ban is up. Nice grammar though.

T-90_Bhisma_cropped.jpg

o come on for ffs last attack was shite that thing will run through a house at 40mph and can park it anywhere :) £75k bargin