Recommendations for a hilly commute in Sheffield please

[Geoff Schrecker]

Hi,

I'm new to the firums as I'm thinking of buying a pedelec to get me to work. I have an old Palomar GT, but the hills around here are just too steep for me to be able to commute (and so get fit enough to manage the hills). The plan is to get a bike that will only assist (no throttle), but with enough assist to get me up the long hill to work still in a fit state to start the day!

A friend has a friend who is recommending KTM.

All thought gratefully received!

Cheers, Geoff

 

[daveboy]

Hi,

I'm new to the firums as I'm thinking of buying a pedelec to get me to work. I have an old Palomar GT, but the hills around here are just too steep for me to be able to commute (and so get fit enough to manage the hills). The plan is to get a bike that will only assist (no throttle), but with enough assist to get me up the long hill to work still in a fit state to start the day!

A friend has a friend who is recommending KTM.

All thought gratefully received!

Cheers, Geoff

Hi geoff try a Kalkhoff, you will be impressed.You can have a go on mine if you want,I live near Pontefract not too far from you.David.

 

[wissy]

I have a KTM Macina HS .. Bosch one. Beautiful bike. I love mine. The quality of all the bits and bobs are just so obvious compared to other bikes I have come across. . I think it's the drive system that you need to be looking at first maybe and then decide which brand / model and price range suits? The Bosch crank thing I have really goes well up steep Welsh hills. Have been unfortunate to have problem which I now hope will be sorted but it's unusual for Bosch stuff to have problems.

re you goung for a tourer or hybrid or mountain bike type bike?

 

[Artstu]

Hi Geoff your friends friends bike is the one in this thread
www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/14348-ktm-macina-cross-going-cheap.html

Stu

 

[Jonah]

It depends on the type of bike you like and the steepness of the hills. On very steep hills (20% +) a crank drive is best. The Bosch and Kalkhoff Impulse units are similar, the Bosch is available on more bikes but the Impulse system is rated better in some independent tests. If the hills are less steep hub drive bikes may be suitable (and are usually cheaper). If you prefer a more sporty ride I have been testing a Kalkhoff Pro Connect which this year comes with a new powerful Xion rear hub motor. I think this has a sportier feel than crank drive units but overall I prefer the smoothness and feel of the Impulse. You should try out both if you can, because they feel quite different.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

Best advice is to try both Impulse and Bosch systems. Preference is dependant on user with some favouring one and other the other, have seen independent people prefer one or the other. There is also a Panasonic rear hub drive which is 47volt . Also worth thinking of the type of spec you want i.e. hub gears or derailleur, large gear ration etc.

Whether you buy local or further afield ask what happens if there is a problem. Rare on high end bikes but worth asking questions - e.g. is a loan bike offered, do they collect bike back free of charge etc.

Good luck with the search!

 

[Geoff Schrecker]

Many thanks for all the advice. I think my next step is to find somewhere I can try them out and then weigh up spending the money on this or on a lighter, better geared standard bike.............

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Most of the recommendations were for relatively expensive bikes, but you can achieve your goal by spending a lot less. You started by saying that you wanted a bike without a throttle, but that doesn't make sense. If you have a throttle, you don't have to use it. All e-bikes give power when you pedal without having to touch the throttle. The Woosh Sirocco CD at £799 (with 15aH battery) can climb very steep hills with low bedal effort. It has a bit less power than some of the others, but you can use a lower gear to reduce pedal effort. I'm 100kg and not very fit, but it easily managed all our steep hills around Ironbridge Gorge. Also, the Kudos Tornado at £1095 can climb steep hills very easily. It's more powerful than the others mentioned, so goes up the hills faster. If you're weight is up tp 100kg, it can manage 20% hills with low pedal effort and 25% with medium to hard pedalling. If your weight is below 80kg, you can probably add another 5% to those hills.
The Sirocco CD | Chain Drive Electric Bikes from Woosh | electric bike sales & hire

 

[Geoff Schrecker]

Thanks d8veh,

That's really useful. I'm a bit concerned that having electric might mean I get lazy and rely on it, is that people's experience, or does it encourage you to get fitter??

Cheers, Geoff

 

[ghouluk]

the two reasons i'd say no to the will it make me lazy question

from my own experience....in the 6 weeks of owning an ebike i've done almost 1000 miles, more than i did in the whole of 2012/13 together on my non e-bike. the bike is now what i use when i'm going anywhere within a 15 mile radius of home as well as leisure riding.

also as i've regained cycle fitness, i use the motor less and less, i'm now at the point where i can get over 100 miles out of a single charge - with my weight and the hills around me, the first times out i got 30ish miles - i can now get that without losing a bar from the battery - or breaking a sweat

it just makes cycling like it was when you were a kid again - hills don't matter, being 30 miles from home doesn't matter, because you have the security of a motor *if* you need or want it.

one thing i would say is to test the bikes for quite some time with the motor switched off - my wife's oxygen is heavy and has a big battery, and isn't that friendly without motor (although the battery lasts forever) my bh xtreme rides brilliantly without the motor engaged. If you're testing the kudos, try the arriba too, its a likeable friendly bike.

This was something that i didn't really test that much, but in the grand scheme of ebike ownership has become a major factor for how much i ride.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

My experience is the same as above. Rarely use my car for distances below 15 miles. I also have several motorbikes, but none of them have been out of the garage in the last two years. I do about 2000 miles a year on the electric bike compared wit about 250 miles on my last bike in 23 years.

 

[RobF]

I agree with the last two posts, although I can't match ghoul's 100-mile battery range.

Like d8, I've replaced a lot of short car journeys with the bike.

Worth bearing in mind your car will only do about eight mpg from cold, although this will rise fairly swiftly.

Even by using the bike for a few short journeys each weekend, I've noticed I need to put less diesel in the tank.

Not that the saving will ever approach the cost of the bike, but it does give me a nice warm feeling.

 

[103Alex1]

one thing i would say is to test the bikes for quite some time with the motor switched off - my wife's oxygen is heavy and has a big battery, and isn't that friendly without motor (although the battery lasts forever) my bh xtreme rides brilliantly without the motor engaged. If you're testing the kudos, try the arriba too, its a likeable friendly bike.

That's good advice.... and remember, you can get serious exercise on an e-bike by turning off assist, turning it down or alternatively riding at max assist and pushing beyond assist levels or riding in higher gears to make it harder. It's all in your own control. e-bikes don't have to make you lazy - but they can give you a great deal more for the effort you put in !

 

[PeteB1951]

I'll second (or third/fourth) that advice.

I've got a home-brew bike that I converted from an old hybrid bike that was hanging around the garage to which I added a cheap secondhand Heinzmann front wheel hub motor. I've just got a twist grip throttle which I only use to get up Sheffield hills or get me a quick start from traffic lights, it's off when on the flat or a mild uphill.

Yesterday I rode the 5 miles out from Walkley to Oughtibridge without the battery indicator changing from full, and it had only gone down one bar by the time I got back home up one of Sheffield's top ten steepest hills.

An electric bike is a supremely practical way of getting around town, like d8veh I rarely use the car and my motorbike has stayed in the shed for months. Mine has also contributed to the two stone weight loss I've achieved over the past year, and I feel much fitter - though there is still a way to go before I can tackle Sheffield hills without the motor.

I agree you don't need to go for the more expensive bikes to get the benefits - the Bike Tree on Abbeydale Road are Juicybike stockists, I'm sure they could arrange a test ride for you. Their Classic or Sport cost less than £900.

Pete

 

[ghouluk]

heh - have all of us got a collection of motorbikes in the garage we don't use ?

all that leather, goretex and kevlar is so last year folks!

just checked and i did 300 miles on one of the motorbikes last year and 37 on the other.....maybe i should sell them both and by an off road powered bouncer

 

[hopper_rider]

On another note, although this weather is unusual for us, in the heat an ebike CAN be easier than walking (if you want it to be). With the added advantage of building up some speed without breaking a sweat so that you can take advantage of a cooling breeze.

A WIN WIN.

 

[Geoff Schrecker]

Well, after a visit to Chinley and a ride on Stu's amazing KTM I'm pretty sure the decision is made that I need an eBike. Does anyone know the nearest to Sheffield where I can try out a few different bikes (I would like to try the Impulse as well as the Bosch drive) - ideally would like to try out the Arriba as mentioned as well which looks like a really nice bike!

A big thanks to everyone (and especially Stu for letting me ride his pride & joy!)

 

[Artstu]

Hi Geoff, you're now the only other person who has ridden my bike

These are in Loughborough Electric Bikes | E-bikes | Electric Bicycles UK and are Open for demonstrations 11am - 4pm Monday to Friday. I'd certainly be wanting to try an Impulse drive, the much larger battery of those is very appealing.

I'd have preferred an 11-speed hub for a bigger range of gears, like this one, but it may be a little too big 2012 Kalkhoff Agattu Premium C11 Impulse HE 55cm Electric Bike

But certainly don't rule out the 8-speed bikes like mine.

and just for reference this is the bike Les is going for http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?sirocco-cd

and if you fancy a trip to Cromer David at http://www.electrifyingcycles.co.uk/ktm.html has a very good reputation for customer service.

 

[Jonah]

Geoff,

If you fancy a holiday in the southwest you can try out the Impulse drive Kalkhoffs and Pro-Connect Xion hub at our e-bike hire centre in North Devon.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi Geoff,

One more thing to consider before deciding on an electric solution, how about converting your existing bike with one of our conversion kits?
We have a number of kit and bike customers in the Sheffield area.

eZee Conversion Kits - electric bikes and conversion kits