Replace existing ebike for London commute

I currently have a Freego Eagle which I use to commute into London every day which is a 30 mile round trip.

 

The bike has served me well but I would like to be able to go a bit faster. I currently average around 17-18 mph. I also have a few hills to negotiate so would want a bit more torque than I get at the moment.

I also have been use to having the throttle with the rear hub motor but quite interested in the crank drive bikes but see that most do not have throttles.

 

Is there a bike that you can recommend which whilst still legal would give me more speed and performance than I currently get out of my current bike. I also quite like the comfort of the freego and need a pannier rack for my rucksack.

Edited September 2, 201510 yr by gmbb

http://www.mhw-bike.com/haibike-sduro-cross-rc-400wh-36v-herren-schwarz-cyan-lime-matt-2015-4321

 

http://www.mhw-bike.com/ghost-teru-4-white-cyan-green-black-2015-2812

Hi Gmbb,

 

I know of a 2013 KTM Macina Bold for sale at £1500, it has one owner (my Uncle) hardly any mileage, Bosch motor gen 1 with the 300 battery. Id be happy to put a warranty on it as the Bosch system so far has been very reliable. PM me if interested.

 

You dont say where you are in London but we now have a few dealers who will support you within the M25 including myself. I do offer the loan of most of my range to try the journey you intend to do, this way you get to try an ebike in the real world.

 

Please get in touch if interested.

http://www.mhw-bike.com/haibike-sduro-cross-rc-400wh-36v-herren-schwarz-cyan-lime-matt-2015-4321

 

http://www.mhw-bike.com/ghost-teru-4-white-cyan-green-black-2015-2812

 

Thanks for the bike suggestions.

Hi Gmbb,

 

I know of a 2013 KTM Macina Bold for sale at £1500, it has one owner (my Uncle) hardly any mileage, Bosch motor gen 1 with the 300 battery. Id be happy to put a warranty on it as the Bosch system so far has been very reliable. PM me if interested.

 

You dont say where you are in London but we now have a few dealers who will support you within the M25 including myself. I do offer the loan of most of my range to try the journey you intend to do, this way you get to try an ebike in the real world.

 

Please get in touch if interested.

 

Based in Wimbledon. Thanks for the reply. Loan of bike would be interesting to compare against current bike. Which dealers would be closest?

Me....I'm in Hampton Wick KT1 4DA:)

The Oxygen Emate MTB does about 24 mph if you adjust the speed limit. It's a very solid bike with excellent brakes. It would make an excellent fast commuter.

The Oxygen Emate MTB does about 24 mph if you adjust the speed limit. It's a very solid bike with excellent brakes. It would make an excellent fast commuter.

But thats illegal?

But thats illegal?

 

pmsl u get banned d8 lol

But thats illegal?

 

pmsl u get banned d8 lol

Why?

you not sell dongles then we wanna go fast can u honer bosch warranty like ebike shop or report them to trading standards

you not sell dongles then we wanna go fast can u honer bosch warranty like ebike shop or report them to trading standards

 

What are you on? This thead is about legal bikes as requested in the OP's opening post (whilst still legal).

currently average around 17-18 mph.

 

can you not um read the op post:rolleyes:

I can and he said....'whilst still legal' there is a 10% tolerence allowed to

The Oxygen Emate MTB does about 24 mph if you adjust the speed limit. It's a very solid bike with excellent brakes. It would make an excellent fast commuter.

 

But thats illegal?

 

 

Is there a bike that you can recommend which whilst still legal would give me more speed.

 

forgot that bit did you and answer is no not that any one will pull you on it less you a danger to the public.

Yes, the BPM motor in the Tornado or Typhoon. Just trying to play by the rules, is that a bad thing for a responsible dealer to do?

The way I interpreted his post is that he wants a bike that is legal, which the Oxygen bike is, but he wants to go faster than 17 mph, which the Oxygen can do if you want to make it illegal. Torque alone will not be enough to increase that average speed significantly. With my very high torque bike limited to 15.5 mph, I don't think I've ever averaged more than 15 mph. The Oxygen MTB has a high torque motor. It won the World Championship hill-climb in Bristol when set to 15.5 mph max.

I could be wrong but I dont think either the Typhoon or Tornado were in this race? Isn't the BPM a good candidate Dave?

Thanks for suggestions. So would a hub motor be better than a crank drive motor if I wanted to take the bike beyond its 15 mph range. One issue I don't like with my current ebike is that when I start pedalling the power is delivered as one and takes the bike straight to 15mph if it is on a straight. I then struggle to take it beyond at best 17 mph no matter how hard I pedal

The Oxygen bike has 18 settings for power control when you pedal. You can set 3 levels of current and 6 levels of speed.

 

Whether you get a hub-motor or crank-motor is a difficult choice. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I prefer a hub-motor for commuting because it gives a more relaxing ride. By relaxing, I don't mean less pedal effort. It just seems to be less frantic. With a crank-drive, you have to be in the right gear all the time, so there's much more gear-changing. A hub-motor doesn't care what gear you're in. That can be important in the winter when you have cold hands.

 

It sounds like you present bike has a very rudimentary control system, which was common several years ago. Things have moved on a lot with modern bikes.

Thanks for suggestions. So would a hub motor be better than a crank drive motor if I wanted to take the bike beyond its 15 mph range. One issue I don't like with my current ebike is that when I start pedalling the power is delivered as one and takes the bike straight to 15mph if it is on a straight. I then struggle to take it beyond at best 17 mph no matter how hard I pedal

 

Some Europian bikes use the ten percent leeway in the regs to allow a bit over 17mph before they cut out. Kalkhoff do with all their bikes, but I’m not sure how many others do it. On mine the power progressively eases off until the cut off is unnoticeable and you are on your own. My Kalkhoff and other ones I‘ve ridden can be pedalled past the cut out on the flat well too, which not all ebikes can be. They are CD, but the main thing is that they have good components and tyres which not all do. That’s what makes pedalling unassisted like riding through deep water with some bikes. Weight also matters but that isn’t so noticeable when the bike is up and rolling.

 

A cheaper Chinese e bike I had as my first ebike was a pig to pedal past the cut out. Which at 15.5mph was also like hitting a wall because it didn't ease down the power as the cut out speed approached. The only way to make that smooth was to change the cut out to a higher speed which also made it illegal.

 

On that point your OP was confusing in that you say you are averaging 17/18mph and want more speed but also say you want to stay legal. Your average is over the legal speed now and to average that you must be going well over 20mph at times. So you can’t do that assisted and be legal. But if you want a more efficient bike which will assist you on hills and the flat up to 17mph legally and is easier to ride past the cut out then a Kalkhoff is a good bet. That or a buy a good bike and convert it.

the OP Freego Eagle has a LED panel, not an LCD. The bike is not restricted, that's why he's been getting 16mph on average. There are plenty of bikes that can go faster but he'll have to derestrict.

I agree with JohnCade that a good Kalkhoff is the way to go for 30 miles a day, all weather riding. Many e-bikes out there are not tough enough to last several years at this mileage. He still has to derestrict to get higher average speed though.

the OP Freego Eagle has a LED panel, not an LCD. The bike is not restricted, that's why he's been getting 16mph on average. There are plenty of bikes that can go faster but he'll have to derestrict.

I agree with JohnCade that a good Kalkhoff is the way to go for 30 miles a day, all weather riding. Many e-bikes out there are not tough enough to last several years at this mileage. He still has to derestrict to get higher average speed though.

 

Right. If it and others of the period are unrestricted does that make them technically illegal? They must always have been I should have thought.

 

I thought maybe he wanted to pedal faster than the cut out and wanted a bike he could pedal on the flat at up to 20mph or so. Though for that a converted good quality lightweight bike like a Cube would be better. The wanting to stay legal bit is still unclear.

Right. If it and others of the period are unrestricted does that make them technically illegal? They must always have been I should have thought.

 

I thought maybe he wanted to pedal faster than the cut out and wanted a bike he could pedal on the flat at up to 20mph or so. Though for that a converted good quality lightweight bike like a Cube would be better. The wanting to stay legal bit is still unclear.

 

Yes I definitely want to try and pedal beyond when the bike cuts off which does feel like cycling through water past 15.5 mph. I just feel that I could cycle a bit faster if the bike would let me which is frustrating when so many cyclists are overtaking me each morning. The bike does need to be solid as part of my route takes me off road along rough ground and comfort is also important as I quite like the seating position of the freego eagle but maybe that is also making me cycle a bit more leisurely. I have got used to the throttle which is useful when negotiating traffic through London.

 

appreciating all the suggestions here. It was an easy choice when I first purchased the bike as it was used so was a good price. Now want to make sure that I buy the correct bike that has to be better than what i have got with my £1500 budget.

Right. If it and others of the period are unrestricted does that make them technically illegal? They must always have been I should have thought.

most bikes fitted with SWX motors don't need LCDs because they are limited by their construction. You can easily reach 15mph on throttle but the assistance tails off quickly, you can hold to 17mph with a fair amount of pedalling and by time you reach 19mph the motor's efficiency drops to near zero. I reckon people who buy a bike with an SWX motor are not interested in speed. The OP is a bit of an exception.