Help! Should I get an e-bike?

[hugow]

Hi Guys

My first post in this forum!!! My name is Hugo and nice to e-meet you all!! Hope you are doing great!!!

I am based in the south-east of the UK and wondering if I should get an e-bike or not.

so I would like to know what drives you to buy an e-bike, and how did you make this purchase decision?? (So would be great to share your exp so I could tell if i should get one or not)

Which e-bike brands do you like or look up to?

Which retail shop are you going to get your e-bike?? Feels to me that they are all the same apart from prices difference?? Please correct me if I'm wrong????

What kind of feature from an e-bike will you pay attention to?

Should I also get some accessories with the e-bike?

Hope I could hear some advice from you soon

many thanks
Hugo

 

[Nealh]

A lot of us simply have ebikes as a hobby esp us diyers, whether you need one is neither here or there.
Decide on the usage the bike and bike style is for then set your budget and look for something that falls within that budget.

After that we can offer recommends and pros and cons of various bikes, motors etc etc.

Some of us don't stop a t one bike and end up with several.

 

[hugow]

hi Nealh,

Thank you for your prompt reply!!!
I guess I am looking for an e-bike for commuting and budget could be above £1000 and below £1700?

many thanksssss

 

[Kwozzymodo]

I always say that you should start with a bike that you enjoy riding, and then add the motor. Too many of the ‘purpose-built’ bikes are heavy and poorly equipped with cheap components. With the budget you mention, you could buy a ‘top-end’ hybrid with carbon forks and quality components/gearset - then add an additional £300-350 to buy a hub motor kit. You would struggle to spend more than £1,200 if you went this route.

My Specialized weighs 13kg with battery and cost less than £600 in total.

If you enjoy ‘tinkering’, building your own ebike is very fulfilling, and not too complicated at all.

 

[Nealh]

Touring style bike or hybrid style bike ?
Distance to commute ?
Plans to use it for further leisure and errand trips ?

 

[RetiredAndRolling]

Hi. To answer two of your questions:

Why did I get an ebike?
For a birthday treat my family took an ebike half day tour in Dorset. This was in the early days of ebikes. Our guided group started at sea level and ended up on top of the Downs looking out to sea. We had climbed so much much, we had seen so many things and every part of the tour had been enjoyable. It was this organised rental tour that taught me what ebikes are all about. With the assist you never need to avoid part of a route. You set off knowing that you are not going to be killed by any unforeseen hills. I ride for leisure - casual stuff. The biggest trip so far was a 35 mile round trip, 80% on a disused railway path and 20% on bonkers hills. One of my favourite trips was departing Weymouth, crossing the causeway to Portland, easily climbing Portland hill and then touring the whole island. After descending, I went to the far side of Weymouth Bay and back, returning with around 50% of battery power remaining. Cycling without apprehension of being stranded by hills is a great feeling. When the weather is nice I love the spontaneous urge to jump on my bike without a plan and enjoy the breeze on my face. Pre virus, I did almost all my food shopping by bike. I didn’t expect to be doing this - it was a bonus.

What triggered the purchase?
Retirement. An excuse to pursue your dreams. This was many years after the tour that showed me what ebikes can do.

How did I choose?
There are so many to choose. Do get a few hours trial if you can. Be sure you like the riding style (sit up or lean forward), the available power and overall comfort. My choosing was simplified by lack of choice. I really wanted a folder so I could take the bike with me wherever I sent. Alas I was too heavy for a folding bike so chose a compact ebike instead. It’s fantastic. I’ve never looked back.

Good luck in your quest. If find a bike that suits you, you will be the happiest person for miles around.

 

[Andy1865]

Hi Guys

My first post in this forum!!! My name is Hugo and nice to e-meet you all!! Hope you are doing great!!!

I am based in the south-east of the UK and wondering if I should get an e-bike or not.

so I would like to know what drives you to buy an e-bike, and how did you make this purchase decision?? (So would be great to share your exp so I could tell if i should get one or not)

Which e-bike brands do you like or look up to?

Which retail shop are you going to get your e-bike?? Feels to me that they are all the same apart from prices difference?? Please correct me if I'm wrong????

What kind of feature from an e-bike will you pay attention to?

Should I also get some accessories with the e-bike?

Hope I could hear some advice from you soon

many thanks
Hugo

Straight answer Hugo...Yes. It will change your life. I got an ECOTRIC for less then a grand with a load of extras i didnt bargain on.

 

[Benjahmin]

Depends on whether you're into cycling or not. If you are then it'll extend your enjoyment into later life, take you further than you thought you would ever do.
If not, then it's a rather large amount of wasted money cluttering up the shed with little or no resale value.
I converted mine and I've done around 9k miles on it in 6 years - money well spent I think.

 

[hugow]

Straight answer Hugo...Yes. It will change your life. I got an ECOTRIC for less then a grand with a load of extras i didnt bargain on.

Hey Andy
I just quickly googled the brand you mentioned and is it from US?

How could you get it delivered to the UK???

Many thanks
H

 

[hugow]

Depends on whether you're into cycling or not. If you are then it'll extend your enjoyment into later life, take you further than you thought you would ever do.
If not, then it's a rather large amount of wasted money cluttering up the shed with little or no resale value.
I converted mine and I've done around 9k miles on it in 6 years - money well spent I think.

Yeah, I am really new to this field so I never really explored the option of getting a bike conversion kit.

I heard a brand called Swytch?? Are they good?? or some other brands better???

What kind of area should I pay attention to when it comes to e-bike conversion ??

 

[hugow]

I always say that you should start with a bike that you enjoy riding, and then add the motor. Too many of the ‘purpose-built’ bikes are heavy and poorly equipped with cheap components. With the budget you mention, you could buy a ‘top-end’ hybrid with carbon forks and quality components/gearset - then add an additional £300-350 to buy a hub motor kit. You would struggle to spend more than £1,200 if you went this route.

My Specialized weighs 13kg with battery and cost less than £600 in total.

If you enjoy ‘tinkering’, building your own ebike is very fulfilling, and not too complicated at all.

Hi Kwozzymodo

Thank you for your reply!!!!
This is a really great insight for myself!!!!
WHat hub motor kit did you buy?? Where do you get that from and what should I consider when I make a purchase decision on this????

MAny thanks
H.

 

[Andy1865]

Hey Andy
I just quickly googled the brand you mentioned and is it from US?

How could you get it delivered to the UK???

Many thanks
H

Sent a p.m firstly and here are the photos to Ebay.

 

[sjpt]

Yeah, I am really new to this field so I never really explored the option of getting a bike conversion kit.

I heard a brand called Swytch?? Are they good?? or some other brands better???

What kind of area should I pay attention to when it comes to e-bike conversion ??

Swytch have the best advertising for conversion kits, but not the best kits. They are neat and easy to fit, but expensive for what they are when being sold at their typical 50% pre-order reduction, and very expensive at any price above that. Beware of transport, customs duty and VAT you may have to pay on top of the price most visibly quoted.

You need to decide what you want it for. How fit are you? How hilly? What sort of range do you expect to cover? That will help you decide between crank or hub kits, and between cadence or torque sensors, and between a lightweight 'helper' system for road bike, to a heavy robust system for hills, laziness, or cargo. Batteries are a big part of the cost of a kit, especially if you need big range.

Woosh have a good range of kits and excellent customer service, and advice on best kit, suitable donor bike, etc. https://wooshbikes.co.uk/

Do NOT go for the cheap ebay direct drive hub kits with high looking power rating; illegal, chew through battery (you need an expensive one), not that good at hills, Good at going illegally fast on the flat.

 

[Kwozzymodo]

Hi Kwozzymodo

Thank you for your reply!!!!
This is a really great insight for myself!!!!
WHat hub motor kit did you buy?? Where do you get that from and what should I consider when I make a purchase decision on this????

MAny thanks
H.

I frequently use the Q100 CST 201rpm motor from BMS Battery. An S06S sine wave torque simulation controller, Pedal Assist Sensor and an S-LCD5 handlebar display take care of the operation of the kit. It’s a simple, reliable system, with plenty of torque in the motor to get you up the hills. I generally use a 36v battery with 7 or 10 amp capacity. These batteries give a range of between 20 and 40 miles, provided you are happy doing some of the pedalling yourself!

The type of kit you need will depend on the type of riding you do. This type of kit is perfect for a hybrid bike setup.