Time to buy a new e-bike

[trex]

CL, ask someone at 50cycles to put a low profile seat post on and measure the height from the ground to the top of the saddle.
You'll need to go see and ride the bike anyway before risking that much money.
If you buy online, make sure you can return the bike for a refund after riding it. Some sellers do accept, some don't, the ones that do may charge a small amount. The reason I often recommend Woosh because they'll accept to refund you (minus £45) if you don't like the bike enough.

 

[CorpusLuteum]

CL, ask someone at 50cycles to put a low profile seat post on and measure the height from the ground to the top of the saddle.
You'll need to go see and ride the bike anyway before risking that much money.
If you buy online, make sure you can return the bike for a refund after riding it. Some sellers do accept, some don't, the ones that do may charge a small amount.

Thank you for your help trex. Yes I think I'll have to do that. I was considering buying online, but I don't think the convenience is worth the risk. Thank you once again

 

[Tim]

Thank you trex I'm only 5'2 and it says the 26 inch should be suitable for me. I'm really not too sure anymore.

Hello, the Agattu is available in a number of sizes and the 45cm frame with 26-inch wheels should be just right for you. We can supply with a shorter seatpost if necessary too if you mention when ordering.

One other contended is the Sahel Compact http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/sahel-compact.html

That's Impulse 2.0, designed for use in town with quick-folding handlebars and pedals too.

 

[CorpusLuteum]

Hello, the Agattu is available in a number of sizes and the 45cm frame with 26-inch wheels should be just right for you. We can supply with a shorter seatpost if necessary too if you mention when ordering.

One other contended is the Sahel Compact http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/sahel-compact.html

That's Impulse 2.0, designed for use in town with quick-folding handlebars and pedals too.

Thank you for confirming that. Hopefully I'll place my order in a few weeks

 

[jackhandy]

One other contended is the Sahel Compact http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/sahel-compact.html
.

I wouldn't buy a Sahel Compact without a proper test ride over the kind of route you'll be using:

We're all different & I really didn't like the geometry of them when I rode one - Others love 'em

 

[trex]

tim,
the smaller Agattus come in the same 46cm frames, the only difference is the wheel size, 26" instead of 28" (and fork obviously), is this right?

 

[JuicyBike]

Hi CL
Our New Mills shop is open to the public Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and is about 200 yards from New Mills, Newtown rail station (start out from Piccadilly / Stockport etc.).
You'd be more than welcome to try any of our bikes.

We also have a stockist in Chorlton with 26" and 28" wheeled bikes to try.

I'd suggest, unless you can get a charge at work, you should upgrade your battery size to 12AH. This means you stay above 50% charged at all times, which improves the longevity of the battery. Occasional complete draining of a li-ion battery is fine (and 12AH should achieve 40 miles), but everyday will be very stressful.

It would be great to help you decide.

 

[Cyclezee]

Hi CL,

Have a look at the Ansmann Lightride available with 44cm frame for £999
http://cyclezee.com/ansmann-lightride-pedelec.html
They have an unbeatable 3 year warranty on the battery and 4 years on the motor, 8 speed Shimano Nexus hub gears that are virtually maintenance free and Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

I'm from Manchester. I don't really know the difference between impulse and Bosch. I simply assumed that Kalkhoff bikes were the most reliable e-bikes with the best quality. So which bicycle would you recommend from your selection? Thank you so much for taking the time to advise me

The AVE CH Edition dave linked to above is great we sold several of those. They were available in various frame sizes the smallest being 46cm however they are no longer available unless a retailer still has stock.

Bosch and Impulse are similar but if you read German pedelec forum it appears Bosch is more reliable. I would recommend a bike which has hydraulic disc brakes and hub gears and you might be better with a hub motor than a crank drive as crank drives tend to go through chains quicker but less quick if you have a derailleur.

The compact bike below would meet most of your criteria except no hub gears.
http://www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk/products-page/ave/ave-mh-7/
or this one with hub gears
http://www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk/products-page/ave/bosch-edition/

Or we have a KTM compact bike in stock which has hub gears but hydraulic rim brakes instead of hydraulic disc brakes.

http://www.shop.flidistribution.co.uk/p/2014-ktm-macina-compact-8-400

Another bike would be Discovery 7 which is made in Germany but ony £999. Ny only concern is frame size it comes with hub gears but only v brakes.
http://www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk/products-page/ebco/d-cycle-discovery-7/

Also Momentum Electric Model T 2 speed automartic gears but again only v brakes.
http://www.electrifyingcycles.co.uk/me.html

You can have 10% off any of the above as we will be offering this soon anyway when our new website launches shortly. We may have other bikes which are suitable but I would not recommend them to you without being sure frame size would be okay.

 

[Electrifying Cycles]

One final piece of advice make sure frame size is right, alot of places will ask you to pay courier costs if it is not right (not all we would not). You have a 7 day cooling off period when you buy remotely so do not keep the bike if it is not right.

Good luck if your brain has not exploded with all the information

David

 

[Jonah]

Rest assured that the 45cm (26" wheel) Agattu and Sahel Compact are both suitable for 5' 2" riders although a shorter seat post is often required. We hire both these bikes to shorter riders.

 

[Croxden]

I just noticed that the Ave bike above is 24v, which puts it right on the limit for range. I think this is the one I saw with 36v, but it looks a bit bigger:
http://www.ebco-ebikes.co.uk/products-page/ave/ave-ch-edition/

I have a short friend who has one of these bikes. She came with me when I was trying to make up my mind on what to have, she tried it and we brought it back with us. I still had months of searching, she new immediately that was the one for her, you must go and try one. The dealer d8veh pointed you towards have a place in Manchester Edinburgh Bike Co-operative, 7 Wilmslow Road, Rusholme, Manchester, M14 5FT (tel: 0161 257 3897.

Best of luck in your search.

 

[RobF]

Corpus,

You've posted before about being underweight and not very strong, so you might find a full size ebike difficult to handle.

There's no doubt my Rose 29" wheel bike is a handful compared to the AVE 20".

Stopping, starting, negotiating obstructions when you need to get off, or even when you can stay on, are all harder with a bigger bike.

You are used to a 20" compact with your folder and used to the king of handy bikes with your Brompton.

All this leads me to suggest you stay with smaller wheels.

Electrifying your Brompton is one option, although Brommies are not the most comfortable - I wouldn't fancy 12 miles each way, five days a week on mine.

The conclusion is either the AVE MH-7 or the Kalkhoff Sahel.

The AVE has the smaller 8ah battery.

Depending on conditions, 24 miles would be a stretch for me on mine.

But since you probably weigh less than my left leg, I expect the range will be fine for you.

 

[CorpusLuteum]

One final piece of advice make sure frame size is right, alot of places will ask you to pay courier costs if it is not right (not all we would not). You have a 7 day cooling off period when you buy remotely so do not keep the bike if it is not right.

Good luck if your brain has not exploded with all the information

David

Thank you so much for your elaborate post. I'm going to spend the weekend weighing all the different options. I really appreciate your help

Rest assured that the 45cm (26" wheel) Agattu and Sahel Compact are both suitable for 5' 2" riders although a shorter seat post is often required. We hire both these bikes to shorter riders.

Thank you for confirming that. I'll have to order mine with a shorter seat post.

Corpus,

You've posted before about being underweight and not very strong, so you might find a full size ebike difficult to handle.

There's no doubt my Rose 29" wheel bike is a handful compared to the AVE 20".

Stopping, starting, negotiating obstructions when you need to get off, or even when you can stay on, are all harder with a bigger bike.

You are used to a 20" compact with your folder and used to the king of handy bikes with your Brompton.

All this leads me to suggest you stay with smaller wheels.

Electrifying your Brompton is one option, although Brommies are not the most comfortable - I wouldn't fancy 12 miles each way, five days a week on mine.

The conclusion is either the AVE MH-7 or the Kalkhoff Sahel.

The AVE has the smaller 8ah battery.

Depending on conditions, 24 miles would be a stretch for me on mine.

But since you probably weigh less than my left leg, I expect the range will be fine for you.

Thank you After reading your post I'm actually seriously considering the Sahel compact. I think the reason why I wanted a bigger bike was so that it looks like a normal bike and isn't too conspicuous.

 

[trex]

24 miles x 5 days a week without suspension? You'd risk damaging your wrists.
Read KellyBear story before shelling out the cash.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Thank you After reading your post I'm actually seriously considering the Sahel compact. I think the reason why I wanted a bigger bike was so that it looks like a normal bike and isn't too conspicuous.

That's a very good point. IMHO, a compact bike is a bit too close to a BMX bike, so might get a bit too much unwanted attention. Stepthrough bikes are more or less thief-proof. I don't think that you'll have problems with size and weight of 26" wheeled stepthrough bikes. The average size of a female in China is 5 ft 2", although most of those we saw were a lot shorter, and they're physically tiny in every way. They all ride them.

 

[trex]

...
So my only option is to sell my Brompton and a few other belongings and buy an e-bike that would not only do the job but also last me a good few years.
...

German bikes are not cheap transport.

this is a question for traders on this forum: which one of you believe that a £2,000 e-bike is a cheap and reliable transport?

 

[patpatbut]

Good to know you are upgrading the bike. You were a bit like me before since I had my first bike I had considered upgrading

I am with D8veh about security. I used to live in Manchester and the bike thief crime was very high (not sure now)

Having a expensive bike locked outside I am too confident not having it stolen. Gold secure lock is a must.

The best bet is to get a big step through bike with high capacity battery. If possible, have the front suspension as well. (suntour one is good enough for city). I used to commute 28 miles per day using my old solid fork bike and it was killing my wrist. After upgrading the fork, it is much better now.

Pat

 

[Cyclezee]

German bikes are not cheap transport.

this is a question for traders on this forum: which one of you believe that a £2,000 e-bike is a cheap and reliable transport?

I agree Trex, a £2,000 e-bike is not cheap, but price is relative to what you are making a comparison with.

Personally, the I think one that the Ansmann I suggested for CP at £1,000 is cheap for a German e-bike and the warranty is unmatched.

 

[trex]

CL sets out to buy a Kalkhoff - either the Agattu i8 (£1500) or the HS 8G (£2100) - and a few posters here are happy to encourage her to do just that.
If CL has deep pockets, fine, I would not make any comment. But she's still a student, Someone ought to tell her that spending this sort of money on an e-bike because she needs a reliable transport is utterly risky.
What happens if the plan does not work out, the trip is just too tiring to do 5 times a week? if CL has to sell her bike, how much would she get back after a week's use?