The basic error in the calculation is the assumed short life of the bike ~ should be looking at least 4 years before you have the major expensive which will be a recelled battery ~ £250.
Total cost of an ebike, around 45p a mile?
- Thread starter chdddd
- Start date
Something smells fishy in these calculations...
Cheapest cars cost 0.47 € per km (French Argus car magazine numbers), the average car is more than that. The cost is down this year because credit is cheap and petrol is too.
My first bike cost me 0.10 € per km all included. If my high school math is correct that comes to about 20% of the cost per km, if that isn't saving... Say I had bought a Giant Quick-E+ at the LBS, that would cost 0.18 € per km so just over a third of the cost of a car. I don't have a car and ride over 3,500 km a year.
I am currently working on a car replacement project (vélomobile) and I am at less than 0.25 € per km which is about half the price of the cheapest car. In fact I hope to use it for the next 10 years so it will be much less than that in reality. If you take amortization of the vehicle out of the picture and count just running costs of say the battery (including amortization in this case) the cost is 0.0020 € per km. Please show me another means of transport which costs 0.20 € out of your wallet for 100 km...
Cheapest cars cost 0.47 € per km (French Argus car magazine numbers), the average car is more than that. The cost is down this year because credit is cheap and petrol is too.
My first bike cost me 0.10 € per km all included. If my high school math is correct that comes to about 20% of the cost per km, if that isn't saving... Say I had bought a Giant Quick-E+ at the LBS, that would cost 0.18 € per km so just over a third of the cost of a car. I don't have a car and ride over 3,500 km a year.
I am currently working on a car replacement project (vélomobile) and I am at less than 0.25 € per km which is about half the price of the cheapest car. In fact I hope to use it for the next 10 years so it will be much less than that in reality. If you take amortization of the vehicle out of the picture and count just running costs of say the battery (including amortization in this case) the cost is 0.0020 € per km. Please show me another means of transport which costs 0.20 € out of your wallet for 100 km...
more like £5k+.
Find me one for £2k that you think will last.
No bike no matter what the bike will last if it no well cleaned and well maintained
For example every 20 miles a clean my chain to keep it in good order so when i am using my gears
they are going be working in fine order with no problems and of course a nice clean chain means less wear on the drivetrain
My bike is my car and i need it to get to places so i maintain it well to keep it in good order so it lasts me well
Even my local dealer has commented in the past that i do keep my bike clean and well looked after
For example every 20 miles a clean my chain to keep it in good order so when i am using my gears
they are going be working in fine order with no problems and of course a nice clean chain means less wear on the drivetrain
My bike is my car and i need it to get to places so i maintain it well to keep it in good order so it lasts me well
Even my local dealer has commented in the past that i do keep my bike clean and well looked after
D
Deleted member 4366
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It's an absolute fallacy that expensive bikes last longer than cheap ones - whatever the price. In fact, I'd say that if anything, it's the other way round.
I took a worn out bike from a skip and gave the bloke £5 for it. I put on a £400 conversion and did 1000 miles through salty January roads without a single item of maintenance - not even cleaning.
My present bike is a £400 kit on a bike that I made from ebay parts. It's done 4000 miles and only needed a gear cable and a front chain-ring. the chain-ring and gear cable were both bought second-hand when I built the bike. I think I've cleaned the bike about three times since I've had it.
Equally, there'll be people that can say that their expensive bikes are still going well after 4000 miles, and there will be guys saying that they needed a new LCD on their cheap bike before 500 miles were up and somebody else saying that they had to spend £100 on a new chain and cassette for their Haibike after 500 miles.
Whatever the reliability of bikes, the cost of running a cheap bike will always be less than an expensive one - exactly the same as cars.
I took a worn out bike from a skip and gave the bloke £5 for it. I put on a £400 conversion and did 1000 miles through salty January roads without a single item of maintenance - not even cleaning.
My present bike is a £400 kit on a bike that I made from ebay parts. It's done 4000 miles and only needed a gear cable and a front chain-ring. the chain-ring and gear cable were both bought second-hand when I built the bike. I think I've cleaned the bike about three times since I've had it.
Equally, there'll be people that can say that their expensive bikes are still going well after 4000 miles, and there will be guys saying that they needed a new LCD on their cheap bike before 500 miles were up and somebody else saying that they had to spend £100 on a new chain and cassette for their Haibike after 500 miles.
Whatever the reliability of bikes, the cost of running a cheap bike will always be less than an expensive one - exactly the same as cars.
It'll last longer than a lot of £2k CD bikes while requiring a lot less maintenance.
CD bikes are usually more expensive to buy and maintain than bikes with geared hub motors.
Wow, if I did that I would be cleaning my chain every lunch break at work
As long as mine is running smoothly, it gets extra wetlube on once a week, and degreased every other week...about 120 miles week.
The chain is the only thing that I've maintained. Meaning that I've put grease on it. I almost said 'cleaned' then. Oops.Wow, if I did that I would be cleaning my chain every lunch break at work
As long as mine is running smoothly, it gets extra wetlube on once a week, and degreased every other week...about 120 miles week.
... Not in my experience. I acquired about 12 years ago a 1965 vintage Moulton, it's still going. My 1975 Viscount Aerospace dropped handlebars racing or touring bike with non puncture tubes , is still operational, my wife's 1982 Raleigh, will be going again in a fortnight when I replace a tyre and my 2007 UrbanMover um20 ebike is still operational, albeit with painfully reduced battery range. The Raleigh Motus replaces this one, because of range anxiety and the joy of a central motor.
The top three listed are in a holiday home so now only get intermittent use, but the longitivity is real.
What all these bikes have in common is that they were middle of the road price wise. Not the cheapest on the market at any time , but not the most expensive, and made by reputable manufacturers... In this case British.
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I'm not sure why people expect ebikes to have such a short lifespan. I've heard reports of Ezee electric bikes going on for many years. They're pretty robust and have been used on long distance cycling expeditions. My Forza which cost £1400 is two years old and has done 1,500 miles and is as good as new. Obviously components likes tyres, brake pads, chain and cassette will wear out eventually and will need replacing as will the battery but I fully expect the bike to last a good few years.
Comparing costs with a car depends on many things not least whether the bike is a full replacement for the car. If not you're still going to have to pay for car tax, maintenance and insurance, and you're only saving is reduced mileage. I kept my car but for me buying an ebike for my commute was still a no brainier as I was paying around £7 a day for parking plus £1.50 a day on petrol.
Comparing costs with a car depends on many things not least whether the bike is a full replacement for the car. If not you're still going to have to pay for car tax, maintenance and insurance, and you're only saving is reduced mileage. I kept my car but for me buying an ebike for my commute was still a no brainier as I was paying around £7 a day for parking plus £1.50 a day on petrol.
... Fully agree. In my case a contributory factor was that my place of work had introduced paid parking for staff and also reduced the amount of car parking available, so the combination of having to drive around looking for parking and then having to pay for it was galling, so I got an ebike...
How long would you expect one of your bicycles to last? Cant say it fills me with much hope if the retailer himself says anything under 5k isn't going to last long.
To be fair the Sale Of Goods Act gives buyers some form of warranty for 6 years which the retailer is responsible for (not the manufacturer).
Sadly, not enough people exercise these rights. I think 6 years use out of a low cost Ebike is fair.
how much would you pay for my 3 year old bike then ?
https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Haibike-xDuro-AMT-PRO-2014
https://www.e-bikeshop.co.uk/Haibike-xDuro-AMT-PRO-2014
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