Unfit, overweight, bad knees, no hair but own teeth!

[cogburn]

Hi everyone. I don't own an ebike but am looking to get one sometime soon. As I suffer with dodgy knees & have to contend with some rather steep hills I will be looking to ask questions. I have my eye on a 1000w model (yes I know about the legal stuff). I want to use the bike for short distance commutes (no more than five or six miles each way) but want to do so with very little or no pedalling - even uphill!

I am 5'10, 14 stone. Can anyone recommend a good mountain type electric bike which would act as a reliable primary mode of transport.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[STEVEMANFA]

Hi
I'm still new to e-bikes, but why do you want a 1000w motor, from what I know it's not all about the power of the motor, why don't you take a look at the whoosh big bear it gets good reviews on here,
If you spend a bit of time on here and have a good read you will soon find out that's it's not all about the motor size.
Hope this helps you a bit
Steve

 

[cogburn]

Thanks for that. It's just the route to work is offroad & comprises a few steep hills up which I cannot pedal & I thought that level of power would propel me safely without the need for any effort.

 

[STEVEMANFA]

I put a oxydrive kit on my bike a few weeks ago and with help I can go up most hills with it set on number 2 and there is 6 levels of assistance with 6 the max.

 

[soundwave]

id go have a go on some tho b4 u part with any cash

 

[Deleted member 4366]

For hills, it's torque you need, not power. If you wsnt to go up moderate hills without pedalling, there aren't many ready-made bikes that can do it. It would be better to do a DIY conversoon.

I'm not convinced that the Cyclotricity will give you hat you want. It's better for high-speed cruising than for low-speed off-road stuff. This Mosso would be much better

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=181551942498&alt=web

 

[BAH48]

d8veh is spot on, my 750 will climb any any hill I've come across without pedaling. There are some very steep hills around here.

 

[cogburn]

What make is your '750'? The same as in the link provided by d8veh?

 

[BAH48]

Same motor, driving through a low gear means it'll climb anything. Loads of torque at low speeds.

 

[Kudoscycles]

Before you get carried away with being illegal....no pun intended. I would go and try the BPM motored bikes such as the Woosh,Kudos or Oxydrive or for a bit more cash the KTM Panasonic hub bikes....you may be pleasantly surprised by the low speed torque of these bikes.
KudosDave

 

[cogburn]

I don't think I'll be able to test ride any bikes but the info I've been given thus far has been most useful. Concluded I'm not looking for out & out powers (1000w) but much torque. Does anyone have any thoughts on specific models of bike which will take my 14 stones worth of burning love up & over the hills?

I've just had this thought, it I add another mile or so to my off road commute I will be able to do so over some disused concrete roadway (ww2 vintage) which cuts around the woods, still as hilly but easier on the bike perhaps?

 

[cogburn]

Kudoscycles, have you anything which would fit the bill as already described plus decent range (15 to 20 miles perhaps on max power)

Remember I need it to go up some steep hills without pedalling.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

It always depends on how steep he hills are. Only that Mosso on Ebay will be able to drive you up steep hills without pedalling. That Mosso is a good bike and well woth the money.

 

[cogburn]

It's not north face of the Eiger stuff, I don't know the actual steepness but would hedge my bets & say moderate to steep mostly with a bit of very steep thrown in for good measure, I reckon that about 400 or five hundred yards is the maximum length of the slopes.

 

[baldylox]

Cogburn,
You are the same height & weight as me (also unencumbered by hair I guess) and if you want something in the way of a kit to add to an MTB, stay legal and do a short commute, I would recommend an oxydrive kit. It has a throttle and you can spin at minimal effort to assist you along.
It makes for a nicely integrated and reliable solution to the donor bike for most on the forum that have converted and appears to be highly regarded. I certainly give it a big thumb's up.
That being said I also rate the Panasonic hub drive on the KTMs if money is no object.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You can't ride the KTM without pedalling. It has a torque sensor on he crank and no throttle. It's not suitable for people who have bad knees.

 

[cogburn]

The bad knees is the crucial point.

 

[soundwave]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=79&v=o5v17hK3Va0

http://www.hi-powercycles.com/high-performance-e-bikes/

 

[anotherkiwi]

There is a difference between turning the pedals and pushing on the pedals. I have rugby knees myself but am fortunate in that they only go bad when the weather turns to freezing (hence my migration further and further south...).

Last week I went to Hendaye to a RDV with my girlfriend and as the weather wasn't too hot (21 C ish) and the battery was fully charged as a test I went dressed for a town outing not in my usual riding gear. An 11 km ride with a 4.8 km climb I just turned the pedals at a regular cadence in 3rd or 4th gear, assist 5 most of the climb and didn't even break a sweat. My PAS works great and the motor was giving a steady 400 Watts all the way up according to the LCD. Instead of my usual maxed out 25-26 kph the climb was at between 19 and 21 kph dropping to 16 kph at the steepest point.

 

[OldBob1]

Cogburn you really need to go and try a few e-bikes out! you might be amazed just how good they are and how different they can be on performance.