I’m likely to be upgrading my current bike (a Giant Twist Esprit Power) in a few months, and I’m looking for a few tips / thoughts about my options.
I’ve done around 8000 miles on the Giant, mostly commuting, and it’s been great – but now I’ve had a couple of years’ experience of riding a pedelec I think my needs are a little bit clearer – and of course the market’s moved on since then.
I live in Blackpool and my commute is mostly flat, the main reason for using an electric bike is to deal with headwinds and to help mix with traffic. I’m 50, in good health, and I ride a conventional bike as well if the weather’s favourable; I’m no athlete, but I ride a pedelec because it makes sense, not for any health or age reasons.
As well as wind, there’s a lot of sand around here especially if I use the promenade.
The Giant has been utterly reliable (give or take a few broken spokes, but that’s not specific to the bike) and still gives me a 30 mile range on full power so there’s plenty of life left in it yet. It’s just as a bike it’s a bit ponderous; the torque sensor relies on springs which make the pedals very spongy if I’m pressing on – and with a tailwind I frequently ride above the cut-off speed.
The hub drive is fine, but it’s an absolute pain in the backside to remove the front wheel and the distributed nature of the components means that there’s lots of cables everywhere. They’re routed internally where possible but it’s still messy and that’s one reason I’m drawn to a crank drive.
Finally, the brakes are conventional v-brakes, and they eat pads. I upgraded them from the original Tektro which made a big difference, but they’re still inadequate and need adjusting frequently.
Requirements and preferences for a new bike include:
· Hub gears (because of the sand)
· Preference for an Alfine 8 hub but will be OK with a Nexus 8.
· Rigid front forks (will accept suspension if it’s good quality – the chrome is vulnerable to corrosion)
· Hydraulic brakes – prefer disc but will consider Magura rim brakes.
· Torque sensing
· Ride-able without power or above the cut-off (I know that one’s subjective, what I mean here is it needs to feel like a normal bike with no sponginess, but I accept it will be heavy).
· Must be able to withstand harsh conditions, i.e. wet, sand, salt spray etc. This is a big ask and I know any bike will corrode somewhere, I’m talking here about well-sealed electrics and bearings.
· Needs mudguards, lights and rack.
I haven’t got any preference for drive system but examples I’ve seen include:
· Kalkhoff Agattu Premium Impulse 8 – because of the belt drive
· Kalkhoff Pro Connect Impulse Alfine 8G (£300 cheaper than the Agattu, not sure why)
· Scott E-SUB Speed – uses Shimano Steps with Alfine Di2 (no rack fitted).
There’s also a plethora of Bosch bikes out there and I admit I’m overwhelmed with the choice!
Of the above examples things I’m unsure about include:
· What’s the difference between the two Kalkhoffs apart from the belt drive? Do they ride differently? Belt appeals for the sandy conditions.
· Any idea what support will be in place for the Shimano system? Giant are a bit of a pain; they don’t deal direct with the public and point you at dealers who have no interest in electric bikes. I'm aware of the service available from 50Cycles for Kalkhoff.
I admit I’m drawn to the Scott because of how it looks plus the rigid forks, but lack of a rack and somewhat gimmicky lights (built into the mudguards) are downsides. However, the Di2 appeals to my love of gadgetry and I expect would overcome one of the weaknesses of an Alfine hub, which is that the cable can freeze in the winter. The Scott's battery is significantly lower capacity than the Kalkhoffs but should be fine for my 20-mile return trip to work.
One final thing – I’m happy to spend up to £2400 but would need interest free credit available online. This bike will be my main commuter and needs to be good.
Thanks!
I’ve done around 8000 miles on the Giant, mostly commuting, and it’s been great – but now I’ve had a couple of years’ experience of riding a pedelec I think my needs are a little bit clearer – and of course the market’s moved on since then.
I live in Blackpool and my commute is mostly flat, the main reason for using an electric bike is to deal with headwinds and to help mix with traffic. I’m 50, in good health, and I ride a conventional bike as well if the weather’s favourable; I’m no athlete, but I ride a pedelec because it makes sense, not for any health or age reasons.
As well as wind, there’s a lot of sand around here especially if I use the promenade.
The Giant has been utterly reliable (give or take a few broken spokes, but that’s not specific to the bike) and still gives me a 30 mile range on full power so there’s plenty of life left in it yet. It’s just as a bike it’s a bit ponderous; the torque sensor relies on springs which make the pedals very spongy if I’m pressing on – and with a tailwind I frequently ride above the cut-off speed.
The hub drive is fine, but it’s an absolute pain in the backside to remove the front wheel and the distributed nature of the components means that there’s lots of cables everywhere. They’re routed internally where possible but it’s still messy and that’s one reason I’m drawn to a crank drive.
Finally, the brakes are conventional v-brakes, and they eat pads. I upgraded them from the original Tektro which made a big difference, but they’re still inadequate and need adjusting frequently.
Requirements and preferences for a new bike include:
· Hub gears (because of the sand)
· Preference for an Alfine 8 hub but will be OK with a Nexus 8.
· Rigid front forks (will accept suspension if it’s good quality – the chrome is vulnerable to corrosion)
· Hydraulic brakes – prefer disc but will consider Magura rim brakes.
· Torque sensing
· Ride-able without power or above the cut-off (I know that one’s subjective, what I mean here is it needs to feel like a normal bike with no sponginess, but I accept it will be heavy).
· Must be able to withstand harsh conditions, i.e. wet, sand, salt spray etc. This is a big ask and I know any bike will corrode somewhere, I’m talking here about well-sealed electrics and bearings.
· Needs mudguards, lights and rack.
I haven’t got any preference for drive system but examples I’ve seen include:
· Kalkhoff Agattu Premium Impulse 8 – because of the belt drive
· Kalkhoff Pro Connect Impulse Alfine 8G (£300 cheaper than the Agattu, not sure why)
· Scott E-SUB Speed – uses Shimano Steps with Alfine Di2 (no rack fitted).
There’s also a plethora of Bosch bikes out there and I admit I’m overwhelmed with the choice!
Of the above examples things I’m unsure about include:
· What’s the difference between the two Kalkhoffs apart from the belt drive? Do they ride differently? Belt appeals for the sandy conditions.
· Any idea what support will be in place for the Shimano system? Giant are a bit of a pain; they don’t deal direct with the public and point you at dealers who have no interest in electric bikes. I'm aware of the service available from 50Cycles for Kalkhoff.
I admit I’m drawn to the Scott because of how it looks plus the rigid forks, but lack of a rack and somewhat gimmicky lights (built into the mudguards) are downsides. However, the Di2 appeals to my love of gadgetry and I expect would overcome one of the weaknesses of an Alfine hub, which is that the cable can freeze in the winter. The Scott's battery is significantly lower capacity than the Kalkhoffs but should be fine for my 20-mile return trip to work.
One final thing – I’m happy to spend up to £2400 but would need interest free credit available online. This bike will be my main commuter and needs to be good.
Thanks!
