What e-bike to buy? Advice sought, please.

[cjb295]

Hi,

I am currently investigating the possibility of getting an ebike to replace the family's second car. The car is on its last legs, so it could well be replaced this summer.

The bike would have to be able to get me to work (East Grinstead), 17 miles from home (Uckfield), so range is important. I could charge the battery at work, but would prefer to be able to make the return journey on 1 charge, as the battery should therefore last twice as long. I have tried "Howard"s Wisper SE Sport. On the whole I liked it, and when I arrived at work after just over 1 hour I was not too tired, despite pedelling all the way. I do have some reservations about the Wisper: When I got to work there was only 1 light left on, so no chance of getting home on the 1 charge. I also felt that the difference between the pedelec mode and throttle mode on how easy it made the pedelling was considerable. Although I'm happy to pedel all the time, I would like whichever bike I get to be able to give this level of assistance. I am about to try to organise a 2 hour hire of a Kalkhoff Pro Connect in Richmond Park, to get an idea of how that bike performs.

Also, as this would be my main mode of transport to and from work, reliability is very important. I can't have the bike out of use due to being repaired.

Are there any other bikes I should be looking at, and has anyone got any advice for my trial round Richmond Park?

Other info, I'm 6'2", about 95kg, and have a 33" inside leg. I have no history of cycling, but after my efforts on the Wisper I'm not too worried about managing the distance with the help of an ebike.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Chris

 

[Rad]

Welcome to the forum . I'm by no means an expert and would be happy to be corrected, but I think doing a 34 mile round trip on one charge would not be doing that battery any favours. From what I understand of modern batteries it's better to recharge a half discharged battery than a fully discharged one. The cells don't get as knackered so the battery's life is extended. I'll leave the science part to someone else though.

I do know the Wisper has excellent range and there are a fair few owners on here that can't say enough good things about them. I've also seen Wisper's customer service in action on here and I'm very impressed with them.

You've ridden a Wisper, you're about to ride a Kalkhoff. I'd say it's between those machines. Go for the one you prefer, but definitely give the battery a charge when you're at work.

 

[flecc]

I'll second the choice of the Wisper or Kalkhoff bikes for good range, but as said, charge at both ends for that run.

The fact that you almost emptied the Wisper battery in 17 miles indicates a very heavy usage, since that bike is capable of 40 miles in some hands, so I think you were depending heavily on the motor for most of the work.

The Panasonic unit in the Kalkhoffs doesn't allow that as it has to be pedalled all the time and issues power in a ratio of what the rider puts in, so that may well suit you better to ensure adequate range.
.

 

[Mussels]

Richmond park is pretty flat, must be a pretty bad place to test a pedelec unless you live in East Anglia.

 

[Rad]

I live in East Anglia.
It ain't flat!

 

[CeeGee]

Richmond park is pretty flat, must be a pretty bad place to test a pedelec unless you live in East Anglia.

I have failed to find a flat stretch of road in the Park, apart from the Ham Gate Crossroad to Pen Ponds road. I used to use the Park at night for training because of all the changes in gradient. Try the stretch from Kingston to Robin Hood Gate(and back), for instance.

Colin

 

[Mussels]

I have failed to find a flat stretch of road in the Park, apart from the Ham Gate Crossroad to Pen Ponds road. I used to use the Park at night for training because of all the changes in gradient. Try the stretch from Kingston to Robin Hood Gate(and back), for instance.

Colin

I don't understand this bit as I've looked around it with google street thingy and all the slopes look quite gentle, I've seen comments people have made about it being the hilliest part of London but I have yet to see a photo of a steep road there.
Back to google images.

 

[Django]

I don't understand this bit as I've looked around it with google street thingy and all the slopes look quite gentle, I've seen comments people have made about it being the hilliest part of London but I have yet to see a photo of a steep road there.
Back to google images.

Try this

OK, so it isn't an Alp, and no more than a gentle incline by Shropshire standards, but it isn't bad for London.

 

[flecc]

East Anglia is fairly flat, the judgment on hills is all relative. Those in an area like that see a 10% hill as steep, though to those like me who live in much hillier areas, 10% is only what hills begin at, and we call twice that gradient steep.

Similar to what Mussels says of parts of London, it's a job to see any gradients in East Anglia in Google Earth, even with a 3 times elevation multiplier added.
.

 

[CeeGee]

East Anglia is fairly flat, the judgment on hills is all relative. Those in an area like that see a 10% hill as steep, though to those like me who live in much hillier areas, 10% is only what hills begin at, and we call twice that gradient steep.

Similar to what Mussels says of parts of London, it's a job to see any gradients in East Anglia in Google Earth, even with a 3 times elevation multiplier added.
.

As somebody who was born and bred within a couple of miles of Richmond Park it truly amazes me that I am now told that I don't know what a hill is.
Having cycled in all parts of England and Wales, as well as the Jura Mountains, French, Swiss and Italian Alps, The Dolomites and Pyrenees in the early, mid sixties (mountain passes in the Alps like the Simplon were no better than tracks in parts) I thought I did.
I naturally bow to your more knowledgeable judgement. Of course I don't know what a hill is - how silly of me to think I did.

Colin

 

[stranger]

And such are the variables in life that one mans 'gentle slope' is another mans (or womans) 'hill climb'.

My husband (who is even older than I am) can cycle (push bike) up hills at far greater speeds than the Powabyke at full blast and I can achieve.

I am happy if I can 'make it' without having to 'get off and push'.

 

[Edrich]

Hills in/near Richmond Park

CeeGee is right, there's a stretch about 10-12% between Robin Hood and Kingston gates called Broomfield Hill, which I tried last September on both an Agattu and a Pro Connect (half an hour each). Not the steepest hill in the world but it gave me a good feeling overtaking another cyclist with ease going up the hill. If you are hiring for 2 hours there's probably no reason why you should feel confined to the park itself. Try going out of the Richmond gate and then descending and ascending both Richmond Hill and Star & Garter Hill. If it helps with your decision-making process, I bought the Pro Connect in the end, which enables me, at a not very fit 59, to get up the long 10-15% hills (and here in north Devon we have some at 25%) without too much difficulty. Good luck with the test ride.

 

[flecc]

As somebody who was born and bred within a couple of miles of Richmond Park it truly amazes me that I am now told that I don't know what a hill is.

I naturally bow to your more knowledgeable judgement. Of course I don't know what a hill is - how silly of me to think I did.

Colin

I'm baffled Colin, my post was about East Anglia and in response to Rad's above post, not your post and not Richmond Park, so I don't understand the above?

My reference to Mussels was about his use of Google which I also used, but on East Anglia.

I haven't referred to you or your post about Richmond Park, so I'm not telling you anything or calling your judgment into question.
.

 

[rog_london]

My reference to Mussels was about his use of Google which I also used, but on East Anglia.

I haven't referred to you or your post about Richmond Park, so I'm not telling you anything or calling your judgment into question.
.

Are you in trouble again, Flecc? I know the feeling......

Rog.

 

[flecc]

Yes Rog, I don't know how these things keep happening, but it sure looks like I'm being targeted at times.
.

 

[Tim]

I am about to try to organise a 2 hour hire of a Kalkhoff Pro Connect in Richmond Park, to get an idea of how that bike performs.


Are there any other bikes I should be looking at, and has anyone got any advice for my trial round Richmond Park?

Hi Chris, I have a Pro Connect you can use and can meet you in Richmond Park no problem. You can borrow it for free! Just drop me a line at tim@50cycles.com and we can arrange a time and date. I'm away this weekend, but most weekdays and weekends are a possibility.

All the best,
Tim Snaith

 

[Tim]

If you really need a hill, Nightingale Lane a few hundred yards past Richmond Gate must be one of the steepest gradients in this end of London. The Pro Connect handles it well.

 

[Mussels]

If you really need a hill, Nightingale Lane a few hundred yards past Richmond Gate must be one of the steepest gradients in this end of London. The Pro Connect handles it well.

Best picture I could find, the lazy Google man didn't bother to drive up it.
Google Maps
Looks like a fair slog.

 

[Rad]

East Anglia is fairly flat, the judgment on hills is all relative. Those in an area like that see a 10% hill as steep, though to those like me who live in much hillier areas, 10% is only what hills begin at, and we call twice that gradient steep.

Similar to what Mussels says of parts of London, it's a job to see any gradients in East Anglia in Google Earth, even with a 3 times elevation multiplier added.
.

I'm in Norwich and compared to the rest of the region it is fairly hilly here. Not in a mountainous or vertiginous sense, but you certainly know all about it once you've cycled up em. I'm thinking Grapes Hill, Kett's Hill, Gas Hill for starters. And if the Powabyke struggles then as far as I'm concerned it's a proper hill. It's a fair point though, that it's all relative. I remember a bloke I used to work with who also cycled, laughing at what I called hills as he'd had to cycle around Sheffield when he was at University

 

[flecc]

I'm in Norwich and compared to the rest of the region it is fairly hilly here. Not in a mountainous or vertiginous sense, but you certainly know all about it once you've cycled up em. I'm thinking Grapes Hill, Kett's Hill, Gas Hill for starters. And if the Powabyke struggles then as far as I'm concerned it's a proper hill. It's a fair point though, that it's all relative. I remember a bloke I used to work with who also cycled, laughing at what I called hills as he'd had to cycle around Sheffield when he was at University

Absolutely true Rad, and why I said East Anglia was "fairly flat". It's fair to say it's recognised as one of the flattest areas of the UK, but of course there are some hills as I know from my days spent in those counties during my working years. Sheffield is certainly another thing though, no shortage of hills of double the East Anglia gradients there and tough territory for e-bikes.

The length of hills is important too, when cycling I'd rather tackle a couple of hundred yards of 12% than a three mile 7% any day.
.